He-Man [MOTU Core Class]

The new Masters of the Universe Core Class toys are pretty great, as I said when talking about that initial Skeletor figure a little while back. Now that the movie is here, the size class is hitting shelves hard with a really solid line of figures that I really enjoy.

I picked up the initial He-Man figure over Memorial Day weekend and can't put him down. It's a solid representation of Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man that looks pretty good. Like, it's a good representation of him that isn't a higher-priced Chronicles/Masterverse, or Mondo figure. This is literally the base model, and it's pretty nice. Decent paint, sculpting, and articulation.

Core Class is a lower-priced line, so He-Man only comes with his Power Sword as an accessory, but it's also nicely sculpted and can store on his back.

Like I said in the Skeletor post, I hope they include more than just the new movie characters in this line because it's perfect. I'd love to see original Masters of the Universe or New Adventures of He-Man characters done in this format.

As I'm writing this, the movie hasn't come out yet, but it will have by the time you read this. Hopefully opinions of the new film are as positive as these toys are.

I can't wait to get the Core Class Battle Cat to pair him with. These are so good that I'm not even thinking about Origins or Chronicles/Masterverse. I'd be more than happy to buy Mighty Masters and Core Class figures for my MOTU toy fix.

That's just me, not a flex... He-Man does enough of that on his own.

He-Man [Mighty Masters]

He's the most powerful man in the universe, he's He-Man! The main hero of Masters of the Universe of course is in the initial Mighty Masters series and looking great.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he doesn't have the same swinging arm gimmick Man-At-Arms and Beast Man have. Instead, he features a pull-back waist similar to the original Masters of the Universe figures! I had wrongly assumed the swinging arm gimmick was line wide and am very happy to see variety like this. Considering the size and price, I'm impressed they even included gimmicks.

He-Man, like the others, is a fairly decent reproduction (there's some differences) of the original toy in mini figure form. He's got his trademark Power Sword, which even has a little holster on the back of his hardly-there armor.

So here's where I make an admission. MOTU came out when I was very young... and I totally thought he was the bad guy at first. Yep, you heard me. I thought Skeletor was the good guy.

That first commercial featured a skull-faced castle with a skull-faced guy and some normal dude threatening him. To be fair, I was 4 and completely not listening to or comprehending the dialog. I also liked monsters, which clearly has never left my system.

Well, it didn't take me much longer to realize He-Man was the good guy and the army of Halloween decorations were the villains. Who knew?

Oh... yeah. This Mighty Masters figure of the apparently good guy is pretty great.

Man-At-Arms [Mighty Masters]

Like Beast Man, Man-At-Arms was one of the first MOTU toys I ever got, even before He-Man and Skeletor (my older brother got those). So I’ve always naturally gravitated towards him, just like with Beast Man. His inclusion in the initial batch of Mighty Masters was pretty obvious, and welcome too.

This is a pretty nice mini figure recreation of the original toy, with the addition of his mustache. That’s something that was lacking on the original figure, but ever since its addition in the cartoon, it’s been present ever since. I actually used to draw it on mine with a felt tip pen. I say used to because as a kid I had no clue the ink wouldn’t rub off and redid it multiple times. For a while, Duncan found himself with a variety of different colored mustaches... which, to be honest, would be awesome if he did that in fiction.

A neat thing I’m finding with this toy is how his armor piece rides high, allowing the face guard to partially cover his face. That was something usually featured in the earlier mini comics that I always thought was neat and normally doesn’t happen on his toys. In fact, I don’t think it’s even intended on this one and mine could possibly be defective. It’s not on any pictures I’ve seen of these guys online. If mine does have weirdly molded armor... it’s welcomed.

Like all Mighty Masters figures so far, he has the swinging arm gimmick, which works well with his trademark mace. I’ve always enjoyed MOTU’s weird mixture of fantasy and sci-fi, and Man-At-Arms was an early example of that.

This little line has been a case of “Whoops, all bangers,” and I’m holding out hope that this will be an ongoing series. I can see it becoming my main MOTU toy focus.

By the Power of Grayskull!

Michelangelo [Turtles of Grayskull]

Mikey may be a party dude with pizza on his mind, but he has a new purpose: be the Most Powerful Turtle in the Universe. He grabs a blonde wig and begins emulating Eternia’s greatest warrior, He-Man.

I've probably mentioned it before here on the site, but Michelangelo is my favorite of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I've also mentioned before that the late 80's/early 90's incarnation of TMNT is my favorite. That being said, my specifically favorite version of Michelangelo is perfect for an adventure on Eternia. Not because I particularly prefer him... he just fits. Perfectly.

