February 5, 2026

S.H.Figuarts Across the Spider-Verse Scarlet Spider

By Joe
Look at this beauty!

In the two reviews I did of Scarlet Spider action figures I shared the origins of my love for the character’s design. To make it short, I found the appearance of him on a cover of a Spider-Man comic intriguing, but more is as a young artist I much preferred to doodle him in my notebook than Spider-Man himself. And that’s due to the lack of those tedious web lines the traditional Spidey costume contains. And even so, there’s something about the simplified look of the red body suit with a ratty, blue, hoodie over it that works. The shape of the eyes worked for me and the exposed web shooters also looked kind of cool, but what really sold it are the artists (Tom Lyle is the one who is credited as designing the character) who drew and colored this look because that heavy, black, shading just made him seem so much more intense and mysterious.

I like all three of these figures, but this new one from Bandai does make the other two look quite dull by comparison.

When Scarlet Spider showed up in the movie Across the Spider-Verse I immediately wanted a figure of that look. The art designer (Kris Anka is credited as the character designer) for that film clearly knew what made the costume pop as he was depicted with heavy comic shading in every scene he appeared in. Hasbro, unfortunately, declined to include him in their companion action figure line, but they did release the character on a retro card later. Medicom did one and then even did a shaded one last year as a convention exclusive, but the shading was basically just a little black on his face. It wasn’t what we saw on film or in the comics, but here comes Bandai! Bandai has released a few figures in its S.H.Figuarts line based on the movie, but for some reason I never considered them a possibility for this look. They’re usually not really into painting their figures while Medicom has actually done comic shaded figures of Spider-Man in the past. When they showed this one off though I knew I had to have it. I even preordered it via Hobby-Genki, an import operation in Japan, rather than wait for one of the US stores to get the figure in. And, of course, because of those wonderful tariffs it ended up costing me about the same so while I didn’t save any real money, I did get the figure a little quicker.

I do like these wall crawling hands.

Ben Reilly comes in the standard SHF box. There’s some artwork on it that is vaguely similar to the style of the film and it’s adorned with photos of the figure in action. To my surprise, there is an included set of basic instructions for the figure as opposed to having them printed on the inner box flap like most of the recent Dragon Ball releases. Scarlet Spider (which has a hyphen in the name on the box which I’ve never seen before with this character) stands at about 6.5″ so he is right there with the Legends figure so if you think that one is appropriately sized for your Marvel collection then this one should be too. I like that figure, but placing it beside this new one really makes it look inferior. It’s just bare plastic while this figure from Bandai is covered with black shading and it looks fantastic. They didn’t hold back and there’s a liberal amount of the black on every part of the figure. The web shooters and cartridges on his belt have some nice linework on them as well and there’s even a little shading on those goofy ankle pouches. I really like how the mask turned out and it helps the white eyes to really pop. The blue of the hoodie is a touch darker than the Legends figure and the same is true for the red making it look a lot closer to an actual scarlet shade of red. There’s tons of shading on the rear of the figure as well so there was no skimping at any point.

Even the rear of the figure has as much as detail as the front.

This figure is stunning and I don’t think there’s a thing about the presentation here that I’d change. It’s going to run into some issues where the linework won’t stay in-line when you move limbs, but because there’s so much it’s not as noticeable as it could be. The hoodie is non-functioning, if that matters to you, so he can’t pull it up over his head. It’s also hard plastic so those who prefer soft goods might be turned off a little, but I don’t think you could do shading like this with soft goods. Bandai did load him up with some accessories, though not as many as the Medicom release. For hands, we get fists, gripping, gripping with a thumb out, wall-crawling, web-shooting, and open hands. The wall-crawling hands have a more pronounced arch to the fingers which I like when compared with other versions of the same. There are two web lines – one with a ring at the base to mimic a web-shooting pose and one long one for swinging. There’s an unmasked portrait which also has a neck piece as part of it and Ben looks like his douchey self from the film. It’s great, but I’ll never use it after taking some pictures. What’s missing is a flight stand. An expensive Spider-Man figure should always come with one, but Bandai almost never includes them with their offerings unless absolutely necessary.

Two accessories that turned out well that I’ll likely never use: the unmasked portrait and the time bracelet.

Where this figure does stumble is in the action department. Like any Tamashii Nations release, there’s a bunch of joints on this guy, but unfortunately they don’t seem to work very well. The rundown is pretty typical: head, neck, shoulders, butterfly, bicep, double elbows, wrist, diaphragm, waist, hips, thighs, double knees, ankles and toes. What works well is the head and neck which has plenty of range and personality and I have no issues with the arms or knees. The butterfly joint is restricted and doesn’t go forward or back all that much. It’s better than nothing, but the sleeve piece of the hoodie prevents the figure from reaching over its head in a swinging pose. The ankle rocker is pretty limited too and quite steep. What sucks though is the torso and, to a lesser extent, the hips. Scarlet Spider can do the forward to back splits, but out to the side is pretty limited. The torso though feels almost static. I can’t get the joint under the hoodie to do anything. It wiggles so I’m pretty sure it’s there, but it’s useless. The waist also just seems to pivot and rock a bit. What I can’t get it to do is actually rotate and that’s just bizarre. It might just be seized, or something with the shape of the cut is causing it to bind. It’s quite unfortunate.

If you have a stand handy he can get into some decent web-swinging poses, but the lack of rotation in the torso is frustrating.

The end result is that this is a Spider-Man figure that’s not very good at doing Spider-Man type poses. He can do some, but basic wall-crawling is pretty much out. He can only do a basic crouch and he’ll need some kind of support to actually hold the pose on your shelf. It’s a bummer, and honestly quite surprising as most SHF releases I have articulate pretty well, even some of the odder designs. And this is, ultimately, a guy in a skin-tight suit with just a hoodie to get in the way. It should be very easy to articulate, but they completely dropped the ball.

At least the shading is so good that he doesn’t really have to do much to look cool.

Does that make this release a bad one? Yes and no. If you want and expect articulation better than your $25 Marvel Legends figure then this will let you down. This is a downgrade in articulation from the Legends figure and especially the MAFEX one. It’s honestly more on par with the Mondo sixth scale Spider-Man than those figures. Maybe even worse because of that waist. I’ll do some checking around and see if anyone else has the same issue with the waist as I do and if I can at least get that to rotate I think I’ll be a lot more satisfied, but it will still be lackluster. If you don’t need this figure to pose as well as a Legends figure, then you’ll likely be a lot happier. I do think this is one of the best looking figures in my collection. It’s a Mondo type of presentation on a 1:12 scale figure. It looks spectacular, and that’s what I wanted. It’s a damn good thing that it looks great in a standard, hero pose lessening the desire to do something more exotic. It still shouldn’t be that way, but presentation matters a lot too. And that’s what it comes down to. If you are as in love with the appearance of this one then you’ll probably be happy. If not, then you should probably pass because this figure isn’t cheap. It’s actual price tag from an import shop is around $80, but after shipping and duties it will end up around the $110 Big Bad Toy Store is charging. If you shop around you may find a better deal, but either way this is a pricey figure. If I wasn’t such a fan of this particular look I would likely chosen to admire it form afar, but even with the articulation limitations, it’s my favorite Scarlet Spider in my collection.

If you’re curious what I thought of those other Scarlet Spider figures and even that Mondo one I mentioned then look no further:

Marvel Legends Retro Card Scarlet Spider

It was in this space last year that I shared my fondness for the Scarlet Spider costume when I reviewed the Medicom MAFEX Scarlet Spider action figure. I don’t buy much from Medicom because their figures are really expensive for what they are, but I sometimes break my own rule when I think they’ve made…

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by Joe

Medicom MAFEX Marvel No. 186 Scarlet Spider

When I was a kid, one of my favorite past times was drawing. Like most, I started really young with a box of crayons and coloring books. I’d eventually start keeping markers, colored pencils, and other instruments in a plastic McDonald’s case that came from a Happy Meal. It was blue and had a map…

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by Joe

Mondo 1/6 Scale Spider-Man (Spider-Man ’94)

It took a long time for Mondo’s Spider-Man to get to me. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to even buy it. I passed on the Mondo offering in 2024, debated the symbiote costume variant, but ultimately passed on that as well. The X-Men line from Mondo is my true love and…

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by Joe

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February 2, 2026

Marvel Legends Retro Card Mysterio

By Joe
Oh boy, another Walmart exclusive!

We’re continuing our look at 2025 figures with one that should have arrived in plenty of time to squeeze it in. Walmart has been doing a Collector Con annually for a few years and you just never know if you’re actually going to receive the figure you preorder. So it was with the Spider-Man retro card Mysterio which kept getting pushed back on me. I’ve done this dance before and what typically happens is Walmart just pushes the release back until it eventually cancels it. Rather than wait for that, I was able to find this guy on the pegs at a local store, albeit one out of my way. Others weren’t so lucky. I’m also going to make an effort starting with this review to attempt to be more brief when it’s warranted and a Marvel Legends figure certainly fits that criteria.

I always was a fan of Mysterio’s look, though less so the actual character.

This Mysterio is based on his appearance in the animated series Spider-Man which debuted in 1994. This basically means he’s just the same villain we’re used to, but with a simpler costume and one that also happens to be a very bright green. Since the comic version usually has a quilted pattern to the costume, this figure actually utilizes very little from past releases. It may actually just be limited to the accessories. That doesn’t mean this guy is entirely all new. The body is essentially a base body. I’m not sure if it is indeed the Vulcan body, but it’s basically the same body as the Secret Wars Iceman we looked at not too long ago and the hole in the middle of his back would seem to be a giveaway there. The gloves and boots are unique as are the belt, cape, and the domed helmet. The figure is primarily colored plastic with paint reserved for the belt and the green areas on his boots. There is a pearl finish to the dome which looks nice and helps keep the opacity up so one cannot see what lurks beneath.

