McFarlane DC Multiverse The Penguin (Collector Edition) review

A few months ago, we got a Penguin show that is basically The Sopranos for comic book nerds. Usually, the Penguin is depicted as having a night club of some sort to hide his crimes behind the scenes, and his own criminal underworld stands out from his classy attire and mannerisms, even if he has a tendency to attack with his umbrella gadgets and make quacking noises. It's the way he acts in addition to how sane he remains compared to other villains in Batman's rogues gallery that makes him and the superhero see each other as equals in some regard. For anyone who doesn't like their Penguin a little too close to Sopranos territory, there is always a more mutated iteration as we've seen in Batman Returns. But with our Penguin being more Gold/Silver Age-related, we'll focus on the version of the character McFarlane Toys made for today's review.

Here we have The Penguin in hand, and the stumpy physique of the character is recreated perfectly. While the character's proportions vary from how short he's supposed to be, this figure makes the right balance between having him shorter than the average adult in DC while also not making him cartoonishly stumpy as one would expect in some older cartoons where characters had physiques similar to The Penguin's. The figure reuses parts from the Arkhamverse version, mostly the legs, hats, and arms. The torso's clothing and the coat are new for the figure, and there is a decent bit of dry-brushing overall. The orange vest does look a little brighter, and the shading, while appreciative, does look a bit like the paint is rubbing off. The arms could look a little shorter, but the proportions are otherwise good. I will take points off for the purple diaper piece not matching the legs.

The head sculpt is super fitting for the character, with a frumpy and wrinkly face, the squinty eye fitting for the time, and a monocle to fit his higher-end class, and the top hat fits with the purple band above the brim. The nose thankfully doesn't have its seam stand out too much than what I initially feared given how the figure was assembled. And we even have some of the remaining hair on the Penguin's head picked out. Sculpt limitations aside, his articulation consists of a double-ball neck joint, ball joints for front and back motion in addition to having them shift around with the rotator cuffs hiding said joint, hinges for outward arm movement, bicep rotation, double-jointed elbows, and double-purpose wrists that can rotate at two pegs, with the connection at the forearm allowing the hands to hinge either vertically or horizontally. The torso includes a diaphragm joint and dumbbell waist, hips can move front and back as well as in and out, slight thigh rotation is included, knees bend with double-joints, and the feet can rotate, hinge, and pivot. Finally, the toes can bend for natural walking poses. He holds his umbrella in his more open hands decently, though I do wish he has another version that is opened. 

The thing that makes him unique as part of the McFarlane Collector Edition is a display piece for the collector card, which has chrome foil for the text. Whether or not it's worth the added $10 is up for debate, but I got mine at a discount. There is a Super Powers variant with blue, lavender, and yellow for the costume, and I think I'll stick with the regular version given how much I prefer the more evil color combo. That being said, I still wish we had penguin accessories for him, either as actual penguins or exploding, wind up ones. Oh, and the pic on the left shows his alternate left hand.

For a size comparison, here he is next to Knightfall Batman in black and grey. Though he does look a little taller than some people are probably used to, this figure does scale well, and the top hat does add some needed height. While I'm happy with how the sculptwork and articulation generally turned out, I am disappointed that he doesn't have an alternate umbrella that is open or any penguins, regular or bomb ones. The added accessories would justify the price bump more than the card display piece.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marvel Legends Kingpin (Comic and MCU) review

A crime lord best known for tackling Daredevil in Hell's Kitchen or facing off against Spider-Man, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, is more than an evil bald guy that comic books tend to use at times with Egghead and classic Mr. Freeze among other examples. He grew up to be a tough as nails mastermind, both in strength and intellect, and struck fear across the Big Apple with his empire. Even if he is a major powerhouse, he has lost frequently to both the web-slinger and man without fear. That being said, he did kill RIPeter for Into the Spider-Verse. We have a version of Kingpin inspired by the 90s Animated Series and one based on the Hawkeye thing from Disney+...though we know that version best for appearing in the Netflix Daredevil series! Let's review em both and check out the duality of Kingpin figures.

Here we have comic Kingpin in hand, a redeco of the BAF we got around 2018. While most business suit action figures lack much in appeal unless it's an Alfred or a Tony Stark, Kingpin's imposing physique makes him a character worth getting in toy form, especially as a villain. Though shading is non-existent, there is a good amount of color variety to make the figure pop with the blue collar, orange shirt, and purple pants to go with the white coat. Most Legends figures have issues with their sculpts looking doughy compared to the comic art, but the sumo wrestling proportions make sense for him. 

His head sculpt is a little less detailed than the ones we get today, but it still feels appropriate for someone like him. His articulation. Consists of a ball and neck hinge combo for the head, rotation and hinges at the shoulders, rotation above the elbows, nearly 90 degrees bends at the elbows, wrist hinges as well as rotation, a diaphragm joint, ball jointed hips, rotation at the thighs as well as above the knees, single jointed knees, and feet that hinge as well as pivot. He can only hold the cane in his hand, which at least has some paint for the part holding the gem. I also like that the ring on his left hand is detailed nicely.

