McFarlane DC Multiverse Batman & Hush review

Batman: Hush is one of those stories that you have to put in your list of recommendations for any newcomers out there. Without going in too much detail, it depicts the Dark Knight himself not only tackling various villains seemingly under the influence of Poison Ivy as well as longtime partner Superman, but we also have a new face in the name of Hush, who was a resurrected Tommy Elliot with a bit of a grudge against the Wayne family. All fingers eventually point to the Riddler being responsible for it all, and during all this, the story sets up the impending return of Jason Todd as Red Hood while also focusing on the relationship between Batman and Catwoman. A while back, we got a sequel known as H2SH, probably in response to comic sales being low (especially after we see fetish slop about Nightwing's ass or Harley's farting). The Hush storyline gets as much attention as Dark Knight Returns under the McFarlane era of DC Multiverse, so let's see how the most recent version of its Caped Crusader and the thematic villain turned out!

Here we have Batman in hand. While the figure has been around for over half of the McFarlane license run, this is the second time the Hush body buck has been covered on the site (third time if you count Spawn crossover Batman despite him being on Three Jokers). While the wrists and ankles retain the ball shaped joints that make him less naturalistic, the figure still looks great in terms of superhero proportions, and I sometimes struggle on choosing either this or the Knightfall body. The latter makes for a good evergreen style Batman, but this also works if you want him to both look prominent in a Justice League display and in a Batman Family collection where he won't be the same size as Batgirl or Nightwing. Hell, that new Page Punchers Tim Drake Robin is using the Knightfall body and he comes off as a bit oversized unless he was Red Robin. Much like Cowardly Lot, his logo is printed on rather than sculpted, which looks much better both in terms of how well it fits the comic aesthetics and the proportions it has. The shade of blue is not as dark as what we see on some versions of the Knightfall body, but it isn't super bright like what Year 2 had, and the cape is not only a cloth goods material with a bendy wire running through it, but it is also double layered. The dual color aspect makes having it look naturalistic a bit hard to do for a vanilla pose, but the darker blue helps make the rest of the figure pop that bit more.

Head sculpt is the same it's mostly been for the past few years, though the eyes are know shaded to make them appear shadowy without using the black around the forehead. Despite this sharing the same articulation as Cowardly Lot, he still comes with the same neck system where the head is molded on it, and it would have been better to see either the Cowardly Lot update or the adaptor system found on the other Year Two (same one with the hook and super dynamic cape). At least the Batarangs he comes with are better scaled than what most versions of the character come with on top of not being as thick as a controller.

A common issue we see with this figure is McFarlane still reusing the same hands that came with Three Jokers, which have the ribbing reminiscent of the Keaton suit. If they gave him new hands that didn't have these, I would have been happier with how the figure turned out. As for how he scales with a Superman figure in my collection, the Crisis on Infinite Earths body has remained a consistent option for Todd, and while he is clearly not the Hush version (which I technically have as Cyborg Superman), the two still look great together, but now I'll be scratching my head on what version of Batman I'd want for my display...at least here, the shades of blue aren'y the same, and 

As far as prior uses go, we have the 2023 blue and grey version with a molded chest emblem, a sculpted yet dynamic cape, and metallic colors. I kind of wanted to get this figure but I always found the colors a bit too dark than usual, while the logo's proportions seemed slightly off. The black and grey version makes me want to see the H2SH version in those colors. I like the darker colors on the King 2-pack version but I wouldn't really want to spend much money on that set. They also have a more gestural left hand as well as a fist with a Kryptonite ring.

Other reuses include the Joker War version, a sketch repaint meant to simulate dynamic comic shading in black and white, and a gold suit version that makes me think too much of those old kids toyline repaints we used to get and probably still do.

As for Hush, this figure goes as far back 2022, and one can tell because the back of the boxes and the collector cards come with lame CG renders of the toy instead of either cool comic art or custom photography. While hush normally has a black costume on display, he has sometimes worn the trenchcoat buttoned up like this. That said, despite how dynamic the sculpt is, it's a bit too cheap looking with how lacking the paint is, especially for the strap that should probably be a different color. I don't mind if your figure must come with a jacket, but make them optional accessories made of fabric so we can have them not only in more display options than one while also allowing to post a figure better. What we have looks fine, but without a wash or flexibility to make him less rigid, he ends up feeling less impressive even for the price. At least what little of the normal costume we do see is fine.

