Issue 53 : Saturday 6th May, 2017
As Alien Day came to a close, NECA had one more reveal to show us - the first look at their 7" scale Alien Covenant Xenomorph. The figure has 30 points of articulation and the trademark poseable tail. The 26th April was Alien Day and as promised, NECA revealed a brand new 7" Aliens figure for immediate dispatch via their online store and the NECA Alien Club. Taking the 2016 Vasquez figure, the team at NECA have stripped down the Smart Gun armour and created this lovely homage piece to the 1992 Kenner Vasquez action figure. Vasquez will be shipped in retro style packaging and will come with a Pulse Rifle. She retails at $24.99, that's £19.47 in UK. If you are in the Alien Club, you have to order this figure to continue holding membership and qualify for the exclusive diorama piece and end of year figure.
Celebrate Alien Day 2017 with a special edition tribute to the classic Kenner Vasquez figure from the early ’90s! Private Jenette Vasquez comes with knife, sheath and pulse rifle accessories. The 7” scale figure features the likeness of Jenette Goldstein, and has over 25 points of articulation. The blister card packaging is an homage to the classic as well — it’s the perfect companion piece to the 2016 Alien Day Exclusive Ripley action figure!
It retails at $24.99 and can be ordered now as part of the Alien Club offer. A second figure of an "unknown" creature is the 2nd part of the Covenant releases and is yet to be released. "First look at our brand new Covenant Xenomorph figure coming this Summer. Super detailed & super poseable too. #AlienDay"
After a hiatus away from Twitter, Randy Falk was back a few days ahead of Alien Day, and we’ve just shown you the goodies that NECA showed off on April 26th. In other news Randy has been doing the rounds tweeting about a new Xenomorph for Aliens, as well as showing off a new Predator figure at the 30th Anniversary screening. With Spider-Man news and a first look at Valerian : City of a Thousand Worlds, it’s been a busy couple of weeks for NECA news.
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Predator, Alamo Theatres in the US screened the original 1987 movie for fans. At the Yonkers, New York Alamo Theatre NECA were on hand for a special reveal on the night.
Randy Falk exclusively revealed the Hornhead Predator, part of the Dark Horse comic series appearing first in the Predator : Life & Death series.
NECA have released images of the final packaging layout and design for their upcoming 7" Ultimate Jason, The Final Chapter. Jason will come with two masks, two head options, knife, corkscrew, tombstone, hacksaw, cleaver, machete and axe. He is due to start shipping at the end of May
NECA is proud to present the definitive collector’s version of Jason as he appeared in Friday the 13 Part 4: The Final Chapter!
Hornhead will be part of Series 18 from NECA. We now know that Series 18 will contain Hornhead, and the previously teased Broken Tusk (below). On the tease front, this image has been teased. The common theory is that this is the head sculpt for either a Kenner inspired Panther or Crab Alien (as below) and will be part of another Kenner inspired series.
We’ve taken our classic Part 4 Jason and given him the “Ultimate” treatment, with deluxe packaging, tooling improvements for production of masks, and a slew of new accessories. Plus, you can recreate his (not quite) fatal wound by sliding his machete into the side of his head. This deluxe 7” scale action figure features over 25 points of articulation and is packed with accessories. It comes with two masks, two interchangeable head sculpts, knife, corkscrew, tombstone, hacksaw, cleaver, machete, and axe. The packaging is deluxe too, with a front window flap featuring the movie’s original one-sheet poster art!
NECA revealed they were making Q-Scale figures for Spider-Man Homecoming at Toy Fair 2017.
NECA's latest Action Figure licence, AMC's Preacher, are just a few weeks away from release. NECA have now released the packed samples of the first two figures - Cassidy and Jesse Cutler. The figures are packed in the newer style window box that most companies currently favour. The design with the flaming sky and gloss black spine is particularly striking. "Hitting stores really really soon, our hand to God @PreacherAMC figures in final packaging. Don't miss them or Season 2 this June" - via Randy Falk on Twitter
We now get a look at what that new figure will be like with these promotional images and blurb. Spidey will come in window box packaging like Captain America and Iron-Man. He will come with alternative hand options, and as is the rage with Spidey figures right now - swap out eye expressions. Spidey will be released September 2017 and expect the UK retail to be around the £90-£100 mark.
In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, a young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging superhero. This fantastic 1/4 scale action figure is based on Spider-Man’s look in the new movie and features over 30 points of articulation for dynamic poses. Includes 5 pairs of hands, interchangeable eye lenses for different eye expressions, and more! Window box packaging.
