Issue 73 : Saturday 17th February, 2018
Mezco have teased another new One:12 figure that will be fully announced at Toy Fair 2018, and it sees the Mezco team moving outside the Marvel & DC world once again for a more niche item in a figure of John Wick. John Wick will feature a nice portrait of Keanu Reeves. He will be wearing a fully tailored cloth dark suit. I must admit that in this preview image the tailoring on the suit doesn't look particularly good and we would hope to see a more refined and scaled stitching in the release version.
Mezco One:12 have announced their next 1/12 scale Marvel Cinematic Universe releases as Black Panther from the upcoming Marvel movie. Black Panther will come with both a masked and unmasked head, with the latter carrying an exceptional likeness to Chadwick Boseman. You also get eight hand options as well as a shield and spear. The usual display base is also included.
In line with other One:12 releases, Wick is likely to come with a bunch of extras - you can see one of them, a handgun, in the teaser image. He will also come packed with the standard display stand used on all One:12 releases. We'd expect John Wick to be a very late 2018 release, potentially into 2019 if (as the image states) licensor approval is pending.
Black Panther can be ordered now from Mezco in the US with a non-refundable deposit of $20 payable. The full figure will set you back $80 and isn't due until August at the earliest, and more likely Sept/October. UK cost is likely to translate to around £75 when the UK retailers open their pre-orders.
Direct from the eagerly anticipated and groundbreaking feature film, Mezco welcomes Black Panther into the One:12 Collective. Intricately designed with a cloth outfit recreating that of King T’Challa’s Vibranium suit, authentically detailed accessories replicating those seen in the movie, and the likeness of actor Chadwick Boseman. The One:12 Collective Black Panther figure boasts two comprehensively detailed head portraits: one masked and one unmasked, featuring the likeness of actor Chadwick Boseman. Special attention was paid when designing King T’Challa’s suit made from Vibranium, a rare metal that is lightweight, sleek, and bulletproof. In addition, Black Panther comes equipped with a meticulously crafted shield and spear, replicating similar weapons seen in the film. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to Wakanda. When two enemies conspire to bring down the kingdom, King T’Challa must team up as the Black Panther, with Wakanda’s special forces - the Dora Milaje, to prevent a world war.
An attempt to resume a quiet civilian life is cut short for John Wick when Italian gangster, Santino D’Antonio, shows up on his doorstep and compels him to repay past favors. Chaos unfolds as John soon realizes there is a bounty on his head. Highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, John Wick is also a master tactician and marksman who will do what he needs to survive. Approximately 17cm tall and featuring 28 points of articulation, John Wick sports his signature all-black outfit and comes complete with a variety of comprehensively designed accessories, including a head sculpt featuring the likeness of actor Keanu Reeves.
Diamond have revealed the final packaged shots of their Thor figure for Thor Ragnarok.
Diamond Select have revealed images of their 6th wave of Ghostbusters Select figures in packaging. This 6th series moves from the original Ghostbusters movie to it's sequel and will include figures of Ray Stantz, Louis Tully in his Ghostbusters Uniform and everyone's favourite Carpathian, Vigo! Series 6 through 10 will start off a new build-a-diorama, with each release including a piece of the firehouse frontage to build this impressive diorama piece - options will be included for both an original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II hanging sign. Watch out for these in your local independent store by end of February, early March,
Sadly the alternative head without helmet has been lost, another change by Diamond from the figure they displayed at SDCC for fans. With no diorama base either it is difficult to weigh this figure up without feeling short-changed vs what we usually expect from Diamond for a Marvel movie release. We are getting the dual swords Thor uses in the arena as well as alternative hands. There also seems to be some kind of lightning effect piece that is peeking out from under the side spine on the left. It is not specifically mentioned on the blurb but we have seen a lightning effects piece on display with this figure at New York Comic Con 2017 (wishful thinking that the other head is tucked away there too).
Just ahead of the New York Toy Fair, Diamond Select unveiled this new Marvel Select Beast figure via Shartimusprime YouTube channel. While we await full details at Toy Fair, it is clear that this figure has been designed to fit in with the existing 90’s style X-Men figures from the past 10-years such as Storm, Gambit and Colossus.