The alternate head is the only other accessory he comes with, and it presents him all bruised up and with an expression full of derpy rage. Yeah, I wish my copy's eyes were painted facing forwards. This other part may not be intentional but you can remove the coat if you want to leave him with his vest more visible. Is it a vest in actuality? Who knows.

The original Kingpin wore fully white clothes apart from the different inner shirt colored gray along with a purple tie. This isn't a bad look for him, though I'm more partial to the added orange and purple. I'd love a black suit version for when he attends a mock funeral in preparation for his dream of killing Daredevil to come true. Speaking of, I don't have a comic Daredevil but I do have a Spider-Man, the RYV version specifically. The scale is appropriate for both characters, and it makes me want to play Spider-Man on the PS4...via the PC port!

This figure, previously being a BAF, means you can take him apart as a way to kill him off a la the Lego games. At least it's payback for what his Spider-Verse counterpart did to RIPeter. Overall, in spite of the minor issues I have, getting this figure after missing out in 2020 is a real treat. You better hope you got him this time around. 

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

And here is the MCU version of the character. While the comic physique isn't realistically obtainable for a live-action actor (and don't even ask for his ITSV physique), this is as close as we can get thanks to Vincent D'Onofrio's body type and great performance. That being said, the shoulders hanging low is more noticeable here than on comic Kingpin, the limbs appear to be reused from prior figures, but the torso is said to belong to Happy Hogan originally. It's a decent body yet I feel the arms kind of betray the torso's barrel chest. While the comic figure had more color break-up to make up for the lack of dry brushing, this figure could use a wash to make his clothes look less plasticky, especially for a live-action figure. 

His head sculpt looks mostly like Vincent, but it feels a little more like a stunt double than the actual actor. He has a bit of 2000s Kevin Spacey in the head, especially with how soft his face looked compared to Vincent. Articulation is mostly the same, only he has double-jointed elbows and knees. With either alternate accessory-holding hand, he can hold his cane in the spot where the gold lies, but what if you wanted to have him hold it in other parts of it? The grip is pretty loose, so you're best using that middle area instead. The scale next to Daredevil mostly works, though I should point out that with Vincent D'Onofrio's height being 6'4" and Charlie Cox being 5'10", maybe Kingpin could be a somewhat taller figure without reusing the Happy Hogan body.

Overall, the MCU version of Kingpin is decent, but lacking a BAF part AND being a reuse of an existing body should give Hasbro a few more accessory opportunities rather than use the fact that it's an MCU Kingpin who was famous for a nearly decade-old-yet-beloved Netflix series and leave it at that. He is worth getting on discount than at full price.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

McFarlane DC Multiverse Classic Riddler review

Riddle me this, Batman: who tries to outsmart you with all sorts of puzzles as you try to catch up with me? Who loves to be an enigmatic kind of Edward compared to Ed, Edd, n Eddy? Who has two film incarnations that are basically The Mask of he was evil and a 4chan terrorist? And who is a reuse of a blank body yet has a little more value for money and better comic proportions than most Hasbro Marvel Legends based on the comics? If you guessed The Riddler, then be ready to check out his review!

Here we have The Riddler in-hand. Another blank body reuse of the Blue Beetle mold, this gives us the classic question mark-covered green spandex suit, complete with purple gloves and belt. The ridges around the boots should be modified, though. While I prefer my Riddler to be in a suit with a bowler hat, this still feels appropriate for the character, and the question marks are generally applied crisply and properly. The physique is a little bulkier than normal for the character, but it fits decently and reminds me of when the Argentinian Super Amigos line had a Riddler repainted from Green Lantern...and I reviewed the same Green Lantern with the same buck Riddler shares a while back!

His head sculpt has the domino mask, hair has the blue shading, and and his face has the character-appropriate grin. With his cane in his right hand, his articulation consists of a double-ball neck joint, ball joints for front and back motion in addition to having them shift around with the rotator cuffs hiding said joint, hinges for outward arm movement, bicep rotation, double-jointed elbows, and double-purpose wrists that can rotate at two pegs, with the connection at the forearm allowing the hands to hinge either vertically or horizontally. The torso includes a diaphragm joint and dumbbell waist, hips can move front and back as well as in and out, slight thigh rotation is included, knees bend with double-joints, and the feet can rotate, hinge, and pivot. Finally, the toes can bend for natural walking poses.

In addition to the fists, accessory-holding right hand, and gesturing left hand, he also includes a mirror of the accessory holding hand for the left arm, a splayed open right hand, a thumbs up, and a pointing hand. Three added pairs of alternate hands is always appreciative, and it's a little more than what Hasbro provides with their Legends figures, especially the carded ones. McFarlane ain't perfect but when they do well, they do well.

As far as his variant is concerned, we get one purple question mark that takes up his torso's real estate while his eyes have pupils. I prefer the regular Riddler, but this one is great for those who want a variant of his design. 

