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Here's my review, and I would like to review for the site.

X-Force

The mutant named Cannonball once trained to use his energy-blasting powers in the same facilities as the X-Men, until he was recruited into a war by time-traveler Cable and his comrade Domino. Now second-in-command of X-Force, Cannonball joined his fellow New Mutants, including the genetically enhanced warrior Shatterstar, in bringing the fight to the Mutant Liberation Front.


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Hey Marvel Minimate fans, my first review is of a set that has a lot of nostalgic value to me, the brand new X-Force Four-Pack. This was released in January 2015 as a Direct Market exclusive. This set represents X-Force in their post-Liefeld costumes designed by Greg Capullo of current Batman fame. These looks were very similar to Jim Lee’s X-Men designs of the same time. This is how X-Force looked right when I started reading comics and I must say I’m always pumped to see these looks done in any line because I always loved these costumes! During the events of the X-Cutioner’s Song, X-Force was held prisoner at the X-Mansion while Cable was wrongly accused of the attempted murder of Charles Xavier. Cable cleared his name and in turn X-Force was released from imprisonment, however Cable was believed to be dead at the end of the event. Without Cable around to led them, and unwilling to become Xavier’s junior X-Team again, the team decided to strike out on their own. To usher in this new direction, Boomer had the team fitted for new uniforms in the mansion’s Shi’ar costume machine. We got Boomer and Rictor from this incarnation in a TRU wave a couple years ago, now finally we have more members to add!


Packaging

Control art for Cable is front and center with the era-appropriate X-Force logo. Control art on the side for each Minimate and an action photo on the back. No surprises here if you’re familiar with Marvel Minimates packaging. It works, and the box is nineties style in your face! On to the figures inside:


X-Ternal Cannonball

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Sam Guthrie has the mutant power to propel his body forward like a missile and he’s also near-invulnerable while blasting. He was one of Xavier’s first New Mutants until Cable repurposed the group into X-Force. “External” comes from a story where Sam survived being impaled by Sauron, therefore it was theorized he was an External (the X-Ternal spelling is actually from an unrelated group native to the Age of Apocalypse). Externals were immortal mutants running around the fringes of the X-Books in the early
90’s ala Highlander. Cable also vaguely alluded to Cannonball being alive in his timeline. The storyline was quietly dropped and I don’t think the External/Cannonball mystery was ever solved. Ahh, the unresolved and abandoned plots of the nineties! Cannonballs’ second X-Force costume is pretty much just a flight suit with some superhero flare. The goggles are here re-used from the previous X-Force Cannonball, no complaints there. The collar is re-used from Morbius and it’s a great piece to compliment the look. Back in the old ToyBiz days quite a few members of this version of the team got figures however Cannonball only received a figure in his Liefeld purple duds. I’ve wanted a figure of THIS Cannonball since I was 10 years old and I never got one, until now!

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I’ve always preferred this Cannonball costume over any other, it just fits his character so well. He’s got some nice, clean tampos detailing the padding of his suit. Yellow over blue usually gets messy but it’s perfect here. In a nice touch that I can’t recall seeing before, he’s got the padding tampo’d on his glove cuffs. He’s got the flight suit straps detailed on his legs as well. His face looks just like the other Cannonball but with a different expression. I always love how DST pulls that off because if you think about it, that’s not really easy to do with the simplicity of the Minimate aesthetic. The same blast stand is used from the previous X-Force Cannonball. You remove his legs and there’s a peg hole to place the torso on to simulate blast-off. It’s a nice piece in theory, but it’s not very dynamic as he’s stuck looking down and it doesn’t elevate him above the other Minimates. Blast stand aside, this is a great Cannonball figure and you really couldn’t ask for anything else. 9/10

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Warrior Shatterstar


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Shatterstar’s origins are really confusing. He’s either Gaveedra-Seven, Mojoverse rebel, or a comatose mutant child named Benjamin Russell, or a combination of their memories, or both, or neither. Trust me, its better left alone. Jeph Loeb who WROTE the Benjamin Russell story couldn’t even comprehend what went to print. In fairness to Loeb, the story he had in mind was so heavily re-worked by editorial that nobody knew what the hell it was supposed to be in the end! We may never know the full truth, but what I do know is that this is one cool Minimate! We got Shatterstar’s debut costume in a previous TRU 2-pack with Cannonball. That costume was mostly white with a bit of a fencing vibe to it while this one has more of a medieval knight influence. ToyBiz did both looks as part of its X-Force line back in the day, and now Minimates are following suit.