Coming soon to comic shops: #Ghostbusters Select #actionfigures Series 6! Begin to build the Firehouse with these deluxe versions' diorama pieces! Reserve yours at your local comic book shop, find one at http://comicshoplocator.com ! Or order online at http://shop.diamondselecttoys.com/ghostbusters (Twitter, Diamond Select Toys)
For the Pacific Rim sequel, Uprising, the toy licence has moved from NECA to Diamond Select toys. Diamond have at least two waves (6 Jaegers) planned for the movie as well as some Kaiju releases. The first wave is imminent to specialist stores in the US, with UK stocks likely following in early to mid-March.
With the release date upcoming, Diamond have released packaged images of the first wave. This figures will be packaged in the Select format packaging with the wonderful art panel to the side including shots of each Jaeger from the movie. The colouring is striking, one of the nicest Select packaging design schemes I have seen for a while.
Nerdist.com has revealed a pretty big addition to the Diamond Select Pacific Rim line, this enormous Kaiju from Uprising. Diamond have opted to not include the usual diorama base with the Pacific Rim figures and instead gone with swap out arms and weapons. While Gypsy Avenger fills the Select packaging nicely, the other two - Bracer Phoenix and Saber Athena - do look a bit lost with lots of empty packaging. It makes you wonder what a nice miniature cityscape would have looked like as a diorama to pose your Jaeger within.
The Kaiju, codenamed Hakuja, measures 12" from head to tail and is in scale to the Jaegers being released in the same line. The figure is too big to be packed in standard Select packaging, so this giant will be a special box release. US retail is $45, expect ÂŁ40 or so when this hits UK pre orders.
Also down for a re-release is the Spider Gremlin, the deluxe release from 2013. This monster figure will feature well over 30 points of articulation and stands 10" tall and nearly 15" wide. The re-release is due in May 2018.
NECA have delighted fans with the announcements that they will be re-releasing three of their most popular items from recent years. In their video game series, we are getting re-releases of Dr Gordon Freeman from Half Life 2, complete with headcrab. And from Portal, the lead character Chell. Both figures will be repacked in window box packaging, differentiating them from the first release in blister packs. They will both ship in May 2018 and will around the ÂŁ25 mark - much better than the recent eBay prices
Back by popular demand! From Valve’s award-winning #Portal2 video game, protagonist Chell is depicted in her orange Aperture Laboratories jumpsuit, and stands approximately 7� tall. Chell features over 20 points of articulation to navigate any variety of test chamber scenarios. For science. She comes with an ASHPD accessory that lights up and glows blue just like in the game.
This incredible re-creation of the Spider Gremlin puppet seen in #Gremlins2: The New Batch features over 30 points of articulation, including the eight massive spider legs that are articulated in three places each. When fully assembled, the Spider Gremlin stands over 10" tall, nearly 15" across and over 12" deep!
Display base and button cell batteries included.
The figure also includes a support stand to help balance and display it in your desired poses. A true must-have centerpiece for any Gremlins collection.
Don't let the horn-rimmed glasses fool you: Dr. Gordon Freeman might be a geek but he's also the savior of humanity. This action figure from the #HalfLife2 video game brings the heroic scientist to life in amazing detail! With over 20 points of articulation, this deluxe 7" scale figure is ready to strike amazing poses. Gordon comes with everything you need to free civilization from alien rule: two sets of interchangeable hands, gravity gun (ZPEFM if you must), crowbar and bug bomb accessories, plus a headcrab figure. After the 2017 release of Deckard and Officer K from Bladerunner 2049, the second wave of Wallace and Luv will soon be hitting stores. NECA have shared these images of the two new figures in their boxed window packaging which is consistent with the first two figures for anyone who is collecting them in the box. The figures should be available soon in the US, we estimate March or April for UK collectors.
NECA are getting into the Toy Fair spirit with some early reveals...
The 2nd series of Ash vs The Evil Dead figures from NECA are due into stores in March 2018. As we wait for their arrival, NECA have shared images of them in their packaging. The 3 figure wave includes a new Ash figure, now in combat fatigues. He comes with two head options and a shotgun. We then have the adult Demon Spawn, who has three different heads, and will potentially be an army builder for fans. The wave is finished off by Henrietta who gets two head sculpts, one of which splits apart - as seen in the show when she is defeated by Ash and his chainsaw.
