Labyrinth Fans Are Likely To Be Thrilled Enough By The Jareth Pop! Vinyl!

The Good: Good sculpt, Decent coloring, Collectible value
The Bad: Problematic seam under the head, Lack of articulation
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure is likely to be a generally pleasant surprise for Labyrinth fans, though it is not the best-made vinyl figure ever.


My wife is a huge fan of the works of David Bowie, which she very much brought me around to early on in our relationship. One of her favorite films is Labyrinth and in trying to decorate our space together, I have found that the years I have on her were spent well with acquiring collectibles and now I'm working to catch my wife up. As it turns out, there is not a whole ton of Labyrinth merchandise out there, but most of it actually does feature Davide Bowie's iconic character Jareth the Goblin King. One of the newer pieces of merchandise I have found for her growing Labyrinth collection is the Funko Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure.

For those unfamiliar with Jareth, he is the primary antagonist in Labyrinth (reviewed here!). Having kidnapped Sarah's baby brother, Jareth returns to his castle at the center of the Labyrinth where he holds the baby ransom. Sarah has a time limit to get through the Labyrinth before Toby will be the Goblin King's forever. In the process, Jareth falls in love with Sarah and wants her to join him.

The Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure is stylized, but otherwise generally well-rendered and anyone who has seen how David Bowie as Jareth looked will recognize this character. This looks like a caricature version of Jareth with a significantly larger head than is appropriate.

Basics

Jareth is the Goblin King in his casual outfit that he wears when walking around the Labyrinth. The figure stands 4 5/8" tall, from his feet to the top of his spiky hair. Jareth is dressed in a purple, black, and gray outfit with his spiked hair, recognizable brooch and belt buckle and undershirt molded on.

This toy is a decent sculpt for the stylized version of the Goblin King, which includes things like the pant cuffs folded up, the tiny studs on the jacket's wrist and lapel. The sculpt is brought down a little bit by the head of Jareth. Jareth looks recognizable-enough (it could be pretty much any hair band Pop! Vinyl by the mouthless sculpt), but when the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure is out of the package, there is a troubling seam under the head. The head, which only turns ten degrees, it attached to the body by what seems to be a plug, like the figure was made with a different head, which was then removed and a new one stuck on. It is comparatively sloppy and that is a bit disappointing for die-hard fans. Funko almost makes up for that with the riding crop that Jareth is holding in his right hand. Jareth's jacket tails are well-sculpted in a soft, rubbery plastic that accents the figure nicely.

The coloring of the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure is wonderful, in its basic way. There are no subtleties to the coloring, but Funko did paint all of the accents on the figure. The belt buckle, amulet, and studs are all painted to offer contrast with the monotonal jacket, pants and shoes. On Jareth's face, there is the cat eye make-up that Jareth had, which is accurate.

Accessories

Jareth, despite holding a riding crop, is not actually adorned with any accessories; this is a Funko Pop! vinyl figure on its own without a stand or any additional elements to the figure.

Playability

The Pop! Vinyl toy line is a stylized version of Jareth that stands all right, despite its giant head. Outside the head, none of the joints are in any way articulated. The head turns only a few degrees, but it acts more like a statue than an action figure.

Collectibility

The Jareth is part of the Pop! Vinyl Movie collection. Despite my not being grabbed by the concept of the stylized figures, other people seem to like them and this is #364 in the ever-expanding line of Pop! Movie vinyl figures. Because there are so few pieces of Labyrinth merchandise, the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure has, at least, maintained its value since it sold out in the primary market.

Overview

The Pop! Vinyl Jareth toy is all right, but the sloppiness in its construction is a little disappointing compared to the quality of the sculpt and coloring.

For other Labyrinth merchandise and Pop! Vinyls, please check out my reviews of:
NECA 12" Talking Jareth Figurl
Toy Vault Plush Worm
2014 Comic Con Exclusive Blood-Splattered Sharknado Pop! Vinyl

6/10

For other toy reviews, please check out the Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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How Much Would You Pay For An Empty Box? The Doctor Who T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl Is Fun!

The Good: Cute, Stable, Collectible value
The Bad: Essentially an accessory, No light or sound function to enhance it
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl T.A.R.D.I.S. accessory is pretty necessary for anyone's Doctor Who Pop! Vinyl collection, but it is somewhat unimpressive on its own.


Now that my wife is a bona fide Whovian, I have been on the lookout for Doctor Who merchandise that she actually likes and wants around. Not long ago, I decided to take a chance and pick her up the Pop! Vinyl T.A.R.D.I.S. while at a convention. Neither my wife nor I are huge fans of the Funko Pop! Vinyl line (though she has a little collection of them now as I have stretched for gifts for her) and the T.A.R.D.I.S. was the first one that she showed any real interest in (though, to be fair, she has not seen the Ninth Doctor Pop! Vinyl in person). She politely accepted my gift of the T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl, but it did not become a gateway to further collecting for her.

The Pop! Vinyl T.A.R.D.I.S. accessory is a pretty basic recreation of The Doctor's iconic vehicle in a scale large enough to accommodate one big-headed Doctor Who Pop! vinyl figure.

Basics

The T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl figure is the blue police box vehicle with a door that can open. The vehicle measures 7 1/8" tall from the bottom of the base to the top of the light on the center, top, of the box. The T.A.R.D.I.S. vehicle is 4 1/2" long and 4 1/2" wide.

This toy is a very basic sculpt of the T.A.R.D.I.S. The T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl truly is just a police box - there is nothing on the inside that indicates anything reminiscent of the T.A.R.D.I.S. Like the T.A.R.D.I.S., though, the door opens inward, as opposed to being a pull-open like a proper police box. There is no bottom to the T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl vehicle, which allows consumers to place a figure right in it. The T.A.R.D.I.S. is sculpted with smooth sides, so it does not appear to be made of wood, like the T.A.R.D.I.S. camouflage appears.

The coloring of the T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl is monolithic blue and white. The sign on the front door and the police symbol on the door that opens are expertly painted on - they look silk-screened, but without any border or evidence of that process. The light on the top of the police box is made of clear plastic. The paint job on the lettering above the doors is crisp and clear, even if it is monotonal.

