Nendoroid Kirby review

I think everyone knows about Kirby by now; we know he loves to eat food, we know he's adorable, as he is known to go on these adventures to save the cutesy world of Dream Land from any ominous gods of powers beyond your wildest imagination. You should be aware of him by now if you've either played one of his games, mained him occasionally in Smash Bros, or saw the anime Kirby: Right Back At Ya (which had a pretty good English dub, don't let subtitle suckers tell you otherwise). That said, I technically had a bit of history with this Nendoroid, though it was my brother's, and it was a bootleg. As far as I remember, the paint quality seemed decent but the mouths were redder on some of the faceplates while the magnets are made differently. Now I have an official version after Amazon fucked up and canceled my preorder, so let's see if waiting a whole decade later for an official Kirby was worth it!

Here we have Kirby in-hand. Given his design, the only priorities are that the eyes and cheek paint apps are as straight in his face as they possibly can be, and that the magnets work so the stubs and feet can stay on his body. Thanks to said magnets, his articulation is extremely fluid at those four appendages, so he won't have any issues with however you want to pose him; just know that the mouth and the peg hole near his rear won't work (and yes, the latter looks vulgar). One issue is that without the display base, he ends up falling back, and I wish the feet were flatter so he can stand on his own. In fact, I have seen people talk about how their Kirbies tend to get either sticky or grimey after some time, either from being in storage or general exposure to certain room temperatures, so be careful if you clean him. Setting aside this being a technical time bomb, Kirby also has a cool feature for swapping parts: the faces can be twisted off and replaced with three of the other options he comes with: one includes him sucking whatever is in his range or him fully stuffed or puffed up as he flies.

Some of the other accessories he comes with include a stub meant to hold either his wand or his sword, and angry faces to accommodate either his Sword or Fire abilities. We also have hats appropriate for each ability. Further still, an additional stand is included for the fire effect part. The biggest issue with the hats is they don't stay on as well as the limbs due to the weight they have, and I have a feeling it will mostly apply to other hats. At the very least, all of the accessories are nicely painted, and they feel just as nice in-hand as Kirby himself 

As far as other versions of Kirby are concerned, we have the 30th anniversary version with a retro smile, a more modern face with starry eyes, an expression with his eyes comedically wide like an animanga character would, and one of him looking dizzy. The other is of the chef variety meant to tie-in with Kirby Cafe. His cheeks are more squiggly to fit the artstyle, and he also comes with a face of him with his mouth full (but not the whole body) as well as a chef hat, a fork, and cup, a sign for said cafe, a dessert piece, some icing on his face, and the icing tube. 

Planet Robobot also got some attention, with the mech suit either including its own Kirby or sold on its own. The helmet and the determined face complete the look of the cover art, and I want my hands on this asap. I wonder if it is made of die-cast....

As for power ups, we have Ice Kirby with his body in baby blue, and Beam Kirby, with a removable jester hat so he can be Keeby if you want. I love the headpiece on Ice Kirby for how much it looks like a Crystal Crown while he uses a similar set up for his ice wind. He comes with a spitting star piece as well as a parasol, headband, and sleeping faces for normal Kirby. Beam Kirby uses larger beam pieces but has no accessories meant for regular Kirby.

For anyone wondering about a size comparison, here he is with Pac-Man from the Figuarts line. The scale almost fits since I would imagine Kirby would still be small, but keep in mind that Smash Bros scale isn't in consideration. I love putting these two since they're both well-rounded food lovers, they both have limbless forms somehow, and they tend to go against threats bigger than them. Hell, Pac-Man World 3 predated the Robobot concept with the round dude riding a Toc-Man now used for good rather than identity theft in the first game. As for Nendoroid Kirby, he has some issues with longevity for the texture and some of the hats not staying on that great, but he's easily my favorite Nendoroid that I own and possibly of all time. With how samey the super deformed motif is for Nendoroids in general, especially with the whole "oh they have two extra faceplates where they are angry or cutesy", but being a wholly simple yet different design does this super tuff pink puff so many favors. I know I will feel like I am repeating myself if I ever review the Ranma duo, but I don't think that will be the case when I review Meta Knight. I hope Bandana Waddle-Dee and King Dedede get reissues, but apart from the already existing blue and yellow Kirbies, I want ones in red, green, purple, brown, light brown, white, grey; in fact, give me all the Kirbies!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series 86 Kranix review