For a size comparison, here he is with Batman in the Knightfall Black and Grey buck. Though not exactly the Riddler I'd want for my collection, the way it turned out by adding a bit of value for money with the alternate hands and making the deco work on a blank body that beats Hasbro's blank bodies is a win for me. Maybe an alternate head or another extra pair of hands would make me give him a 5 out of 5, though as it stands, the ridges on the boots will take some points off.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

S.H. Figuarts Son Goku (A Saiyan Raised on Earth & Super Saiyan) review

You might ask, why did I take too long to get a Figuarts version of Goku? There was an issue that I ran into for a while: I couldn't decide what version of Goku to get first! I don't mean his super forms or any of his alternate appearances; I'm referring to a vanilla Goku to get myself into the classic era of DBZ that I am more familiar with (from what I have seen back then before I lost track). As I get back into this universe both to be more familiar as well as to prepare for writing Goku & his crew from Unit-E, I decided to look into what would be a good, streamlined Figuart of the character that is not flawed when it comes to articulation or aesthetics. The Saiyan Raised on Earth variant fits well as an entry point in collecting characters from this series, and I am happy to buy it for $40 while it's an official copy. So, 5-6 years late but still good, right?

Here we have Goku in-hand, and for those wondering, this is not the first time we've seen the character in Figuart form. He had his first ever release in either the late 2000s/early 2010s that was more outdated in terms of sculpt work and articulation cuts, so making frequent versions of the character is only logical. At the very least, this one has been used more often thanks to how easy it is to get fans an easier chance of obtaining a vanilla Goku (at least when it came out in 2021-ish). The figure itself showcases the simple yet effective nature of its iconic ji, from the prominent orange with the blue shirt underneath it, on top of the blue belt and the multicolored shorts. Goku's outfit is a bit baggy, yet it fits well with the way his character design is represented as a more rugged kind of guy. I mean, he has spikey hair for crying out loud!

His head sculpt captures the spikey hairdo he is best known for in the series, while the face captures a pretty cheery side to the character when he isn't fighting evil or training. With how soft the facial details look, this could pass for a somewhat teenage Goku look, at least mostly before the Buu arc. As far as accessories are concerned, his tray features an angry expression looking to the left as he gets his teeth, a neutral angry face, and a yelling face on the left side. The right side features his two finger pointing right hand, two clenched combat hands, two Kamehameha hands, and a right fist to go with the one on his left arm.

The articulation consists of a double ball jointed neck, ball joints for the shoulders with a small bit of gaps for range similar to a McFarlane DC figure's rotator cuffs, while the biceps swivel and the elbows bend at two points. The wrists rotate at the base where they connect to the arms and the ball jointed ends allow for easier part-swapping. The joint overall can work where the wrists can hinge in and out or up and down. There are two ball joints for the diaphragm and abdomen, hips can kick front and back with added pieces to complete the look of the clothing, in addition to doing the splits without them intruding on the pieces. You have a small bit of thigh rotation as well as double-jointed knees, while the feet can rotate, hinge, and pivot with added toe-ticulation.

As for the variants I want to go over, this is the Super Saiyan version of Goku, seen here with his hair flowing and in a vibrant shade of yellow (adding to it is a bit of dry brushing to make it glow to the top). The belt, boot line work, and the upper body are also modified, and the shade of orange is brighter in addition to lacking the logo on the chest and back. He has his own alternate faces with unique shapes for the plates to prevent part-swapping, though the differently-colored eyes and eyebrows prevent that anyhow.

Other variants include the following: Super Hero, Super Saiyan God, Goku Clone (from the FighterZ game), SSGSS Goku, Ghost Goku (Ghost-ku?) included in a 2-pack with Gohan, and Kaikouken 180,000. I don't know how soon I can catch up with these and some other other variants like Ultra Instinct, SSJ2/3, and Goku Black, but these at least use the same tooling for the most part.

As for a comparison with the "standard" versions of Goku out there, here we have 1.0 made in 2014, this year's event-exclusive Goku with lil Gohan, and the Daima version with a skirt and retooled parts to give us either a 3.0 or to match the aesthetics of the series. Idk how soon I'd get 1.0 because I'm fine with 2.0, but Goku & Gohan entices me because I like the faceplates on him better than on ASROE in addition to me wanting that version even more after getting the Masterlise statue. The Daima one will depend on how much I like Daima.

For a size comparison, here we have Goku along with fellow Toei anime superstar Sailor Moon (specifically the first anime color version), Renew Your Vows Spider-Man, and Action Comics #1000 Superman. Many people debate how scales should work between different toy lines, and I'd argue that while RYV Spidey works well with most McFarlane DC figures if you see him as bulked out as his 90s animated counterpart and remember Sailor Moon was a teen in the 90s anime. Goku, however, is definitely undersized by comparison. He wasn't a tall dude but he wasn't this short either. It almost works better as a scale for Vegeta while Goku should be in-between Spider-Moon and Sailor-Man. Wait what?

Overall, this makes for a great starting point into the Dragonball Z line of Figuarts, though you can get SuperHero for it's better faceplates. It depends on what you see fit, but I'd argue that even without any other accessories related to Goku's powers both ASROE and Super Saiyan are highly recommended if you want to have poseable versions of these characters if you see them at your local Target or Walmart. If Goku came with his training staff or if both came with their effect pieces, I'd make them perfect 5 out of 5 scores, but they are still given high scores regardless.

Final ranking (for both): ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