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I’ll say right off the bat that I wish we got some new tooling on this Minimate as opposed to elsewhere in this box set, but we’ll get to that in a bit. The hairpiece is re-used from the previous Shatterstar and the shoulder pads/neckerchief is re-used from Rictor. The previous Shatterstar’s helmet was padded, whereas in this look it’s supposed to be a smooth metal piece. Think like Magneto’s helmet, but with the top cut off. His shoulder pads are also supposed to be metal, not padding, but he did wear the neckerchief so that’s a point for accuracy. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it deserves mention as I’m a stickler for accuracy. He gets the double-bladed swords again and they fit into his hands much easier now that he doesn’t use the old-style cuff gloves. He now comes with the same wrist gauntlet hand pieces that Wave 47 Colossus used. The red lines on his legs are meant to be raised pieces but that wouldn’t be possible on a Minimate. This is the weakest area of the Minimate as the lines on mine are already coming off. He gets boots from Thunderstrike and they’re a great choice. In a nice touch, he has no pupils. Back in the nineties, we didn’t need them. A good Minimate that needed some new tooling to bump it up to great status. 7/10

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Triumphant Domino


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We got a “Domino” in the 2010 X-Force box set; however this is the first actual Domino figure we’ve received. Confused? I can explain. The Domino in the previous set was Vanessa Carlysle, aka Copycat. Copycat was a shape-shifter who was sent to infiltrate X-Force as Domino on behalf of the arms dealer Tolliver. The real Domino never wore the costume we got with the previous Minimate. The actual Domino was imprisoned at the time, and this Minimate reflects her look when she makes her real first appearance and joins X-Force, exposing the infiltrator. That’s not complicated at all compared to Shatterstar.

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Domino got a figure in this look in ToyBiz’s X-Force series, and this is pretty much a straight representation of that. She’s got a navy blue costume with purple straps, pouches and accessories. The colors are perfect here, and her white skin and jet black hair really pop in comparison. She’s got her trademark black spot over her eye and she’s also misplaced her pupils. Her face tampo is just perfect. It really captures the attitude that made her such a cool character. She wore a Scarlet Witch-style tiara which I’m really
surprised is a brand new piece, I guess it warranted new tooling to fit over her shoulder pads? She gets what I think is a new shoulder pad piece. It’s got a little bar in the back that connects the two sides so it’s all one piece unlike previous Wolverine figures. Unfortunately, the shoulder pads slope a little bit when the hairpiece pushes down on the bar in the back. I would have liked to see something similar to the 90’s Jean Grey shoulder pads used instead. She gets the cool side holsters that a few Minimates have had;
unfortunately the guns she comes with don’t really fit in them. I’m not sure we’re they’re from, but they’re very round and futuristic, not very mercenary-like. I would have preferred the guns we got with Madame Hydra or Maria Hill used here. Those fit the holsters perfectly and fit the character too. A few strange parts choices keep Domino from being perfect but she’s still an easy thumbs up. 8/10

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Heavy Armor Cable

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Here’s the reason why most people are buying this set. Lets just get this out of the way first, this guy is absolutely LOADED with accessories. We’ll talk about the armored look first. When Cable was presumed dead after the X-Cutioner’s Song, he actually ended up in the far future which is where his first ongoing solo series starts. This look is based on those comics. He gets an enormous shoulder pad piece that fits a gun in the front and a big laser rifle on the back. The rifle is from Hope Summers and it’s kind of flat but on the plus side he can hold it in his hands. The big blaster that the other Cables came with looked much cooler but the handle was so wide it would not fit in his hand. Something in between would be best. Whether you like the shoulder piece or not probably depends on how much tolerance you have for nineties comics. Me personally, I love it. The thing is very detailed with lots of little pouches and capsules holding it together. He has an alternate goatee head to represent his look from his early solo series however he doesn't get an alternate hairpiece to compliment it. In the comics, he had a kind of Mohawk with hair on the sides, like the wrestler Road Warrior Animal. That would have definitely required a new piece as there’s nothing like that right now. I like the hairpiece that he comes with and I like that they didn't reuse the previous Cable hairpiece as Cable wasn'’t drawn with a receded hairline around this time. The piece he comes with is re-used from Chris Redfield and has a nice microphone attached to it. He’s got a couple more guns on the side holsters on his legs. You alos get a few different options for his boots. He gets a big pair of brown padded boots, and a really, really big pair of brown padded boots. The really big ones are a little too big for my tastes but they look decent when he’s all bulked up.

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Underneath you get his iconic blue and yellow costume. Most are familiar with the look from the Marvel Vs. Capcom games. It’s a nice look, very reminiscent of the X-Men uniforms of the time. Cable was working more closely with the X-Men at the time so it made sense. This is also probably the costume most people identify with Cable as he wore it (and slight variations of it) longer than any other costume. I would have liked the yellow straps to be a separate piece since he's a little thin compared to other Minimates but I guess this figure already broke the tooling bank. It’s nice that you get so many different options since Cable didn’t always wear yellow gloves or boots when he rocked the yellow and blue costume. It’s cool you can mix and match to make a perfect Cable. 9/10


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Just to wrap up, this applies to all four Minimates so I’ll mention it here. All figures include clear stands. These are of the larger variety and they’re made from the harder plastic. Also worth noting for all figures are that they’re using the newer base molds which I like. They’re a little bit taller than figures from the previous couple years due to the legs being slightly re-tooled; however they fixed the uneven leg problem which is a huge plus in my book. The figures now stand flat, no more crooked stances.


