Action Figures I'm Excited About For 2014, Part 5

THE BEST OF THE REST: MORE 6 AND 7 INCH ACTION FIGURES

So far, I've talked about 3 3/4 inch figures, 7 and 8 inch Mego-style figures, 6 inch (and 18 inch) Batman 1966 figures, and even some Gumby-style bendable figures.  I'm going to finish off by looking forward to some non-Batman 6 and 7 inch figures that are coming out this year.

NECA 7 INCH ACTION FIGURES

Prototype images from NECA's Planet of the Apes, Rambo, and Alien action figures.

I got more and more interested in NECA's action figures in 2013.  The first one I got was a Clubber Lang figure from their Rocky line.   I'm not a big Rocky fan (I like the movies, but not enough to want action figures), but I am a big Mr. T fan, so I wanted to pick up a Clubber Lang figure.  I really liked that figure, and then they came out with the fantastic figures of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch Schaefer from the movie Predator.  I had to get a couple of those.  Then I ended up getting a Rocky figure, and some Prometheus figures, and I've got my eye on a Robocop, plus some aliens and predators... and now it's starting to turn into a collection, and not just a couple of random pieces.

For 2014, they've coming out with several lines that I know I'm going to want.  First up is a Rambo figure from Rambo: First Blood part 2.  The first film is actually the better film, no doubt about that.  But Rambo's look in the second film, shirtless, with black pants, and his jade Buddha necklace, is the iconic look that I remember so fondly from the 1980's.  So I know I'll want a figure of that.  There is also a scene in Rambo 2 where Rambo is covered in mud, and if they make a version of that, I know I'll want one to go alongside my mud-covered Dutch Schaefer figure.

Next up is Planet of the Apes.  Those movies were a mainstay of my childhood, I used to eat them up whenever they were on TV, and the Apes will make for great action figures.

Finally, NECA already does figures for the movie Aliens, but in 2014 they will be coming out with figures for the original film, Alien.  That is one of my favorite films of all time, so there is no way I'll be passing those up.  If we're lucky, they'll make all of the same figures that Super 7 and Funko made for the 3 3/4 inch ReAction line, because they would be fun to display together.   Which brings me to the next action figure line I'm looking forward to...

FUNKO LEGACY 6 INCH ACTION FIGURES

Alongside Funko's line of ReAction, retro Kenner-style 3 3/4 inch figures, Funko is also launching a line called "Legacy," a 6-inch line of highly articulated, realistic, modern-styled figures.  the licenses they've announced so far are Game of Thrones, Firefly, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox, with the promise of much more to be announced at ToyFair in February.  This could potentially be really cool, especially if they get the wide array of licenses that they have for their ReAction lines: their could be a little something for everybody there.  The figures are being designed by Gentle Giant, the same people who design the Star Wars Black 6 inch figures, so they'll almost certainly look really good.  Speaking of which...

STAR WARS BLACK 6 INCH FIGURES

Hasbro made a big splash this year with their series of highly detailed, 6 inch Star Wars figures.  I've resisted buying these so far, just because I didn't want YET ANOTHER thing to collect... but I feel my resistance fading.  I think in 2014 I'm going to crack and start buying these guys.  Luckily, I'm only a fan of the original trilogy (and to be honest mostly just the first two films) so I won't feel the need to buy all of them.  But I do think I'm going to want the main cast, plus a few of the more colorful aliens and droids.  I suppose I better start buying these guys now, before I have to pay marked-up prices for them on ebay, after they sell out everywhere else!

OTHER TOYS

I'm sure there will be other toys that I will be interested in for 2014 that I just don't know about yet.  I don't know if Biff Bang Pow is going to make any more 3 3/4 inch Venture Bros. figures, but I will definitely buy them if they do.  3A toys is planning on coming out with a line of Mego-style toys called 3AGO, which could potentially be interesting.  I think that Zoloworld's retro Remco-style Realm of the Underworld figures are really cool, although I haven't bought any, because I don't have enough money in my toy budget for everything.  And there will probably be lots of cool stuff announced at ToyFair, or in the weeks leading up to it, that I will be interested in.  But I can't write about every toy I'm potentially interested in, so I just stuck with the stuff I think I'm most likely to buy.

And thus, I conclude this series of posts on "Action Figures I'm Excited About For 2014."  Thanks for reading, and have a fun 2014!

Biff Bang Pow's Venture Brothers 3 3/4" Plastic Action Figures: Brock Samson and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

Biff Bang Pow's Venture Brothers 3 3/4" Action Figures

Brock Samson and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

Hi!  Thanks for joining me for part two of my look at Bif Bang Pow's 3 3/4" plastic action figures.  Last week I reviewed Hank and Dean Venture.  Today, I'll be checking out Brock Samson and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.

Brock Samson in his standard black t-shirt, and San Diego Comic-Con variant blood-spattered white t-shirt.

Appearance(Sculpt/Paint/Likeness)

Brock is the tallest of the figures released so far, standing at 5 inches.   His sculpt is decent,  and he's easily recognizable.  I think his facial features are sculpted a bit too soft and doughy looking, although it's not so bad that out ruins the figure.  The paint on his two-way Dick Tracy wrist radio is a little sloppy looking, but not too bad for a figure this size.  Aside from that, there are no other obvious issues with his paint job.  Brock came in two versions: a standard version in a black t-shirt, and a blood splattered 2012 San Diego Comic-Con version in a white t-shirt.  The two figures are identical except for the paint jobs.

