049 Action Figure Sat-TOY-day News, 11th March 2017

Issue 49 : Saturday 11th March, 2017

g n i k l a W e h T McFarlane : Dead n a g o L n a M Mezco Old e m i T a n o p U e c n O r o f s y Dela r a t S e t i l E y e n s i D ) h s i ( New Wars

As Logan takes cinema's by storm around the world, Mezco have announced a comic book Logan will be joining their One:12 Collective.

The Old Man Logan will come with the usual soft goods tailored clothing that the One:12 figures are renowned for, and this will include removable overcoat. There is

In the alternate future of Earth-807128, Wolverine has aged. Now known

also a removable hat. Following the comic book story, Logan will come with a baby

as Old Man Logan, he lives with his family in a barren wasteland trying to

Hulk which will fit into the removable backpack. With it being Logan there are also

maintain as normal a life as possible.

adamantium claw hands alongside two other hand options.

When events turn against him Logan’s family and everything important to The figure is on pre-order in the US from Monday direct from Mezco at $80. UK

him is destroyed by the Hulk’s gang. Using his claws for the first time in

collectors will need to wait for local solicitations. The figure isn't due until at least

years, Old Man Logan exacts revenge, sparing only the baby known as

November, maybe even early 2018.

Bruce Jr. With his family gone, Old Man Logan heads off into the sunset with the baby vowing to set things straight.

Old Man Logan joins the One:12 Collective with a detailed outfit and portrait sculpture. He also includes the baby Hulk who may be the last of the Banner bloodline.

THE OLD MAN LOGAN ONE:12 COLLECTIVE FIGURE FEATURES: ● One (1) newly developed head portrait ● One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation ● Real fabric outfit with intricate tailoring ● Over 15 cm tall ● Six (6) interchangeable hands including ○ One (1) pair of fists (L&R) ○ One (1) pair of clawed fists (L&R) ○ One (1) pair of posing hands (L&R) ● Baby Hulk

COSTUME: ● Leather look overcoat ● White t-shirt ● Sculpted belt with decorative buckle ● Workman pants ● Sculpted cowboy boots

ACCESSORIES: ● Baby Hulk ● Removable hat ● Backpack that holds baby Hulk ● One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo ● One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post

Each figure is packaged in a deluxe, collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind; there are no twist ties for easy in-and-out of package display.

The second release is in the 10 inch "Legacy" range, with a brand new figure of Glenn.

While

listed

as

available

from

Walmart in the associated press blurb, the McFarlane have confirmed, via Comicbook.com, two new releases for the Walking Dead range.

figure is not an exclusive.

The first is in their 5 inch scale, exclusive to Walmart in the US. This three pack contains Michone, Rick and Daryl with accessories. While sold as a retailer exclusive in the US, the UK most likely route to market is via the independents watch out for pre-orders going up.

As seen briefly at Toy Fair, the next 7" McFarlane Walking Dead figure will be Dwight. He will arrive under the Color Tops banner as #32 and hit stores in the Autumn.

AMC’s The Walking Dead Hero 3-Pack

10” Glenn – Legacy Edition

UK RRP will be around £20.

The trio of Michonne, Rick, and Daryl have lead

Glenn Rhee, with his uncanny ability to move

It will be interesting to see if Dwight will fall under the

the

many

perilous

in and out of perilous situations, has become

new direction of the Color Top range as discussed at

very

different

Rick’s “go-to-town” expert. Throughout the

Toy Fair with improved articulation and a move to

backgrounds, the three share an unspoken bond

apocalypse Glenn has proven himself a vital

more specific themed packaging by licence.

protecting

as

cog to the survival of the original Atlanta

themselves, from walkers and other enemies

group. Though brave and selfless, he often

looking to thwart their livelihood.

finds himself in situations that could spell his

other

survivors

through

situations.

Despite

their

the

other

survivors,

as

well

own end.

•Three fully posable 5-inch figures of Michonne, Rick, and Daryl from based off scenes from

• Spectacular likeness of actor Steven Yeun,

Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead™

taken from a full 3D scan of the actor himself

•Features Michonne's katana and sheath, Rick's

• Figure comes with blood splatter paint

colt python assault rifle, and Daryl's crossbow and

effect

knife

• Figure features new arms holding Glenn's

•Spectacular likeness of Michonne, Rick, and

pistol accessory

Daryl taken from 3D scans of actors Danai Gurira,

• Comes with a black circular base for

Andrew Lincoln, & Norman Reedus

dynamic posing

•AMC’s The Walking Dead™ themed window box packaging prominently

MSRP: $34.99

MSRP: $29.99

Available: June at Walmart stores

Available: June, exclusively at Walmart

These images are being circulated on line detailing three new (well tweaked) Disney Elite figure which have been found in Disney Store London and Disney Store Trafford, Manchester

B&M seem to be receiving and selling a huge raft of collectable action figures from DCC.

