Here we are at the tail end of the year 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! This week is it! The final shopping week before the major holidays hit, which means it is time to hit all of the toy aisles as they are heavily restocked daily and ripe for the picking! There is no better, or worse, time of year for collectors on the hunt for the latest figures in their favorite lines. So why are you still here? Go do your toy hunting! But before you go, check out the Toy News for the week of December 20th, 2016!
Diamond Select’s Last Minute Gift Ideas
No matter what religion you practice, the majority of the major holidays are just days away and the team at Diamond Select Toys has a few last minute releases trickling out just in time to stuff all the stockings you need! We’re getting a ton of new Minimates including Marvel and Muppet’s themed waves, Nightmare Before Christmas Vinimates, new DC Animated pieces, and more! Check out all of these new releases from DST that are hitting stores this week!
Batman The Animated Series Scarecrow Resin Bust
A Diamond Select Toys release! What frightens the Dark Knight? The Scarecrow knows! Thanks to the Scarecrow’s fear gas, Dr. Jonathan Crane is one of the few foes in Batman’s rogues gallery who can strike fear in the heart of the caped crusader. This approximately 6” resin bust is based on the Scarecrow’s appearance in Batman The Animated Series, and sits atop a pedestal inspired by the show’s art-deco architecture. Limited to only 3,000 pieces, it is packaged with a certificate of authenticity, and comes in a full color box. Sculpted by Varner Studios! (Item #JUN162390, SRP: $59.99)
DC Gallery Batman The Animated Series Zatanna PVC Figure
A Diamond Select Toys release! The sorceress of the DC Universe is the next DC Animated Gallery PVC figure! Based on her appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, this sculpture depicts stage magician and genuine magic-user Zatanna Zatara posed as if in the middle of a performance, on a stage base, pulling a bat out of her hat. This 9-inch scale figure is cast in PVC plastic and features high-quality paint applications, and is in scale to all Gallery and Femme Fatales figures. Packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Varner Studios. (Item #JUN162389, SRP: $45.00)
Marvel Gallery Spider-Man Classic PVC Diorama
A Diamond Select Toys release! Marvel’s most popular super-hero is the newest addition to the Marvel Gallery PVC line! Sculpted in 9-inch scale, this sculpture of Spider-Man sees him balanced on one foot atop a New York City rooftop, surveying the city he is sworn to protect! Featuring detailed sculpting and paint applications this PVC diorama is in scale to all Gallery and Femme Fatales PVC figures, and comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Mat Brouillard! (Item #SEP162538, SRP: $45.00)
Marvel Minimates Series 69: Most Wanted 2-Packs
A Diamond Select Toys release! After 13 years, the Marvel Minimates line has amassed one of the widest arrays of characters of any collectible toy line. But there are still characters in the Marvel Universe left to make! For Series 69, DST has selected frequently-demanded characters to make up one of the most fan-favorited series in history! Black Knight and Enchantress each make their Minimates debut, and our first-ever Tigra teams up with a Classic Falcon. Then, Iron Man foe Blizzard II takes on an armored SHIELD Mandroid, while a rare, one-per-case set pits the original Blizzard I against that same Mandroid! Each 2-inch Minimates mini-figure features up to 14 points of articulation and fully interchangeable parts, and each two-pack is packaged in a full-color window box. (Item #JUN162395, SRP: $9.99/ea.)
Marvel Now! Minimates Blind-Bagged Mini-Figures
A Diamond Select Toys Release! Marvel Minimates are all-new and all-different! This all-new assortment of Minimates mini-figures features eight different characters from across the modern Marvel Universe, each individually packaged in a foil bag. With 18 Minimates in each counter display, customers can get either Spider-Man (Miles Morales), X-23 as Wolverine, International Iron Man, Old Man Logan, Spider-Gwen, Deadpool 2099, Venom Space Knight or a rare, one-per-display Silk! Each 2-inch Minimates mini-figure features 14 points of articulation and fully interchangeable parts. The perfect stocking stuffers for any Marvel fan! (Item #JUL162623, SRP: $5.99/ea.)
