Voicething's Official Top 10 Monster High Dolls of 2012!

It's December so you know what that means -- countdowns! Everywhere you turn in December you'll find year-end lists counting down the best music, best movies, best TV, internet memes, celebrity scandals, you name it. We humans love looking back over the year behind us, ostensibly to take stock of everything that happened and perhaps even indulge in a little reminiscing. For me, yeah, there's that stuff. But more than that I just plain love lists for the sake of lists. I make lists all the time, for everything from groceries to places I'd like to visit to, well, dolls. Going hand in hand with the list-mania is the fact that I also love to rank things. The thing is, I'm really not a particularly creative person, at least not in an artistic sense. I don't come up with cool OC's or create custom dolls. My doll appreciation is most expressed in analyzing, comparing, admiring. So really it makes perfect sense that I would do a year-end list of the best (to me) Monster High dolls. And since I now have a blog it gives me a voice(thing) to share all my thoughts on these wonderful little pieces of plastic.

I have set a few ground rules. Only dolls scheduled for 2012 release can be included. This means, for example, that even though Skull Shores started hitting shelves in 2011 they're eligible this year since they're scheduled release was 2012. Likewise, recent lines like Scaris and Picture Day aren't eligible since they're technically 2013 dolls. Also, I will only be including female dolls. Why? I don't collect male dolls. It's not that I'm anti-male doll, they're just not my thing. I'm Switzerland when it comes to them, totally neutral. Finally, I didn't compile my list using only dolls I own but all my favorite 2012 dolls ended up on my shelves anyway so everything you'll see here was decided based on actual dolls, not pictures online. One last thing: remember, these are my personal picks for the year's best. I'm not claiming these are 2012's best MH dolls period, just the best 2012 dolls to me.

Before we get to the list proper here are the "honorable mentions", the dolls that landed just outside the Top 10. They're not listed in any particular order but feel free to consider them 11 - 20 on the list.

- Ghoulia Yelps + Scooter

- Dot Dead Gorgeous Lagoona Blue

- Operetta Basic

- Skull Shores Frankie Stein Greyscale

- Skultimate Roller Maze Lagoona Blue

- Howleen Wolf Basic

- Ghouls Rule Cleo De Nile

- Dot Dead Gorgeous Ghoulia Yelps

- Frankie Stein as Threaderella

- Skull Shores Lagoona Blue

And now to the main event!

10. I Love Fashion Abbey Bominable
This is my favorite Abbey, thanks mostly to a striking faceup of matte paint and a chic ensemble. Excellent hair in both quality and style is a major plus. The legwarmers + booties are amazing. All the extra clothes and accessories didn't hurt, but her ranking here really does come down to just the actual doll and the outfit she wears in-box. She's pretty perfect.

9. Roadster Draculaura
I can be pretty hard on Draculaura, especially her newer dolls. I don't think it's any big secret that her dolls tend to be my least favorite. But this one somehow strikes a fantastic balance between appealing simplicity and retro style. Her sunglasses are leftover from 2010 and her shoes are a repaint of a pair already seen on Lagoona. Her faceup is nothing new. I really can't put my finger on just what it is that appeals to me so much about her. There's something vaguely 20's about her, maybe that's what it is? She photographs remarkably well and the hair is great, gel and all. She just works. 

8. Skultimate Roller Maze Frankie Stein
I know I've already gone on at length in my full review about how great this doll is so I'll keep it brief. The colorful face is gorgeous and that loose hairstyle gives her a groovy, mellow vibe. If she came in a better outfit she'd be even higher on the list. Luckily there are plenty of Frankie fashions to go around so this girl is always looking stylish 'round here. I just really adore this doll, people. She never leaves the "A shelf".

7. Meowlady & Purrsephone
Is it cheating to include these two as one entry? Whatever, they came together, they belong together. In fact that's part of what's so fun about these two. If they sold just one of these dolls alone I don't think she'd be nearly as great as she is paired with her sister. They play off each other visually with mirror image stripes and opposite colored hair. Throw in those eerie eyes and incredible clothes (1982 called, it said good job!) and you have two cool cats worthy of their awesomely bad reputations. Do I think we'll ever see another release of these two? I could honestly see it go either way. And while it'd be cool to have even more versions of them, I'd be just as fine if this is all we ever get of the twins. These two dolls are great enough to stand on their own as representations of the characters.