These effect parts are pretty fun.

The figure is about as basic as it comes for a Legends release, but it has some quirks about it. Namely the cape which is designed to sit high to give it that billowing effect. To achieve this, it actually pegs into the back, but while there are two, yellow, clasps on the front they don’t actually do anything. It sits a little high as a result from the front. The dome also doesn’t actually connect to the figure. It connects to the cape which is a little strange, but it does work for the most part. He does have two optional heads, including an unmasked Quentin Beck head that’s all new. It’s a terrific likeness to the cartoon, and if you really want to you can try to cram it under that dome or just go without. The dome does detach from the cape, it’s a little tight, but I don’t think it will break.

Well, that’s kind of horrifying.

The other accessories in the box are repeats from a past release. There are two sets of hands: fists and open. He also has some effect parts done with translucent, red/pink plastic. Two of them are these smoky, tentacle parts that can clip onto his ankles and the third part is a skull with tentacles worming through it. They’re not from the show or anything, but they look pretty cool so I’m happy to have them. The articulation is typical, Vulcan body Legends. You have a ball-hinge head, shoulders, butterfly, bicep, wrist, ab crunch, waist twist, hips, thigh cuts, double knees, ankle hinge and rocker. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a boot cut. They wiggle a little, but it must be keyed in such a way that it prevents rotation, which is weird. He’ll do what you probably need of him, though the cape is cumbersome.

“Face my illusions, Spider-Man!”

The one and only reason to get this Mysterio is if you like the look of the character from the old cartoon. And it mostly accomplishes what it set out to do. It is missing the seem line on the torso that’s even present on the card art, but I’m not surprised Hasbro didn’t go back and sculpt that in. I wish the cape sat a little lower, but at least it provides clearance at the shoulders. The different portions of the body do suffer that discoloration we see with many Legends where one area doesn’t match another. In this case, the torso is a little lighter than the arms. It’s not as noticeable as it is with other figures, but it is there. He’s also a pain in the ass to get, but that’s a Walmart problem and not the figure’s fault. Hasbro does have a track record of re-releasing these kinds of figures if the demand is there so if you can’t find one maybe he’ll come back in a year or two. Then again, they still haven’t released the Walmart exclusive Venom figures or the Spider-Man ’94 so I guess you shouldn’t hold your breath.

If you’re interested in this Mysterio then you may like some of these as well:

Marvel Legends Secret Wars Iceman

As a kid in the 90s, there was a social pressure to not choose the obvious when discussing favorite parts of a fandom. It’s basically a method of gatekeeping, a really silly, annoying, habit that’s not exclusive to children. If you enter into a certain band’s fandom there are some who will claim you’re a…

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by Joe

Marvel Legends The Chameleon (Animated)

I had a bit of an impulse buy a few weeks back with the Marvel Legends Spider-Man Unlimited action figure from the show of the same name. What I didn’t mention was that he was not alone for hanging on the pegs that day with him was The Chameleon. Like Spider-Man Unlimited, The Chameleon is…

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by Joe

Marvel Legends Spider-Man Unlimited

When the decision was made to end the animated series Spider-Man, it didn’t mark the end of the webbed one’s adventures on the small screen. Momentum was building towards a Spider-Man movie which would eventually arrive in 2002 so it made sense to keep old webhead in the public spotlight. Apparently, it would have been…

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by Joe

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January 29, 2026

Mondo The Real Ghostbusters Winston Zeddemore

By Joe
We’re three quarters of the way there.

We are now three deep into Mondo’s line of 1:12 scale action figures based on The Real Ghostbusters. Well, we’re now six deep counting the ghosts, but I personally passed on both Boogie Man and now The Sandman who has been released in tandem with our third Ghostbuster, Winston Zeddemore. At this point, we know what to expect from Mondo with these figures. The Ghostbusters all share many parts and accessories and that is very much true for Winston. With Egon, we saw a new torso to elongate him some, or at least, a new neck. With Winston, we’re dealing with basically a carbon copy of Peter with a new head. That may mean Winston is a little less exciting to receive compared with the other figures, but it’s no less good.

Winston, like the previous characters, is a sculpt by Alex Brewer with paint by Mark Bristow. He comes in the same ghost trap inspired box as the other single sets and stands at around the 6.5″ mark making him actually a little large for true 1:12 scale. He has his very pale blue/green jumpsuit with the no ghosts logo on the right sleeve. He has the same loop and gadget on his belt as Peter and Egon and his default portrait is a neutral expression. Curiously, mine appears to be looking up slightly given the position of the eyeballs and I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not. The promotional images seem to reflect a more head-on stare, but maybe this was a change or just a slight variation. I’m curious if other figures are the same.

He’s always looking up.

The paint for Winston is fairly clean and has a nice, soft, appearance. The paint isn’t perfect as the laces on the boots have some slop and the left elbow pad does too. There is some black linework which helps to give the figure an animated appearance and Winston has a bit of undershirt visible, like Peter. The portrait looks like the character from the show, in particular the earliest episodes. Winton’s alternate portrait is a slightly angry one with arched eyebrows and a hint of a scowl on his lips. The eyes on this one are also tilted up slightly. Considering he would be looking up at many of the ghosts encountered it makes sense.

Rosebud is a fun addition to the companion ghosts.

Winston’s other accessories are identical to Peter’s including his gear and the optional gloved hands. Paint on the proton pack and trap are crisp and clean and his effect part for the particle beam is the same as well. The only new items with Winston are the included small ghost and the trap effect. For the trap effect, he comes with Sandman since that’s the larger ghost he’s sold with in a two-pack. The sculpt and paint are quite impressive on this little guy and there’s some translucent electricity around him as well which looks nice. It fits a little more snug in the trap than the past two accessories and I can’t get this one to actually stand when in the trap either so that’s a little annoying. The companion ghost is Rosebud, a Citizen Kane homage in ghost form. He’s more static than Slimer and the intro ghost as his arms barely move, but the sculpt and paint look terrific and I love how he’s riding on a sleigh. He is slightly leaning to his right and I don’t know if that’s on purpose or just a variation in the production. He’s fun though and a nice addition to the other ghosts.

You’ll just have to pretend that they’re busting Sandman.

Winston’s articulation is identical to his co-workers which is to say it’s fairly basic. Unfortunately, Mondo hasn’t made any running changes to the production process to improve what’s here. The hips are still very tight, and in particular my figure’s left hip. The other joints are mostly okay while the head is still too restricted. The lower ball joint is set too deep in the neck to allow the figure to look down and the head doesn’t really tilt back either. Interestingly, he has the same ball joint as Peter for the head where as Egon had a larger, more mushroomed, one. The ball-peg shoulders are poor substitutes for butterfly joints and Winston will have to hold his proton wand across his chest to have a two-handed grip on it. He’s only going to hit the most basic of poses and if Mondo ever does do a vehicle for this line all of these figures will struggle to sit down in them.

Does busting make him feel good?

Winston is a pretty simple review: if you like Peter and Egon then you’ll like Winston. If you weren’t pleased by those releases then Winston will do nothing to change your mind. He is, for better and worse, the exact same aside from his portraits and a pair of accessories. And you’re certainly allowed to be picky and want more from a figure that retails for $101. These guys are not cheap, and while they do feel like they’re of a higher quality than a lot of figures in this scale, it’s hard to find $101 of value here as well given the articulation limitations and amount of reuse, but if you’re put off by the price tag with this line then that’s something you likely decided long ago. It’s why I’ve been picky with the ghosts as I don’t need them. The Real Ghostbusters was the first toy line I really got into as a kid so there’s a tremendous amount of nostalgia in it for me. I’ve wanted a set of Ghostbusters modeled after the show in a line like this and I’m mostly content. I look forward to receiving Ray in the coming months so all four are together at last.

If you missed our other reviews of the figures in this line then see below:

Mondo The Real Ghostbusters Egon Spengler

It’s a Halloween miracle! The second figure in the Mondo The Real Ghostbusters line of action figures, Egon Spengler, had been bumped to November. Even when I got my shipping notification from Mondo it said a delivery date of November 1st. It felt almost cruel to receive a Ghostbusters toy the day after Halloween, but…

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by Joe

Mondo The Real Ghostbusters Peter Venkman and Samhain

I didn’t do a big 2024 wrap-up type of post like I sometimes do, but if I did I would have awarded toy producer Mondo with the biggest reveal of the year when they debuted their line of action figures based on The Real Ghostbusters. The Real Ghostbusters was one of many 80s properties to…

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by Joe

Dec. 9 – The Real Ghostbusters – “Xmas Marks the Spot”

  The 1980s sometimes feel like they belonged to the Ghostbusters. That’s because, for me, the Ghostbusters were always around. The film came out when I was but a wee baby, but by the time I had a real interest in television The Real Ghostbusters (not to be confused with the Filmation series) was airing…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Television, toys

January 27, 2026

JoyToy TMNT Leatherhead

By Joe
I can think of few things more terrifying than an alligator with a shotgun.

It was in my year-end wrap-up post on 2025 where I mentioned how awful the tariffs instituted by the US during the year made action figure collecting. The added cost is a given, but also the shipping. Importing a figure from overseas became a bigger issue as understaffed sorting centers were ill-equipped for figuring out what needed to face an additional charge and what did not. Some shippers just made it the problem for the one doing the importing (i.e. – the buyer) while most paid it upfront and either baked it into the price of the item or broke it out separately. Some retailers basically suspended all shipments or gave consumers the option to store their wares for free with them until a cheaper option presented itself reflecting the idea that no one knows how long these things are going to last. I bring this up because my JoyToy Leatherhead had himself a heck of a journey in getting to me. This is an import-only line as JoyToy isn’t licensed to sell TMNT products to the US. My first order made it all the way to my local sorting center the week of Thanksgiving, then got rerouted across the country where it went to die. Thankfully, the store I bought it from sent me another free of charge which did eventually get to me on Christmas Eve. I don’t really care how long it takes something to get to me, it is what it is, but the anxiety of not knowing if it ever will certainly isn’t any fun.

