Issue 65 : Saturday 28th October, 2017
Hasbro have certainly been doing the Convention rounds this Summer and into Autumn, and have by their own admission ensured some level of reveal at each show. While SDCC, Hascon and NYCC all saw new product, these were in the US and new reveals were expected. Roll forward now to MCM London Comic Con and Hasbro have still got some new product to show the British fans with the announcement of the full Black Panther range of Marvel Legends for early 2018. We had seen a few of these figures in various panels, but we now have a full line up for the range as well as the promotional images. There will be three movie based figures made up of Black Panther, Erik Killmonger and Nakia. A fourth movie figure, Okoye, will be the build a figure.
If, like me, you were a fan of the Galoob Action Fleet range back in the late 1990's, then Disney Stores have quite an exciting new product line for you.
In order to build Okoye you will also need to purchase the comic based figures from the line. These are Black Bolt from Inhumans and Namor the Submariner. There is a 6th figure in the line, the Invincible Iron-Man - bt he is packed without a BAF piece.
The new Ship and Figurine sets pair a plastic, but pretty accurate looking, vehicle with a small pilot figurine that can then be placed in the cockpit. For sale now are Poe Dameron in his X-wing and Kylo Ren in his Tie Silencer and we would hope Disney might have more planned if these two releases do well. While both vehicles include opening cockpits, the X-Wing also appears to have moving X-Foils so you can lock them in attack position. These come in a nice (Action Fleet-esque) window box and are ÂŁ15.99 each. At the time of posting (26th October 2017) you can use code MAGIC20 to save 20% on these items.
These figures are tentatively touted for an early 2018 release ahead of the movie release in February. Our friends at Kapow Toys have confirmed they will have a pre-order going up soon.
Medicom have released promotional images of two of their Justice League 1/12 MAFEX figures as previewed recently at New York Comic Con.
Another new Marvel Legend 6" figure was unveiled at the Hasbro panel at MCM London Comic Con.
First up is Batman who is in his new Tactical Suit. The figure comes with soft goods poseable cape and three head options which include neutral look, grimace look and one where the goggles are up on the forehead. It is not overly clear if the goggles can be moved to this position or if this is a 3rd head option? Also included are a wealth of weapons including three batarangs.
The Black Knight will be part of a 2018 Avengers wave which we know will also include previously revealed figures King Cobra, Songbird and Taskmaster. The Black Knight is based on his appearance in the 2012 Avengers : Alliance video game.
Then we have Cyborg, he comes with two head options as well as some interchangeable weaponry for the arms including a metal shield. He will also include a Mother Box. Both Cyborg and Tactical Suit Batman are due in May 2018. Expect to be paying circa ÂŁ50 once these hit UK import.
NECA have confirmed the details of their 2nd wave of Blade Runner 2049 figures. It had already been confirmed that the 2nd series would be made up of Wallace (played by Jared Leto) and Luv (Sylvia Hoeks). We had seen a head shot of Wallace, but now both figures are revealed in their entirety.
NECA have revealed two new Predator figures in the guise of the Bad Blood Predator and Enforcer. These figures made their first appearance in Series 12 about 3-years ago. This time round they are getting the Ultimate treatment with the "ultimate" body and a bunch of extra's
There are no confirmed accessories with Wallace, but Luv will come with two knives and pistol accessory. The two figures will be released January 2018
What makes this even more exciting is that the figures will be packed in a 2-pack, the first in the Ultimate series.
From the critically acclaimed movie Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to the legendary sci-fi film! Bring home the action with these highly articulated action figures depicting the characters as they appear on screen. Series 2 includes Luv (featuring the likeness of Sylvia Hoeks) and Wallace (featuring the likeness of Jared Leto). Each action figure stands approximately 7� tall and has over 25 points of articulation.
"Ultimate Boxed Set of the 2 together on Ultimate bodies w loads of extras and upgrades. New disc, new heads, new deco, more!!" We will have to await the full details from NECA - but based on conversations on Twitter we know that both figures have an alternative head sculpt, and there is a mask accessory (as per the image) which can't be worn - but can be held as though the Predator has just unmasked. "Each has 2 heads and the Enforcer mask is an extra accessory that can be held by either Pred"
Luv includes two knives and pistol accessories.
