Here we are again on this, the most fateful of days… Toy News Tuesday! In case you missed last week, or the week before it, the basic gist of this epic weekly column is to get you all the news you could possibly need to know about the recent happenings in the toy industry! Whether it’s new toy announcements, company mergers or even just something kind of cool that’s happening in the industry, ScienceFiction.com’s very own toy-aficionado Jordan DesJardins gives you the weekly rundown! If you’re a hardcore collector, or perhaps even just vaguely interested in what’s up with toys these days, this is your one weekly pit stop for everything you could possibly need to find out! Here are all the cool happenings for the week of April 1st, 2014 (and no April Fools here folks, these are all real)!

Hot Toys Previews

While both of these upcoming figures were revealed a while back, Hot Toys has recently released huge image galleries to preview each of these amazing new figures! It’s a good time to be a sidekick (or former sidekick) apparently, because it looks like Hot Toys really went all out on these guys!

 

DC Comics’ Robin ‘66

“Holy smokes, Batman”! The crime-fighting hero of Gotham City is rarely seen without his faithful sidekick – Robin in the Batman 1960s television series. The campy and lighthearted TV show has become very popular with fans and a movie was made between the first and second season of the TV series.
Hot Toys is delighted to introduce the 1/6th scale Robin Collectible Figure from the classic 1966 ‘Batman’ movie. The collectible figure is newly developed and highly detailed which is specially crafted based on the image of Burt Ward as the boy wonder Robin, featuring a screen-accurate masked head sculpt, the classic Robin costume, weapon and accessories.

 

Hot Toys Robin ’66 is set to release in Q2-Q3 of 2014

Marvel Comics’ The Winter Soldier

 

“He’s fast… strong… and has a metal arm.”
Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are proud to present the Winter Soldier sixth scale collectible figure from the upcoming Marvel Studios blockbuster, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘. The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Sebastian Stan as Captain America’s tough adversary, Winter Soldier. Featuring two interchangeable head sculpts, metal-like left arm with red star emblem, a detailed costume and weapons.

 

Hot Toys The Winter Soldier has no official set release date as of the time of this posting.

Guardians of the Galaxy Minimates

After the first trailer hit a few weeks back, EVERYONE has been talking about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’! With fans clamoring nonstop for more, Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum have stepped up to the plate with an all new ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ themed series of Minimates! This new wave of 2-inch figures will feature all of your favorite characters from the upcoming film based on the hit comic series!

 

This ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ wave of figures will include four packs of two figures each, featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Ronan The Accuser, Groot, Drax, a Nova Corps Centurion, a Sakaaran Trooper, Nebula, and of course Rocket Raccoon! These ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Minimates are set to be hitting stores just in time for the film’s premiere this August!
(via Marvel)

Funko Summoning Magic: The Gathering Planeswalkers

The guys over at Funko are expanding their always amazing Pop! Vinyl Figures line with the addition of their all new ‘Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker’ series! Aside from these great new POP! Vinyl Figures, MTG fans will also be getting 6” highly detailed and fully articulated ‘Magic: The Gathering’ figures from Funko as well as part of their new Legacy Collection Action Figures line! While the Legacy Collection figures have yet to be seen, Funko recently released this press release along with some pictures of the upcoming Pop! Vinyl Figures!

 

Funko is excited to announce a new licensing agreement with Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) to produce Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker figures for their popular Pop! Vinyl Figures and new Legacy Collection Action Figures lines.
This is the first time fans will be able to have all of their favorite Magic: The Gathering characters in stylized vinyl and action figure form.
“We are deeply honored and very excited that Wizards of the Coast chose Funko as a partner to develop truly cool collectibles for Magic: The Gathering. I know the fans of Magic have been waiting nearly 20 years to get their hands on some fantastic Action Figures and stylized Vinyl figures. I promise that we won’t disappoint them!” said Brian Mariotti, CEO of Funko.

“We are excited to bring the world’s best strategy game to life with these figures,” said Elaine Chase, Brand Director for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. “Funko has been a great partner, and we’re looking forward to giving players yet another way to enjoy Magic: The Gathering.”

NECA Teases HALO Fans

Yes, that’s right gamers, NECA is teasing you. Teasing you with a sneak peek at their phenomenal new 18” Master Chief Figure that is! Earlier this week, NECA Toys leaked images of an early prototype of their upcoming figure of the popular HALO character. While it’s only a prototype, this figure already looks amazing! NECA looks to be trying to one-up McFarlane Toys’ efforts with this franchise, and who can really blame them for trying? While McFarlane had a good run with their HALO line, it’s going to be very interesting to see what else NECA has in store for fans of the series!

 

More Walking Dead Rise

While there aren’t any images yet and there is barely any information out at this time, BigBadToystore.com has revealed the lineup for the next series of McFarlane Toy’s ‘Walking Dead‘ figures by putting the all new Series 6 figures up for pre-order! The upcoming series of figures will include the following characters-
  • – Rick Grimes
  • – Hershel Greene
  • – Abraham Ford
  • – Carol Peletier
  • – Bungee Guts Zombie

 

There you have it folks! It’s expected that image previews of these figures will be coming along shortly now that the lineup has been revealed. These figures are expected to hit in Q3 of 2014!
(via TNI)

Revoltech Coming Out Of Their Shells

WOW. They’ve done it folks. We are finally getting the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ figures we have always wanted (whether we know it or not). The team over at CrookedNinja.com recently posted some images of the all new previously unannounced series of TMNT figures from Revoltech. Based on the character designs of the current hit series on Nickelodeon, these figures boast an astounding level of articulation, a vast quantity of show accurate accessories and even alternate heads with cartoony expressions to match up with their animated counterparts! Rumor has it these figures will be releasing this fall.

 

Lots of awesome stuff going on this week, although this brings us to a close for now! What do you guys think of some of these new announcements? Are you planning on picking up any of these recently announced figures? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below! We’ll be back with another installment next week for your viewing pleasure! Until then, good luck toy-hunting!