Issue 56 : Saturday 17th June, 2017
While The Vulture is the main "big bad" for the Spider-Man Homecoming movie, we have known for a while that Shocker will also play a part.
The rather lovely looking 6" Hera figure in the Star Wars Black Series was pulled from its planned release slot in wave 11 (phase 3) due to some "tweaks" Hasbro wanted to make on the figure. It has now been confirmed that Hera will be included in The Last Jedi release of figures on Force Friday, 1st September 2017. She will remain number #42
Vulture and Spidey have also been confirmed as being released in the Hasbro figure line, and in many parts of the world are already on sale. But now this image has leaked online of a Shocker figure. This figure is in the limited articulation basic range of 6" figures which retails for about ÂŁ10. It is also unclear if this is an accurate costume for Shocker in the movie, or if some licence has been taken by this more kid friendly line the same approach has been taken for a blue suited Spider-Man called the Tech Suit (unless this is something the movie has kept really quiet).
There are reports it is the legs that have been refined by Hasbro. There is also some tweaking that’s gone on with the flight goggles. These looked to be removable when the figure was first announced. It now seems they are moulded as part of the helmet. The original Amazon product page for US customers is still live, although the item is marked as "not available"
We shared an image a few weeks back of the SH Figuarts home-made Spider-Man suit for Homecoming. As yet this remains unconfirmed for release, unlike the main suit which is up for pre-order now. These new images give us a better look at the Homemade suit. They also confirm the inevitable repaint of the Civil War Iron-Man into the new Mark 47 suit for Homecoming. Little else is known at this time. We await a confirmed release date and the official images Kids and fans alike can imagine the biggest battles and missions in the Star Wars saga with figures from The Black Series! With exquisite features and decoration, this series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars devotees love. The captain and heart of the Ghost's rebel crew, Hera Syndulla was a gifted pilot and leader. Her leadership and the respect she earned from the Phoenix Squadron prompted her promotion to squadron leader by Commander Sato. This 6-inch-scale Hera Syndulla figure is carefully detailed to look like the captain from Star Wars Rebels. This figure features premium detail and multiple points of articulation, and includes a character-inspired accessory. Star Wars products are produced by Hasbro under license from Lucasfilm Ltd. Hasbro and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro (AMAZON)
Hasbro had previously confirmed that there would be at least one Thor themed Legends 6" wave to coincide with the release of Thor Ragnarok. The first three figures from this wave have been announced. First up is a comic book Ares, a welcome re-release considering the price the original 2008 Walmart Exclusive version is bringing on the secondary market. We then have Thor and Jane Foster Thor. These two look to be tweaks of the figures included in the SDCC 2017 exclusive boxset. We know we will be getting four Marvel Legends Netflix figures later this year in a Marvel Knights themed wave. We were not sure who would join Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Punisher and Elektra or indeed what the BAF would be.
Thor is presented in the standard release without the beard he sports in the SDCC set. He is also now wearing a shirt.
It is now confirmed by Hasbro the other two figures are comicbook Bullseye and Blade. And the BAF is a stunning Man Thing
Lady Thor appears to be the same with the exception of Mjolnir which is glowing in the SDCC set, but normal in the standard release. There may end up being some decor variations too.
Blade will come with two head options - two different hair cuts - as well as his Katana Sword. Bullseye gets a masked and unmasked head. There are hand options to swap in and out and a couple of weapons. Hasbro are quoting August for these to be on sale, but that is expected to be the US street date.
The rest of the wave will be made up of Movie based figures from Ragnarok. Hasbro are not revealing these at this time, we might get a look at SDCC next month. Purely speculation, but you would assume a Ragnarok Thor is inevitable. I think Loki, Hela and perhaps Valkyrie are also in with a shot of inclusion. You would have to assume the Gladiator Hulk would be the Build-a-Figure?
NECA have unveiled the content of their next 3 figure wave of Predators. Series 18 will be a Dark Horse comic book themed range. It will contain Broken Tusk and Horn Head, figures we've already seen revealed in past teases from NECA. Broken Tusk will come with an impressive 12" double bladed weapon. Horn Head has a removable mask.
