Here we are once again with an all new Toy News Tuesday! We’re the one weekly column right here on ScienceFiction.com where we seek out all of the awesome news you need to know about any announcements and cool happenings in the toy industry and put them all in one easy to find place for you! As always, there’s a ton of cool stuff going on in the industry! This week is pretty heavy on Batman news, so we hope you’re into The Dark Knight! We’ve also got some awesome news on new ‘ALIEN’ products, plus a mountain of new ‘Star Wars’ stuff to talk about! So why are you still reading this paragraph? Head down below the jump for the Toy News for the week of January 19th, 2016!
This New Spiderman Is Spectacular!
Quite literally! The team at Diamond Select Toys have announced an all new Disney Store Exclusive Marvel Select ‘Spectacular Spiderman’ figure! This new 7″ scale figure is based on the comic book version of the character, rather than the film versions that many of the other recent Marvel Select Spiderman figures have been! He’s expected to retail for $24.95 when he releases at the end of February. You can pre-order him directly through Marvel.com to guarantee one for yourself today! Many of these Disney Store Exclusive Marvel Select figures end up being highly sought after, so don’t sleep on this one too long! Here’s the release from Diamond Select Toys:
You’ll get to see the two different sides of Peter Parker with this highly detailed, lifelike Spectacular Spider-Man Action Figure by Marvel Select. There’s Parker as a photographer, complete with camera, then as his Super Hero alter ego.
- Fully poseable figure
- Two interchangeable heads, with mask and without
- Includes interchangeable fists, mask after having been removed, and camera
- Collector quality and detail
- Free standing
In Hastings, Everyone Can Hear You Scream…
For the last year or so, our friends at Diamond Select Toys have been blowing us away with their fantastic Minimate lines based on the iconic ‘ALIEN’ franchise! With sets having released for both ‘ALIEN’ and ‘ALIENS’, there are already plenty out there to choose from so far, but for a while now something seems like it’s been missing. Where are the rest of the original crew from The Nostromo ship we saw in the original ‘ALIEN’ film? Sure, we got Ripley, Carter, and Kain… but what about the rest? Dallas? Bret? Lambert? Ash? It looks as though Diamond Select has heard your cries for these missing crew members because they’ve just announced an all new Hastings Exclusive ‘ALIEN’ Minimates set that includes three of the four missing crew members!
Hastings shoppers can now pick up the exclusive ‘Crew Of The Nostromo’ Minimates figure four-pack that includes Dallas, Brett, Lambert, and a new version of the ‘Big Chap’ Alien seen in the original film! This new take on the ‘Big Chap’ has a nice new glossy paint job, so he should look extra spooky glistening in your collection! And before any of you get upset, DST has already stated that we will be seeing Ash, the final missing member of the Nostromo Crew, in a later release!
Don’t Worry, He’s With ‘The Company’
The team at NECA has been slowly but surely releasing every possible character you could ever want to own from the ‘ALIEN’ franchise in 7″ scale, and with each series of figures they seem to be delving deeper and deeper into the ‘ALIEN’ mythos to bring this whole universe to life before us in plastic form. The latest figure announced is the upcoming ‘Weyland-Yutani Commando’ figure that will be a part of the upcoming ‘ALIEN’ Series 8, which is rumored to be based heavily around ‘ALIEN 3’. There have been rumors for a while now that we will be seeing a Ripley figure based on her ‘ALIEN 3’ look soon, as well as recent murmurs about a re-release of the ‘Dog Alien’ from Series 3 of the popular line. Hopefully, NECA will be giving us more news soon! In the meantime, here’s a look at the Weyland-Yutani Commando!
The Force IS Strong With Merchandise
Over the past few months, new ‘Star Wars’ merchandise has been flooding stores almost faster than fans can snatch it up (and we are usually pretty quick about it!). If you thought you had finally caught up on everything, then I apologize to have to be the one to tell you, but there is a TON of new ‘Star Wars’ merchandise coming our way in the coming weeks! A recent post on Entertainment Weekly revealed a whole slew of new merchandise coming our way right now from ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, and you won’t want to miss any of it! Here is the full rundown from Entertainment Weekly:
12-Inch Rey Figure (Hasbro, $7.99)
This figure is roughly the size of the crude X-Wing pilot doll Rey made and keeps on her shelf in the film. There’s also a Finn figure this size, featuring him in his leather jacket. (I kind of want the eerie, Blair Witch-style pilot figurine, though.)
