TOP 20 NEW TOY FINDS OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2014
At the end of each month I, Brunpuppies, will put together a list of the top toys that I acquired over the course of the month. The number of entries will differ depending on just how many toys I got in that month. The order of the list will be based purely on my personal opinion of the items and is in no way definitive. I'm sure you the reader will have you own favorites and I am open to hearing about them in the comments section.
For me, August has been a HUGE month for toy finds, so much so that I will be doing two separate lists of toys. The first list will consist of new toys that have been released within the past 6 months to a year. The second list will have old toys that have been out of production for at least a year or much much longer.
The toys on this list are all new. They came from a variety of different sources. Some I got at the Boston Comic Con I attended earlier this month, others were online or store exclusives, others came from unusually shopping sources like grocery stores or clothing bargain outlets, and many just came from the usual brick and mortar stores.
15. X-Men Marvel Legends Infinite Series Cyclops Action Figures (Hasbro)
I'm not entirely sure what it is about this figure that I like so much, but I certainly like it more than I expected to. Cyclops has only worn this costume for for a short while, but it's already shot to the top of my list, surpassing the Jim Lee design one from the 90's (The one he wore on the cartoon.) The visor was always the most iconic visual for the character, so replacing it with a skull cap with a big red X was a bold move. Personally, I think it works perfectly. I'm also a fan of black body suits with a bright contrasting color, so this design is right up my alley.
The figure itself also moves really well. I know some people had an issue with soft joints, but mine is just fine. Nothing even close to the problems I had with my Star-Lord or Nova figures, that's for sure. Cyclops isn't the first to use this body, but I think this one works the best out of the ones that do use it.
14. X-Men Marvel Legends Infinite Series Jubilee Action Figure (Hasbro)
I'm really surprised it took this long to get a Jubilee Marvel Legend action figure. I would have preferred her mall-rat/cartoon outfit, but at least this one has the big pink shades and the yellow long coat. This figure has her in a black skin-tight body suit which is more along the lines of what she wears now that she is a vampire. Personally, I think she's a bit more interesting now that she's a vampire instead of a mutant, so I'm fine with getting this version. I'm very pleased to have her to add to my X-Men display.
13. Walgreens Exclusive 6" Game Of Thrones Legacy Collection Tyrion Lannister Hand of the King Action Figure (Funko)
Tyrion Lannister just so happens to be my favorite character on one of my all-time favorite shows. What Peter Dinklage does with the character is simply fantastic. That being said, an incredible TV presence doesn't always translate into an extraordinary action figure.
This particular exclusive depicts Tyrion as the Hand to the King, which is much more iconic than the armored version that came out in the regular release. To me, that makes it quite a bit more desirable. This isn't a figure you're going to spend much time putting in wild action poses, honestly, all I really require him to do is stand there. Luckily the figure seems to do that just fine, which is great considering the regular release is always falling over when I display it.
Considering the character's size, you feel a little cheated with what you 're getting compared to the other larger figures in the line which happen to be the same price. I really wish Funko had made up for that by including more accessories. The dagger it came with is fine, but maybe a chalice and/or a bottle of wine would have been a welcome addition. Either way, I'm happy to have him because I love the character so much, it's just that as an action figure he's nothing all that special.
12. (Tie) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Movie Classics Michaelangelo Action Figure (Playmates)
I really have some mixed feelings about this line of Ninja Turtles figures. On the one hand, I'm getting an action figure representation of my favorite version of the the Turtles, the 1990 movie, on the other hand there are some minor points that could have been addressed that would have made the figures so much better. The amount of articulation these figures have is outstanding, the problem is that almost all of it is either way too loose or too tight, making posing the figures a real pain in the @$$. The hands are absolutely terrible at holding the weapons. The other issue is that, while the color choices used for the plastic are perfect, the lack of paint is very disappointing. The figures would have benefited so much from a paint wash and the spots added to the the skin. The Turtles did not have a uniform skin color in the movies.
My last, and maybe biggest issue is with the face sculpts. When the only real difference between the four Turtles other than the weapons and belts is the faces, you need to have sculpts that really capture their personalities. The Leonardo and Donatello figures both had expressions that look really awkward to me. The only two that were passable to me are Michaelangelo and Raphael.
The Mikey head has a very neutral expression which is just fine. There isn't a load of personality there, but it's good that he has a bit of a smile considering he's always been the more fun-loving of the Turtles. I'm happy to have him, but I'm willing to wait for a sale before I consider Donny and Leo. I should note that it's a little odd that his nunchuks have a big chains considering it was just rope in the movies. It seems like Playmates could have saved some money on that.
12. (Tie) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Movie Classics Raphael Action Figure (Playmates)
Most of what I said about Michaelangelo applies to Raphael too, I just happen to be a bigger fan of Raph from this movie although his head sculpt isn't as good, so it evens out the score between the two.
11. X-Men Marvel Legends Infinite Series Stryfe Action Figure (Hasbro)
Stryfe isn't a villain I ever really cared about. I always found the whole plot point about whether he or Cable was really the clone of the other to be really tired and annoying. I've also never found any of the storylines he was involved in to be very memorable. That being said, I was a bit surprised when this figure ended up being my favorite one in this particular series. Part of it had to do with the fact that, other than Jubilee, he is the only new character that is introduced to this line. The other thing is the overall look and feel of the figure itself. The head/helmet sculpt is just really cool and the armor and cape look great. I like how bulky the figure is, yet it moves so well. I think this toy may succeed in making me more interested in the character in general.
TOY REVIEWS:
Click Here for a review of the Nicktoons Ninja Turtles Slash action figure.
Click Here for a review of the Ninja Turtles Movie Shredder action figure.
Click Here for a review of the Ninja Turtles Movie Raphael action figure.
Click Here for a review of the Ninja Turtles Movie Shredder action figure.
Click Here for a review of the Ninja Turtles Movie Raphael action figure.
Click Here for a review of Marvel Select Amazing Spider-Man 2 action figure.
Click Here for a review of Warrior Claw Wolverine action figure.
Click Here for a review of the DC Collectibles Batman action figure.
Click Here for a review of the DC Collectibles Nightwing action figure.
Click Here for a review of Talon and other action figures.
Click Here for a review of the DC Collectibles Bizarro action figure.
Click Here for a review of the DC Multiverse '89 Batman action figure.
Click Here for a review of Link from Legend of Zelda.
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