NECA have shared these very bright and visual packaging shots for their upcoming Chucky Ultimate figure. The figure should be on store shelves (in the US at least) come November, UK distribution may be a little later
From the classic horror films, the murderous doll inhabited by the soul of a serial killer gets the Ultimate treatment! This definitive version of Chucky comes with a whopping four interchangeable head sculpts, and is packed with terrifying accessories: baseball bat, hammer, voodoo knife, hunting knife, butcher knife, straight razor, yardstick, pistol, interchangeable right forearm with blade, interchangeable hands, and more. The figure stands 4″ tall and has over 20 points of articulation. Comes in collector-friendly deluxe window box packaging with opening flap.
As Stranger Things returns to our screens for a 2nd series, McFarlane have revealed the first image from their 2018 offerings - the impressive Demogorgon.
We saw NECA's new God of War 7" figure back at San Diego (SDCC 2017) and it is now confirmed the figure will also be getting a quarter-scale 18" release in early 2018.
2018 will see the Demogorgon get a deluxe release, with the figure standing 10" in height. The figure will be boxed rather than carded and will retail at $34.99 in the US - so expect circa £30 here in the UK. The release is scheduled for February 2018, so not too long to wait.
The images provided with the press release are the same as used for the 7" figure, and we would assume therefore this is simply a scale up of the digital sculpt to produce the larger figure. Kratos will come with 30 points of articulation and will be armed with his axe and shield. Expect a UK RRP of around £109 for this once it hits retail in January.
From Sony’s upcoming God of War video game! After a decade of bestselling God of War games, it is a new beginning for Kratos. Living as a man outside the shadow of the gods, he ventures into the brutal Norse wilds with his son Atreus, fighting to fulfill a deeply personal quest. This impressive 18" action figure features over 30 points of articulation and an incredibly detailed sculpt. Kratos comes with axe and shield accessories.
NECA have shared the following images of the packaging for their upcoming special release from Aliens, Colonel Cameron. This figure is a tribute to the director who is presented in full USMC gear and ready "to rock" with the other Marines in the line. The packaging mirrors the usual clamshell and is designed to blend in with the other Aliens releases, and even advertises Series 12 on the back of the box as "also available". While not to everyone's taste - if you want to pick-up the Colonel then he should be shipping in November.
From a parallel universe known as the Upsidedown, the monster that was soon nicknamed the Demogorgon by the young group of friends, it travels between two worlds wreaking havoc in it’s own world as well as in the town of Hawkins, Indiana. ● Spectacular likeness of Demogorgon sculpted from images from the show ● 10″ Deluxe Figure ● Designed with 12+ points of articulation for dynamic posing ● Figure features a stylized Stranger Things branded disc display base and is showcased in retro-themed packaging The Demogorgon will be joined in 2018 by standard figure releases of Dustin and Lucas - we are awaiting promotional images of these two and confirmation of how they will be released - some sites have them as a 2-pack, others as single releases? And of course the release of Eleven and Hopper are imminent with a November 2017 release.
The Kingdom Hearts figures from Diamond Select Toys have already hit Walgreens stores in the US in standard packaging. We now get to see them in their Select packaging and how each three pack will line up on store shelves.
For anyone that reads the Ask DST feature on a regular basis will know how the most popular answer is "not at this time" to various suggestions of figures - particularly when talking about their Marvel Select line. But every so often the feature does throw up a real juicy piece of information. This week's issue throws up two such pieces, one good news and one bad. For X-Men fans the Q+A has almost confirmed a Beast figure in Select 7" scale for 2018. With Diamond not able to do Fox Movie pieces, this will surely be a comic book release.
The first pack contains Mickey Mouse, Axel and a Shadow. The second pack in Series 1 includes Sora, Dusk and a Soldier. The sets should hit comic book stores and independents shortly and will retail around $25 in the US - so expect circa ÂŁ22-ÂŁ25 here in UK stores.
The bad news is for MCU fans who were hoping to see Vision get a 2018 release as part of the Infinity War slots. While this is not a complete no, it looks like Vision is not in the MCU plans at this time - and we do wonder what the other 2 slots will be for MCU releases in 2018.