He is quite large.

Leatherhead did indeed arrive so now I can tell you how I feel about this action figure from JoyToy. If you saw that wrap-up post, I selected JoyToy’s line of 1:18 scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures as my line of the year. It’s truly been exceptional and the company was busy pumping out figures as well with relative quickness. Maybe they don’t envision having the license for very long or something because they are moving at quite a clip. After Leatherhead, I still have another 2025 release to review and there’s a Turtle Van on the way as well. A Turtle Van already? That’s more than a little impressive and the pace hasn’t appeared to impact quality either as these releases have been free of quality control issues. Does that trend continue with Leatherhead?

Maybe all he wants to do is go fishing?

First off, Leatherhead is yet another addition to the line that immediately tries to grab the title of biggest so far. I skipped the Triceratons so I can’t speak for them, but Leatherhead comfortably fits in with the likes of Groundchuck and Rahzar. I have him at 5.325″, but he’s also just very bulky and has a rather large tail taking up shelf space as well. JoyToy seems to source various iterations of the franchise for its designs, but with Leatherhead they seemed to have gone to their most frequented source in the ’87 cartoon series. Leatherhead is basically in the same getup as that version of the character sporting a hunting vest with blue pants and boots. He even has the lobsters dangling from his belt. Where he differs is in the absence of a hat and the presence of a little more tactical gear. He has a harness which provides some weapon storage and his belt extends to enwrap his thigh almost like a brace, but there’s no holster or anything on it so I don’t know what it’s true purpose is supposed to be.

Weapon storage is always a plus.

The other main difference separating this Leatherhead from the toon is with the added detail as well as the added realism. There are pockets and seams added to his clothing and boots giving them a more natural appearance. His skin is a paler, yellow-green, with deep scaling. Most of all, the head is very realistic looking. He basically looks like an actual alligator with almost no presence of anthropomorphizing present. I’m a little down on this one as a result. There’s a slight toonish quality to all of the other figures in this line which just isn’t present with Leatherhead. I wish he had slightly enlarged eyes and maybe a hint of a smile. Something to just bring him more in-line with the others. If JoyToy was looking to make a realistic interpretation of the character then they absolutely nailed it, I just question the appropriateness of such a design choice for the line they’re constructing.

I think we found something more terrifying than an alligator with a shotgun.

Leatherhead does come with a whole bunch of accessories which is typical of the line. He has the same white base which can combine with 3 other portions to form a larger base as well as a city sewer disc stand. For hands, he has a set of trigger hands, tight gripping hands, a wider right gripping hand, and an even wider left one. The trigger hands are designed to work with both the pump-action shotgun and the rocket launcher. The shotgun is the short body design favored by the police with a brown pump. The action, sadly, does not work, but the gun can fit into the holster on the harness he wears. The rocket launcher is obviously much bigger and includes a removable rocket. The rocket has this metallic, red, tip that makes me think of a Christmas light or something. It’s pretty cool though and it’s nice and light weight so the figure has no issues holding it. The wide, left, gripping hand works well for two-handed shotgun poses while the tighter right hand can wield his fishing rod. The even tighter hands appear to be intended to go along with the lobster accessory, but the shape of the gesture looks more like what one might utilize when gripping a rod. His hands are soft enough that you can fit that very thick handle of the rod into them, though his range at the shoulders won’t let him have one hand on the base and one on the reel – which does spin!

Aww, shucks.

Which does take us to the articulation and it’s a spot where folks have experienced some quality control issues with this figure. First of all, his articulation is pretty consistent with the rest of the line. He does have extra joints in the neck area to accommodate his alligator form. He can almost look all the way up like a gator in the water, but not quite. He doesn’t get much rotation at the head, but the neck joint helps him to look to his left and right. The jaw does open, but it’s restricted by the sculpt so it doesn’t open quite as wide as I’d like. From there, we get shoulder, bicep, elbow, wrists, diaphragm, waist, hips, thighs, knees, ankles, and toes. He does have double joints at the knees and elbows and the tail has a bendy wire in it. The hips are those steel, double-ball peg joints which are always nice. Where I’ve run into some quality control is with the right foot which keeps popping off. It’s more of a nuisance than anything, but worth mentioning. Where others have experienced issues is with the attached lobsters on the belt. Basically, basic articulation at the hips can cause these suckers to pop off. I’m aware of it, so I’ve been able to avoid it, but they feel like ticking time bombs. An issue I had personally is the bear trap on the back of his belt arrived detached in the box. When I’m done with my review I’ll glue it back on as it’s not articulated and serves no purpose as an accessory.

Is he friend or foe? For this particular version of the character I’m going with foe.

The usefulness of the articulation is mostly okay. He can pull-off the two-handed shotgun pose and he’s a relatively easy figure to stand. The ankle rocker isn’t great though nor is the bendy tail. The wire doesn’t run all the way to the end so you have to be mindful not to cause it to poke through the rubbery material. He’s also just really bulky and the stuff on his belt makes handling the figure a little less fun than it could be. I do also find the very limited jaw articulation disappointing while posing him as having that open maw would just add so much to the vibe the figure gives off. The joints at least look fine, save for the knees which are a bit ugly and gappy when bent. As a result, I’m a little down on Leatherhead. He’s not as good as the best we’ve seen from this line, but a subpar release for JoyToy is still a worthwhile one to have. I also find myself really missing his hat. I would say if you like the approach JoyToy took with the aesthetics of Leatherhead then you’ll probably enjoy this release more than I do. The lobsters and trap are going to be an issue, but one that a little glue can also remedy. I kind of only bought him because he went up with Metalhead and had he gone up all by his lonesome I may have passed. I don’t regret getting the figure though, it’s just not my preferred take on the character.

If you want to check out some JoyToy releases I was more enthusiastic about then take a look at these:

JoyToy TMNT Groundchuck

Last week we had ourselves a look at Dirtbag from JoyToy’s line of 1:18 scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. As most probably expected, we’re back this week with a look at his buddy Groundchuck, the mutant bull that could have very easily been named Bull’s Eye, but maybe Playmates felt that was too…

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by Joe

JoyToy TMNT Dirtbag

Today for Turtle Tuesday we continue our look at Wave 6 (I think?) of JoyToy’s 1:18 scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line of action figures with a character who should be familiar to long-time fans of the franchise: Dirtbag. Dirtbag first showed up as part of the Playmates toyline in 1991 before making the leap…

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by Joe

JoyToy TMNT Rahzar

JoyToy is back with their latest wave of 1/18 scale action figures based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and with a character I think we all assumed was on the way. You don’t do a figure of Tokka, the mutated snapping turtle, and not also do a figure of his best buddy, Rahzar. The two…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in toys

January 22, 2026

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Daima Super Saiyan 4 Son Goku (Mini)

By Joe
The little guy is back and furrier than ever!

It’s no great secret that the black sheep of the Dragon Ball universe is the anime Dragon Ball GT. Created in-house by Toei animation, Dragon Ball GT was a continuation of Dragon Ball Z without creator Akira Toriyama. While Toriyama had to grant approval to many aspects of the series, he wasn’t directly involved with its creation. I believe he contributed some broad concepts, but I don’t know the specifics or have long since forgotten them. Even though the anime is loved by few, some of its creations have endured. Namely, the Super Saiyan 4 transformation. Credited to Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, the concept of the transformation was to return the Saiyan race to a more primal state. It’s sort of like the great ape or oozaru form seen in Dragon Ball and early Dragon Ball Z turned into its own version of a Super Saiyan. It was a drastic departure from the golden haired look of the prior Super Saiyan forms adorning Goku with red fur and returning to him his tail for the first time since early Dragon Ball.

This Goku is little, but not as little as past Goku.

When Toriyama decided to return to the world of Dragon Ball, he basically cast GT aside. I would not read much into that as far as what Toriyama felt about the show’s quality. It felt more like a case of returning to the end of Z after the battle with Buu was just the most logical launching-off point for a new story. The fact that Toriyama didn’t have an emotional attachment to the events of GT certainly helped. In his return which first began with the film Battle of Gods but quickly morphed into a whole new series in Dragon Ball Super, Toriyama (together with his protege Toyotarou) basically made the events of GT impossible to have occurred. A lot of that is due to the creation of the new Super Saiyan God power-up and its offshoots. Even so, the legendary manga writer and artist must have seen something in GT he liked because he decided to basically take its premise and turn it into the non-canonical Dragon Ball Daima.

It’s like some kid hanging out with the cool uncles he idolizes.

Daima was basically Toriyama’s final gift to Dragon Ball fans before passing on. At least, as far as we know. Like GT, it begins with the premise of a villain using the Dragon Balls to return Goku to a child, only with Daima all of Goku’s friends suffer the same fate. From there, it’s basically its own thing as the plot involves Goku and friends traveling to the Demon World to rescue Dende and prevent the new lord of the realm from amassing enough power to become a problem for everyone. It takes place in between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super even though there really wasn’t a whole lot of time separating the two to begin with. The series began in a mostly plausible manner as far as canon is concerned, but eventually became something that is clearly non-canon. And the most canon breaking event of the series is Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan 4.

For a 90s creation, Super Saiyan 4 does have a pretty 80s looking hairstyle.

