“Don’t let’em tell you that there’s too much noise….”
I’ve been impatiently waiting for the release of The Loyal Subjects’ BEST AXN KISS The Spaceman. I liked the Demon figure released earlier this year despite having a few hangups about it and, in all honesty, I have a few hangups about the Spaceman figure as well.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the Spaceman is based off of the look of Ace “Space Ace” Frehley from KISS’ 1976 Destroyer Tour. The figure comes with two sets of hands, a microphone with stand, a BST AXN sticker, and two of Ace’s iconic guitars, his Tobacco Burst Les Paul and his Ibanez Destroyer 2459. It also features twenty-two points of articulation.
The figure’s mold is pretty good with decent paint applications. Unfortunately the knees and feet are somewhat hindered and don’t allow the figure to be posed in one of Ace’s most memorable positions, arched back on his knees while shredding a solo. The paint on the Les Paul guitar is also a bit of a letdown but it’s passable enough. The strap also lacks the star field pattern from the tour. Other than those gripes, however, the figure is pretty solid.
The packaging is excellent. Unlike the Demon figure which features a photo from the Reunion Tour, this packaging features photos of Ace from the Destroyer Tour. I’m hoping that we get a Paul Stanley and a Peter Criss figure soon. Unfortunately I received information directly from The Loyal Subjects saying that an Eric Carr figure will not happen due to legal issues with the family. Hopefully we’ll get an Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, and a Vinnie Vincent figure in this line as well.
Should you get this figure? If you’re an Ace Frehley or KISS fan, definitely snag this figure if you see it in the wild. I’ll probably end up placing this figure back into its packaging and leave it on display in its box as posing this figure and the Gene Simmons “Demon” figure is a tad awkward.
Thanks for checking out my post. I have TWO special Masters of the Universe figure reviews coming up this week. I also have a surprise McFarlane figure review on the way as well. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to see Shang-Chi later this week and review it as well.
I picked up this Bat-Tech Flyer from Spin Master for one reason and one reason alone: Mr. Freeze. I have yet to find the Target Exclusive Single Carded Mr. Freeze action figure, so when I saw this one I didn’t hesitate to pick it up. This set comes with two action figures, Mr. Freeze and a Bat-Tech Batman, and the Bat-Tech Flyer. Except for the two bombs that come with the Flyer, there are no accessories. I find that to be quite odd, especially considering how Spin Master loves to load up most of their toys with accessories. Of course, I gripe about the excess of accessories in my Spin Master reviews, so I guess I’ll just keep my mouth shut on the matter.
The figures come with the standard points of articulation that are par for the course for this line. The only difference is that Mr. Freeze cannot turn his head because of his dome. They are brightly colored as well. With zero accessories (I know, griping again) you’ll have to rely on weapons, jet packs, etc. from other figures in this line.
The flyer is pretty cool looking. The two bombs that come with it simply pop into and out of their slots and can be used to spoil the plans of Gotham’s finest villains. The cover opens and you can place any of the Spin Master figures in the cockpit. Please note that Batman’s cape can get in the way of the latch that closes the cover. Also, Batman’s hands don’t fit very well on the cockpit controls.
The flyer isn’t necessarily my favorite vehicle in this line because of the awkwardness of setting figures in it, but it’s sleek design and Batwing-like looks makes my heart go a bit soft. I don’t want to hammer the flyer for being a tad underwhelming playwise, but I don’t want to make it out to be something amazing. Kids will love it but I don’t know how long it will hold their interest.
I also picked up an apparently rare Bat-Tech Batman figure. He’s the first new carded figure that I’ve seen on a peg in a long time. I don’t know if Walmart and Target are holding back their stock or what, but all I’ve been seeing in my area are the Rebirth Batman figures in the Bat-Tech packaging and a few Jokers, Riddlers, and Robins from Wave 6. These have been on the pegs since the beginning of spring. I haven’t seen the Wave 6 Batgirl figure nor have I seen any Wave 7 figures including Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, or Deathstroke. Then again, I’m not sure when that particular wave is going to hit. To be quite honest, outside of the flyer and one multi-figure pack, Spin Master’s shelf presence has been pretty dead in my area.