Accessories

The T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl vehicle is the police box on its own, without any flare. I was a little disappointed that this Pop! vinyl did not have any sort of light and/or sound feature. The light fixture on top of the T.A.R.D.I.S. could have been built to light up and it would have been easy enough for Funko to include a sound box that played the distinctive T.A.R.D.I.S. sound effect. Funko did neither; this is just the Pop! vinyl T.A.R.D.I.S. on its own without any flair or embellishments.

Playability

The Pop! Vinyl toy line was designed for collectors, not children. Despite that, the T.A.R.D.I.S. Pop! Vinyl figure has a little more playability than many other Pop! vinyls as its door opens and closes and it is big enough to house a single figure.

Collectibility

The T.A.R.D.I.S. is part of the Pop! Vinyl Television collection, which is a fairly expansive collection. The T.A.R.D.I.S. is number 227 in the Television collection and it seems to be fairly commonly available. It was not a limited edition, but it was not available with the common releases of the Doctor Who Pop! vinyls. The oversized one seem to be available at a different rate than the common, regular-sized ones, but not have any greater value to them.

Overview

The Pop! Vinyl T.A.R.D.I.S. toy is all right, but not at all extraordinary, which makes it a little less thrilling than most Doctor Who fans would want.

For other Doctor Who or Funko toys, please check out my reviews of:
12" Clockwork Man Doll
Sharknado Pop! Vinyl Figure
Boushh Star Wars Pop! Vinyl

5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out the Random Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Cute, But Vastly Overpriced: 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark Pop! Vinyl Figure

The Good: Very cute, Stable
The Bad: Incredibly expensive, Base is weak on the concept
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl Blood-Splattered Shark Sharknado figure is a cute variant, but one that does not fix the issues with the original release.


Not long ago, my wife became joyfully obsessed with the Sharknado franchise. My wife loves c-rate films, the way I love cheese and I've gotten her some merchandise related to b-movies. The first merchandise I found for her was the Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure (reviewed here!). More recently, I managed to track down The Pop! Vinyl Blood-Splattered Shark variant.

For those unfamiliar with the Sharknado, the SyFy Network film Sharknado and its subsequent sequels involve the convergence of weather phenomenon and natural predator disasters when spouts of water bring sharks out of the deep and into the air. The tornadoes filled with sharks fall upon populated areas where the protagonist just happens to be and he has to kill sharks and stop the weather events to save the city or the world.

The Pop! Vinyl Blood-Splattered Shark figure is a the same cute shark on a watery base with waterspout pieces embedded into its side and a tornado halo on the top of the shark, with bright red paint in the figure's mouth to simulate blood!

Basics

The 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark Pop! Vinyl figure is a shark within a water spout only vaguely reminiscent of anything from Sharknado. The figure stands 4" tall from the bottom of the base to the tip of the dorsal fin. The Blood-Splattered Shark figure is 4 3/4" long and 3 1/2" wide.

This toy is a cool sculpt, even if it is pretty basic and more conceptual than representative. The Pop! Vinyl 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark figure is a generic gray shark figure with giant black eyes and an open mouth with big white teeth. The shark is, frankly, adorable. The teeth are not sharp, so the toy is fairly safe to be around people. The ventral fins look somewhat stuck on and Funko actually did an awesome job with the detailing in that the underside of the shark is an off-white color! The mouth is colored bright red to mimic the look of blood after the sharks have attacked people.

What makes the blood-splattered shark into a Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure is the base, the translucent water spout pieces attached to the sides of the shark and the halo water spout on the top of the shark figure. Here is where the figure could have been more representative of the actual sharknadoes from the movies; the base is essentially choppy water. Had the base or any of the other pieces had fins or even painted on little sharks, it would have been more emblematic of the swarm of sharks from the movie. As it is, the Pop! Vinyl 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark figure is still pretty cute.

Accessories

The Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure comes only with its choppy water stand, no other accessories. No part of the water spout is detachable from the shark, so the figure remains a consistent, stable Sharknado. The Sharknado does not detach from the stand and keeps the figure perfectly stable there.

Playability

The Pop! Vinyl toy line was designed for collectors, not children. The 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark Pop! Vinyl figure has no articulation, even in its jaw. As a result, this is like a cute little ridiculous statue and it is definitely intended for display more than play.

Collectibility

The 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark was an exclusive released only at the San Diego Comic Con. The variant is number 134 in the Funko television line and it has exploded in both price and value. It is a tough Pop! vinyl figure to track down, but the difference in price is a marginal difference for variation. It is hard to justify the overpriced nature of the variant, though it is still cute.

Overview

The Pop! Vinyl 2014 Comic Con Sharknado Blood-Splattered Shark toy is a neat variant, but it is incredibly expensive for the difference it has between the regular and variant version.

For other toys, please check out my reviews of:
Reverse-Flash The Flash Action figure
Cordelia Angel Action Figure
Holographic Engineer (Pressure Suit) Prometheus Action Figure

7.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out the Random Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Essential DC Television Universe Villain Gets A Figure: The Reverse-Flash

The Good: Good sculpt, Accurate coloring (for the most part), Amazing articulation, Good balance
The Bad: Exposed joints, Articulation creates costume issues, Incredibly minor coloring issue
The Basics: The Eobard Thawne as The Reverse-Flash figure from DC Collectibles is an excellent idea with a mediocre execution for fans of The Flash.


When it comes to DC Comics, there are no villains I like more than the Reverse-Flash (actually, Hunter Zolomon's Zoom - the Reverse-Flash from Geoff Johns's run with Wally West as The Flash is my favorite!). So, I'm pretty psyched that the Reverse-Flash has returned to The Flash following "Flashpoint" (reviewed here!) and now Legends Of Tomorrow where he has been revealed as the primary adversary for the second season, starting with "Out Of Time" (reviewed here!). So, when DC Collectibles announced that there was going to be a Reverse-Flash figure from their line of toys based upon The Flash television show, I was super-psyched. Before my wife picked me up the Reverse-Flash figure, the only figure of the character I had was the Flashpoint Zoom exclusive figure (reviewed here!). I was psyched that there would be a figure of the Reverse-Flash that matched the other figures from The Flash line.