20-inch BIG-FIGS — Rey (JAKKS Pacific, $19.99 each)
Large and in charge, these are the most formidable of The Force Awakens dolls/action-figures, including not only Rey, but also Finn, Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, a Stormtrooper, a Snowtrooper, and Captain Phasma.
Battle on Takoda (LEGO, $59.99)
Maz Kanata still looks smaller than everyone else. This small-scale recreation of her castle-like watering hole comes with a Finn (ready to run away again), two Stormtroopers (including FN-2199, a.k.a. TR-8R, who battles him with an electro-staff weapon) and Kylo Ren, who has a removable mask — as well as removable hair.
Black Series — 6-Inch Finn Figure (Hasbro, $12.99)
A larger and more detailed version of the runaway Stormtrooper in his moment of truth — after making the choice to pursue a destiny beyond what The First Order had in mind for him.
Black Series — 6-Inch Han Solo Figure (Hasbro, $12.99)
There have been no shortage of Han Solo action figures in the past, but so far we’ve had nothing featuring the older, grayer, and (maybe a little bit) wiser smuggler and scoundrel. Hasbro’s Black Series is much larger than the more play-friendly 3.75-inch figures, but for collectors these are some of the most coveted of the Star Wars figurines.
Bladebuilders — Rey Electronic Lightsaber (Hasbro, $9.99)
This promo image for Hasbro’s new lightsaber toy is notable for placing the sword in the hands of a young girl – and for identifying the weapon that Luke Skywalker lost during his Cloud City duel with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back as “Rey’s Lightsaber.”This looks like a literal passing of the torch. “It’s about acknowledging the role the lightsaber plays in the film and the role she plays as the heroine, as well as the role she’ll play in the future,” Southern says, before quickly adding: “Although we don’t want to talk about the future too much.” (Writer-director Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII begins filming this month.)
Buildable Figures (LEGO, $19.99 each)
Assemble the heroes and villains of The Force Awakens with these individual sets. Presumably, you could mix and match the parts — or connect them all in some perverse human Rathtar-like abomination with many heads, an assortmant of arms, and too many legs.
Chewbacca Talking Figure (The Disney Store, $15.99)
This 15.5-inch Wookiee is able to speak 15 different phrases, but … good luck trying to understand what any of them mean. As Han Solo says, remember: He understands you.
Deluxe Figure Play Set (The Disney Store, $19.95)
With this 10-figure collection of toys, exclusive to The Disney Store, fans get not only Rey, but also Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma and Carrie Fisher’s General Leia Organa – who hasn’t yet been featured in playable form from the new film. (Another newcomer to the toy shelf is this grayer version of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo.)After the #WheresRey frustrations, Lucasfilm says they’re ready to deliver on the heroines – and villainess – of The Force Awakens. “We’ve made a real, intentional decision to not only focus on those female characters, but make sure that they are included in a way that’s commensurate with the role they play in the film,” Southern said.
Finn 3.75-inch action figure (Hasbro, $8.99)
While there’s definitely more Rey, she’s not the only new addition to this batch of Star Wars toys. Another high-profile item is this Finn action figure, featuring John Boyega’s character before he decided to turn against The First Order and join the Resistance.Previous figures featured him in Poe’s jacket, but this toy is FN-2187 in full Stormtrooper armor – complete with the bloody handprint of a friend who fell in battle.
First Order TIE Pilot 3.75-inch action figure (Hasbro, $8.99)
According to ILM visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett, one of the TIE pilots who is shot down chasing Rey and Finn through the skies of Jakku after they steal the Millennium Falcon ejects from his crippled craft just as it is destroyed. So … you don’t even need the vehicle to recreate a pivotal scene from the movie. Just this guy. (Stay out of the sinking sands, fella.)
Galatic Heroes 2-Packs (Hasbro, $6.99)
Rey and Captain Phasma are the duo included in this little-kid-friendly pack of cartoon-y action figures. Other pair-ups include Finn and the Stormtrooper FN-2199, Han Solo and Sidon Ithano (a.k.a. The Crimson Corsair) and Poe Dameron and BB-8.
Hot Wheels — Rey’s Speeder (Mattel, $4.99)
It floats on its own stand, but this is the galactic version of a race car. The Jakku scavenger rides atop her trusty scrap harvester, preparing to take on the worst this junkyard planet has to throw at her.
