Imaginext Darkseid, Parademon and Blind Bag Series 2 Kingdom Come Superman

A recent trip to Wal-Mart yielded the Imaginext Darkseid/Parademon two pack and the DC Blind Bag Series 2 Kingdom Come Superman!

This new Darkseid release from Imaginext is their second Darkseid release and far superior to their first. Not only is the new release based on Darkseid's classic look (while the first release was based on the less awesome New 52 Darkseid design) but for reasons unknown to anyone who has ever read a DC comic book, their original Darkseid release was a bit on the Smallseid. In fact, I hated this guy so much based on scale alone that I completely dodged him at retail, and only own him because I found him for fifty cents at the flea market.

The new Darkseid is both classically designed and slightly oversized, which makes him formidable without being overly large.

Darkseid is anticipated to play a big part in the upcoming Justice League movie (or at least it's ongoing series) so Imaginext is getting ready by releasing this figure now, and they have also including a Parademon along with him (which have appeared in the Justice League trailers.)

The Parademon (called merely a 'minion' on the Imaginext packaging; perhaps ParaDEMONS aren't kosher kid toy fodder?) is also classically designed, based on his classic comic book appearances and not on the modern comics or movies. Sadly the quality control on this set is pretty low, I saw multiple sets with extremely shoddy paint apps on the Parademon before I finally nabbed this set. And even this one, the best I've seen, has major over-spray paint issues.

That said, he's a Parademon and ideally I'd like a handful of these army builders, so I'm ok with an imperfect version now in the hopes that I get a few more in the future.

Kingdom Come Superman is part of the DC Blind Bag Series 2 wave. The first wave was Batman-centric and has been hard to find in the US (mostly being found in K-Marts and Barnes and Nobles) while Series 2 has had a wider release (I've seen them at both Wal-Mart and Target.) At first I didn't think I needed another Imaginext Superman, but the Kingdom Come 'S' symbol coupled with the grey hair makes this one a must have! He's now my 'go-to' Imaginext Superman, replacing the battle damaged Superman that came with Doomsday.

As usual., Imaginext has an embossed number on the back of their blind bags, taking the guess(squeeze) work out of finding the figure you want.

The DC Blind Bags Series 2 codes are as follows:
Kingdom Come Superman: 90
Brainiac: 89
\Aquaman: 95
Unmasked Black Manta: 96
John Stewart Green Lantern: 92
Sinestro: 91

There was only one other in wave 2 that I couldn't live without, to be posted about later!

"What the hell are you supposed to be?"

Imaginext Doomsday is Here!

Fisher-Price has done it again! They've released another set inspired by current superhero trends that skew a bit too old for the pre-school action figure line, without directly referencing or paying tribute to said source material. Genius!

Similar to the inclusion of an Arkham Asylum Batmobile in Imaginext form, Fisher-Price just added Doomsday (and a battle damaged Superman) to their ranks, influenced by the final battle scene in Batman v Superman, but not a direct reference to the epic moment in a film kids shouldn't see (and some would argue no one should see!).

Fortunately Imaginext's Doomsday is far more comic-book influenced than the film's version. I absolutely love how much of his containment suit is still present. I can't imagine it's even remotely likely, but I wish a masked Doomsday variant would be released in the future!

Toys-R-Us had an online sale over Labor Day, with free shipping on all orders. I was able to get Doomsday and Superman for $11.99 and free shipping! Having not seen him in person at any retail establishment, I couldn't pass on the deal, especially since he's $17.99 (at least) full price. If you can find him!

The set is more like a figure/vehicle set, with Doomsday designed with an action feature dial on his back. An Imaginext figure placed in the footpad on his back can make Doomsday's arms flail when the footpad is rotated. The package shows Lex Luthor in the 'driver's seat' but kids and adults far too old to be playing with pre-school toys can also place Superman there for laser vision lobotomizing good times!

Doomsday even comes with a twisted girder accessory for Kryptonian clobbering fun!