Unfortunately, the new Reverse-Flash figure is not as good as one might hope. I am a fan of DC Collectibles figures and I buy them instead of the Mattel DC Universe action figures because the Mattel toy line has long prioritized articulation ahead of any form of fidelity to the character. The massive articulation for the Mattel figures made the toy line just look sloppy. Especially for characters who have a lot of skin showing, the exposed joints just make the Mattel figures look crappy. The Reverse-Flash figure from The Flash line is the first time I've found a DC Collectibles figure to be of such a quality level that it might be on par with its Mattel DC Universe equivalent. There are so many details of the Reverse-Flash figure that DC Collectibles gets right that it is shocking that the articulation is so developed that when one uses the many joints, the figure just looks terrible.

It is The Reverse-Flash in his distinct yellow and black outfit, that is the subject of the DC Collectibles action figure of the character.

Basics

The Reverse-Flash figure is a wonderful sculpt of the television character and DC Collectibles manages to cheat the facial sculpt for accuracy and coloring by having The Reverse-Flash with his hood up to obscure much of the details that would define the character as either Matt Letscher or Tom Cavanaugh's Eobard Thawne. Given how round the head sculpt is for the Eobard Thawne figure is fairly round, this is a much better rendition of Letscher's Thwane than Cavanaugh's. The distinct speedster villain stands 6 3/4" tall to the top of the figure's head. The Reverse-Flash figure is available from DC Collectibles, though there is a smaller, more overtly crappy version of the figure from ReAction and a DC Multiverse figure from Mattel on the market now as well.

On the sculpt front, this version of the Reverse-Flash looks perfectly like the CW show version of The Reverse-Flash. This is clearly Eobard Thawne as The Reverse-Flash and the texture to the costume is far richer than figures based upon the comic book version of the character. This version of The Reverse-Flash features red lightningbolts molded to the sides of his hood and the center of the chest. Unlike some versions of The Reverse-Flash, this version of the character is wearing an outfit that is clearly assembled; the shirt is molded with a distinctly different texture than the pants and both have seams mimicking the ones on the costume that clearly imply it was sewn together. The Reverse-Flash's cowl covers most of his face, but DC Collectibles captured the roundness of Matt Letscher's version of Eobard Thawne for the jawline especially!

The Reverse-Flash's costume is a very well detailed for its color variations. The yellow of the cowl and chest shades down into black for the legs and hands of the character. Somewhat interestingly, the front is better detailed than the back of the figure. The front has excellent detailing for things like the red striped lighting bolts on the front of the costume. On the back, though, the red stripes are on the top of the back, but not the torso section of the figure. The fact that DC Collectibles gets the stripes on the torso for the front but not the back is a weird inconsistency. While the exposed flesh is cast in monotones and the lips are not colored, the costume is generally well-colored.

Accessories

The Reverse-Flash, as rendered for the television incarnation, comes with eight accessories. Noticeably lacking in a stand upon which to put the figure, The Reverse-Flash instead comes with three alternate pairs of hands and an additional left hand with the distinct Reverse-Flash ring molded onto it and colored brassy gold like it is supposed to. This version of Eobard Thawne allows one to pull out the hands it comes with and put in fists or straight (fingers extended for a running look or a vibrate the hand through the chest version!) hands. But the interchangeable hands are a nice touch, with a problematic execution. The hands are not easy to pull out or put in, which means one has to risk breaking the figure just to use the accessory.

The Reverse-Flash also comes with the tachyon collector that fits onto Eobard's chest. The accurately colored silver, black and gold piece is supposed to snap onto the Reverse-Flash's chest. While the center piece is designed to hold to the symbol on the figure's chest, the harness only stays on about half the time. This is an accessory that is an excellent idea with a middling execution.

Playability

The DC Collectibles figures were designed more for display than play and this is good, but not great for this figure. On the plus side, the Reverse-Flash has good balance, even when it is placed in outlandish poses. The articulation is so good that the Reverse-Flash may be manipulated into many different poses.

Unfortunately, getting the figure to stand up in weird, cool poses makes the toy look ridiculous by exposing the joints - the unpainted bits below the surface. The Reverse-Flash comes with twenty-one points of articulation, which is exceptional, though it does seem to be standard for a DC Collectibles figure. The Reverse-Flash has joints at the ankles, calves, upper and lower knees, thighs, groin socket, waist, bust, shoulders, elbows, wrists and head. The shoulders, elbows, ankles and wrists are proper ball and socket joints, while the knees are hinge joints. The head is on a ball joint, which allows The Reverse-Flash to look in virtually any direction! Unfortunately, things like the thigh articulation make the figure look ridiculous as the joint bisects the costume's lightningbolt detailing and cuts the lines of the painted-on stripes. Similarly, to use the full range of motion for the groin socket joint exposes the flat portions of the leg inside and the uncolored joint section beneath. The more one uses the figure's articulation, the more like a toy the figure looks, as opposed to the character it is supposed to embody.

Collectibility

The Reverse-Flash is part of the DC Collectibles The Flash Series 2 line which was fairly uncommon as it was usually only distributed through comic book shops and specialty stores like FYE. The Reverse-Flash is the second villain in the The Flash toy line, but DC Collectibles is continuing the quality and style of their Arrow figures with The Reverse-Flash. So, fans of the CW's DC Television Universe can easily collect across the series's and have their figures match for quality. With Eobard Thawne continuing his villainous run on Legends Of Tomorrow, one suspects that the Reverse-Flash figure will appreciate in value as the adversary reaches an even bigger audience than before.

Overview

The Reverse-Flash is a great idea with a middling execution; the incredible figure could have been made better by DC Collectibles, but it seems it was rushed to market before truly getting it right.

For other action figures from The Flash toy line, please check out my reviews of:
The Flash
Captain Cold
Heat Wave

5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Of The Most Sensible Of A Ridiculous Line: The Chewbacca Angry Birds Plush!

The Good: Good stitching, Safe for children, Looks very much like the Chewbacca Angry Bird.
The Bad: Overpriced, Low playability.
The Basics: The Star Wars Angry Birds plush Chewbacca is, arguably, the best of the bunch and might be the only Star Wars Angry Bird plush worth picking up!