6. Skull Shores Ghoulia Yelps
I know, I know. Mattel totally overshot it with this doll's distribution. But try to get past the burnout and remember the first time you saw her. That glorious hair, the vintage swimsuit and wrap, that colorful face. SS Ghoulia is a stunning doll in every way. She's a 50's beach babe bombshell, and that's amazing.

5. Venus McFlytrap Basic
Compared to the other new characters this year Venus actually seems a bit simple. No wings, no scars, no rivets. Maybe that's part of why she works so well. Sure, half her head is shaved and she's got vines threatening to swallow her whole, but when it comes to actually playing with and posing this doll she's very "no muss, no fuss". The fact that she's gorgeous and the side of her head that isn't shaved has looong, silky hair in two contrasting, fluorescent colors doesn't hurt. Consider me officially pro-Eco Punk.

4. Skull Shores Cleo De Nile
Pickings were slim in 2012 when it came to Cleo dolls. In fact we only got two, and one of them was in an exclusive pack that cost 50 bucks. A shame really since SS Cleo is not only the best doll of an already great line, she's quite possibly the best Cleo released to date. In an outfit that channels the 70's via Art Deco revivalism Cleo walks on heels of pharaohs, proudly displaying a black bob and turquoise bangs. Lips golden, eyes sharp, Cleo stands ready to ascend her throne. Then from somewhere in the back some Mattel exec yells "Get your ass back to Target! We got more Draculaura's to make!" Damn.

3. Kohl's Exclusive Operetta
In a slight variation of her fashion pack, Kohl's Operetta comes to us with dark, dramatic makeup and smooth, shiny hair. Basic Operetta may have the better hairstyle, but Kohl's Operetta has the better, well, everything else. Even the outfit retread works since the fashion pack was so amazing in the first place. Sultry and enigmatic, this Operetta comes across as a doll for grown ups. Not in any weird way, it's just that she doesn't seem like a doll that would particularly appeal to the kiddies. I may be wrong, I don't have kids so I wouldn't know. But here Operetta is fierce, dark, mature, retro, cool. She's the only doll that has truly lived up to the potential of this character so far, in my opinion. She hasn't moved from my "A shelf" since I got her and I don't see that changing any time soon.

2. Toralei Stripe Basic
If there's some ambiguity as to whether lumping Meowlady and Purrsephone together was cheating, there's none here. Toralei's release date was December 2011, technically disqualifying her from this list. But hey, December is almost January, and I couldn't get my hands on the doll until well into the spring anyway so she just feels very 2012 to me. She's so cool I might just make a rule saying this doll qualifies for every year, forever, anyway. So yes, Toralei is my #2 doll this year. Even if I didn't think she belonged here she'd probably cut me for leaving her out, so in she goes!

1. Rochelle Goyle Basic
Big pink eyes, cotton candy hair, and granite wings get 'em every time. Or something like that. Whatever, Rochelle is a beautiful doll and my #1 this year. She's stylish, she's unique, she's just plain fun, and that's what dolls are supposed to be. I'm already smitten and then some with her Scaris doll (expect an appearance next year), and look forward to many more to come.

Review: Dance Class Operetta

You know, I feel kind of bad for the Dance Class line. As soon as early pics of the dolls surfaced the general fan reaction was mixed-to-negative. When the dolls started hitting shelves about a month ago there was the usual buzz associated with a new line and a lot of fans started to re-evaluate the dolls. But less than two weeks later the deluxe Scaris dolls hit shelves, followed immediately by the Picture Day and Scaris budget dolls. And just like that, Dance Class was virtually forgotten. Talk about bad timing.

