033 Action Figure Sat-TOY-Day News, 16th July 2016

Issue 33 : Saturday 16th July, 2016

n o i t c A C C D More S … s e v i s u l c x Figure e t o n s i ” 5 d Walking Dea t e y . … d a e d quite New TV show C D m o r f s e collectibl

Play Arts Kai are releasing a grayscale / black and white Batman 10" figure exclusive to SDCC. The figure uses the existing PAK sculpt, but is presented in a monochrome colour scheme as well as what we assume will be special SDCC packaging. The figure will retail at $149.99 and can be bought at SDCC, or ordered in advance for home delivery from Square Enix. Products ordered for home delivery won't ship until late August.

Batman will ship with alternate hands, grenade, grappling gun and batarang.

Turtle Fans will be chasing down this extremely limited Bebop and Trike exclusive at SDCC. The figure is limited to just 500 pieces. He will cost you $30.

For anyone unfamiliar with Hiya Toys, they are a Chinese company who will be releasing a series of 1/18 scale / 3.75" Alien figures later this year.

After a few weeks of speculation and some grainy internet images, Hasbro's Marvel 6 inch Legends exclusive for San Diego 2016 has been revealed via USA Today.

The Raft box set is based on the Marvel Universe SuperVillain Prison of the same name and will come with figures of Enchantress, Dreadknight, Abomination, Sandman and Purple Man. And to keep them all in check a Spider-Man figure is also included.

The set will cost $119.99 at the show with a limited number available soon after at Hasbro Toy Store for US collectors.

Although the figures are very stylised and won't carry official likeness from the movies, they are based on the 1986 Aliens film with figures of Hicks and Hudson in the works as well as a Power Loader. What has got fans excited though more than anything is this image of a prototype 1/18 scale M577 APC, again as seen in Aliens.

Whereas the NECA Alien range will focus on character likeness, the lure of this smaller range will be around the option to have these vehicles and larger scale diorama's. Hiya will be attending SDCC next week and we have been told we will get more details of this and "more surprises" at the show.

"Straight out of the theatrical film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows comes this exclusive Bebop and Warthog Trike from Playmates.

It takes a big bike to move this warthog around, and the movie-inspired chopper was created by Paul Jr Designs.

With two rocket grenade projectiles and custom vacuum-metallized “chrome� finishes, this alternate deco Bebop features a collector window-box packaging with outer sleeve. This is a SDCC exclusive in a limited edition of 500."

Mezco are offering a Previews Exclusive of the Reverse Flash in their One:12 Collective range. Using the standard Flash figure, the Reverse Flash will come in his fitted yellow outfit and include swappable hands as well as some clip on effects including red lightning and a whirlwind. Reverse Flash is due to ship in October 2016 and is priced at $80 over in the US via Big Bad Toy Store.

Another McFarlane Color Top reveal now as they unveil Kait Diaz from Gears of War. Kait is the 2nd Gears of War figure to be announced as part of the new 7" collectors series after JD Fenix. Both figures will be in the 2nd (blue) series of figures and hit stores in November 2016 at a US RRP of $19.99 / UK RRP of ÂŁ19.99

McFarlane have this week revealed two more Walking Dead figures, and interestingly they are back at 5 inch scale and not the 7 inch Color Top scale that McFarlane have been pushing ready for their Autumn launch.

The first figure, Aaron, will be released November/December and will be a Walgreens exclusive in the US. Aaron will be joined on the Walgreen shelves by Constable Rick Grimes, also in 5 inch scale.

Funko have moved on somewhat from their initial 3.75" 5 POA range (Re:Action) and have moved to a 9POA figure with their new Game of Thrones figures.

It seems they have also struck a deal to produce similar figures based on Suicide Squad. Initially all we have seen are figures of Harley Quinn and The Joker and these were part of the DC Legion of Collectors monthly subscription box.

Whether this signals a wider release plan remains to be seen, but it would seem odd for Funko to invest so much into 3.75" sculpts and then not to use them at mass market.