NECA teased a Scythe a few weeks ago, and the speculation then was between a Horror related release, or that NECA were bringing the Grim Reaper to their 8" retro Bill & Ted line. We've now had confirmation that Death is indeed coming, but sadly for Worldwide collectors he is only available at SDCC 2017 and for US customers via a pre-sale arrangement. Only 1000 units will be made. The cost, if you can obtain one, is $35 a SDCC. That price is sure to rise on the secondary market. Death will stand 8 inches high and will use the standard 8" retro body with real cloth robes. The head is an excellent likeness to William Sadler.
The third figure is, as we speculated, Machiko - the human female who is adopted into a Predator clan. It seems Machiko will include masked and unmasked heads, which is pretty awesome. Series 18 is due to hit stores in November 2017
"Predator Series 18 is dedicated to three frequently requested Dark Horse Comics characters: Hornhead, Broken Tusk and our first female Predator, Machiko! Hornhead made his first appearance in Predator: Life & Death, and is a great companion piece to the upcoming Ultimate Ahab #Predator, also from the current comics. Comes with removable mask and a sword that fits in a sheath on his back. For our next #SDCC reveal, Death comes calling... From Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey! Whether you call him the Duke of Spook, the Doc of Shock, or the Man with No Tan, Death is now a truly excellent 8" clothed action figure. Death stands 8” tall and features the authorized likeness of #WilliamSadler. The fully poseable figure has a mixed media fabric robe and cowl, and comes with a scythe accessory. Price: $35 Limited edition of 1,000
Broken Tusk originates in the classic 1990s Aliens vs Predator comics. His epic story arc also introduces Machiko Noguchi, a human colonist who earns his respect and joins his tribe. Broken Tusk comes with gun and bladed weapon that measures over 12” in length! Machiko has a removable mask, extra interchangeable hands, and rifle accessory. Hornhead and Broken Tusk stand 8” tall and use the new Ultimate Predator body. Machiko stands 6.5” tall. Each has between 25 and 30 points of articulation."
NECA have shared the packaged images of their upcoming Defiance Xenomorph from Aliens, Series 11.
Also teased by NECA is this Hadley's Hope sign - as seen in Aliens, 1986. When asked if this would be a diorama type release or a print out backdrop - Randy Falk from NECA answered...
NECA have shared the above and following images, confirming that the Aliens Xenomorph is making a return in an Ultimate format.
"you will be able to get this piece for your collection and displays along with more possibly news on that next week or the following"
The images don't give too much away, and the tweet in which it was shared indicates we will find out more next week. We assume the artwork is the box packaging, therefore it won't be presented in the usual blister packaging. The interesting element of the artwork is the two different colourations - one brown, one blue. This represents that the release will have two variants, the same as was released as single figures back at the start of the NECA Aliens line
NECA have confirmed the first stocks of their Prometheus "lost wave" are starting to ship from their own eBay and Amazon stores. With this news comes a look at the packaging which has followed suit with the previous waves to give a uniformity to the collection - even with the tie gap between wave 3 and this 4th series. US customers can shop via the links in the following NECA information. UK customers will need to wait for the stocks to hit our stores. Usual form has this 4-6 weeks after the US.
Elizabeth Shaw: Meredith Vickers Fifield
"Look who's coming back in the Ultimate format with added articulation, accessories & more. Full details next week. #facehuggerfriday"
NECA have teased about a new 7" Predator figure a couple of times now, with some fans jumping back on the hope of it being a Dillon figure.
NECA have revealed details of their innovative Action Figure Head Display Stands which will start shipping in August 2017.
Today we got a full reveal of the figure in question - the Jungle Briefing Dutch. This is a tweaked release using an existing Predator Dutch head, complete with cigar. It also reuses the trousers from the previous Dutch/Commando figure - now painted in a tan colour. The torso and arms appear new, but please let me know if you can see any clever re-use. The T-shirt may be a rubberised piece over the top of an existing torso?
Each set contains three stands of 3 inches in height. They have interchangeable ends to fit most Action Figure sockets in the 6-8" scale. Ideal for displaying all those spare heads you've had rolling around in a bits box since you put your figure on display.
30 years ago today, Predator opened in movie theaters, which makes it the perfect time to reveal our 5th and final 2017 convention exclusive...
As yet there is no confirmed RRP on these.
Brand new product, shipping in August! Looking for a neat way to display your action figure’s alternate head sculpts? These black plastic display stands come with a variety of connectors, making them compatible with the heads of most 6″ – 8″ sized action figures. Each stand measures approximately 3″ tall. Three per pack.