If you have yet to watch Daima (and I recommend you do – it’s great), then apologies for that spoiler, but the mere existence of this figure is essentially a spoiler. Toriyama must have liked something about the form to use it himself in his new series, or he was just throwing a bone to the fans that did enjoy it. From what I have gathered, Toriyama is responsible for the look of Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball Daima, but in truth it differs little from the version designed by Nakatsuru. Goku still regrows his tail and finds his body covered in red fur, only the shade is slightly more purple than the pinkish it was in GT. The hair on his head follows mostly the same shape, but now it changes to be the same color as the fur as opposed to black. His iris now turns red instead of gold and the heavy outline around his eyes is black instead of red. The most noticeable difference is the slight alteration in proportions. In GT, Goku basically retained his normal shape, but in Daima his hands and forearms become oversized giving him a slightly more ape-like appearance. He also remains a child when transforming while in GT he literally goes from a child to an adult by transforming. I’m not sure what the rationale for that was at the time, maybe because the oozaru form is basically the same size for an adult and child Saiyan, but it’s an odd quirk of the form.

You can’t touch this one.

For the toyline, Bandai opted to release this Super Saiyan 4 Goku figure via its Premium Bandai offshoot. Like other releases in the past, this largely means it’s just a more expensive, limited, version of a relatively standard quality figure for the S.H.Figuarts line. Because Goku does increase in mass with his transformation, none of the parts created for the other Goku Mini figures are reused here. He’s also taller than those releases at approximately 3″ where I envision the top of his head being and 4″ to the highest spike of his hair. Most of the figure is colored plastic with the paint hits reserved for the bare portion of the chest and abdomen as well as a small area on the forearms. The white laces on his boots are also painted and the details of the face. Bandai did a good job of matching the flesh colors between the painted parts and non, but the linework isn’t the sharpest as there’s some overlap on the chest. The faces look fantastic while the laces are just okay as it’s white over blue. The only cheap looking aspect of the figure are those orange pants. There’s no shading on them at all and it’s unfortunate. At least a little paint around the waist might have lessened the cheap look.

He’s got some big old paws on him. They’re not quite as big as adult Goku hands, but they’re close.

The sculpt and overall proportions are very good here. At first I wondered if the hands actually could have been made even a little bigger, but in returning to the anime it looks pretty accurate. The length of the legs and torso look good and the hair sculpt is great. Like many other releases in this line, the hair is quite sharp and pointy so do be careful when posing or swapping faces. I do enjoy the oddball nature of the Super Saiyan 4 transformation. I’ve always liked the concept of the Saiyan harnessing their primal side in a focused, contained, manner. The switch from black hair to red is also one I approve of as the black haired look of the old transformation always created a bit too much of a contrast for me with the reddish fur. The redesigned proportions also work well here, especially on the kid version of Goku. It actually adds a little cuteness to the design and it’s hard not to draw a comparison to the video game character Tomba.

Sorry Vegeta, I don’t have an appropriate bad guy for him to fight so you’re going to have to take one for the team.

The expressions included offer a nice range for this character. We get a cocky smirk, stoic, teeth gritting with a side eye, a yelling, and a more exaggerated yell. They all seem to serve a purpose and it’s hard to resist the cocky expression. The face-printing is all excellent with some nice linework between and under the eyes. The paint is clean on the teeth and inner mouth for the yelling expressions. For hands we get a mostly stand array with fists, chops, martial arts posed, open, and Kamehameha hands. There’s also a set of hands for the standard Goku Mini (which would also work with the Super Saiyan version) that have little, translucent, yellow, orbs in them like a blast about to be fired. There’s also an extra, right, Kamehameha hand with a flame effect molded into it. This effect is done with translucent orange plastic with a hit of yellow paint. It’s intended to connect to the effect part – a Kamehameha blast. The blast is made of translucent blue plastic with hits of white. There’s also two translucent, orange, flames encircling it for a neat look. There’s an included post in clear acrylic to help it stand and it keys into the effect hand in two ways allowing the hand to be on top or under. I found getting the hand onto Goku as well as the post into the blast difficult without heat pretty difficult, but keying the two parts together is simple and effective. It’s probably the nicest blast effect part I’ve yet received from Bandai topping Beast Gohan’s beam cannon.

He comes with two of these little ki blast hands for the previous Goku Mini.

Goku’s articulation is mostly the same as the prior mini versions, with some differences including one that was a bit odd. He has the usual joints in the usual spots: head, neck, shoulder, butterfly, bicep, elbows, wrists, diaphragm, waist, hips, thighs, knees, ankles, and tail. The very small size can make utilizing some of these joints tricky. The diaphragm, for one, is hard to work independent of the waist and the butterfly joint sometimes doesn’t move as far as it looks like it can. The head is pretty locked down by the hair, but he can turn his head some and look down. The two, lower, rear pieces of his hair do move, but it doesn’t really free anything up much. The front pieces that come over the shoulders are not independently articulated like they were with the GT figures. The tail is just a ball peg and loves to fall off which is annoying. The elbows are double joints, but they don’t bend past 90 degrees due to the forearm size. The knees are single joints. The wrists were the most surprising part as they are just ball pegs. There’s no hinge so the hands just move on that ball, and for the most part, only rotate. I haven’t really missed the hinge, but it was a surprise to see. Range at the hips is pretty typical of the line, but he does have a diaper piece now so there’s some restriction. He won’t do anything truly spectacular, but he seems to be able to hit the key Goku poses.

I almost hate it when an effect is this good – how could I possibly display him without it?

This release is a pretty typical Premium Bandai release. It’s a good sculpt with good enough articulation. The accessory load-out is slightly better than a general release item while the price is higher. This one was $70 plus $10 shipping so he was essentially an $80 figure. That’s pretty steep for a figure of this size. It’s not as if much more went into it when compared with the $35 Goku Mini so a value buy it most certainly is not. It was exclusive though so if you want it now it will likely cost you even more. I do like the figure and I like this look for Goku. That’s the main motivation for buying it. If you like this version, then you’ll be content with the figure. It won’t blow you away, and I feel like I say that a lot more often these days with Bandai, but it won’t really disappoint either. Unless you end up paying $130 for it or something, then it might let you down because it certainly isn’t worth that.

For more Daima and Super Saiyan 4 goodness, check these out:

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Daima Goku (Mini)

When Akira Toriyama sadly passed away in 2024 it shocked the world of manga and anime. While his passing was sudden to those confined to the fandom, he at least had one more adventure to deliver in the world of Dragon Ball that would be unveiled later in the year: Dragon Ball Daima. I’ll talk…

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by Joe

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball GT Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta

We’re back with another action figure review from everyone’s favorite version of Dragon Ball: Dragon Ball GT! And really, the only thing people remember from Dragon Ball GT is the Super Saiyan 4 transformation. Designed to bring the Saiyans back to their more primal roots, the Super Saiyan 4 transformation is pretty much on an…

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by Joe

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball GT Super Saiyan 4 Goku

In the world of Dragon Ball, there are varying opinions on which version of the anime is superior. Dragon Ball Z is unquestionably the most popular, but there are people (like me) out there who swear by the original Dragon Ball that came before it. More recently, Dragon Ball Super has entered the fray and…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Television, toys

January 20, 2026

NECA TMNT Adventures April – The Fifth Turtle

By Joe
Is this the turtle you’re looking for?

NECA’s line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures based on the pages Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures by Archie Comics is like the little engine that could. It’s not a fast-moving line, the releases aren’t always heavy hitters, but when they land they’re usually pretty damn good. And NECA appears to be slow-walking this line since they have yet to release the actual turtles in the line. We got wrestling variants of the boys, and now we’re getting a version of their ally April O’Neil, only she’s in her seldom seen look as the fifth turtle.

Or maybe it’s the April you’re looking for?

In the pages of TMNT Adventures there was a one-shot winter special where April O’Neil was mutated into a turtle. It didn’t last very long, but for at least a few pages she was essentially the fifth ninja turtle. And she looked how you might expect in that she has the same mask and pads, a belt, she’s armed with a single katana, and she has a big “A” on her belt. You may have expected her to go with yellow for her color of choice, but she actually had to settle for white instead. This figure was teased quite a while ago in April of 2023, but it didn’t actually see release until fall 2025. She is basically the first basic turtle in the Archie subline and one imagines that whenever NECA gets around to doing standard versions of the boys this is the buck they’ll be on. In that, it’s like a preview of things to come so even if you’re not interested in this obscure version of April this figure might be of some interest to you.

With Archie Raph and toon Raph.

April comes in the standard Archie packaging with new artwork by series regular Ken Mitchroney. I like his very stylized take on the character with the accentuated beak and angled eyes. The figure dials that down a little, but a lot of those traits are still present. April stands at about 5.625″ to the top of her head. I have her as slightly shorter than Archie Raph and it appears to be due to her head sitting lower on the neck. Her head and plastron are actually wider which gives her a slightly stockier look compared with Raph, who is basically a blank turtle body. April has new forearms which are slightly thicker as well and her shell is different, having a more angled approach to the different panels. It’s hard to tell if anything below the waist is new. The knee pads create a thicker look, but it might just be an optical illusion. If I get out my grandfather’s old machinist gauge for measuring thickness it tells me their legs are the same, but confirms what I suspected with the forearms.

I don’t think this is how April wanted to present herself.

The stylization with April might be different from what some might expect. If you’re primary frame of reference for a female ninja turtle is Venus DeMilo from The Next Mutation then this April will look pretty different. That’s because they didn’t give her those odd plastron boobs that character had and instead she pretty much just looks like a turtle – kind of like how male and female turtles in the wild pretty much look the same. Her only embellishment is a slightly curvier plastron silhouette and clawed fingers. I thought at first the fingers might be reuse from the Archie Slash, but they are unique to April. Her portraits have that pronounced beak though, and while her eyes aren’t comically feminine, they have that Archie personality we’ve grown accustomed to with NECA’s figures. I love the little “t” shape they paint onto the beaks as that is pulled right from the books. The figure is a very matte yellowish green that is accentuated very nicely by the white wraps that have a touch of light blue shading. The shell is deep green and all of the grooves are filled with clean, black, paint. There’s black linework to accentuate the muscles and overall this is another homerun from NECA in the aesthetics department for this line.

“Where do you get off calling yourself the fifth turtle?!”