Soap Studio's are a new Far East figure company, established in 2014 and based in Hong Kong. It seems they have now picked up a DC licence and are bringing some 1/12 scale figures based on the DC CW Television shows. Arrow and Flash are being released in January 2018 and are priced at $75 at the US online store Toy Ninja. The figures appear to be more aligned to the Mezco offerings than SH Figuarts - these Soap figures include soft goods as well as a wealth of parts and accessories such as weapons, hands, heads and for Flash - lightening effects. We will have to wait to see if any UK retailers bring these to our shores.
● Authentic and detailed likeness of Arrow from TV series “Arrow” • Painted ABS & PVC
• Authentic and detailed likeness of The Flash from TV series “The Flash” • Painted ABS & PVC • Highly detailed appearance
● Highly detailed appearance • Approximately 15cm in height ●
Approximately 15cm in height
● Accessories include sculpted head, bow, long arrows, short arrows, quiver, arm arrow, book, a pair of fists, relaxed hands, bow-holding hands and one book-holding hand ●
Head and joints are posable
Package Contains: Accessories include sculpted head x1, bow x1, long arrows x3, short arrows x3, quiver x1, arm arrow x1, book x1, fists x2, relaxed hands x2, bow-holding hands x2, book-holding hand x1
• Accessories include sculpted head, lightening effect, belt, a pair of relaxed hands, straight hands, fists and one starting hand • Head and joints are posable Package includes: 6" The Flash Accessories include sculpted head x1, lightning effect x4, belt x1, shoes x2, fists x2 relaxed hands x2, straight hands x2, starting hands x
Review : Marshmallow Winston Zeddemore Ghostbusters (Diamond Select Toys) Wave/Series : Special Release Released : September 2017 ÂŁ24.99 Pros : The proton stream is fixed, as is the way the emitter clips to the proton pack. The stand is awesome! Cons : lacking a little in articulation around the arms. The wire on the trap is unwieldy UK fans will be familiar with the Ghostbusters Select figures from Diamond Select Toys. What you may not know is that as well as selling the same version in the US, Diamond do a slimmed down version of the figures which are usually sold exclusively in Toys R Us. This basic version comes on a blister card and does not include the diorama piece. As well as the basic range - Diamond have also done some "Specials" in this slimmer packaging, and these are all based on the end of the movie where all the Ghostbusters have been Marshmallowed when the Stay Puft meets his end. Peter Venkman and Ray Stanz (Marshmallow) were both San Diego Comic Con exclusives. The figure we are looking at here, Winston, got a broader release as a comic book store special and is the easiest of the three to track down. So far we've not had a Marshmallow Egon figure.
Round the back of the card we are back to what we would expect to see on a normal Select release. The card back uses the same green with darker hues design and the four silhouetted Ghostbusters can now be seen clearly. Where the streams cross the card explodes with lightning and over this is the larger "No Fraid" logo. An image of the figure takes up most of the right hand side of the card back. And to the left of this is a short bio about Winston. Rather than repeat the one on the Series 1 Select release, this text is more generalised and talks about Winston joining the team and his role in defeating the Stay Puft Marshmallow men. Under the text is the "Also Available" insert, complete with that black & yellow hazard stripe. Here we get head shots of Marshmallow Peter and Marshmallow Ray. This feels a bit naughty considering the two figures were exclusives to SDCC and are now at least double if not triple the price on the secondary market - not quite "available" in the truest sense of being able to pick one up easily. When you unpack Winston the blister pops off the card and allows access to the figure tray. Winston comes with a huge amount of accessories, so make sure you get all of them off the blister before disposing. Make sure you don't discard the Ghostbusters mini-brochure that is taped to the card. Inside this is a spare clear clip for your Proton Stream effect.
This new packaging does take some inspiration from the larger Select packaging. The card carries the green hued image of the Ghostbusters crossing the streams at the end of the movie - although the details of this illustration is covered by a Diamond Select Brochure taped in the middle of the card behind the blister and tray insert. There is no large Ghostbusters logo, instead the base of the blister carries an insert which is headed up by the Ghostbusters text logo, where the O is the "No Ghost" logo. Under this the character name is laid on top of a yellow hatched design - reminiscent of the top of a Ghost Trap. The character is listed as Winston Zeddemore, with the Marshmallow in smaller letters above the name, T the side, just in case you didn't know, is the confirmation that this is an Action Figure.