Muppets Minimates Series 3 2-Packs
A Diamond Select Toys Release! It’s time for some very special guest stars! The Muppets Minimates line continues with more of your favorite characters from across their history, in four all-new two-packs. Characters include Kermit as Constantine with Patrol Bear Fozzie, Electric Mayhem members Floyd Pepper and Janice, and exclusive two-packs of Mayhem members Zoot and Lips, and Muppet Newsman with Pepe the King Prawn! Each 2-inch Minimates mini-figure features up to 14 points of articulation with fully interchangeable parts and accessories. Make your own Muppets! (Item #JUL162619, SRP: $9.99)
Nightmare Before Christmas Vinimates Vinyl Figures
A Diamond Select Toys release! Vinimates are the gifts that keep on giving! The Nightmare Before Christmas makes its grand entrance to the Vinimates vinyl figure format with four main characters – Jack, Sally, Oogie Boogie and the Mayor! Sculpted in the style of a Minimates mini-figure, each 4-inch PVC figure strikes a dynamic pose, and features a ball-jointed neck to further customize each pose. Each Vinimate is packaged in a full-color window box.
Jack Skellington Vinimate (Item #JUN162371, SRP: $9.99)
Sally Vinimate (Item #JUN162372 SRP: $9.99)
Summer Dreams Make DC Feel Fine
July seems like an eternity away as we sit here in our winter wonderlands, and that huge time gap between now and then is seemingly made even longer when we saw this week’s new DC Collectibles solicitations for July 2017! Fans of the DC Animated Universe will be excited to see that we’re getting classic ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Batgirl, as well as a figure 2-pack of Superman and Lois from ‘Superman: The Animated Series’! We’re also getting lots of fantastic looking new statues in the ‘DC Bombshells’, ‘Harley Quinn: Red, White & Black’, and the ‘DC Designer Series’ to fawn over, so the anticipation for July to arrive quickly is killing us! Check out the full July 2017 solicitations from DC Collectibles below-
SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES SUPERMAN AND LOIS LANE ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK
DC Collectibles presents its first-ever action figures two-pack inspired by the classic Superman: The Animated Series, featuring the Man of Steel and intrepid reporter Lois Lane with extra hands.
SUPERMAN – 6.38”
LOIS LANE – 5.59”
$55.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES: BATGIRL ACTION FIGURE
Batgirl is the latest action figure based on the wildly popular Batman: The Animated Series! Batgirl appears in her original gray suit and comes with extra pairs of hands!
Measures Approximately 5.31” Tall
$28.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
DC DESIGNER SERIES: WONDER WOMAN BY ADAM HUGHES STATUE
Designed by ADAM HUGHES
Sculpted by JACK MATHEWS
Wonder Woman takes her lasso in hand in this new Designer Series statue envisioned by Eisner Award-winning artist Adam Hughes.
Measures Approximately 14.85” Tall
RESOLICIT • $130.00 US • On Sale JUNE 2017 • Allocations May Occur
Retailers: This title is resolicited. All previous orders are canceled.
DC DESIGNER SERIES: THE JOKER BY BRIAN BOLLAND STATUE
Designed by BRIAN BOLLAND
Sculpted by DAVID GIRAUD
Straight from the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, acclaimed artist Brian Bolland’s rendition of The Joker gets the Designer Series treatment! Bolland’s version of the Clown Prince of Crime is one of the most iconic, recognizable renditions of the character!
Limited Edition of 5,000
Measures Approximately 13.71” Tall
$150.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
DC BOMBSHELLS: AQUAMAN STATUE
Designed by ANT LUCIA
Sculpted by JACK MATHEWS
Set a course for collectibles! The new DC BOMBSHELLS AQUAMAN leads the way as the first-ever solo male Bombshells statue.
Limited Edition of 5,000
Measures Approximately 11.26” Tall
$125.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
HARLEY QUINN: RED, WHITE AND BLACK STATUE BY TERRY DODSON
Designed by TERRY DODSON
Sculpted by JACK MATHEWS
Calling all Harley fans! Terry Dodson’s Harley Quinn is the latest and hottest statue from the hit RED, WHITE AND BLACK series.