I've already covered the other three Dance Class dolls. With today's Operetta review I'll be finishing my coverage of this line, in review form anyway. I've already bumped this review back a couple of times now and with all the Scaris and Picture Day dolls hogging the blog the last few weeks I thought it was time for a break. Of course I've still got Scaris Clawdeen to review soon not to mention the budget Scaris dolls. And then there's the matter of that amazing-looking Picture Day Lagoona -- she'll most definitely be making an appearance here at Voicething in the near future! But today is Operetta's day so let's get down to it.

Operetta's dance style is swing. In fitting with the other Dance Class dolls her outfit is more like a swimsuit + wrap combo. But no matter, what really interested me about this doll was the fact that she was the first Operetta release since her basic to not have a ponytail. I was also intrigued by her face, which based on pics I thought was reminiscent of her Kohl's doll. Once I saw her in person I realized it actually had much more in common with her Dot Dead Gorgeous doll. I'm actually glad I waited a bit to review this one. There for a while I fluctuated between liking her, loving her, and feeling completely bored by her, but now my overall feelings on Dance Class Operetta have gelled.

This Operetta wears the now standard earring mask, this time in pure purple. Her faceup is a less dramatic remake of her Dot Dead Gorgeous doll's faceup. She has the same pink eyeliner but this time it's in a much lighter shade. Like DDG Operetta she has eyeshadow surrounding the entire eye in a smokey shade but here it's a calm purple rather than the previous doll's dark brown. The two share a nice shimmer that goes to their brows but Dance Class Operetta is missing the eye catching glitter to accompany it. Our new Operetta's lips are a friendly orange-red, totally lacking the drama of DDG Operetta's blood red lips. Overall I prefer the previous doll's faceup but Dance Class Operetta is certainly very beautiful, too. This is probably the friendliest-looking Operetta released to date. I've always felt that after Spectra (the first facemold one, that is), Operetta was the oldest-looking doll. Doll's with mature faces tend to look more naturally glamorous to me and Operetta is no exception. Even this friendlier-faced doll still manages to look very glam. And hey, now that Spectra has officially drank from the fountain of youth I guess that means Operetta is now the oldest-looking doll, to me anyway.

Dance Class Operetta is the first doll since her basic to not have a ponytail. I was glad to hear about this (the ponytails were getting boring), but wondered how she would pull it off. With the exception of her Kohl's doll Operetta always has dry, ratty hair. Although I wouldn't exactly call this doll's hair silky it's definitely an improvement over the previous hair. It's still a bit dry but not nearly as much as in the past and the rattiness is completely gone. I'm sure a big part of this is thanks to the fairly simple hairstyle. It's parted on her right and simply falls down past her shoulders. It's layered and has an extremely mild wave, almost unnoticeable. It's held by a white-dotted, purple bandanna wrapped around her head. The bandanna is cinched and knotted and flares up dramatically. It's a great effect, and I like that it and the mask are the only purple she's wearing. It keeps things from looking too matchy-matchy. Operetta's hair is completely red except for a few black streaks underneath in the back. This really is a very simple hairstyle but it works for this doll. The bandanna gives the look just the kick it needs to keep from being too nondescript.

She wears my favorite of the Dance Class outfits after Robecca's blueberry combo. Her leotard (well, swimsuit) is black with a print of white dice with red dots. The straps are red ribbon that tie in the back. Over this is a tutu in white with a really cool black spiderweb print. It has an elastic band and can be removed. I like how the tutu lays, folding in on itself to create a nice gathered effect. The texture of both the swimsuit and tutu feels nice -- they're a bit thin but have a smooth knitted texture. The colors and prints are pure Operetta.

Her shoes are an updated take on the classic saddle shoe. The body is pure white and has molded shoestrings and a window on the hood. The very tip of the hood is black. The soles are a wedge and platform that are painted and molded to look like piano keys. I like this unique approach to the saddle shoe. Both the style and theme (the piano keys) play up Operetta's 50's music maven personality.

