Marvel is getting the sound and the Fury out about their Digital Comics program.

According to the publisher, new and renewing subscribers to the program will receive an exclusive Nick Fury action figure from Hasbro, inspired by his return from isolation at the climax of Secret Invasion. The figure costs $4.99 for shipping and handling.

“Hasbro is very excited to be teaming up with Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited for this exclusive giveaway,” Billy Lagor, Senior Director of Hasbro’s Global Brand Strategy & Marketing, Marvel, said in a press release.  “We truly value and appreciate the connection that we have with our Marvel fans and hope that shows in our action figures.”

On the web site, you can either get a yearly plan for $4.99/month, or a three-month plan for $8.33/month. You can click here to find out more.

…That’s right, a brand-new Ghostbusters web site.

With a new video game in the works, as well as some strong hopes to a third film in the making, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Dan Aykroyd-led franchise is getting itself a facelift.

The new site has message boards, photos, as well as resources for the upcoming video game.

Today is the day that toys from Hasbro’s Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen line roll out in a toy aisle near you. (Or at least, this is the day they’re officially scheduled to go on sale. Lots of stores jumped the gun and put them out early.) Hasbro’s website has a large assortment for view or sale, including one item I would love to have had when I was young enough to play with it:

The Bumblebee Voice Mixer. Actually, the item description says “Adjusts to fit head sizes ages 5 through adult”, and while I’m sure there are plenty of older toy enthusiasts who are going to have a ball cosplaying with it, I don’t think somebody my age could wear one without looking like someone from “To Catch a Predator”. More’s the pity.

However, there is one Transformers 2 toy that just might be too cool to pass up:

(Picture courtesy the fine folks at Figures.com)

Aww yeah, it’s Devastator! Seeing the Constructicon combiner kick some Autobot ass is going to be the best thing about this movie not named Megan Fox. The toy looks pretty sweet as well, even though I haven’t been a big fan of most of the movie designs so far. (I’m not a grumpy purist, I just think some of the characters look too generic. Especially Starscream and Megatron.)

After an underwhelming stretch recently of reissues and box sets that have felt like déjà vu the ninth time over — enough to make fans look to Mattel more and more as a reliable source of new DC action figures — DC Direct this week announced a new batch of figures that are buzzworthy and genuinely appreciated by this particular collector.

Expected to drop in January of 2010, the Justice Society of America’s second wave was solicited Monday, action figures based on the hit DC Comics series, masterminded up until recently by Geoff Johns and Alex Ross. While we’re still waiting for the delayed first wave of figures (featuring Green Lantern, the Flash, Starman and Sandman), what DC Direct just unveiled is most welcome. Based off the highly regarded “Thy Kingdom Come,” this lineup, while not perfect for my own selfish needs, is solid for JSA fans.
(more…)

Despite zombies being en vogue after Marvel Zombies (volumes 1 all the way through 4, natch) as well as DC’s upcoming storyline Blackest Night, I’m pretty sure nobody saw this toy coming:

Aw yeah. Zombie Solid Snake, from Metal Gear Solid. Or as I propose we call him, Rotting Snake.

I can pretty much see him at work — he’s sneaking up on someone under his trademark cardboard box, when suddenly a security guard is like, “jeez, what is that awful smell? It’s like somebody left the garbage out in the sun or something.” And then Snake’ll jump out and yell, “I have a condition!!!”

This toy’ll be available for order starting in October (appropriate, I guess) for about $79.99. There’s also a more “realistic” version of Zombie Snake available here.

[Link spotted via Ryan Penagos]

About a week ago, Matty Collector, the “boutique” site for Mattel action figure collecting, posted an announcement on Facebook regarding their delays in getting 2009 DC Universe product into the stores…

It is no secret that their has been a delay in getting new JLU figures into Target stores. This is entirely do to our factor[sic] shutting down last December. We have already found a new factory and we have new packs ready to ship, the problem is, while we waited for the new factory to produce the new 2009 figures, we had to continue and ship 2008 product to Target to hold the place in the toy aisle.