Doomsday's head sculpt is pretty great, and very accurate to his original comic book appearance.

Doomsday is a basic action figure, and his action feature unfortunately makes his arm poseability limited (read: non-existent).  His arms only flail with the turning of the disk, and can't be held in any up and down position EDIT: actually they can be clicked up into more dynamic poses, I just hadn't realized it at first! His wrists do rotate, as does his neck and his legs rotate into a sitting position. Visually, the red footpad disk does little to detract from the beauty of the figure, especially if you place a figure in the footpad for display. He's also surprisingly large. He dwarfs even larger figures like Solomon Grundy and Clayface.

I'm surprised at how impressive the Superman variant that comes with the set is. I didn't get the set for another Superman, and would have gladly bought Doomsday sans Superman, but I'm really happy with this Supes. He may be my favorite Imaginext Superman yet! The angry heat-vision visage is just great, and the torn costume paint app shows this Superman means business! This is now my go-to Imaginext Superman!

I highly recommend this set if you're a fan of the characters. I'm trying to keep my Imaginext collecting more Batman skewed, but I suppose I can forgive this set since it's relevant to the most recent Batman movie, even if it's not even remotely Batman related. I'll have to do an Imaginext Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman vs. Doomsday photoshoot someday!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July from DC's Trinity, Imaginext and Toyriffic!

Imaginext Doomsday is Coming!

Fisher-Price has just released images of their upcoming Doomsday figure (released to coincide with the Batman v Superman hype, no doubt.)

Oversized (as he should be), Doomsday also appears to have one of those rotating action feature disks on his back. I greatly appreciate how 'comic-book' his design is (he's even garbed in his original containment suit). Looking forward to finding him at retail. Good thing we already have an Imaginext Wonder Woman to pull Superman and Batman's superbuns out of the fryer!

Imaginext Metallo and (another) Superman Coming Soon!

Coming out of absolutely nowhere, Kmart.com has just posted a new Imaginext two figure set (not in stock as of press time) featuring  the man with the Kryptonite heart: Metallo (and a new Superman too.)

Metallo, who could also easily pass as an Imaginext Terminator if you are so inclined, appears to come with a massive robotic 'hand' attachment, and Superman comes with a metal hammer that looks like it might fit over Metallo's head or something. Whatever, I am getting this set for Metallo even though I am not as crazy into the Imaginext Superman themed figures and foes as I am for the Bat stuff. The detailing on Metallo is just too beautiful to pass up, and I cannot think of a single Imaginext scenario wherein a half robotic man doesn't enhance play value.

So far this set has only been spotted (out of stock) at Kmart.com, hopefully it hits retail everywhere soon!

Bootleg LEGO Supergirl, Superman and Brainiac

I picked up another batch of Bootleg LEGO minifigures off eBay in order to get my hands on a Supergirl minifigure. Supergirl is currently officially available from LEGO in a set along with Superman and Brainiac (and Brainiac's spaceship.) It's an awesome looking set that I'd love to own, but for the 'pennies on the dollar' cost of these bootlegs I couldn't resist grabbing them now even if I someday have the real thing.

Of note on this latest wave of bootlegs: Supergirl's torso is sculpted with 'hips.' Something the bootleggers have taken it upon themselves to add. This type of design decision fascinates me, because the bootleggers could just straight across rip-off LEGO (and do,) yet every now and then they throw something in that they thought of entirely on their own. Those sillies!

The bootleggers also included those new jumping bases that LEGO has introduced this year. They're kind of lame but for flying figures they do give you a nice little 'invisible' base to pose them on.

Both Supergirl and Superman have two faces, 'normal' and 'heat-vision.'

And then there's Brainiac. Bootleg Brainiac comes with a cool Kryptonite gun.

Brainiac does not have dual faces but they did print those...USB ports?...on the back of his head.

As always the cape quality is lower than regulation LEGO, and the plastic is slightly lighter. But if your not playing with these things too heavily you just can't go wrong for the price.