The term "glup shitto" gets thrown around a lot for an obscure character that somehow gets a huge following or is heavily obsessed by a specific fan. That is usually thrown around in the Star Wars fandom, or at least the Disney shills who would parrot the "EU was never canon" claim while gassing up any character from whatever slop gets made under their favorite corporation. In the case of Transformers, people like to say that about certain background characters or ones who have a bit of a need for a certain toy like Devcon from DOTM, but how different were the G1 characters, really? I'd argue that while those who were reoccurring in either the show, the Marvel comics, or at least had a toy around in the original G1 line would mostly be saved from that term, the same can't be said for the likes of G1's own Devcon, the female Autobots beyond Elita-1 nowadays solely for her attachment to Optimus (on top of replacing Windblade and Arcee as the main female lead for recent media) and possibly Chromia, and the unlucky sucker known as Kranix. You may know him best as the dude who was crying to his oomfie, Arblus or whatever his name was spelt, about Unicron coming to kill them all. Now we have a toy of an actual glup shitto, so let's see if Kranix deserves to exist in the line compared to anyone else who should have been here sooner (cough Twins).

Here we have Kranix in his scrapped spaceship mode. While it could have easily been labeled a "Concept Art" release, this was actually used in the Marvel adaptation of the 1986 movie where he did transform into his own little shop. Obviously, he never had to use this when he rode an actual spaceship, but even with the knowledge that this was a thing in a version of the film, this altmode feels unbaked compared to the Cybertronian altmodes we got in later media. He looks like he is pretending to be either a glider or a torpedo. Maybe both but with a duck bill. What a piece of quack.

For an alt mode comparison, he makes for a good companion piece with a Sharkticon, especially one like Gnaw because look at how much better and cooler Sharkticons generally are.

Transformation is more like a readjustment of limbs while tucking the duck bill away so it won't be that visible in robot mode. As for said robot mode, it looks about as basic 80s drone with beige and some gaudy coloring as you can get. He's like a the love child between a robot with round joints for better rotary joints, a basic ass design that is more plain than G1 Ironhide, and it's clear this was always going to be a lesser robot than the Cybertronian species. One positive is that he's not hollow, but with a design like this, he would be better off as a Blokees figure or remain as that one WFC Trilogy figurine that came in the Pit of Judgement set.

Head sculpt looks like it the waitress droid from Dexter's Diner was made during the Original Trilogy. With that dual pink hairdo and mustache, maybe he could be comparable to some receptionist with a hint of a news reporter thanks to his mustache. Articulation consists of a neck swivel and hinge, swivel shoulders for moving front and back, hinges for moving in and out, bicep rotation, hinged elbows, waist rotation, universal hips, hinged knees that can bend forwards, and barely any ankle pivot as significant as his weapon.

Here he is with Gnaw once again. I bet the Sharkticon with a name would make fun of him for being a virgin plain robo while he is the chad chunkster in comparison. 

Overall, I can't say to much for a dude as plain as Kranix. While he isn't a downright terrible figure, he is far from a great one. There is just so little to say about a character like this who was solely made to demonstrate how hungry Unicron was. Worst part is that he gets to have a toy while more important characters are set to the wayside. I demand Hasbro make an apology tour for shoving the 86 movie nostalgia down our throats while also only recommending this figure at clearance. He is no Astrotrain, but then again, anything is better than that choo choo turd.

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

OOPS ALL MCFARLANE BATMANS - The Dark Knight Returns, Azrael, & New 52 review

You already know about Batman by this point, you probably know that McFarlane makes a lot of figures for this character, and you can be your ass I reviewed him plenty of times, only behind Spider-Man as the most commonly bought superhero on this site. Do I need to explain you about how influential The Dark Knight Returns was at this point? The story turns 40 this year, so read it without letting some wannabe intellect on social media dissuade you from how it "ruined" casual perception on what Batman is like. I know plenty of references are made to Knightfall for the obvious Bat-Back Breaking Bane lore, but Knightquest and KnightsEnd receive far less attention despite Jean Paul Valley deserving attention. New 52 is a continuity people would either love or hate, though it was another stamp on how back and forth DC is with resetting continuity and making retcons left and right. So today, we're going to look at a few DC Multiverse reviews and see how well they turned as the license comes to an end.

