Archile's End of the Year Best and Worst of 2024 Part II

   Time to finish the fight, now in plastic.

 Well, this took unbelievably long to make, but then again, I took into account my entire figure collection and decided to just write this at the last minute, hopefully next year will take less time! But, before we end this, we need to cull the Marvel, DC and Star Wars lists, don't we? Let's start off with...

Best and Worst Marvel Figures

5) Black Cat(Retro-Carded)

 Among the worst that Marvel has to offer, how is it that we've had three Black Cat figures and none of them are good? This one has a blank expression on her face and the articulation leaves so much to be desired. Horrible figure, such a classic Spider-man character NEEDS a better figure.

4) Thanos(Build-A-Figure)

 Hard to believe that it gets worse than this, but it does. At least this guy looks like Thanos, it's just that he can barely move most of his body. Marvel's current number one villain shouldn't be such a clunker, specially not a BAF.

3) Avalanche(Build-A-Figure)

 But at least Thanos hasn't broken, this guy has lost both of his arms, and it's a COMMON problem with this piece of trash. C'mon, Hasbro, you should do better.

Runner-up) Red Widow

 Same problems as with Thanos, but Red Widow has it worse because she can barely use her arms. If I'm going to have a limited action figure, I much rather have full range of movement with the arms, like Thanos, than with her legs. She even comes with a weapon, but how is she supposed to use it? And the shoulder-hole on the cape looks so ugly because it's molded INTO the cape rather than it being an actual hole. What a horrid figure.

Loser) Iron Man(Midnight Suns)

 This is this guy's third 'worst' award, and he deserves ALL of them. This is Hasbro at their laziest, but lazy I can forgive if they at least try, but they used their WORST Iron Man buck, one that has as much range as a pair of scissors, and they barely even tried to get the version of the character they were adapting right. Boo, Hasbro, Boo!

5) The Thing(Retro-Carded)

 This one is such a fun figure! Beautiful sculpting on his rocky body, and his orange color scheme makes him impossible to ignore. I'm also quite partial to him because he looks like a better version of the Thing figure I used to own when I was younger!

4) Erik Killmonger(Everett/Killmonger 2-Pack)

 The very first Black Panther figure I purchased has also been, well, the one I like the most. Back when I was only buying Spider-man figures I remember that I often flirted with the idea of buying him, because I thought the golden accents on his black costume look really cool. And they do! I adore this fig!

3) Zabu

 I had no way of knowing how much I would love this figure until I finally assembled him. I just thought he was underwhelming at first, but he is such a fun figure to pose around human heroes! You can even open and close his tiny jaw, d'awww!

Runner-up) Cyclops(VHS)

 It's no secret that I love Cyclops, and this is probably my favorite costume of his, what can I say, I'll always go for the costumes that have his hair on the outside! Regardless, this is a brilliant figure, looks a amazing, feels great on your hands and is just a pleasure to look at. It hurts not giving him the winner award, but...

Winner) Iron Spider

 ...I love this figure even more. It's my favorite Spider-Man costume, and they brought it to life so perfectly well, I was static when this figure first arrived, and thanks to it I just started getting more and more Spideys. His waldo accessories are so much fun to play with, and they are MUCH better quality than the ones they used for Superior Spider-man, in fact, the entire figure is made with much better plastic, before Hasbro started cheapening out. 

Best and Worst DC Figures

5) New 52's Justice LeagueAquaman(DC Collectible's)

 It's honestly not such a bad figure, it's just that DC Collectibles prioritizes sculpt over articulation... so this figure isn't much fun to play with, but hey, it looks really neat!

4) Lex Luthor(DC Universe Classics)

 Don't bully him to hard, he can't even walk with that skirt. Or look to the sides with that armored collar. It's very hard to get this Luthor into any interesting pose with how limited he is. No wonder Superman always kicks his butt.

3) Batgirl(Cassandra Cain)(First Appearance)

 DC Direct is also supposed to prioritize sculpt over articulation... but what can you do when the articulation is pathetic, the sculpt has proportions all outta whack and she can barely stand without her base? Were they even trying?

Runner-up) Black Canary

 It's hard being a super heroine, because toy makers just don't try as hard with their female bucks. She has poor articulation and bad proportions. Like, what is she supposed to do with those frail, tiny arms? And her power comes from screaming, but there's no interesting effect piece or a fitting face sculpt. She's also a martial artist, but she won't be doing much fighting with her articulation!

Loser) Wonder Girl(Cassie)

 Her articulation sucks. Her proportions are even worse than Black Canary's because she looks incredibly lanky, but while Cassandra, gladly, covers her face, this Cassie has the deadest look in her face. To add insult to injury, the color scheme feels completely lifeless, like the rest of this figure.