Kylo Ren Unmasked — Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure (The Disney Store, $24.95)
A 7-inch figure built mainly for display, this representation of the Darth Vader wannabe features him without his signature mask — which, of course, we discover in the film is really more of an affectation. Enjoy that face, guy. You’re about to get a whole lot less pretty.
NERF Rey Blaster (Hasbro, $19.99)
“You might need this …” That’s what Han Solo says as he hands the less playful version of this blaster to Rey in the film. The Star Wars merchandising team simply didn’t realize how much fans were going to need of her.Coupled with a deliberate decision to withhold much of her character arc from the early toys, the result was simply too little Rey to meet demand. Southern acknowledges the mistake of those toys and games that provoked outrage by leaving her out. “We were less focused on the [products] she wasn’t in, and those are the ones that got a lot of attention,” he told EW.
Nesting Dolls (The Disney Store, $15.99)
Getting a little old-fashioned in terms of toys, but this is kind of adorable. BB-8 fits inside Rey, who fits into Poe Dameron, who nestles inside Finn in his Stormtrooper uniform, who is contained within the fearsome black cloak of Kylo Ren.
Resistance Troop Transporter (LEGO, $69.99)
General Leia and her posse roll into Takodana after the battle of Maz Kanata’s castle in this utilitarian transport, which includes a mini-fig of the woman in charge, herself. There’s also a pair of Resistance soldiers to accompany her, and Admiral Ackbar — who seems to be fetching her coffee (or maybe just carrying around a cup of seawater to douse over his head, in case the land-based life of a Mon Calamari gets a little dry).
Resistance X-Wing Fighter (LEGO, $9.99)
A somewhat simpler and more modestly priced version of the LEGO starship, this small X-Wing comes with Greg Grunberg’s Snap Wexley pilot in mini-fig form.
Rey and BB-8 — Elite Series Die Cast Action Figures (The Disney Store, $24.95)
More collectibles, this time in a two-for-one deal. Or maybe it’s all-for-one? As she embraces her fate and hidden powers, Rey weilds her blue lightsaber as she prepares for battle against Kylo Ren.
Rey 3.75-inch action figure (Hasbro, $8.99)
An earlier action figure, released in September, featured Rey in her scruffy-looking desert scavenger gear (which is how she spends most of the film). But this new Hasbro figurine features her more refined “Resistance outfit” from the final scenes of the movie, as well as her newfound weapon of choice – the blue laser sword once owned by Anakin and Luke Skywalker.
Unkar Plutt 3.75-inch action figure (Hasbro, $8.99)
No Star Wars toy collection could be complete without a few creatures, and Simon Pegg’s blobfish-faced junk dealer Unkar Plutt makes a gruesome addition to any rogue’s gallery. The gruff alien creature, who looked after manipulated and exploited the young desert scavenger Rey, can now be subjected to whatever agonies a young mind can concoct in the backyard.
These figures are all set to be hitting stores in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them! Also, we aren’t sure where Entertainment Weekly is getting their suggested prices, but it’s hard to imagine many of these items will actually sell at the prices listed (especially those 6″ ‘Black Series’ figures that are listed as $12.99, but normally retail for $19.99 or more at most retailers). Looks like we finally found #WheresRey!
“Holy Brick Batcave Batman!”
While most of the world of Batman has been gritty and dark for years, many people love to look back on a time where things were a bit simpler. Where the world of Batman was brightly colored and fairly silly. A time where Batman would be just as guilty as Robin when it comes to making bad puns. Yes, we’re talking about the legendary ‘Batman ’66’ live action series that starred Adam West and Burt Ward as the dynamic duo! This year marks the series 50th Anniversary, and the team at LEGO have decided to celebrate in style with the release of a massive new Lego Batcave based on the iconic series! The LEGO Batman Classic TV Series Batcave is one of the biggest LEGO sets ever released, and it comes packed with a mountain of special features and accessories that you won’t find anywhere else. This is the ultimate collectors item for fans of Batman ’66, and while it carries a hefty $269.99 price tag, it looks like it’s going to be worth every penny! Check out the full specs below:
76052 Batman™ Classic TV Series – Batcave
Ages 14+. 2,526 pieces.
US $269.99 – CA $329.99 – DE 249.99€ – UK £229.99 – DK 2499.00 DKK
*Euro pricing varies by country. Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing.