The Batman figure features shiny silver and grey paint applications with blue and white trim. He’s a nice figure that looks wonderful on my display shelf. He comes with three accessories and features the standard points of articulation for this line. As you can see in the photo below, he’s very difficult to take photos of as well (at least in my case).
With almost no new product on the shelves from Spin Master, I’ve been venturing into other figure lines. I have two Masters of the Universe reviews coming soon and I’m also going to review the new Shang-Chi film. Unfortunately I can’t give a review of Louisiana Comic Con because it was cancelled at the last minute due to Hurricane Ida. I completely understand why they cancelled and hope to attend next year.
Thanks for checking out my post. See you again soon!
Next weekend I’ll be attending my first comic convention and presenting my first in-person panel since 2019. Louisiana Comic Con was the last convention that I attended in person and it’s fitting that it will be the first convention that I get to attend in a world put on hold by COVID-19. I’m vaccinated and will be masked up for the show and I hope that I’ll be able to see some of you there as well.
The convention has a ton of amazing guests that will be in attendance. I’m most excited to meet Judith Hoag and Ernie Reyes, Jr. from the original live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. I’ve been in love with Judith Hoag ever since she graced the screen as April O’Neil and Reyes was in the suit as my favorite Ninja Turtle, Donatello. I’ll definitely be getting autographs and photos with them and I’ll share them here after the convention.
It will also be exciting to see the lovely Bonnie Gordon again. I saw her the last time that she attended Louisiana Comic Con and plan to say hello again. Doug Jones, who has probably been in more films that you’ve seen that you never knew that he was in, will also be in attendance. I’ve met Doug Jones before and have to say that the convention bagged an awesome headliner with him. He’s extremely nice, hilarious, and has come a long way since I first met him.
My panel will take place in Panel Room One on Saturday, August 28th, at 12:15 PM immediately followed by Ms. Gordon’s own panel at 1:15 PM. The panel that I will be presenting is The First Heroes: Classic Serials of the 1930’s-1950’s. I’ll be taking a look at the earliest live action performances of superheroes on the big screen and talking about the men and women that brought them to life. I might even have a surprise or two to give away!
Republic Pictures photo of Spy Smasher poster.
Let me know in the comments section if you’ll be attending this year’s event. I can’t wait to get back into the convention world again to see old friends, make new ones, and maybe snag an autograph, selfie, amazing piece of art or more!
Thank you for reading my post. I can’t wait to see some of you next weekend!
All photos, except where noted, taken from the Louisiana Comic Con Facebook page. I love those guys and hopefully they are cool with me sharing their images.
Home to one of my favorite pop culture and comic conventions, CoastCon, Biloxi, MS holds a special place in my heart. I’ve now made four journeys to this wonderful little beach town and will definitely go back. Back in July my wife and I decided to take a quick weekend getaway to Biloxi to chill out after a brutal year in 2020 and early 2021. It was definitely a much needed vacation.
We journeyed to Biloxi with absolutely zero plans. The only thing that we knew for sure was that we would be staying at the White House Hotel. Established in 1895, this hotel is reasonably priced, features a restaurant and two bars, and is nestled right across the highway from the Gulf of Mexico. Our room was wonderful. It featured a glass walk-in shower, a big TV, and a view of the neighborhood behind the hotel. The neighborhood is full of old homes that reminded me a lot of New Orleans, LA residential areas. On our next trip, we’re going to reserve a room with a beach view just because we want to see what that looks like from our hotel window.
After settling into our room we decided to hit one of my favorite souvenir shops, Sharkheads. We grabbed some shirts for our kids (who were having fun with their cousins in Galveston, TX) and a few other things. Then we had a nice supper at The Reef. Despite having visited Biloxi a few times I never was able to try The Reef. It’s Guy Harvey-esque facade that faces the highway always attracted me, but our paths never crossed until this trip. The restaurant is located right on the beach in Biloxi and features amazing seafood and other delicious items. My wife had a salad (I can’t recall the name) and I had Firecracker Shrimp Tacos. We also had fried pickles for an appetizer. It was all very tasty.