Limited Edition of 5,000
Measures Approximately 7.20” Tall
$80.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
DC ICONS: BLUE BEETLE AND BOOSTER GOLD ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK
It’s a bromances for the ages with the blue and gold team! DC Collectibles presents Blue Beetle and Booster Gold action figures each with multiple accessories, including leis and Booster’s robot sidekick, Skeets.
BLUE BEETLE – 6.25”
BOOSTER GOLD – 6.38”
$60.00 US • On Sale JULY 2017
Allocations May Occur
Bring Harley Home For The Hula-Days
In a move that brings us all the product we didn’t know we needed to own until now, our friends at Cryptozoic Entertainment has released their all new 8″ Harley Quinn ‘Hula Girl’ bobble-figure! Hula Girl Harley Quinn mashes up the classic ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ styled version of the character with the iconic dashboard hula dancer girls of old. Much like those retro collectibles, Harley has a bobble feature at her waist. This figure is set to hit stores everywhere on December 21st 2016 with a suggested retail price of $22.99.
Probably The Droid You’re Looking For
This past week ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ blew audiences away with it’s dark portrayal of the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Fans everywhere are rejoicing and citing the film as “the most ‘Star Wars’ move since the original trilogy”. It’s safe to say, people can’t get enough of ‘Rogue One’, and thankfully Hot Toys is happy to feed that need with their all new 1:6th scale figure of everyone’s new favorite droid, K-2SO! Check out the full solicitation for this upcoming figure below-
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 1/6th scale K-2SO Figure
“The captain says you’re a friend. I will not kill you.” Droids have always been an iconic element in the Star Wars galaxy and in the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the new droid K-2SO has captured many Star Wars fans’ attention since the character’s first reveal! A reprogrammed Imperial security droid now loyal to the Alliance, K-2SO is an alarming sight standing within a secret Rebel base. The pragmatic droid is an effective insertion agent, as he can blend in perfectly at Imperial installations and outposts. Now Hot Toys is very excited to introduce the widely anticipated 1/6th scale collectible figure of this new droid! Meticulously crafted based on the appearance of the droid in the new film, the highly accurate K-2SO collectible figure stands approximately 36cm tall and features a sophisticatedly constructed mechanical structure, LED light-up eyes with separate rolling eyeballs, a blaster pistol, a grenade, and a specially designed figure stand! This amazing new droid will surely stand out in your prized collection!
Khaleesi Has Arrived
The team at ThreeZero teased this one a few weeks back, but now we’re finally getting our first full look at the next figure in their 1:6th scale ‘Game Of Thrones’ line, the Queen Of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryan! This figure stands around 10.2″ tall and bares a spot on resemblance of actress Emelia Clarke! Daenerys features platinum blonde rooted hair, several sets of interchangeable hands, highly detailed custom clothing, and she even includes a small Drogon resin figure!
To top things off, ThreeZero is offering a special exclusive version in their online store that will also include resin figures of Rhaegal and Viserion as well as a special dragon perch stand! The standard edition is up for pre-order at $168.00, while the special edition is $180. Full figure specs from ThreeZero’s solicitation are below-
- Highly-accurate realistic likeness to the character’s appearance in the television series;
- 10.2 inches (~26cm) tall articulated figure featuring tailored clothing with fine detailed textures: Cloak; Tunic; Pants; Vest; Neckwear;
- Platinum blonde, rooted fabric hair implantation;
- Soft PVC dermis on the arms and torso;
- Kraznys’ Whip;
- Extremely detailed resin Drogon figure (L 9cm, W 18cm).
- Exchangeable hands: 1 pair relaxed; 1 pair fists; 1 pair for gripping.
Threezero Store Online Exclusive:
- Rhaegal (L 9cm, W 9cm) and Viserion (L 9cm, W 9cm) figures in addition to Drogon;
- 1 perch for the Dragons.
