Kool Kollectibles content

16 Nov 2022

Super7 Thundercats Ultimates Cheetara

Super7 delays in releasing their figures are infamous in the collecting community now. They lived up to that bad reputation with the release of Cheetara. There was definitely some controversy around the changes made to her design from the initial promotional photos.

In the end, the changes aren't too big of an issue for me. But click through the link below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.


Packaging is the usual nice Super7 style. I still hate the way in which the figures are tied into the clamshell, which has a tendency to damage the figure. Mine always come with some sort of paint flaking due to rubs against the packaging, or in some cases even damage to the figure's plastic itself. For Cheetara, there was some minor damage, but luckily in locations that are not too obvious.


Out of the box, the set does come with a decent array of accessories. The swap out head sculpts are nice, but all pretty much use the same expression. Instead of just changes to the hair, I would've preferred an expression that is more action oriented, like some sort of snarl.

Articulation is OK, but not great, and I do wish there was perhaps more of a waist swivel instead of just the upper torso. You're definitely not going to get the great articulation and style that you get from the likes of S.H.Figarts or Storm Collectibles.

The knee and elbow range isn't that great, but at least she can get into her classic cartoon intro pose with the staff. The staff is pretty much the only accessory I remember and will use. All the other accessories I don't even remember from the cartoon, and will really just end up in my box of random spare accessories.


Together with the other core members of the team, I think they all scale pretty well. The paint application across all the figures is OK, but again nothing great. Cheetara doesn't look as plasticky as Tygra, which is a positive.

In the end, it's just great to be able to feed my nostalgia with some more characters from the cartoons I loved growing up. She fits in quite well, and now I just hope they also release WilyKit and WilyKat!

18 Oct 2022

Tweeterhead Hordak's minion

Tweeterhead took over the reins from Sideshow for their Legends series of Masters of the Universe statues. And they have done a fantastic job. Their Hordak statue was beautiful, and this Minion companion piece is just as nice.

Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel too for upcoming statue reviews!

The set comes with a separate base that needs some simple assembly to attach the Minion on its perch. The only part of the statue that I think requires care is the end of the tail. I think mine has a tiny break where the end of the tail does not finish in a sharp end. The very tip may have snapped off in the packaging, but luckily it's not too noticeable.


Other than that, everything else about the Minion is perfect. The sculpting from all angles is beautifully done, with great details in the skin texture. I like the pose too, where it appears to be reaching down with one arm to give it a bit of dynamism. The paint application overall is very nicely done too. The base has a nice metallic sheen to the silver, and complements the Hordak base perfectly. 


The paint on the Minion itself really brings out the details in the sculpt. It has great shades of red, browns, and blacks. The texture on the wings looks nice, with a leathery sheen to the paint, and gradations in the shading that make it look almost transluscent. The finger tips at the ends of the wings look great too with the shiny black claws. 


The ridges on the back look great to give that dragon-esque style, and the darker paint brings out the details against the mostly red back. The head sculpt is fantastic, with gorgeous yellow eyes that have a nice sheen to them. The mouth and tongue also have a good sheen, and the teeth are appropriately dirty. The open mouthed snarl is perfect in this pose.

As you can see below, this Minion really is the perfect companion piece to the Hordak. When it was first announced, I actually thought it was going to be some blue variant of Imp. But I'm glad they went with this interpretation of the Minion, which is more similar to the piece that came with the Hordak from the MOTU Classics line of 6" figures. I think it suits this more mature, modern aesthetic of this series of statues.

I hope Tweeterhead continue their great work in this series. I already have the incredible Mer-Man and Trap Jaw statues preordered. I think Sorceress and Beastman have also been teased with some 3D renders. I am hoping to also see Man-At-Arms and TriKlops. Then I think I'd be content to have all the core cast of MOTU characters I loved as a kid.


18 Sept 2022

Transformers acrylic logo stands

These Transformers acrylic logos were some E-Hobby exclusive in Japan, and I couldn't work out any arrangement to get them shipped to Australia from Japan. So the only option was for me to order from Big Bad Toy Store, which certainly had their significant markup due to that exclusivity.