On Saturday morning my wife decided that she wanted to lay out on the beach and catch some rays. While she was doing that, I headed over to the USS Biloxi Memorial and also visited the Old Biloxi Cemetery. With graves dating back to the early 1800’s and some beautiful oak trees, this cemetery was simply lovely.
If you can’t tell already, the sun made almost no appearance at all the entire weekend. My wife did catch a few rays on Saturday morning while she was on the beach, but she went back to the hotel earlier than she wanted to due to a few rain showers. When lunchtime hit, I caught up with my good friends and Southern Geek founders, Rafe and Shannon White. We met them at The Blind Tiger on the beach near the casino area. I had fried shrimp and my wife had nachos. We spent hours catching up and Rafe attempted to catch some fish as well. The day remained cloudy with a little light rain here and there. As our second day drew to a close, my wife and I headed back to the hotel to rest.
Sunday morning found me headed out to early morning Mass at the beautiful Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The stained glass windows inside the cathedral were breathtaking. The service was beautiful as well. After Mass ended, I took another drive through the area and snapped a few photos of places. Unfortunately my wife was still in bed battling a migraine. I eventually headed back to the hotel to pick her up and check out. Before we left Biloxi, though, we stopped at a couple of gift shops and grabbed a few more goodies. We also saw a shark at Walmart!
We made plans on our trip back home to return to Biloxi in the very near future. There’s so much to see and do that we want to take the kids with us on our next visit. If you’ve never been to Biloxi, I definitely recommend checking it out. There’s plenty of new things to do in the area but there’s also a ton of things for history buffs to check out. I definitely recommend staying at the White House Hotel if you do visit Biloxi. The staff was amazing and the hotel is gorgeous. The views from the hotel, from the grounds to the top floor, are beautiful.
Well, that’s all for this post. Let me know if you’ve been to Biloxi or any other beach town that stole your heart. Thanks for checking out my blog. I’ve got some exciting news for my next post which I hope to crank out over the weekend.
“All we have to do is click with the right clique…..”
Two freshman enter Weemawee High School and do whatever they can in order to become popular in 1982’s Square Pegs. Each episode saw the freshman interact with other students and faculty at the school and featured a surprisingly solid list of guest stars and musical guests. The series consisted of twenty episodes and, despite being both popular and critically acclaimed, was dropped after one season. I’ll get to the reason for the cancellation later. For now, let’s take a look at the series itself.
The stars of the series were Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker. They portrayed Patty “Stringbean” Greene and Lauren “Fang” Hutchinson, respectively. Lauren was more intent on becoming popular than Patty was and would often give Patty advice on how to successfully become a part of the popular scene. Their schemes almost always failed but every once in awhile they would connect briefly with one or two of the popular kids.
In the first episode of the series Patty and Lauren befriend two offbeat misfits named Marshall Blechtman (John Femia) and Johnny “Slash” Ulasewicz (Merritt Butrick). Marshall hopes to become a successful stand-up comedian and Johnny, despite being very shy, has a band whose drummer is John Densmore, the actual drummer for The Doors, and has connections in the music scene and in the city. Both of the guys have crushes on Patty and Lauren and spend most of their time with them. Marshall bonds with some of the popular kids, in particular with Vinnie Pasetta (Jon Caliri), a popular tough guy. Johnny unintentionally becomes popular whenever it is discovered that he is a home run hitting machine. His popularity is short-lived, however, because Johnny believes that baseball is too violent with all of the hitting.
Patty and Lauren often try to impress Jennifer DiNuccio (Tracy Nelson) and her best friend, LaDonna Fredericks (Claudette Wells). Much of the time, Jennifer and LaDonna tolerate Patty and Lauren in order to achieve some type of goal. Once they get what they want, they toss Patty and Lauren aside. Vinnie is Jennifer’s boyfriend throughout the series.
Another adversary for Patty, Lauren, and pretty much everyone else is Muffy Tepperman (Jami Gertz). Muffy is a know-it-all, goody-two-shoes who heads up just about every committee and board at the school. Much like Lauren and Patty, though, she is ultimately an outsider who is trying to find a way to be popular. She and Patty duel for the affections of senior Larry Simpson (Ben Marley).
