Marvel Legends X-Men Retro Mystique and Storm review

While Target exclusive releases have been nothing new, it seems any retro-carded X-Men figures for now will be sold at Target stores, while we have the mass-retail 97 waves to focus on. I haven't paid much attention to the Legends line of late, apart from a few exceptions here and there, but I have been interested in other versions of characters not represented as often as someone like Wolverine or Juggernaut in my collection. Mystique has had her Fox counterpart, along with the Walgreens version I later got in 2023, but Storm's only other figure I have is her Jim Lee look from the earlier retro-carded waves. Is it worth going for these two X-babes after owning versions of them in the past, especially after the current state of Marvel Legends? We will answer that question for today's review.

Here we have Storm in-hand, wearing the time she was in the Australian Outback along with her fellow X-Men. While black has been a common color used with her outfits (even as far back as her original costume where she had more skin revealing), the addition of gold on the lightning bolt and the trim of her cape flaps helps compliment what would be a mostly bland design. Not that it's a bad look for the character, but while it is recognizable as someone like Storm, that is mostly aided by the signature white hair and blank eyes as well as the aforementioned bolt. You can argue that the cape is a visual aspect of the character, yet I'd argue you can turn it from two flaps into one by filling in the back with a triangular wedge. Speaking of the cape, I really hate how it's a basic ass sheet of flimsy floppery without any wiring to make it look better in a vanilla pose. I have seen comic panels where she held her cape in a way similar to Batman in the Burton movies, so having them with wiring benefits would have helped her pose more dynamically if they weren't going for the usual route of having there be loops connected to her wrists. The shoulders on her costume are somehow more reminiscent of the shoulder pad trends of 80s fashion more than the Jim Lee route, though maybe it's due to how slim her arms and overall body are with this tight spandex. Finally, her elbows and knees are pinless joints all around, which is a miracle for a Hasbro Legends figure likely retooling a prior release.

Head sculpt is the same as the white costume version, though it is a downgrade in regards to the lackluster shading and inexplicably having a lighter skin tone than her prior version (unless it got naturally darker when we got to the 90s). Also, maybe it's just me, but I swear she looks like she has faint blue pupils staring back at me while taking the picture. Her articulation is standard for the Legends line's females, including the increasingly common double jointed elbows (though not everyone has this benefit, looking at you Red She-Hulk). Still, why are we only using just a diaphragm joint and nothing else at the bottom? I'd take a waist swivel given how easy it is to implement it below the "belt", even a reverse ab crunch like the female Lightning Collection figures! Hell, make the figures worth the price by doing a double ball peg! At least the hands have lightning effects sculpted on instead of the white costume's stupid wrap around accessories.

Here she is with her 90s counterpart, both using the same splayed open hands. While I prefer the 90s version of Storm in terms of a character design (especially with Jim Lee being one of my favorite artists and the 90s animated series being a show I grew up with in the Jetix reruns), the black and gold motif works just as well for Ororo Munroe. With an X-Man name like hers relating to weather in a sense, going with either black or white costumes suits the nature of the clouds in the sky either brightening in the sunlight or getting darker when it's going to be rainy. Honestly, I still wish we went further with the articulation improvements so Hasbro won't have to be doing the bare minimum as usual; an additional torso joint and an ankle joint meant for rotation at the foot would go a step or two further.

As for Mystique, this is a retool of the late-2010s version of Mystique, no doubt in her classic costume once again. It's easy to be enamoured with a blue chick like her, and even if she isn't a nudist like her Fox counterpart, this is still her sexiest costume design yet. That being said, the separation between the fabric of her dress and any slightly exposed skin around the shoulders and edges of her butt cheeks are merely painted on, with no additional sculpting to separate the white from the blue. I guess there isn't much to expect if you are just doing a simple sheet of fabric, but how long has it been where we just leave any deco unpainted? On a side note, there are now two holes on the back of the figure compared to just the one from the previous version. I don't know if the cel-shaded version had either hole count, but if you're not going to cover her back or peg in a cape, put those holes somewhere else! In fact, everyone knows it's logical to put those holes in the front and back of her waist than leaving them out on her upper back!

Her head sculpt is the same as the original tooling of this model, maybe being slightly crisper in detail. Hard to say since the last version holds up fine. One improvement I like is her double jointed elbows, but once again, no extra torso joint...at least her weapons are black instead of cheap gold.