Click below to check out my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

The acrylic used is of good quality, and they stand quite sturdily. They're not that big, so not really worth the money to be honest. But they look damn good on display with the G1 Masterpiece figures, so the cost sort of gets forgotten after a while 😀


They definitely add that extra display pizzaz in the cabinet with the figures. Almost adds that extra bit of authenticity with that throwback to the original toy artwork. I love it, but do wish the price was lower so that I could get more of them!

They came out in Japanese writing too, but I stuck with the English classic style. Either way, if you can get them from Japan, you'll probably save quite a lot, but otherwise BBTS is an albeit costly option.


Tweeterhead Teela Exclusive Masters of the Universe

Ever since Sideshow started their modern interpretation of the iconic Masters of the Universe statue series, I was hoping that they would go deep into the character list. There are just so many characters for which I have lots of nostalgia due to the 80s cartoon series. That's what happens when you watch that stuff every weekend and after school!

Sideshow stopped their series and handed over to the folks that they were collaborating with over at Tweeterhead. And thank god they did, because Tweeterhead continue to do some awesome work! The statue releases are still few and far between, but each one is just too good for me to pass up!

This recent Teela statue is no exception. Click the link below to see my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to like and subscribe to stay tuned for more reviews coming up on the channel.


Box art and contents are as you'd expect for this 1/5th scale. Everything is well protected and secured in the foam packaging. I love that they included two swap out head sculpts, and they actually make more of a difference that I thought they would (more on that later).

The set also comes with two swap out weapons. The standard version includes only the sword, which is made of metal and is beautifully detailed. Be careful of the base of the blade where it connects to the hilt. There were reports that this can separate from the hilt, and it's difficult to glue back in a stable manner.

The hilt has a peg that insets into the blade, and mine did have a bit of movement but not enough to separate. Either way, just be careful, because the weight of the metal blade does make it more fragile at that connection point.




Once all the separate pieces are connected, she looks absolutely gorgeous. As I mentioned before, she comes with two swap out head sculpts. The core part of the beautiful face is the same, with the key difference being her hair. One shown below has her hair up in the style similar to the classic cartoon. This actually gives her a more mature, almost regal appearance. I prefer this head sculpt over the second which is shown further below, because I like the mix of original cartoon styles with this more modern interpretation of the characters.

The base is a gorgeous stair case in the style that Sideshow used for the original He-Man statue. The hue of the green of the Castle Grayskull stone is a pretty good match. I also love the purple slimy tentacles emerging from the depths of the castle too, with that glassy orangish eye peering out. It all comes together for a great sturdy base to the statue that doesn't overpower the main point of interest.


The shield she wields in her left hand is also nicely molded and painted, with nice details. The gold highlights bring out the pattern, and it has just a scattering of weathering. Her overall outfit doesn't have too much weathering either, but the boots have a touch.

The outfit itself I think fits this style beautifully. It has that iconic style from the cartoon, with just enough tweaks for that modern, more mature, style too. It's different to Sideshow's original Evil-Lyn, which is great. I'm glad that they didn't go too far in trying to cover her up, since that classic Teela look is her in her white and gold leotard. The gold highlights across the left shoulder and chest are nicely sculpted and painted, and complement the sculpted fur on her right shoulder and back.


The second head sculpt has her hair in a pony-tail, which gives her a more youthful appearance. Both are gorgeous sculpe, and both have that subtle makeup on her face that isn't too over-bearing. Really, either sculpt looks great, but I'll be displaying her with the updo.

The exclusive version swap out piece is the Staff of Ka. It's not made of metal, but has a great curling design with the cobra twirled all the up. The gold paint application is also nicely done. It's a complete swap out arm at the shoulder, so not just a swap out hand. Some people reported having issues where the gap at the shoulder was more noticeable, but the seam on mine was fine.


The styling of the pose is both sexy and purposeful, and looks great from any angle. It's reminiscent of the She-Ra pose, but I'm glad she's looking in the opposite direction. The skin tone is nice, and has enough subtle shading to bring out the musculature detail.

No matter where or how you display this statue, it's going to draw lots of attention and raise conversation. It's what every great statue piece should do!