The head sculpt is another aspect I will give credit for, between the paint added to make the bandages layered and worn while also accentuating the eyes and mouth without either part of his face appearing lost in the sculpt. Articulation is the same but is mostly limited by the coat. You can pose Hush in some capacity, but doing so requires a bit of imagination given the limitations of his coat. He is knives are cool, though some guns would have kicked ass. My only guess was that this was from the era where Warner Bros demanded any DC merch not come with firearms, which I am so glad they abandoned that regulation given how that won't stop people from shooting each other. Sadly, even with the rule lifted, I already know there's no new Hush with his proper costume in the horizon...but at least he comes in Jokerized colors. Would have made more sense if he was Riddlerized given Edward Nygma was behind the events of the Hush story.

We first got these two in a so-so 2-pack in celebration of the comic's 20th anniversary. Here, I get to talk about the first version of Batman's body mold from that series, specifically the issues I have with it; the solicitation renders inaccurately gave him dual molded elbow joints while they're casting black while the entire forearm is black rather than the gloves. You can tell by the boring collector cards they came with. He also has a yelling expression like Hush does, but while the latter looks fine with his, Batman ends up looking more like he's about to bite a sandwich or is in mid-sentence. Gritted teeth head sculpts have come a long way for the most part, but I don't think most open mouth expressions are as easy to pull off with realistic figures than it is with anime characters. Oh and the Batarangs are different, Hush came with a shovel, and they shared a display base featuring the headstone of Jason Todd. I never got this set, but I was more than happy to get H2SH Batman thanks to the retooling and wired cape while waiting to get Hush for a cheaper price than $20. As usual, Batman remains a triumphant benchmark of glory among some of the best McFarlane releases, while Hush remains some of the company's duds. And it sucks that we're not getting a second stab at Tommy given this new Batman popped up and kicks ass. All the villain's good for is complimenting the Caped Crusader for pictures like this. What are you, an accessory?

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Batman)

⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hush)

Transformers Age of the Primes Animated Ratchet review

Animated Ratchet may be my favorite version of the character to date, and it's all thanks to his backstory combined with how persistent he is while aiding Optimus Prime and the small group of Autobots he's with since Day 1. We already know that it was painful for him to have lost Arcee for a long time as well as having to shut down a heavily wounded Omega Supreme, yet we know he has what it takes to continue fighting the good fight as the Decepticons return once more. All this combined with his dedication in ensuring nothing bad ever happens to his friends during the second Autobot-Decepticon war makes for a good reason to put this iteration of the old medic above all other versions (though I like TFP Ratchet equally as much). We are one step closer to completing the main cast of Animated Autobots (along with Wreck-Gar and I guess the Autotrooper), so let's take a look at ol' reliable himself.

Here we have Animated Ratchet in his ambulance mode, which may appear to be a wholly new sculpt yet is a heavy retool of the Earthrise Hoistbreaker mold. The front section, side panels, back piece, and windshield are new, while the hinges for the shoulder joints as well as the tires are the same from what we had with the mold he's based on. While faithful to the Animated design, it does deviate from the original by not appearing as rounded while having the chassis lifted off the ground. On the plus side, it works for a sort of Bayverse Ratchet homage, but I wouldn't mind this much if they bothered painting the rims! One ironic thing is that the original toy has visible hinges while this one has visible 5mm ports on the sides.

Here he is with his crew mates of the Ark, which turned out to be Omega Supreme. Apart from Prowl being oversized like motorcycle Transformers tend to be, this is coming together better than I initially thought; all we need now is Bulkhead, and no, I won't use the Legacy version.