The new figure depicts Dutch as he receives the briefing for the Jungle Extraction mission. The box contains the map for the mission as well as a classified folder. There is also a machine gun. The packaging is the boxed 30th Anniversary packaging. It rather cleverly adds in what appears to be a cardboard arm for Dillon so their prolonged handshake / arm wrestling scene is played out (to a degree) on the box front. The figure will be an SDCC 2017 exclusive and will be sold at the NECA booth for $30. There will also be a limited number released online from 20th - 23rd June for pre-order. These can't be collected at the SDCC show, but will be shipped to US addresses. There is no international option for this release.
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic #Predator movie! Jungle Briefing Dutch features the likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the character’s iconic red polo and cigar from the beginning of the movie. The figure comes with jungle map, dossier that opens and closes, and M-16 with grenade launcher. The display-worthy foil-accented 30th anniversary window box packaging even recreates the immortal handshake/arm wrestle between Dillon and Dutch. Jungle Briefing Dutch has over 20 points of articulation and stands approximately 7” tall. Limited edition of 3,000. Price: $30
No-one can criticise Mezco for not making the most out of their sculpts and figure design. After the standard release of Deadpool in the One:12 Collective, we were then shown the X-Force version as a Previews exclusive. Now say hello to the X-Men version in the blue and yellow theme. The figure includes two heads, swap out hand options, grenades, katana, hand gun and an X-Men themed base. The box is also decked out with the X-Men logo. The US RRP on the figure is $80. Wade will be a Summer Convention Exclusive so you can pick him up at SDCC, or via for US collectors via a pre-order on the Mezco site. The figure will then ship after SDCC has concluded.
Mattel have unveiled the first 6" figures from the Justice League Movie. The figures will be released under the Multiverse header. The reveal was done on the Join the League website which looks like it will be the home to all the key announcements as we build up to the Justice League movie. The six are made up of the key Justice League members - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg. If the wave follows suit with other Multiverse releases there should also be a Build-a-Figure, which at this point remains a mystery. Also arriving on toy shelves is the 6" scale Batmobile. The figure will retail in the UK at ÂŁ24.99, the pricing on the Batmobile is unknown at this point. The movie hits cinemas on the 17th November, expect the toys to hit just before that date - or very shortly afterwards.
Wade Winston Wilson, known to the world as Deadpool, is a disfigured and mentally unstable mercenary with the superhuman ability of an accelerated healing factor and physical prowess. He is presented here in his blue and yellow X-Men outfit. If you think it's strange to see Wade Wilson in a X-Men outfit, then you are not alone because Deadpool thinks so too! Deadpool tried on X-Men attire as a bet with Wolverine and Beast in the Cable and Deadpool comic series. Deadpool,decked out in his blue and yellow X-Men attire, joins the One:12 Collective with a comprehensively detailed outfit and portrait sculptures.
Both Toys R Us and Smyths have carried the Multiverse line to date. However, the sales don’t look to have been great with the Suicide Squad figures hitting the discount retailers. We would hope that with the hype for the movie that these figures do hit mainstream stores.
Icon Heroes range of 6" Once Upon a Time figures have been delayed a number of times now since their announcement, with a due date of August 2017 now for the first figures. As a prelude to this, Icon are taking an exclusive Emma Swan figure to SDCC 2017. The figure uses the standard sculpt, but is re-coloured in blue jacket. She also comes with a beanie hat. The other accessories that will come with the standard release are also included - these are the sword & sheath, dagger and Police badge. The packaging is very nicely done in a storybook theme. The figure is limited to 500 pieces. And the premium packaging brings a premium price of $35, that is $10 above the proposed RRP of the basic line.
Just days after the full diorama was revealed for the Pirates of the Caribbean figures, Diamond have announced that the line is now cancelled. There has been no reason given, or indeed any info from sites who are still taking pre-orders for these. If you have these on pre-order we suggest you speak to the company with whom you placed the order.
At long last, Diamond Select have revealed the promotional image of their 7" Select scale Star-Lord. We did see Star-Lord at Toy Fair, but he was shown only with the masked head. The first promo image showed us a pretty stunning Chris Pratt head but in a pretty dire case of "bait and switch" within 24-hrs DST took to the Fwoosh Forum to confirm a mistake had been made and the unmasked Chris Pratt head would not be released - not even as a Disney Store Exclusive. The promo image was then updated to show the masked head - which is still very impressive, but fans won't forget the other image in a hurry.