The series also featured some excellent adult cast members such as Basil Hoffman as Principal Dingleman, Craig Richard Nelson as Mr. Spacek, and Catlin Adams as Ms. Loomis. Steven Peterman portrayed the students’ favorite teacher, Mr. Donovan. Martin Mull guest starred as Dan Vermillion, host of It’s Academical, a high school game show that visits the school. Bill Murray guest starred as Mr. McNulty, a substitute teacher who, at least in my opinion, got a little too touchy-feely with a few of the students, especially Patty, as he briefly dethroned Mr. Donovan as the school’s favorite teacher. I don’t believe that his character would work as well in the 2020’s.
The series also had some amazing musical guests. Along with Densmore, the series also featured a couple of up-and-coming New Wave acts. Devo appeared as themselves in one episode. The Waitresses, perhaps best known for their song I Know What Boys Like, performed the show’s theme song and appeared as themselves in the series pilot. Appearing on the final episode of the series and almost never mentioned in articles about the series, Jimmy & The Mustangs perform at Vinnie’s party and eventually end up crashing at Johnny Slash’s house.
The show was created by Anne Beatts. Episodes were directed by a number of people, most notably Kim Friedman and Terry Hughes. It did an amazing job of portraying high school life in the early 1980’s. While most shows divide students into cliques that almost never interact, Square Pegs put students in somewhat realistic situations where the popular kids acknowledged the nerds and outcasts when they were beneficial and even sought their help on personal issues. It was a funny show that unfortunately met its demise due to the fact that drug abuse was apparently rampant on the set. The production company, fearing bad press and unable to control the situation due to the distance to the set (an actual school about twenty miles from the studio), decided to end the series before any series damage was done.
Some of the cast would go on to have very successful careers. Sarah Jessica Parker became a legitimate superstar who appeared in multiple popular films and won multiple awards for her work on Sex And The City. Tracy Nelson starred or guest starred in a number of popular television shows. She’s probably best known as Sister Stephanie in The Father Dowling Mysteries. Jami Gertz appeared in The Lost Boys, Quicksilver, Twister, and Jersey Girl and many more popular films. She has also appeared in numerous television series over the years including Still Standing and The Neighbors. Merritt Butrick had a short but successful career. He starred as David Marcus in the second and third Star Trek films and guest starred on multiple TV programs. Sadly, Butrick died of toxoplasmosis, which he suffered from due to contraction AIDS. He was only twenty-nine when he passed away.
The series has had a solid cult following since it originally left the airwaves. The series was released on DVD and can currently be streamed for free on Crackle.
I hope that you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Were you a fan of Square Pegs? Let me know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading my post.
“Me not human….me not creature….me not even animal!”
McFarlane Toys outdid themselves with their beautiful Rebirth Bizarro figure. As you can see from the photo above, I managed to pick him up for about half of his original price. In all honesty I probably wouldn’t have purchased Bizarro at full price as I had not yet purchased any villains in the line yet. None of the villains (as well as almost all of the Batman figures) have really grabbed my attention….until now.
This figures is simply amazing. It’s quite possibly my favorite McFarlane figure from the line based upon its looks alone. Bizarro comes with twenty-two points of articulation. His accessories include two open hands that can be used in place of his two closed fists. Unlike the Superman figures in this line, Bizarro does not come with a flight stand which is sort of a downer, but I can use one of the other flight stands if I choose.
The box that Bizarro was packaged in is like every other McFarlane package in this line. Unfortunately it’s scraped in the front (which makes for a poor photo) and generally banged up. The included collector card was in perfect condition, however, so it went into my bin with all of the other cards in the line.
The paint applications look very good. The base mold for the figure is a dark greyish blue. The face, hands, and red and yellow colors are all paint applications. The cape is made of soft plastic and looks quite nice. On my figure the cape sits just slightly off of Bizarro’s upper chest, leaving a small crack where the cape should attach to his suit.