Transformation is the same from what we previously got with the Hoistbreaker mold, only now we have a bit of clever weapon storage for the tools and magnets (which store either within the backpack, between his legs, or in the hollow space of the front end). With how you merely slapped the weapons on the sides or roof depending on the tooling we previously got, that's a huge plus while still letting us display the can opener, screwdriver, hammer, and wrench without issue. Best part is that apart from the shoulder pads facing backwards rather than the sides, this robot mode ends up working much better than it has any right to. I say that because I never liked the idea of reusing other figures into Animated characters as it makes them seem like lesser priorities, but to it's credit, the silhouette associated with Hoistbreaker is comparable to Ratchet's; backpacks from the rear of the altmode, beer guts made from the front section, shoulder kibble of some capacity. And you see how clean Ratchet's arms look compared to Trailbreaker's? Makes me wonder why his pieces weren't modified to match the show better since he didn't have those side panels dangling that low like on Hoist! And hey, it doesn't ruin the lower legs.

His head sculpt remains pretty close to the Animated aesthetic, and possibly does so better than everyone else in the line up so far. I wish the chevron was painted all the way but at least the right half is intentionally chipped off. Articulation is generally the same, and the magnets are always a signature addition that look better than the original ones...though I have to ask why we couldn't have the forearms wholly red.

Here he is with his fellow Autobots, at least the main gang. The positive with the Hoistbreaker mold is that he's already going to be taller than Bee and Prowl while still remaining shorter than Prime and inevitably Bulkhead. This review's shorter than I intended it to be, but I mostly had it at this length to better focus on the retooling as well as how well it closely fits with the characters we already got in addition to judging his accuracy. I like him better easily more than I ever did Hoistbreaker, and I could almost justify the price increase with the additional accessories he comes with.

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

Blokees Transformers Classic Class Sentinel Prime & Blitzwing review

Another set of Champion Class figures this soon after reviewing Bumblebee and Megatron from Dark of the Moon?! Well, those came out around the time 2025 ended, and I needed to catch up on any Yolopark and Blokees stuff I hadn't gotten yet, so it was either wait and fall behind or get the stuff I want ASAP. Anyways, the attention towards Dark of the Moon continues with our favorite traitor, Sentinel Prime. We already reviewed his Leader Class toy from over a decade ago, and I find it holds up mostly well. However, rather than give us Shockwave, Starscream, Soundwave, or Ironhide, we get the one Decepticon nobody would dare bring up for not looking like his G1 self or his short screentime: Blitzwing from the Bumblebee movie. Now I know Yolopark is on their way to make versions of Optimus and Bumblebee from that overly praised flick. Still, given how we're not even close to its 10th anniversary, as well as companies like Trumpeter and Killerbody already doing more than necessary merch based on the very small cast (ignoring the Cybertron gang), I'd rather have DOTM characters instead. Regardless, let's see how well these two turned out.

Here we have Sentinel Prime fully assembled, and while the sculpt as well as proportions are generally good, the shade of red is a bit too bright and closer to the hue associated with Optimus. Sure, it looks better in-hand than the CG renders would suggest, but either a darker or faded red should have been used, or more color break-up is needed. Some white and gold around the legs and maybe the chest could help him from looking too incomplete, deco-wise. That being said, the robot mode looks astounding in terms of capturing the CG model better than transforming toys normally would, especially with the cape on the back not being made up of the altmode's top or leaving the water hose folded up on the back. I also commend the figure for trying to use some color break-up with the gunmetal pieces layered under the red armor of his bot mode, though there should be a bit more red on the back of his shoulder pads. All in all, bot mode design: ace. Coloring: okay. Even if this is $20 and not made in-house by HasTak, I know Blokees did better with the likes of Optimus than they did with Sentinel when it comes to deco (and that's setting aside the color break-up the succeeding Prime generally has).

Articulation consists of a ball-jointed head (though slightly limited by his beard), shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, hinged elbows, ball-jointed wrists, waist rotation, ball-jointed hips, drop-down hips for higher kicks (with skirt panels on ball joints that move aside for better range), hinged knees, and ball-jointed ankles. We already know the eyes light up (but not the chest this time), but the accessories he comes with include weapon-holding hands, his dual-bladed sword and a shield that might be a bit oversized for him, and a rust cannon that comes with a blast effect (which is made of two pieces) rather than the fiery or sparking effect parts you'd plug on the bases.