April’s accessories are quite numerous for a general release in this line. She has four distinct portraits: unmasked, grin, yelling, and a classic TMNT angry side sneer. The bandana knot is transferable between the masked portraits and while it’s a little snug, it works fine. The unmasked portrait features a sad expression and there’s even some tears painted on which helps to make it quite scene specific. For hands, April has gripping, fists, and open clawing hands. She comes with a single katana which is what she utilized in the book which features a brown hilt and blue pommel and guard. The blade itself is white which I love because metal is often done in white in comic books. I’m a little surprised they didn’t hit it with a touch of blue shading like the weapons that came with the Mirage turtles, but it looks pretty good as-is. To store it she has a large, white, scabbard that is shaded with blue that simply slots onto her belt. It’s not a super secure connection, but it will stay in place once she’s posed. Just expect it to fall out a lot when posing her. The sword does store effortlessly in the scabbard which is nice to see after my experience with the 2012 Leonardo and his stubborn blades.

She’s got the look, but does she have the skill to take on the Shredder?

April’s articulation is basically the same as the Archie wrestling turtles only she has some elbow and knee pads to obstruct things. She has joints at the head, base of the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, and ankles. There are built-in thigh swivels into the ball-joints at the hips and her gripping hands have the proper vertical hinge for wielding a sword. She has the pinless knee and elbow joints, but the presence of the pads will limit the range. Her elbows are pretty much only good for a 90 degree bend while the knees extend a little past that. They’re also very tight at both spots and I haven’t noticed any lubricating oil in those places like I did with the wrestling turtles. The shell will limit her hip range, but the plastron is soft so she can kick forward about 90 degrees if you want to push it. Going out to the side for splits is no problem and the oversized feet with solid ankle rockers make getting her to stand pretty easy. The waist isn’t going to do much owing to the turtle anatomy and range at the shoulders is not good enough for two-handed sword poses. It would be nice to see NECA integrate a butterfly joint there since one would think the shell would hide some of the ugliness of said joint, but I don’t know if they’ve ever done such with any release, turtle or otherwise.

“Geez April, think you might reconsider going back to the news reporter look?”

Perhaps the best thing about April is she should retail for the reasonable price of $35. Some places have her as high as $41 but she is shipping to big box retail which is likely to have the cheapest price on her. She comes with plenty of stuff and the sculpt and paint are fantastic. Yes, the articulation is just okay, though it is better than some of NECA’s other TMNT figures. That’s what they’re known for though and if your primary interest is in the figure’s presentation then this April should please you, provided you ever felt the need to own a figure of April as the Fifth Turtle.

If you’re looking for more Archie inspired TMNT figures or more April then check these out:

NECA TMNT Adventures Stump Wrestling Four-Pack

When I was a kid, I didn’t really get a lot of comic books. I most often would encounter them at the grocery store and I always hoped my mom would end up in the check-out aisle with the comics instead of candy so I could maybe convince her to get me one. And when…

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by Joe

NECA TMNT Toon “Mutant Interest Story” – Deluxe April O’Neil

Whenever I approach my rankings for NECA’s now long-running action figure series based on the 1987 cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I don’t always just pick the objectively best or worst toy in the line to slot them into the rankings. It’s a combination of the figure’s quality and the character’s importance. A great figure…

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by Joe

NECA TMNT Cartoon Channel 6 Newsroom SDCC Exclusive Set

Remember San Diego Comic Con? You would be forgiven if you did not since, like last year’s edition, the event was a virtual one once again. Only unlike the 2020 version, this one came with the expectation it would be virtual. It also coincided with a global shipping crisis, so combine that with the expectation…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Comics, toys

January 15, 2026

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

By Joe

When Batman: Arkham Asylum was released in 2009 it ushered in a new era for the caped crusader where video games were concerned. Prior to that, Batman had not had a good video game in a long, long, time. Depending on your opinion of his efforts, you may have gone all the way back to The New Adventures of Batman and Robin for the Super Nintendo, or even further back to the Sunsoft classic Batman for the Nintendo Entertainment System. His outings on the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 weren’t particularly memorable and he all but skipped on the PlayStation 2 era. The low point may have been the cancellation of the The Dark Knight video game tie-in as it felt like DC throwing up their hands and saying, “We can’t make this work with Batman.”

Rocksteady Studios was up to the challenge and Arkham Asylum proved so good that Sony basically ripped it off for its successful Spider-Man video games. Rocksteady was able to craft a simple, but relatively malleable, combat system for Batman that had some challenge, but mostly succeeded in making the player feel like they were playing as Batman. Random thugs weren’t going to get the better of Batman unless they were in mass quantities and heavily armed. The one-button attack system made handling Batman a breeze and the stealth elements added on top of that complemented the action well. If there was one critique, it was that the environment was a little closed off so for the sequel Rocksteady gave Batman run of the city. Arkham City was more of a sandbox game, but mostly played the same. Boss encounters also had more variety and many still view it as the pinnacle of Batman video games.

In this one, Batman has to work with Catwoman to quell a prison riot.

For the sequel, Rocksteady bowed out. Enter WB Games Montreal which crafted Arkham Origins for release in 2013. The game was mostly well received, but not as enthusiastically as its predecessor. WB Games Montreal did receive praise for largely carrying forward the game mechanics fans had grown accustomed to and the franchise continued to roll along. Developed alsongside that release, was Arkham Origins Blackgate. Blackgate was the handheld version of the game released on the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Development on Blackgate was entrusted to Armature Studio which had cut its teeth previously on the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection also released on the Vita. Blackgate would be the studio’s first original game and it too was released in 2013.

When Blackgate came out I was instantly intrigued. As an owner of the PlayStation Vita and the 3DS, a portable take on the Arkham series of games held some appeal. Blackgate also wasn’t a direct port of any of the console games. It was its own thing and is technically a sequel to Arkham Origins as far as plot goes. Batman (Roger Craig Smith) encounters Catwoman (Grey DeLisle) at the start of the game which serves as the tutorial mission. Shortly after, there’s a prisoner revolt in Blackgate prison and Batman heads in to investigate. Three of the biggest crime bosses in Gotham: Joker (Troy Baker), Black Mask (Brian Bloom), and the Penguin (Nolan North), have taken over and each rule over a segment of the prison. Catwoman is also there, but willing to aid Batman in helping to free the hostages the criminals have taken and ultimately save the day. Batman will have to explore Blackgate in a non-linear fashion acquiring various gadgets to help him progress through the prison.

This is how you will be viewing Batman most of the time – from the side.

I did not play Blackgate in 2013, but always wanted to. Recently, I had a chance to rectify that and I was intrigued by what I found. I know I read reviews in 2013 for the game and ultimately passed, but what I had read I had mostly forgot. What I did know going in was that Blackgate was a 2.5D action game. The environment and character models are all rendered in 3D, but gameplay is largely restricted to a 2D plane. There are some moments in the game where Batman can move into the foreground or background, but they are few and far between. Other times the environment will curve or swing into either the foreground or background, but having Batman just walk in a straight line will cause him to just follow the path. It’s also what the cool people on the internet refer to as a Metroidvania. That’s a non-linear action title that plays in a style similar to Metroid and the nonlinear entries in the Castlevania series.

Utilizing stealth and Batman’s Detective Mode is crucial to surviving Blackgate.

Despite the perspective change, Blackgate plays a lot like its big brother on the home consoles. The systems are largely still intact. When it comes to combat, the player is encouraged to chain attacks together with just the press of one attack button. There’s a separate parry button with onscreen indicators for when to use it as well as the ability to perform a cape stun maneuver. Successful attacks continue the chain as do successful paries. Early in the game, enemies will likely be a cakewalk, but tougher ones are introduced later that either have weapons or a means of defending themselves. For criminals armed with firearms, Batman can’t take them head-on. For those enemies you’re expected to play it sneaky either via alcoves high up or by utilizing passages in the ground. Batman can perform stealth takedowns when in the proper position and they are preferable to running in Leroy Jenkins style.

Why does he always need to re-find his equipment every game?

As Batman makes his way through Blackgate, he will encounter gates that prevent him from progressing deeper. In order to progress he will have to either upgrade his hacking device or uncover a new tool. At the start of the game, he is only armed with a Batarang and grapnel gun, but along the way he’ll acquire the Bat Claw, the line launcher, and an explosives gel gun. The claw allows Batman to pull down things like vent covers while the line launcher lets him cover long gaps and even opens up the background and foreground elements to a degree. The explosive gel can only be used on specific spots to blow holes in the environment. At any point Batman can also enter Detective Mode as he can in the other games which can reveal weak points in walls and other secrets and help Batman progress. The three boss characters can be encountered in any order and as such it means there aren’t any items tied to any of them. Most just require you to use Batman’s base abilities in a certain way to clear the encounter. Also hidden throughout Blackgate are weapon and armor upgrades, new costumes, and collectibles that just add a little extra length to the game. One playthrough takes about 7 – 8 hours and the only reason to go back is to defeat the boss characters in a different order to unlock another costume.

All of the boss encounters are uniquely constructed – none of that “Ride the big guy” stuff from Arkham Asylum.

Playing through Blackgate is largely an enjoyable experience, but there are some quirks that hamper things. The locked perspective takes away the ability for Batman to just point and shoot his grapple gun and can make navigation a chore at times. There is one area in particular where Batman has to deactivate a bomb with a timer on it and I could see where I needed to go, but the rules of the game wouldn’t let me just go there because it was in the background. A lot of context items are all assigned to the X button as well which can get clunky when you don’t want Batman to interact with the environment. X also makes Batman run so you can imagine how that might get in the way. Blackgate is also broken up into different maps and navigation can be a chore. The map system isn’t particularly intuitive and it’s also locked to the menu screen so you constantly have to refer back to it. Batman also can’t simply exit a section and has to work his way back to an exit which gets very tedious. There is no fast travel system. There’s not a lot of variety to the scenery, though apart from that the game generally looks and runs smooth. Story advancement is done with stylized still image cutscenes, but fully voiced which might feel like a downgrade for the handheld, but I honestly didn’t mind. Voice acting is strong while the overall sound design is fine, though a bit repetitive. Music is a little sparse, but it suits the vibe of the game.