Brand: Gears of War Genre: Video Games Product Type: Action Figure Series: McFarlane Collector Color Tops Program Series: Color Tops: Blue A new saga begins for one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix, and his friends Kait Diaz and Delmont Walker, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy.

Kait is a brand new character to the Gears of War Universe. Figure stands 7 inches tall and comes with customized Gnasher Shotgun and Boltok Pistol. Stylized base included.

This figure includes one Gears of War 4 Gear Pack; a downloadable code for unlocking spectacular in-game content, available October 11th – Xbox One and Windows 10 Game Launch.

NECA have always said they would be returning to Terminator 2 with their Ultimate series after the current two T1 releases of the T800. It looks like we will be seeing what NECA have planned next for us at SDCC, and they've started the teases early with this image of the T1000

NECA have tweeted this behind the scenes image of their Quarter Scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

So far we have only seen Donatello, but from this image it looks like we could be getting our first look at the full team at SDCC. Before anyone goes searching (like I did) NECA have said there is nothing else hidden in the image.

UK / Rest of the World fans should be reminded that these Q-Scale Turtles are currently only licenced for sale in the US.

NECA have tweeted this fantastic diorama image featuring their upcoming Ash and Eligos 7 inch figures, part of their new Ash vs The Evil Dead range of figures.

"Getting closer to release @AshvsEvilDead figures late Aug/early Sept samples will be on display at #sdcc" - Randy Falk, NECA (via Twitter) The first wave, containing two version of Ash as well as Eligos will hit stores in late August. You can pre-order all 3 figures from our affiliate partner Forbidden Planet.

"Its #t2sday and you'll be seeing more of this guy next week at #sdcc #terminator #ultimate" - Randy Falk, NECA (via Twitter) On first glance it looks similar to the released T1000, but then you notice he is wearing the Police Motorbike jacket. We can only assume this will be a Motorbike Pursuit Ultimate T1000 and will come with damaged head as seen, as well as Motorbike helmeted head.

NECA have shown off this image of the actual production Thermal Vision Alien (Glow in the Dark).

Due to hit stores in the Autumn, with a UK price of ÂŁ22.99

We do know that NECA already have this sculpt in their locker from it's original release (see below) NECA have revealed what exactly will be included in their Predator accessory pack.

We have already seen the individual parts in a number of teaser images, but we now know the pack will include the skinned body, alien skull, human skull, two human skulls with spine and the two "firing" effects which will attach to existing Predator shoulder cannons.

"A #prednesday debut! At last - the contents of the Predator accessory pack, pre-orders will start this week. #sdcc" - Randy Falk, NECA (Twitter) Pre-orders should be up later this week.

It seems an age ago that we saw the SH Figuarts A New Hope Luke Skywalker, but it seems he is finally getting close to release.

These promotional images have now been released and confirm Luke will come with two face options (not head), alternate hand options, flight helmet, lightsaber with removable blade and the training remote with firing effects.

Disney stores will be launching their own Marvel Superhero Collectors series this August. Named The Ultimate Series, The 11 inch figures will boast 30 points of

For UK customers, expect to be paying £50 - £60 to import Luke.

articulation as well as fabric clothing and interchangeable hands and accessories.

The line will launch with Captain America on the 1st August, and he will be sold Hasbro Pulse have revealed the following behind the scenes images of the Star Wars Celebration / SDCC Exclusive 6" Kylo Ren figure.

Looking at the artwork, it looks like Kylo will remain in the black and red phase 3 packaging as opposed to the black & white packaging that will accompany the Obi Wan Kenobi figure at SDCC and LFCC.

exclusively in Disney stores for $34.99, that will equate to about £26.91 although we suspect the UK price will sit closer to the £30 mark. Captain will come with his signature shield.

No other figures are confirmed as yet, but we would expect Disney to at least hit the big 3 and bring our Iron Man and SpiderMan. It is however unlikely Disney will go deep on this, so don't expect to see a full Avengers line up for example.

Next year is looking very exciting for fans of the DC CW TV shows. We've already had Arrow and Flash figures from DC Collectibles, and now Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow will be joining the range.