He can also use an additional peg to display his blade as separate cleavers, which isn't as iconic as when the weapon's a single unit, but I fuck with this. The best part is the ball-jointed hands working into the melee weapon poses. The worst part is making sure you don't lose that little handle piece, or you're screwed.

For a comparison with his fellow DOTM cast members, we got the recently reviewed Bumblebee and Megatron as well as Optimus Prime with his Jetwing gear. I love that we're slowly getting as many characters from the best TF movie ever as we humanly can, and I really hope we can get more of the cast before the year ends. At least the dudes I mentioned above and maybe a set of Wreckers and Dreads to see them experiment with different design types. Now I need someone to confirm if this Sentinel can fit in the cockpit of the DOTM Ark playset...

As for Blitzwing, while I was unsure I'd want a BBM character with a DOTM character, I can at least say that the simpler color design and smoother bot mode aesthetics make him easier to translate in Blokees form. He's mostly a light grey in the movie, and the darker greys as well as bits of red are distributed throughout the design properly. We should use a bit more red for the arms and wings, and while I don't mind that the slightly less appealing side of the wings faces forward, at least Blitzwing's body and his bombs cover up the area. What is new to me is the pair of almost FOC Vortex-esque pieces on the backs of the legs, which help add a bit of part layering for his bell bottoms. Some would say that the proportions may be a bit off for the upper body, but the skinny arms are accurate to the film.

While the articulation is mostly the same and the eyes light up as usual, he also comes with the same blast effect with Sentinel, which is fine, but I wish we could at least get it in a different color or a different design all around. It'd be fine if it was an accessory shared between characters using the same body type...and I indirectly gave Blokees an idea to clog the Champion Class waves with Beewun Seekers, didn't I?

Other accessories for him include a missile rack that comes out of the forearms, though swapping it with the forearm panel makes him look a bit malnourished. I know they came out of that body part when Bumblebee yanked one out to kill him with it, but it is accurate that the panel was snapped off. We also have the alternate left hand that silenced the titular Autobot, though whether or not we will get a Blokees version of the Offroad design remains to be seen. I'd easily go for it instead of the VW version.

Overall, Sentinel and Blitzwing may be slightly weaker than the other waves I covered so far, though that doesn't mean they're bad figures. I just wish they had a bit more color break-up, while each character had their own dedicated blast effects without repeating the same issue of the flame effect pieces that pegged on the bases. Sentinel is the better option of the two, given his dynamic accessories and design, though Blitzwing's colors are better handled, on top of his design being slightly easier to translate at a smaller scale. That said, he could really use a flight stand.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thoughts of the Surge 2025 Retrospective

It's that time again, or at least long overdue in my case. Lesson learned for me: never take too long covering 5 years of my history with reviews. Anyways, 2025 was a little different than most other years, mostly because it was less focused on Marvel Legends while McFarlane DC Multiverse started becoming prominent. As for other franchises, Black Series started getting its last bit of steam for me, Blokees became a bit more prominent for my collection, imports returned to having more than just Figuarts, and very little PR merch was bought. While some have had issues with tariffs or scalping, why don't we look into what I liked or disliked about my purchases?

Best Marvel Legends figure(s): ROM Spaceknight, MvC Wolverine, MvC Juggernaut

While one of them is part of a single carded release and two are themed after a fighting game, they each have a single thing in common: being the best offerings Hasbro's got for the Legends line. ROM Spaceknight is a wholly new sculpt that has no sign of compromise compared to the average figure in the wave, and it edges out Ultimate Iron Man by using metallic paint rather than being flat plastic. Wolverine captures the stocky proportions of the character while also maintaining the dynamic nature of the game's art style. Juggernaut may have a few issues, but damnit is he fun to mess around with, and the height of his makes Legends like himself and Insomniac Venom better than the Maximum series.