Brock Samson and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is the smallest figure at just under 3 1/2 inches.  Her height is about right compared to the other characters, as she is short on the show, but her proportions seem off.  Her arms are very long, hanging down nearly to her knees.  Her head is also a little small, compared to how she looks on the show.    Her facial sculpt, while not soft and doughy like the Brock Samson figure, doesn't really capture her appearance from the show. She is still obviously recognizable as Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, but this is mostly due to her costume and hairstyle.  Her "wings" are made from a translucent flexible rubbery material.

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch: front and back views.

Accessories

Brock has a knife that fits well in his hand and holsters in his belt when not in use.  It looks especially cool with the blood-splattered version, as it looks like he's been slaughtering bad guys.  Dr. Mrs. The Monarch does not have any accessories.

Brock Samson's knife in it's sheath, and his two-way Dick Tracy wrist radio.

Ratings:

Brock: 3 ½ Robots (out of 5)

Dr. Mrs the Monarch: 3 Robots (out of 5)

Hank, Dean, Brock, and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch are all the toys released in this line so far.  The next wave is currently scheduled to arrive in June, with the Monarch, Phantom Limb, and Dr. Rusty Venture.

Prototype Images

During the time I bought these toys and now their price has gone up.  I paid $9.99 each for them (except for the San Diego Comic-Con variant Brock), but now the price has gone up to $11.99 each.  The ratings I gave these toys are based on the price I paid for them then, not what they are now.

Biff Bang Pow's 3 3/4" Venture Brothers Action Figures - Hank and Dean Venture

Biff Bang Pow's 3 3/4" Venture Brothers Action Figures

Hank and Dean Venture

For a few years now, Bif Bang Pow has been making 8 inch, Mego-style retro cloth action figures based on the TV show "The Venture Brothers."  Now they are adding to their Venture Brothers lineup with a series of 3 3/4" plastic action figures.

They launched the line last summer with a Brock Samson action figure.  It came in a standard, black t-shirt version, and a  2012 San Diego Comic-con blood spattered variant.  In March of 2013, they released three more figures, with more slated to come soon.

Hank Venture, Brock Samson, Dean Venture, and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

The figures are in the 3 3/4" scale, although their actual height varies according to how tall they are on the show.  The scale seems to be based on the Venture Brothers themselves, as both Hank and Dean are just about exactly 3 3/4", while their bodyguard Brock towers over them at 5", and their nemesis Dr. Mrs. The Monarch looks up to them all at just under 3 1/2".

Venture Brothers with other action figures of similar scale.

Packaging

The packaging on these  toys is simple and serves its purpose just fine.  It has an image of the Venture Compound from the cartoon as the backdrop, and the figure displayed in front.  The back of the card has the Venture Brothers giving each other the "Go Team Venture" salute in their bedroom, along with a season one quote from Dean, "I dare you to make less sense," which I thought  was pretty random, yet perfectly in tone for the series.  The figures come out of the package easily, so no complaints on that score.  If the package was resealable, it would have been just about perfect, but as it is, it's still pretty good.

Venture Brothers action figure packaging, front and back.

Value

The toys retail for $9.99 each.   I'd probably object to paying that much for something like Batman, Star Wars, or G.I. Joe figures in this scale, but it seems like a pretty reasonable price for a line of niche-market collector's toys like this.

Appearance(Sculpt/Paint/Likeness)

Overall, Hank has a nice looking sculpt, and it captures his goofy looks quite well.  The paint on his head is pretty good, but the rest of the body is pretty sloppy.  Hank's Fred Jones ascot in particular looks pretty bad, and I'm thinking about getting some paint and trying to touch it up.  Dean looks a lot nicer.  He has some minor paint issues, but nothing that noticeable, and his sculpt is perfect, he looks just like he does in the cartoon.

Hank and Dean.

Articulation/Playability

Both Hank and Dean have  articulation at the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, which is a reasonable amount for figures of this size.

Dean and Hank's points of articulation.

Accessories

Hank comes with a giant machete and Dean comes with an oversized shotgun.  The fearsomeness of their weapons looks hilarious next to the goofy smiles on their faces.

The Venture Brothers show off their deadly weapons.

Ratings

Hank: 3 ½ Robots (out of 5)

Dean: 4 Robots (out of 5)

Overall, both of these figures are a lot of fun.  Dean's my favorite, but I like Hank a lot, despite his paint issues.  Check back on this blog next week, when I'll be continuing my Venture Brothers toy reviews, with Brock Samson and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch.

New Toys in the Mail! Venture Brothers and Batman 1966!

New Toys in the Mail! 

Venture Brothers and Batman 1966!

Venture Brothers Action Figures and Batman 1966 Batcycle

These toys just got delivered to my door today from Entertainment Earth, and I wanted to share.  I got three new Venture Brothers 3 3/4" action figures: Hank and Dean Venture, plus Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.  I also received this great Batman 1966 die-cast Batmobile.  I'll be opening these up and taking a closer look at them on this blog in the coming days, but the package just arrived a few minutes ago and I'm still excited, and wanted to share a pic of them right away.