#64: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Ninjas in Training Leonardo and Donatello

The toyline for the previous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon had a four pack of the turtles as children in training. I missed out on that one, unfortunately. The latest has a similar release, but splits the boys into two releases. That is a little disappointing, but toys aren't getting cheaper, so at least they aren't single packed releases. Leo and Don are both downsized and have corresponding kiddie styled versions of their trademark weapons. With their downsizing comes a marked reduction in articulation as well. They only have swivel necks and hips, as well as swivel-hinge shoulders. Elbows or wrist swivels would have been a welcome addition for posing their weapons, but at least the shoulders aren't merely swivels. I haven't seen the other two pack yet, but Leo and Don maintain their distinctive shades of green, matching up with their teenaged counterparts. I remember seeing these figures announced a while back, but I completely forgot about them. It was a nice surprise randomly seeing them in the TMNT section, so now I am keeping an eye out for the set with Michelangelo and Raphael.

#63: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Holiday Elf

After I bought the other figures from series 11, the next time I checked, the display was empty. It stayed that way for a while. When they finally restocked, I was looking for a couple to pick up for someone else, and while I was at it decided to pick up the Holiday Elf for myself. I've already got the Santa Claus from a previous series, so I figured it would go well with that. The elf has a couple accessories, a teddy bear, and a wrapped gift. The gift is a two by two brick with a flat cap that has a bow printed on it that goes on top. His ears are attached to his hat, which is a piece I haven't seen before.

Finding the elf by feel is pretty easy. He's the only minifigure that includes a two by two brick. Also, it's the only one with the unarticulated short legs. So if you feel for the legs, and they won't bend, you've found the holiday elf. Here's the bump code, with the batch number 218B3 stamped into the package.

#62: Batman Classic TV Series - The Joker

Before Heath Ledger, before Mark Hamill, before Jack Nicholson, there was Cesar Romero. Now we're three quarters of the way through the Batman '66 villain lineup, in action figure form. The Joker is appropriately garish in his brightly colored suit. Cesar Romero famously would not shave his mustache for the role, so the makeup artists merely painted over it. On such a small scaled figure, it's hard to tell whether that's actually sculpted in, but it res represented in paint with a faint grey shading above the upper lip. Otherwise, the Joker's face is a flat white that really washes out his face unless the light catches it at an angle to bring out shadows. A light wash would have been helpful here, but perhaps would have looked out of place with the otherwise generally flat colors of this line. The Joker includes no accessories. Oddly, he has one in a fist and the other in a pointing position. Maybe he's asking Batman to pull his finger?

The Joker's collector card is fortunately oriented the proper way for display purposes when plugged into the base. The Batcave scene on the back of the card matches up with the one on the back of the Penguin's card, although by passing on the two single carded Batman figures, it probably won't be the most impressive effect when all put together. The Joker's base says "Zap!!!" on it, which I suppose is thematically appropriate, as it could be a reference to a joy buzzer.

"Joke's on you, Batman! Pull my finger or my boys go to town on your spine!"

#61: Star Wars The Black Series - Darth Maul

At long last, the new six inch Star Wars figure have arrived. It's good to see any new Star Wars product, in fact. This has been a pretty slow year for Star Wars action figures, so it is extra exciting to see a new scale, especially when it feels like the 3.75 inch line is winding down. Until the new movies start, the new six inch scale is making things fun again.

My first six inch Star Wars figure ended up being Darth Maul, who is so far the only prequel figure. As under utilized as he was in Phantom Menace, he is very visually striking, and makes for a great looking action figure. He comes packaged wearing his robe, which is a soft rubbery material rather than the soft goods of the smaller scale figures. It certainly has a better appearance than the smaller soft goods versions, although it is a bit more restrictive of movement. One of the accessories is his set of macrobinoculars, which he used on Tatooine while hunting down the missing Queen.

Darth Maul also includes an alternate head, for the non robed look. The cool thing is that the robe and its head are actually attached to each other, so that it will sit properly. It's easy to remove and swap heads, and the unrobed version is my preferred look as it's more action oriented. My only real complaint about the figure is with this head, and it's the paint on the horns. The red goes too high on the horns, but otherwise the paint looks good. If you have multiples to choose from, that is probably the problem area to look out for. Maul's other accessory is his double bladed lightsaber, which has a peg that plugs into his belt. The blades are removable, which is fortunate, as it would look pretty goofy hanging off his belt with the blades activated.

And the handle splits into two.

"At last we will have revenge."

"Not again!"

If Darth Maul is any indication, I'm looking forward to more of the six inch Black Series figures. At 20 dollars, they are a bit pricy, but they are well made that it doesn't feel like a total rip off. I will certainly be more choosy about character selection. Darth Maul is definitely worth picking up if you're into Star Wars figures. And maybe even if you're not.

#60: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Constable

The constable is the last figure I got from LEGO Minifigures series 11. So far. It's possible I'll change my mind and pick up some others later. This isn't the most flashy minifigure, but my appreciation for Monty Python's Flying Circus makes him amusing. He's rocking a pretty great 'stache. Aside from his helmet, the constable's only accessory is his cudgel.

The constable is pretty easy to identify by his cudgel. As for the bump code, it is pictured above. There is a batch code of 218B3 stamped into the package as well, so different batch codes may have different bump codes.