    

5) Black Manta(DC Universe Classics)

 Black Manta is just a simple, classy figure that had little to work with, but they nailed him just perfectly. I honestly couldn't have asked for anything more with this figure.... maybe a dead Aquababy accessory? I kid, I kid!

4) Green Lantern(Kyle Rayner)

 So, maybe a bit of bias went into getting him here... but I still like Mattel's Multiverse buck, and I feel that they got 90's Kyle just perfectly. His back sometimes had a white design too, but it depended on the artist, so I'm fine with it. He's a really nice looking figure.

3) Steel

 Steel brings the hammer down! Mattel did a lot of unique work for his sculpt and it paid off, because this guy looks phenomenal any way you look at him, he also looks as if he came out of his own comic books. Steel shows just how great the DCUC figures could be when they put in the extra effort.

Runner-up) Magog

 Magog is here for the same exact reasons as Steel, but I just happen to like Magog's look and paint scheme a little bit more. So, yeah, he is another DCUC figure that had a lot of unique work done to his sculpt, making him stand out from the other DCUC figures.

Winner) Nightwing(Mafex)

 Probably one of the better figures I own, this is a very sleek take on Nightwing, with beautiful smooth articulation, and a very simple and stylish design. He is incredibly fun to play with, and he came with a variety of fun accessories that give Nightwing a lot of personality. Man, I wish I owned more Mafex! 

Best and Worst Star Wars Figures

Runner-up) Yoda

 The articulation just passes the bar because he can move his legs and arms up and down and to the sides, but just barely, because from an engineering point of view... he makes no sense. Swivels on legs with no joints and no swivels but double-jointed elbows? What were they thinking?

Loser) Jabba the Hut

 But at least Yoda can move, all Jabba can do is stand in the same way, look in the same way and just move his arms up and down. I'm sure that they could've done better in a myriad of ways.

    

Runner-up) Mara Jade

 An amazing female figure, for Hasbro's standards, that has brilliant articulation, by Black Series' standards, and a brilliant sculpt that makes her one cool looking Jedi. In fact, she is probably the best Jedi figure that Hasbro has released, or at least, that I own.

Winner) Grand Admiral Thrawn

 This was a tough choice, because Thrawn is ALSO an amazing Black Series figure, but the reason I picked him over Mara Jade is simple, and it's actually two different reasons. One, is that I like Thrawn as a figure slightly more because he looks so evil and villainous... and the other reason, is that he is more comic accurate than Mara Jade. I can think of a couple of things that could've made Mara more accurate, while my nitpicks with Thrawn are just... a more vibrant shade of red for his eyes and maybe an accessory, because the rest of the figure looks exactly as I would've pictured him. 

Best and Worst Action Figures of 2024

 And now we are finally ready to start THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

9) Ryu(Jada Toys)

 We are already starting off with the right foot, because Ryu is actually a really good figure, he just happens to find himself as the best of the worst, which in this case is actually a good thing. And it's ironic that we started off with the right foot, because one my Ryu's feet seems to be missing some plastic. And his head sculpt has the paint off-centered... which are the reasons such a good figure found itself here.

8) Baroness(Snake Eyes Movie)(G. I. Joe Classified)

 Another decent figure that finds itself a victim of circumstance... it just so happens that there wasn't anything worse in my G. I. Joe collection. Honestly, she is pretty decent, but could've been great with a few tweaks, such as trying to get a better likeness of the actress... and shortening her neck.

7) Kanu Unchou(FIGMA)

 Slowly, but surely, these are getting worse. Kanu's crime is being too small a figure, as there simply is no place for her in my collection... which is kind of surprising considering she is a Figma and those figures tend to be similar in scale, so I don't understand what were they thinking with their Ikkitosen line.

6) Betty Page(Loose Collector/Executive Replicas)

 We officially entered the bad figure range. Betty... Betty sucks. Both of her arms broke, and the worst bit about her is that you HAVE, or had to at the time, buy her if you wanted the Rocketeer. Loose Collector/Executive Replicas realized their mistake and released a much cheaper Rocketeer, without her, a few months ago. Good idea, because even if Betty's arms didn't break, she just wasn't a very appealing figure.

5) Jabba the Hut(Star Wars The Black Series)

 I'm sure I've said this before, but look, if I wanted a statue, I'd buy a statue. I wanted a Jabba figure I could play with a bit and then display next to my other figures. But.... I can display him with his arms raised or lowered and... that's it. I can't even turn his torso. And he feels so cheap too, which is just great considering he is much more expensive than the average Black Series figure.

4) Jin Kazama(S.H. Figuarts)

 Tamashi Nations should be ashamed at themselves that Game Dimensions made a better figure than them. Sure, they have a much better sculpt and detail... Bit Game Dimensions isn't THIS fragile and has the same amount of articulation, if not slightly better than this one. This broke five minutes after I got it, it shouldn't have happened. It's my only Figuarts to ever break like this.