Check out the "build a diorama" plan from Diamond Select for their next batch of Ghostbusters 7" Select Figures - based on the Ghostbusters 2 sequel. The figures will each come with a part that will build the front fascia of the Ghostbusters firehouse, complete with swap out signs to show it as either the original or the GB2 version. The first figures are announced as Ray in Ghostbusters 2 outfit, Louis Tully in Ghostbusters outfit and Vigo. You can pre-order the first wave from our partners at Toys in the Attic
We also get to see the Rocket Raccoon - a figure that has been under-wraps for some time. Rocket will be packed in with Star-Lord and therefore may not come with a whole lot of gear - but it is nice to know that across two ÂŁ22 releases we will have 4 of the 5 Guardians from the Vol. 2 sequel. Star-Lord & Rocket and the previously shown Drax & Groot are tentatively scheduled for a July release.
Diamond’s planned release for Thor Ragnarok have been confirmed via a site listing on US site Toywiz. The two releases will be, as expected, Thor and Hulk from the Gladiatorial scene The pre-order uses the usual silhouette images that Diamond sends out ahead of the actual promotional images. Thor appears to be wearing the same gladiator armour we see him wearing as he faces off with Hulk. He is also wearing the winged helmet, the first time in the line - and this is his 4th appearance at 7" Select scale. Hulk is in his Gladiator armour, again with a helmet. The Toywiz site has these listed as $21.99 each and due to ship January. That would be a little earlier than usual as Diamond tend to ship their movie figures about 3-months after the movie.
Review : Astromech Droid 3 Pack Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Toys R Us (US) Exclusive Released : August 2016 Price : $54.99*
* there has been no release of this set outside of the US
One certainty with any Star Wars figure range is that once a sculpt of an R2 unit is established in the line, a bunch of variants are sure to follow. The original 6-inch R2-D2 sculpt came back in 2013 with the launch of the Star Wars Black Series. From that original figure, it took 2 more years until in 2015 we got the first variant - the Imperial R2 Unit R2-Q5 who was packed in the Entertainment Earth 4-pack exclusive. Roll forward another year, and in Summer 2016 this Astromech 3-pack was announced as a Toys R Us
Round the back and the rear is split into three panels, one for each droid. The panels are headed with the same greyscale art from the box front - and then an overview of the droids place in the Star Wars universe. The box blurb is good, but limited, and the simple sentence is repeated in three other languages underneath.
exclusive.
The set, which has only ever been released officially in the US, uses the R2-D2 sculpt to give us two new R2 units. We then get our first R5 unit, with a revised head section designed for this set - and that would go on to be released as R5-D4 in the 40th Anniversary packaging.
The following blurb is taken from the promotional text and is a little more in-depth. It would have been nice to see this somewhere in the box with a carded insert like the one packed with the SDCC Obi-Wan Kenobi.
R2-F2 served as an astromech droid for Biggs Darklighter, a Rebel Alliance starfighter pilot in the elite Red squadron. Flying a T65 X-Wing starfighter, both R2-F2 and Darklighter perished while aiding Luke Skywalker in the Like everything else in Phase 3 packaging, the set arrives in a gloss black
assault on the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin.
packaging. There is the grey Black Series logo heading up the box, and grey lined images of the three droids across the bottom In between is a
R5-K6 was the R5-series astromech droid on the Red Leader X-Wing
smaller than usual window showing off the figures.
starfighter alongside Garven Dreis, leader of the elite Red Squadron. During the assault on the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, R5-K6 and Dreis were
Usually the figures are not set against a bright red backdrop, but instead a
shot down while attempting to destroy the Death Star by launching proton
gloss black one. I get that this stops the two red coloured droids from
torpedoes into a vulnerable 2 meter wide exhaust port - a feat later
getting lost against the background, but it means the grey & black R2-F2
accomplished by Luke Skywalker.
does not stand out all that well. It also means the packaging doesn't quite fit the uniformity of all the other Phase 3 boxes.
R2-A3 was an R2 series astromech droid who assisted Rebel Alliance pilot, Wedge Antilles, during the Battle of Yavin. While aiding fellow Red
Thank fully the red spine survives, and on here we have a repeat of the
Squadron pilots Biggs Darklighter and Luke Skywalker during an assault on
droid names.
the Death Star, R2-A3 and Wedge Antilles were forced to retreat after damage was dealt to their X-Wing's engine.