Demonically Posessed! Bootleg Superman Action Figure :: Countdown to Halloween 2014

Even Superman himself can't see through this bootleg for all the lead in the paint!

Okay, I don't know for certain this derpy Superman bootleg has unsafe amounts of lead in it, but I can say I feel stupider since bringing it into the house.

I found this creepy Superman in a box of free toys someone had left out on the curb after a garage sale. I'm pretty sure there are at least a few horror movies that started that way.

Forget Pennywise, THIS guy is likely to kill me in my sleep!

What amazes me about this guy is that he appears to be an original creation designed to emulate (but not directly copy) the 6"ish Fisher-Price superhero figures that were around a few years back.

Bootleg Superman has no markings whatsoever, so I have no way of knowing when he was made, and clearly whoever is responsible wanted no credit for their work. Shocking, I know.

Epic Lego Super Hero Battle Royale!

This epic Lego Super Hero Battle has been a waging work in progress since I acquired the Lex Luthor Mech Suit set for Christmas in 2012. Every time I get (or customize) a Lego Super Hero I add it to the battle. I have yet to add any villains - it's more fun to imagine Lex, in his hubris, thinking he can take them all down on his own.

Currently in battle with Lex are the Superman and Wonder Woman minifigures that came with this set, as well as Batman (from the Catwoman Catcycle City Chase set) Iron Man and Thor each from individual poly-bag releases, a modified Robin from a poly-bag set, Aquaman from the Batboat set, and my custom JSA Sandman and JSA Flash to round out the mix.

Hunter-Prey Superman by Kenner

Yesterday I re-posted my 1995 Kenner Doomsday action figure  as a 'Toyriffic Classic' post. What is a 'Toyriffic Classic', you ask? A 'Toyriffic Classic' is a very old post that you may have missed the first time around (for instance, the Doomsday post was originally from 2008!) that may be relevant again today. On occasion I plan to re-post something from Toyriffic's illustrious past, possibly with some editing to remove dated references or mistakes or bad jokes or whatever.

So what made Doomsday relevant again, you ask? Jeez, you're just full of questions today!

Well, my parents were doing some housecleaning and came across my Hunter-Prey Superman from the 1995 Kenner two-pack that included Doomsday!

Superman wasn't actually 'lost' or 'mis-placed' I had put him up on a shelf in my Dad's garage back in 1995 because he was not cool enough of an action figure to keep on display but he was too cool an action figure to get rid of outright.I had only really bought the two-pack for Doomsday, you see. And this Hunter-Prey Superman is all 'nineties', with leg belts and pouches and straps a-plenty.

But the figure does have his charms, especially now that the nineties are over and we can wax nostalgically about them.

I do like that the 'S' symbol is printed on the back of his cape. A silly design decision (hey, is that guy in the red cape in front of me in line really Superman, or just some other red cape clad superhero? Oh, I see an 'S', so it's Supes all right!) but something I can appreciate being done by the toy makers, since I am sure it's cheaper to skip altogether.

From what I vaguely remember from the toy's packaging or the comic included with it or wikipedia or my own fever-dreams, Superman had obtained a 'Mother-box' from New Genesis, which enhanced his costume (possibly integrating itself directly into said costume). Lacking any fashion sense whatsoever, the Mother-box created this costume for Superman to hunt down and defeat a resurrected Doomsday.

Hey, it could be worse. He could be sporting a mullet!

Doomsday is Coming!

"Doomsday is Coming" was the catch phrase that hearkened the approach of a violent new adversary, and the subsequent beating-to-death of Superman, back in 1992.

Doomsday first came to toy store shelves a mere three years later - take a look at the Doomsday action figure that Kenner produced in 1995.


"Hulk SMASH!

Lulz - just kidding."


This Doomsday really is a great figure. There is quite a bit of detail, and he looks just like he does in the comics.


I really like how they painted his bony protrusions silver. Not totally accurate to the comics, but the color really punches out the detail in the sculpt.


