Action Figure Review: Hallow's Eve from Marvel Legends Series: Spider-Man by Hasbro

 

 
 Today I'm looking at a figure from the newest series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Series figures that are packaged like the Marvel Legends: Retro Collection figures, but which don't have retro styled card backs and aren't based on older characters. Really, that seems to be the packaging Hasbro uses now when they just don't want to include a Build-a-Figure in a series. The figure I'm checking out is Hallowe's Eve, a character who I knew nothing at all about when I picked her up. Nothing, nada, zip. I grabbed her because she's a crazy lady with a Halloween themed gimmick and little masks as accessories. I dig, I dig. It turns out her real name is Elizabeth Tyne (though she also went by Janine Godbe for a bit) and she's in a relationship with Ben Reilly and at some point gets turned by Madeline Pryor, aka Goblin Queen, into Hallow's Eve. Enchanted by magic from the finger of S'ym, Hallow's Eve has the power to create masks with different powers that she pulls out of her purple satchel. She can use the masks on herself to obtain different powers and appearances or use them on her enemies to weaken and curse them. That's pretty cool, actually. We're still about four months away from 31 Days of Toy Terror and I didn't want to put off reviewing her for that long, so let's check out Hallow's Eve after the break...

Action Figure Review: Quick Kick from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   For being one of the more recognizable G.I. Joe members who appeared in multiple forms of media, Quick Kick only showed up in the vintage line one time (1985) and didn't make a reappearance until 2008 as part of the 25th Anniversary line. My favorite version of Quick Kick is the 2010 Pursuit of Cobra version as outfitted the figure with shoes, a firearm, and a removable uwagi. Decked out in a black outfit with yellow trim, that version of Quick Kick felt like a great take on the character that modernized him, keeping the fun elements of the character while still making him seem like a legitimate part of a special ops team. For the Classified Series take on Quick Kick, Hasbro's Joe team has largely approached the figure as an updated take on the vintage toy. There are some great new features and he's quite cool, no surprise there, but it definitely doesn't try to reimagine the character at all. Let's take a look at Quick Kick, the G.I. Joe team's silent weapons expert, after the break...

Barbecue's Cache: Caching Gremlins from the Geocoin Club

 

   It's time for another visit to Barbecue's Cache! Today I'm showing off another Geocoin from my collection. It's another Chris Mackey design from Geocoin Club.com and was the coin for September 2020. This one is called "Caching Gremlins" and pays tribute (or perhaps offers a warning) to the ways that geocaches can end up damaged or missing. 99 percent of the time geocaches are placed outdoors (there are limited scenarios where they are allowed inside), so you're essentially having to find a way to shelter your cache from the elements and from muggles. Yeah, muggles. What's a muggle? Well, in the Wizarding World they're non-magical folk but in geocaching they're non-cachers. Caches are exposed to high and low temperatures, wild animals, environmental changes (floods, rockslides, forest fires), and, yes, folks who stumble upon it by accident. 
   The Caching Gremlins coin has an antique copper finish with a soft enamel for the colored details. The front of the coin has a crazy looking gremlin face in the middle with a very wicked intent. When something happens to your geocache that you can't explain, who can you blame? The gremlin! Gremlins came about in the 1920s as a excuse facetious excuse for malfunctions in aircraft and other machinery, especially in military settings. Surrounding the gremlin's face here are some icons reflecting the different issues that can effect geocaches: A snowflake for cold weather, an animal print for animals that sometimes disturb caches (or invade them), a landslide warning sign, what looks like an underwater ammo box cache leaking, and a flame for both high temperatures and forest fire. It's entirely possible to find an older metal ammo box cache in a heavily wooded area that has been through a forest fire. Sometimes the interior contents have melted but the metal boxes themselves are usually fine. If it's a plastic or Tupperware container, forget about it. I've seen photos where cachers have found melted hunks of plastic that were presumably the cache. 

   In between the icons hare images of different nature environments for hiding caches. Urban caches are very popular as well but they're far less adventurous (usually). Let's check out the other side of the coin after the break...