It will be interesting to see if Disney warrant this format a success to see if they will roll it out to the other big collectors franchise - Star Wars. Could

These 8 announced DC figures will start arriving in February 2017 - each standing approx 6.75", just a touch shorter than the equivalent Marvel range from Diamond select.

this be the collectors line Disney go with for Rogue One rather than the Elite Diecast figures?

From Legends of Tomorrow we get Hawkgirl, Firestorm and The Atom. We then get Supergirl and Martian Manhunter.

There is then Constantine, Zoom from Flash and finally Vixen from Arrow.

Review : Weyland Yutani Commando NECA, Alien 3 Wave/Series : Aliens Series 8 Released : June/July 2016 ÂŁ22.99 Even with a Ripley in Series 8, the figure many have been excited about is the inclusion of the Weyland Yutani Commando. These masked troopers were seen briefly at the climax of Alien 3, but for a Toy Company like NECA there immediate appeal would be the fact that no actor likeness rights have to be negotiated. They also obviously provide "army building" potential which should lead to multiple sales from some collectors

Back round the front and the character name is positioned on a card insert at the front of the blister. And for the first time since Series 5, the card side inserts are back with further artwork of the figures down both the left and right side of the blister.

Out of the pack and the Commando is packed with a Pulse rifle and a short knife. He stands 6 3/4 inches high which does put him a touch shorter than some of the other Alien figures and on par with Ripley.

The sculpt is quite literally out of this world, and one the best I have seen from NECA. Even the promotional images don't do this thing justice and you just have to have it in hand and inspect all the details and paint applications to really appreciate the love and time that went into this one.

You may be able to tell at this point I think we have a very special figure on our hands

NECA are sticking to the clam-shell packaging for the Alien series, with the card back tailored for each range. All the Series 8 cards are dominated by a crisp Alien 3 logo on the top of the card, and under this providing a background to the figure is the circular Alien 3 logo.

The back of the packaging is also headed by the vibrant green A3 logo overlaid on top of an actual image of the figure itself in one of NECA's beautiful diorama photographic backdrops. Half way down the card back and overlaid on the figure image is a paragraph that details the setup plot for Alien 3, this text is the same on all of the Series 8 figures. Underneath this is the Also Available section with head shots of the Weyland Yutani Commando, Ripley and the Dog Alien. Interestingly it seems that NECA are not differentiating the two Dog Aliens at this point.

The head is masked and when the figure comes out of the box the eye holes are open, and through this you can see a painted head and two perfectly painted eyes. That in itself screams attention to detail.

These eye holes then have two options of goggles open or goggles shut, and you achieve these looks by swapping in the two alternative goggle pieces. The mechanics of this are relatively simple with a slot in the head to lock in each piece. Both look awesome, but my preference is the goggles open so you can still see those eyes underneath.

The helmet sits on top of a large mouth piece that is locked around the Commando's neck, this is solid at one side and an open grill at the other and through this grill you can see a sculpted chin wearing the bottom of a balaclava. This chin is also sculpted so you can see folds in the cloth and the outline of the mouth.

The whole helmet and mouthpiece are painted silver, but with a black wash that dirties up the metal and brings out the little details like rivets and welding lines.

Trousers continue with the stitching and are trimmed with a double grey stripe down the side, and again this is a sculpted element not just a painted line. The trousers tuck into knee high boots, again of a similar design to the pressure suit and the whole thing ends with some steel coloured boots. Although all of this is reminiscent of the Nostromo suits, I can't find one piece that is a direct re-use.

The outfit is reminiscent of the Pressure Suits we saw in Alien, and that NECA have released in figure form for both Alien and Alien Isolation. But it's not just a pressure suit as within the design is a mix of cold weather looking gear and layer after layer of detail. There is a fur lined collar, sculpted with a fur like texture.

This sits on an outer collar of some under jacket and then on top of this are a couple of shoulder pads, one a smooth material, the other the quilted texture we saw on the Nostromo Pressure Suits.

Down into the jacket itself and you will find bags of detail from stitching lines, buttons through to straps and buckles. There is also weaponry to remind you this is a soldier. Throwing stars in a strap round the left arm and a couple of grenades hanging from the chest. The hands are also a nice touch, with the right being gloved but the left being a metallic armoured hand of some kind.