Here we have TDKR Batman in-hand. This isn't the first time I reviewed this mold, though given my preference for wired capes, there is no need to turn back after owning this version. Much like the cover recreation released online, Batman has been retooled to ditch the rubberized cape, but we go a step further and retool the chest so we can accommodate the oval logo. This was before he ditched it in favor of the black, ovalless emblem more famously associated with the story. I'll get into why this should have been done sooner, but I love how well it pop on this kind of color scheme. Apart from that, he has the same grappling hook accessory good for one pose and 3 pairs of hands. Articulation is generally the same as with all other DC Multiverse figures, but he is unique for having thigh swivels more traditionally found on other toys as well as single jointed elbows with rotation at said joints instead of bicep rotation.

For a bat-comparison, here he is with Cowardly Lot and Batzarro. Now why would I bring in CL, you may ask? It's because despite TDKR partially inspiring Batman v Superman, I always felt that the Cowardly Lot version of the character looked more like a comic version of Batfleck than the one iteration who came before either. And as for Batzarro, I'll always commend McFarlane for painting the inside of the cape and giving him his upside down belt, but I and so many others never liked how lazy that upside-logo looks just stamped over the original TDKR logo. And that's making me wonder why we suddenly have the retooled torso when that was something we could have had much sooner. I remember when there were "McFarlanizations" that people mentioned when Todd deviated from the costumes, but this would have been the opportunity for him to poke fun of that complaint by using it in a way that would be fit Batzarro's half-assed nature. You're a comic legend for nearly 40 years, my brother in Christ; take advantage of your artistic license so we don't have to hear the excuse of cost-cutting when this new Fatman proves otherwise. Oh and if you want to know about the history of the TDKR mold, watch my review on the Bizarro/Batzarro set here.

Up next is Jean-Paul Valley's version of Batman. Aka Azrael Batman (or AzBat for short), this was the design JPV used when he started changing his ways of fighting crime after Bruce Wayne was temporarily out of commission thanks to the Back-Breaking Bane. This brief successor took things further than Bruce, both thanks to his belief that Batman's rules are outdated as well as the brainwashing he experienced as Azrael before this upbringing. Eventually, Jean-Paul would step down after his battle against Bruce Wayne, and the Batman title returned to its original owner. As for the figure, I'm so happy to own this in far superior colors than the original version. Not only that, but this non-BruceBat design has always been my favorite. Between how jagged and extreme he visually is, on top of the metallic colors for the blue, silver, and gold, this is what I call a true step-up when it comes to repaints. Granted, I wish he came this way the whole time, but better late than never without stupid scalpers ruining everything. I will agree than his legs are skinnier than the rest of him, but that could stem from the upper body being much bulkier in comparison. I am split on the cape remaining unchanged; while it at least prevents any sculpt discrepancies, seeing other figures released previously with modified capes would have been cool. One other complaint may be that the abs and the grey could use a wash, but they are at least textured.

His head sculpt is more covered up than Batman's, and it was one of my favorite aspects of this design with how sleek and deadly Azbat came off without a visible mouth, not to mention the red eyes that stand out from the blue of this mask. Makes him more badass despite his less than ideal nature clashing with Bruce's. Articulation is closer to the standard DC Multiverse affair, but keep in mind that the chest armor and gauntlets may limit some posing. No accessories are included, which sucks even to this day since alternate hands would have been fine.

For prior versions of this mold, we have the original in brighter colors and the Gold Label version in black and gold. I know some may like brighter blue Batmen, but this always felt too close to a Super Powers what-if, and for a suit made to mostly be armor, I'll always prefer the recent version. The black and gold version looks even more badass, if a bit closer to Black Panther. Then again, some people would probably confuse BP for the DC dude if they never heard of him until Civil War was made as a movie. Also, he came with a stand that had my preferred Batman logo, at least the font used for general merch in the 2000s (notably Lego Batman).