After meeting the MOTU gang, Michelangelo decided he wanted to be just like He-Man. So here he is dressed just like him, yellow wig and all. Neatly enough, he kinda resembles Flying Fists He-Man in this armor (the colors are off, but the idea is there) and his nunchucks could be considered similar to the spinning weapons that version of He-Man used. Michelangelo's turtle shell can become a shield like all the other turtles, but I wish it had some sort of spinner on it as well. Just to play into that some more. There was the Rock 'N Roll Michelangelo figure from the original turtle line that had a spinning hand. Of course his nunchucks were the ideal weapon for that gimmick, but he also had a shield that worked well with it. That's where my mind is going with this guy. Of course the similarity might not have been intentional. Regardless, this is another excellent figure in an awesome line. The wig is removable in case that's too silly... but that's why I like it there.

Casey Jones [Turtles of Grayskull]

On earth, Casey fights baddies as a hockey-masked vigilante using the sports gear he can fit into his bag. Now, on Eternia, he loads up on Castle Grayskulls’ best battle gear to join the fight against evil.

I've always loved Casey Jones. One of the coolest characters in TMNT whose just a human who happens to be friends with the guys. He's romantically linked with April usually and generally something of a misfit. Casey Jones is a vigilante who attacks criminals in the streets with sports equipment and wearing an old hockey mask

Just some crazy punk rock badass fighting ninjas and aliens alongside a bunch of turtle mutants who were trained to be ninjas by a rat. I enjoy how that sentence is totally factual. Like the rest of the gang, Casey has ended up on Eternia and joins the fight against the Evil Warriors and Foot Clan. In all honesty, Casey already looks like a MOTU character, so he was an easy fit. There's some lateral moves to make it work and it does very well. Instead of his sneakers, he's got those furry boots. Some tights instead of sweat pants. The odd bits of football/soccer/hockey guards are swapped out for Eternian style armor.

The Jitsu glove cracks me up, I can see Casey picking up and immediately wanting to slap someone with it. He's stuck some spikes in his hockey stick and replaced his golf club bag with some sort of Eternian carrying case full of swords, spears, hammers, and axes. These aren't simple pick pockets he's about to beat the snot out of, it's the living Halloween decorations that populate Eternia. Just for good measure, time to swap out that old hockey mask for a gnarly metal face guard. You know, I clearly love a character in a hockey mask. Jason Vorhees, Rick from Splatterhouse, and Casey Jones. This is a great Casey figure that really fits the theme. I've loved all the Turtles of Grayskull line so far and have yet to get bored. It's so creative and fun, especially considering it's based on two series that are fairly old and seen plenty of revisions. Good job Mattel.

Splinter-Skull [Turtles of Grayskull]

Master Splinter followed the call of the Turtles to Eternia and appeared at Castle Grayskull as the spiritual embodiment of the Power of Grayskull itself.

I think that scene in the original TMNT movie where Splinter appears to the guys as a vision through meditation stays with everyone who've seen it. Using those same abilities, Splinter travels to Eternia and his ethereal form is a hybrid of himself and King Grayskull! This figure is a great way to work Splinter into the MOTU. Splinter-Skull is a very neat looking and very buff rat mutant wearing King Grayskull's outfit. I'm not sure just how much of this toy is reused parts, though the chest armor is certainly from the Origins version of King Grayskull and maybe 2002 He-Man.

His staff/spear is a cool mixture of walking stick and removable Power Sword. I really like the slightly translucent blues of the sword tip... it looks like a mint candy. Splinter features a tail that can articulate at the base and a really near head sculpt. I really appreciate the braids. Frankly, they look so at home on Splinter that I wish future figures of him would have them. He comes with an additional open palmed hand and a really neat cape. I'd like to think one could put him in some really neat mystical poses using those. Splinter-Skull is another Turtles of Grayskull figure that feels like it should be a higher priced boutique item.

Ram Man [Turtles of Grayskull]

Ram Man awoke, covered in Ooze, and opened his mouth to speak only to hear a 'Baa' come out. All he knew was he had a new master and his name was Krang.

Ram Man is another Heroic Warrior whom has fell victim to the partnership between The Foot Clan and The Evil Warriors. He's now been changed into a mutated ram beast! As an adult, I love the pun based nature of MOTU. Having Ram Man combined with a ram is great and makes for a fun TMNT style twist on the classic character. I've been theorizing that this cast of TMNT is the 80's/90's cartoon crew based on the comics, and Ram Man definitely fits in with those toys.