The first, and pretty awesome, difference I came across was that this figure is packed with a stand! And it is a very nice stand too - plenty of weight, nice and glossy and it fits the peg hole on the figure perfectly on either foot. Considering one of my biggest concerns with a lot of the Ghostbusters figures to date has been stability - this thing is awesome and with DST selling these in packs, they've just made a sale providing I can find a UK stockist.
Issues with the Proton Pack seem to have been fixed on this (and other more recent GB figures) and the once frustrating triangular clip now holds the Proton Emitter perfectly when the weapon is not in Winston's hands. The Proton pack remains a really nicely decorated piece with the various coloured wiring and its silver features. The decals are still there too with various warnings and labels. The bottom two of these are still a bit big for where they've been placed and there is a risk of the peeling off. The sculpt on Winston utilises the Series 1 Winston figure, so there is nothing here we haven't seen before. The likeness to Ernie Hudson is pretty decent and while most of the Marshmallow effect is done with paint there is some physical additions on the head to demonstrate the bulk of the Marshmallow.
The GB uniform is well done and all the details we saw on the standard release have made it to this version. The name plate sits clearly on Winston's chest and is legible. The GB logo sits on the right shoulder and the belt is full of buckles and straps and a couple of cradles which we will get to later. After the head, the rest of the Marshmallow effect is painted in place. This is pretty well done and goes across the boots and belt also for full coverage. The suit is an accurately coloured beige and the paint finish is neat and consistent with no concerns. The Proton pack is a loose piece, but is not easy to remove thanks to the glued straps and the waist strap in particular. From this hangs the Proton Stream Emitter.
The Marshmallow paint job has been placed across the Proton Pack too.
Articulation is not a strong point on Select figures from Diamond and Winston is no exception and comes with about 17 points of articulation all in all. The head is ball jointed and has a wide range of movement up and down and rotating round as required. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder, but it is at the elbows that things are a little restrictive as the bulkier arms don't allow a full 90 degree bend. The hands are jointed on the pegs that plug into the sleeves. Upper body articulation is bolstered with a torso joint and there is a waist swivel, but it doesn't move too well. Legs start with the T-Shaped joint used on most Selects. Winston will sit and kneel, but it looks pretty awkward when he does. As you move down the legs we get a thigh swivel ,double jointed knees and an ankle rocker. Even with these, Winston is tough to stand without the assistance of that peg stand. The stability issue appears to be down to the figure being off balanced by the Proton Pack.
The stream clips to the emitter by means of a small clear plastic widget. One comes with the stream, and as we mentioned there is a spare in with the brochure. Be very careful with your streams - as well as making sure they don't cross, be warned the clip end is fragile and will snap quite easily. Mine went within a few minutes of getting Winston out of the pack and we had to call on the trusty super-glue before we carried on the review. As well as the skin toned hand, Winston gets the black gloves. There are four of these, two left and two right. These slot in just as easily, and can be changed so that you have a long sleeve or short sleeve glove - by removing or adding the rubber cuff.
You aren't short on hand options for WInston starting with 6 different skin toned hands - four right and two left. The reason for the disparity seems to be as the accessories are designed to be held in the right hand - giving need for more options. These all plug in and out easily.
LIke all GB figures released so far, Winston gets a Walkie Talkie. This is a plain black plastic cast piece - but with this being Marshmallow Winston, Diamond have added a splash of white to the corner. This Walkie-Talkie fits into the right hand, but the elbow fails to bend enough to make it look like Winston is talking to anyone. When not in use it slots into the front holster snugly.
With the gripping hand in place, Winston will hold the Proton Emitter securely, but with the limited elbow bend it's tough to get it posed in an action shot. Once you have achieved a two handed pose, and if you like the FX pieces, you can add his proton stream piece. This is a flexible piece of orange plastic, wrapped in a blue plastic. While it does the job of representing a proton stream, it is a little too pastel in colour and might have been better with some translucent pieces.