Stuff happens, especially on the distribution end of the action figure trade. But where Matty starts to lose me is in his pitch to clear 2008 inventory to make the newer items available…

So right now Target is full of 2008 packs. We need to get all of these sold before Target will take orders for new 2009 packs. So, to help, Mattel is funding a month long price reduction on 3 packs. So tell your friends and allies, swing by a Target and grab some JLU packs this month on sale. Once we move all of the older product, we have fresh new figures ready to ship and get into your hands!

Annnndd… that’s where you lost me. Having a Target about 5 blocks from my home, I get into the store at least once or twice a week, and I’m always checking the toy section in case something new or hard to find pops up. For what feels like months, I’ve been seeing the same stuff warming the pegs because Mattel had no business producing and distributing an excessive amount of certain figures that were never a guaranteed sale in the first place (see image above). But basically Mattel is saying, “Hey, we’re slashing prices, so hurry up and clear our inventory so we can make new merchandise available to you!” Over at a forum hosted by our friend and colleague, Action Figure Insider’s Julius Marx, the discussion on this has been robust.

Bear with me, I didn’t take any business or economics classes in college, so am I failing to grasp some supply and demand principles or something?

Or not-gettin’-any-action-figures? (OK, OK, that was awful, I’m sorry). Lucas drew my attention to this on Twitter (via GeekGirlDiva), and I just had to share it. I stopped collecting action figures ages ago, though I still have my Death and a few McFarlane NHL figures. I’m certainly not going to break that streak for Twilight figures, but maybe someone else will.

There are also quite ridiculously priced dolls of Edward and Bella that are temporarily out of stock–which means there’s a significant number of people who spent $139 plus shipping and handling on them.

PAWTUCKET, RI – April 15, 2009 – Hasbro announced today that G.I. Joe: Resolute, an adult fan oriented animated mini-series, will be broadcast via Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim on television as well as online.  Based on the classic G.I. JOE brand, Hasbro created 60 minutes of total content for this new story which will be presented as 11 episodes.

Beginning on April 17, fans will be able to see the first five minutes of the brand new, stand-alone animated mini-series on AdultSwim.com.  These episodes are broken down to ten 5-minute episodes and one 10-minute finale.  Following the first episode on April 17, subsequent installments will be posted on the Adult Swim website leading up to a full presentation of the entire series.   This finale will be broadcast on Adult Swim April 25 at midnight.  This televised event will not only feature all episodes seen online, but will be the first time fans can watch the final 10 minutes of the G.I. Joe: Resolute saga.  All episodes, including the finale, will be available to view online after this airing.

Intended for the adult fan that grew up with the brand in the 80’s, G.I. Joe: Resolute received standing ovations at both the G.I. JOE Convention, “JoeCon,” and San Diego Comic-Con in 2008 where sample clips were previewed.  Since then, fans have eagerly been awaiting the announcement of air-dates for the series.

“In a very exciting year for the G.I. JOE brand, we’re thrilled to be able to bring the G.I. Joe: Resolute animated series to the adult G.I. JOE fan,” said Michael Verrecchia, Director of G.I. JOE Entertainment Marketing.  “Adult Swim is the perfect broadcast platform to deliver the series, which features a more sophisticated animation style and story than prior animation.”

Hasbro developed the animation with executive producer Sam Register as well as a powerhouse creative team at Titmouse Studios including Joaquim Dos Santos, a veteran animation director, who worked closely with award-winning comic writer Warren Ellis, who penned the entire series. This highly regarded team brings an edgy, intense feel to the series, which will feature the most popular characters in the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA canon.  Iconic characters such Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett and Roadblock will do battle with Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness and Storm Shadow.