Doomsday's pose is pretty static. His arms move up and down and his waist and neck twist, but that's it. However this sculpted pose does allow him to stand very well. Even with all that bulk he isn't likely to tip over, and he's extremely solid.

This guy was released in a two-pack with a "Hunter Prey" Superman figure, from the comic book storyline about the re-match between these two titans. I don't recall reading that one, but I'm pretty sure I know how it turned out.

Justice League Batcycle and Steel Cycle Target Exclusives

More Justice League exclusive surprises from Target! Jboy of Revenge From the Cosmic Ark fame sent over this picture of the latest in the Target exclusive Brave and the Bold slash New 52 Justice League action figures. Batman with Batcycle and Superman with Steel Cycle!

It's actually pretty cool to see sets like this, especially when the figure is removable from the motorcycle (unlike past attempts from Batman Animated and Justice League toylines among many others.)

No word on price, but I imagine, with the single figures selling for $7.99, this set has to be around $15 to $20. Also, no word on if any other figure/cycle sets are available beyond Superman and Batman.

For more info on all the figures available in this new/old line, including Wonder Woman, see my previous post on the matter HERE.

More Brave and the Bold style action figures...for 2013?!?!

What the...?

This small image was just brought to my attention by a twitter friend. It's of a Target exclusive seven figure set of the Justice League called simply "Batman Legacy Justice League Figures"

This seven pack of figures appears to all be in the long ago canceled Brave and the Bold action figure style but includes a never before seen Cyborg, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, a beardless Aquaman and omg - WONDER WOMAN (in a line that Mattel stated emphatically would not include any female characters).

This news really came out of left field! The set is unavailable online as of writing this post but will retail for $49.99, so I probably won't own it until it hits clearance (which it probably will.) I will also have to see it in person to make a final judgement.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE! Apparently Target has Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern figures available as singles, and while these are clearly the Brave and the Bold style figures, you can see the much maligned hex holes are no longer a part of the figures' sculpts (a change I said would happen way back in my first B and the B toy review in 2009 - but even I never expected it to be so late in coming!)

(pic borrowed from eBay. Don't be stupid enough to buy them there now. They'll be plentiful and cheaper soon, I promise.)

Depending on the price of these, I'll probably get that Batman. Sadly it appears Wonder Woman is not part of a single figure release, and if past Target multi-pack exclusives are any indication, I doubt she ever will be.

Has anyone seen these at retail yet?

Zero, my Hero

As I mentioned Saturday, the whole reason I bought the clearance priced SLUG Zombie Series 3 12 pack was for Double-Barrel Carol. But I have to admit, I would have bought her in her original three pack long ago had she been packaged with just one other zombie that I wanted bad enough to pay full price for. (I just couldn't see myself spending full price for one of three figures I wanted.) I don't recall who she did come with, but I know it wasn't Zero Hero, because he is the undead zombie I wanted most of all!

What can I say? 'Zero Hero' is a zombie Superman, or maybe a Bizarro. Either way, he fits right in with my superhero fetish. Now if they would only make a SLUG zombie version of Batman, my little green zombie apocalyptic world will be complete.

Great sculpt, great details, great superhero zombie...Great Cesar's Ghost!

I'm glad I was able to get two personally sought after characters in one clearance priced set, since I really don't collect these...yet. And it's especially nice to have a hero and villain figurine to compliment each other on my desk at work. All the other zombie figures (and the one other 'normal' this 12 pack came with) make good fodder for the ultimate showdown of Velma and Superman...I mean Carol and Zero!

Which would make another great movie. I've got a million of 'em!

Imaginext Wonder Woman and Superman have landed!

My (daughter's) Imaginext DC Super Friends Wonder Woman and Superman arrived this week!

Thank Hera too! I was worried about my order after a few hiccups (which I won't bore you with again) and as of this writing this specific set is listed as 'sold out' on the Fisher-Price webstore!