Every now and then, I discover something kicking around that I just never quite got around to reviewing. When it comes to the Angry Birds Star Wars plush collection, it seems I overlooked the Chewbacca! There is a certain irony to that, in that the Chewbacca Brown Angry Bird plush might well be the best of the line. For sure, Angry Birds has probably jumped the shark, but I figured it was a good time to check out the Chewbacca Angry Birds plush!

For those unfamiliar with the Chewbacca character from Star Wars Angry Birds (reviewed here !), it doesn’t matter; the birds in Angry Birds do not have actual personalities. Instead, this is a parody of Chewbacca and a combination with one of the largest birds, the Brown Angry Bird.

Basics

The Star Wars Angry Birds plush Chewbacca is part of a current movement in toys where recognizable characters are changed into something else entirely. This looks only vaguely like Chewbacca as he appeared in A New Hope and with his sash, he only looks slightly like the Brown Chewbacca Angry Bird. This version of Brown Angry Bird Chewbacca is a 5” in diameter stuffed character that is essentially a big head with a white and black sash that is supposed to pass as Chewbacca.

The Chewbacca Angry Birds plush does not include any sort of extended costume or body; this is a very pure representation of the Angry Birds Chewbacca with embroidered black eyes and brown fur, a bright yellow beak and the costume sash onto it.

Accessories

There are no accessories with this plush doll, though the sash is sewn onto the plush.

Playability

The playability of this Chewbacca is severely limited as it is a plush and it does not have a body. As one might expect, this plush falls over or rolls over constantly, so it is poor for posing as well. One supposes little children may snuggle with it because it is entirely soft, but that is about it.

Collectibility

The Commonwealth Toys Star Wars Angry Birds plushes was one of the few that sold out everywhere I went when they were new and they have, surprising to me, appreciated in the secondary market. That said, I'm convinced their peak price has come and gone and now they are a generally poor investment toy.

Overall

The Brown Chewbacca Angry Bird plush is fun and the closest to the source material, which makes it the only one truly worth picking up!

For other Star Wars Angry Birds plush toys, please check out my reviews of:
Darth Vader
Han Solo Yellow Angry Bird
Luke Skywalker Red Angry Bird

6/10

For other toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Except For The Face, The The Flash Heat Wave Action Figure Is Wonderful!

The Good: Generally good sculpt, Good articulation, Great balance, Neat accessories
The Bad: Facial sculpt is a bit off, Inhibited articulation, Minor paint issue (paint comes off!)
The Basics: The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow share Heat Wave as a character and the first major collectible based upon him is all right!


Arguably one of the characters who has grown most between The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow is Heat Wave. It is interesting that, in creating collectibles for The Flash, Heat Wave is being merchandised before most of the Team Flash heroes. Perhaps because Heat Wave is on both The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow, that is why DC Collectibles produced a figure of Mick Rory from The Flash before making figures of Iris West, Cisco Ramon, Harrison Wells or Dr. Snow (or any of their alter egos!).

DC Collectibles did a decent job with the Heat Wave figure. While cheating the character's eyes by giving Heat Wave goggles, DC Collectibles made an action figure that strongly resembles the costume and character from The Flash.

Basics

The Heat Wave figure is a decent sculpt of the television character and DC Collectibles blends the hard plastic elements of most of the figure with a soft, rubbery coat to enhance the figure and increase its playability. The Mick Rory as Heat Wave figure looks generally like Dominic Purcell, especially in the nose, but the face is just a little too angular to be accurate to the television representation of Heat Wave. The first, and probably definitive, action figure version of Dominic Purcell as Heat Wave (we can still hope there will be a figure of Dominic Purcell as Chronos!) is 7" tall. Heat Wave figure is available from DC Collectibles and the figure may be found online or at most comic book shops that ordered figures from The Flash.

On the sculpt front, this version of Heat Wave looks very much like the CW show version of Mick Rory and Heat Wave. This is Dominic Purcell's version of Heat Wave and despite the coloring of the hair - which is a bit more brown than Purcell's hair in The Flash - and the more elongated head, it is an excellent rendition of the character. It helps that for The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow, Heat Wave does not wear any sort of ridiculous outfit, like the one in the comic book, but rather a thief's gear. This version of Heat Wave features Mick Rory with the goggles down, wearing a Central City Fire Department outfit. The pants that Heat Wave is wearing have rivets, seams and pockets to make them look more realistic than most action figures. The coat has a collar, a clasp near the top and is made of a rubbery plastic.

Heat Wave's hair is fairly dark brown and it is tough to pull off the buzz cut thinned, dark hair that Purcell has in The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow. Heat Wave's costume is simple and looks pretty weathered, which is very accurate and cool. Oddly, while the pockets appear subtly covered in soot, the character's shoes are remarkably clean! As for the skin tones for the head and neck, DC Collectibles managed a subtle amount of pink shading to add realism. Rory's ears look more detailed on the coloring front than his cheeks, but the thin pink lips of Heat Wave look decently rendered.

Accessories

Heat Wave, as rendered for the television incarnation, comes with only three (or five, it's relative) accessories. The figure lacks a stand upon which to put the figure, Heat Wave instead comes with two alternate pairs of hands and Heat Wave's flame gun. This version of Mick Rory allows one to pull out the hands it comes with and put in open hands or hands in fists. There are two pairs of open hands that are able to hold the flame gun; the fists obviously cannot hold the flame gun.

The flame gun is 2" long and 3/4" wide and looks exactly like the prop carried by Heat Wave in both shows. The flame gun is colored in black, orange, and gunmetal and looks very clean compared to the figure's outfit. It fits in four of the six hands that Heat Wave comes with (the other two are fists) and looks surprisingly good there. There is a holster on Heat Wave's right thigh that holds the gun perfectly!

Playability

The DC Collectibles figures were designed more for display than play and this is an impressive figure. Heat Wave has very good balance, especially when he is flatfooted. Moved out of a pure flatfooted position, Heat Wave remains surprisingly stable. That makes Heat Wave poseable in action poses, especially holding his flame gun.