The box opens from either side panel, and rather than a clear tray the droids
The dome can be rotated to lower the third leg, allowing you to put R2-F2
sit in a gloss black tray. There is a plain cardboard trim to keep the tray in
into a travelling position. The outer two legs are articulated at the top and
check. The three droids are held in by the tabs of the tray, and the two R2
foot to support the posing into this travel position.
units are surrounded by their attachments. There is nothing to go with R5-K6.
All the droids use the same basic Astromech sculpt from 2013, and as has already been established - this is a little undersized to the actual size of the prop. The size difference is not too excessive that the droids look undersized when placed alongside figures, but it is there and will frustrate those who prize themselves of accuracy of scale. It does seem that despite the sizing, Hasbro are sticking with the sculpt.
The two front panels pop open like the original R2-D2, and in here are the welder and claw. Both of these arms swing up and out of the body.
R2-F2 is the red & white droid that flew with Biggs at the battle of Yavin. Essentially this droid is cast in white plastic, although it's not as bright and glossy as the white used on R2-D2. The red panels are picked out neatly and the silver on the dome is a decent metallic colour. The R2 units come with the life-form scanner and periscope attachments. The legs are trimmed in a red panel, and as a throwback to the original R2-D2 this panel pops off. On the R2-D2 it would be replaced with the boosters he uses in the Prequels, but here there is no pack in to do this. The two legs end with the copper wiring into the feet.
On the dome there are panels that pop off to accommodate these. One panel is the hangover from the light-saber insert on the original figure, this is not usable on this release. The other two holes can be used to fit either attachment - front or back - and once inserted they can be rotated to any position.
The R5 units work in the same way as the R2 in that by rotating the dome, the third leg drops down. Articulation remains the same with hinges at top of the leg and again at the ankle/foot joint.
The one thing missing on R2-F2 is some weathering. Like the R2-D2 release he is too clean for a rebel droid who is in action with the alliance. Had Hasbro applied the same weathering as they managed to put on the more recent R5-D4, then this droid would have looked a hell of a lot better. K6 also comes with the pop out welder and claw arm, but there are no dome attachments. Again, the finish of the droid is clean and crisp with no weathering - this is not as bad on a deep red droid than on the bright white R2-F2, but is still a miss as a black wash would have really added some character.
Moving to R5-K6, and this is the first R5 unit in the range - beating the original R5 unit R5-D4 to release. K6 is a very impressive looking droid thanks to the contrasting colour scheme. It is cast in a red plastic, with black trim and panes painted on top with the panels white lined with a very good degree of accuracy and neatness.
The final droid is R2-A3. This droid is a deep grey cast plastic with white and black detailing on the various panels and across the dome. He also appears
Round the base of the larger R5 dome, we also get this reflective 3D sticker
to get the largest range of paint in the finish, with red panels on the dome
trim. The dome is topped with an aerial which is cast in a softer plastic to
alongside a blue circle to the side of his eye piece. Round the back there is
avoid breakages.
also a further red panel and yellow circular decal.
Articulation is the same as the other three with the wind down central leg. A3 also has the pop off leg panels, the opening front panels with welder & claw arm, as well as the dome attachments that we saw on F2.
The issue for me is the exclusivity of this set, which was sold only in the US for $54.99. Now that is a very reasonable £43 when you convert directly, The life-form scanner on mine had sadly been misshapen in the box and as you will see from the images is a touch bent.
and a price that most fans would pay for three variant droids. Sadly, when this set did hit the UK independents as imports the price was nearer £80, making the set a very expensive for paint variants.
Now there is still a chance this set could make its way over to Toys R Us UK stores, and there are still US sellers who will ship this internationally for circa £55-£60.
For me the F2 droid is the nicest looking, and although it also lacks any weathering - the darker scheme means it is less noticeable.
At £50 or less, this would easily be a 4 out of 5 set. Unfortunately the price and exclusivity is working against it and I have to award the Astromech Droid 3-pack a 3 out of 5.
In summing up I would say that for droid fans, or for a Black Series collector wanting to add in some colourful background droids - this set is really good. All three droids are one wash away from being taken up another level. The R2 units come with the bulk of the dome accessories that came with R2-D2, something that was dropped on that Imperial R2-Q5 release.
Checkout the alternative covers that didn’t make the front page this week
Issue 56 : Saturday 17th June, 2017
Issue 56 : Saturday 17th June, 2017