I think Tweeterhead have done a fantastic job in keep this series of statues going. I loved Masters of the Universe as a kid, and this modern interpretation by Sideshow and Tweeterhead have kept that love going.

I have their Mer-Man preordered, with that exclusive coming later this year from Sideshow. Luckily they announced Trap Jaw with no exclusive, so all the swap out parts are standard. This definitely saved a lot of money by preordering from Popultcha, which is the Australian partner of Sideshow. That Trap Jaw looks absolutely incredible, so I cannot wait to add more henchmen to the collection!

All I hope for is an announcement for Man-At-Arms, Sorceress, Beast Man, and Tri-Klops to be released, and then I can die happy! 😀


16 Jul 2022

Since I have the original release of the Hot Toys Marty McFly, I thought I could pass on the more recent release with Einstein. But since they also announced the Doc Brown in his radiation suit, and included Einstein with this release, I just couldn't resist.

Click the link below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. I do a comparison with the previous release, and there is a suprising number of differences. There are pros and cons both ways, but I think fans who missed out on the original will be pretty happy with this release.

Packaging comes with a decent array of accessories, many of which are from the original release. Major accessory missing from that original release are the sunglasses, as well as the guitar. But I think they pretty much included everything else.

As shown in my video review, there are some slight differences in the backpack as well. But the main differences really come through when looking at the figure's outfit.


The material used for this release has a finer texture to it, and I think it makes the figure look more refined. The original outfit has a denim texture that is perhaps a bit too coarse in this 1/6th scale. It still looks pretty nice, and some of the stitching I prefer. But the finer texture in the jeans and denim jacket look maybe a tad more realistic here.

The head sculpt itself is another obvious difference with the original figure. The expression is similar, and the hair on this new release doesn't ride so high. But I think the hair is a little too flat in its paint app, missing the highlights that would avoid making it look like a chunk of brown plastic.

The skin texture is also a different shade to the original figure, and is more realistic too. Overall, displayed with Einstein and the camcorder, it does look like a great representation of the scene from the carpark in Back to the Future.

I can't wait to see how Radiation Suit Doc Brown turns out, as well as the BTTF3 versions of Doc and Marty too. I'm glad that Hot Toys is still interested in making variants from those movies to give fans something a bit different from the usual Marvel and Star Wars fare.


15 Jul 2022

Super7 Thundercats Tygra and Mumm-Ra The Everliving

There's been so many delays for these latest Super7 Thundercats releases, so I'm just glad they finally arrived! My Mumm-Ra did come with a pretty bad QC issue, but luckily BBTS has already sent me a replacement!

Click through below to watch the video reviews over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure if subscribe too and stay tuned for more reviews 😃



9 Jun 2022

Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization Mandalorian and Grogu

The Bandai Movie Realization series of Samurai-based Star Wars characters has been a bit of a slow burn of late. Not many new molds are being released, and it was really a given that they were going to release another Mandalorian figure.

But this time with Grogu to pay homage to the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series, this release has turned out pretty great! Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and stay tuned for more upcoming reviews! Scroll on down for more written thoughts and photos.

The set comes with a decent array of accessories, with my favourite definitely being the little Grogu himself. The cute little man bun hair do is just awesome! The figure articulates a little bit, but the joints are pretty tight so be careful. It also fits easily within the egg shaped baby carrier, that then also fits nicely in the wooden styled pram.

The pram is really nicely detailed, with the bamboo and wood having a pretty realistic mold and paint application. The wheels also move, and Mando himself has a couple of swap out hands that can hold the handles of the pram. Together, it really does make a great homage to the manga series.

Rounding out the accessories with his pistol, long rifle, wakizashi, and jet pack, it's a pretty complete set that goes great with his new beskar armour style.


For this beskar release, there are some aspects that are new and unique to this figure, but of course there are aspects of reuse from the previous Mandalorian and Fett figures. But the beskar armour paint application is nicely down, with some good weathering and black wash to bring out the sculpted details in the armour.

Articulation wise, it's pretty consistent with previous figures in the series. However, I do hate the new big ball joints in the elbows, that stick out badly when compared to the previous designs. I think they started using the ball joints at the elbow with the release of the First Order Stormtrooper, and it really is a step back from the original elbow design. I have no idea why they would make this sort of design change.