Winston was the only Select Series Ghostbuster to come with a Trap, and that same trap is packed with Marshmallow WInston. The trap is neatly done with a black and yellow hatched top, silver side with a black frame and some indicator lights. There is a flexible rubber hose going from the trap round to the foot pedal. This too is well painted with some yellow and blue connections and a white light. The hose is a little fussy and it takes a while to stretch it out for a Ghost Catching pose. It looks much better coiled and in Winston's hand.... two in the box ready to go (yes, I realise that is a GB2 reference).
As a special / exclusive this is a very nice figure and actually fixes some concerns that the original release came with. The Marshmallow paint effects are done pretty well and are spread to accessories and the Proton Pack. The head has even been tweaked to give the Marshmallow volume rather than just sticking with paint. While stability remains a problem, throwing in that gorgeous stand resolves that brilliantly. The only downside to the figure is the articulation - particularly in the arms when trying to pose him with the Proton Emitter. There is also a completist issue here with Peter and Ray in the same decor relatively hard to find at a good price - and a Marshmallow Egon not produced (at point of writing this review). Marshmallow Winston is not perfect, but he isn't far off and with the current price under ÂŁ25 then I score him a 4 out of 5. One feature I missed on the Series 1 Winston was that the trap has a socket built into the base that corresponds to a plug on Winston's belt. This means the Trap can be hung on the belt when not in use - although the coiled wire is difficult to secure away. This feature is present on other GB figures too, so if you didn't want Winston to have the Trap you can have it worn by one of the others.
Checkout the Diamond Select figures available at Toys in the Attic
Review : Inferno Squad Agent (Battlefront II) Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Gamestop Exclusive Released : October 2017 €29.99 (not available directly in UK) Pros : The red accents work well with the glossy black armour, the gun is improved vs original release Cons : A relatively simple repaint that is not completely accurate to the Inferno Agents in the game Gamestop have significantly ramped up their exclusive releases recently for the Star Wars Black Series, and the Inferno Squad Agent is the 4th of 2017 after the 40th Anniversary R5-D4 and the Snoke & Throne and Guardians of Evil packs. This new Inferno Agent figure continues a theme started in 2015 when Walmart released the Shock Trooper to celebrate the release of the Battlefront video game. Roll forward 2 years and the Inferno Squad Agent is a celebration of the release of the sequel Battlefront II. At the time of writing this, the figure is not getting a widespread UK release. That means you will need to source via an independent or via Gamestop direct. I ordered direct from US and ended up paying heavily in custom charges due to some fluctuations in the £ to $ between order and delivery. The package also came damaged and despite contacting Gamestop there has been no follow up or resolution from them - so I have opened and reviewed the figure anyway.
Being an exclusive there is no numbering for this, therefore the gloss red side spin carries the name only and a shaded box. Round the back we see more of the red highlighted image and the standard brief bio which talks about the plot of the Battlefront II Story Mode and how the Inferno Agents will fit into this. This text is repeated three more times in French, Spanish and Italian. The rest of the box is made up of safety and legal notices.
If you are in the UK or Europe then my advice is to pre-order from Gamestop Ireland for €29.99 where there will be no risk of custom charges.
Like any Black Series release, the figure slides out via the top or bottom flap and is packed in a clear tray that then sits inside the gloss red cardboard insert. There is one blaster accessory packed to the side of the Agent's head.
The Inferno Squad Agent as he is titled on the box, arrives in a standard Black Series Phase 3 box. It has the larger base rail as per the tweak made midway through 2017 and it also comes with the brighter logo - as updated for the Force Friday II (3rd September) releases. What is a little different is the Gamestop exclusive sticker - which we saw on the R5-D4 release. We also get the Battlefront II logo underneath the artwork - a feature which was included on the figures 2015 predecessor, the Shock Trooper. Most striking though is the use of red highlights and images within the normally grey artwork. This does make the release stand out from a packaging point of view and for me is only bettered by the Force Ghost Obi-Wan so far this year.
As we know, this figure is simply a repaint of the original Tie Fighter PIlot released in early 2015 on the phase 2 blue packaging. Once the figure is in hand you will start to notice where changes have been made starting with the obvious red decals and stripes on the helmet - replacing the original silver Imperial cog with a red version on the left and what I guess is the Inferno Squad logo on the right. The other noticeable change on the head are the lenses of the helmet which are now a deep glossy red. I have always personally found the Tie Fighter helmet oversized to the body of this figure and felt some artistic licence may have been better taken to either bulk up the body or slightly shrink the helmet.