All we need now is Sunspot, Warpath and Siryn to complete the team. We also need Feral, however we got her in her first X-Force costume and I realize asking for two Ferals is probably unrealistic. Feral’s second look wasn’t too different from her first, so I can live with that. When this set was announced, there were many complaints stating we didn’t need these characters since we already got other versions of them. I’m sorry but that’s ridiculous. If a character has different looks for different eras or teams/incarnations/whatever, then I want those alternate looks to have a proper display. I don’t care if the character has already been done. Would you display your Original Team Cyclops with your 90’s X-Men display? Your Extremis Iron Man with your West Coast Avengers display? Your New Mutants Sunspot with these guys? Of course not. I don’t want a hodge-podge X-Force or a hodge-podge version of any team for that matter. If we can get multiple versions of Deadpool, who’s look doesn’t change very much, then we can get multiple Cannonballs. This set is awesome and I can’t wait to get the rest of the team. It could be a while, but I have faith they’ll come eventually. Unfortunately we don’t get too many comic style Minimates these days, so when we do get classic stuff as well done as this I’m ecstatic. Thumbs way up for X-Force!

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Thor and Maleketh Review

Two years ago, Marvel Studios set out to create a sequel to the incredibly popular Kenneth Branagh film Thor, hiring director Alan Taylor from Game of Thrones and bringing back most of the main cast. The premise of the film was Thor, the mighty Avenger, had been away fighting the good fight for the last few years. But when Jane Foster discovers a deadly ancient weapon in an alternate dimension, the Dark Elf Maleketh returns to claim this weapon for himself. Only Thor the Mighty Avenger can stop the deadly elf from turning the entire world to darkness.

These are the adorable blocky minifigures made of those two titans.

THE SET OVERALL

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Together these two adorable buggers make for the perfect pair: hero and villain. God and demon. Power vs power in a quest to dominate all life. The set contains:

One Thor minimate depicting his look in Thor: The Dark World

One Maleketh minimate

One Mjolnir, Hammer of Thor

One alternate face for Maleketh, depicting him without his burn.

Two clear plastic stands for Maleketh and Thor to pose with.

Overall the set is perfectly adequate to suit the needs of the characters. Except... well... where's the Aether? That blobby mess of insanity is crucial to Maleketh's character (arguably the entirety of his character) and it not being represented here is quite sad. It seems the Infinity Stones are not meant to be in minimate sets as neither the Tesseract nor the Power Stone has made its way into the Guardians, Avengers, or the Captain America minimate sets. Ah well, they'll have their day come Infinity War. I also think Thor could have used a flight stand, but ah well.

THOR

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The Mighty Avenger has returned to face down his foes. There have been many incarnations of Thor since his first appearance in the first film. However none have quite looked as spectacular as this. Striking gold chestpieces on his armor, massive cape, bright silver chainmail on his arms, fine detail on his bracers, Thor is a fantastic looking figure. Part of the fun of minimates is the usability of his 14 points of articulation. Admittedly Thor does not have the range of motion that some are afforded. His elbow joints and knees have full motion as do his hands, but his feet cannot twist due to the design of the boots (which also look amazing). His hip joint is usable but slightly restricted by the chestpiece and his arm angles are dictated by the cape. The hair keeps his head from turning completely, although it's not as restrictive as Maleketh's piece.

This bulk works against the aesthetic of Thor a bit. He is suitably massive for his own series, fitting well beside Maleketh and Loki and making them look less powerful than him. However he is also almost as big as the Hulk. There is admittedly some leeway available for these characters since minimates are limited in their scale, but I feel like Movie 1's Thor was adequate in showing off his size yet not making him inhumanly massive.

For Comparison:

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I must also say it's an absolute crime that Thor hasn't touched his helmet since the first film. So glad that was made for that minimate.

This pack also has without a doubt the best hairdresser. Just look at the locks on that minimate! Fantastic. Thus far, the likeness to Chris Hemsworth has been best in this figure, giving an excellent intense expression on Thor and a beard darker than the one on the Avengers minimate. Much more like the beard on Movie 1’s figure, but with a much better expression.

Mjolnir has found itself with marked improvements as well since its last appearance in the Avengers movie set. The head of the hammer is a bit smaller than its previous release with more defined detail as well as a shorter handle. Note the small silvery piece near the loop. It’s a nice touch. Overall it looks much more like a real hammer than the original.

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For comparison

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Overall I really like this Thor. Though the articulation is a bit restricted and his size is a bit off, the level of detail on this minimate is astounding and I wouldn’t trade anything for it. The hair looks amazing, the costume is top notch, even the hammer is better than ever before. This is possibly the best movie Thor yet. Even the Age of Ultron figure is a step down!

MMC Review Score

8.5/10

For more Thor comparison pics, see the Extra Photos section.

MALEKITH

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Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith is the villain of this film. Leader of a Dark Elf army, his desire for the Infinity Stone known as the Aether will doom all life in the universe.