3) Iron Man(Midnight Suns)(Marvel Legends)

 I'm almost disapointed that this one didn't earn the losing award again, it's almost scary that it gets worse than this. But at the end of the day, what made this one so bad was a mix of a subpar buck and just laziness on Hasbro's part.

Runner-up) Wonder Girl(Cassie)(DC Multiverse)

 But speaking of lazy... What is this thing? Subpar articulation AND a subpar sculpt. It says volumes that the more limited DC Direct take on Cassie is an overall better figure than this thing.

Loser) Toyohisa Shimazu(MEDICOS)

 It was worth it to have the Anime category just so that I could write about my hate for this figure. Pieces, such as the knees just come out while posing him. The sculpt just looks off with how lanky he is, and he also feels a bit wonky to play with due to the waist and hip pieces that cut a somewhat gappy figure. Just awful all around, I almost gave up on imports because of him. And that's why is the worst figure in my collection and that I reviewed in 2024.

    

9) M. Bison(Jada Toys)

 I've done nothing but sing Jada praises, and yet they are at the bottom of the very best of the year, which only speaks about how much better the next figures are. But make no mistake, this Bison figure is a total winner, as he looks like the kind of deadly villain that actually lifts.

8) Grand Admiral Thrawn(Star Wars The Black Series)

 I like this guy so much that it actually hurts to have him so low in the totem pole! But, hey, his uniform makes him look perfect next to Bison. Black Series are not the most articulated figures when compared to their competition, which is why it's always impressive to see that hey compete thanks to their fantastic sculpts. Besides, just because they aren't AS articulated as other figures, they are still up to today's standards.

7) 2B(S. H. Figuarts)

 I think 2B showcases the best thing about S. H. Figuarts, and that's the incredible amount of detail they cram into such small figures. And 2B is just the figure for that, because she is so small, but packs so much detail everywhere, particularly on her costume. She's been a pleasure to display any time I took her out of my drawers! 

6) Eustass Kid(S. H. Figuarts)

 Now, imagine that you take Figuarts' passion for detail but apply it on a 6 inch figure? You get this amazing piece. Kidd oozes detail everywhere, but he has been so much fun to pose, and the degree of flexibility that his fully articulated, right down to each finger, mechanical arm allows for made him one of my favorite figures to play with and display this year.

5) Figma #600 Guyver I(Figma)

 And here we have Guyver, one of my favorite imported figures. He's sleek and stylish, while keeping true to the character's design. I'm particularly pleased with the new joint system they implemented on him, which makes him feel sturdier than you average imported figure.

4) Agent Helix(G. I. Joe Classified)

 Take the best articulation engineering from a Male Marvel Legends and apply it on a female buck and you get Helix. She has the best articulation among my western female action figures, but she also looks like a total badass and I adore her color scheme. Honestly, any excuse to display her in my home was good enough.

3) The Rocketeer(Loose Collector/Executive Replicas)

 I'm having another Cyclops VHS moment because I love this figure so much that I wish I could place it even higher. He's as good as any Marvel Legends, sculpt-wise and articulation-wise, but feels like a much sturdier figure, which is something I appreciate a lot. The technical stuff is nice and dandy, but it wouldn't be anything without The Rocketeer's brilliant design that simply propels the figure upwards into the best of the best. Shame he was bundled with such a disappointing Betty figure. 

Runner-up) Nightwing(Mafex)

 I'm watching the Batman TAS episode that introduced me too Nightwing as I type this. My favorite Comic Book hero was done justice as a gorgeous Mafex figure. And it goes beyond just how amazing it looks, but even the accessories he was bundled with just add so much personality and charm to the figure that even I, who don't usually play around with alternate hands and the such... spent quite a bit of time posing my Nightwing with alternate pieces! This is a tiny piece of art, and I love it.

Winner) Iron Spider(Marvel Legends)

 Am I putting a LOWLY mass produced, INFERIOR western toy over premium imported figures? THE GALL! What can I say, I'm drawn towards the durability and sturdiness of Western figures. Marvel Legends has really hit a sweet spot with a few f their bucks, in particular the ones they use for their standard Spider-Men that gives them a lot of articulation, with a very muscular, but athletic, build and the sturdiness of softer plastic that won't break with a fall. And well, I love these figures, and Iron Spider is the one I like the most, this is my favorite Spider-Man costume after all! Ever since I got him 2-3 years ago, this guy has never been too far from my hands or eyes. This is my favorite action figure in my collection. Hey! But Mafex's Nightwing and Loose Collector/Executive Replicas' The Rocketeer are not too far behind! VHS Cyclops too!