This figure simply looks great. He’s the centerpiece of my McFarlane collection. This figure proves that you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to be a beautiful piece of art. I definitely suggest picking up this figure. He looks wonderful on the shelf, especially when flanked by Superman and Red Son.
Thanks for checking out my post. I’m planning on making at least two other posts this week, so be on the lookout for them.
Based upon an actual killing spree that took place in Texarkana, TX between February and May of 1946, The Town That Dreaded Sundown was directed and co-produced by Charles B. Pierce. Pierce is perhaps best known for The Legend of Boggy Creek, a documentary-style film about a Bigfoot creature in Fouke, AR. Sundown is an easily digestible thriller that both suffers and thrives at the hands of its director who utilizes his entire small budget to serve up a few morbid scares and some off kilter humor.
Just FYI, there will be spoilers throughout this review. Stop now if you don’t want the film to be spoiled.
The movie takes place in the small town of Texarkana, AR. In it, a series of grisly attacks take place primarily on young couples who drive down secluded roads for a little alone time. The assailant wears what looks like a pillowcase on his head that is held in place at the neck by a string. His first attack leaves a young couple bloody and beaten but alive. The young woman, Linda, is found with vicious bite marks on her breasts, back, and stomach, but was not raped by her attacker. A second attack occurs that leaves a young couple dead. A deputy discovers the two victims. The young woman was tied face-first to a tree and then murdered. The young man was found shot to death in a ditch. The town becomes frantic, buying up all of the available guns and ammo and locking themselves up at night in fear of the Phantom Killer. Schedules are adjusted so that no one finds themselves out at night. Desperate for help, the local sheriff requests a famous Texas Ranger to be brought in to help solve the crimes and catch the murderer. Despite a massive manhunt involving bait cars, the Ranger and deputy discovering the pattern to the murders, and chasing solid leads, the Phantom is never captured and he attacks two more couples before apparently vanishing from the town. The movie ends with a shot of its own premiere in Texarkana, TX and the feet of the killer are seen in the line for the film.
As I mentioned above, Pierce was well known for squeezing every dime out of his film budgets. As he did with Boggy Creek, Pierce relied heavily on locals to portray most of the characters in the film. He did hire three professional actors for key roles in the movie. Ben Johnson, known for starring in films such as Shane (1953), The Last Picture Show (1971), and Angels In The Outfield (1994), starred as Captain J.D. Morales, the Texas Ranger brought in to help solve the murders. Andrew Prine portrayed Deputy Ramsey. He is known for his work in films such as The Miracle Worker (1962) and Chisum (1970) and a ton of starring and guest starring roles in television shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and The Fugitive. Dawn Wells, Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, portrayed Helen Reed, one of the killer’s victims, in a small but key role. Pierce cast himself as Patrolman “Sparkplug” Benson, who provides some much needed humor in the film but often at awkward times.
The film has an atmosphere of morbidity about it. Pierce knows how to make a scene creepy and how to make a viewer uncomfortable while watching. Sure, in any other film a killer attaching a knife to the end of a slide trombone might seem funny, but in Sundown, it’s twisted and brutal even though there is almost no gore seen. When the deputy walks up on the second pair of victims, you can feel the creepiness of the whole situation. It’s a talent that Pierce doesn’t get enough credit for in my opinion.
Of course, for everything that Pierce got right, he got plenty wrong as well. The humor injected into the film is often misplaced. I felt bad for laughing during certain sequences. The film’s audio is also a bit gritty. This adds to the atmosphere but it also makes it difficult to understand some of the dialogue. The special effects are okay and entirely practical, but could have been more convincing.
Pierce did take a few liberties with the murders in the film. He also moved the location of the attacks to Arkansas instead of Texas. Knowing that this film is based upon actual events makes it that much creepier, and I’m surprised that there wasn’t a quick chain of sequels cranked out after the film’s release. A second film was eventually released in 2014, but it didn’t make much of an impact in the world of horror. Also, you can’t deny how iconic the film’s movie poster is, especially since it was created by the amazing Ralph McQuarrie.