Once again the details on this figure are absolutely fantastic. This Malekith has a great likeness to Eccleston, capturing the rage the character exudes throughout the film. The face is half burned from a lightning strike Thor got in on him and the blackened part looks rather good. I would’ve preferred to make it look more like an actual injury though. It looks like they just took half of his face and the “Fill” tool with dark grey paint. A few cracks and a bit of red beneath would’ve gone a long way to sell the look. His armor, different from that of his underlings by the Star of Authority on his chest, has intriguing little ridges and plates on it as if it was made of some type of bone. His bracers, attached to his hand, also have that same type of substance look to them. I almost wish they had made the ones on his legs sculpted pieces just to keep the theme going, but I understand why they didn’t.

The hairpiece is quite good with an intricate design showing off his elf ears and his ponytail of awesome complete with multiple braids. The paint on the right ear of my Malekith is a bit off, with the white bleeding into the skin area. His left ear is much better looking. When buying your Malekith, check the front of his hairpiece. The white paint is a bit thin there on mine and the black undertone is showing through. Otherwise though my figure is completely clear of paint issues.

But what is this magic here? A second head for this Dark Elf leader? Yes dear readers, it’s true. There is more than one face for Malekith. The second head on the figure displays him before his face was horribly burned by Thor’s lightning.


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Here you can see the complaint about his burned face. It’s the same expression but with the dark grey detail removed. Differing
expressions or, again, more disfigurement on the burned face would’ve helped sell it a lot.

For Comparison (The unharmed face is on one of his minions)

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Overall I like this figure. He makes for a good villain of the set. As I mentioned above, he would’ve benefited greatly by some representation of the Aether, but as he stands, he makes for a nice villain to face off against the God of Thunder. His slight paint issues put him below Thor, but overall he’s a solid figure.

MMC Review Score

8/10

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think this set really is great. You get the hero, two looks for the main villain, the hero’s weapon, and some stands to put them on.

It’s fairly basic, but it’s clean and great. Maleketh was sorely missing the Aether though which would’ve put this set much higher in the pantheon had it been included in some form. Also I find it very interesting that we’ve had four incarnations of the Thunder God from these films thus far and not one of them includes any lightning effects. Bizarre. As it stands though, this pack is a great start for minimates giving you a good amount of play value for just two figures.

MMC Review Score

8/10 (Not an average)

Extra Pictures!

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ACTION POSE!

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"Hey buddy... still mad about the face thing?"

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Thor Through the Ages

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Dark World Thor vs Age of Ultron Thor. Notice that Ultron Thor is rocking purple bracers. Neat.

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Dark World Thor vs Avengers Thor.

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The Magnificent Braid of Thunder

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The Dark Elves of Svartalfheim rally.

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Does anyone live in portland, or go to the Newbury Comics in the Maine Mall. I just want to know is they stocked it. I will be heading there on FCBD and wanted to pick up the one for the Minimate Central contest.

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Here is my review of the TMNT Series 1 Mutagen Raphael. I would have loved to include a photo of the packaging but I can't find the Series 1 blind bags that I kept. And these photos aren't my best work. I can snap some better ones if this gets chosen to run on the site.

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Everyone has a favorite Turtle. Some folks like Donatello for his tech-savvy smarts. Some like Michelangelo because he’s the playful one. Some like Leonardo… wait does anyone like Leonardo? I kid, I kid. As I said, everyone has a favorite and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says about your favorite because honestly they’re all pretty awesome in their own way. Yes, even Leo.

Diamond Select Toys has so far released 2 series of Minimates devoted to the heroes in the half shell. Series 1 was available via blind bag at K-Mart and comic book and specialty stores and in 2-packs exclusive to Toys R Us. K-Mart had 2 exclusive figures in their assortment, Krang and Mutagen Michelangelo. Toys R Us had Mutagen Leonardo as their exclusive variant. LCS and specialty stores had Mutagen Raphael as their exclusive and that’s who we’re looking at today.

Mutagen Raphael came packaged in the Series 1 foil blind bag, same as all the other Series 1 figures sold at LCS and specialty stores. I don’t have a photo of the unopened bag but you can see it in the other TMNT Minimates reviews here at Minimates Central and in their listings on Minimate Database.

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Raphael is my favorite Turtle. He and I are a lot alike. We’re both fiercely devoted to our loved ones, tend to be impulsive and can be quick to anger. From the first live action TMNT movie way back in the early 90’s (kids ask your parents) he clicked with me. Having Raph as one of the Mutagen exclusives in the first series of Minimates was a no brainer in my opinion. Raphael is, of course, the best of the Turtles so naturally he should get a variant.

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The Mutagen Raphael Minimate is nearly identical to his regular version. The main difference you’ll notice is that he’s made entirely of a green clear plastic with only the solid red of his mask as the single pop of contrasting color. I’m not familiar with the current Nickelodeon cartoon these Minimates are based on so I can’t say if this “mutagen” form is significant in any way or not. What I can say is that it looks fantastic. The shade of green hits that “Goldilocks” zone where it’s not so dark as to appear black but not so light that it goes into the neon range as some clear colors tend to do. The color is consistent all through the figure and makes for a dynamic visual. The vibrant red mask not only identifies this as Raph but also provides a nice contrast, breaking up the green just enough to make the whole figure pop. And the solid white eyes add to the uniqueness of the figure, giving him a superhero look similar to Batman or Spider-man. Raph also sports an additional paint application that his Mutagen brothers lack, and that’s the “lightning bolt” crack on the upper left of his chest shell. It’s not something I would have expected to be carried over from the regular figure but it’s a detail that adds a little character to the figure.