Fans can learn more about G.I. Joe: Resolute by visiting www.gijoeresolute.com

Mattel today sent out images and a little bit of information about Wave 9 of their DCUClassics line, and this one is a doozy. Black Canary and Green Arrow are present, along with villains Deadshot and Black Adam. Mantis is here, with a Robot variant. The coolest looking Wildcat figure I’ve ever seen will also have a variant, though what that’ll be was not ready for announcement yet. Classic Guardian rounds out the line, and each figure will come with a piece of a translucent Chemo build-a-figure. Click Read More for images of the rest of the line, and start saving your money up. (more…)

Today I picked up Mister Miracle from Mattel’s sixth wave of DCU Classics figures. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while, because I love Mister Miracle and I think his colorful, Kirbytastic costume translates pretty well to toys. It’s a pretty good figure on the whole, though considering how much I was anticipating it, I can’t help but be disappointed.

Let’s start with the good stuff. The figure’s sculpt, by the Four Horsemen, is pretty freaking great. That goes without saying though, as all of the DCUC figures have had outstanding sculpts.

Mister Miracle comes with some neat accessories. First, there’s the requisite levitating foot discs (do they have an official name?) that plug-in to the bottom of the figure’s feet. In a really nice touch, both the bottom of the discs and Miracle’s feet are sculpted with Jack Kirby-flavored technology features. The extra-detailed sculpting wasn’t necessary, but it is much-appreciated. Also included are nicely sculpted manacles that fit over the figure’s forearms (Mister Miracle is an escape artist, after all), and a mini Mother Box that clips onto the back of the figure’s belt. The Mother Box is cool enough, but kind of useless since Miracle’s hands are sculpted into fists, and thus can’t actually hold it. Pity. And, of course, the right leg of the Kalibak collect-and-connect figure is also included.

And now, the bad: Mattel used a fairly hard plastic for the cape, so it isn’t very flexible. I hate hard plastic capes. DC Direct and Hasbro use softer, flexible plastic for their figures’ capes, so why can’t Mattel?

The paint applications are pretty sloppy in a lot of places on the figure, particularly in the areas where the green and the red meet. The plastic base is solid red, so the yellows and greens are painted on, and there’s a lot of overspray. There’s also some weird ash-colored paint wash on the upper thighs, which is not only completely unnecessary, but also quite unattractive since it makes Mister Miracle look like he’s been playing in mud.

I’ve read a number of complaints on line about collectors having issues with stuck or brittle joints on a number of figures in this line. I’ve bought about twenty of the suckers and this is the first time I’ve had this sort of problem. The right shoulder joint is stuck solid and restricts the arm from moving forward or backward. Boooooo! I hope this isn’t a going to be a regular occurrence for me, because the prevalence of immobile joints was the main reason I stopped buying Marvel Legends figures.

Despite my complaints, I’m still glad I bought Mister Miracle. It’s one of the better Mister Miracle figures produced over the years, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the sublime version from DC Direct’s New Gods line, which is my figure of choice for my action figure display.

Just to show how much I loved He-Man growing up, this is from memory:

I am Adam, Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Grayskull. This is Cringer, my Fearless Friend. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said, “By The Power of Grayskull. I HAAAVEEEE THE POOOOWWWEEEEERRRRR!!!!”

So, the new live action He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has been in something of development hell for a few years. After all, how do you top Dolph Lundgren facing down Skeletor on Earth? I mean, it’s what every kid dreamt of!

Regardless, Joel Silver, Matt Reilly (Warner Bros), and Barry Waldo (Mattel) are bringing the most powerful man in the universe back to the silver screen. Now, John Stevenson has joined the forces of good as Director. His only directing credit to date is a co-direction of Kung Fu Panda, but he’s worked in the industry on the art side of things for over two decades. The script is by Justin Marks, who may sound familiar to geek culture fans; he wrote the soon to debut Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li and is also working on the Hack/Slash comic adaptation screenplay. The script will be another strange meld of the classic cartoon story and modern elements, with He-Man leading the forces of magic against Skeletor’s technological army. No word yet on when all this will come together, or if He-Man’s voice will echo no matter where he is, even if he’s in the middle of a field, but hopefully it’s faithful enough to evoke some great memories.