Back in 2013, I passed on Blackgate because the reviews were just kind of ho-hum. No one seemed impressed by the game and since there was Arkham Origins available for the main console experience it probably made Blackgate seem worse by comparison. More than ten years removed from that environment, Arkham Origins Blackgate plays like a slightly different sort of game and it’s honestly pretty fun. It probably drags on a little too long as it feels like that 8 hour runtime is padded out by lots of backtracking. Repeat playthroughs would certainly go much quicker, but there’s really no reason to go back. The extra costumes are all pretty terrible and of the era. There are no classic looks for Batman which is a little disappointing, and while I like the standard costume enough, it would have been cool to go old school. The boss encounters also aren’t great. They’re not as repetitive as they were in the original Arkham Asylum, but they are underwhelming. Especially the final boss which left me thinking “That’s it?”

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate must have sold well enough because there are plenty of copies floating around for a decent price. The Vita experience was a good one and I don’t know if the same is true of the 3DS. The game is also available on Steam so it’s rather playable. What works best is the novelty of a portable Batman experience on par with what the console games were doing while also not trying to be an exact copy. I’d like to see another Batman adventure in a similar style, maybe one that plays a little faster and actually does more to separate itself from the console games so we’re not constantly comparing the two as we play.

For more Bat-content, check these out:

Batman: Caped Crusader

In the far off land of 2021 we received word that a new animated Batman series was in development and attached to it was none other than Bruce Timm. Timm was one of the main creative minds behind Batman: The Animated Series and the DC Animated Universe it spawned so this news was met quite…

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by Joe

Batman – The Adventures Continue #50: Batman

If you’re a repeat visitor here at The Nostalgia Spot, then you’ve probably noticed that around here there is a high opinion of the television show Batman – The Animated Series. I did a re-watch of the series that spanned more than two years and also checked out the various films based on the property.…

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by Joe

Batman Beyond – The Complete Series (Blu Ray)

Last year, when Warner Home Media announced a new Blu Ray set for the series Batman Beyond, I decided to wait. I had been an early consumer for the similar Batman: The Animated Series set the prior year and had some misgivings. The price on that set fell and a slimmed down version was even…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Video Games

January 12, 2026

Mondo X-Men ’97 1/6 Scale Nightcrawler

By Joe
Make way for Munich’s own Nightcrawler!

Yes, I’m afraid this is another toy review that needs to begin with a word about tariffs. It was the talk of 2025 in the toy collecting community because it caused considerable delays, disruptions, and worst of all, increased prices across the board. One line impacted by the introduction of these new costs more than most was Mondo’s line of sixth scale action figures based on the Marvel cartoons X-Men and X-Men ’97. These figures, being around a foot tall and consisting of unique parts, extravagant paint apps, and numerous accessories already carried a hefty price tag. Most had settled into the $235 range, but with free shipping that made it slightly more palatable. That was all out the window once extraordinary tariffs were introduced. Mondo was forced to add a tariff fee to its products to help offset the costs which, for this line, typically ran $20. Then there was the removal of the de minimis exemption on shipments under $800 which blew up Mondo’s shipping policy to ship directly from the factory to your door. Now, they had to go the shipping container route, bring everything to port, truck it to a warehouse, and then ship it from there. Free shipping was gone replaced with an option totaling over $20 and then add on the usual sales tax and you end up with a line that now runs over $300 a pop.

Even at sixth scale, he’s a bit of a little guy.

Nightcrawler was the first victim of this new world. When he initially went up, it was the limited version with a price tag of $245. When I went to check out, the total came out to over $300 and gave me a great deal of sticker shock. Mondo’s line appeals to me as a fan of X-Men ’97, but it appeals to me even more as a fan of the original cartoon. That’s the collection I want to assemble on my shelf, but Nightcrawler wasn’t really essential to such a display. He appeared in a mere two episodes during that original run, and while I like both, the space requirements of such a display and the cost gave me pause. I wanted to think it over and also wondered what the standard version would cost, but before Mondo revealed that the limited one sold out. I guess others weren’t as indecisive as I was. Eventually, the standard version was put up for sale and it cost $230, a nice price break, but it came at a cost. The X-Men ’92 portrait that was included with the limited version was omitted making this standard version truly an X-Men ’97 release. I admit, this frustrates me. The line began as one based on the original show and it was a request by Marvel to add the ’97 branding. For most characters, Nightcrawler included, there isn’t a big difference between the look so it’s easy enough to please both customer bases, but locking the ’92 version behind the limited paywall betrays that spirit. I complain, but obviously I gave in because I do like Nightcrawler an awful lot and knew I’d regret not having him on my shelf.

Nightcrawler is so popular he even has his own in-universe toy.

Nightcrawler comes in the same box as the rest of the line with new artwork by Dan Veesenmeyer and production artwork behind that. Even though this figure is truly an X-Men ’97 release, all of the production art is from the original series episode “Bloodlines” which is kind of amusing. There’s a character bio from Eric and Julia Lewald on the inside of the cover flap and there’s the usual display window behind it. Nightcrawler is a sculpt by Alex Brewer with paint by Mara Ancheta. He is one of the smaller figures in the line just barely outdoing the most recent Wolverine at around 10.75″. He’s far less chunky than the Canadian and quite lithe giving him a similar in-hand feel to the line’s smallest release, Jubilee.

He’s also well-armed.

Nightcrawler is depicted in his classic red, black, and white costume which is true to both shows. Paint is clean and it’s accentuated with blue linework which is how he’s shaded in both shows. The face has an abundance of black shadows cast across it which looks excellent and is how every Nightcrawler figure should be done at any scale. He has that tuft of hair which is the most recognizable aspect of the ’97 look and the eyes are a bright yellow. His black hair has some streaks of blue in it which helps convey the highlights we see in the show and I love how the white hands and feet stand out against the darker colors of the costume. I don’t know if it’s said enough, but Nightcrawler really is one of the best designs in comics (hat tip to Nightcrawler’s creator, Dave Cockrum). There’s a reason why he’s rarely strayed from this look which dates back to his original appearance from the 1970s. I love that X-Men ’97 added him to the main cast partway through the inaugural season and it appears that he will remain in the main cast going forward. That’s a terrific pickup as, next to Morph, Nightcrawler is the one I would have most wanted to see added to the roster.

He passes the crouch test.

Mondo had a challenge in bringing a character like Nightcrawler to plastic. The other characters from this line can get away with being a little stiff when it comes to posing, but Nightcrawler is a literal acrobat. He needs to articulate better than the rest. Mondo had a similar challenge before it with Spider-Man and, in my opinion, mostly dropped the ball there. With Nightcrawler, I’m happy to say they faired much better. He doesn’t have much in the way of additional joints, but the functional ability of what’s there is improved. What’s not is the head and diaphragm. The head is still really tight as the lower ball joint in the neck doesn’t like to move. The diaphragm joint is similarly stubborn, though it fares a little better with Nightcrawler than it did with Spider-Man. What works well is the waist which rocks in all directions quite well. His hips have more range and the double-jointed knees and elbows are super smooth. The same is true for the ankle hinges which border on being so smooth they’re loose, but I never had any issues standing Nightcrawler. He can get into a crouch which is necessary for such a character and he’s even better at doing so than his Marvel Legends counterpart thanks to the addition of toe hinges. His tail is also done with a wire and it’s perhaps the most poseable wired joint I’ve ever encountered. These figures typically aren’t much fun to pose, but Nightcrawler is the rare entrant who actually is.

Bamf! effects in action.

To accentuate those poses we have a slew of alternate parts and accessories. For portraits, there’s a neutral one and a smiling one. While the neutral one is executed very well, it’s the smiling portrait that I am almost certain to display exclusively. The limited version came with the original series head as well as one based on the pilot of the original X-Men cartoon, “Pryde of the X-Men.” I really want that ’92 portrait, but oh well. For hands, he has a set of fists, gripping, open, and style posed hands. For effect parts, he has a trio of “bamf!” effects. These are all cast in translucent, pink, plastic with one intended to clip on his shoulder and the other two on each arm. You could probably put them on a leg too if that was your preference. They’re sculpted to resemble the smoke that appears when Nightcrawler uses his teleportation powers and if you got the limited version you would have received a fourth piece that’s intended as a base. They’re easy to make use of and add a nice visual splash to a display.

These two proved to be a formidable pair in X-Men ’97.

If you watched X-Men ’97 then you undoubtedly recall Nightcrawler and Wolverine’s defense of the mansion during the eighth episode. In it, Nightcrawler finally was given a sword to wield which. Even going back to his original Toy Biz figure, Nightcrawler has been associated with blades for quite some time. And in that scene he had a saber, or cutlass, that resembled that old figure and Mondo included it here. It has nice paint effects on the blade and slots into a gripping hand quite easily. Nightcrawler, being an ambidextrous acrobat and accomplished sword wielder, wasn’t content to just handle one sword. He also found some decorative fencing blades in a study and took them down from the wall. He has one to grip in his other hand, but that still wasn’t enough for Nightcrawler. That prehensile tail of his needed a weapon too so that’s where the third sword went. Mondo included an extra tail where the end is coiled like a fist. The third sword separates where the handguard meets the pommel and can slide effortlessly into the extra tail to outfit Nightcrawler with all three weapons. Even if I had that coveted ’92 portrait, I would have been hard pressed not to pose Nightcrawler with all three swords in hand (and tail).

The stand, plus Nightcrawler’s poofy hair, lends itself well to inverted poses.

