Superstars, Flip Flops, & Pancakes

It's certainly a hot close to summer for Mattel. It feels that there is new product every week, though a trip to the store certainly wouldn't indicate that. If you're wise, you've figured out how to obtain these figures without too much of a drain on your time or your wallet. I will never get the train of thought that "the hunt" is fun. As much as I tell myself that THIS will be the entry where I don't rant about it, each time that I review Mattel product I can't help but go there. It's a crying shame that the hobby is being ruined like this. Nevertheless, here we go with another round of Elite figures.

Mattel WWE Elite 78 is another lineup with a good mix. Unlike in the Elite 77 review, the "Collector's Edition" figure is being included. The reasons for this are that the packaging on this "Collector's Edition" matches the other figures in the case. The other reason is that for me, all seven figures shipped together. I guess an unofficial third reason is how fantastic this "limited" figure is, but we'll get to that in a bit. This time we've got R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Matt Riddle, Naomi, Drake Maverick, Randy Orton, and Superstar Billy Graham. It should be noted that I've never uttered the name "Drake Maverick" in my life. To me you could not get a more unique wrestling name than "Rockstar Spud," therefore that is who he will always be to me.

The packaging is your current very red-and-white standard window box. Nothing offensive about it, but nothing remarkable either. Again, the full rectangle boxes of the last several years were far superior and honestly gave the line a bit of class. These current ones look dollar store-ish to me. They just do. If I were a carded collector (and I only am in autograph situations which are getting fewer and fewer) I would be very bothered by the extra hands and heads floating around. I understand why it's done. You need to see what you're getting. As a loose collector I certainly appreciate anything extra. But it does cheapen the aesthetic when leaving these things in the box.

I'll get to why I purchased (no free review merch on this blog, pal!) the entire set in a bit, but I do want to say that there isn't a weak figure in the bunch. Even characters with endless releases such as Kofi and Orton have much needed updates here. I believe that the plate of pancakes may have been released with some Basic New Day figures, but this would be the first Elite to include the flying breakfast treat. With the matching Big E and Xavier Woods (the latter will be the sleeper hit of the next wave) coming shortly, it's good to have the former WWE Champion here. I haven't purchased a figure of "The Viper" in years. This one seems to be a bit thicker as far as physique, has a great face scan, and some worthwhile accessories such as the entrance vest and signature pose hands.

Naomi is a fan favorite who has long deserved an Elite. Complete with her green-strapped championship belt, there is also a "chase" version of this figure in different "Feel The Glow" attire. I still feel that they're squandering her marketability by using the name "Naomi" instead of her real name Trinity Fatu, but what do I know? 

"The Original Bro" was certainly made to be a figure and in this case art imitates life. Just as he resembles "KVE" in person, the first Matt Riddle Elite figure takes me right back to the Elite figure of Kevin Von Erich. Some are complaining about the size of the arms used on this figure, but it isn't really bothering me. I love the inclusion of the "hang loose" hands that we're starting to see used more and more with appropriate characters. Riddle probably takes the title for "most accessories" in this wave with an abundance of hands, soft goods jacket, head band, and flip flops. Altogether they really make this an epic Elite. I prefer the yellow color of the Basic, but make no mistake, this is a great figure, bro.

In a cool move by Mattel, the epic battle over the 24/7 Championship finally comes to the figure world with R-Truth and Drake Maverick. The Spudster at last gets an Elite and a ring gear figure all in one release, while Truth was long overdue for an update. The 24/7 title doesn't have the shiny "vac" look, but it's not bothering me here. The tag title with the Kofi in this set had the same issue and if it were the first release of that particular title I would probably be bothered. Maybe it's because the green strap of rhe 24/7 title just pleases me. In any case, these are two solid additions to the lineup. Spud looks a bit tiny in the package, but he's Spud. He's a small guy.

Finally we get to the Collector's Edition. Unlike with Elite 77 where we had three "Flashback" figures, our only wrestler from the past in Elite 78 is right here. The man of the hour. Too sweet to be sour. He eats T-Bone steaks. He lifts barbell plates. He's sweeter than a German chocolate cake. Ok, I'm done. But seriously, who ever thought that we'd get Superstar Billy Graham in the Mattel lineup? The thought is unreal. What else is unreal? The figure itself. The main event should always go on last and here we are. They could've thrown this into their "Ultimate" line becauae this truly is "The Ultimate" Billy Graham.

Not only do we get classic WWWF Champion Superstar Billy Graham from the '70s, but with the switch of a head we suddenly have '80s "comeback" SBG. Yes, for the record, Graham did wear these particular tights during both runs. An interesting point, however, was brought up to me by longtime friend and collector extraordinaire Mike Girasia. When exactly did Superstar Billy Graham wear a boa? Of course I flashed back to the first Jakks WWE Classic Superstar release that included a soft goods boa. Then I thought that I definitely had a magazine cover with a boa-clad SBG. Upon a few searches, I simply could not find any evidence of Graham wearing a boa. Could this be something thrust upon us by figure manufacturers? The Superstar was certainly flashy enough to wear one, but did it happen?