And this is the modified version of his armor used in Knightquest and Knightsend. The blue was used briefly before the red took over as Azrael grew more rogue. The upper body has been modified to accommodate these scythe-looking blades instead of a cape, and the head is more helmet like than before. We also have a Kenner tribute in black armor with a red bodysuit. 

Here he is with No Man's Land Batman for a 90s comparison. While the Knightfall version is out there and is more appropriate for a comparison, I prefer this one for the colors and the head sculpt. Plus a non plastic cape is better but it sucks I had to wire it myself. Some people have come up with mods to swap the forearms so the normal costume Batman can wear the AzBat gauntlets, but keep in mind you will need to knock out some pins to make that mod I found online look convincing. Thankfully, these two versions of AzBats and Batman proper color match very well.

And finally, we have New 52 Batman. This figure is a decent enough retool of the Rebirth version of Batman, and while it's not the first time McFarlane brought this suit design in the line, it is one of the weakest versions he made. Firstly, the figure has nowhere near the same level of armored layering as the suit proper, and it doesn't help that the light shade of grey used isn't that fitting for the New 52 aesthetic either. Second, being a retool of the Rebirth version shouldn't mean he can keep the gauntlets and boots from that version if they aren't entirely accurate to begin with. And while he has a wired cape, we break trend with the materials being different from what we usually get with Batman figures; actual cloth comparable to Superman's capes rather than the more ribbon-like material Batman capes are associated with. Maybe that was to fit better with the glider, but it's still an odd decision from McFarlane compared to the norm. Also, like New 52 Superman, the logo is a tampograph and not embossed. While I prefer my characters in the pre-2010s designs for the most part, this still looks undercooked for a New 52 design.

Head sculpts it okay, but far from my favorite one under the line. While I prefer the NML or Hush head designs, for example, this one is serviceable enough for anyone who likes this era of DC. At least the mouth isn't painted crooked on mine. Articulation is the same as usual, but he has his grapnel hook and Batarang first belonging to the original Rebirth Batman version of this buck, and they stay in his hands so-so.

For prior uses, we got the original Rebirth Batman made sometime around 2021 iirc, with a deco more appropriate for this figure while the scale is undersized somewhat. He was given a brighter color scheme and less paint for the belt in a 3-pack with a Megafig Clayface and a Batwoman figure that DarkSpider David thought was a retool of a Mattel version, which is one of the dumbest things he could ever theorize when this is nothing like Hasbro using ToyBiz molds in the first few waves of Marvel Legends under their ownership. A blue version with more hands and an unmasked head (seen on the Gold Label version tying in with the Rebirth Batmobile) was made for the McFarlane Digital subline. I believe this one was retooled to be slightly taller.

We also got a Frostbite version, which is cast in clear plastic and is part of a subline dedicated to making figures look like ice sculptures. The Rebirth version adds a wired cape and the same accessories as the Digital one, but the logo is now tampographed. The unmasked head is once again okay for what it is, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite version of the character. I think the Red Sun Superman head looks more like Bruce Wayne than this one does.

For anyone wondering about why I said there was a better version, this is the Bat-Glider version with a flight stand as well as a city skyline backdrop to help with the display potential. The darker grey and gold belt also help him look a bit better than the one we have here, but next to the New 52 version of Superman, I guess the positives are the wired cape and his suit not entirely being smoothened?

Overall, AzBats easily wins the best mantle of the wave, even if he isn't retooled or comes with accessories. That deco and being more widely available helps him immensely. TDKR Batman is also the best version of his mold, but I still have to question why it took this repaint to have a retooled chest where a different logo can be applied when Batzarro could have come with that benefit. New 52 Batman is okay for what he is, yet there is a far better version with a glider, and even then, I recommend New 52/Rebirth the least in general.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (AzBats)

⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (TDKR)

⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (New 52)

Oh and for anyone wondering, no plans for Golden Age Batman for just how hard he is to get as a GameStop Red Platinum, and I don't care too much about Deadman Batman even though he makes me think of Ben Affleck playing both Batman and Daredevil. I just want to be done collecting but hopefully the end of McFarlane's license will go on a high note.