The first is the Re-Animator 8" action figure we were teased with in 2017. The figure is based on Herbert West as seen in the 1985 classic horror movie. He will come with a bottle of his reanimation reagent and a syringe with which to administer it. We also get a bloody shovel, a rather disturbing Rufus the cat and a tray containing a severed head. This is an 8" release from NECA, so this is a sculpted head on a standard body with tailored soft goods outfit. The figure is due to ship in August 2018 and will likely be priced around the £30 mark here in the UK.
The figures are due for release in March. UK stocks may be later on in March or early April. UK pricing on these is likely to sit around £25. Preorders for the full wave can be placed now at either of our main site partners Kapow Toys and Toys in the Attic
From the hit Starz TV series, Ash vs. Evil Dead! The series follows Ash, stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who spent 30 years avoiding responsibility, and the terrors of the Evil Dead. The Series 2 assortment includes Asylum Ash, Henrietta and Adult Demon Spawn. Asylum Ash comes with two interchangeable head sculpts and shotgun accessory, and has 30 points of articulation. Henrietta comes with two interchangeable head sculpts, one of which comes apart to simulate her gruesome defeat by, you guessed it, Ash’s chainsaw. Henrietta has 25 points of articulation. The Adult Demon Spawn features plenty of gruesome detail and will have three variants with different heads, all with over 30 points of articulation. Figures stand approximately 7” tall.
Herbert West has a good head on his shoulders… and another one on his desk... From Re-Animator, the movie based on H. P. Lovecraft’s classic tale of terror, #NECA presents the mad scientist Herbert West in action figure form! The 1985 movie has achieved cult status for its dark and hilarious mix of science fiction, horror and comedy, and starred Jeffrey Combs as a medical student who will stop at nothing to perfect his reanimation serum. As a clothed action figure, Herbert stands 8” tall and is dressed in his lab coat. He comes with a bottle of reanimation reagent, syringe, bloody shovel, Rufus the cat, and a tray containing the severed head of the last guy who tried to steal his invention.
NECA will be bringing us a 5.5" Crash Bandicoot action figure in May 2018, and we have now got our first look at Crash in his entirety. The figure is fully articulated, including (and I think this is a first) ball jointed eyebrows! The packaging choice will be a clamshell blister. As per usual with their amazing attention to detail, NECA are even including a cardstock replica of a crate in the packaging to display him with.
The Friday the 13th Accessory set was first revealed by NECA at SDCC 2017. The set contains a variety of Camp Crystal related diorama pieces and props to enhance your Friday the 13th display. As the March release date draws closer, NECA have now revealed the packaging for the set. Rather than a window box, as used on say the Alien accessory sets, this one will be slim closed box affair. The front of the box carries the Friday the 13th logo and an image of Camp Crystal. The back is an innovative take on a notice board with photos of the included accessories. The set will retail around £26 here in UK, you can place your pre-order at our partners at Toys in the Attic
NECA’s debut release in the eagerly anticipated line of Crash Bandicoot action figures is Crash as you know and love him! This core figure stands 5.5 inches tall and features a head sculpt unique to this release. Crash has plenty of articulation for maximum wumps, but just as importantly, he’s outfitted with ball-jointed eyebrows to create a variety of crazy expressions. As a bonus, tucked inside the clamshell packaging is a thick cardstock replica of a crate!
A complete surprise release from NECA is the announcement of this 8" Captain Blake figure from John Carpenters 1980's horror classic, The Fog. Captain Blake is an 8" release from NECA which means he is a sculpted head on a standard body that is then dressed with real soft goods tailored clothing. Blake is armed with his cutlass. He will be packed in a resealable clamshell which according to the NECA blurb "features new artwork created just for this release".
Bolt your doors… lock your windows… there’s something in the fog! From John Carpenter’s 1980 horror film The Fog, the vengeful ghost of Captain Blake joins NECA’s clothed action figure line. Blake is dressed in tattered fabric uniform and comes with a sword accessory that fits in a sheath at his belt. Blister packaging with resealable protective clamshell features new artwork created just for this release.