The Riot Stormtrooper obviously uses the existing First Order sculpt

Across a couple of stores today we found the 75 years of Batman set in two stores, this was priced in one at £29.99 and the other at £24.99 on a clearance section. A steal for this very impressive set.

and is then packed with new accessories in terms of the baton and shield. The First Order Stormtrooper Commander is the same as the Officer, but now with white Pauldron. Finn has been packed in with a lightsaber - most likely so he can be displayed with the Riot Trooper in that "Traitor" scene.

The packaging has also been updated with a new Disney store logo

There are then the Batman Animated Series single figures at £7.99 each, these include some nice looking figures such as Killer Croc, Two Face, Mr Freeze and Bane. There is then a two pack of Batman and The Phantasm, from Mask of the Phantasm. This two pack is £16.99

top left and a revision to the bottom cut out of the window and the name plate of the character. The red theme for Force Awakens figures has been retained.

Nothing as yet on either UK or US website.

Source : Steve, Disney Store Elite Group (Facebook)

Batman, the Dark Knight Returns, is a four pack of stylised figures of Batman, Joker, Superman and Robin. This is another bargain at £24.99 A similar Bargain is the Arkham set containing Bruce Wayne and four variant Batman figures. This is being sold at £29.99 The final set we found was a DCC Justice League 6 pack of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Flash and Aquaman. This is a new addition to B&M shelves and is priced at £39.99, which is still a keen price for 6 DCC figures.

Watch this dropping in price in the future.

Does anyone remember those 6" scale Once Upon a Time figures that were solicited by Icon Heroes for a December 2016 release?

Well it seems like the line has hit some snag or other and the revised release date for the figures is now Autumn 2017, a good 9 months later than originally planned "Action figures coming this Fall #Oncers sorry for the delay. Here's a peek at the packaging. #OnceUponATime" While the delay is a frustration, the newly revealed packaging does look pretty good and follows the current theme of going with a boxed design with window to display the figure. We can only assume the Regina box is significantly deeper than the others due to the skirt? And while five boxes are shown vs four figures announced there is no hidden announcement here, with the box for Hook appearing twice.

Home Bargains stores have received more 6" Star Wars Black Series figures.. This latest delivery appears to be Wave 4 from the start of last year. This includes the harder to find Asty and Hux as well as the Tie Fighter Pilot, Snowtrooper, Kylo and Rey. The image, circulated via social channels, indicates the price is £5.99 each - the same as the last lot of figures sold. Let's hope these are not the same level of quality and are as good a quality as the Marvel Legends figures we saw pre-Xmas.

Review : Doctor Strange Diamond Select Marvel Cinematic Universe Wave/Series : Doctor Strange Released : January (US) / February (UK) 2017 Price : ÂŁ19.99 - ÂŁ22.99 Like many Marvel Select Cinematic releases, Doctor Strange has arrived just ahead of the DVD/Bluray release of the movie. Unlike Hasbro, who seem to be in a position to get their movie based figures on shelves while (if not before) the film is playing in Cinema's, Diamond do like to keep us collectors waiting.

Doctor Strange arrives in a full size Select Package resplendent with a red through blue swirling colour design. The left card panel carries the Doctor Strange character name, framed with the Marvel Select logo above, and the Dr Strange movie logo below. The subtitle reads "Special Collector Edition Action Figure".

The back initially feels a little different to normal, but this is a one of release for the movie so is missing some usual elements like the "also available". It is also missing an actual shot of the figure, instead going with another Cumberbatch image. I wonder if the figure wasn't quite ready for photography when the card art was drawn up? The bio text does survive with some background on Stephen Strange and the origin journey he undertakes in the film.

Out of the pack and the blister is brimming with accessories, and there is a pretty nice looking diorama base tucked in the back that we will explore shortly. Strange sits front and centre of the inner tray, posed with his arms out to either side to fill the blister. To the right, as you look, are the accessories. A circular magical effect and two further sets of hands.

Stephen Strange stands 7 and 1/2 inches high out of the box, and is a hefty piece of solid plastic.

The triangular panel that cuts out from the right of this side piece into the window carries an image of Benedict Cumberbatch in character casting a spell. There is no text on this panel, which is consistent with the change made with the Civil War figures - figures prior to this, back as far as 2013, had been carrying the Avengers Initiative logo in this panel.

To the side spine, the artwork from the triangle is blown up to a full image of Doctor Strange from the movie. Like the Civil War figures, this image is presented not as photographic but almost as a painted piece and I can see why many Select collectors display the figures in the packaging with this side art on display.

To date, the best MCU sculpt that Diamond had put out had been the 2013 Wolverine figure (yes I know it's not quite MCU), but got very close with the recent Civil War Captain America - the masked version. For me Strange just about edges both of these to be the best yet. Pictures don't do the sculpt justice.

I was very unimpressed by all the images I had seen up to getting this figure in hand, and now I am blown away. It's not only a spectacularly good sculpt of Cumberbatch, it is painted extremely well with shading around his cheeks, varying colouring on his lips and piercing blue eyes. The beard and hair are realistically sculpted and well painted. The only criticism being how harsh his grey sideburns are vs the rest of the hair section.