Worst Marvel Legends figure(s): DP&W Wolverine, NWH Electro, Silver Samurai

Ironically, two of these are related to Logan himself, with one being released alongside the MvC version and another being the MCU variant. The latter does no favors to Hugh Jackman's physique on top of looking cheap as hell; not even the battle-damaged version with sleeveless arms could save it from being a turd. Meanwhile, Silver Samurai is barely silver, and the figure feels dated, with as little effort put into making him even remotely good compared to the other figures we got in the 2-packs. Then with Electro, all we get are a ton of wires on a new sculpt and big electricity effect parts to go with the splayed open hands to justify the $40. No way, no how. Somehow, the retooled Lizard released around the same time is better, but only slightly.

Best McFarlane DC Multiverse figure(s): Christopher Reeve Superman, Batman Begins, Hawkgirl

Apart from the slightly oversized hands, this version of Superman was done much better than I expected, and it made me want to get the Platinum Edition based on the shitty third movie. I didn't get the Theatrical Edition because I wouldn't want to buy a figure with no wiring for the cape, on top of the smiling head not being as good as I thought it would be. Batman Begins may not have been 100% movie accurate, but the figure McFarlane gave us ended up being better than I anticipated. It made me want to try and get some of the other figures based on the Nolanverse sooner rather than later, even if. I was initially reluctant to complete the Bane BAF wave. Finally, Hawkgirl may have been a Collector Edition reusing parts of Wonder Woman, but at least she has even better wings than Hawkman while also filling the price out reasonably well. The painted skin meant for the Platinum Edition's different shirt is a bit weird.

Worst McFarlane DC Multiverse figure(s): Digital Two-Face, New 52 Superman, Max Shreck

How do you reuse a figure and barely make the most out of the budget saved from said reuse??? I don't care if it's a Digital release (which, by the way, I'm glad McFarlane stopped making those); give this figure some hands or weapons! Maybe an alternate head of him screaming! And great job making the Platinum version the more desirable one yet harder to obtain! New 52 Superman being a Gold Label was already questionable, but why have him be a straight repaint of the Page Punchers body with no tooling to raise the costume details in relief?! We also have no wiring for the cape despite having the stitching meant to house both a wire at the edges on the sides AND the bottom, but fear not; this cost-cutting would rear its ugly face on us. Once again, no accessories. Max Shreck is even worse, because we not only have to deal with the Theatrical Deluxe price, but all he has is an alternate head. No hands, no weapons; hell, he could have come with the Penguin commandos, or at least each figure came with one! And why have him be a Red Platinum when he was fairly prominent as a character in the movie?!

Best Star Wars Black Series figure(s): Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Commander Cody

Yes, all 3 of them are from Revenge of the Sith, but when it comes to representing the best piece of Star Wars media of all time, there should be no competition. While I hate the price hikes the figures later got, the trio has slightly better range for their joints, but I still wish we got the alternate hands and heads from that Mustafar set. At least Cody has his hologram to kickstart a truly dramatic scene. Order 66 is way more emotional than Blandor will ever be, even without the knowledge of the other Jedi from EU material (or TCW, as the Disney Shills and casuals would say, despite me still liking TCW somewhat on its own, what can I say, my relationship with that show is more complicated than with current cape shit).

Worst Star Wars Black Series figure(s): Admiral Ackbar, Kit Fisto, Bossk

I understand Mr Trap was supposed to homage the old Kenner toy, but was the blister card not enough because the thing looks raw! IT'S FUCKING RAW!!! As for Kit Fisto, I feel bad for putting him pretty low on the list because he isn't the worst of the three, yet he ends up feeling dated with the wrong body mold still used from the regular release as well as not having a proper lightsaber hilt he canonically had. As for Bossk, why do his elbows and jaw suck and move? And why do his hands also suck? I bet Hasbro only made him with low effort since they know OT fanboys will leave him in his box.

Best Figuart(s): Son Gohan, Majin Buu

Some may have had issues with the legs breaking on their copies for the version of Son Gohan who surpassed Goku, but my copy seems to be fine, and more importantly, it represents the best of the character from the torment that was the Cell Games. The bendy wire cape, the raging faces, and the overall articulation not being fully compromised despite the smaller scale make this an immediate recommendation. And as for Majin Buu, I know they would later share notoriety for the Saiyan Son not beating the Powerful Pinky when he had the chance in the Buu Saga, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the fun Kid Buu design as a Figuart. He sounds slightly hollow, but it beats having him weigh himself down, and the cape is at least articulated somewhat like on Masterpiece and SS86 versions of Starscream.