NECA's niche action figure releases continue with this brilliant Buddy the Elf figure. Based on the 2003 movie, the figure will feature a sculpted head with a surprised and excited likeness to Will Ferrell. The figure is presented in the 8" retro style so the body will be a standard body with tailored soft goods clothing added. Accessories include a snow globe, bottle of maple syrup and a bag of spaghetti - the perfect breakfast. He will arrive in resealable clamshell packaging and will arrive in November 2018 ready for the Christmas holidays.
Another pre-Toy Fair NECA announcement and another 8" retro style horror figure. This new Freddy Krueger is based on his appearance, wearing a tuxedo, from Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 (Dream Warriors). Like all the 8" retro figures by NECA, he will come with a sculpted head and hands on a standard body and soft goods tailored clothing - including bow tie and pocket square. Also included is a small model of the Elm Street house, and this actually lights up. Freddy will come in clamshell packaging which can be resealed if needed. It will feature some special custom artwork from Nathan Thomas Milliner.
From the cult classic A Nightmare on Elm Street movies, this clothed action figure is based on Freddy’s tuxedo appearance in Dream Warriors! Freddy stands 8” tall and is fully poseable. He’s dressed in a fabric tuxedo with red and green striped bow tie and pocket square, and comes with a replica model of the #ElmStreet house that lights up. Blister packaging with resealable protective clamshell features custom artwork created by Nathan Thomas Milliner just for this release!
First look at the NECA 7" scale Pennywise from IT. This image was shared as a profile picture on NECA's social channels.
Tamashii Nations have announced the next Godzilla figure to be released in their SH Monsterarts line. The frozen Shin Godzilla recreates his final moments from the 2016 Shin Godzilla movie. This frozen version of the fourth form is sculpted with wonderful detail particularly the tail where Godzilla''s 5th form began to emerge. The figure will stand approx 6" high, in scale with other Monsterarts releases and is due for release in July 2018. The price tag is 14,040 yen which is equivalent to ÂŁ93. The figure is down to be a webstore exclusive in Japan, but will likely get a wider western release through Bluefin.
First look at the NECA 7" scale Major Dutch Schaefer from the Capcom Alien vs Predator video game. This image was shared as a profile picture on NECA's social channels and full details are expected to be revealed at Toy Fair 2018.
McFarlane have announced that they will be releasing 7" figures from the Call of Duty video game series by Activision. McFarlane, via Entertainment Weekly, have confirmed three new figures for their 7" Stranger Things line of figures. Arriving in the Autumn, the next releases rounds out the gang with the release of Mike and Will to join the already announced Lucas and Dustin figures (arriving Spring/Summer). Mike and Will come with removable backpacks.
The first two figures will be from the Modern Warfare titles and have been unveiled as John "Soap" McTavish and Simon "Ghost" Riley. More figures are planned and will span the full Call of Duty roster of games. The US price is a very reasonable $19.99, and based on current UK pricing for McFarlane 7" figures expect to be paying ÂŁ18 - ÂŁ20 when these arrive on shelves in Autumn 2018.
The third figure is a new version of Eleven. She is based on her alternative "punk" look from the 7th episode of Series 2. This does feel like a bit of a wasted slot considering we already have an Eleven figure. "Punk" Eleven comes with an alternative hand and a mask. All three figures will come with 12 points of articulation and in retro styled packaging, which we assume is the same as the retro card backs used for the first two figures - Eleven and Hopper.
As well as the wave of single Marvel Legends figures for Avengers, Infinity War, it seems we also have at least one double pack to look forward to. This set marks the first appearance of an MCU Vision and he looks impressive with the gold colouring and metallic purple skin tone. He also comes with additional hand options. The set also gives us what looks to be a stunning upgrade to Scarlet Witch. While the body may be a re-use from the Ultron release, the head is certainly new using the face-print technology. Scarlet Witch comes with some red energy fx that appears to slot over her hands. The set has started to show up in the US and has retail of $59.99. You can also see by the circular sticker, this is exclusive to Toys R Us. If this follows suit with previous Hasbro 2-packs then it may well never hit the UK market and you will have to rely on getting it from the independents via import.
UltimateToyCollector has shared images of some new basic range Avengers Infinity War figures that have started to turn up at Target stores over in the US.
