STAR WARS BLACK SERIES - Series Two Princess Leia ( Slave Outfit )

It comes to me as no surprise that this version of Princess Leia was made before her original version. Obviously many of us already know that this is probably the most popular version of her, as Jabba the Hut's slave. I purchased this figure at a local Target for around nineteen bucks. I noticed that comic book stores tend to sell these figures just a tad bit higher than retail . When viewing Leia in the packaging, she looks as if she may be the same height as Luke Skywalker . However that is not the case. I was surprisingly shocked at how short she is. Non the less I feel that this situation is a positive and not a negative. It shows us fans that Hasbro plans on staying true to character's / actor's height .

When I removed the Princess from the packaging , I was not disappointed in her lack of height , just shocked by it . The only disappointment for me was that I wish that the chain around her neck was a real chain, and not a plastic imitation .The skirt however is actual cloth, and not some foamy rubber plastic. I think that having her skirt be made out of actual cloth is very neat, almost giving us fans an idea of what the real skirt Leia actress Carrie Fisher wore for the film is like.  Leia is also the first female figure in this line. You can maneuver the chain around her neck to pose it any way you please . 

As you can see Leia is right at five inches high, almost below five inches, and she comes with two long range weapons. I can't make up my mind which weapon I like best, as I feel that they both are cool. Even cooler is the variety of fight poses that you can display Leia in . Both weapons look as if they are to be held with two hands, and that's exactly how I posed her with the weapons in the fight poses below. Just take a look at the variety of swinging poses you can display Leia in .

As you can see weapons that allow two handed poses allow for a great variety of display stances. As I mentioned earlier, I was not disappointed in Leia's height just surprised by it. I thought before I purchased her that she was going to be about the same height as Luke. However she's exactly at five inches where as Luke is slightly over five inches.

                                                    FINAL   THOUGHTS 

( 1 ) ARTICULATION - Just like the Marvel Legends Hasbro line, Princess Leia has no ab crunch just like the female figures from that line. Other than no ab crunch the articulation elsewhere is just fine. 

( 2 ) STANDING  ABILITY - There are no balance issues with this figure . 

( 3 ) WHAT  I  LIKE  BEST  ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? Her weapons and the overall look of the figure. Nice sculpt good resemblance to Carrie Fisher . 

( 4 ) WHAT  I  LIKE  LEAST  ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? I wish that the chain was actual metal instead of plastic . 

( 5 ) WHAT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  DONE  TO IMPROVE THE FIGURE ? Give it a real metal chain instead of a plastic one. However I do understand the nature of the toy business, because a real mini chain would have probably raised the production costs of the figure. There for a cheaper alternative is used instead, plastic . 

( 6 ) GRADING  SCALE - On a scale of one to ten I give this figure a 9.5 . I would have given it a perfect ten if it had an ab crunch . Despite no ab crunch it's still a great figure.

( 7 ) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Even though this Star Wars Black series is a six inch scale line, Princess Leia is barely at five inches. But for those of you that do not have her, don't worry she still fits in well with six inch figures. She will not look out of place next to any other six inch figure because of this. Just take a look at the above pic and you'll see she does not look out of place. Hasbro staying true to people's height is a good example of making realistic figures. Not just in looks, but other physical attributes such as height,stature,etc. I think staying true to realism is what makes these figures amazing, not just Leia .I am glad to add this version of Princess Leia to my Star Wars Black six inch collection . 

ASSASSIN'S CREED SERIES ONE - Connor New York Outfit

Here's one of the main characters in the popular video game franchise known as Assassin's Creed . Connor , which is his adopted name, is dressed in an 18th century New York styled outfit. If you go visit any of your local Walgreens stores, you can purchase Connor or any character from the franchise for around thirteen to fourteen bucks. Not only do you get the action figure, but also his cool weapons as accessories and an access code that allows you to unlock exclusive in game content . The game the code is referring to  is is Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag . However this Connor figure is based on a design from Assassin's Creed III .

The ship you see in the above pic is one of the items the code gives you access to . The two images below are scanned images of the actual code and the items it'll retrieve for you.

If you can not see where the url location is to input the code, I'll display it for you. It's http://www.acinitiates.com/promotions/ . After reaching here you input the code shown above. Now on to the actual action figure itself before this review starts to feel more like a video game review instead of an action figure review. Below is a pic of the back of the packaging .

If you look closely on the back you'll see that this particular Connor figure in this review is an exclusive. When you remove Connor from the packaging, you'll discover that he's a little over five inches tall and comes with five accessories.

Of the five accessories the one that I like the best is the bow. I think the other four accessories just look cool but the bow looks cool and is cool . What I mean by this is that the bow actually has an action feature. You can pull the string back and it will spring like a real string on a real bow. I think this is very neat as the pic below illustrates the feature.