Feeling that wasn’t enough to really capture the spirit of the character, Mondo also used this occasion to provide collectors with an improved stand. It’s a badly kept secret that Mondo’s doll stands it includes with all of its sixth scale figures is pretty crappy. I almost never use them and many have never even been removed from the package. For Nightcrawler, we get a new model that includes a poseable post and a gripping claw for the end. The base is still the standard circular base with the X-Men logo painted on. The post plugs into that and the claw…goes on somehow. I don’t know what the intention was, but I had to remove the crotch piece and unscrew the clip in order to get it onto the post. It was still a tight fit and I reassembled it once on the post. Some instructions would have been helpful. Once assembled, it works as intended. The claw has some nice tension and the gripping part is lined with a soft material that should protect the paint. The crotch piece adds some stability, though it might not really be needed though could come in handy with heavier figures. This is the stand we should have received with Spider-Man and I hope it’s the standard going forward even for characters that don’t necessarily need it. It’s unfortunately not coming with Mr. Sinister, but is with Storm. Lastly, Nightcrawler comes with a Bamf doll accessory. He’s fully painted and plenty adorable. I don’t know why Nightcrawler has small effigies of himself, seems to go against his religious convictions, but it’s a cute little detail from the comics and an appropriate accessory.

This guy just looks terrific. It’s an instant upgrade for any display.

While I was and likely will remain salty about the removal of the original series portrait for the standard edition, it’s hard not to be pretty happy with how Nightcrawler turned out. He’s simply one of the best releases in the line combining the incredible presentation qualities Mondo is known for with an unexpected fun component the line ordinarily doesn’t possess. While I do enjoy swapping in and out portraits and effects, I rarely enjoy the act of posing these figures. That’s not the case with Nightcrawler and I feel like I’m wasting the figure’s potential when I leave it in the same pose longer than a week. Nightcrawler is a fan-favorite and that’s likely partly why the limited version did sell out relatively quickly, even at an increased price. It’s a reputation that’s been well-earned over the decades since the character’s introduction. If you can get past that increased price, even for the standard version, you’ll find an excellent figure. Other retailers won’t have the $20 surcharge Mondo charges, or their shipping fee, though many have added an apparent tariff fee to the base price. Big Bad Toy Store currently has this edition of the figure priced at $245 while Entertainment Earth has it at $250. Both have cheaper shipping options than Mondo so you’ll save some money going through them instead, but if you want to buy direct form Mondo he’s still in-stock there for $230 with an additional $20 tariff charge. If you’re in on this line or just a big Nightcrawler fan looking for a nice one-off in your collection then I think it’s worth it. And if you intended to just be collecting the main cast from the ’92 show then I do think you should think long and hard about passing on Nightcrawler. You may come to regret it.

For more from Mondo’s line of sixth scale Marvel figures look no further:

Mondo 1/6 X-Men ’97 Wolverine – Limited Edition

Back in 2021, Mondo unveiled for San Diego Comic Con a sixth scale Wolverine action figure based on the X-Men animated series from the 90s. It was a presale to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the show’s premiere and product went out in 2022 closer to that actual anniversary. At the time, Mondo wasn’t…

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by Joe

Mondo 1/6 Scale Spider-Man (Spider-Man ’94)

It took a long time for Mondo’s Spider-Man to get to me. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to even buy it. I passed on the Mondo offering in 2024, debated the symbiote costume variant, but ultimately passed on that as well. The X-Men line from Mondo is my true love and…

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by Joe

Mondo X-Men ’97 1/6 Scale Cyclops – Limited Edition

After putting a real hurting on my wallet in 2023, Mondo decided to take it easy in 2024 with its line of sixth scale action figures based on the animated series X-Men which ran from 1992-1997 on Fox Kids. Two figures ended up getting released this year, Rogue and now the leader of the X-Men…

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by Joe

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January 8, 2026

Marvel Legends Gamerverse Captain America vs Venom

By Joe
A very blue release.

We’re going to be doing a lot of 2025 catch-up here as Christmas always slows things down. Toy producers also like to push product for the holidays so I seem to always end up with a backlog at the end of the year. Especially when stores are doing generous sales and convincing me to buy product I had already passed on. Stuff like today’s subject, the Marvel Legends Gamerverse two-pack of Captain America and Venom.

We’ve already looked at one release in this series which was the excellent Wolverine and the not so excellent Silver Samurai. The draw for me with that set was the all new Wolverine that quite resembles his sprite from the Marvel vs Capcom series of games. With this release, we get a very familiar Venom and a not so familiar Cap. I’m a Venom fan so I’m always a little tempted whenever a new one comes around and this being Hasbro’s first blue Venom did catch my eye, but I was willing to pass. As for Cap, I’ve never been a Captain America fan. He was one of the lame heroes of my youth and I only remember one kid who actually liked the character. On the other hand, I do like blue and when you have a hero with a lot of blue that gets my attention and this Cap very much got my attention. Not to the tune of $60 though, or whatever the MSRP was when this thing landed at retail. Then Target had some sale and I had reward money when this thing was in-stock at my local store making my price a whopping $16. For $8 a figure, basically 2005 Legends pricing, you’re damn right I was willing to take a look at this one.

He’s not just a blue version of the figure on the left.

Let’s get Venom out of the way first since he very much resembles 2024’s Walmart exclusive retro-card Venom. At least, at first blush. The only parts this figure actually shares with that one (and other Venom figures) are the legs and hands. The torso and arms have actually been redone as this one goes with the old hinged-ball peg setup at the head. The musculature is slightly different, less vascular, and he has pin-less arms and no veins around the forearm. Like the animated Venom, the spider logo on the back has been squished to fit inside the butterfly joint which is fine while the logo on the front more comfortably fits inside the same joint. The shoulders are bigger which makes a big difference with the silhouette making this the best Venom body Hasbro has done. It’s just a shame they didn’t make the legs pin-less to match. The new torso does make this Venom slightly taller than the old one as he stands at about 7.125″ to the top of his “masked” head.

The spider logo could have used another coat.
It’s a neat portrait, but is it one we really need for a video game Venom?

What obviously stands out most though is the color. This Venom is a light blue which is fairly similar to the in-game sprite. Venom, for a long time, was always colored blue in the comics and shaded with black as comic artists often do for characters that wear all black so I’ve always liked this blue look for him. My ideal would be a darker blue that’s shaded like the art of Mark Bagley, but this is still neat to see in figure form. The default head is the Eddie head in mid-transformation which I think originated in a 3-pack. The symbiote section is new sculpt to better match the look of this version and the overall look is actually pretty impressive. The alternate head is a Venom with his green-drool covered tongue protruding. The severe underbite and shape of the eyes is very much evocative of the game art, though thinner and more elongated than the actual sprite. The only negative with the presentation is the little used white paint. The opacity of the spider logo is fine in the middle, but the legs are too thin and a lot of blue pokes through. The paint for the eyes is hardly pristine and the white paint on the hands suffers from the same opacity issues, though not as severe as the spider legs. We might as well get the accessories out of the way now too as he only comes with two clawing hands and two fists.

I think this Cap can work fine as a comic Cap if you don’t care about the scale mail.

Even though I’ve always been a Venom fan, to my surprise it was Captain America that drew me to this set. Something about this shade of blue hooked me and the way it plays off of the red and white. It’s a clean version of Captain America’s suit as there are no sculpted textures for scale mail. It conforms to the video game look, but it also conjures up memories of his cartoon appearances for me. What also got me though is the sculpt. I don’t have any other Captain America figures, the last one I bought was the series 8 Ultimate Captain America back in 2004, so I can’t say for sure how much of this figure is reuse and how much is new. There have been quite a few Caps recently, the Secret Wars one and the 20th anniversary to name just two, and I assume some of these parts come from there. The torso must be new for it to not be textured and the proportions for it and the arms are terrific. This is what I want Legends to look like. The chest is broad and the shoulders large. There’s enough thickness front to back so he doesn’t have that pancake look. He has classic heroic proportions, something the ever popular Vulcan body lacks.

The white on his shield could be better.

The paint and colors are mostly okay as well. I already said I love this blue and it’s largely colored plastic. There is a slight variation between the blue of the chest and the blue of the arms. In most lighting it’s barely noticeable, under brighter lights the arms are noticeably lighter which also includes the portion of the chest comprised by the butterfly joints. The paint on the face and head is pretty good as is the paint on the abdomen. The white star on the chest suffers some of the same issue as Venom with the opacity, but it’s not as severe an issue. The gloves and boots are molded in red and possess a nice, matte, finish. The only visual issue I have with the figure is that the wings on the sides of his head are not perfectly symmetrical. It’s minor, but also one of those things that once seen cannot be unseen.

Caps shield rush effect part works very well.

Cap does a little better than Venom in the accessory department. He has an alternate portrait with a yelling expression which is fine, though I’d have preferred something else. Maybe teeth gritting which I feel like shows up in the game more often or a smile as that would pair with his extra hands. By default, Cap has fists, but he can also switch to a thumbs up gesture. I want to say this is from his victory pose and it’s fine, but I don’t think we needed two. An open hand would have been nice to pair with his main accessory – his shield. What is Cap without his shield? This is a pretty standard one. I’ve seen some complaints that it’s too small and that may be so, but it doesn’t really bother me. It has the usual clip for the wrist that can toggle to a peg and plug into his back. Like the main figure, the opacity of the white is not the greatest and more in-line with what we saw on Venom, but the printing is at least clean. It also has an effect, a piece of translucent, blue, plastic that can clip over the shield. There are sculpted motion lines on the part for his shield rush attack and the center of it has less color than the edges. It actually looks really cool and is a perfect accessory for this set. It’s just a shame that Venom couldn’t get a game-specific accessory too.

Venom can pretty much hit some semblance of his stance in the game which is about all that’s required.