I definitely recommend checking out The Town That Dreaded Sundown. It’s an atmospheric thriller that shines thanks to the fact that it is based upon a true story. One could say that Charles B. Pierce put northeast Texas/southwest Arkansas/northwest Louisiana on the map with his films and I wouldn’t disagree with them.
Thanks for checking out my post. See you again real soon!
I recently watched and reviewed the new Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation. You can read my thoughts on the series here. I was also fortunate enough to receive a free MOTU:R Masterverse Battle Cat to review as well! This figure is wonderfully massive, has great articulation, and looks awesome standing on my desk. He takes up a lot of real estate, but he’s too beautiful to box up and put away. Read on to get a more detailed review of the figure.
The packaging is beautiful. It features original artwork on the back and one side panel. When you open the top of the box, the words By The Power Of Grayskull are revealed. Getting Battle Cat out of the box was simple enough. I simply opened the top of the box after slicing one small adhesive closure and BC slid right out with ease. Getting him out of his security bands and the plastic casing was a different story.
The first thing that I noticed about this green kitty was that Mattel definitely wanted him to stay put! There’s a clear plastic band across his waist, tail, and all four legs. There’s also two bands holding his head and helmet in place. The right side paws of Battle Cat were rather tough to get to with a knife, but I managed to cut them without damaging the figure. The plastic case also holds BC in place securely, so be ready for a little bit of a fight to get him out of the plastic.
Once out of the box, I took a look at the figure with his full armor in place. The helmet stays put by snugly locking into place behind Battle Cat’s ears and jaw. It features painted eyes that look exactly like the ones on Battle Cat in MOTU: R. The saddle is held in place with two belts. One sits at BC’s midriff and the other sits near the rear hindquarters. You can adjust the belt’s fit to your liking. Both the helmet and saddle can be removed to reveal Prince Adam’s best bud, Cringer.
Cringer looks simply wonderful. I’ve read other reviews that state that this is the first time that we get a true Cringer action figure, but as a guy who grew up with the original series and literally saved all of his pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters to buy the He-Man and Battle Cat combo set, I can say that whenever I removed that old Battle Cat’s armor, he was Cringer in my book. Sure, he had a menacing growl on his face, but he was still Cringer to me.
One thing that I have to mention is that the box claims that there are thirty points of articulation on this figure. By my count, there are only twenty. You could argue that there are twenty-two if you claim the up and down movement of Battle Cat’s two torso POAs is separate from their side-to-side articulation. In any case, I’m missing eight to ten POAs and would love it if someone told me where they might be on this figure. Would that have prevented me from getting this figure? Nope, but I just thought that I’d bring some light to that misinformation on the box.
The articulation on this figure is exceptional. It’s very easy to pose BC and he looks awesome in just about any position that you place him. I’m especially fond of his head and torso articulation which makes him very cat-like. I do wish that the tail had one or two of POAs, but it looks fine as is.
Since I don’t have any of the other figures in this line at the moment, I decided to include a photo of Battle Cat with the only other hero that I believe he would make a good companion with, the Phantom. I think the contrasting of purple and green looks pretty smart. How about you? In all seriousness, I’ve included this photo to give you a size reference.
I definitely recommend sinking your claws into the Masters of the Universe: Revelation Masterverse Battle Cat action figure. He’s big. He’s beautiful. He’s a wonderful toy.
Thanks for reading my post. I’ll be posting about an upcoming event that I’ll be attending in the near future, so be on the lookout for that post!
Hopefully this review isn’t too “Awk” ward, cough, cough……
I happened to be strolling the aisles of my local Target the other day when I noticed that the Marvel Legends Series Shang-Chi figures were on clearance. Having collected all of the figures in the Build-A-Figure line from the film (all of which I reviewed in my blog), I thought it pointless to even look at what Target had to offer. I was wrong. The Target exclusive Katy figure was never really on my radar. I just wanted to grab the heroes for the Mr. Hyde build and go on about my day. However, with a clearance price of just $6.89 (just over one dollar per inch of the figure) and the fact that Morris was featured as an accessory, I decided to go ahead and take the plunge on the figure.