And just for fun:

[Via]

Japan has all the coolest toys. Whether it’s Transformers that turn into shoes or Hello Kitty… um, “back massagers”… our wacky friends in the east come up with all sorts of neat stuff that puts our toys to shame. For example

Watchmen Kubricks! If you’re not familiar with them, Kubricks are block figures produced by Japan’s Medicom, and can be based on damn near anything from comic books to movies (according to Wikipedia, there was even a series of Kubricks based on the French movie Amelie). Unfortunately for us, Medicom releases the figures strictly to Japan, though they are occasionally licensed to American companies. DC Direct released a few of the Batman Kubricks, so hopefully they’ll pick up the rights to release the Watchmen line. If not, we’ll have to hope that a designer toy shop in the States imports them. (I recommend trying Kidrobot, though a quick scan of their website comes up empty. Maybe someday… )

The rest after the jump . . .

(more…)

Last week, DC Comics and Marvel released the full solicitations for their April releases. This is one of my favorite times of the month, as I love getting a look at all the cool stuff that I’m going to be anxiously awaiting for the next few months. Sometimes anticipating a purchase almost as good as the actual purchase, don’t you think? And my two favorite things about skimming through both companies’ solicits are checking out the upcoming paperback and hardcover collections (especially since Marvel and DC are both kicking a ton of ass with those lately), and the latest offerings from DC Direct.

This month’s offering from DC Direct include the first wave of figures based on the upcoming Green Lantern storyline, “Blackest Knight.” (The figures are advance-solicited for release on September 30th, actually.) a second wave will follow soon after. The figures look great, as is usual for DC Direct. I’m looking forward to reading the story, because it sounds like it will be a pretty good one, but I’m not too interested in getting any of the figures. Since 2005, we’ve seen three waves in a Green Lantern themed series, plus a few random figures in other series. That’s not counting the aforementioned “Blackest Night” figures. I understand that Green Lantern is one of DC’s most successful properties, and the “Blackest Night” story is expected to be DC’s tentpole storyline for the year, but that’s still a lot of figures for a four-year period. (Of course, it’s still nothing compared to how many Batman and Superman figures are cranked out on a regular basis. Just how many Superman/Batman waves do we need? The series hasn’t been relevant since Supergirl debuted.)

I don’t want to turn this into another anti-Hal Jordan rant, because that’s not really my point here. It’s just that the GL’s are hogging a lot of DC Direct’s attention, and there are more than a few characters from the DCU that I’d love to see. I’m sure a lot of you have a list of characters you’d like to see immortalized in plastic too, and since I’m sure DC Direct keeps an eye on ye olde blog, let’s see if we can influence them to take a crack at some of our want-lists. Here’s my top five must-have choices, feel free to add your own lists in the comments section.

(more…)

CBS Consumer Products and Playmates Toys will be reviving over 40 years of history with a new line of realistic Star Trek action figures, authentic playsets, and cutting-edge accessories, all approved by the creators of this summer’s blockbuster film!  Recommended for ages four and older and available at all major retailers beginning April 19th.

The first phase of the new Star Trek toys will include:

• three scales of life-like, fully-articulated action figures (3.75″, 6″, 12″) come with removable utility belts, phasers, communicators and other accessories.  ($6.99, $8.99, $29.99)

• the USS Enterprise.  The updated vessel from the new film includes lights and emits sound effects and actual film dialogue between the Kirk and Spock characters. It rests on a Starfleet shield base that attaches via a ball-and-socket tip that lets the ship pivot 360 degrees.  ($30)

• basic role-play toys boasting exciting electronic features including  the Communicator, Phaser and Tricorder ($15 each)

• amazing and intricate playsets with working lights and sounds that are compatible with the 3.75″ action figures including the Enterprise Bridge($25) and the Transporter Room playset ($30)

You may recall that Playmates regained the Star Trek toy license a while back.  That seems to be a great move for them, as the reboot of the franchise appears to be a hotly anticipated film.  Of course, Playmates is ready to take advantage with a whole new line.  USA Today has a report and some exclusive photos.