Heat Wave comes with sixteen points of articulation, which is exceptional, though DC Collectibles figure have long been known for making figures with great articulation that also look good. Heat Wave has joints at the ankles, upper and lower knees, groin socket, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist and head. The shoulders, elbows, ankles and wrists are proper ball and socket joints, while the knees are hinge joints. The elbows, ankles and wrists are all inhibited by the costume detailing so they have surprisingly limited movement in comparison to the joint structure. The head is on a ball joint, which allows Heat Wave to look in virtually any direction! Unfortunately, when joints - especially the knees - are bent, the elements below are colored much more simply than the proper costume. As a result, using the articulation reveals the hinges in fairly unflattering ways.

Collectibility

Heat Wave is part of the DC Collectibles The Flash Series 2 line which was fairly common, though it was usually only distributed through comic book shops and specialty stores like FYE. Heat Wave is the third villain in the The Flash line, but DC Collectibles is continuing the quality and style of their Arrow figures with Heat Wave. So, fans of the CW's DC Television Universe can easily collect across the series's and have their figures match for quality. Given how popular villains are and that Heat Wave is on two DC Television Universe shows, this is one of the more probable figures from DC Collectibles to appreciate in value, despite its somewhat problematic sculpt and coloring elements.

Overview

Heat Wave is a worthy addition to anyone who collects DC Comics-based toys. DC Collectibles did a decent job with a subject that would be exceptionally difficult to pull off by most companies with the Heat Wave action figure!

For other figures from The Flash, please check out my reviews of:
Captain Cold The Flash action figure
Blackest Night Black Lantern Black Flash action figure
Flashpoint Zoom action figure

6.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Entirely Mediocre And Forgettable: The Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker Mighty Muggs Figure!

The Good: Costume looks more or less right, Generally cool accessory
The Bad: Dumb animated look, Giant head, Heavy, Does not have accurate features.
The Basics: The Mighty Muggs toy line made a Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker figure that does not even capitalize on the animated rendition of Anakin for a compelling collectible.


When it comes to Star Wars Mighty Muggs toys, I actually had pretty reasonable hopes for the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker. Based on the fact that Anakin was being created off the animated film and television show, I figured there was a decent chance Hasbro would get the toy right. Alas, the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker Mighty Muggs looks more like an Anakin in Mandalorian Armor Mighty Muggs as opposed to a decent rendering of his young Jedi Clone Wars general appearance.

For those unfamiliar with Mighty Muggs, these are ridiculous toys which they are all physically identical, they just have different faces and costumes painted on the standard form. Mighty Muggs toys look like they might be plush as they feature animated versions of recognizable Star Wars characters. However, the cartoon-like heads atop disproportionately smaller bodies simply revealed that the heads and toys were solid, like ceramic (they are, in fact, made of a super-hard, heavy plastic).

For those unfamiliar with Anakin Skywalker from the Clone Wars (reviewed here!), Anakin was promoted to General and worked with his new Padawan and Clone Troopers to try to stop the Separatists. As a result, he was often seen in armor and outfits that preceded his ultimate Jedi appearance from the final prequel film.

The Mighty Muggs Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker figure is entirely underwhelming and anyone who has seen how Anakin Skywalker from the animated works actually looked will recognize this bears little resemblance to him. This looks like a comic strip version of the animated rendition of Anakin.

Basics

Anakin Skywalker is a human Jedi, seen on the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars series and its theatrical prequel. Like all of the Star Wars Mighty Muggs, the figure stands 7" tall. Anakin Skywalker is dressed in a blue-gray outfit that is painted solidly onto the puffy body of the toy. The outfit looks vaguely like Mandalorian armor from its lines.

This toy is a poor sculpt which looks like an oversized, fattened up LEGO figure and the costume is hardly one that is distinctive and iconic to Anakin Skywalker. Once it is out of the box on the shelf, one might only realize that it is supposed to be a Jedi, much less Anakin, based on the lightsaber in his hand. The hands are open slightly and this allows Anakin to hold his ridiculous plastic lightsaber. Anakin's hair is painted on in bright colors that look unlike even the animated source.

Accessories

Anakin Skywalker, ready to battle Separatist Forces as he is, comes with one accessory, his lightsaber. The three inch long choking hazard fits in Anakin Skywalker's right hand. This is a monolithically molded silver and translucent blue cylinder which looks vaguely like a lightsaber.

Playability

The Mighty Muggs toy line was designed because there was a niche of collectors with far too much money and not enough taste. This heavy toy can be harmful to children, especially if it falls on them from any height, and is more intended as a display statue. It is a ridiculous display statue, but that’s about it.

Anakin Skywalker comes with only five points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints. He has joints at the groin socket, shoulders, and neck. The elbows do not extend, so all arm posing is straight-armed. To be fair, the figure does stand up.

Collectibility

The Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker is part of the Mighty Muggs Star Wars Wave 5 collection and Anakin was the shelf-warmer of that assortment. The value of these is already declining because it’s a ridiculous concept executed poorly. As well, most distributors made their money quickly off the two villains in the assortment, which encouraged them to quickly discount the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker in order to make shelf space. One ought to be able to find it very inexpensively if they insist on adding it to their collection, but it will probably never appreciate in value.

Overview

The Mighty Muggs Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker toy is disappointing, even for those who want to collect collectibles based on the animated subjects of the Star Wars universe.

For Star Wars Mighty Muggs, please check out my reviews of:
Mace Windu
Qui-Gon Jinn
C-3PO

3/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please visit my Star Wars Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Utterly Without Redeeming Value: The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker Action Figure!

The Good: None!
The Bad: Figure looks nothing like Luke Skywalker, Poor articulation, Lousy balance, Yellowing plastic
The Basics: The Luke Skywalker figure that helped launch the comeback of Star Wars figures just plain sucked!


Fans of Star Wars collectibles once lived in want for something new. It is hard to believe (and, given how packed my home is, hard to imagine!) that it was just over twenty years ago when Hasbro relaunched their Star Wars collectibles line. The first few sets of figures were instantly bought up by eager fans and young parents psyched to be able to give their kids Star Wars figures instead of risking their brood entering their collectible sanctuary and unleashing some of their collectible figures from the 1980s. Unfortunately, while time might have dulled our memories to a time without a constant stream of Star Wars action figures, the memory of collectors also seems to be pretty dim for just how lame that first line of figures was. The worst of the first wave was easily the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure.