Compared with the previous Mandalorian figure, it's still a solid figure. Both look great in their own right, but I do have to say the original one does suit this Samurai style better. The previous figure also has the original elbow design, so I would say I prefer that figure.

But the new figure looks great, especially with the little Grogu and pram. I think fans of the show and the Mandalorian style will love either figure. It's pretty pricey at the moment, but I'd get in quickly now before it sells out and prices start to skyrocket.


27 May 2022

Transformers Masterpiece MP-55 Nightbird Shadow

There was quite a bit of controversy with the MP-51 Arcee release, specifically around a certain part of her anatomy. It was all pretty ridculous to me, but it was surprising when Takara announced an Arcee mold variant for this MP-55 Nightbird!

It's rare in this Masterpiece series when a variant figure is actually better than the original figure. But this Nightbird release is just that, with some retools that really enhance the overall design in its favour. Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel, or read on further below for more thoughts!


This set comes with a slew of accessories to suit her ninja origins. The black glossy guns are repaints of the original figure, but it is a shame the long rifle is not included. Instead, we get a slew of transluscent weapon attachments that can be attached in either car or bot mode.

The yellow blade and lightsaber styled swords are a little clunky for me, and I won't be using them. But the sais fit nicely on the forearms in bot mode, which also gives a throw back to the G1 cartoon episode too.

The car mode and paint app is very nice. The glossy black is as gorgeous as ever, and the slightly metallic gun metal grey makes for a nice contrast. What does annoy me a little is the use of the transluscent yellow for the windshield. In keeping with other black Decepticon repaints, it would've looked so much better if they had used a transluscent purple instead.


But for me, it's the bot mode where this one shines. I love the retooling to change the design of the torso and forearm detail, as well as that chest piece. The biggest factor changing the illusion of too low a chest is the new chin guard on the head sculpt. That chin guard fills the awkward slope of the neck to chest piece, and filling that gap makes all the difference in the world.

Add to that the ability to remove the mouth cover to reveal the sex doll face, you pretty much get all the pose options that juvenile Japanese collectors love! 😂 I have to say, that face, and the general excellent poseability of the figure, really does make it stand out amongst the Decepticon figures in the series!


Compared to the origninal Arcee figure, I think the overall design just suits this character more. I never had any issue with the design of the Arcee figure myself, and still think it's the best looking Arcee in this scale for that cartoon aesthetic.

But the paint app and style of the Nightbird repaint brings out the details in the mold. The joints are even more sturdy on mine, except for the torso joint that is a little loose. But she can get into all sorts of awesome ninja styled poses, and looks nice with the accessories based on other video reviews I've watched.


Together with the other black Decepticon repaints, the new Nightbird fits in beautifully! As I said earlier, I do wish it had a splash more purple. If it had the same purple windshield like the others, it would've been pretty much perfect! But either way, it's still a great repaint release by Takara, and I'm glad they were able to find a good use for the mold.


Transformers Masterpiece MP-53+ Senator Crosscut

Takara have release repaints of their figures for decades now, and I'm definitely stuck in the web of buying the Diaclone repaints in this Masterpiece series. I have no idea why I bought this recent Crosscut figure, considering I already have the Skids and Reboost variants. There's nothing particularly special about this repaint, but hey, I'm just Takara's bitch at this point with these Diaclone repaints!

Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe too to stay tuned for upcoming reviews 😀

The packaging and contents will be well familiar to Masterpiece collectors. It comes with the Motocompo scooter, this time in metallic silver. The chrome weapons are the same as with the previous figures, and still give off a very classic G1 toy vibe.


I'm still not sure why Takara numbered this release as MP-53+, when in fact it's a repaint of the MP-54 Reboost mold, not the MP-53 Skids mold. But I guess their numbering hasn't made sense for years now! Either way, the new metallic silver finish is very nice, although I would have preferred no Autobot insignia on the hood like Reboost.

I like the use of the blue tint in the windows that gives a bit more variation between the figures too. I think three versions of this particular mold will be enough for me, and is pretty much in keeping with my other Diaclone repaint figures.