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As this is just a “repaint” of the regular figure the sculpting and articulation are all the same. Sculpted elbow and knee pads, ankle and wrist wraps, and belt are all here. While some of the depth of that sculpting is softened visually by the clear plastic, all the detail is still there. The articulation is hampered slightly by the sculpted elements and he lacks ankle joints. But you can definitely get him into all the ninja poses you can think of. Mutagen Raphael also comes with the same accessories as his full color counterpart. Sais cast in the same translucent green as the figure and painted manhole cover figure stand. Unlike the K-mart and Toys R Us assortments, the LCS/specialty assortment did not come with the keychain attachment, so Mutagen Raphael is unlike his Mutagen brothers and doesn’t have one.

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An interesting bit of trivia related to the Mutagen figures. In a packaging/production mix up, the Series 1 K-Mart and LCS/specialty Mutagen variant figures got swapped. Mutagen Michelangelo appears on the specialty blind bags and Mutagen Raphael on the K-mart packaging, but Mutagen Mikey was sold at K-Mart and Mutagen Raph at specialty stores. This created some initial confusion and frustration amongst collectors but didn’t seem to affect sales as both assortments flew off shelves.

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Exclusive figures can be a very sore subject amongst collectors. With the current toy marketplace shrinking every year, distribution is becoming more and more of an issue. Throw an exclusive figure into the mix (not to mention the blind bag issues) and you’ll see online message board riots. The great thing about the Mutagen figures is that they are interesting variants but aren’t necessary to a lot of people who just want the four Turtles. I personally love clear figures and the Mutagen Turtles are a great novelty to have in my collection. Series 2 is supposed to bring us Mutagen Donatello (exclusive to Toys R Us) and I’m really glad that DST has found a way to complete the set.

Unless you’re a completist or fan of Raphael (and really, why wouldn’t you be a Raph fan? He’s the best Turtle) then you can safely pass on Mutagen Raphael. But if you like interesting variants or clear figures then Mutagen Raph is worth hunting down.

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Edited by Mysterious Stranger
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He guys!

So recently DST revealed their newest wave of Mini-Mates based off of the Strike Force X-Men and The Brotherhood. This version of the X-Men was introduced in "The Uncanny X-Men 275" in the 90's. (Thats why they look so cool!)

What makes this wave even more awesome is the fact that almost all the sets have parts to make other X-Men!

Today we are looking at the Banshee and Pyro 2-pack, so lets get started!

Ok so on the packaging we can see the 2 character on the front and the sides, but if we flip over the packaging, we can see the whole lineup. Before we get into the characters, let me just say the articulation is the same for both: Ball joint head, ball joint shoulders, bend at the elbow, rotation in the hand, rotaion in the waist, ball joint hips, bend in the legs, and rotation in the foot. post-9944-0-38988500-1430680677_thumb.jp post-9944-0-09057600-1430680770_thumb.jp post-9944-0-26330200-1430680833_thumb.jp post-9944-0-99873600-1430680901_thumb.jp

First of we have Sean Cassidy or Banshee. This may be one of my favorite minimates first off and this is the first time he has gotten the minimate treatment! He comes packaged with this awesome cape to help him glide (IN THE COMICS! PLEASE DO NOT THROW YOU'RE MINIMATES!) And a new hair peice in a very bright, irish tone of orange. He is wearing his classic yellow and blue jumpsuit like the rest of the X-Men in this wave. post-9944-0-55095900-1430680971_thumb.jp

Now onto accesories! Probably the cool peice in the set, Banshee comes with a "Sonic Scream" peice that can fit aroing his neck to make him look like he is taking off or just flying.post-9944-0-74223500-1430681053_thumb.jp

But you maybe thinking "But Gmonkey, how can we make him look like he is flying?!" Fear not! DST has come prepared! They also included a flight stand to have him taking off! post-9944-0-29795200-1430681136_thumb.jp

But now onto the best part of the accesories. Remember when I said most of the set had part to make other X-Men, well Banshee come with parts to make..............Gambit!

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To make Gambit, they give you : 1 Angry Gambit head, 1 Card holding hand, 1 Card throwing hand, and a satchel

As I look closer, The card holding hand looks like its flipping me off. He's probably agree he was the pack-in not the main figure. post-9944-0-32058400-1430681391_thumb.jp

Over all this figure(s) I give 9.5/10

Next up is Pyro!

Yet another character that gets the Minimate treatment, Pyro is loaded with new sculpted bits!

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He is wearing is Classic 90's outfit, and has an awesome flame throw/backpack thing due to the fact that he cannot CREATE fire, but can control it.