I was worried I wouldn't get this set in time for it to fill a much needed slot in my littlest daughter's Christmas presents cornucopia. She has already amassed a good collection of Imaginext figures (thanks to her dear old dad) and has more playsets in store for her Christmastime fun, but she absolutely needs Wonder Woman to head up her little superhero army!

And here's the Princess of the Amazons herself in all her Imaginext glory! I still can't believe how easily Fisher-Price was able to slip this (and Harley Quinn) under our radars until it was already available online, (no leaked pre-prodcution pics, no Toy Fair previews...nothing!) and I can't thank Chunky B enough for letting me know about it in time to get the set before they sold out!

Wonder Woman is a beautiful little figure. Not a single part of her is designed with future kit-bash character re-use in mind. Ok, maybe the hands aren't unique, but that's it. Her tiara makes her head sculpt WW specific, her bracelets have stars sculpted on them, and the torso could be no one else. In a world of parts re-use action figures, it's nice to see so much attention to detail and specificity go into a toy aimed at the pre-school set. Let's face it, this is exactly the type of toy one expects a toy company to scrimp on. And to FP's credit, they didn't. And that's important, because these toys literally have the power to forge a geek's path for the rest of their lives, and I can't thank Fisher-Price enough for helping me to raise my daughter right!

Plus, the mere fact that Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn exist in Imaginext form now means you can't count out any female character in the future of this line. Because 1) these characters' inclusion proves that Fisher-Price is listening to fans and 2) their unquestionable success (see Catwoman - the first female Imaginext figure and a huge sucess) will further prove the value of female characters in toylines like Imaginext which appeal to both boys and girls (and let's face it, nutty adult collectors too!) who all want both boy and girl figures in their collections! Boy oh boy do I hope we get a Batgirl and a Poison Ivy next!

But back to 'now.' In addition to Wonder Woman's lasso accessory, the set comes with a brand new Superman in his DCnU costume!

Nice, value-wise, that Fisher-Price included an all new Superman for anyone who already has the previous version (which is still worth tracking down because he comes with Krypto!) This new Superman also has a 'painted' face as opposed to the previous version's sculpted face. Painted-on faces seems to be an across-the-board style change as Imaginext moves forward, with most new figures coming this way as opposed to previous fully sculpted faces being the norm (at least in the DC Super Friends branch of Imaginext.)

When I first got Aquaman I felt the 'painted' face cheapened the figure a bit, but the more I look at the stylistically the more I like them. They allow for more cartoony expressions and it would be nice to see the expressions changed for future/new pack-in releases (like an angry face Wonder Woman packed in with the inevitable Invisible Jet playset!) I also like how the head/hair for guys like Aquaman and Superman are sculpted specific to character, which also leads me to believe the painted faces are more a style choice then an attempt to cheapen the product.

A fan demanded figure since day 1, Wonder Woman doesn't fail to delight, and the all new Superman at least means you don't get something you already have to get her. Either way, at around $6.99 retail you can't go wrong with this set at all!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Harley Qwednesday...

...to bring you THIS!!!!!

Imaginext DC Superfriends HARLEY QUINN and The Joker

AAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRGGGGHHHHH they are SO ADORABLE!!!!

They are currently available at the Fisher-Price Store linked above (I bought two!) but you better move fast...

...and...oh yeah...THERE'S ALSO THIS:

Imaginext DC Superfriends WONDER WOMAN and Superman

That's right I said WONDER WOMAN!!!!

Also available at the link above and also I bought two because HOLY HANNA-BARBERA FISHER-PRICE FINALLY MADE NOT ONLY MORE FEMALE IMAGINEXT FIGURES BUT HARLEY FLIPPIN QUINN RIGHT OUT THE GATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. I'm hyperventilating over here.

Oh and a huge thanks to the Phantom of the Dolly Aisles Chunky B who sent me this info from his secluded dolly dungeon located somewhere deepinahearta Texas.

Thanks Chunky B! This is the best Harley Qwednesday news ever!

And massive thanks to Fisher-Price who have just proven unequivocally that they indeed have been listening to their fans and customers!