As you can see Connor can hold the string back as if he's about to shoot an arrow. Speaking of arrows , a few of them are sculpted into his arrow holster in the back, as they are non removable .

Connor's hood is also non removable, however you can still see his eyes if you look underneath the hood.

                                              FINAL  THOUGHTS
( 1 ) ARTICULATION - These versions of Assassin's Creed figures have the same type of articulation as the Walking Dead figures. The ball riveted joints are there. My only disappointment in the articulation is that the hood somewhat restricts Connor's head movement just a bit. Other than that everything else is just fine.
( 2 ) STANDING  ABILITY - You may have to adjust Connor's legs a little to get him to stand properly without falling . Spreading his feet further apart is a good way to balance him.
( 3) WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? The bow , the guns look nice, ball riveted joints .
( 4 ) WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? The hood is non removable . It actually feels like it is glued to his head .
( 5 ) WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THE FIGURE ? Make the hood removable . Have actual arrows to go with his bow and not sculpted arrows in a holster.
( 6 ) GRADING  SCALE - On a scale of one to ten I give this figure an 8.5 . Not because of flaws, but because I think there are several things that could have made this figure a lot better than what it is. More height, this figure I feel would be cooler if he was six inches instead of five. Make the hood removable, so that collectors will have the luxury of displaying Connor with or without it . Also so that we can fit the hood onto other figures. Also I think he should have came with some arrows that can fit into his bow. Also the neck / head articulation is too tight as he can only turn his head left and right and barely up and down .
( 7 ) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Overall I like this version of Connor despite the fact that I feel like the figure could have been better. For those of you that like to crossover action figures, these Assassin's Creed figures fit in well with the Walking Dead figures . Since they are in the same height scale and made by the same company,  McFarlane Toys . Also if you're a fan of the Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag video game , then you may want to purchase all of these figures in this series, not just Connor , so that you can have access to all those extra items that the codes that come with the figures provide .

ACTION FIGURE FUNNIES - PART ONE

Here's something different for you. Instead of a review , here are some scenes involving action figures with the intention to make you laugh . Comical situations involving action figures. This series will continue in the future. Just click on each pic for a bigger view . Here are 10 action figure funnies to start off with.

Feel free to let me know which ones you like and which ones are your favorites. I love feedback and plan on doing more of these in the future.

WIN these LOOSE Masters of the Universe figures from the early 2000s in March's Contest !!!

Take a look at what's coming next month to whoever wins next month's contest. I'll be giving away these figures for FREE to the winner of the contest. Here are the Rules....

(1) YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF THIS BLOG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST . To join , do NOT click on the "Join this Site" button. Instead click on the two overlapping squares across from the "Join this Site" logo. There is a technical problem with that logo and I can't figure out what it is. The pic below shows you exactly where to click to join . Just follow the arrow.

(2) A Trivia question will be given right here on the blog . The answers to Trivia questions are to be posted in the comments section below. Whoever gives the FIRST CORRECT ANSWER is the winner. If two or more people have the same correct answer, the prize will be given to the one that answered the trivia question correctly first .
                                 NOW here's a look at the March 2014 FREE PRIZE GIVEAWAY.
( NOTE ) These figures are LOOSE and INCOMPLETE . However they will be given away for FREE to the Contest winner . A total of 15 loose incomplete figures in all. What you see in the pics below is what you'll get if you win.

TRIBUTE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2014 - ACTION FIGURE STYLE . HIA Toys Bessie Coleman figure . Tribute to some other black notable action figures.

As we all know the month of February is not only known for Valentine's Day but the whole entire month is dedicated to African American history, better known as BLACK HISTORY MONTH. So how can an action figure website pay homage to Black History Month? By reviewing over black action figures that's how. This article is a two way review. The first portion of the article will review over an action figure based on a real life person . Bessie Coleman , the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license in America . The latter portion of this article is just strictly reminiscing over a few various notable black action figures over the years.  First up is a review of the Bessie Coleman action figure. The company that made her is called " History in Action Toys ", better known as hia toys. You can purchase this figure among others at www.hiatoys.com .

As you can see the figure comes in some neatly designed packaging. I've had this figure for a long while now so forgive me for not having a pic of her while she's still in the packaging. I've owned this figure long before I created this blog . The front of the packaging is actually a door stuck together until you pry it open to reveal the figure inside. Also there is a nice informative bio on the interior. Once you remove the figure from the packaging I think she is very well done. Nice sculpt, decent articulation. My only disappointment is that I was hoping that she was around six inches tall, however she is actually right at seven inches tall just about. A little bit to tall for me as I prefer mostly figures in 6 " scale.

Other than the height disappointment, I actually like this figure. She comes with some nice accessories. My favorites are her goggles and removable scarf. An alternate head is her pilot head , and she comes with a map and a flight booklet.