Aside from the previously mentioned bandanna and mask Operetta's only accessory is her dance bag. It's another hard, cylindrical piece, a la Dance Class Robecca and Lagoona. Operetta's is solid red and features molded musical notes and a prominent treble clef. The round ends have grooves that mimic a record. One side also has a little skullette in the center. I like this bag but wish the detailing was painted -- black, white, purple, whatever. As it is the intricate details are easy to miss. But hey, at least they're there!

Overall grade: B+ This is a budget doll and that comes through in the lack of extras and general vibe of the doll. That said, there are some great details here -- the updated saddle shoes and treble clef bag come to mind. I like the outfit quite a bit and everything feels true to Operetta's character. The hairstyle is simple but the actual quality is an improvement on her past dolls; the bandanna really goes a long way in adding some spice to the look. Although I still feel the Kohl's doll is the one to beat when it comes to great Operettas this is definitely a nice take on the character.

Review: Picture Day Cleo De Nile

Let's talk about doll hair. Way back in the history of fashion dolls, thanks to lots of focus grouping, Mattel discovered that one of kids favorite things to do with their dolls was play with their hair -- cut it, style it, shampoo it, you name it. This seems pretty obvious to us today but seeing as Mattel pretty much invented the modern fashion doll thanks to Barbie they were still figuring things out. Mattel called this style of doll play, appropriately enough, Hair Play. Mattel astutely started releasing Barbies that focused solely on Hair Play in addition to their usual Barbie dolls. Some doll's hair could "grow" and be cut; another approach was Hair Fair Barbie, which was simply a doll head that came with several different hair extensions. You gave the disembodied head a cool new 'do and popped it onto one of your old Barbie bodies. Voila, whole new doll, and with your own personal mark of style. My personal favorites are the Quick Curl Barbies of the 70's, dolls that had pieces of wire rooted in with the usual hair that could be curled into all kinds of styles. This gave way to the swimwear Barbies in the 80's that had silky hair that went to their ankles. Long, thick, and oh so perfect for Hair Play. This splintering of Barbie dolls that focused on different styles of play were the seeds that gave birth to the "adult collector" Barbies that we started seeing in the late 80's. Mattel realized they could charge more for these dolls and make lots of money, especially since by that point the kids who played with those very first Barbies were now adults and many of them had become collectors. But what does this have to do with Monster High? Well first the obvious -- Mattel also makes Monster High so the connection between Barbie and MH is a direct one. It would be foolish to say that Barbie hasn't been a major influence on Monster High. The other thing is that, well, just as kids then and today love them some Hair Play, so do adult collectors. We may not shampoo it up in the tub with our dolls like the kids do but we certainly appreciate great doll hair just as much. But the ultimate point of this mini history lesson is to point out that, for adults and kids alike, good or bad hair can make or break a doll. And since you're reading this at the top of my Picture Day Cleo review you can probably guess it's not good news for our cherished Cleo.

First things first -- like the other Picture Day dolls Cleo's box is adorned with a school picture poking fun at her. In this case her pet snake Hissette is giving her bunny ears. I love this pic of Cleo -- she looks great, the bunny ears are funny, and you just gotta love Hissette's big, satisfied grin.

Picture Day Cleo comes with the requisite Fearbook, highlighting her votes for different character personalities in addition to that awesome composite picture of all the MH characters. She also includes a sticker sheet of 16 different MH characters (love this!).

I love this Cleo's faceup. Her irises seem a bit brighter than usual -- less grey, more turquoise. She has the usual Cleopatra-inspired mascara; her entire eye is surrounded by gold shimmer. She has a blue divider line at the lid. For some reason her eyes seem a little smaller than usual but I've compared her to my other Cleo dolls and they look to be the same size. Anyway, my favorite thing about this faceup is her lips -- super glossy and in a beautiful deep blue shade. Although there's nothing particularly unique about this Cleo's face for some reason she looks like a bit of a departure to me. I just can't put my finger on it. In any case I love this faceup -- Cleo is certainly as pretty as ever here!