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He a has a nifty new mask piece thta reveals a crazed lunatic face underneath.

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The flamethrower back pack is connected to his wrists via cords. He also comes with 2 flame effect peices that can plug into his hands giving the effect that he is shooting fire! Sweet!

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My only complaints with this figure are that:

The eye tampo is off to the side a little

And he doesnt have a extra hairpeice to show off that face!

Over all this figure gets a: 9/10

This is a great set/wave to pick up for pure nestalgia or to full out your X-Men ranks, so overall this set receives a 10/10

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Captain America & Scarlet Witch – Marvel TRU 16

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Packaging


Cap and Scarlet Witch were packaged in the expanded window box which has become standard for Marvel Minimates. I don’t have a picture of it, because I tend to rip these little guys open as soon as I get them, so I would direct you to Minimate Database for that. The box is a tried and true design, and it showcases the figures and their accessories quite nicely.


The Figures


Captain America

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This figure is Cap’s 29th foray into the world of Minimates (although it’s only the 27th for Steve Rogers as Cap) and it showcases Cap’s redesign following the Marvel Now! relaunch. The design still shares most of the pivotal details of Cap’s traditional costume, while also working in a few more movie-esque parts.

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Cap makes use of add-on pieces for his helmet, gloves, and belt. Each of these is a brand-new sculpt, and they are all quite well handled. The helmet is a very adept recreation of the comics design, and it features etched in lines for the ‘A’ and the head wings. The gloves are bulky, but not overly, and they offer a more intricate, stylized take on the character’s traditional flared gloves. The left glove has a peg allowing it to be used with the shield, and it can be swapped out with a non-pegged hand for display sans-shield. Lastly, the belt is a fairly straight forward piece, which does its job without being obtrusive. Isn’t that what belts are for?


The painted detailing on Cap is really quite good. Some of the white areas on the helmet miss their mark just a slight bit, but the detail work, specifically on the figure’s torso which features an intricate hexagonal design, is very sharp and brings a lot of dimension to the figure. Also, even after all this time, I still marvel (heh) when Diamond gets the eye placement perfect on a figure. The eyes here line up exactly with the painted face, and it just looks really cool.

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For accessories, Cap includes the standard clear base, as well as his mighty shield, and a hairpiece that allows him to be displayed unmasked.

Generally, I overlook variants of A-listers, and I wasn’t super thrilled then Cap’s Now! redesign was unveiled, but I find myself very impressed with the quality of this figure. He reminds quite a lot of the original Wave 5 Cap, and that’s a very good thing.

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MMC Score – 10 out of 10


Scarlet Witch

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Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, hasn’t received anywhere near as many Minimates as the good Captain. However, this does mark her third Minimate and it was even released in fairly close proximity to the second. That’s not bad for a character most people hadn’t heard of before Avengers: Age of Ultron. Like Cap, Wanda is presented here in her first Marvel Now! costume. Unlike Cap, it moves a bit further away from the “classic” design. YMMV on how well that works out, but there were far worse redesigns during Now!

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Wanda has additional sculpted pieces for her hair/headpiece and the bottom of her jacket. These are new to the figure. The headpiece is similar to the two prior Wandas, but it sits a little lower, and the hair is a little fuller. It makes for a good rendering of John Cassidy’s illustrations of the character in Uncanny Avengers, which I feel certain is what they were going for. The bottom/skirt of her jacket is similar to Cap’s belt; it’s not the most thrilling piece ever, but it does what it’s supposed to. It’s nice that it has a more organic shape and flow to it than a lot of skirt pieces, so there’s that going for it.


Wanda’s paint is mostly a mix of reds, befitting a character named the Scarlet Witch. The metallic red of the head piece certainly pops, although there’s a fair bit of bleed over from her hair, made more noticeable by the aforementioned popping of the metallic red. Aside from that, the paintwork is relatively clean. The detailing on the torso block is fairly sharp and does a fairly nice job of giving her a more feminine figure.


Wanda is accessorized with a clear display stand and a pair of spell-casting hands, which were first introduced on the AvX Scarlet Witch. They were cool there and they’re cool here. They’re a great representation of her powers as they are usually depicted in the comics, and they make the figure stand out a bit more on the shelf.


Wanda is one of my favorite Avengers, so I’m always happy to see her turn up in the various Marvel toylines. The Now! look isn’t my favorite, but it’s unique and it is certainly a valid choice for a figure. Being released in close proximity to a more classically inspired Wanda, this one comes across as a little less exciting. Still, it’s a solid Minimate and a decent version of the character.

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MMC Score – 8 out of 10


EDIT: Realized I never fully specified that this is an entry to become a reviewer on MMC.
Edited by Glantern
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A Gargantuan property that has left a Massive footprint in our history, now can fit in the palm of your hand thanks to Diamond Select Toys new line of Minimates based off the monstrous Godzilla franchise!

Godzilla is one of those properties that has been around longer than I have been alive and is one that I never thought I would be so lucky as to see it represented as Minimates. I was pleasantly surprised when it was announced and delighted when I saw the first assortment on display.

