While I've had the retro-card Hercules since last February, I only saw this Deluxe Ulik very recently, already on sale from Walmart.com, marked down from $36.97 to $27.98. A great value for this large figure! I still have the initial, modern Hercules Hasbro produced right before this classic version, a better companion to Ulik in my opinion. What a fun pair they make!
While Hercules has battled Ulik, putting my 80th Anniversary Thor into this post was, of course, mandatory. Ulik is a great complement to all those 80th Anniversary figures we got in 2019, many of the Retro-Card releases, as well as the other classic comic book figures we have continued to enjoy from Hasbro since.
Before finding Superman, Batman, and Robin at Walmart on Black Friday, I had preordered the new Mego 50th Anniversary Shazam, Aquaman, and Flash from ZLC Collectibles, along with the forthcoming Green Arrow figure. I'm also still waiting on the Green Lantern and some other new Mego figures from Absolutely Retro. While Flash wasn't in the original Mego WGSH lineup, they did a fantastic job styling him as they would other characters cack in the '70s- I know because I was there! Check out the video:
There are group pictures with other toys in my collection in the video, some from Mego's newer 14" and 8" DC figure lines, Mattel 6" DC Universe Classics and 8" DC Retro-Action figures, 4" Spinmaster figures, and more. Below, Mego Batman with my 8" Mattel Retro-Action Batman and 10.5" Medicom Sofubi vinyl Batman, all with removable cowl. My childhood Mego was the later, 2nd version without the removable cowl, but otherwise indistinguishable from this 50th Anniversary version. Because of this, the blue/gray version with yellow oval chest insignia is kinda my jam- love all-black Keaton Batman too, but this was my first impression.
I'm glad I picked up all of these and look forward to getting Green Arrow and Green Lantern, the latter of which was never produced in the original '70s WGSH lineup, like the Flash. Mego recreated the "magic" however on both these new additions. I had hoped Superman, Batman and Robin would have printed insignia like Shazam and Flash, but they went with the sticker like back in the day. I was never a fan of the oven mitt gloves either, but they are authentic. Regardless, I love that Mego released these- their return in 2018 was unbelievable, and I've bought more this year than any other since. It turned out to be a Merry Mego Christmas with even more to come!
After posting about the McFarlane Flash figures I picked up back in September, I realized I had photographed this Black Adam Hawkman and neglected to share. As I've yet to see the movie, I won't go on at length about this figure, though its characters do interest me. particularly Dr. Fate and Hawkman. While somewhat under-read on the character, I've always liked Hawkman as a concept, and because of that have collected a few figures over the years. The reimagining of the character's aesthetic is fantastic here, the classic red, gold and green theme intact but in a muted palette that retains its Golden-Age splendor. His wings don't have the articulation I've seen on some other winged figures I've had, but the detail in this figure is second to none!
McFarlane Black Adam Hawkman with my DC Collectibles New 52 Hawkman and DC Universe Classics Hawkman. I have at least one other Hawkman figure still unopened in my collection and am sometimes on the hunt for another- some of the older DC Direct Hawkman figures are highly prized and can be expensive to acquire.
I picked these McFarlane DC Multiverse Flash figures up at the end of September, unable to decide on just one. Occasionally I take a jaunt through the line, picking up several in short succession, these three concluding such a recent moment. There is a somehow cumbersome aspect to the articulation of McFarlane's figures, though the sculpts and paint are usually nice. I was feeling a tad overwhelmed by the number of lightning bolts I had to plug into/wrap these figures with, but they do add a certain amount of dynamism to the photos.
Below, the Injustice Flash blends nicely with my McFarlane Hawkman and Parallax- like DC characters from another dimension. I don't play the Injustice video game, but it seems this version is a little more muscle-bound than we are used to- I prefer the more slender buck of the CW Flash and Wally West figures, but Injustice Flash has a detailed sculpt and facial portrait.
I've had, and still have some fantastic Flash figures over the years, and while I do like aspects of all these McFarlane figures, the somewhat clunky articulation and darker, monochrome color palette may leave me undecided at the end of the day. That said, McFarlane is coming out with a few new figures that I am looking forward to, and I've bought others since these that I've yet to post on. Hasbro Marvel Legends are far more prevalent on this blog than McFarlane Toys, but they do have their own style that often appeals to me.
I won't go to great lengths regarding the depiction of Namor, the Sub-Mariner, in the recent Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie, because I have yet to see it. I purchased this figure on sale for $17.50, with an additional 5% off that using my Target Red Card, bringing it to a very affordable $16.63 + tax. With standard issue Marvel Legends like this going for $24.99 or more now, I prefer to pick them up on sale whenever I can. I've said before that Hasbro has really upped their game on action figures the last few years, hitting a level of quality that rivals a lot of imports in my opinion. I'm always a little nervous buying these window-less boxes at retail due to scalper's tendency to swap figures or steal parts, but the tape looked undisturbed on Namor, so I got a good sample.
Namor's quasi-Mesoamerican jewelry is an interesting twist on the character- I'm interested to see if there is any backstory about his geographic heritage, how/if that ties into theories about a lost Atlantean culture that Plato described 2,400 years ago. The detail on this figure is outstanding, he's a beauty. I would have preferred two gripping hands to wield the spear as opposed to a closed left fist, but he's a great little action figure that I'm thrilled I got such a deep discount on.
I have two other Marvel Legends Sub-Mariner figures that I absolutely love- this Wakanda Forever Namor is modeled mostly on the traditional Namor in green trunks that came in the first Black Panther wave from 2018, but I also like the 2016 Walgreens exclusive Namor in the collared jumpsuit.... Imperious Rex!
I won't go on and on about these G.I. Joe Classified Cobra Officers, and they are a well-tread subject, and I have a lot going on this December. I had given up on G.I. Joe Classified line some time ago, without even getting a chance to getting any Cobra troops.
Of note, the pistols included with these Cobra Officers will accommodate the firing effects accessories that were included with the Vipers from the G.I. Joe Classified Vipers and Viper Officer 3-pk I reviewed in my last post. That makes me feel slightly better about the two Vipers from that set having sidearms that did not accommodate the firing accessories. Ha! The accessories included are quite generous, including two magazine clips, and a rifle sight, both of which can be stowed in the figure's belt compartments. Additionally, there is a stowing holster for the assault rifle that attaches to the tactical harness.
Below, these Cobra Officers make the mistake of pulling their knives out on Snake Eyes ...!
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