The 4" Luke Skywalker figure is a lousy action figure that was dramatically overproduced, look nothing like the subject of the figure, and has since begun yellowing on the white costume elements, futher degrading the value of the toy.

Basics

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker is based upon the costume, at the very least, of Skywalker from A New Hope (reviewed here!). This was made during Kenner's obsession with beefing the characters up. As a result, Luke is wearing his recognizable costume (his white outfit he wears on Tatooine and most of the Death Star scenes), but the person underneath it looks almost nothing like Luke. With an upper body that makes Luke Skywalker look like the Terminator, this is Luke Skywalker on steroids. Luke has no real neck and looks like a body builder and his legs look like those of a professional football player or track star. This incarnation of Luke Skywalker would stand 3 3/4" tall if it would stand up!

The detailing on the costume is incredibly basic. Luke is painted to have molded and colored details on his belt and the boots look like wrapped cloth, which is how they appeared in the film. But Luke's hair looks plastered down and cut like the Incredible Hulk. Still, Kenner got the eyes mostly right as they are bright blue.

Over the years, Luke's white wrap outfit has yellowed. The yellowing of the plastic was an unfortunately common problem with the Kenner Star Wars figures and it is little surprise that this Luke has yellowed as well. As a result, most of the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figures look entirely unlike Luke in both shape and coloring now!

Accessories

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure comes with two accessories: a lightsaber and a blaster pistol. The blaster pistol is a solid black, 1" long plastic gun that is essentially Han Solo's blaster pistol. It is very light on the surface detailing, but it is recognizable as a firearm for Luke.

The lightsaber is appropriately blue with a silver-gray plastic base. The weapon is a bit overlong - 3" long - and the saber base is entirely underdetailed. The blue portion that represents the actual "blade" is made of clear blue plastic, which adds an element of realism to it.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and Luke Skywalker figure is terrible in that regard. The figure is mildly articulated, with only swivel joints at the groin socket, shoulders, waist and neck. This Luke Skywalker stands with a wide stance and is virtually impossible to balance him so he actually stands up. As well, the hands are molded in an awkward way that makes it difficult for the figure to actually hold his accessories and have them look like they are organically placed. The moment one starts to move the figure with the accessories in his hands, they fall right out. As such, the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker figure is not great for either play or display.

Collectibility

The Luke Skywalker is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was exceptionally common. This was a pegwarmer even at the time, largely because it was massively overproduced and fans were utterly unimpressed by the execution of this version of Luke Skywalker. Now, this remains one of the Kenner failures as even years later, it is hard to find it for more than its initial release price. Investors took a bath on this one and it seems as people notice theirs yellowing, this is not a figure most fans are replacing.

Overview

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure has since been replaced by vastly superior sculpts making this one entirely unworthy of any collector's attention or dollars.

For other Star Wars: A New Hope figures in the "Power Of The Force" line, please check out my reviews of:
Grand Moff Tarkin
TIE Fighter Pilot
Sandtrooper
C-3PO
Momaw Nadon
Ponda Baba
R5-D4
Death Star Gunner
Cantina Aliens 3-pack
Garindan
Death Star Escape 3-pack
Luke Skywalker In Stormtrooper Disguise

0/10

For other toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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"We're Gonna' Need A Bigger Shelf!" The Sharknado Pop! Vinyl Figure!

The Good: Adorable, Stable, Collectible value
The Bad: Ridiculously expensive now, Concept is incomplete in its base.
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure is fun and worth tracking down for those who love collectibles from d-rate movies!


There are a few ways my wife and I differ significantly. When it comes to media, I tend to go for drama; she loves comedy. We both love science fiction, but while I tend to be drawn to the cerebral and sometimes disturbing, my wife is enamored with science fiction that makes her laugh (ironically, she is a huge Game Of Thrones fan, so she loves her Fantasy dark and gory!). While I have filled our home with collectibles, my wife has not really gotten into collecting merchandise from the programs she loves (I'm getting her there!). When I was out at our local discount store on a bad day my wife was having, kismet converged upon us when they had a Pop! Vinyl Sharknado toy. The Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure, as it turns out, is incredibly valuable on the secondary market to collectors of obscure and adorable Pop! Vinyl figures, but we managed to find it dirt cheap at the discount store, presumably, because some collector returned it because of its damaged box. Well, my wife doesn't abide by the whole "collectibles have to be kept in their packaging" ridiculousness (on that, we agree!), so it was a perfect fit for her and her slowly-growing collection.

For those unfamiliar with the Sharknado, the SyFy Network film Sharknado and its subsequent sequels involve the convergence of weather phenomenon and natural predator disasters when spouts of water bring sharks out of the deep and into the air. The tornadoes filled with sharks fall upon populated areas where the protagonist just happens to be and he has to kill sharks and stop the weather events to save the city or the world.

The Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure is an adorable shark on a watery base with waterspout pieces embedded into its side and a tornado halo on the top of the shark!

Basics

The Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure is a shark within a water spout only vaguely reminiscent of anything from Sharknado. The figure stands 4" tall from the bottom of the base to the tip of the dorsal fin. The Sharknado figure is 4 3/4" long and 3 1/2" wide.

This toy is a cool sculpt, even if it is pretty basic and more conceptual than representative. The Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure is a generic gray shark figure with giant black eyes and an open mouth with big white teeth. The shark is, frankly, adorable. The teeth are not sharp, so the toy is fairly safe to be around people. The ventral fins look somewhat stuck on and Funko actually did an awesome job with the detailing in that the underside of the shark is an off-white color!

What makes the shark into a Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure is the base, the translucent water spout pieces attached to the sides of the shark and the halo water spout on the top of the shark figure. Here is where the figure could have been more representative of the actual sharknadoes from the movies; the base is essentially choppy water. Had the base or any of the other pieces had fins or even painted on little sharks, it would have been more emblematic of the swarm of sharks from the movie. As it is, the Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure is one cute little sharknado for the shelf!