The first set has three heavy hitters and a fourth obscure choice. We get the King of the Monsters Godzilla, the formidable Gigan, the occasional ally Mothra, and the oddball obscurity Titanosaurus.

The packaging

As you can see from the front of the box, we have a fully viewable blister on card backing that is common with most 4 packs that are released (and don't say marvel on them) where we can look through all the sides and have a good view of the contents. We also have a classic logo design for Godzilla that gives me a nostalgic fuzzy when I look at it. All the monsters are so big they have to be placed inside the blister sideways to fit inside the box.

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On the inside

as you can see from the inner blister, this is a very tight space. Sets with heavy tooling usually are light on accessories so it makes sense here. Luckily all the bipedal monsters have included clear plastic stands while our pal Mothra has a flight stand.

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Godzilla

The king of the monsters makes for a great little king of the Minimates. Lots of sculpted and painted grooves show off his scaly skin quite well. His clawed hands and feet are very cool and he (and everyone but Mothra) has been given the bulked up thigh pieces to more accurately represent his stature. The spiked crests going down his spine are adorably well done. While Godzilla has had a varied looks and his 30+ films, his head is not sculpted representing any particular version from what I can see. However he absolutely retains the Minimates aesthetic while being instantly recognizable as the king of the monsters

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Gigan

when I was a kid Gigan was always my favorite, and we also called him "The Black Chicken," though I can't seem to figure out how that started. His design is off the wall and he provides an entertaining visual as he combats Godzilla, and his Minimate is an excellent representation of that. The paint apps on mine are perfect. Sculpted golden scales surrounded by muted green flesh and painfully sharp silver appendages. Truly an exquisite Minimate and definitely my favorite in the set.

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Titanosaurus

I'm sure with all the Godzilla movies I've seen I saw the Mechagodzilla movie that Titanosaurus guest monstered in but I just can't recall him. A quick goog tells me he's a peaceful monster that was mind controlled into fighting Godzilla. He is the tallest monster included and has a very cool sculpt. Lots of bumpy skin on the main body while tampoed on the arms and legs. He is an aquatic type monster and has a very neat sculpted tail as a result.

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Mothra

While not on my first box must haves, Mothra is a longtime fan favorite with many appearances as both a for and an ally depending on the flick. Big G's frenemy here has a lot of interesting new parts. The giant moth wings, half a slipover headpiece, a piece with 6 little moth legs that slips over both the torso's arm pegs, and a moths, ahem, butt. The head and tail both have a sculpted furry texture while the torso has a furry print. When the wings are attached he reaches an impressive dive for a minimate and its great to see such innovation in the line with a character like this. He has an included flight stand but the hole in the "legs" is a bit shallow so you might need to use some sticky tak to keep him on there. The half slipover head is really cool too, and doubles as a mothra fan beanie for any other regular minimate.

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My final thoughts...

I think this is a great set. I could not have imagined do you stare actors coming out and translating to the Minimates as stated as well as they do. I hope this line continues to deliver quality monsters like this and that they don't stop after two sets... Speaking of which there is a second set with a new Godzilla and 3 more awesome characters to grab, and the one accessory included just happens to work with this Godzilla as well. Plus when else can you have Godzilla cosplay as Mechagodzilla and do the robot?

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If you are a Godzilla/Minimates fan, I would say this is a must have set. Thanks for reading!

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Edited by arnim zola
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(below is my submission for the contest. sorry i didnt get any packaging shots. they somehow got tossed during some cleaning i did! will not make that mistake again. biggrin.png )

Anti-Sinister Six Spider-Man & Mysterio - TRU Exclusive: Wave 19

A Toys 'R' Us set featuring our favorite wall-crawler and a master of illusions. There have been many versions of one character, and one of the other. Lets take a look and see how they compare to the previous figures!

Packaging

The box is the standard windowed box that has become the norm for the Marvel line of Minimates. It features the control art bust shots and the names of each character below the window, as well as showing the control art for each figure on their respective sides. The back has a group shot of each figure, as well as character bios for the figures appearing in this set.

The Figures

Anti-Sinister Six Spider-Man

Spider-Man's greatest foes have a habit of teaming up against
him. After his last tangle with the Sinister Six, Peter Parker developed
a new suit of armor he could use against them.

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The suit that this figure is based on is from the story arc "The Ends of the Earth" which had a dying Doc Ock trying to take revenge on everyone by destroying the planet in his final villainous plot. He gathered up a new Sinister Six team and gave them all different improvements to their equipment. In order to battle it out with them, Spidey came up with this suit.

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The figure itself is a very good depiction of the armor from the comic. The helmet has nice gray line details along it, and the eyes are very sharp and defined. The line details are continued to his chestcover which features a big, angular spider design on the front. He also features a pair of sculpted gauntlets and standard feet.

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Spider-Man doesn't have any accessories this time around, but underneath the helmet and armor are tampos so you can display him two ways. The face looks great, with a concerned look on Peter's face. The skin doesn't quite match what's on the chest block, but that's a very minor complaint. The back of the chestblock also features a red version of the spider logo that was on the armor.

