Review - Lil' Zelfs Green House Tea House Set

"The Zelfs"' initial wave of toys (released in late summer of 2013) received an A+ in my books (click here to see my full review of the medium Zelfs and the Venus Flytrap Spin Salon playset). Colorful, collectible, well-made, and affordable, they came out of nowhere and surprised me as one of my favorite new franchises. As such, I was eager to add more of Zardenia (the fictional dwelling-place of these elvish creatures) to my collection, and readily purchased this set when it popped up on sale at TRU.

The "Lil' Zelfs Green House Tea House" is the perfect "starter pack" if you're just getting into collecting these minis. "Lil' Zelfs" are ordinarily sold blind-bag style, in small plastic flowerpots that provide little to no indication as to which character or variant you're buying. The Tea House gives you a sure-thing; 18 figurines, all fully-visible and guaranteed to be the same in every set. And for collectors, a bonus: 5 of the included characters are glow-in-the-dark Lil' Zelfs, which are not available elsewhere. It's a great value... Individually packaged Lil' Zelfs (with flowerpots) retail at around $2.99 USD each. True, the adorable flowerpots aren't included with the Green House Tea House, but you do get 18 figures for $20-$30. Not bad at all.

Here are the contents of the box: 18 Lil' Zelfs in a variety of styles, or "finishes" (5 glow-in-the-dark, 4 pearlescent, 4 glitter, and 5 standard), a flat cardboard backdrop and overlay, and a standard leaflet. The cardboard pieces constitute the "house" element of the set. They make a nice backdrop to display the included Zelfs with, but to be clear, there are no accessories, furnishings, etc.... This is more of a deluxe gift set than a doll house.

First, the exclusives. Here are the "Glowtastic"  Lil' Zelfs: Elfa, Angelala, Mermalade, Flamy, and Lunanne. The glow-in-the-dark plastic gives them a lovely, semi-transparent look, making this the most unique "finish".

The "pearlescents": Angelala, Elfa, Vampula, and Pega Sue.

The "glitters": Pega Sue, Mermalade, Buttershy, and Spellinda. The glitter is VERY securely applied! I haven't noticed any shedding whatsoever, even after lots of handling.

The "standards": Spellinda, Buttershy, Vampula, Flamy, and Lunanne.

For those unfamiliar with Lil' Zelfs, they are about half the height of a medium Zelf, standing at around 1 1/2" in the body, with approximately 3" of hair. Their legs are partially hollowed out, so that they can be used as pencil toppers. They feature no articulation.

I was surprised by how much detail has been put into these tiny figurines! The sculpts do not fall short, and manage to capture the same cute, quirky appeal of the larger Zelfs. The wings (for those characters that need them) are made in a separate mold from the body, out of a soft (aka: unbreakable), translucent, glitter-infused plastic. This appears to be the same material used for the medium and large Zelfs' wings. Unlike their taller counterparts, Lil' Zelfs tend to have a single hair color. The exception is Pega Sue, whose wild mane features an even mix of green and pink. The eyes are black with white "glints", and are neatly painted on.

Bottom Line: This is a great (and economic) way to get a diverse collection of Lil' Zelfs without risky "mystery buying". Perfect for a child or a collector who's fed up with paying for duplicates. There are 9 different characters included, with 2 finishes of each character, adding up to 18 figures in all. Scour the online market for Howlette, Garny, and Lil' D, and you'll have the full cast (as of yet there is no "Lil' Miss Clover").The set retails at around $30 USD; I managed to get mine on sale for $20 at TRU.

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Review - Funko My Little Pony Vinyl Figure: Spitfire

Spitfire is one of my favorite characters in all of the MLP universe--who doesn't love a drill sergeant pony?--but I had long since given up on seeing her released as anything more than a blind bag figurine. I was drooling over fanmade customs and considering whipping out some model paints and a "bait" pony myself, when I spotted this... A full-sized Funko vinyl figure... of SPITFIRE.

Naturally, this was my reaction:

SO AWESOME!!!

Needless to say, I keep better tabs on upcoming MLP releases now. ...At any rate, I waited eagerly for my TRU order to arrive. When it did, I was pleased to find that many of the issues present in the first wave of Funko MLPs had been addressed. Seams are neater and less obvious, there's virtually no discoloration, and the plastic-y odor that plagued a percentage of the Wave 1's is completely absent. (Note: The plastic-y smell DID FADE ENTIRELY from my older Funko ponies after they were removed from their packaging and left to sit out for a few days. Still, it's nice that newer releases don't have to deal with it to begin with.)

Aside from manufacturing improvements, I have to say that this is probably the most detailed Funko MLP to date. Spitfire is portrayed in her full Wonderbolts uniform, complete with detailing and beautifully sculpted goggles.

Spitfire's mane and tail are new sculpts, whereas her head (with the additions of new eye shapes and goggles), body, and wings are made from Funko's generic MLP molds. As always, the sculpting is spot-on and I can't honestly find any fault in it. This Spitfire is a very faithful representation of the character, from the shape and volume of her mane to the positioning of her goggles' strap.