It is also worth noting the other elephant in the room at this point and that is that the main character in Battlefront II story mode, Iden Versio, is a female commander and to release her would have required some new sculpting. This figure therefore is named as simply one of her squad rather than Iden herself. Comparing our new Inferno Squad Agent to the previous Tie Fighter sculpt uses - Lt. Oxixo and the original Tie Fighter PIlot - there are some other differences with our new release. The belt has been changed to one more akin to the Stormtrooper belt. While this is not a direct use of the Stormtrooper belt sculpt (the back cannister is missing) it is most likely a tweaked version of it. There are some colour variations on the chest piece, with the Inferno colouring including red on the left hand panel and the right hand switches. The colouring of the device on the left wrist remains the same as the original Tie Pilot - while Oxixo changes his to include more colourings.
The figure is cast predominantly in black. There is an flightsuit at the base of everything which is sculpted to look like cloth with various folds and creasing. Ontop this sits the various armoured pieces and each of these is a much glossier and smoother black colour. The chest piece is the largest, but we also have gloved hands and thigh high boots.
Articulation on the Tie Pilot body has always been pretty decent - he is not as restricted by his armour as say a Stormtrooper.
Atop the chest sits the chest breather device. This is attached to the chest armour with two semi-flexible breathing tubes that go up to the helmet. It is these tubes that are of great controversy for this figure in terms of them not being present on the footage we have seen of the Battlefront II game. Why Hasbro did not simply take these away is unknown - particularly as they aren't even fixed at the helmet and can be pulled out of their socket.
The head is ball jointed, but will be held back by how far those tubes can stretch from the chest box. The shoulders are ball jointed and the elbows a single rotating joint - but one that will bend to and beyond 90 degrees. While the figure is wearing flight gauntlets, there is a joint at the wrist to turn and flex the hands.
The other discrepancy when comparing the figure to the game footage is the lack of a pauldron or armour piece over the right shoulder. This again feels something that could have been easily added as a piece between the head and neck and that sat over the shoulder.
The torso is fixed in place thanks to the armour and chest box, so there is no torso joint - and instead a rotating waist is included. From here the legs are ball jointed hips with a thigh swivel and double jointed knees. The figure is supported on ankle rockers which feel tight and secure and I have had no issues standing the Inferno Agent, nor any of his predecessors.
The usual E11 blaster is included and this is accurate to the game as far as footage is concerned. This weapon was always included in the Tie Pilot figures anyway - so isn't really a special amendment for the Inferno Squad version. While the original guns for the Tie Pilots were matt black plastic cast, this one gets a metallic drybrush and looks a whole lot nicer for it.
Thanks to the arm articulation, cradling and holding the E11 is easy and a variety of poses can be reached. The gun sits best in the right hand, with a flexible trigger finger on the right hand that slots into the trigger. When not in use, the blaster can be holstered in the working holster that is hung off the belt. Like the original Tie Pilots, this holster gets in the way a little on the left hand side. But as the belt is loose you can rotate it round the back - and with no obvious buckley on this belt it won't look out of place.
The Inferno Squad Trooper is a very unique figure, and fans of Battlefront will be pleased that key troopers from the game continue to be recognised in figure form. The truth of the matter however is that this is a very expensive repaint and one that isn't even 100% accurate to the game. I won't tell you how much I ended up paying for this from the US - but let's say even without the custom charges I would have been disappointed with the accuracy of the Inferno Squad Agent. The fixes were relatively simple too in that you could lose the breather tubes, add a small pauldron and maybe throw in a couple of different weapons. With that in mind, I am going to go mid-table with the score and go 3 out of 5. I urge anyone who wants this to wait it out and pick up via the Gamestop Ireland site or wait for the inevitable availability from some of our independent stores.
The key word for this figure I feel is "Squad" and the figure starts to look more impressive when he is teamed up with fellow pilots. Army building the actual Inferno Troopers will be difficult considering the cost and lack of availability outside of the US.
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