The costume is equally as impressive with a flowing blue robe cutting down the torso and to the waist. Here is an intricate belt made up of a number of strips and buckles and with another sash slung lower still with yet another texture and paint application. The robe then continues, albeit now as a separate skirt section on the figure. This whole piece is shaded to bring out depth and texture, while also not making it look too clean - a complaint we had on earlier figures, but that Diamond now seem to be nailing.

The arms are part of a further garment, and therefore are a slightly variant blue. They are similar sculpted with creases and folds galore down to the wrapped forearms. These wraps are another two shades of blue, one bright and striking and when you look up close with a 3rd blue in the border.

The eye of Agamotto hangs from Stephen's neck. Rather than just painted, it is a 3D sculpted piece and is painted in a gold colour.

Like the arms, the legs are a touch darker in blue shade than the main robe and are full of sculpted creases and folds. They end in a pair of dark boots, wrapped again in blue cloth. The boots even come with a full tread underneath and peg holes on both.

The cloak of Levitation is a separate piece that sits around Strange's shoulders, covering his left more than his right. The collar then bends upward around the head section. On first glance the cloak looks a flat red colour, but look closer and you will see some subtle differences around the shoulders. There is also a huge amount of texture and designs built into the cloak, even round the back which you would argue will very rarely be seen.

If I had one build (rather than complaint) at this stage of the review - I think the cloak could have been designed as a removable piece. However, I am not sure how many of us would ever display Strange without his cloak.

There are three sets of hands that you can fit into the figure. These all pop in and out smoothly and without issue. The set that comes pre-fitted are a flared hand with all fingers outstretched. The second set are balled fists, and the third are the spell position.

With the initial set of flared fingers in place, you can also deploy the spell effect. Now this is not as impressive as perhaps the one that comes with the Hasbro figure, and no where near what we look to be getting with the Figuarts version. It carries the runic look of the spells we see in the movie, but Diamond have gone for functionality over looks and the disk is far too thick.

The thickness is because they have made a socket on the flip side into which you can simply place the outstretched hand - no need for plugs or loops. But by being so thick the light doesn't penetrate the disk enough and it looks too much like a solid object than a magical projection.

Articulation on Doctor Strange is advertised at 16 points, and Diamond have made sure every one of these adds something to the pose-ability of the figure. The head rotates and looks up and down within that flexible cloak collar. Both shoulders are ball jointed but only his right can raise up fully and rotate, the other being held in by the cloak. The elbows are very well disguised, but still bend 90 degrees and rotate. The hands each contain a peg and a pivot, and this means they truly do bend to 90 degrees for that ultimate spell casting pose.

While the cloak doesn't make a torso joint practical, a waist swivel has been added instead and is secreted behind the belt. It allows some twist motion for the upper half of Strange.

The diorama arrives in two pieces that slot together to create a plinth and then the circular window from the Sanctum Sanctorum. The base section is a dark brown and the whole central circle is made up of runes in a vibrant orange. This is printed, so the level of detail is spectacular. The back section is more a bronze colouring, with sculpted paneling in the base and round the window. The Window itself is clear and then decorated with black and yellow lining.

One complaint usually levied about Diamond Dioramas are their size, often being undersized to the figure. This is probably true of the window which is much larger in the film, however they have ensured that it still scales and Strange looks just perfect stood on the display.

The legs are a T-jointed hip, and even with the lower part of the robe they have quite a bit of movement for more action orientated stances thanks to some strategic splits in the skirted section. Strange won't really kneel or sit down, but he still comes with double jointed knees. We finish with ankle rockers. The figure stands perfectly well thanks to these ankle joints. There is no evidence at this stage of the floppy joints that have plagued Diamond Select figures previously.

Many collectors, like myself, will also want to put Strange alongside other MCU Select figures - especially when we reach Infinity War. Thankfully the good Doctor scales well with other recent figures, standing the same size as the recent Civil War Captain America. The only one he looks odd with is the Mk46 Iron-Man, but that issue lies with the IM figure itself which is a good inch shorter than it should have been.

The other good thing that Diamond have built in is the ability to point the feet downwards. As weird as this pose sounds, it is essentially if you want to put Strange in a levitation pose. There is no stand provided to do so out of the box, but with a sufficient flying stand you can get some decent poses of the good Doctor putting his Cloak of Levitation to good work.

It seems when we get a really awesome Select figure, the diorama tends to be a let down as Diamond try and balance the development costs. That is certainly not the case here.

By now you can probably tell that I don't have much to fault on the Doctor Strange movie figure. The sculpt is amazing, in my opinion the best of the MCU to date from Diamond. The hand options are well thought out and add some character and assist in the posing. The base is also a thing of beauty.

The only criticism you could throw at the figure is the fact that magic effect doesn't work too well and the cloak doesn't come off.

So is that enough to warrant a 5 out of 5 score. Of course it is. Is that enough to be the second only figure in the history of the Mephitsu Archives to score a 5*? Well we asked our friends on Facebook and Twitter for their opinion and the response was unanimous‌. Well Done Doctor!

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