Another helluva fun lineup from Mattel. I recently came to a realization regarding these figures as collectors get more and more frustrated trying to find them. I've never been one to give free advertisements, but Ringside Collectibles has truly alleviated some of the issues that were turning me away from this hobby. Yes, you may pay a bit more (though Ringside itself pays more to get the figures in advance), to get the best deal you have to buy complete sets (which isn't always ideal with repaints in the lineups), and it isn't the best option for collectors outside of the U.S., but I've truly found peace in my hobby by ordering from this company. While I've been dealing with them for years, due to the terrible distribution of Mattel and the greed of those who seemingly have nothing better to do with their lives than hop from store to store searching, I've settled on simply pre-ordering. I don't know that I'll review every set, but at least I'll know that I'll have the figures that I want delivered to me without some jobless slob running to the store just to make a few bucks on the 'Bay. Keep your overpriced plastic figure, virus, and backwards baseball cap, but clean your Cheeto fingers before you tip your Uber driver.

I've never been one to mince words, and there you have it with both Elite 78 and the state of the hobby in general. I feel as if there may one more Mattel review this month before we go back to a different direction for a bit, but I pity the fool who would miss a single entry.

1...2...3...You've Built Danny Davis

Just when you think there's a character who will never see another figure release the companies go and pull a surprise. When Jakks released "Dangerous" Danny Davis in the WWE Classic Superstars line over a decade ago, collectors considered themselves lucky. Even though Davis was more than just a referee, the "non-wrestler" characters have always been few and far between when it comes to figure releases. Making it more surprising is that in Mattel's decade with the WWE license there have been virtually no referee figures aside from wrestlers clad in "guest referee" attire. Thanks to the "Build-A-Figure" concept, things have finally changed.

Re-dubbed "Build-A-Referee" and released as a WrestleMania subset, the latest "Build-A-Figure" series returns with Danny Davis as the fifth figure in a set of four Elite releases. The main release figures are four popular wrestlers clad in memorable attire as seen over the years at WrestleMania. In this latest BAF set we've got Mick Foley, Kofi Kingston, "Woken" Matt Hardy, and Booker T. The packaging is based upon the pirate theme of WrestleMania XXXVI to be held in Tampa, Florida.

I dislike when opening figures is a chore. With the tough plastic used for the trays holding the figures into place, I don't see why bands, ties, and other annoying pieces are necessary. It's a small annoyance, but this set just seems to have extra bondage holding the figures in. The additional hands, though a nice touch on modern Mattel Elite releases, are often difficult to remove as well. I guess the alternatives are possible messes for carded collectors, with accessories coming loose in the box.

All four wrestlers are popular choices, and at least three are in easily recognizable attires. While I wouldn't include Matt Hardy's design as WrestleMania-specific as the others, I do believe that this is the first figure release of "Woken" Matt with the full entrance gear. Kofi and Booker reflect their respective runs at world championships, while Foley mirrors his hardcore battle with Edge that culminated in a memorable incident involving a flaming table.

My favorite figure here, as is usually the case with the BAF sets, is the figure that we're building itself. Mattel's version of Davis is a huge upgrade over the aforementioned Jakks version. While the latter was better for carded/autograph collectors (something that Build-A-Figures are never good for), the facial sculpt on that one was a mere passing resemblance. This version is perfect and captures the cocky attitude of the referee as he was beginning to show that his true colors weren't exactly black and white.

What's most interesting about this BAF set is that it's the first time in the history of Mattel utilizing the concept that you truly do not have to buy all four figures to complete the fifth. The only "pieces" of Davis that are included with Kofi are an extra set of open hands. Sure, Davis can "count" with these, but another set of hands are included with the arms (packaged with Booker) and the open hands have been released with other figures. An interesting decision and one that makes you question Mattel's planning. With all of their bad decisions as far as distribution over the past several years, maybe this shouldn't have come as a surprise.

While there isn't a truly bad figure in the bunch (though Foley's facial likeness leaves a bit to be desired), none of these would've been necessary purchases for me had it not been for Davis. Each of them have some appeal, but nothing crucial to be picked up aside from being on sale or clearance. As with most Mattel WWE product, the jury is still out if these figures will remain at retail price or if one or all will suddenly rise in demand. When a BAF is at stake, you generally don't want to take chances...or be counted out.

The "Lost" Retro Series

We're all like jilted lovers. Their decisions and actions betray us, upset us, and annoy us, yet we keep coming back for more. Wrestling figure collectors are the victims. The evil entity luring us? Mattel. Sure, they have a great product that we can't get enough of. But what does it take for us to get it? Lousy distribution. Much-wanted product that is deliberately made to be "chased." But here we are. And here is another review of a series that can be classified under all of the above.

Mattel WWE Retro Series 5 should have been available everywhere. You have one of the most popular acts of the last few years debuting in a hot line and an all-time great making his "re-debut" in the style. Aside from some appearances at online retailers and, shockingly, in the bargain basement, this series really didn't show up much of anywhere. The sad part is that without these four the Retro set and collection has a glaring omission. Nevertheless, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Big E., Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods have arrived.