It was confirmed in December 2016 that NECA will be creating 7" figures from the new Luc Besson movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. There will be three figures, all arriving in September 2017. The trio will be Valerian himself (played by Dane DeHaan), his partner Laureline (Cara Delevigne) and the Police Robot K-Tron. The first images have now been released by NECA of the K-Tron figure, and he looks pretty spectacular with his sleek gloss black design. Images of the Valerian and Laureline figures have been promised for May. The figures will be packed in window box packaging, similar we assume to how recent NECA lines like the Classic Planet of the Apes and the new Rocky figures were sold.
The assortment includes Valerian (with likeness of Dane DeHaan), Laureline (with likeness of Cara Delevigne), and police robot K-Tron. Each fully articulated, highly detailed figure stands approximately 7” tall and comes with character-specific accessories. Window box packaging.
The Prometheus lost wave from NECA is getting closer to release, and in this behind the scenes image we see the first layout of the Vickers figure. "Prometheus: The Lost Wave is almost here! Vickers blister layout for final review and last minute tweaks #facehuggerfriday"
NECA's Quarter Scale line gives you 18" scaled characters with excellent detailing at a shade over £100. One of their mainstays recently has been 1/4 scale DC figures - with the likes of their Keaton Batman, Penguin and Catwoman. Now the 1/4 scale DC focus switches to 2017 releases, and this lovely looking Wonder Woman figure. She will be delivered complete with her sword and shield and her lasso of truth. She is due in stores in November with a price tab of around $100 / £90 "First look! Q scale wonder woman headed your way later this year. Prototype shown, not final."
Ever wanted to display those alternative heads that come with action figure releases like the NECA Ultimate range? The ever innovative NECA have these in the pipeline which will allow you to do just that. These stands are designed to hold an alternative head and display it alongside your figure. Not only are they designed to fit NECA peg holes, but they have swap out sizes that will allow these to fit most similar size figures. Having had issues with the clear plastic, these will only be available in a black plastic. They are aiming for an RRP in the US of $6.99 for three stands. That's about a fiver, but I suspect the UK RRP will be closed to £10. These are still in the development stage, but watch this space for more details.
Marvel Legend collectors have some new X-Men and Fantastic Four releases to look forward to later this year. We saw the early promo shots for the new X-Men set and the Human Torch at Toy Fair in February. Now, thanks to an eBay listing, we get the boxed images. Dark Phoenix and Cyclops will be a Toys R Us Exclusive. Jean will come with three head options and some flame fx add-ons. The Human Torch will be a Walgreens exclusive, and comes with alternate hands and flame fx options.
Images have shown up online of what we think is an SDCC 2017 exclusive from Hasbro in their Marvel Legends line. The set appears to be using the release of Thor Ragnarok later this year as a platform to get some comic based Thor figures out in a pretty impressive set.
With these images online already we would expect stocks to hit stores in the US very soon. Sadly it is unlikely that the Human Torch will get a mainstream release in the UK. Cyclops & Dark Phoenix have a chance if Toys R Us decide to release it worldwide - although based on other Hasbro exclusives at Toys R Us, this is potentially unlikely.
The set contains Thor, Lady Thor, Malekith, Bor and Ulik. These images seem to be pre-production samples as seen by the numbers stamped on each forehead.
It looks like Daredevil is the next Marvel character to join the 12" Legends range from Hasbro. We had known that Hulk and Thor were the next two releases, but images of Thor and this unannounced Daredevil have now show up on eBay. Daredevil comes with alternative wrists and hands, allowing for bandaged options as well as the normal costume. He comes with two head options, one masked and the other unmasked and bloodied. There is also a mask which can be carries, and may slip over the unmasked head. The billy clubs are also included. The packaging, with what looks like a high sheen slip over cover is somewhat improved on the previous 12" releases. This has led to some speculation this may be an SDCC exclusive.