He kinda reminds me of Groundchuck despite being a different color. It's that signature squat nature of Ram Man combined with the horns. Speaking of colors, I love these colors on this sculpt. Ram Man is the same purple with green veins that the Mutated He-Man is colored. That's a nice bit of uniformity among the Mutated Masters. Ram Man has a variation as well. Pictured here he is solid, but there is a translucent version out there. I just got one after taking these pictures, so believe me, it's out there. Ram Man has his signature hatchet and carrying another double sided axe for good measure. His characteristic armor has extra spikes making him look like a member of Gwar. To my understanding the tunic is removable, but I never saw a way to do so. There is a spot on the back of the tunic for weapon storage as well. He's very pose-able with 16 points of articulation. I'm kinda blown away by just how cool this toy is. Just look at that freak!

Raphael [Turtles of Grayskull]

After tracking Shredder to Krang's Technodrome, Raph charged in headfirst, then a flash sent the Turtles to Eternia. Wearing Ram Man's spare armor, he's tracking Shred Head and seeking a way back home.

Cool but rude, Raphael is wearing Ram Man's outfit to fight the Evil Warriors and Foot Clans team-up. It's easy to say this line goes hard, but in this instance, it goes really hard. Raphael looks amazing as a Ram Man analog, and considering his stubbornness... it's a fitting match. Outside of that it just looks great. Raphael comes with a cool twist on his trademark Sai, one is a large Eternia variation that can be stored on his shell. The other is attached to a gnarly gauntlet that allows for a real Punch of Kill Everything. Like the other Turtles, his shell can be detached and held as a shield. Everything just works so well and looks so cool, Ralph should really be the poster boy for the line. He just sells the line theme and gimmick so well. Of course he has the standard MOTU Origins amount of articulation and like the other Turtles his bandanna even has articulation. This is such a cool figure.

Battle Armor He-Man (New Eternia/Masterverse)

The New Eternia Concept is a fun extension of Masters of the Universe. Based on a blend of concept art and more mature takes on the characters, we're able to get some neat new twists on some classic designs. Masterverse is a nicer MOTU figure line in that coveted 6" scale so many toy collectors love these days and the perfect outlet for these cool figures. Battle Armor He-Man takes the classic Battle Armor and adds a Celtic or Nordic slant to the design. This plays well as they've also made He-Man more mature looking with a beard, clearly representing an older version of the character. Like other New Eternia figures, you can remove the additions to create a more traditional version of He-man if you choose. The packaging's included text creates a fun scenario of this toy of He-Man on an adventure. It's definitely fun to give the armor a reason fictionally.

The Battle Armor has exchangeable plates to recreate the original toy's gimmick without any springs. There's also extra armor pieces and a cool new shield design that's seen some battle. Of course the extra hands, which is a requirement for this sort of toy. Then there's the Power Sword and Axe. I feel the axe fits this look a lot more. The shield can be worn on his left arm via a peg, or mounted on his back. There's a little dagger that can be stored in He-Man's boot. It's a small thing, but I always appreciate when it's included. I believe there's 30 points of articulation, great for all sorts of dynamic poses. This is a great figure of He-Man and I really enjoy the New Eternia series. It's a cool concept that makes for some neat looks for the characters. I was fortunate enough to score this one on clearance off the Walmart app and with some saved rewards points he worked out to be only $2. To be fair, it's really hard to find anything to complain about when you get it for $2. However he really is a cool toy. He has the power and a neat outfit as well.

Leonardo (Turtles of Grayskull)

An explosion has sent the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across dimensions to Eternia. Now augmented with tech from Man-At-Arms' armory, Leonardo leads his brothers into battle for the Power of Grayskull!

Since He-Man has been mutated into a monster leaving Eternia without it's biggest hero, what are we to do? Enjoy some pizza of course! Because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have teamed up with the Heroic Warriors to save the day. Leonardo is here lead the way! Making up for He-Man's missing power sword, Leonardo has the Katana of Power. The sword can be split in half like He-Man's classic weapon, but both halves are to be wield by Leo and can be joined into a single blade.