The only other Diaclone repaint I'm still shocked they haven't released is the Black Ironhide version. No idea why they haven't done that, and after all these years I doubt they'll do it now. Hopefully a Hound repaint for Detritus comes out soon though!


In bot mode, you can clearly see it's an MP-54 repaint. The paint on the arms and thighs is nicely done, and it also has the nice painted highlights in the hips and lower legs. The accents bring out the detail in the mold, which is better in figures like this with an aesthetic that is more similar to the figures from the 2012 to 2015 era such as Prowl and Wheeljack.

This Honda City mold is definitely not one that suits the cartoon aesthetic of more recent figures, but still looks fantastic in amongst the whole Masterpiece collection. Now that Takara have just recently announced Trailbreaker, I am hoping Hoist is announced soon too. Then if only they would announce a Jazz and Mirage, I'd pretty much be able to die a happy Transformers collector 😂


Storm Collectibles Ultra Street Fighter 2 Zangief

It takes Storm Collectibles seemingly ages to release any figures from their Ultra Street Fighter 2 series, so any eventual release is an absolute must-buy for me. They teases both Zangief and Balrog together perhaps almost 2 years ago now, and Zangief finally released earlier this year. There's still no sight of a Balrog prototype, let alone an actual release, so fans like me will just have to keep waiting.

But as always, the wait is typically worth it. This Zangief release is fantastic! Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to stay tuned for upcoming reviews! 😀 

For those collecting the USF2 series, the contents will be familiar. I love the classic backdrop, which does seem to use a slightly sturdier card stock this time which avoids the creases. The special move accessories are also nicely done, in either the transluscent orange for his Double Lariat, or the green for his Banishing Flat.

I typically don't use those accessories in my display cabinet, but luckily they include a raft of swap out hands and head sculpts to give plenty of posing options. Unique to the USF2 series is the loser head sculpt, which I love. The various snarling and screaming sculpts also bring out the real character in Zangief too.


The figure itself is nicely made. Mine did not have too many paint blemishes, and the overall skin tone is pretty consistent across all aspects of the figure. The use of softer plastic in the torso is similar to the previous figures, and allows for great articulation in the shoulders too.

The waist and hip joints are a little squeaky, but not so tight that I thought something was going to be damaged. The softer plastic in the underwear does get caught a little at the leg join, but that can be futzed to either remove the folds or hide gaps.

All the other points of articulation work as well as they always have in this series. So there are plenty of options to get him into his iconic wrestling and super moves. Posed up with the other characters from the series (barring E.Honda who is from SF5), he complements the cast very well. The scale is great, being of the right bulkiness and a height just a bit shorter than Sagat. And that classic gaming style and paint app just gives me all that arcade gaming nostalgic goodness!


As I mentioned before, the USF2 series does great with the loser head sculpts. I realised I'd never actually posed all of them beaten up that way, so here they all are after a beating from Chun-Li! 😂

This series so far has been fantastic, and I really do hope Storm gives a bit of focus to at least get Chun-Li a variant in this series, as well as Balrog and M.Bison. In fact, it would be so great if they could just do the original core cast! But in the mean time, we'll all just have to wait and enjoy what we have so far.


8 May 2022

Lego Mandalorian Helmet set

Here's my quick look at the new Lego Mandalorian Helmet set. A much-improved version over the original Boba Fett set, with better proportions.


24 Apr 2022

Hot Toys TMS018 Captain Rex

I'm not a huge Clone Wars or Clone Trooper fan, and actually sold all my previous Sideshow Clone Commander figures a few years ago. But the recent Hot Toys Clone Troopers with head sculpts, namely Cody and Rex, looked too good for me to pass up.

The previous Cody was a nice figure, and this Captain Rex is no exception. Click through below to watch my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a thumbs-up, and subscribe too for all my latest videos.


The set is the usual Hot Toys packaging, with a decent array of accessories. If you have the Cody figure, then you'll be pretty familiar with what you get with Captain Rex. The biggest improvement for me over the older Sideshow figure is definitely the underlying body, as well as some of the fine detailing in the armour and weapons. Hot Toys really does know how to make some things look very realistic.