The articulation for Venom is basically the exact same as the prior Venom I already looked at with the exception of the hinged head. This lets him get into a stance resembling his default one in the game. The ball joint in the torso seems to have a little more range as well, but everything else is the same. As for Cap, he’s a little less articulated owing to an inferior torso setup. He has the ball hinge head and his butterfly joints work pretty well. The pin-less, double-jointed elbows and knees work as expected though his bulky arms give him less than 90 degrees at the elbow. The thing I don’t like is the torso though which has a perfect design to include a ball joint in the midsection. Instead, he just has an ab crunch with a waist swivel. If this guy had the same setup as Gamerverse Wolverine it would have taken him to the next level and would probably be as good as any Captain America figure ever needed to be, but instead it’s got an easy to improve upon flaw for whenever Hasbro wants to give us a Maximum Captain America and charge $50 for the privilege of owning it.

The “Gamerverse” is coming together.

As a $60 two-pack, this release is a bit of a hard sell. Do you really need a Venom in blue even if it is a minor improvement over the most recent release? Surely, if you prefer black this Venom body will see a re-release. Plus it still has that ab crunch which could be improved upon. The Cap is for those who don’t necessarily need or want the scale mail texture. The extra effect part for the shield is also nice, though very game-specific. If you don’t care about the video games it hails from, then you may not value it much. Now, if you are a big fan of the Capcom games then this set holds some added appeal. It’s a solid likeness found in the games and only Venom’s lack of a game-specific accessory hampers that. If you don’t have a past release of either character, it’s certainly more enticing, but still overpriced at $60. If you can get it for less then it quickly becomes a far better value. I got it down to a lowly $16, but it would have been worth it at far more. I would say $50 is the magic number and anything less is a good deal. I’m quite happy with it, even Venom, and I just love how they pop in my display. They’ve been my desk figures for weeks and they may remain there for a bit longer too. If this set appeals to you on a visual level then I think you’ll find plenty to enjoy.

Of course, no Gamerverse could be complete without these guys.

For more from Marvel Legends and the MvC games check these out:

Marvel Legends Gamerverse Wolverine vs Silver Samurai

Video game inspired action figures are quite the hot ticket right now. I’m not entirely sure why that is, but maybe some of that is owed to Jada Toys and how well received their line of Ultra Street Fighter 2 action figures have been received. Hasbro, for their part, has had a “Gamerverse” subline of…

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by Joe

Marvel Legends Walmart Exclusive Retro Card Venom

On Tuesday, I posted a review for the NECA TMNT Adventures Cryin’ Houn’ action figure, a figure that debuted during this year’s edition of Walmart Collector Con. Today, we’re looking at a true exclusive from that event. Cryin’ Houn’, and a lot of other figures released that day, were basically a first to market agreement…

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by Joe

Storm Arena Street Fighter Alpha 3 Ken

One of my most anticipated releases of 2025 came out of no where. I was a kid during the early 90s and into video games so I know a thing or two about Street Fighter. Street Fighter II was everywhere and is pretty much the reason why the one-on-one fighting game became a huge genre…

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by Joe

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January 6, 2026

NECA TMNT 2012 The Shredder

By Joe
Every hero needs a villain.

Just about every iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has its own Shredder. He’s the big bad villain of the franchise despite having the dubious honor of being killed off in the very first issue of the comic book series. For the 2012 series, Shredder was back as the head of a crime syndicate and portrayed as a brutal, ruthless, threat to the good guys. Gone are the days of the Shredder surrounded by moronic henchmen entrusted with far too much responsibility. This Shredder is violent and enjoys inflicting harm upon his adversaries, both physical and psychological. There is no redeeming quality to him and he’s quite good at what he does. And if you’re going to have a figure line based on this version of the franchise, you have to do him justice.

This Shredder is not the screwball these other two are.

The Shredder is the sixth figure in NECA’s line based on the 2012 animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Despite that distinction, he’s the fifth release and I suspect the only reason why he’s numbered six is because it worked better for the mural that’s being displayed via the spine of the box art. This is a sculpt attributed to a trio of individuals/entities: Daniel Katcher, Richard Force, and Kushwara Studios. Nicole Falk is credited with tailoring the soft goods cape and Ciro Nieli handled the box art. Paint is credited to Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo.

That’s a lot worse than a rat scratch.

Shredder towers over the turtles in this line coming in at approximately 7.125″ to the top of the dome of his helmet. He’s a broad shouldered, but somewhat slender, Shredder perhaps having more in common with the Mirage portrayals of the character than appears at first blush. He’s still adorned with armor and lots of bladed features. The blades of his shoulders jut out from his body as opposed to vertically and his gauntlets are almost ludicrously large. The garment he wears beneath his armor is a dark magenta while the armored bits are done with a shiny silver. Those spikes are all rigid and sharp. He looks pretty on-model, though as one of those characters often obscured by shadows in the show it can make it a touch hard to determine just how on-model he is without pulling out numerous stills and production art. If anything, his arms and chest might be a little larger in figure form than it is in the show, but since it adds to his presence I’m not considering that a negative.

He can also get angry. And stabby.

The paint on Shredder is fairly rudimentary not calling for a lot of pizzazz, with one exception. Underneath the removable helmet is the burned visage of Oroku Saki. He’s pretty ugly looking and NECA did a good job of capturing that. He has an alternate portrait which portrays him as more angry and it’s every bit as good, though won’t really change the look of the figure once the helmet is put back on. The colors all match well whether they’re painted or not and there’s no obvious paint slop anywhere on my figure. Some of the finer details are less than perfect, but certainly acceptable for a mass-produced item. The cape is pretty plain as most NECA capes tend to be. It’s just a thin, black, material though there is a wire through it, just probably not where you want it to be. The wire is merely at the top of the cape and used to hook the cape under the pauldrons. It’s easy to take on and off, but it’s a shame NECA won’t do fully wired capes for posing.

They have no chance one-on-one with Shredder.

Aside from the alternate portrait, Shredder comes with three sets of hands: fists, gripping, and relaxed. For weapons, he has six blades to make use of. In the show, Shredder had retractable blades built into his gauntlets which were his weapons of choice. He has two long ones and one central blade with a diamond-shaped point. You get four of the long blades and two of the center blades which just plug into his gauntlets. You can fit all three into each hand at once, but it is a little busy looking and I don’t think he ever went into battle in such a manner. He also comes with a lone Kraang alien. The little guy looks the part and is well-sculpted as well as well-painted, but not articulated. One set of tentacles is shaped into a curve while the other set is more flat which makes it a challenge to do much with if it’s not being held. I’m guessing we’ll be seeing this guy, or variations on him, quite a bit if this line endures.

I don’t like the B Team’s chances here.

Shredder’s articulation is fairly basic and likely what someone familiar with NECA would expect. The head is on a double ball peg, though it’s limited a bit by the helmet. The arms feature joints at the shoulders, biceps, elbows, and wrists while the torso just has a waist joint. That waist joint is a ball joint, but because of the shape of his breastplate it can’t do much. Range rotating is extremely limited and he can’t crunch forward much and only tilt back a little bit. The bicep swivels are a little odd looking, like his shoulders are a touch too small, which may limit their range as well if you don’t like how they look. Hips are standard ball-joints with a thigh swivel and they work fine. Knees are double-jointed and the ankles hinge and rock. My figure does have some stuck and stubborn joints. The top elbow hinge on both arms doesn’t want to do much while the left ankle was also problematic. The gauntlets can rotate which is nice and the boots swivel too so you can keep the armor lined up with your posing.

Shredder is proof that the good guys don’t always win.

Shredder is going to be pretty limited when it comes to posing. Mine also seems to have a loose right ankle and he’s a challenge to stand sometimes. He also already took a shelf dive and his right pauldron broke off which is irksome. I had him in a pretty vanilla pose too. The torso is aggravating because NECA could have tweaked his design just a little bit to keep that breastplate from causing a problem, but opted to just plow forward with it the way it is. I always make it a point to mention that NECA prioritizes the aesthetics over articulation as I think that’s their right as action figure makers, but sometimes they go too far. There are very minor sacrifices they could be making to improve the experience, but they choose not to do so. I have probably over a hundred NECA figures at this point and I suppose some NECA fatigue is setting in. Rarely am I impressed with what I get because so often the figures just meet my expectations as opposed to exceeding them. I don’t think it’s a requirement that every figure need to blow me away or anything, but it would be nice to be pleasantly surprised once in awhile.

Thankfully, Shredder doesn’t need incredible articulation to have shelf presence.

Shredder is a B+ entry in the line. He looks like the character and is pretty menacing, he’s just not at all fun to mess around with. Some of that is the character design as there are lots of sharp things to avoid and the blades have a tendency to fall out. And then some of that is just on the engineering for a figure that can’t do a whole lot. Most will likely just have him stand there on their shelf and that will be that. And that’s what I plan to do with him. I have no plans on going too deep with this line, but I knew I wanted a Shredder to go with the turtles. This mostly gets the job done.

If you missed the rest of the 2012 NECA TMNT toy line coverage then check these out:

NECA TMNT 2012 Michelangelo

After a bit of a hiatus due to the Christmas holiday, we have reached the last of the four brothers from NECA Toys’ line of action figures based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the 2012 animated series that aired on Nickelodeon. And who better to save for last than the party dude himself: Michelangelo. Mikey…

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by Joe

NECA TMNT 2012 Raphael

We are onto the third member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its everyone’s favorite hot head. Raphael got softened for the 1987 cartoon series to make him sarcastic and a bit of a goof-off. He didn’t take anything too seriously and had a certain dry wit about him. It’s quite different from his…

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by Joe

NECA TMNT 2012 Donatello

We were able to get through some of the logistics of this line with Leonardo, so for this second review we can just get right to it. One of the best decisions the 2012 iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made was bringing back veteran voice actor Rob Paulsen. He’s voiced countless characters over the…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Television, toys