Her other accessory is the head of Jean Grey, which looks as great as what we would expect from Hasbro whenever they put more effort on the faces than their bodies. Next to the original version, the shades of blue on the newer version have a closer, bluer hue than the slight hint of green we previously got (which is still blue but not the shade of blue more associated with Mystique). The newest version is slightly better than the old one, but these are merely tweaks on a figure that always alright then and alright now. Not awful but far from mind blowing in 2025/6.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yolopark Transformers ROTB AMK Pro Optimus Prime review

It's a shame Rise of the Beasts probably won't be getting that promised trilogy at this point, given how its box office performance turned out (with it and Bumblebee each having less money than The Last Knight despite that movie being described as a bomb). Whether it's due to Paramount moving forward with the rumored next Michael Bay-directed film, Hasbro no longer funding their movies after Transformers One flopped hard, or the upcoming restructure at the movie studio as a whole, thanks to the Warner Bros buyout, we are already 3 years in with no crossover involving the G.I.Joe series (even if I never cared about that series). Having rewatched this film from time to time, it may not hold a candle to the original Bayverse trilogy, but it's easier to enjoy this far more than any other recent TF media released since 2020. I know some mentioned that Optimus in this movie was fairly out of character compared to his one-dimensional cameo in the Bumblebee movie, but at least Peter Cullen isn't forced to mimic the equally one-dimensional voice acting of Jon 3.0 for re-recording dialogue. And hey, with almost every other TF media since 2020 treating Optimus like shit, from everyone saying he is in the wrong for his actions to Elita-1's recent portrayals being corporate Hollywood-mandated girlboss cunts, it's a miracle the far more supportive Arcee is in the movie (also, Arcee >>>>> Elita-1 even before 2020). Seeing Optimus decapitate Scourge after promising to do just that halfway in the movie easily beats him being all mopey in Netflix WFC, being a lame dad-joke dork in Earthspark, or acting like a Reddit-tier himbo in One or Cyberworld. Anyways, let's take a look at what we got with Yolopark's PRO-upgraded AMK set for the Autobot Leader himself!

Here we have Optimus Prime fully assembled, and we once again have the G1 design only given a live-action filter, as with almost every robot in the Bumblebee movie. I already mentioned my preference for the ROTB look, but if there is one thing Yolopark helps accentuate with a design like this, it would be the heavy paintwork we would never get on a stock Hasbro product; the intricate paintwork in making every mechanical component stand out from one another, but the heavy use of a wash to make all that detailing pop even further is always something I appreciated from this company. From the arms having the red separated by the gunmetal grey to the back section having the cylindrical detailing his in-house Hasbro toys omitted, this is an example of masterwork we would only get on a Threezero or Prime1Studio release, only much easier to afford under $100 (depending on where you buy this from). There is even a burn on his left thigh that I never noticed was actually in the movie, and while it may come off like a paint error, it's something that made me appreciate rewatching the movie and learning something new about Prime's look. And from rewatching the movie, I'm happy to confirm the robot mode proportions are 1:1 with the CG model, which pleases me greatly since the switch between The Moving Company to WetaFX for ROTB made me think Yolopark would have limited resource material rather than have everything mostly under ILM. Nothing on his body looks off or undersized, and we also have the bonus of rubber tires that spin somewhat on his legs as with Mirage from the same movie. We have gone a long way from the simpler days of Robot Replicas and the limited reach of Revoltech, as well as the DOTM Dual Model Kits.

Head sculpt is one of the things that helped me warm up to the BBM design, as this visual tweak with the exposed face, a la his 2007 appearance, made it easier to believe this was a soft-prequel Prime who could have looked like this before having to return to Earth again (which can at least explain why he is more experienced this time around when he meets Sam, though we don't know how he left Earth at that point). I love how much it captures that Peter Cullen-esque facial structure that made me appreciate it when a voice actor's look influences the character he or she voices (something that we usually see with Pixar or Dreamworks, yet with Transformers, it was mostly done with Optimus/Cullen, Sentinel/Nimoy, and even Ratchet/Foxworth). As with all AMK Pros, using the included insignia magnet on the base lets you light up his eyes, and I'm happy to confirm that Prime's eyes work properly after my Mirage had issues with his. His articulation consists of a double neck joint (one ball joint and a hinge at the base of the torso), shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, a diaphragm joint in the upper torso, waist rotation, double hip joints for further range if the ball jointed hip panels get in the way, outward leg movement, thigh rotation, TRIPLE-jointed knees (though one seems to only bend at 2 points), ankle hinges, rockers, and toe-ticulation.

While he never used an Ion Blaster in the movie, one is included for everyone bothered that he never had a handheld gun rather than ones that transform from his forearms. I believe he did lose it in the Bumblebee movie, and we clearly see Transformers in ROTB as well as the first two main Bayverse films use integrated weaponry before that was mostly phased out with Dark of the Moon-onwards, but his left hand is now replaced by one of the two articulated hands. The index finger bends at two knuckles, while the thumb is on a ball joint and has a single knuckle joint. Meanwhile, the rest of his fingers use the same two-knuckle system, yet are fused together. And as you might tell from his face, the mouthplate is deployed thanks to the option of swappable faceplates on this figure (much like with his TLK counterpart).