Like the other Picture Day dolls Cleo's outfit is unique and a bit of a departure for the character while still feeling pure "Cleo". She wears a shirt-dress in a base color of Catalina blue (yep). It features a very busy print of stylized wraps in turquoise, black, and shining gold. There's also an occasional jeweled necklace printed in gold. The sleeves go to her elbows. Under the bust is a hem where the top splits and overlaps in the front. Under the shirt-dress Cleo wears black and gold striped tights that end just below the knees. She wears a wide gold belt of molded wings under the bust. In the center is a black scarab. Coordinated with this is a gold bracelet also baring a black scarab.

While we're on the scarab tip I might as well go ahead and discuss her purse, my personal favorite of the Picture Day dolls. It's translucent turquoise, very thin, and has a strap for the handle. Molded onto the front is a fairly large scarab painted in gold outline. In one of those cool little MH details I love so much the arms of the scarab are raised and "clutching" the clasp to open the purse. Yep, unlike Abbey's backpack and Spectra's purse, this purse actually opens! Of course it's so thin I doubt you're gonna get much in there, but who cares? It opens and that's all that really matters to me in this case. The scarab on the front is repeated on the back but minus the cool gold outline. Looking at all these scarabs I can't help but think of Nefera -- aren't scarabs her thing? Somehow I doubt she's gonna be down with Cleo hijacking them for this outfit. To Cleo I can only offer one of my favorite movie quotes (from Ghost and said by Whoopi Goldberg) in warning: "You in danger, girl!"

Cleo's shoes are strappy sandals in Catalina blue. They rest on a wedge of phoenix wings while the soles are layered bricks. I love these shoes although they don't have a patch on 2.0 Cleo's hourglass heels. Actually while I love this entire outfit in general I feel it doesn't come close to her 2.0 basic outfit. Ditto the face and hair.

Speaking of, here comes the bad news. My Picture Day Cleo has awful hair. Yes, major sadface. I picked the Picture Day dolls up at Wal-Mart and while the shelves weren't loaded down with them I had several Cleos to choose from. Unfortunately they all had bad hair. I picked the best one but that's not saying much. Her hair is dry, stringy, and frizzy. When I combed it several strands came out and had to be trimmed. Her bangs were uneven and had to be trimmed as well -- and they still look pretty bad. I've seen other Picture Day Cleo's on Flickr who look like they have great hair so I guess I just (un)lucked out. It's really disappointing because Cleo was one of the few characters whose dolls could always be counted on to have nice silky hair. Even her Skull Shores doll, whose hair looked terrible in every box I saw on store shelves, was a really easy fix - a quick brush and slight trim and it was ready to go! It was short but still just as silky as her dolls with longer hair. This dry, frizzy Picture Day hair has taken a lot of the fun out of this doll for me. Like I said, good or bad hair can make or break a doll.

Cleo's last accessory is her folder, a gold number featuring molded papyrus and phoenix wings framing the snap. Oddly, Picture Day Cleo doesn't come wearing earrings. In the past they've released dolls without earrings but it made sense -- SRM dolls can't wear them with their skating gear; Dance Class could've used them (and Howleen does have her signature safety pin earring), but that was a very budget line so I get it. But Picture Day isn't a budget line. And the other dolls in the line have them (well, Abbey only wears one, that infuriating hair-grabbing ice thing), so why not Cleo? Pretty odd if you ask me.

Overall grade: I really hate to do it but I have to give this doll a B-. She would've scored an A- like my other Picture Day dolls had she had the usual silky Cleo hair. I'm really disappointed she doesn't. Like I said, it just takes a lot of fun out of this doll for me. I hope this dry hair isn't the way of the future for Cleo's dolls. That would be pretty disheartening. I like her unique outfit and pretty faceup although they don't come close to her 2011 2.0 Basic doll. I especially admire that they're trying new things with these dolls' outfits even if they don't always measure up to past glories. The lack of earrings is just odd. Curiously, I've noticed this doll seems to photograph better than she looks in person. That's not to say she's unattractive (quite the opposite), it's just something I've noticed.  If I come across another Picture Day Cleo and she has silky hair I will be getting her, and my grade for this doll will go up. Sorry Cleo. You need to rip Mattel a new one for doing this to you.