Accessories

The Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure comes only with its choppy water stand, no other accessories. No part of the water spout is detachable from the shark, so the figure remains a consistent, stable Sharknado. The Sharknado does not detach from the stand and keeps the figure perfectly stable there.

Playability

The Pop! Vinyl toy line was designed for collectors, not children. The Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure has no articulation, even in its jaw. As a result, this is like a cute little ridiculous statue and it is definitely intended for display more than play.

Collectibility

The Sharknado is part of the Pop! Vinyl Movie collection, which is a pretty expansive collection. Despite my finding this Pop! Vinyl figure dirt cheap, the Sharknado Pop! Vinyl figure is one of the most expensive and has already appreciated in value. The fact that there was a bloody-mouth San Diego Comic Con variant did nothing to depress the value of this Funko figure, so one suspects that it is at its peak price point now. As more Sharknado films are released, it is likely this will continue to appreciate in value given it is one of the few Sharknado-themed collectibles on the market!

Overview

The Pop! Vinyl Sharknado toy is ridiculous and adorable and while it might not be my thing (or objectively perfect), it is surprisingly cute and it quickly has become one of the few collectibles my wife has come to treasure. That makes it pretty exceptional in my book!

For other fairly random toys, please check out my reviews of:
Boushh Star Wars Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head
Wizard World Chicago Invader Zim (Old Man Disguise) Invader Zim Action Figure
12" Clockwork Man Doctor Who Doll

8.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out the Random Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Of The Worst: The Doctor Katherine Pulaski Star Trek Action Figure Fails! (My 100th Star Trek Action Figure Review!

The Good: Good conceptual accessories, Fair articulation
The Bad: Terrible sculpt, Accessory coloring, Low playability and collectibility
The Basics: Doctor Katherine Pulaski is, sadly, one of the worst Star Trek action figures Playmates ever produced, making a poor rendition of the character.


In the history of Playmates Toys's possession of the Star Trek license, there were some pretty lousy action figures. Most of the worst figures were cheap reuses of other figures' bodies with a different head plugged onto the body. Arguably, one of the worst of the line was their Doctor Katherine Pulaski action figure. A cheap reuse of a basic female body from Playmates Star Trek line, the Dr. Pulaski figure does not look like Diana Muldaur as Dr. Pulaski. And the basic body of the Doctor Pulaski figure does not even feature the character in her most-worn costume, making for a terrible figure in a crappy rendition of it.

Basics

The Star Trek 1996 Collection of action figures was a mix of Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine action figures and contained eighteen figures when it was done. It focused on alternate versions of the main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation and supplemented the characters with memorable guest stars and aliens. This series seemed to recycle parts more and it was the series which was buoyed off the popularity of the "Tapestry" Picard action figure (reviewed here!), which was highly limited at the time. This series also contained the Doctor Katherine Pulaski figure which was a much better idea than it was execution. This is Dr. Pulaski as she appeared in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (reviewed here!), though there were exceptionally few times she appeared in the basic Medical Officer's uniform instead of her alternate outfit with a very different cut.

Standing four and one-half inches tall, this is a poor likeness of Doctor Katherine Pulaski immortalized in plastic, from the head-sculpt to the costuming details. The character is molded with her fingers curved, but not closed, so Pulaski is able to hold most of her accessories. Pulaski's face is molded with a somewhat ridiculous smile on her face. The lips are very dark red and the light flesh tones of Pulaski lack any subtlety or shading. The figure includes Pulaski's curly hair, molded into the plastic, which makes her appear like she is wearing a helmet as opposed to having a good head of hair. The face and hair lack any sense of realistic toning. Her eyes are appropriately blue, but the pupils are white instead of black!

The paint job is mediocre. The skin tones are monolithic light tan and lack any shading or subtlety and the costume's color is not quite the right shade of blue as the uniforms from Star Trek: The Next Generation. This action figure does not look at all like Diana Muldaur as Dr. Pulaski, which makes it pretty much worthless to the fans who would actually want a Dr. Pulaski action figure.

Accessories

Doctor Katherine Pulaski comes with five accessories, plus a trading card unique to this line of figures. The accessories include a medical scanner, Starfleet monitor, medical tricorder, and medical case as well as an action base shaped like a Federation Communicator badge. The Action base is just enough to support Dr. Pulaski and is a StarFleet delta shield with a little black sticker that reads "Pulaski" to help keep it straight from the other figures. The center of the base has a peg which fits into the hole in either of the doctor's feet!

The StarFleet Monitor is an odd accessory for this action figure. While Doctor Katherine Pulaski was frequently seen using one, this is usually seen on desks around the Enterprise, not in character's hands. With the right arm movements, Pulaski may hold her desk monitor - which looks very much like the ones on the show and has a sticker to represent what is on the screen - in both hands, but she looks strange doing it.

The Medical case is essentially a big flat purse with a plastic strap which may be slung over Doctor Katherine Pulaski's shoulder. While it has the basic shape of a medical case, it is utterly lacking in the surface details and markings of a StarFleet medical kit. It is a monotonal purple plastic which is not at all what the prop looks like.

The Medical Tricorder is a similarly light-on-details accessory. The 3/4" box looks like the scanning device used by Doctor Katherine Pulaski and it fits in either of her hands, though it may be held better in Pulaski's left hand. This has the surface details of a tricorder, up to and including that the scanning wand is molded into the top of the device, but it does not do anything.

Finally, there is the Medical Scanner. Like the tricorder, it fits into either of Doctor Katherine Pulaski's hands. However, there are no surface details and it is cast in the purple plastic without coloring details, like the black grip or silver-gray proper coloring.

Unfortunately, all of these accessories are molded in a dark purple plastic that is utterly lacking in realistic coloring detail. Given that one of the accessories cannot even be held, Doctor Katherine Pulaski is over-accessorized and with the lame coloring of the accessories, it is tough to get excited about the pieces intended to accent the character.

This action figure was released when Playmates was trying to synergize with trading card collectors and the figure comes with a trading card with a gold stripe. The card features a decent upper body shot of Pulaski and the back tells the story of her experiences in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The card is very nice!