Keep An Eye Out For This One
The team at Mezco have revealed the latest figure in their fan favorite One:12 Collective toyline, and DC Comics fans are certain to be excited! The latest character to join the line is none other than Deathstroke The Terminator of ‘Teen Titans’ and ‘Arrow’ fame! The infamous Slade Wilson will come packed to the gills with character specific accessories include a sword various guns, an alternative unmasked head, and several sets of hands. Check out the full solicitation for the One:12 Collective Deathstroke figure below! He is up for pre-order now and set to hit stores around July 2017.
One:12 Collective DC Comics Deathstroke
A military man, Slade Wilson was recruited into the special ops unit Team 7, where he participated in highly dangerous classified missions. There he underwent an experimental procedure that granted him enhanced speed, strength and intelligence, effectively making him the world’s greatest soldier.
Following the disbandment of Team 7, Slade became Deathstroke, a mercenary-for-hire. He quickly became known in the criminal world as the man to call when you want to make sure the job will get done. Deathstroke continuously pushes himself further and further with an unwavering focus on getting the job done no matter what it takes, no matter how ruthless, deadly or manipulative he must be. He is, without question, the world’s greatest assassin and one of the most feared people on the planet.
The One:12 Collective Deathstroke figure features:
Two (2) newly developed head portraits including:
- Helmeted/masked portrait
- Unmasked portrait
- One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation
- Hand painted authentic detailing
- Over 17cm tall
- Six (6) interchangeable hands includingOne (1) pair of fists (L&R)
- One (1) pair of sword holding hands (L&R)
- One (1) pair of gun holding hands (L&R)
Costume:
- Armored collar
- Shoulder pads with sculpted grenades
- Chest armor
- Abdominal plate
- Vambraces
- Cross body strap
- Belt
- Thigh holster
- Shin armor with ankle guards
Accessories:
- One (1) machine gun with removable clip
- One (1) hand gun with removable clip (gun fits in thigh holster)\
- One (1) sword and sheath. Sheath attaches to the back of the cross body strap
- One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
- One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post
Each figure is packaged in a deluxe, collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind there are no twist ties for easy in and out of package display.
NECA Brings Things To Scale
Our friends at NECA are known primarily for bringing some of the coolest toys on the market to life, but the coolest things they’ve been doing lately are life sized foam character replicas that bring us our favorite heroes, villains, and monstrosities to full 1:1 scale life in our homes! They’ve done a six-foot tall Batman figure, a life sized Slimer from ‘Ghostbusters’, and even a life sized Deadpool! Now they’re bringing us two more fantastic life sized creations that any sci-fi fan would be happy to add to their displays!
While most of these life sized creations are a bit large, this next one is the perfect size for any ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ fan! When the first ‘Guardians’ film hit a few years back, NECA released a life sized Rocket Raccoon figure that stands around three-feet tall and looks amazing! Now they’re going back to the well for ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ and bringing us what is sure to be the breakout character of the film, Baby Groot! That’s right, you will soon be able to add a life sized 10″ tall Baby Groot foam figure to your display case! To make things better, he’s only expected to retail for around $30 to $35 when he hits the market in April 2017! You can pre-order him now at BigBadToyStore. Here’s the release info-
Add some pint-sized protection to home or office with this life-size Groot replica from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2!
Groot stands 10″ tall and was created using the actual digital files used in making the movie for screen accuracy. The figure is made of foam rubber and latex that’s hand painted for incredibly lifelike detail. Tray box packaging.
Additionally, for ‘ALIENS’ fans (and technically ‘Predator’ fans as well), NECA is releasing an all new 1:1 scale foam replica of the Xenomorph Skull! Details on this release are scarce for now, but you can check out the full release from NECA below-
Add the ultimate trophy to your collection with this massive #Xenomorph Skull replica!
Based on the deadly creatures from the classic Aliens movie, this incredible piece measures 36” long and comes with a display stand for tabletop use or wall mounting. The Xenomorph Skull Foam Replica is made of durable foam rubber and latex that’s carefully hand-painted for extra eerie detail. Stand requires minor assembly; instructions included. Starts shipping out to retailers in March 2017!