Worst Figuart: Kenshin Himura

I already have my issues with the creator of Rurouni Kenshin getting away with his crimes, especially seeing how lax Japan is compared to most countries searching for pedophiles to bust, but even if the mangaka never got in legal trouble, this figure sucks boba tea balls. The expressions are the sole saving grace for a somewhat comedic swordsman, but the articulation cuts are straight up awful, combined with how cheap he sort of feels. I'm glad I never bought this from Amazon or BBTS, where said pedogaka is still benefiting from people buying this turd of a Figuart; even if Rurouni Kenshin is a good anime, I demand that people either pirate the series to spite the man or wait till he's dead because he won't reoffend.

Best Non-Tamashii Import(s): Both MAFEX purchases (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man & Daredevil)

Marvel Legends is almost done for me, but the MAFEX offerings I got a hold of have been spare yet worthy to own. I don't know which one I like more than the other; Spidey's another really good version of the Tobey Maguire portrayal I grew up with for years, and his accessory count is as great as the quality and care put in the sculpt despite needing a matte finish. Daredevil looks better, and the expressions as well as the bendy wire nunchucks are always fun for toy photography (especially with a display base)...Though I feel torn on taking points away for not giving us a Matt Murdock head as much as I am with preferring one over the other.

Best Retro Purchase(s): ToyBiz Marvel Legends Blade, McFarlane Shrek figures

While Hasbro may toot their horn over their DP&W version of Wesley Snipes Blade finally being a thing, there will always be something more preferable with the ToyBiz version. My copy sadly suffers from paint chipping on the hips, and the trench coat is shedding leather flakes from age despite being MOSC, but I will always appreciate the accuracy ToyBiz nailed with a live-action character back when these were sculpted by hand. Oh, and he comes with his motorbike, and I bet Hasbro's 1998 Blade (if they make one) will cost as much as the cheapest MOSC copy they can find.

Overall Best Purchase of 2025: Yolopark AMK Pro ROTF Megatron

While the eyes may be ever so slightly off in terms of not exactly capturing the details of the CG model, this is still another slam dunk for Yolopark and their dedication to making the best versions of Bayverse designs at reasonable costs. What he lacks in accessory count, he makes up for with his height, die-cast heft, and articulated claws without needing alternate hands. Makes me excited to see other Bayverse characters in this system.

Overall Worst Purchase of 2025: Cosmic Fury Megazord

What was Hasbro thinking when they went one step forward with their Dino Fury Zords and then two steps back with this oral ornament? It was already bad enough that people were whining about Hasbro's handling on the Power Rangers brand more than they did with Bandai and Saban (granted expectations were high but oh my fucking God shut the fuck up you terminally online tokufags), but to see a Megazord from them with less articulation than any of their mainline offerings from the small duration they did toys was a slap in the face! We used to have elbows, knees, and wrist rotation! All without most of these not coming from the transformation! Here? Arms and a slightly generous neck swivel. I hate it when Sentai purists gas up the Japanese versions with their snobby-ass favoritism clogging up prioritized over child care (assuming they wouldn't be virgins), but this time, it doesn't matter because all versions of the design sucks, and the same goes for the Hasbro version.

And that wraps up my retrospective on 2025. What shall we expect in 2026? Well, there's going to be a bit of focus on getting to the 1,000 review milestone, but whatever happens after that remains to be seen. Honestly, the days of being excited for new media have kept me from wanting to buy merch based on a new TV show or movie, especially with how sterile most of the entertainment industry grew. And while there are some purchases I would like to make based on the collector lines I explored in the past, a lot of decisions made by Hasbro and the license reversal to Mattel once McFarlane is done will mean I'll probably be done, too. And the argument can be made that the aftermarket has lots of potential for me to get some hidden gems and anything I never got a hold of that I yearned for years, but how long will that keep going? I don't want to end up just buying tiny capsules or little cards that have less meaning for a display than a normal figure. All I can say is that I expect to retire from collecting mainline or even entirely before 2030. Until then, let's see what pops up and wins me over for future reviews!