Action Figure Review: Metal-Head from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

   Oh my gosh! I hadn't realized it's been over a month since I last reviewed a G.I. Joe: Classified Series figure! Today I'm checking out Metal-Head, who I believe is the the most recent deluxe release in the line. From what I've picked up online, Metal-Head isn't the most popular release. I think some of that is because there does seem to be some ill will among collectors when it comes to deluxe releases; they just feel they're often overpriced for what you get. Another reason that Metal-Head seems unpopular is that there is a weird design decision when it comes to the missiles: They can't just go into the launchers without using the firing effects. That is a weird decision and I believe it's the first time that a missile has been designed that way in the Classified Series. Thirdly, Metal-Head was originally released in 1990, so there are a lot of collectors who were out of the line by that time and who just don't want anything but straight up vintage versions of the earliest characters in the line. I got into G.I. Joe a bit later as a kid so I absolutely was still collecting in 1990. In fact, I think it's one of the strongest years of the line. I had Metal-Head as a kid (in fact, I still own him) and I've always liked him as a upper level named Cobra characters, though he really is a member of the Iron Grenadiers. This is the first Iron Grenadiers release we've had in the line to date, right? Let's take a look and see how Metal-Head turned out, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Skeletor & Demogorgon from Masters of the Universe X Stranger Things by Mattel

 

      Stranger Things is definitely one of the biggest hits in pop culture from the last decade or so. While pop culture and entertainment is so often heavily segmented these days, Stranger Things managed to capture a pretty wide audience and gain some wide spread pop culture recognition. My daughter is10 and we've been watching through the show with her. She's absolutely loving it. While we're waiting for the fifth and final season, many companies have still been releasing lots of toys and merchandising items for the show. There have been some crossovers between Stranger Things and a number of other 1980s pop culture staples and now we're getting Masters of the Universe X Stranger Things from Mattel. While some of the other crossovers have used the human characters from the show, Mattel's Masters of the Universe X Stranger Things line seems to be just using the monsters so far with a storyline that Skeletor has accidently broken into the Upside Down, allowing Vecna to come through and attempt to take over Eternia. That's a decent setup and, to be honest, you could simply consider these as a Masters of the Universe meets Dungeons & Dragons crossover, too. The Demogorgon in this set is actually a pretty cool Masters of the Universe Origins styled monster figure and Skeletor has more paint applications and a darker color scheme than the basic Origins Skeletor figure. It's a pretty good set, really, and I think it's a decent crossover though it's probably of more interest to MOTU fans than just Stanger Things fans. Ready to check out Skeletor and the Demogorgon? Then join me after the break..

Barbecue's Cache: The Great Frontier from The Geocoin Club

 

   
   Last week I showed off a geocaching trackable item that I found in a geocache and that I took some pictures of and moved along. This week I'm showing off a newer piece from my collection: The Great Frontier geocoin from The Geocoin Club. The Geocoin Club has been making amazing trackable coins for almost 20 years now and I've recently joined the club, so I get a coin sent to me every month. The Great Frontier geocoin is the monthly coin for March 2024 and was designed by Chris Mackey. It's a 3.5 mm thick coin with a shiny silver finish and soft enameling with an epoxy dome. The coin is trackable (the code is on the side, so you can take pictures of it without having to hide the code) and comes with a pathtag companion. 

   While the majority of geocaches are on dryland, they can absolutely be hidden underwater, requiring scuba gear to get to. I haven't found any like this yet but I'd love to someday. I mean, 71% of Earth's surface is water, so that's a lot of space. The front of the coin shows off a giant octopus in front of a compass rose whose tentacles are extending out to some little designs on the sides that represent different aspects of nautical exploration. There are a couple different knots, a paper map, a spyglass, an anchor, a hook, propeller, an anchor, and maybe some oars. The blue and white rings actually have little bubble like designs in them, which is a great effect. Let's check out the other side of the coin after the break...
   

Action Figure Review: Wolverine & Psylocke from Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro

 

   Another Wolverine two pack today? Yup! Another Wolverine two pack. This time we get Wolverine in his sleek black outfit from his time operating in Madripoor and Japan and Psylocke in her armored outfit. Well, this is Betsy Braddock as Psylocke, but, thanks to the machinations of The Hand and Spyral, she's inhabiting the body of the assassin Kwannon and going by the name of Lady Mandarin. Huh. I think quite a few collectors were wanting to see Betsy's earlier armored costume, but this one is a solid pick as well. It really offers up something quite different. This Wolverine seems to be tied with the Brood Wolverine as the least popular of the four new Wolverine figures as he was released in the Retro Series a few years back, though this is clearly a much better figure than that one. Still, wouldn't a figure of Matsu'o Tsurayaba have been a cool addition? Of course, then the pack wouldn't have fit in to the Wolverine theme. Ready to check out these two ninja level warriors? Then join me after the break...