Playability

Doctor Katherine Pulaski continued the general quality of Star Trek toys from Playmates in its joints. Molded in an action pose, this is not a badly articulated version of Pulaski. Doctor Katherine Pulaski is endowed with twelve points of articulation: knees, groin socket, biceps, elbows, shoulders, neck, and waist. All of the joints, save the elbows and knees, are simple swivel joints. As a result, the neck turns left to right, for example, but the head cannot nod. Similarly, the shoulders are not ball and socket joints and only rotate. Still, Playmates dealt with this limitation by having a swivel joint in the bicep, that allows everything below to turn and offers real decent poseability!

Moreover, for use with actual play, Pulaski may bend or extend at the elbows, which offers a greater amount of movement potential making her one of the more realistic Star Trek action figures to play with (for those who actually play with these toys!).

Collectibility

Playmates mass produced the first few waves of Star Trek: The Next Generation figures, but by the time it got to this wave, some figures were seriously limited, including Pulaski. Found carded still in the $10 range, this is one of the worst investment figures Playmates created, given that it can be found dirt cheap even now. There is some added value in that Star Trek trading card collectors hunt for the figure for the trading card! There was only one release of the Pulaski figure and none of the other action figure companies bothered trying to make a rendition of the character.

That said, at least Playmates attempted to make the figures collectible. Each figure has an individual number on the bottom of her left foot. In the attempt to make them appear limited, they had numbers stamped on them, though one has to seriously wonder how limited something should be considered when there are at least 27,000 figures out there (my Pulaski is #026819!).

Overview

An interesting idea for an action figure, Doctor Katherine Pulaski is a poor rendition and not worth picking up.

For other Star Trek figures from the 1996 line, please check out my reviews of:
Captain Jean-Luc Picard As Galen In "Gambit"
Elim Garak
Grand Nagus Zek
Commander Worf
Benjamin Sisko As Seen In “Crossover”
Jadzia Dax As Seen in “Blood Oath”
Jem'Hadar Soldier
Odo From “Necessary Evil”
The Hunter Of The Tosk

1.5/10

For other Star Trek figures by Playmates Toys, be sure to visit my Playmates Star Trek Figure Review Index Page!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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I Break My Rule And Discover The Star Wars Boushh Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head Is Cool!

The Good: Outfit looks good, Good detailing for accessories, Collectible value, Base
The Bad: Dumb animated look, Giant head, Lack of articulation
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head Princess Leia as Boushh figure might well be the best of a pretty lame toy line!


I never bought into the whole Pop! Vinyl craze and I never truly got into bobble-heads. As a fan of many genre works, I had to start prioritizing my collecting dollars long before Pop! Vinyl and bobble-heads came to be a thing for genre collectibles. So, I've seen a plethora of Pop! Vinyl collectibles without ever once buying any. Last week, however, right before going to see Suicide Squad (reviewed here!), I hurt my back pretty badly and my wife spent the time since taking care of me. We have a local discount store in our small town and the other day, on their truck of completely random things, they got in two Pop! Vinyl toys that finally got me to buy. My wife has a love of b-rate films and of all of the various Star Wars bounty hunters, one of the few that can usually get me interest in collecting something is Boushh. Well, the local discount store got in, completely randomly, a Pop! Vinyl Sharknado figure and a Princess Leia as Boushh Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head. So, after years of resisting the trend, I got my wife the kitschy Sharknado collectible as a thank you for taking care of so many things while my back was hurt and I got the Boushh bobble-head for myself . . . well, just because.

For those unfamiliar with Princess Leia as Boushh she is the bounty hunter disguise used by the Princess, at the beginning of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!) when she enters Jabba's Palace! As Boushh, Princess Leia threatened Jabba The Hutt with a thermal detonator. This figure represents Princess Leia as Boushh prepared to blow up Jabba after she brings Chewbacca into the Palace to collect the bounty on his head.

The Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head Boushh figure is stylized, but otherwise well-rendered and anyone who has seen how Princess Leia as Boushh actually looked will recognize this bears little resemblance to the character's actual form. This looks like a caricature version of Boushh with a significantly larger head than is appropriate.

Basics

Princess Leia as Boushh is a human Rebel leader, seen on Tatooine briefly before being exposed as Princess Leia at the beginning of Return Of The Jedi. The figure stands 4" tall. Princess Leia as Boushh is dressed in a tan, brown, and orange outfit with the distinctive helmet that briefly defined Boushh.

This toy is a surprisingly-decent sculpt with ribbing on the boots and belt, which are realistic and even studs on the gloves. As one might guess, the otherwise accurate sculpt is topped with an oversized Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head. Boushh is holding the thermal detonator in her left hand and the staff she held in the scene in her right hand. The sculpt is cool enough in that it even includes the jetpack and cape!

Accessories

Princess Leia as Boushh, extortionist of vile gangsters, comes only with a stand. The 2 3/4" in diameter black stand features two pegs which fit into the two holes in both of Boushh's feet. The figure easily disconnects from the stand and keeps the figure perfectly stable when it is attached.

Playability

The Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head toy line was designed for no good reason I can find, perhaps just because someone realized Star Wars fans would buy anything (I swear, we won’t!). This light toy has a head that is mounted on a spring, but is otherwise a statue-like display piece. The head bounces when tapped or the toy is shaken.

Outside the head, none of the joints are in any way articulated.

Collectibility

The Boushh is part of the Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head Star Wars collection. Despite my not being grabbed by the concept, other people seem to like them and this is #50 in the ever-expanding line of Star Wars bobble-heads. Despite my finding this Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head dirt cheap, this Bobble-Head has generally retained its value since it was released a few years ago. Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Heads are generally mass-produced beyond consumer demand (save exclusives for certain stores and San Diego Comic Con), so it is unlikely this will appreciate in value any time soon.

Overview

The Pop! Vinyl Bobble-Head Boushh toy is fun and looks a lot better than some of the other, similar, toys with oversized heads. It is, at the very least, fun, even if it is not exceptional.

For other Boushh merchandise, please check out my reviews of:
Sideshow 12" Boushh Doll
Saga Legends Boushh Action Figure
2013 Boushh Limited Edition Hallmark Ornament

5/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out the Star Wars Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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