In one photo, he has a pre-posed pointing hand with the two fingers pose that he normally does, but his left hand lets him hold his battle axe. I know many will prefer the giant yet nonexistent on-screen axe he used in very few Bumblebee movie merch, but who needs that when you've got twin blades that clip over the wrist joints? It can be a little tricky to get them on there with how angled the clips are, but at least the end result is so cool. I wish they had some orange, though.

The most noteworthy accessories would have to be his light-up arm cannons. Much like Mirage, they also have their own LED function, and it helps make the value for money on a set like this extremely worth every penny (assuming we still use that phrase after they retired the coin). As we discussed with Prime's head, the magnet can either leave them activated, blink rapidly, or slowly glow on and off. One thing that I haven't shown is a trigger finger hand, likely meant for his Ion Blaster; held with his additional open palm hands, it is likely meant to hold the gun, given the sculpted pose it's in, yet the grip is far from ideal, especially with how much open space remains when it's held in-hand...

Two years before the AMK Pro version was made, we did get this exact model kit for when Rise of the Beasts proper came out, and while I did want to buy it at the time, given it looked good and cost as much as a Voyager, the lack of weapons did prevent me from wanting to get it ASAP. Not to mention, I was hoping they'd show a mouthplateless head given how specific it was for Movie merch, arguably more than any Prime we got since then. Eventually, we did get an accessory kit for this Optimus, but it should have come with him in the first place. A re-release of the regular AMK with the weapons did come out after the Pro version, which is fine for people who are on a tighter budget, but why did the stock photos forget about his cannons and have his back thigh plates among his accessories? I don't plan to get the vanilla AMK since the rich detailing of the Pro made me happy as it is, and with my previous distaste towards the Bumblebee movie, I have no plans to get the AMK Pro version of that design for Optimus. It's admittedly neat that he comes with the larger axe as well as the option to make him either Cybertronian or Earth-based (with differences far more negligible than the tweaks he had from ROTF to DOTM), and it's still funny how they gave the Matrix to this one but not ROTB (probably to comfort those still believing Bumblebee is a 100% reboot because BaYvERsE bAd).

For a comparison with the other AMK Pro figure I got, it's not Mirage but instead someone else whose eyes still work: his TLK counterpart! While the review setup might make heights somewhat wonky, I tried to look for more even surfaces, and sometimes either this Optimus is taller than the TLK version, or they share the same height. I believe the slight height discrepancy is due to it being based on a figure that was probably meant to be a one-off licensing deal, yet the popularity skyrocketed with later AMK waves (no doubt thanks to the G1-related merch), meaning that Yolopark could go all in with the AMK Pro series and modify this version of Optimus albeit without tweaking scale given it's main changes are deco and die-cast. Regardless, even if I prefer the more inventive designs for Optimus, I have no regrets buying this awesome model kit. Sure, it is weird that we got the regular AMK version with weapons after this was released, but I'm happy I held off because of my goal of obtaining as many AMK Pro releases for the movies as I possibly could. I love the detailing and proportions as usual, but the little things like the alternate faceplates and the various weapon options he comes with make him a whole lot more enjoyable than I thought he would be. Now bring us that 2007 design, Yolopark! We have an evolution to complete! In the meantime, I have an overdue Megatron review to go over...

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

McFarlane DC Multiverse Zatanna & Mr Terrific review

When it comes to tech and magic in the DC universe, two of the best heroes to look for in moments like these include Mister Terrific and Zatanna. The former, a member of the Justice Society of America, once lost his wife and was inspired by the Spectre's history with the Golden Age Mister Terrific and became a superhero himself. Michael Holt continues this legacy JSA chairman while sharing a friendly rivalry with Batman. Ironically, after the events of Flashpoint, Michael Holt was captured by Earth-2’s Mister Terrific, aka Terry Sloan. As for the latter review subject, Zatanna is member of Justice League Dark, a subgroup that tackles supernatural threats the regular JLA can't face. While her magical abilities are a blessing, Zatara must also know they can be a curse. Accompanying her is Detective Chimp, who setting aside any monke memes, is a super intelligent chimpanzee who gained his high IQ after drinking from the Fountain of Youth and solved the murder of his owner. Apart from JLD, he is also affiliated with the Shadowpact. Many already know of Zatanna's appearances in the Justice League cartoon if they have never read any comic books involving her, while Mister Terrific was present as probably the only good thing in the shitty James Gunn Superman movie. Anyways, let's see how well these two Collector Edition figures turn out.

