Mini-Mates SPIDER-GIRL (ANYA CORAZON)!

Marvel Mini-Mates - Spider-Girl & Doctor Octopus - Walgreens Exc - DST 2019

It's been a long time since I've given a single Mini-Mate its own review. Instead, I stockpile them and review a whole bunch at a time. But over the years, my favorite personal theme in my Mini-Mate collection has been the vast assortment of Spider-Ladies. There have been so many, in fact, that I didn't even realize that my absolute favorite Spider-person, Anya Corazon as Spider-Girl, hadn't been included yet. (She is such a great iteration of the Spider-Girl mantle and I really hope she gets another solo series some day). I love that Diamond Select Toys does such deep-dives into character selection. I actually have faith that we will many more Spiders down the line: Scream, Agony, Mania, Lady Spider, Charlotte Ritter, Spider-Woman in her modern costume, and maybe even a Valerie Spider-Woman from Electric Company. If anything, DST has proven that the sky is the limit. I'm really excited to see what new product they will show in a few days at NYCC. I'll be there with bells on. Let's check out Anya below!

Marvel's Spider-Man - SPIDER-GIRL!

Marvel's Spider-man (Disney XD) - Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon) - Hasbro 2018

I still haven't watched any episodes of the new Marvel's Spider-Man cartoon on Disney XD. But given the amount of merchandise attention that Anya Corazon is getting from it, I know I need to start soon. I have a great fondness for all the various Spider-Women that have been introduced over the years - Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter, Mayday, Spider-Gwen, Ashley Barton, all of them. But above and beyond my favorite has been Anya Corazon (once she donned the Spider-Girl outfit -- her Araña phase wasn't my favorite to be honest). Her comics were witty and fun and I adored them (check out the Spider-Girl: Family Values TPB). Once the Spider-Verse storyline happened and we were suddenly introduced to dozens of cool new Spiders, I was afraid she would be overshadowed. But she's maintained a decent presence and now her role in the Disney XD show is making her a permanent fixture in the Marvel Universe (in my humble opinion). This toy is proving my point. Let's check out her new kid's line figure below!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - SPIDER-GIRL!

Marvel Titan Hero Series 12" - Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon) - Hasbro 2018

As much as I am smitten with the trademark collector lines that fill the toy aisles, brands like Marvel Legends and DC Multiverse are so heavily researched by toy blogs that we know exactly what is coming out months (sometimes years) in advance. One of my favorite things about toy collecting is being surprised by something unexpected. I have known in my gut that there would eventually be a Spider-Lady of some sort represented in the Marvel Titan Hero series, but I assumed it would be Spider-Woman or Spider-Gwen. Then to my surprise I woke up a couple weeks ago to a DM on Instagram alerting me to this beautiful Anya Corazon Spider-Girl figure. I immediately ordered one on Amazon then on m lunch break I found one at Toys R Us (I'm very impatient!). This is the time of year when new kid-oriented product pops up without notice, so I had literally been googling a week before with no success. This Anya is based off her appearance in the new Disney XD Spider-Man cartoon. Let's check Spider-Girl out below!

Marvel's Spider-Man - Anya Corazon SPIDER-GIRL!

Marvel's Spider-Man (Animated Series) - Spider-Girl - Action Toys/ZD Toys 2017

Anya Corazon is my favorite Spider-character ever. I have re-read the Spider-Girl: Family Values TPB a dozen times and it never gets old to me. There was something about her personality, combined with the great writing and art, that just made me fall in love with the character. I often preach about my observation that Batgirls and Spider-Girls parallel each other; Cassandra Cain and May Parker came out at roughly the same time, same with Burnside Batgirl and Spider-Gwen, but my two favorite parallels were Stephanie Brown and Anya Corazon. It's not too coincidental that Steph will be in the new season of Young Justice, just as Anya is announced to be a character in the upcoming Disney XD show Marvel's Spider-Man. I expect we'll see retail release Hasbro toys from this show eventually, but in the meantime we get these mysterious Chinese figures to tide us over and create nerdy intrigue. I'm super curious to see what else this company makes in the future. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. Let's check out Anya below!

Marvel Chess Collection - THE SPIDER-LADIES!

Marvel Chess Collection - Anya, Jessica, Cindy, and Gwen - Eaglemoss 2016

I hope Eaglemoss never stops making comic figurines. They started with the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection in 2007 and soon launched their DC Comics equivalent the year after. When both series ran their course, they began making Chess Pieces of the characters and the series continued. I count about 600 unique figures between DC and Marvel, and they're still coming. I thought I was showing great restraint with this line by only buying my favorite-of-favorites. But I just counted and I somehow acquired 37 over the years (including a purchase this afternoon - Hela). One of my greatest Eaglemoss joys came last year when there was a Spider-Man themed Chess series and they released four awesome modern Spider-Woman: Spider-Gwen, Spider-Girl (Anya), Silk, and a modern Jessica Drew Spider-Woman (which I think is the only representation of this look in plastic so far.. not even a Heroclix or Minimate). Eaglemoss has a knack for reading my mind when it comes to character selection. Let's check them out!

Marvel Legends Infinite Series - SPIDER-GIRL!

Marvel Legends Spider-Man Infinite Series - Skyline Sirens - Hasbro 2014

Woo-Hoo!  It's not often that a character you love, specifically a C-Lister, gets made into a perfect action figure.  I never, ever expected to see Anya Corazon in the Marvel Legends line.  I loved this version of Spider-Girl from the moment she donned the costume (I was never a fan of her previous Araña look).  Her 8-issue solo series from 2010 got me hooked (pick up the Family Values TPB), but then she kind of faded away into obscurity.  That is of course until she recently reappeared in the pages of Avengers Assemble with all her old charm and wit.  Hopefully this action figure is an indication of a more prominent role for her in the Marvel Universe.  This figure utilizes a brand new teenage buck. It's amazing. Now I'm wishing for some Young Avengers, Pixie, etc etc.  Spider-Girl is a variant figure in the Skyline Sirens slot shared with Black Cat.  The variant figures in Marvel Legends have a nasty habit of never hitting the shelves, but luckily she made it safe and sound to my local Target this week.  Let's check her out below!

Marvel Legends SPIDER-GIRL Revealed!

Marvel Legends Spider-Man Infinite Series - Skyline Sirens - Hasbro 2014

This reveal is my most anticipated retail figure of 2014 so far!  Anya Corazon is the current Spider-Girl in the Marvel Universe (she's the former Araña from Amazing Fantasy).  I love this character.  Her solo title from 2010 only lasted 8 short issues but I loved it.  The art was fantastic, the character development was interesting, and the overall feel was fun.  I considered it to be Marvel's version of the Stephanie Brown Batgirl series.  I was very excited recently when Spider-Girl reappeared in the pages of Avengers Assemble (alongside Spider-Woman and Black Widow.. a Spider-Lady trio!), and now I'm even more stoked that she's getting an action figure - and an amazing-looking one at that.  Marvel Legends seems to have rebranded all their lines "Infinite Series" this year (with a focus on Movie themes), and Anya is a variant in the Skyline Sirens slot (partnered with Black Cat) in the Spider-Man themed Green Goblin Build-a-Figure series.  These variant slots are notorious for never appearing (Moonstar and Lyra anyone?), but these in-package shots are giving me a lot of confidence.  I can't wait to get my hands on her!