In my opinion, The New Day was a must for the Retro line. They fit the style, they're fun characters, and the men behind the characters are likely getting a huge thrill being immortalized in the type of wrestling figure that they grew up playing with. The pink and blue color combination is a ray of sunshine in a line that was getting somewhat dull in looks. Sure, many superstars of today lack vibrant colors, but one of the Hasbro WWF figure legacies is exactly that. It was a reflection of the roster at the time and this line should continue that. The current WWE Champion (as of press time) and his crew do just that. Be sure to check out Woods' very Sheik (chic?) boots and the fact that Big E's figure feels very much like Hasbro's Warlord of decades ago.

For me, Randy Savage is the sleeper here. You can't have a bad figure of The Macho Man. It just does not happen with what a larger-than-life character that he was. That being said, I wasn't too excited when this figure was first revealed. The nWo black and white colors just don't do it for me in this style. I would have preferred the Savage that we should've gotten in 1992, but didn't. A simple repaint of the "Macho King" figure with vibrant pants, similar to the figure included in the Hasbro Royal Rumble mini-ring. After having the figure in my hands, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. It really screams "Savage" (or "Oooooh yeah," perhaps?) in the WCW/nWo era and goes well with other figures in the line such as Sting, Goldberg, and Ric Flair. It should be noted that a packaging variation has been discovered with Savage. In some releases his left arm is raised inside of the bubble.

My only real gripes are the packaging, which has changed for the better in future series as documented in the last entry, and the fact that I would've swapped the "Real Wrestling Action" moves of Woods and Kingston. It's a solid lineup and good to see The New Day released together. If they all weren't so difficult to find I would say that Kingston would be the most popular due to his recent successes, but you'll pretty much have to go the online route to ensure that you pick up the set. There is already another Savage available in the line that I'm sure we'll be seeing here on the blog sooner than later, but it does not really fill the void that I mentioned above. I would not be surprised to see The New Day redone in different colors down the line also.

Thanks for still checking out the blog even on our reduced schedule. There's plenty more to come...

Figures That Ain't...Booty?

Ah, The New Day. An act that got over and sustained. Has it gone on too long? I don't know if I can quite say that. In this day and age you have to appreciate anything in WWE that lasts longer than a couple of months. Certainly all three gentlemen are very talented. Would I like to see them go heel? Maybe with Big E as the main event muscle, Kofi Kingston as the mid-level enforcer, and Xavier Woods as the manager/punching bag? Absolutely. But as long as you're buying those Booty O's, it's not going to happen. In fact, we're opening up a box of the infamous breakfast treat, but there isn't food inside...

It isn't a new item, but it sure has become more affordable. Based upon their appearance at WrestleMania 32, Mattel released all three members of The New Day in a mock box of Booty O's. Yes, there are "real" boxes of the cereal available and even ones with shirts inside, but this version may be the best. However, you do have to rip open the top of the box in order to get the guys out. If you'd rather just watch them about to ease on down a rainbow, you can simply open the front of the box using the convenient Velcro tabs.

This isn't the first time to the figure rodeo for any of these men, but this look is unique to the set as are the accessories. Included are two unicorn...err...bootycorn horn headbands and Francesca 2 in black and gold. While Francesca 2 (or her late sister, Francesca) has been included with other releases, this is the first time that the horns have been released. There are only two. Looking back at photos from that WrestleMania, Big E didn't have one on at the event. It would have been nice to have had three included here anyway, just because.

The real glaring omission is the rest of their entrance gear from the event. While the color scheme on the tights is great, the rest of the outfits are missing. I know, I know...copyrights. It's caused many an issue for figures over the years from band-inspired t-shirts to Shockmaster's helmet. For that show, The New Day wore Dragon Ball Z-inspired attire which obviously wasn't obtainable. Hard to help overall, but when basing a figure set around one-time-only costumes, it does stick out. Nonetheless, those bootycorn horns are present, perfect for the gang to stare at the removable bootycorn mask on the back of the box. Bootycorn...

The figures themselves are great. Has there been a bad figure of Big E yet? I don't believe so. He simply translates well into action figure form, and those massive legs make the figure look just as powerful as the real deal. Kofi has had a lot of figures and the hairstyle here is certainly unique. The torso joint on my Kofi is somewhat loose, but I don't know that it's a widespread issue. Xavier may be my favorite example of "Mr. UpUp DownDown" yet. Comparing photos from the event the figure may have a bit too much hair, but I'm not complaining. Great facial expressions on all three, too.

Is this my favorite set of all-time? No, but it's solid. As mentioned above, it's also come way down in price, specifically on everyone's favorite A to Z "prime" online retailer. It can actually be had for around the cost of a standard Mattel two-pack, but here you're getting three "Elite" figures and accessories. The box is also cool and almost an additional accessory seeing as that they did tumble out of a giant version of it at this event.

Bootycorn...?