Disney Store released this 3 pack of Star Wars Elite Diecast figures to celebrate Star Wars Day 2017. Nothing new as such, just a repack of C-3PO, R2-D2 and BB8 from The Force Awakens. The RRP in stores is ÂŁ42.99
After what feels like a long wait, Diamond have finally revealed the details of their 7" Select Drax and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 Both figure look stunning. Drax looks to be one of the best sculpts to date from Diamond, and is vibrant in his colouring. Baby Groot has been captured with the same character that we see on the film. Groot looks to be a non articulated piece in the same vein as the Ant-Man mini fig we got a couple of years back. Drax comes with his two knives, and it appears these will fit into the holsters either side of his boots. The two releases for GOTG2 from Diamond are tentatively due for July. We have seen their Star-Lord at Toy Fair, but are yet to see the Rocket that is packed with Peter Quill. We also don't know if Star-Lord gets an unmasked head, or will that be a Disney Store Exclusive? We also have got no details of the diorama bases. Having seen the movie last week (UK) there are some awesome, and very visual, bases to choose from - so I look forward to seeing them revealed.
A Diamond Select Toys Release! You're welcome! The Guardians of the Galaxy have been one of the most requested additions to the Marvel Select action figure line of the past few years, and now DST is happy to announce a new series of movie-based figures! Star-Lord and Drax the Destroyer are both based on their appearances from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and each measures approximately 7 inches tall and includes a diorama base. Plus, Star-Lord comes with Rocket, and Drax comes with a baby-sized figure of Groot! Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios!
Diamond announced the lineup of their 4th series of Gotham select figures in November. The three figure set would be made up of Azrael, Hugo Strange and Mr Freeze. Hugo Strange would come with the "treatment" chair he uses in Arkham, while Azrael and Mr Freeze would come with parts of an Arkham prison cell and the two diorama would combine. Roll on to Toy Fair and we started to hear rumblings that this 4th Series of Gotham would see changes to what was announced perhaps even losing their Select status and simply being released as figures with no diorama pieces. Diamond have now confirmed that changes have been made, but it is not as bad as it could have potentially been. The basic versions will be Toys R Us exclusives in the US, while the larger Select releases are going ahead albeit with some amended content. Diamond Select revealed two new figures over at C2E2 for their upcoming Dark Tower range of figures. Based on the movie being released in August the first two figures will be of Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) and Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey. Both will be released towards the end of 2017 and will come with the diorama bases shown behind them. Basic versions without the stands will be available at US Toys R Us stores.
We speculated when the Diamond Select Daredevil went on pre-order that the unmasked head originally shown at Toy Fair may have been dropped from the pack. The latest Ask-DST appears to have confirmed that speculation to be true. And the Netflix figure will come with a masked head only. While some may point out unmasked versions have been sold as Disney Store exclusives - for me that seems unlikely with the rating of the Daredevil TV show aimed squarely at adults. On the plus side there is still some discussion it seems around which masked head(s) to include and that may mean an upgrade to the season 2 helmet?
Ben D. I have a question about upcoming Marvel Select Netflix Daredevil. I have seen first photos of this figure and I am concerned about selection of the alternative head. Matt never puts on his red glasses with his suit on, so it doesn’t make much sense to include this particular head. Would you consider changing this head for no-glasses version or (which would be even better) season 2 mask head? Bloody smile head would be cool too DSTChuck: We often show figures at Toy Fair that are still going through some changes. I do not think the masked head we showed is set in stone as to which version it will come with, but the Matt Murdock head is looking to be unlikely.
Hugo Strange will still be packed with the treatment chair, which is great news. This is a whole new piece sculpted for this set. Sadly, the Freeze and Azrael figures have lost their Arkham cell pieces. These have been replaced with the same combining diorama we saw in series 1 with a street scene (Jim Gordon) and an overhead balcony (Selina Kyle). This new iteration has been given a different paint job and some nice Joker graffiti. Diamond are quoting that the Arkham Cell "wasn't possible" so we assume there is a cost issue here in meeting their base costs vs the Select RRP. Diamond are yet to update their webpage for the new contents. The figures are due Summer 2017
The critically acclaimed action figure line based on the hit Fox TV series serves up the Wrath of the Villains, with three new 7” scale figures of Gotham’s most dangerous men! Azrael, Mr. Freeze and Professor Hugo Strange each feature up to 16 points of articulation as well as character-appropriate accessories, and each comes with an awesome diorama piece inspired by the show! Hugo Strange comes with the conditioning chair from Arkham Asylum, and Freeze and Azrael each come with part of the alleyway diorama, with Joker graffiti! Packaged in the display-ready Select packaging with side panel artwork for shelf reference. Sculpted by Gentle Giant!