Not much is known about Katy. She’s a new character in the film and based on the brief moments that I’ve seen her in the trailer, she’ll probably be comic relief. The fact that she comes with a bow, arrows, and a quiver as accessories makes me think that she might actually be a protector in disguise. I guess I’ll find out soon enough in September!
The first thing I noticed about this figure was it’s amazing likeness to Awkwafina. The gang at Hasbro nailed her look. Her robe and belt is nicely done as well. I’m especially fond of the belt. As with many of the other figures in this line, the robe greatly hinders Katy’s poseability. Her left leg can barely move due to the robe and her right leg has a little more freedom thanks to a slit down the side. Her arms move well enough, but her right elbow popped right out of the socket while I was posing her for photos.
Due to the restricted legs on the figure, posing Katy is very limited. I had to tilt her back at the waists to balance her for many of the photos, making the figure look a bit awkward. Her pegs in her heels are also very short, which means the NECA stands that I had on hand didn’t fit her well enough to allow her to stand in any other fashion than straight with a tilted back. This makes me glad that I was able to get the figure at a discounted price.
The primary reason that I broke down and purchased the figure was for one accessory. Katy comes with an extra set of hands, a quiver, a single arrow, and a bundle of arrows. She also comes with Morris. I don’t know how Morris will factor into the film, but rumor sites and hard thinking fans believe that he might be a DiJiang. According to cryptidz.fandom.com, a DiJiang is “a mountain patron god in Chinese mythology” who “lives in a perpetual state of confusion and causes chaos wherever it goes.” In the MCU, I’m betting that Morris will most likely cause a ton of comical chaos as that is basically Marvel’s MO in films.
Morris has no articulation. He’s basically a hunk of plastic not unlike the old Snarf figure that came with Lion-O way back in the day. Morris has six legs, is chubby, and has four wings where his head should be. He’s definitely a bizarre little creature but I really like his look. The rest of the accessories are okay. The quiver sits awkwardly across Katy’s body and never really settles into place. It does hold the bundle of arrows securely. The included hands are closed fists.
While Katy will never be a favorite figure of mine, I do like her overall look, especially her likeness to Awkwafina. I just can’t see paying full price for a figure that has such hindered mobility and poseability. Maybe Hasbro will release new molds of some of the figures, Katy included, after the release of the film that won’t have limited movement.
This is the first MCU flick that I’ve been excited about in a long time. Hopefully the characters are as good in the film as they look in figure form. Keep an eye out for my review of the film soon after its release. Thanks for checking out my review of the Katy figure from the Marvel Legends line. I have a really special figure review coming very, very soon!
General Spoiler Free Review Ahead…..But There Are MAJOR Spoilers Later In This Post. I’ll Warn You When They Arrive.
I watched all five episodes of executive producer/writer Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation this weekend. I watched the first episode, the only one written by Smith, and knew immediately that it would put a sour taste in the mouths of many fans of the original series. I’ll touch on the actual episode in a bit, but just know that if you can make it through that first episode, the rest of the series is very good. It manages to capture the essence of the original series, including cheesy puns and jokes, while “adulting” it up a little bit. That means that some people might die.
For the most part the series is very well done, but I really don’t like the way that two characters behave in the first episode. King Randor and Teela have out-of-character reactions to a revelation in the first episode. I just don’t buy that either of these characters would do what they do at this particular moment. The rest of the series is basically derived from Teela’s actions in that moment but, thankfully, the rest of the show’s writers seem to have a better handle on the personalities of all of the characters, especially Evil-Lyn and Beast Man, who, to me, are two of the best characters in the series. These writers save the series in my opinion.
The first part of the series ends in a cliffhanger and gives fans of the classic series hope that what was wronged in the first episode will be righted in part two….unless Kevin Smith wants to see how many gut-punches he can toss at old fans of the show.
Is it worth watching? Absolutely. Almost all of the cast is brilliant. Lena Headey, Henry Rollins, Mark Hamill, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tiffany Smith, and Stephen Root are just a few of the amazing voice actors in the show. The biggest disappointment, however, was Sarah Michelle Gellar. She portrays Teela and comes off entirely too bubbly at moments to be a true warrior like the one that Teela was portrayed as in the original series. Considering the fact that Teela is the focus of most of the series, it’s a bit annoying to hear Gellar chew her way through lines while other actors are dominating their roles.