Leonardo also features some way cool armor created by Man-At-Arms that's a little reminiscent of Dolph Lundren's outfit from the MOTU movie. Come to think of it, the sword looks a little like that one too. This is an awesome figure. Leo uses the same MOTU Origins TMNT body that Donatello and I presume the other Turtles have. It's a great base for the Turtle Teens in this line and really brings the concept to life well. His shell can be used as a shield, like the other Turtles, but I feel like it really fits here. Leonardo is clearly the TMNT version of He-Man (aside from Michelangelo) and the classic visage of him with the sword and shield comes into play. For extra dramatic purposes, the bandanna has some articulation. This line is awesome.

Donatello (Turtles of Grayskull)

Crossing dimensions into Eternia isn't so bad if you're Donatello and strike up a friendship with Man-At-Arms. The two tech geniuses create Turtle-inspired Eternian armor to combat Krang's mutants!

Turtles of Grayskull is one of the more fun developments in Masters of the Universe Origins in a long time. Taking a similar approach to the Masters of the WWE Universe series by blending two brands together, Mattel has brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters to Eternia! Unlike the WWE MOTU toys, the Turtles are firmly in Universe with He-Man and the gang for some fun adventures. Thanks to a dimensional portal, the TMNT find their way to Eternia as does The Foot Clan and some of that pesky Mutagen Ooze.

This leads to TMNT characters styled as MOTU and mutated Masters! With a far out premise like this, it's only fitting that this group of Turtles are seemingly based on the late 80's/early 90's incarnation that's still my favorite era. It goes without saying this is a fun line of cool designs and radical concepts. I really like it.

Donatello here is my first of the figures and a pretty fun one at that. Since Donny is the brains of the crew, it's only natural that he's styled like Man-At-Arms. As a figure Donatello is best described as exactly what he is. A TMNT designed as a MOTU Origins figure. He's sized and articulated comparably to other Origins figures. It's really neat just how well this works. Being a mashup of designs, Donny's trademark Bo Staff is a combination of staff and Man-At-Arms's club. This whole hybrid of themes is just awesome and looks great. It feels more like a designer toy than a figure available at standard retail... which is something I've felt about MOTU Origins since the beginning. A neat feature with the Turtles is their shell can be removed and held a a shield. That's something so simple yet effective as a cool design choice. This is a silly concept that they've managed to pull off amazingly well. I'm all in.

Mighty Man of Moss

I've had Moss Man on my mind a lot lately. Which is odd, because in the past I never paid him much attention (until I got the Origins one for Christmas from the wife). In some folks eyes, he's something of a cheap repaint/line filler type toy. Which is fair as many mold reuses as Masters of the Universe has, toys like Mossman can seem even more blatant. However, Like Stinkor, sometimes a 'cheap repaint' can still work out to something special. Moss Man, the toy, is a green Beastman with some extra details to differentiate the two. Most notably, he's flocked. This gives him that cool 'mossy' look. Also like Stinkor, he's scented.... but doesn't stink. Moss Man is pine scented, something I never noticed much as a kid. Of course I never had one of my own and most of my time spent with one was my specifically grubby cousins toy. So... maybe he was initially pine fresh.

I've always loved how each MOTU character has their own gimmick, even the 'cheap repaints' and this one is pretty inventive. Moss Man is a pretty decent reinvention of an established figure. For example, they put a little extra detail on his face. Beastman had an open mouth with fangs. The fangs are painted over a little to give Moss Man flat teeth (some versions still have the fangs) and his eyes are painted to be looking to the side. Now that open mouth looks more like a reaction to something over there. Pose him to the side and it could look like he's looking directly at whomever is about to get hit with his mace. Which was a brown version of one of the weapons originally included with Castle Grayskull.

In the orignal line, Moss Man was kinda just there. He had a bigger role in his introductory mini-comic, but was mainly an extra from there on. He did appear in the Filmation cartoon, but in mostly smaller appearances. I'm not the biggest fan of the 2002 MOTU, but do like how they used Moss Man. He was a bit of a bad ass. Not to mention, also something of a cryptid that joined up with the Heroic Warriors. It might just be the paranormal fan in me, but I look at Moss Man and that's exactly what I think. Some local legend that turned out to be true and joined forces with the good guys. He has a good bit of toys. I've mostly focused on the smaller ones until the more recent Origins release which is really awesome despite still being another Beastman repaint. For a 'just there' guy, Moss Man is pretty awesome on his own. That's a neat thing with MOTU, there's so many characters that ones I've prior looked over can be fun little rabbit holes on their own. 