The SH Figuarts Hall of Armor is expanding to include the Mark 5 "Suitcase" suit later this year. The Mark 5 was seen in Iron-Man 2 when Tony was attacked on the Monaco Race Track by Whiplash. He will be packed with the suitcase accessory. The suit will be a Bandai Collectors Shop Exclusive, but I suspect Bluefin may pick this up for a US release in one way or another - and if it goes on sale in US then a UK option or import is then also a possibility. In Japan it looks to be shipping in October 2017, but expect pre-orders to go up soon.
US distributor Bluefin have confirmed, as we expected, that they will be bringing the SH Figuarts Star Lord 1/12 figure to the US market. Star Lord is a webstore exclusive in Japan. For American collectors the set will be sold for general purchase and similar to what they did with Dr Strange, Star Lord will be packed with some "FX" pieces - namely some galactic explosions. Star Lord will be released in the US in September and will retail at $84.99 (£65). Pre-orders are be taken via Amazon and Big Bad Toy Store, the Amazon pre-order won't allow delivery to UK, but you should be able to order for intentional delivery at BBTS.
Tamashii Nations are currently embarking on a World Tour, showcasing their product lines around the world - with each showcase specifically tailored to the country they are in and the most popular products in that geography. At New York this weekend, a concept poster was on display for the Marvel (Meisho) Realization line - indicating what figures may be in the pipeline Tamashii did something similar at Star Wars Celebration last year, and since then at least one of the figures (Darth Maul) has now been made and is being released later this year. So while this doesn't guarantee release, we would expect at least one or two of these concepts to be made and up for pre-order at some point in 2018
Tamashii Nations World Tour unveiled a number of new products and concepts. The most exciting one for DC fans is this 1/12 scale Tumbler as seen in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. By my reckoning, this is the first SH Figuarts vehicle in the 1/12 scale for DC, and follows a similar size release for Star Wars with the Speeder Bike. Expect to be paying around £80 when this hits retail.
An all new digitally colored action figure of Star-Lord, hero of MARVEL’s latest film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2’s Star-Lord joins S.H.Figuarts! His head is digitally colored for incredible realism. It even includes explosion effects to let you replicate scenes from the film!
Across the top we see Iron-Man and War Machine - who obviously would share some parts. Iron-Man is of course already released, so this tweak to War Machine wouldn't be too difficult or costly. Wolverine looks particularly impressive as a Samurai inspired warrior. Then we have the excellent Sumo Hulk and finish off with Daredevil. There was also concept art for a black suit symbiote Spider-Man, capitalising on the Spider-Man release already in stores.
As one of our personal childhood favourites, we have been following the development of the 4" Bucky O'Hare series of figures from Boss Fight Studio's over the past few months. We have now got a full reveal of the first two figures - Bucky O'Hare and Jenny Bucky will be shipped with two interchangeable facial expressions, a pair of blasters and two pairs of gloved hand options.
McFarlane have announced that the next Walgreens (US) exclusive The Walking Dead release will be Negan. Negan is due to be available at some point in the Autumn. While exclusive to Walgreens in the US, there hasn't been too much of a barrier for UK independent stores to order and receive these - so keep an eye on pre-orders at your local store.
We know that SH Figuarts have a 1/12 General Grievous in the works having had it turn up at one Trade Show last year. What we didn't see coming was Bandai releasing the General first in their 1/12 action figure kit line. As seen here on Tag Hobby, the 1/12 Grievous kit will include all four lightsabers. It also has options to display him with two arms, or with the arms split into the four armed version. There is also a cape which looks removable. Grievous will be released July 2017 and the Japanese RRP is 4500 Yen. That is £32, but bear in mind that the licence agreement wot allow these to be sold outside of Japan. That means you will have to rely on a import at a premium price.
Jenny comes with three face options, one of which is winking. She will also get two pair of hands and a further pair with firing effect. There are two other FX pieces that look to clip to her wrists.
Bucky and Jenny will go up for pre-order on the 1st June and will be sent out later Autumn 2017
After ruthlessly executing Abraham and Glenn at the hands of his beloved “Lucille,” Negan used them as an example to remind Rick and the other survivors that he owns them and that he now gets half of what they have. This chain of events forces Rick and the group to return to Alexandria to inform the others that Negan is now in charge. ● Featured in his outfit from Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead™ ● Spectacular likeness of Negan taken from 3D scans of actor Jeffery Dean Morgan ● Figure includes Lucille barbed-wire bat, pistol, and knife ● Designed with 22+ points of articulation for dynamic posing ● Featured in traditional clamshell packaging This figure is a Walgreens’ exclusive.