Monster High dolls were among the very first things that I reviewed ten years ago when this blog was brand-new, so they will always have a special place in my heart. I delighted in their strange body proportions, excellent articulation, outstanding design, intricate accessories (those shoes!), and refreshing originality. I've reviewed a lot of characters from this line over the years, both on my own and with the help of some wonderful guest reviewers. When the brand was retired in 2017, I had mixed feelings. In the year or two leading up to the cancellation, I had begun to grow weary of the overabundance of dolls on the toy store shelves. The sheer number of characters made each individual doll feel less special. And the dolls themselves were literally less special; the quality and attention to detail had begun to decline. For the most part, the later dolls have simpler outfits, fewer accessories, more basic painted features, and lots of trouble with gluey heads and arms (or tails!) that fall off too easily.
After the dolls were gone, though, I missed them more than I thought I would. Specifically, I missed the anticipation and excitement that surrounded the release of new characters. There was always the chance that one of the new dolls would stand out from the pack. Because the thing is, even as the overall quality and originality of the brand was declining, there were little bursts of brilliance. Avea Trotter, for example, is still one of my favorite dolls of all time. I also thought the Inner Monster series was a huge amount of fun. There was a limited edition Draculaura released in 2015 who is beautiful (I owned her briefly), and the 2017 special edition of Zomby Gaga is incredible, too. She's one of the rare dolls that I'll never sell. So even though I coveted fewer and fewer Monster High dolls towards the end of their original run, the brand still had the ability to create some absolute treasures.
Over the last few years, mostly while I wasn't paying attention, hints started to swirl around that Monster High might reboot. For example, in 2020, Mattel released a small series of movie-themed dolls (Pennywise and the Grady twins...covet!). There was some buzz about a new animated television show and a new movie, too. Then, finally, the official announcement came: new dolls would be released in 2022. Despite the mixed feelings I'd had in previous years, I got very excited about this news; it was a chance to find some new treasures! And the reboot wave looked like it might have some gems among it. This group includes three collector's edition dolls; Draculaura, Frankie Stein, and Clawdeen Wolf. Clawdeen has always been one of my favorite characters, so she's the one I chose:
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| Monster High Haunt Couture Clawdeen Wolf, $75. |