The issue is always one of scale between figures as these are often made to a set size. That means while Iron-Man and Cap will be tiny compared to Legends, Black Widow may fit in (as does Shuri in the current Panther line). The US price on these is $9.99 and these will hit UK stores at around the ÂŁ10 mark.
The five figures are Captain America, Iron-Man, Thor, Star-Lord and Black Widow. Each is presented on a blister card which retains the angular shaping from the Black Panther wave. Each has an accessory included as well as an Infinity Stone. The Infinity Stone can be clipped onto the weapon - or can be used in the new Hero Vision game that Hasbro are releasing. Considering there are six infinity stones, there may be another figure still to find in this line if Hasbro are going for accuracy.
These are the limited articulation figures, which started with Spider-Man homecoming and have since been released for Black Panther. While the Spider-Man figures were around 5" in scale, the Black Panther figures are closer to 6" and these look to be a similar size.
Hasbro have released the first images of the Solo 6" Black Series figures. The first four will include Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Qi'Ra and the Imperial Range Trooper - who comes with what appears to be soft goods fur. The four figures will likely be included in the waves of Solo figures around late April or May 2018. We would expect the wave to be filled up with a combination of the Death Star Trooper, Tarkin and the Jawa. The figures all appear to be using the face printing technology and these glam-shots indicate some very good likenesses of the lead actors.
The first Solo figures will arrive in Wave 16 which is due in late April. The wave will be made up of Han Solo, Lando and the Range Trooper. The wave will also include the previously announced Grand Moff Tarkin and the boxed releases of the Jawa and Death Star Trooper - who have only appeared in the 40th Anniversary carded releases to date. Qi’Ra will follow in Wave 17 which looks to be a very bizarre wave with Qi’Ra being the only new figure. Lando and the Range Trooper will be carried forward, but not Han despite it being his movie? We then get a repack of the 2017 Darth Vader (?) and repacks of Rey and DJ from wave 15. While wave 17 may arrive at the same time as Wave 16 for the launch of the Solo product, this is likely to be in limited numbers only with the bulk of the stocks due in June 2018.
Hasbro have revealed details of the first 3.75" basic figures that will be released for Solo. The figures are made up of Han Solo, Chewbacca and Qi'ra. These will be packed into an initial wave which also includes the Last Jedi Maz Kanata with jetpack as well as repacks of Luke Jedi Master and K-2SO from Rogue One. We also know that we will also be seeing a Lando figure in this range as well as the new Imperial Range Trooper. Walmart is getting a Thanos exclusive Marvel Legend figure. This is a repaint / tweak of the recent comic book build-a-figure. It comes with alternative head and a swap out arm so he can wear his infinity gauntlet. The figure was briefly listed on the Walmart website, but has since been pretty much removed with a very odd "Minecraft Avengers Thanos" placeholder left behind - is there a crossover in the works we don't know about. The figure will retail around $20 in the US. Whether it will make it across to UK Asda stores is not clear, they did get the Civil War exclusives of Falcon and Winter Soldier in 2016, but these really didn't sell well and 6" Legends have not been seen since on an Asda shelf?
We will also be getting a brand new Millennium Falcon. Sadly this looks to be the smallest Falcon released to date for 3.75" figures. It features pop off parts and a jacket-less Han Solo figure, who can sit in the one cockpit seat or be laid flat to "sleep" in the rear quarters. The figure is exclusive to the set. The ship features blast off panels and a removable miniship which seems to be the front section..
Saban Brands, the company behind the Power Rangers brand, and Bandai US are to part company in 2019. Bandai has held the master toy licence for Power Rangers since its inception in 1993, and this mutual agreement brings that 25 year partnership to an end. The split was announced in a joint statement All the figures and ships will be Force Link enabled. This is badged as Forcelink 2.0 which is backward compatible with the original Forcelink figures from The Last Jedi line, as well as the new figures for 2018. A new Forcelink wristband is coming with its own exclusive Han Solo.
"After a successful 25-year partnership building the iconic action franchise, Power Rangers, Saban Brands and Bandai have mutually agreed not to renew their global Power Rangers master toy license agreement, effective April 2019"
Between now and 2019, Bandai will continue to produce and release items under the current Ninja Steel banner and product to celebrate the Power Rangers 25th anniversary. From 2019 the licence will move to Hasbro who will therefore control four of arguably the biggest licences on toy store shelves - Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers and Power Rangers.