Of course the other massive improvement is in the unhelmeted headsculpt. The old Sideshow version was actually one of their better sculpts, but the Hot Toys paint application and fine sculpting really take it to another level. I dont't think there are any other companies out there that release the consistent high standard across so many releases like Hot Toys does.

The magnetic chest pouch and jetpack make for very easy assembly when decking out the figure. The shoulder pauldron seems to be very securely glued in place, whereas I thought the Sideshow version was more of a floating piece. Either way, it's not too big a deal, and the articulation is not really hindered in any way.

The articulation has the usual constraints due to armour suits like this. But you can still get some great action or static poses that are more realistic and organic than the older Sideshow figures. I wish Hot Toys would provide a hand sculpt that better holds the helmet, but you can make do with one of the more relaxed hands despite it being a little loose.


Posed up next to Cody, these two do look fantastic. I got the two to complement the prequel Obi-Wan and Anakin figures, and they'll look great in the cabinet. The head sculpt are similar, obviously as they're clones, but there's enough difference to still make them interesting.

I think these will be all the Clones I need in my collection, But for those getting all variants, I'm sure they'll look pretty amazing in any collection. Certainly with a whole army, these make for a great centerpiece in many Star Wars displays.


4 Apr 2022

Transformers Masterpiece MP-52+SW Skywarp

This new MP-52 Seeker mold has been pretty sensational with the quick release of Starscream and Thundercracker, and now Takara have completed the core trio with the release of Skywarp. I for one am grateful that Takara did not take years to release these three like they did with the MP-11 mold!

Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a thumbs up, and also subscribe to the channel to stay tuned for upcoming Masterpiece reviews!

Packaging and accessories are pretty much as per the previous MP-52 releases. I'm still disappointed that Takara did not include a Reflector camera accessory for the Seekers to hold, but included yet another Megatron gun. The paint app of that is still too dark I think, especially compared to the guns provided with the MP-11 mold (see my video for the comparison).

Either way, the inclusion of the base is nice for those that like to display in jet mode. The thruster effect accessories attach easily enough and look decent. The face plates are essentially the same as those provided for Thundercracker, although the paint app is more of a flat finish as opposed to the slightly metallic finish on Thundercracker. I actually like that there is the slight variance between the three characters.


There was a lot of discussion upon early photos of Skywarp pointing out the distinct change in the hue of the purple. Not just between the old figure, but also compared to many of the promotional photos from Takara. But what I noticed was that those same promotional photos had different colour timing depending on the source website of the images.

I found that the same images from Japanese retail sites showed the purple to be the same as the released figure, with a highly saturated purple that is high in contrast. But then other US based website and some HK based websites showed the promotional photos with a much more lilac-like hue more similar to the previous MP-11 colour.

From those promotional photos, I was actually looking forward to the lilac colour, as I thought it suited the cartoon matte finish of recent figures. Early in hand photos showed the purple having an almost blue colour to it, so I was quite disappointed.

But once I got the figure in hand, it's very strange that the colour to your own eyes appears different to how it appears in photos and videos! The colour in hand is actually very nice indeed, and makes the figure stand out much more than the lilac colour.


The difference in purple is even more apparent in bot mode, and I think it's gorgeous! It matches better with the darker purple with the MP-29+ Shockwave, and is a nice contrast against purple Decepticon diorama backdrops.

As with the other two MP-52 releases, the paint app overall is fantastic. The very dark grey paint over most of the figure gives a much more premium look than the plain unpainted black shiny plastic of the MP-11 version.

I also love the touch of teal on the kneecaps, and the nice lighter grey around the air intakes and torso. I didn't have too many paint defects on my copy, apart from a tiny scratch on his shoulder. So overall, I'm really happy with how Skywarp turned out.


In terms of build quality, I'd have to say that Takara has improved with each MP-52 release. The joints on Skywarp are firm, but not too tight. The plastic also feels more sturdy, and I did not have any issues with cracking at the base of the rear stabilisers or the ankles.