He also comes with the clear base that's become standard for Minimates these days.

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All in all, he's a great figure that will make an excellent addition to an already large collection of Spidey suits.

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Mysterio

The illusionist and criminal Quentin Beck has faked his death
numerous times, but he has always resurfaced to menace
Spider-Man, either on his own or as a member of the Sinister Six.

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This is the second Mysterio we've had, and I'm really thankful since the first seems to be a hot commodity these days!

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They used the same sculpts for his cape and gloves, which is great because they were perfect the first time around. The detailing on the inside of Mysterio's cape is fantastic, which makes it a shame that they haven't been able to use it for any other characters. He has lines going all along his body, however these don't go around to the back of his chest block, waist, or legs -- which don't have them on the inner side either. As he'll be wearing his cape most of the time, this isn't a huge concern.

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The main difference between this and the previous figure was the decision to change the bright green feet and hands to gold, as well as the cape being a darker purple. In addition, the hands are separate from the sculpted glove pieces, and allows easy positioning. His head is more translucent, which gives it a bit more of a "crystal ball" look. For an accessory, a clear magical base was included which is a re-use of the one from the "Strange Tales" Dr. Strange.

As with Spider-Man, included is a clear display base if you don't feel like using the magic one.

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I didn't rate the figures since I think reviews are very subjective thing, and that mileage will very from person to person. What I hope is that someone makes a decision from what I describe the figure as, rather than a number I assign.

Thanks for reading!

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Marvel 'Best Of' Wave 3

Luke Cage Power Man and Dragon Attack Iron Fist

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Well, it’s been about 10 years since we’ve seen this

pairing of minimates, but Power Man and Iron Fist are

finally back together again. You may remember the last

time these two teamed up waaaaaaay back in 2004 for

the Chicago Wizard World exclusive. Both minimates

appeared in their classic 70’s duds. This time around,

we’re getting modern incarnations of this classic

team-up as part of the 3rd ‘Best Of’ wave.

Packaging

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This is the standard, expanded window box that we’ve

gotten for the last few waves of Marvel minimates. The

front features the character concept art, and the back

shows us a group shot of the whole wave, as well as

the standards biographies.
Through the window, we can see some of the many,

many extras included in this set.

The Figures

Luke Cage Power Man

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Luke has come among way since his debut in 1972,

as an angry man in a silk disco shirt and what can only

be described as a man's tiara. In the years since his

first outing, he’s been a Hero for Hire, a New Avenger,

a Thunderbolt and Mighty Avenger.

The version we see here is Luke’s Thunderbolts-era

costume (although he also wears something almost

identical in Mighty Avengers).

The look is basically just blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt,

but he’s got chunky gauntlets and a big belt (re-used

from X-Factor Iceman) to make him look a bit more

super-heroic.

Luke%20Cage%202.jpg

He also comes with an alternate head with sunglasses

on, a beanie and a leather jacket so that you can dress

him up in a more civilian look if that’s your thing.

Unfortunately, his mouth looks to be an identical design

to the other head, rather than a new design.

There’s also clear flying stand included so that he can

deliver a mean fly-kick, or some jumping jacks!

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With bright, clean paint aps, and everything you need

for an alternate look, there’s not much more one could

ask for. If you’re looking for a modern Power Man, this

is it.

MMC Score - 9 out of 10
____________________________________________


Dragon Attack Iron Fist

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In the age of variants, coming up with a catchy name

not only helps to sell a minimates to the masses, it also

helps rabid, completionist fans (like yours truly)

differentiate one minimate from a previous incarnation.
Enter: Dragon Attack Iron Fist. Ok, so to be fair - this is

only the 3rd minimate rendition of Iron Fist, so figuring

out which version we’re talking about is not as hard as

it would be with an Iron Man minimate.

This look is very similar to the Shadowland figure from

wave 38, except that his sleeves only go to his elbows

now, and the colours are much, much brighter.

In fact, the mask is the same piece. Most of the pieces

in the 'Best Of' waves seem to be re-used sculpts, but

they all seem to have been employed to great effect.

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As with Power Man, Danny has an alternate look. and

a heap of accessories. Aside from the Flame base we

first saw with the Human Torch, Danny comes with wrist

and fist bandages, energy balls for his hands, an

alternate blonde hair-piece and a bare-chested torso

block so that you can recreate his look from the

Immortal Iron Fist series by David Aja and Travel Foreman.

IronFist3.jpg

My figure had a couple of little paint drips on it, but over-

all everything is very crisp and the colours are very

bright, and the tampos all line up quite nicely.
This is a great alternative to the wave 38 version for

people who like their minimates to look a bit less 'gritty

and real' and a bit more comic-booky.

MMC Score - 9 our of 10.

Fly%20Kick.jpg

Agree? Disagree? Why not vote for yourself below, or

comment further over at the

Minimate Multiverse MMC Review Forum.

Review and pictures by Nessex.

Edited by Nessex
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