Help Batman™ and Robin™ to drive the villain intruders from the Batcave, featuring a Bat Lab with Batcomputer, plus the Batmobile with stud shooters, Batcopter with flick missiles and the Batcycle. This special model, based on the classic 1960s TV show, also has a Wayne Manor section with an exterior wall to climb on and Bruce Wayne’s study featuring the iconic Batphone and a false bookcase that slides open to reveal the secret entrance to the Batcave. Before spiraling down the Batpoles into the Batcave, change identity from Bruce Wayne™ and Dick Grayson™ into Batman and Robin (separate minifigures included).
• Includes 9 minifigures: Batman™, Robin™, Bruce Wayne™, Dick Grayson™, Alfred Pennyworth™, The Joker™, Catwoman™, The Riddler™ and The Penguin™.
• This LEGO® model of the Batcave as seen in the classic 1960s TV series features 2 Batpoles for Batman™ and Robin™ to slide down, a selection of Bat-gadgets, helipad, plus a Batmobile and Batcopter.
• The Wayne Manor section of the model features Bruce Wayne’s study with the iconic Batphone, a hinged Shakespeare bust with secret button underneath, sliding false bookcase to access the Batpoles, and assorted elements including decorated wallpaper bricks, wall lamps, framed portraits, a framed fish and trophies. It also includes an exterior wall for climbing, with an opening roof for easy access to the Batpoles and an aerial element.
• The Batcave incorporates a hi-tech, 2-floor Bat Lab with Batcomputer element and a variety of detachable accessory elements, including a lie detector machine, table, chest of drawers, Bat-gadgets and test tubes with translucent elements. Also includes the iconic Batcave entrance for the Batmobile and a helipad for the Batcopter.
• The Batmobile features a dual cockpit with iconic Batphone, 2 stud shooters, an opening trunk, dual exhaust and sign stickers.
• The Batcopter has an opening cockpit for a minifigure, bat-inspired wings with 2 flick missiles, spinning rotors and a spinning propeller. A villain minifigure can grab onto the back of the Batcopter for more aerial battle action.
• The Batcycle features a driver’s seat for Batman™, translucent headlight element and a sidecar for Robin™.
• Also includes a cat.
• Weapons include The Joker’s TNT, Catwoman’s whip, The Riddler’s TNT and The Penguin’s umbrella.
• Accessory elements include Batman’s 3 Batarangs, rope, grappling hook and handcuffs.
• Includes separate minifigures for Batman™ and Robin’s alter-egos, so enter the secret doorway as Bruce and Dick, and slide down the Batpoles as LEGO® DC Super Heroes!
• Batcave measures over 18” (46cm) high, 22” (56cm) wide and 7” (20cm) deep.
• Batmobile measures over 2” (6cm) high, 8” (21cm) long and 2” (7cm) wide.
• Batcopter measures over 2” (7cm) high, 8” (22cm) long and 7” (19cm) wide.
• Batcycle measures over 1” (4cm) high, 3” (8cm) long and 1” (4cm) wide.
Chicks Dig The Car
If you’re a fan of the Dark Knights iconic vehicle, and just can’t get enough of it, you’re in for a treat! DC Collectibles has announced a new ‘Deluxe Edition’ of their super popular ‘Batmobile’ vehicle from their ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ line! As reported by The Nerdist, this new version will include some fancy new shiny metallic paints, and will come packed with figures of Batman, Robin, and The Batsignal!
Batman and Robin are based on their earlier 1993 ‘B:TAS’ designs, and include special new cloth fabric capes so that they will sit down in the Batmobile a little easier than their single-packed versions do. The Batsignal lights up, and is currently only set to be available to collectors as a part of this Deluxe set! Hopefully these new accessories sweeten the pot enough for people to double dip, considering that the original Batmobile was released only a few months ago! This new Deluxe Batmobile is scheduled to release in August 2016 with a suggested retail price of $175, so we recommend you start saving now!
It’s Going To Be A Long Knight…
The video game ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ released last fall to critical acclaim, and quickly built a rabid fan base that can’t seem to get enough ‘Arkham’ merchandise! Now the team at DC Collectibles have announced several new figures for a Series 4 of their ongoing ‘Arkham Knight’ toyline, and the fans are sure going to be excited for these! The main wave is built of fan favorite characters like you haven’t seen them before, with The Joker in Vacation Gear, Harley Quinn in her Classic Costume, and and all new Poison Ivy figure! We are also getting a special “Batman vs Thugs” figure 3-pack that will include Batman, as well as a Soldier and a Combat Expert.