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!
We Hope Funko Has A Map
While some of you may be saying “well this is a bit late”, we’re always on a “better late than never” page when it comes to collectibles, so we’re excited to hear that Funko announced the first wave of POP! Vinyls based on TV’s ‘LOST’ this week! The first wave is set to hit in the spring and will include Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley, Jacob, and The Man In Black.
Demented Animated Inbound
Some of your favorite twisted cartoons are coming to your collection in POP! Vinyl form with Funko’s new reveal of POP! lines for ‘Ren & Stimpy’ and ‘South Park’! From ‘Ren & Stimpy’, we are getting our titular duo along with chase variant ‘Dalmataion Disguise’ versions! From ‘South Park’ we’re getting a rather eclectic blend of characters (oddly none of which are basic versions of the series four lead characters), including Butters, Ike, Zombie Kenny, Mysterion, and Cartman (with glasses?). These are all set to hit stores early next year. 
The Twelve Days Of Funko Part One
At the end of each year, Funko spends the last few weeks to bring fans a ton of awesome new teases and announcements for what we can expect in the next year coming up and it always leaves people drooling with excitement! The team at PopVinyls has been keeping track of the new reveals each day, but we’ve compiled a list of everything revealed so far during the first six days of the twelve days of Funko reveals! Here’s what we’ve got so far….
- ‘Star Wars’! Lots of it. Mystery Minis, Plush, Episode 8, Hikari (Phasma and Kylo Ren confirmed), POP! Deluxe (including space ships and beasts), and “40th Anniversary Surprises”
- ‘Ghost in the Shell’
- ‘Valerian’
- ‘The Mummy’
- ‘Alien: Covenant’
- ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’
- ‘Boss Baby’
- ‘The Dark Tower’
- ‘Despicable Me 3’: This will include Dorbz, Mystery Minis, Pint Size Heroes
- Marvel! ‘Guardians of The Galaxy 2’ (POP! Dorbz, Pint Sized Heroes, Rock Candy), ‘Spiderman: Homecoming’ (POP! Dorbz, Pint Sized Heroes), ‘Thor: Ragnorok’ (POP! and Dorbz), ‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Ghost Rider, more Marvel Comic styled POP!, Dorbz, and Rock Candy
- Disney! ‘Beauty & The Beast’ movie (POP!, Dorbz, Mystery Minis), Disney POP! Home, ‘Chip N Dale’, ‘Duck Tails’, ‘Darkwing Duck’, ‘Talespin’, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Cars 3’, ‘Gravity Falls’, lots of new Disney Dorbz, Pint Sized Heroes, and Plush.
- ‘American Gods’
- ‘BoJack Horseman’
- ‘Teen Wolf’
- ‘Workaholics’
- ‘South Park’ (2nd wave)
- ‘Stranger Things’ (2nd wave)
- ‘Trollhunters’
- ‘Rick & Morty’
- More ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Game Of Thrones’ POP!, Dorbz, Mystery Minis, and Rock Candy
- ‘Westworld’
- ‘Parks & Rec’
- ‘Green Hornet’
- ‘Married With Children’
- ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’
- ‘Baywatch’
- More ‘Futurama’
- More ‘Masters Of The Universe’ POP! and Dorbz
- ‘Twin Peaks’ POP!, Action Figures and Rock Candy
- Nicktoons! ‘Ahh Real Monsters’, ‘Cat Dog’ ‘Rugrats’, ‘Hey Arnold’, ‘Rockos Modern Life’, and new ‘Invader Zim’
We’re only halfway through all of their announcements and with all of these coming our way, who knows what else they still have in store for us to even look forward to?! Be sure to stay tuned as we count down the rest of these big reveals for 2017!
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!
Jordan is a Toy Columnist & Staff Writer here at ScienceFiction! Journalist, Musician, Toy Collector, and Overall Awesome Guy! For more on Jordan’s thoughts, toys, and wacky adventures, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