"We’re particularly excited to partner together to help reignite and drive this brand for the next 25 years and more,” Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner tells Heat Vision about the deal. “It’s a partnership that is very collaborative and feels very good to us to be in business with Saban and to help power Power Rangers.”
Entertainment Weekly have exclusively revealed the brand new Mattel Action Figures and Toys for the upcoming Jurassic World sequel, Fallen Kingdom. While the 2015 films merchandise focused on the dinosaurs, this time round we seem to be getting a good mix of Dinosaurs and action figures of our favourite characters such as Chris Pratt's Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing. The prices given are all the US RRP, but we can pretty much swap the $ for a £ sign when we work out how much we will be paying when these land in the UK. Of course the T-Rex is the star of the merchandise, with a large "Thrash & Throw" T-Rex with stomp and roar sound FX and tail thrash feature - this sounds and looks very similar to the 2015 T-Rex. We also get a "Super Colossal" T-Rex that is an incredible 3ft long. The smaller T-Rex has a $40 RRP and the Colossal a reasonable $55. You can even take a T-Rex apart with the $55 T-Rex anatomy set.
Back in October 2017 we shared details of Hong Kong's Soap Studio's who were expanding their action figures into the 1/12 6" scale with an offering similar to Mezco with real cloth tailored clothing. The first few figures were predominantly DC based and we got a look at both Arrow and Flash from the CW. Soap have now opened (Hong Kong) pre-orders for another DC based set, Bruce Wayne and Ra's al Ghul from the 2005 Batman Begins movie. The set has Bruce and Ra's al Ghul, as played by Christian Bale and Liam Neeson, as they appeared in the early scenes of the movie - training at the League of Shadows mountain fortress. Bruce will come with Bruce Wayne accessories include his sword and a number of hand options. Ra's al Ghul comes with swords, alternative hands and either an alternative head - or a working soft goods hood to hide his identity.
Figures are going to be released as single carded figures for $8 each, complete with a mini dinosaur. There are also story packs which include a vehicle such as the Gyrosphere or a mid-sized Dinosaur such as Blue, The Raptor which have a $15 RRP. These mid-sized Dino's will also be released in a series called "Roarivores" and come with a sound FX feature for the same $15 price point. And to get your figures transported around Jurassic World safely, check out the Gyrosphere Blast Vehicle - an armoured car and Gyrosphere set costing $30.
The figures are released as a 2-pack in May 2018 and retail at 1,180 HKD. That is a direct conversion to £ of £108 but expect to add quite a bit to this for import and shipping costs.
Larger Dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus, Carnotaurus, and Suchomimus will be released on their own in the "Attack Assortment" for $20 each. And one of the stars from the original JW movie, the Mosasaurus, also gets a release with real feel skin texture costing $30 Figures are due to land at the same time as the movie, May 2018
DC Collectibles put out quite a large press release of new product ahead of New York Toy Fair 2018. While a lot of the content was statue based, there are some action figure goodies for us to look at. DCC have said this is not all they have in store and are holding some more items back for a full reveal at the Toy Fair itself. We've already looked at the Watchmen figures from Doomsday Clock. And alongside these we will be getting a 6.75" two pack from the DC Bombshells line of Nurse Harley Quinn and the Joker. This set is very stylised to fit in with the Bombshell theme and is in the slightly smaller 6.75" scale. Harley will be provided with two head sculpts.
DC Collectibles have announced three new 2-packs of 1/10 scale 7" figures based on the DC Doomsday Clock series, which is itself a sequel for the Watchman comic. These sets herald the first appearance of the comic book Watchmen in figure form. We have six figures split across three sets, Doctor Manhattan and Ozymandias, Rorschach and Mime, The Comedian and Marionette. Each figure comes with appropriate accessories. The US retail price will be $50 a set and pre-orders will open shortly. The sets will start to ship in September, with one set per month across September, October and November 2018.
The other new figures revealed are in the 7" DC Essentials line, with new figures of Black Manta and Brainiac.