“I Only Work In Black… And Sometimes very Dark Grey…Wait WHAT?”
Fans of classic Batman and all of it’s ridiculousness rejoice! According to Cnet, DC Collectibles has announced that they will finally be producing a special box set of the infamous ‘Rainbow Batmen’ figures! This box set was among a list of products that had been cancelled by DC Collectibles in recent years and that never seen the light of day! DC posted a Fan Poll where people could vote for their favorite cancelled items to see which ones were going to finally be produced, and it appears that the Rainbow Batman set won by a landslide! The Rainbow Batmen set includes six Batman figures, all featuring the same figure sculpt, but all in different colors! Included in this set are Batman in Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Purple, and Pink! This set is scheduled for release later this summer with an expected retail price of $69.99.
Soundwave Is Superior Leader
While the word on the ‘Transformers’ front has been a bit quiet in recent months, we recently received some big news in the announcement of an all new Leader Class Soundwave figure! The details are scarce for the moment on Soundwave here beyond that he will be an upcoming Leader Class sized release. There is currently no news regarding whether or not Soundwave will include any of his iconic Cassette Minicons, or what he will be transforming into this time around. Leader Class Soundwave was announced on The Official Transformers Facebook Page earlier this week.
Who’s Next In These Blindboxes!
While we may be in-between seasons for the moment, the team over at Titan Merchandise has got ‘Doctor Who’ on the brain! This week they have announced their new wave of ‘Doctor Who’ blindboxed minifigures, dubbed ‘The Good Man Collection’! This new wave is themed around the later seasons of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, with fan favorite characters like Amy, Rory, River, Vastra, and Jenny making appearances! Check out the full wave lineup below!
The Funko Forecast
Get ready for the Funko Forecast! This is where we’re going to be showcasing all of the cool new announcements and reveals from Funko! With all of the awesome that consistently seems to be flowing out of those guys, it shouldn’t be hard to keep this section alive each and every week!
Funko Joins ‘The Legion Of Collectors’!
Fans have been begging and pleading with Funko for months now, and it’s finally come to fruition! Last year, Funko teamed up with Marvel to create the ‘Marvel Collector Corps’ subscription box, where you would pay a bi-monthly fee and receive a box of awesome exclusive Marvel products from Funko in the mail every other month! Late last year, they followed up with a ‘Star Wars’ themed subscription box with the ‘Smugglers Bounty’ program. Now, finally, Funko has announced they will be doing the same for DC Comics fans with the all new ‘Legion Of Collectors’ subscription box!
Each box features 100% exclusive items based on popular DC Comics brands, with items including Funko POP! Vinyls, tee shirts, patches, and more! The first box is set to be themed around the upcoming ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice’, and will include an exclusive Armored Batman POP! Vinyl figure! The first box ships out this March, so all orders must be placed by March 1st 2016. You can subscribe here! “WELCOME TO EARF!”
“WELCOME TO EARF!”
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the sci-fi classic that made Will Smith into a true household name, ‘Independence Day’! On top of getting a sequel almost two decades too late (better late than never though!), we are also going to be able to celebrate with the release of a new wave of ‘Independence Day’ themed POP! Vinyls! This February you will be able to celebrate your ‘Independence Day’ with POP! Vinyls of Steve Hiller, David Levinson, and… ‘Alien’? I guess we never did get a good name for those guys before they were all blown to hell, did we? Either way, these hit stores in February!
The Apocalypse Has Never Been Cuter
The ‘Fallout’ video game series has been dominating the post apocalyptic RPG genre for decades now, and the release of last falls ‘Fallout 4’ only further secured the franchise as the heavyweight of it’s genre. We’ve seen POP! Vinyls and Mystery Minis based on the ‘Fallout’ series from Funko already, and now we’re taking the wasteland to a much cuter place with this new wave of ‘Fallout’ Dorbz figures! This new series of ‘Fallout’ Dorbz hits stores in March and consists of both Male and Female Vault Dwellers, Vault Boy, A Supermutant, and Power Armor!
And with that, we bring this week’s Toy News Tuesday to a close! What do you think about the new items announced this week? Do you plan on picking up anything we mentioned in this week’s column? Are there any lines or brands you’d like to see more coverage of? Let us know in the comments section below! Until next week, happy toy hunting!