Here we have Mister Terrific in-hand, without his leather jacket so he can show off his tattooed arms. The body mold seems to be of the Blue Beetle buck, which might explain why he has these ridges on his boots. I know sometimes the boots are broken up as being solid black, but that ridge detailing would have worked better if the lower legs were slightly filled in beneath the line to show they were actual boots and not rely on people pretending to ignore said line. Beyond that, the rest of the deco is generally crisp and has no real QC issues t

So to speak. Even the knee joints are painted on both sides to color match the respective sides. The costume's T motif is kept intact and it will look even better with the coat. Here, at least the arm tattoos are nice and crisp.

His head sculpt is appropriately stern and has the red T mask on his face. Sometimes, the mask is either that color or is solid black; either one works, but the standard one has the red with a black outline to help it pop more. While the articulation is the same between McFarlane figures in general, we can see his left hand has a molded-on.T-sphere that is painted decently for something permanently stuck on the appendage.

As for his other accessories, he comes with a sneering faceplate as well as a screaming one, both done well though the faces remind me a bit of Hellboy. We also have his swirling T-spheres and a shield generated from one. As for the leather jacket, the material is nice and I haven't had any severe stitching issues, though as with soft goods like these, my biggest concern has to be the longevity over the years. If you remember what happened to ToyBiz Blade, you know what I mean.

Much like Guy Gardner, having a screaming face means that the inside of the mouth is sculpted on the head, rather than being a part of the faceplate like on any other figure. As a result, we get NIGHTMARE FUEL! Between the drilled in forehead, the empty cycloptic eye socket, and the deformed mouth, this is what they do to people as they turn into DCU shills.

If you're one of those completionists out there looking to get every version of a McFarlane figure by any means necessary, look no further than the Platinum Edition with the black mask (no not the Batman villain one) as well as a Red Platinum with a black and yellow suit combo as well as a purple mask (with matching energy effects from the T-spheres. I think his name sums up how I feel about the figure; he's a great release overall apart from a few minor issues (mainly the boots), and he makes for one of the best examples of a McFarlane Collector Edition.

As for Zatanna and Detective Chimp, both characters are sold together in a single Collector Edition set as we've seen with some McFarlane characters who come with animals (Return of Superman coming with Krypto the Superdog and Power Girl coming with Streaky the Cat). However, we did get Ace the Bat-Hound with Silver Age Batman, a non-Collector Edition. Both are generally new sculpts, a miracle for Zatanna since female characters usually either Knightfall Catwoman or the legs of Collector Edition Wonder Woman. I love that the overlay for her magician dress has the yellow shirt piece going past the diaper piece, which makes more sense for a design like this than the broken up sculpt of Pfeiffer Catwoman. The fishnets are painted on, but they are also applied with few to no issues at all. Her wand is permanently molded on her left hand meaning she will have few options of having it be displayed in other ways unless you like her being a lefty. As for DC, I appreciate that he has a bit of a hunched posture from the legs being bent somewhat band the shade of green used for his shit compliments the yellow on Zatanna. With all the reuses of suited figures from both McFarlane Toys and Hasbro, I like seeing a different primate wearing a suit AND being a new sculpt. Reminds me a bit of the Hit Monkey BAF from over a decade ago with Hasbro's Return of Marvel Legends days. 

Their head sculpts are done marvelously, with Zatanna having a lovely smile that is complete with elegantly painted eyeliner, lipstick, and blue shading on her hair. Chimp, meanwhile, has a nice level of texture that maintains a sense of organic realism, and I like that there is a proper bit of separation by the paint work between his sneering face and his hair. While Zatanna has the usual articulation, I have her wearing her top hat as one of her few accessories she comes with. As for Chimp, his neck, shoulders, and waist rotate, though I wish he had more articulation given he's, you know, part of a species said to be the human race's closest relative.

The only other accessories we get with her are the alternate hands with flames sculpted and painted on. Neat but is that really all she comes with? Surely some sparkle effects or different magical pieces would go a long way. It's Zatanna, for God's sake; use your imagination with her abilities!

Of note, her hair comes off likely as a carryover from an intended hair swap you could.do.when.she was meant to be an Elite Edition. We don't know what kind of hair she would have come with, but it likely was also meant to be swapped with the face that comes with the Platinum Edition, who has an entirely different costume deco as well as no fishnets for the legs (though they are not bare skin). Said face is a stern expression, and it would have been intended that the hair comes off so you can use it on either expression. Detective Chimp's got his own alternate head yet the entirely different suit color makes any swap look out of place if that were possible to even switch heads.

Thankfully, we have not gone the Elite Edition route that would have been a huge disaster for the character. Sure, I wish Detective Chimp am with an alternate head since the colors of each version are far from matching, but paying around $35 beats paying $60 any day (even if $35 is still steep). I just wish that either she came with more parts or Chimp had more articulation. Doesn't have to be both at once (though it would still be helpful given the price hike.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Mr Terrific)

⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Zatanna)