Jungle Warrior Man

When it comes to He-Man, we've all pretty much know what to expect. However, it wasn't always that way and was a more grim affair initially. He-Man himself was a barbarian from a jungle tribe off on adventure to fight evil when he ran across the Sorceress who gave him weapons to fight Skeletor (said evil). If you've ever wondered about the mix of mid-evil fantasy and sci fi in Masters of the universe, the original setting had Eternia left as sort of a wasteland and all the high tech stuff was leftovers from the previous more advanced society. He-Man's power weapons were some of these leftovers.

The Power Sword originally wasn't really that much of a big deal. It was literally half a sword. The full Power Sword had been split in half as it is the key to Castle Grayskull. Skeletor has the other half and really wants control of the magical castle. The armor provides He-Man with a protective force field. There's another identical set of armor that makes him stronger. I have no clue how he tells them apart. He-Man mainly used his battle axe, and shield as he was a barbarian. You know like that guy he totally isn't supposed to be. In the first mini comic appearance, He-Man has a knife stowed away in his boot. If you get his Micro Action figure, it comes with that little knife. Neat huh?

Summoning Monstroid

 

Not too long ago I talked about the Monstroids here. It was always odd that there was a groups of 'evil transforming robots' in the cartoons, but in the toy line Monstroid was an individual robot monster who worked with the Evil Horde. If you've never seen him, Monstroid is a really large toy that looks like a crab. The top half spins around chaotically which make the body rock around. Said rocking makes Monstroid walk around on his long legs in whatever direction gravity takes him. Stick a figures arms or legs in those claws and watch them be flung around like rag dolls. It's pure insanity and maybe a broken lamp if the figure flies loose from the evil grip of MONSTROID.

The big guy didn't get much fiction time aside from random art appearances. However he did show up in a comic story in which The Evil Horde summons him from Sea of Rakash. Under Hordak's magic spell, Monstroid attacks He-Man and Skeletor. Orko and Extendar save the two and Multi-Bot is eaten in the process. It's nice that such a chaotic toy is just as out of control in his fictional debut. I like that without a doubt, Monstroid is a monster. He's aligned with The Evil Horde, but that's basically thanks to a spell. In any other situation, there's just a giant robot-crab thing that's going to kill everything in it's path. I also like the fact that a living robotic creature that lives in the sea without any explanation and we're just supposed to go with it. Pure chaos on every front.

Motorcycle at Arms

 

Recently my mother gifted me the Man-At-Arms with Sky Sled set from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy line. I've been a fast fan of this show and the toy's I've purchased from it. Admittedly, I initially wasn't interested in the motorcycle set's I'd been seeing. I mainly want the Eternia Minis and am happy to get a few regular figures (and Battle Cat, whom is awesome). That opinion has now changed after spending an entire day driving this silly little motorcycle around. Let me explain why.

I've always had an appreciation for classic MOTU vehicles. The mixture of fantasy, sci fi, and bizarre designs appeal directly to my tastes. I'm also a fan of clever design. The 'character on a motorcycle' style toy has been ever present in most children's toy lines. So what if instead of sticking a figure on the same bike as the other ones (maybe in different colors) in the series, what if each figure came with a different bike? Well, ok, but what if each different bike was specifically styled after a classic MOTU vehicle? NOW you have my attention. 

Man-At-Arms for example comes with a Sky Sled inspired motorcycle. He-Man, the Ground Ripper which is themed after the Road Ripper. Get it? It's neat and pretty well done. The included figures are also standard figures in different decos than their carded counterparts. Usually they come with weapons, however Man-At-Arms here didn't come with his big mace. I'm assuming this is the toy that took a hit for the rest of the case assortment to fit the budget. Considering his design probably requires additional molding, I guess I can see why. 

Playing with my new figure across my counter while air frying some lunch, I found myself remembering Spawn Nitro Riders. I was a big fan of this little toy line in the early 2000's. Even though these figures are a little simpler and more chunky (it's not exact). Once I mentally made the comparison, I couldn't ignore the similarities. He-Man Nitro Riders? Sold. Now I find myself wanting more. There's the He-Man and Skeletor sets out there as well as a Trap-Jaw incoming. I wish there was a King Hiss one, just so I could make the obligatory "call me Snake' biker joke.

RK-o

 

I've mentioned before how the merging of fantasy and sci fi makes Masters of the Universe so fun. The newest re-imagining, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a fun reboot that dives deeper into the sci fi side of things while still blending fantasy into the mix. It's in that environment that we get RK-o, a new version of Orko who isn't exactly what you'd expect. In this new version MOTU, Orko was a legendary magician that's long gone. Duncan (Man at Arms) finds himself in possession of a broken TO security robot. 