I really like the way this story develops with each episode. At just under thirty minutes each, you can blaze through part one in a little over two hours. It’s nice to see these classic characters back in action and I’m looking forward to part two.
Everything Below This Photo Of The Mighty Skeletor Is A Spoiler! You’ve Been Warned! Nyaaaahhhh!!!!!
This series has so much going for it that I hate to be too critical with my review. The fact of the matter, though, is that Kevin Smith and Netflix sold this series as a show about He-Man and Skeletor and immediately took them out of the equation. As anybody that is part of any fandom knows, you never pull the bait-and-switch on hardcore fans without warning them a little bit. That’s unfortunate in my opinion, because the killing of the two titans in the first episode actually sets up a brilliant storyline that many classic fans will never watch because their childhood feelings were bruised.
Thankfully I managed to check my childhood at the door and was able to enjoy the rest of the series. I like the fact that Teela sets out to save Eternia but I really, really dislike her reaction to the revelation that Prince Adam and He-Man are one and the same. I also found it absolutely ridiculous that King Randor banished pretty much everybody that ever put their life on the line for him, his family, and Eternia. While the adventure is excellent, the initial motivation is bunk. I understand being hurt after finding out such a massive secret, but none of the heroes in the original series ever showed animosity to one another. Perhaps it happened in the comics, but I never read those.
Now I’ll break my spoilers down in bullet form:
Pro: The overall plot of the series was excellent.
Con: Sarah Michelle Gellar’s voice acting. Teela shouldn’t sound like an excited cheerleader going into battle.
Pro: Every single villain. From Scare Glow to Stinkor and Tri-Klops to Beast Man, the villains were awesome.
Con: The lack of more heroes. I’d really love to see characters like Stratos, Ram-Man, and Sy-Klone make appearances. Maybe they’ll show up in the second part.
Pro: Orko finally gets to shine. Being the bumbling idiot most of the time in the old series, it was nice to see Orko take charge. I don’t believe that we’ve seen the last of him. I expect him to escape from Subternia.
Con: The “shocking” death of Moss-Man. It felt forced and came across as more of a “look what Kevin can do in this universe” move instead of an actual plot device. I would have been just fine with only the deaths of He-Man and Skeletor in the first episode.
Pro: Wun-Dar. Seeing all of the champions was awesome, but this guy is just cool. As a tie-in figure for Wonder Bread, he’s one of the most wonderfully cheesy things in the MOTU universe.
Pro: The growth of Evil-Lyn as an individual and her ultimate downfall. She found freedom with Skeletor gone but she and Beast Man (who is loyal to a fault in my opinion) quickly fell back in line when he returned.
Pro: Beast Man isn’t a moron anymore. While he chuckles at a goofy joke by Evil-Lyn, there’s very little of the original screw-up in the new series. Beast Man is a protector and he does that to perfection in this series.
Con: I wanted more Mer-Man. This version of the character comes across as more sinister and I hope that I get to see more of him.
Pro: The opening sequence of the first episode. The wonderful classic artwork used to catch up new fans and to remind old fans of the past was simply amazing. It was the best part of the first episode.
Pro: Something tells me that Hordak will eventually make an appearance thanks to the MOTU Revelation Revelations Aftershow. You can see a figure of him in the background of many scenes. Will he show up at the end of part two? What about She-Ra? I’d love to see the Fright Zone explored in this new series.
Pro: All of the nods to all things MOTU that weren’t part of the original series. From characters such as Andra from the comics to a nod to the flying discs used in the live action film with Dolph Lundgren, these little winks made me smile.
I could go on, but I believe that I’ll stop for now. If you’ve made it this far, I assume that you’ve watched the series. Let me know what you think in the comments section. Did you enjoy the series? What were your pros and cons? I really want to know so please leave a comment. Thanks for checking out my post. I’ve got one more MOTU post planned for later this week and a special announcement coming on Wednesday! See you soon!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 