There will be three scales for the figures: a 3-3/4″ line, a 6″ line, and a 12″ line.  A separate photo gallery shows some really terrific-looking playsets, including an incredibly detailed bridge and transporter room.  Of course, new communicators and a version of the Enterprise will be available as well.

[Via USA Today]

Blog@ contributor Julius Marx reminded me via his Action Figure Insider site, so I’ll remind you.  The DC Universe Classics exclusive boxed-set of Adam Strange (modern) and Starfire is on sale now.  First shown last summer, this is the first exclusive DCUC two-pack to be sold at Mattel’s collector-centric site, MattyCollector.com.  The next set will be a Pre-Crisis Earth-3 Ultraman and Earth-3 Lex Luthor, and should be available in a few months.

The legendary slasher of Camp Crystal Lake strikes again in the all new Friday the 13th film. The newest Friday The 13th film is a terrifying revision of the iconic horror franchise. The Jason Voorhees figure is crafted with incredible detail and comes with an array of weapons used in the film. Each figure stands over 7 inches tall and is fully articulated.

Expect Jason to slash his way onto stores shelves around February 13th.

The New York Comiccon has announced a tentative lineup of its panel schedule!

Here are some of the highlights for this year’s programming:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Being a Comic Professional: Creating the work is one thing, but what should you keep in mind in order to present yourself well to an editor? Do personality and rapport play a part in how you’re perceived? What’s the difference between a pro’s attitude and a novice’s? How do you balance doing quality work with making the deadline? What’s the proper way to pitch? (Friday, 2-3pm)

BOOM! Studios: BIG! BOLD! BOOM! Join Mark Waid, Ross Richie, and Chip Mosher as they run down the most exciting new projects at BOOM! Including a special announcement by Mark Waid that is sure to make your head explode! (Friday, 2:15-3:15)

(more…)

Action-Figure.com has loads of new pics of Mattel’s DC Universe Classics series six, including photos of the figures in their packaging and several of the figures outside of packaging. I’ve made no secret of my love of this toy line, and I have to say that the sixth series is my favorite wave thus far. The lineup includes two new Superman figures from the Return of Superman storyline, black suit Superman and business in the front/party in the back Superman;  Mr. Miracle and his lamer, eviler twin Dr. Impossible; Hawkman; Captain Marvel/Shazam; and the unlikely choice of Killer Moth. Best of all, each figure comes with a part for an amazing Collect-and-Connect figure of Kalibak, scourge of the New Gods. As much as I love my C&C Solomon Grundy figure from wave three, I think Kalibak looks to be the toy line’s crowning achievement to date. Of the many reasons to praise Mattel for the DCU Classics line (and there are many), I think the love they’re showing for Jack Kirby’s creations is one of my favorites. Hopefully, the patron saint of action figures (St. Geoffrey the Giraffe?) will smile down upon us from on high an grace us with an OMAC figure soon.

The third series of DC Direct’s Justice League of America figures arrives in ye local comic stores this Wednesday. Based on the artwork of jLoA penciller Ed Benes, this wave includes Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and by popular demand, Geo-Force. Wonder Woman, GL, and Flash have been immortalized in plastic numerous times throughout the years, but IIRC, this is the first-ever action figure for Geo-Force. So for the dozens of Geo-Force fans out there this must be like Christmas has come again.

Action-Figure.com has first look pics of Playmates Toys’s upcoming action figure line for the upcoming Terminator: Salvation flick. The figures look… not so great, but at least they’re better than some of the old Terminator 2 toys.