Paint apps for the mane and tail are just about perfect! Very nice and neat, with no discoloration or bleeding. The yellow "highlights" should really be more orange, but the color's not too far off. All in all, an excellent job.

Spitfire's eyes, ears, muzzle, goggles' strap, and costume details are painted over her blue base color. These apps are fairly clean all around; there are specks out of place here and there, but nothing major.

The paint apps on the Wonderbolts uniform fall just a little short. The lightning designs on the cuffs only wrap about halfway around each hoof, rather than forming a circle, and the uniform's yellow section ends at the bottom of the chest, rather than spanning the length of the belly. The "cutie mark" lightning bolt is only applied on the display (right) side, but this is true of every G4 pony. None of these issues are very noticeable while the figure is displayed, only if examined hands-on.

Spitfire's eyes are designed to resemble her early appearance in S1:E26 "The Best Night Ever", where she is chatting with other party-goers and looks casual and at ease.

Spitfire looks 20% cooler when displayed with Funko's Rainbow Dash! ;D

Here's a comparison between Spitfire's seams and those of the earlier Rainbow Dash figure. While Wave 1's imperfections were never significant enough to be deal-breakers for me, it's nice to see the line improving. :)

Bottom line: A great step forward for Funko MLP collectibles. If you liked the other ponies in this series, you'll be pleased to see the line expanding and improving. While not perfect, I found Spitfire to be well-worth her $14.99 USD price tag. :) And come on... it's SPITFIRE! You know your FiM collection won't be complete without her. ;)

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Titan Heroes 12" Action Figures - Marvel's The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor) Review

Hasbro's "Titan Heroes" line of 12" action figures are, in the best possible sense, a dose of nostalgia. They remind me of the old Mego figures of the 1970s in a way, albeit with 21st century detail. They're big, durable, kid-friendly, and collector-friendly too. :) Perhaps best of all, they only cost about as much a modern 3.75" action figure. I bought all four of mine on sale at TRU for $8.50 USD each, and even their normal retail of $12.99 seems like a steal this day and age.

These figures have a good weight to them, though they're obviously not solid all the way through... At any rate, I don't see them cracking or losing a hand if they fall off of a shelf or get stepped on. :) They also stand very easily on their own, which is a huge bonus!

Body sculpts are EXCELLENT overall, especially considering the price. I honestly had a hard time capturing all of the detail in these photos; they're quite stunning. The head sculpts are good... one just has to remember that these are not Hot Toys or NECA collector's items, and not have unrealistic expectations for a $12 toy. Paint apps are kept to a minimum, but nothing is glaringly absent, and what's there is very well done.

Articulation is limited, though this does lend itself to a smoother sculpt. The figures' arms can turn full-circle, their legs can move forwards (into an awkward sort of "sitting" position), and their heads appear to be on ball joints, though the range of motion is severely limited by the bulk of both head and neck. Captain America's, Hulk's, and Thor's hands can be turned, as well.

The boxes were actually a joy to open. Cut one piece of tape, pull out a couple of tabs, loosen a tie or two, and voila- deboxed! Not to mention, there is basically no damage done to the packaging in the process... In the photo below, two of the figures have been removed completely from their packaging and then re-boxed (ties and all). Can you tell which ones? :)

The answers are: Iron Man and Hulk. I impatiently opened them before taking NiB photos. XD

Although all four boxes bear the "Avengers Initiative" logo, only Captain America's and Hulk's have the large "Avengers Assemble" banners along the bottom. Iron Man and Thor instead feature images and text promoting Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, respectively. Humorously, neither of the figures sport their new looks from these latest films; no Mark XLII armor for Iron Man, and no stubble or longer tunic for Thor.... They instead keep their "Avengers" looks, verifying that these four figures were designed as a set. I'm grateful for this, as they look great on display together!

Captain America

Cap's sculpt is superb, even going so far as to include the seams and piping of his costume. Paint apps here are probably the best of the line.

Cap's shield slides neatly over the top of his right fist, and actually stays in place! It doesn't scratch anything, either, and comes off without a fight. Very well done! Plus, even the interior of the shield is detailed.

Iron Man

NOTE: Some retailers have been listing this figure as having "electronic" and/or "light-up" features. The Titan Heroes Iron Man DOES NOT have any electronic features of any kind. These claims are a retailer error.

Iron Man is probably my favorite of the line, though it's a tough choice. Complete with metal-tone paint apps and a coat of glaze that leaves him glossier than his three comrades, this toy looks like it should be in a far higher price bracket. They all do, really, but Iron Man stands out most of all.

The sculpts for both head and body are very nice. Additional paint apps might have accentuated the little details further, but that would no doubt have pushed this figure beyond the budget.

Every now and then, I stop and think about how grateful I am for the advances made in toy manufacturing. In the 90s, Iron Man figures (alongside "Beast Era" Transformers) were one of the most common casualties of the dreaded vacuuform-chroming boom. When I blink, I can still see the tacky, chipping chrome of my childhood collection. Thankfully, times are better for the Iron Men, Transformers, and Silver Surfers of today. Now there's classy-looking metallic paint and glaze. Neither of which flake off like futuristic dandruff when you touch them.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the boot-jets, though obviously hidden while the figure is standing, have indeed been included in the sculpt.