While attempting to fix the robot, Duncan uses a magical core found in a chest in Castle Grayskull. Doing this downloads all of the former Orko's memories and knowledge into the little robot who now believes himself to be Orko. RK-o is a fun twist on an existing character that I have a hard time not loving. It's also pretty hard not to love his action figure.

The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy line is aimed at a younger group than Origins or Masterverse. Though RK-o is still a pretty neat toy. It is released as Orko and not RK-o, but I'm being specific to the fiction. I might talk about another Orko and it keeps things separate pretty simply. If you came looking for a lot of articulation, you've come to the wrong place. His arms move at the shoulders and the wrists swivel. I've heard some folks say the head turns, but mine didn't. Mine could be a stiff joint or somebody else broke theirs.

As well all know Orko floats, RK-o is floating on a translucent poof of air with a small ball bearing on the bottom. The ball bearing allows the figure to roll easily on most surfaces. Like Trap Jaw, you can twist RK-o and he swings forward. This is used to launch his magic attack which is that energy ball you see in the picture. It's a hollow little thing that easily sits on his fist. It's a simple little play gimmick on a simple figure that's full of character.

I'd Buy Those Masters For A Dollar

I'd been looking for these Micro Collection MOTU figures for what felt like an eternity. Fortunately on a random swing by the Dollar Tree, the wife saw picked them up for me. In the grand tradition of producing discount versions of mainline toys for dollar chains, Mattel released these figures at stores like the Dollar Tree and 99 Cent store. They're mini figures of some of the base characters in action poses. You know I love them. 

Each figure is on a rocky base with the MOTU logo proudly displayed. You could easily display them with a Castle Grayskull and they'd blend in... of course the castle may look huge in comparison, but shouldn't it? They're a soft plastic with pretty good sculpting and decent paint. For a dollar each they look pretty good. My favorite is Orko, who came out perfect. Man At Arms unfortunately is the worst. His sculpt is ok, but there's just something off about him. He's not terrible, just could have used a little extra work overall.

I'm super happy to have these and hope there's another series. Even if it's just repaints, I'd be down. I love little oddball things like this. For the price they're hard to beat and fun to collect. I could see if there's ever a time that I slowed down on my toy collecting, things like this would likely be my outlet for toys. I'd be happy with mini figures and keshi. Especially when the quality is as good as it is here. This is a great little set of figures for a total of $5. They totally have the power. I'm not apologizing for that, you saw what you saw.

The New, New, Newer Adventures Of He-Man

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted on Netflix this past weekend and boy was it a fun time. It's funny that I spent extra time with The New Adventures of He-Man this summer, because it's really hard not to draw comparisons between this new show and that old one. On top of the classic He-Man formula is sci-fi and anime influences with a healthy dose of comedy. The show is a mix of action, adventure, laughs, and even feels. It's pretty damn good. 

It's not the same old He-Man either, a complete reboot. I'm surprised I like it as much as I do, because I'm very G1 with my MOTU. It's just the way I prefer it, but man, they did a great job. He-Man is the leader of the Masters of the Universe on Eternos. Once again he's Prince Adam given super powers with the power sword and Castle Grayskull. He shares this power with his friends giving them super powered forms as well creating a team to fight Skeletor who's mastered the forces of Havok and created his own Dark Masters. It's a new twist on some familiar faces that's a lot better than I expected it to be.

Riding A High Horse And Opening A Can Of Whoop Ass

Stridor and Fisto are such a natural fit that you wonder why sometimes He-Man is depicted riding the robot horse. Naturally the new Eternia Minis Stridor comes packed with Fisto and it makes for a perfect set of toys. At first glace you may think it's the same Fisto as the single carded version, but like Beastman there's a difference. It's a small paint variation. His belt is unpainted and he doesn't come with his sword. The individual version has a painted belt and the sword. It's minor, I know, but these little things count in a 'collect them all' style toy line. I'd like to get them all, but realistically am happy to complete the sets I'm working on (that Stratos is going to drive me crazy).

This is another reason I wish they came with stickers. I'd like to make a notebook with a page for each series I'm working on. Each character in the series would have it's spot, and when found, I could put it's sticker there. I'd have a stamp made that said something like 'complete' and stamp it at the bottom of the page when I completed the series. I got the idea from some keshi collectors whom make videos of hunting down the figures. Usually mini figures come with a check list to keep up with who you've found and who to look for. Eternia Minis come with a leaflet doing that... but man, imagine a book full of stickers. Dang.