This is not something that is massively clear on the film so we assume is accurate to the props considering the depth NECA have gone with accuracy on this figure.

The paint is what makes the figure as it's not just a clean trooper who has just stepped out on his first mission. This is a dirty, grimy commando who has seen some action - not least trekking to reach the Forge area on Fiorina 161. The majority of the paint work is quite simply beige or sandy brown - but this is all washed to bring out the detail and folds in the cloth whilst also making it look grimy and "used".

So the looks are out of the park on this ÂŁ22 figure, what about articulation?

Well, it's there - but it's not that good considering the bulk of the figure. The head moves slightly, but is locked into the collar by the mouth guard. The arms are on ball joints and the right can get up to about 45 degrees before being blocked by the shoulder. The left goes a little further to just under 90 degrees. Neither can rotate above the head due to the shoulder padding. Each elbow is jointed with a single joint and these bend to 90 degrees and also rotate really well. I was a little disappointed that the elbow peg is not the same colour as the arm so is visible when you straighten out the arm. Both hands are on pegs so rotate fully and have a degree of back and forth movement up to the point they hit the sleeve.

Round the back is the backpack which is embossed with a Weyland Yutani logo. The pack itself is quite plain and smooth in design and then extends two arms around the waist of the figure with each of these having a corrugated rectangular tube design and then into some controls or nozzles, and these nozzles vary on the two sides, it's not a reuse of parts.

There is a waist joint, cleverly positioned under the belt when you would have expected it to be further up. This again doesn't give much movement, but enough to twist the torso to either side to vary poses - go any further and the lines break up and you will see a pretty ugly joint between legs and torso. The two arms to the backpack are also on a joint so they can be raised up and down the body if you wish.

The legs can actually get out to almost 90 degrees to the side and into a semi sitting position. This means that although your Commando won't kneel, he can be placed into some wider shooting or action stances. The knee joint are hidden behind the cricket pad looking top of the boots. They are single joint and while not bending to a complete right angle to the thigh, they do go most of the way - further supporting the wider action poses.

The ankles are rockers and it's a clever decision to put that joint under the shin pad and allowing the shin pad and boot to move rather than the boot being restricted under the pad. This rocker means the figure stands really well and is very stable in a lot of poses.

Aside from the goggle parts, the Commando comes with a small knife and a Pulse Rifle. The knife is not great and was a little bent out of the box. I understand why as they need to make sharp objects in a flexible plastic, but it does look a bit "meh". It also doesn't fit too well in either hand, nor is there a sheath (that I have found) to slot it into.

So decals aside, this figure is beyond a 5 out of 5 score. NECA have raised their own bar yet again and if you put this figure alongside say the Series 4 Ripley (who I gave 5 out of 5) then the Commando stands out as the superior figure. The one thing that will work against the figure is the availability. Collectors will want more than one, and NECA may have to consider adding him into a future series as a re-release or producing solid cases of him to satisfy demand.

The Weyland Yutani gets a special 5+ out of 5 as it is a special figure and it will be interesting to see if this continual improvement series by series from NECA will continue into Series 9 and the long awaited Vasquez figure.

The Pulse Rifle on the other hand is much better and this fits into the right hand with the trigger finger slotting into the trigger.

Despite the bulky arms, with a bit of playing you can also get the Commando to adopt a two handed weapon pose.

The rifle itself is pretty much the exact same sculpt as that packed with Hicks & Hudson back in Series 1. It is a little crisper in detail, but that is predominantly because it is cast in black plastic with zero paint applications.

So the final part of the review should be about the added bonus that NECA have thrown into this figure, and that is a set of waterslide transfers that allow you to customise the back of the helmet of your Commando into four individual commandos from the film - Boss, Animal, Hunter and Cruncher. Sadly, and I know a number have had this issue, there were no decals in my figure.

I am now trying to speak to the retailer and NECA Customer Service to understand what to do next.

Read our Alien 3 Ellen Ripley Review CLICK THROUGH the image below