#59: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Yeti

When I saw the lineup reveal for LEGO minigures series 11, the Yeti is the one that I most wanted. It hits that sweet spot of monster/cryptid/adorable for me, so finding it was priority number one for this series. This is another LEGO minifigure without the standard LEGO head. It's just the giant furry yeti head, which is all one piece. His only accessory is a popsicle. The entire thing is clear blue plastic, so perhaps it is completely made of ice, handle and all. This yeti also reminds me of the mascot for the daily tee-shirt site The Yetee. I guess white fur and a blue face isn't exactly the most out there interpretation for what a yeti would look like.

I found the  yeti by feeling for the popsicle, which is distinctive. The head would also be a good piece to feel for, it's pretty large, and not particularly similarly shaped to any other pieces in the series. As for the bump code, it is pictured above. There is a batch code of 218B3 stamped into the package as well, so different batch codes may have different bump codes.

#58: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Gingerbread Man

 Next up from LEGO Minifigures series 11 is the Gingerbread Man. This guy feels pretty festive, along with the metallic green packaging. Too bad Christmas is four months away. He's a pretty basic minifigure, aside from the head, which is basically a disk. There is no regular LEGO minifigure head here. The head has a couple of layers to it, like an ice cream sandwich, or an Oreo cookie. The eyes and the layers are actually sculpted on, as well as being painted, so there's not a whole lot of reuse potential that I can think of here. Maybe a Gingerbread Woman is in the works for a future series. He looks like a plain tan, but upon closer inspection, there is a light pattern of spots painted on him, to give the appearance of irregularity rather than a flat surface. The Gingerbread Man's only accessory is a mug that has "Dunk me!" printed on its side. That seems kind of morbid for a man made of gingerbread.

The easiest piece to feel for is his head, as it's a thick disk shape. None of the other minifigures have a mug, so that works too. As for the bump code, it is pictured above. There is a batch code of 218B3 stamped into the package as well, so different batch codes may have different bump codes.

#57: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Island Warrior

Next up in my finds from LEGO Minifigures series 11 is the Island Warrior. This falls under the ethnic stereotype/warrior themes from the minifigures line. His main accessories are the spear and tiki mask. I dig the retro kitschy appeal of tiki masks, so without it I probably would have passed on this guy. Unfortunately, the mask is a soft plastic. I don't know if it is a common problem to every figure, but on mine, the loop that holds it on his neck is a little bent, so that the mask itself angles outwards. Because it's soft, that means it's probably not too difficult to train back into place, but annoying nonetheless.

Underneath the mask, the island warrior is sporting some tribal tattoos, and a bowl cut with a bone through it. 

Finding the island warrior by touch is pretty easy. The bone and the spear are both distinctive, as is the mask. Like I mentioned before, the mask is made from a softer plastic than I was expecting, so keep that in mind when you're feeling for pieces. As for the bump code, it is pictured above. There is a batch code of 218B3 stamped into the package as well, so different batch codes may have different bump codes.

#56: LEGO Minifigures series 11 - Scarecrow

It seems like only yesterday that the previous series of LEGO minifigures was showing up in stores, and even more recently that the contents of series 11 was announced. Normally, they don't show up in my area until a few weeks after they start showing up elsewhere. So when I saw the display at Target the other day (again, not in the LEGO aisle), I was pretty surprised. This time around, the envelopes are a metallic green, which feels very festive in a Christmas-y way. I suppose that is appropriate as there are two Christmas-related minifigures in this series.

The scarecrow kind of fits in with the monsters/Halloween sub-theme that shows up in these minifigure releases, but he kind of doesn't. While scarecrows have potential for creepiness, this one has a big smile and looks very friendly. He's also clearly terrible at his job, as there is a crow perched atop his hat, completely not scared. The hat and the crow are separate pieces, so there is the option of displaying a slightly more effective scarecrow. I'm not sure if they've released a minifigure of the Batman villain the Scarecrow as part of that line, but if not, this could be a suitable, if perhaps too friendly, stand-in. 

The easiest way to identify the scarecrow by feel is by finding the pitchfork which is distinctive. As for the bump code, it is pictured above. There is a batch code of 218B3 stamped into the package as well, so different batch codes may have different bump codes.

#55: Transformers Masterpiece - Soundwave

Following up last year's new Masterpiece Optimus Prime, this year Hasbro is putting out two Toys R Us exclusive Masterpiece Transformers: Soundwave and Acid Storm. They initially were released at SDCC, and were briefly available on the Toys R Us website, and have recently been showing up in stores if you're lucky enough to catch them. I missed out on the initial website release (they were made available at 4am and sold through in about an hour), but by being obsessive enough to check the website every day, I was lucky enough to catch them in stock and order one.

I was thinking about buying the Japanese release, but I felt it was a little too pricy. I figured there would be an inevitable state-side release from Hasbro and figured I could wait it out. I'm glad I waited because the Hasbro version is cheaper and comes with more than one cassette.

Masterpiece Transformers are updates of (mostly) classic characters, given the deluxe treatment, and designed to make the robots look the way the original toys wished they could have. They're bigger, they're a lot more expensive, and they are basically meant to be the ultimate versions of the character. They did a good job of making a great looking robot mode for Soundwave. This is G1 Soundwave looking like he did in the cartoon. He even has a waist, whereas the original toy had a very rectangular body shape.