The above pic is from Hiatoys, not me. I've made note of this is because I either lost or can not find two of her accessories. The accessories that I lost are the map and booklet. Hopefully I'll find them someday. But as you can see I still have her alternate head, goggles, and scarf . The following pics are comparison shots of Bessie with and without the goggles, using both heads.

Besides Bessie, there are two other historical African American figures ready for purchase on the hiatoys website. They are the two men Benjamin Banneker and Mathew Henson. I don't remember why I purchased the Bessie figure first but I plan on buying the other two figures someday. For those of you whom may be wondering if Bessie's goggles can fit on the heads of smaller six inch figures , I've displayed a pic below of an Aqua-Man variant figure with the goggles. ( NOTE ) If you want a perfect fit with any smaller figure you may have to adjust the strap on the goggles just a bit. Even though the pic makes it look like a perfect fit they were very loose on Aqua-Man.

                                                  FINAL   THOUGHTS
(1) ARTICULATION - Bessie's articulation is excellent. She can move her arms up and down and outward. Elbows bend. Wrists rotate all the way around. Knees bend. Ankle pivots. Legs can move up and down and slightly outward. The only complaint about the articulation is there is somewhat of a strict tightness in the upper thigh near the crotch area . This minor flaw somewhat limits her sitting pose ability.
(2) STANDING  ABILITY - There are no balance issues. The figure stands very well when positioned correctly.
(3) WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? I like the sculpt, the jacket, the scarf and goggles the best.
(4) WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT THIS FIGURE ? There is nothing that I dislike about this figure.
(5) WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THIS FIGURE ? I just wish she was just a little shorter, so that she can fit in with many popular 6" scale toy lines.
(6) GRADING  SCALE - On a 1 to 10 scale I give this figure 9.5 . The minus is for my displeasure about the height scale. The other minor flaw such as limited sit posing does not merit a lower score.
(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Other than the accessories, there is a lot to like about the Bessie Coleman action figure. The articulation is nice. Good facial sculpt. The figure is sturdy, made of hard plastic preventing breakage. The jacket is made of a hard rubbery plastic, and customizers can remove it and place it on another figure. But the biggest aspect of all with this figure is that the company HIA Toys took time out to honor Bessie's legacy by making an action figure of her. Not just with Bessie but the other figures as well. Kudos to HIA Toys for these figures.
                                         NOW ON TO PART TWO  OF THIS ARTICLE . 
A  LOOK BACK OVER THE YEARS OF SOME NOTABLE BLACK ACTION FIGURES FROM MAJOR TOY LINES . 
                  Two toy lines that this article will pay tribute to when discussing notable black action figures are Masters of the Universe and G. I . Joe . First let's discuss the black action figures from the world of He-Man, MOTU . Also I will pay homage to some black figures from DC and Marvel, along with some WWE Mattel black action figures.
                          NOTABLE  BLACK FIGURES FROM  MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
(1) CLAMP-CHAMP - Champ has the honor of being the first ever black Masters of the Universe action figure, way back to the vintage line in 1987 .
(2) NETOSSA - Although she's technically a Princess of Power figure, however the MOTU Classics toy line combines all aspects of the world of He-Man.
(3) DEKKER - Man-At -Arms mentor and trainer.
(4) GELDOR - From the vintage mini comic called the "Secret Liquid of Life", in the comic he looks black however when you purchase the figure he almost looks somewhat bi racial .
                    NOTABLE BLACK FIGURES FROM G.I. JOE
(1) ROAD BLOCK - Played by the Rock in G. I. Joe Retaliation . Since the Retaliation movie he is probably the most popular black Joe character because of the Rock's fame. Even though RIP-CORD was originally a caucasian character Rip was black in the first Joe live action motion picture film. RANGER is another notable black Joe character from the early days of the franchise in the 1980s.
                                         NOW TAKE A LOOK AT SOME DC BLACK ACTION FIGURES
FROM OVER THE YEARS. At this point, I've decided to not bore you anymore with words and just display pictures. ( NOTE ) Not all black figures will be displayed, just a select few to give you an idea of who's available. This is a mixture of some DCU Classics and DC Direct.

The last two are Black Manta and Natasha Irons. NOW TAKE A LOOK AT SOME MARVEL BLACK ACTION FIGURES OVER THE YEARS .

For those of you whom may not know, Miles Morales is the new Spider-Man in the Ultimate Marvel universe. He is of bi racial descent of black and Latino.
                          NOW HERE'S A  LOOK AT SOME BLACK ACTION FIGURES
FROM THE WWE MATTEL TOY LINE .

These are just some of the black action figures that you can purchase from these above mentioned wonderful toy lines. There you have it folks. Action Figure Imagery Toy Reviews tribute to Black History Month 2014 - ACTION FIGURE STYLE .