Hulk

At nearly twice the breadth of the other figures, Hulk is the only one in the line to necessitate a larger box. I was impressed by the detail put into the sculpt... Hulk's bulging muscles and veins look pretty realistic (well, as realistic as supersized, gamma-radiated, green muscles can look).

 Most importantly, they remembered the carefully stitched pockets on Hulk's super-durable purple pants. ;)

Thor

The sculpt here does not disappoint. Thor's armor mimics the look of leather surprisingly well, with slight folds and wrinkles included in the sculpt for realism. Even hems are visible! It's a shame that only the studs on the front of Thor's tunic got the metallic treatment... Silver would certainly have suited the helmet and arm mail better than the glazed, light-gray plastic that is used instead. Perhaps chipping and/or scratching would have been an issue?

Thor's cape (the only cloth piece in the entire line) is made of a short-pile faux suede. The fabric is fray-proof and emulates the appearance of velvet. Unfortunately, it wrinkled a bit in the packaging, but nothing a little ironing can't sort out. :) The cape is tucked into the joining seam of the shoulder mold, and is not removable.

 Thor's trusty hammer, Mjolnir, fits snugly in his open right hand. I also found that he can hold it by the strap, which, though flexible, is stiff enough to support the hammer's weight and keep it from falling.

Bottom Line: Awesome action figures, awesome price. These are perfect for kids and collectors alike! I look forward to seeing more from this line in the future, and I'm especially holding out hope for some villains (Loki, please!). The flaws are few and far between, and even these are pretty minor. At the price, how can you go wrong?

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Monster High: 13 Wishes - Haunt the Casbah Abbey Bominable (Walmart Exclusive) Review

The final release of Monster High's "13 Wishes" line, "Haunt the Casbah" Abbey was officially revealed at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con. She is Walmart's third exclusive Abbey Bominable doll (preceded by 2012's "Ghoul's Rule" and "Dot Dead Gorgeous" releases of the character). This marks the first Abbey doll to feature curly or wavy hair.

She includes a straddle stand (identical to Catty Noir's), a "magic lantern", a standard MH brush, and a trading card. I'm divided over the straddle stands... On one hand, they're far less visible than the old waist stands, on the other they're not as stable and this limits posing. In the case of the "Haunt the Casbah" line however, straddle stands are absolutely necessary; normal MH waist stands would be unusable due to the chunky belts worn by the majority of the dolls.

Abbey's outfit is excellent quality. None of the fabrics are "cheap", and the level of detail is impressive. I particularly love all of the gold detailing on the overskirt; it almost looks hand-painted! My one complaint is that it's hard to make the collar of her dress lay flat (see above photo). Overall, she's very accurate to both the box art and her animated counterpart in "13 Wishes".

Abbey's hair is certainly not the mane of tight, corkscrew curls featured in her artwork, but it's lovely in its own right. The doll's actual hair features gentler curls and a more relaxed do. This is an understandable divergence, as a doll with the elaborate styling featured on the box art would likely have to carry a much heftier pricetag than $20 USD. There's no feeling of cut corners, though! The curls are nice and neat, and the hair has plenty of thickness and volume. All in all, very well done.

Her normally white locks feature a rich, platinum-blonde hue in this release, complimented with gold tinsel. The "aurora colored" highlights are individually twisted and wrapped around her scalp, headband-style, ending in a splash of colorful curls that beautifully accent the rest of her hair.

If you own a few Abbeys already, you've probably noticed another major difference with the "Casbah" version's hair... Her usual straight, stiff tinsel has been substituted with a more "Cleo-style" variety. This is likely because the tinsel used for previous Abbey dolls would have been too inflexible to be put into curls or waves.

The jewelry pieces for the "Haunt the Casbah" dolls have been some of my faves of any Monster High release. :) Abbey's are ice-themed, and include a necklace, earrings, choker, headband, wrist cuffs, and belt, all sculpted and chromed. Some of the smaller pieces feel rather fragile (they aren't flexible or rubbery at all, so be careful!), but I haven't had any breaks.

In keeping with the rest of the dolls in this line, Abbey wears platform sandals with metallic-gold wedges. The straps are cast in an opaque, pearlescent material, and gleam like ice! Much prettier than the transparent plastic shown in the stock photos. :)

 The lantern (which shares a mold with the other "Haunt the Casbah" dolls' lanterns) seems to be made of the same shimmery plastic as Abbey's sandal straps. It opens up to reveal a small storage space that might be good for MH jewelry or small trinkets. :)

Bottom line: "Haunt the Casbah" Abbey makes a worthy addition to a Monster High collection. There are some minor flaws (still trying to get that collar to stay down), but quality is very good overall. Glitter and tinsel are used tastefully and appropriately, and the end result is a beautiful doll that skillfully dodges the "tacky" bullet. Plus, accessories for the "Casbah" line are some of the nicest so far (in my humble opinion). :)

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