I think these three new Seekers really are the pinnacle of cartoon accuracy in the MP series. Just the organic aesthetic nature of the design, the magical way in which the legs and feet transform, and the nice poseability really make these shine on display. Yes the torso sequence to fold the jet mode cockpit into the chest is still a pain in the arse, but the final bot mode result is superb.

The paint app really make these three standout, especially from their far more plasticky MP-11 predecessors. If you're an MP collector and love the G1 cartoon, then I could not recommend these enough. Seeing these standing on your shelf will definitely bring out all that 80s cartoon nostalgia! Here's hoping they announce a new Soundwave figure soon in this new cartoon-accurate style!


3 Apr 2022

Hot Toys MMS543D33 Iron Man Mk85 Battle Damaged Version

I still can't believe that I preordered the Hot Toys MMS543D33 Iron Man Mk85 Battle Damaged diecast figure back in 2019. It's taken almost three years to arrive, but it's definitely worth the wait!

Click below to watch my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a thumbs up, and subscribe to the channel to stay tuned for all my upcoming videos. More pics and written thoughts below.


I did get the exclusive version from Sideshow, which comes with the holo shield. It has a pretty disappointing flimsy plastic quality to it, but apparently that's to reduce its weight so that the figure's arms can hold it up properly. Either way, I won't be displaying it like that in my cabinet, and it didn't cost any extra, so in the end it's not such a big deal to me.

The other accessories are decent, but I probably won't use many of these either apart from the base and the finger clicking nano gauntlet hand. I tried as many of the light up features as I could be bothered to. It's a pain in the arse getting the panels off and inserting the numerous batteries, so I just tried the helmet and the toros, and gave up on the rest. I don't really like the use of the electronic features in my display. To me, this figure was designed for a single pose, and we all know which one that is.


Once set up in that iconic pose, this figure just looks amazing. The head sculpt I think is fantastic, with a good likeness and the usual Hot Toys amazingly realistic paint application. Swapping it out initially was difficult, but the trick is really to pull the head sculpt down towards the chest and it removes quite easily.

The rest of the figure has some pretty great articulation to allow for the kneeling pose. The shoulder armour seems to be a different design to my other Iron Man figures, and is flexible enough to move out of the way to allow the arms to move freely.

The bicep armour has a nice feature where it can be raised out and up, which then gives more range of motion of the elbow. This allows for a pretty deep bend at the elbow for that finger snapping pose.


The figure looks pretty great from any angle. The battle damage on the armour, particularly from the front, looks decent to me. There were some complaints that the paint app was too flat or not detailed enough, but I think the battle damage comes across quite nicely. The red parts of the armour have a decent transition from shiny red to a more matte finish around the battle damaged areas.

It certainly goes well with the scarring and blood streaks on the head sculpt itself. You could use the detail helmeted head sculpt, but I think most collectors buying this will just use the unhelmeted sculpt.


Getting the figure into the kneeling pose is pretty straight forward. However, the figure does end up resting on the inner knee brace that is just a plastic piece to the side of either knee. I worried that this may bend or crack over time due to the weight. I was also concerned that the paint on the figure would react and be damaged by the paint on the base. This sort of chemical reaction occurred with the previous Hot Toys Robocop figure when it was placed seated in the Robocop chair.

Since I was paranoid about resting the figure on the knee braces, and damage to the paint over time, I decided to use a few small pieces of the black foam from the packaging as cushioning under the knees and ankles. I'm hoping that over time the black foam will prevent any damage to the knees.


Together with some other Iron Man diecast figures, it's clear that the scale was smaller with the earlier figures such as the Mk3. In comparison, the more recent Mk6 fits better in scale with the MK85. But I still love the Mk3, and display it on top of it's Hall of Fame styled base, which gives the illusion of increased height.


Together with the other Endgame figures such as Captain America and Thor, the trio definitely makes for a great centrepiece in the collection. I'll definitely be displaying them like the photo below in my glass cabinet. They're three great figures from perhaps the most iconic movie in the past decade.

I'm glad I've pretty much got all the figures I wanted from Infinity War and Endgame. I'll have to see how the rest of the MCU Phase 4 turns out before I decide on any further Marvel figures. But at least this core trio makes for a perfect MCU core cast for me!