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Revealed during the McFarlane Summer Showcase online event is this new variant of Batman from Batman: Hush. This new black suit version features a pair of Batarangs as well as the usual display base and art card. It will be an October 2023 release. As a child, BRUCE WAYNE watched as his parents were brutally killed in GOTHAM CITY'S CRIME ALLEY. Traumatized by their deaths, he devoted his life to becoming the worlds greatest weapon against crime – the BATMAN! To become the ultimate vigilante, the DARK KNIGHT™ disciplined his mind and body to reach the pinnacle of mental and physical superiority in his relentless pursuit of Justice! To manage our storage costs, news article images are archived after 12-months. Accept our apologies if you have reached this news article, and the images are no longer available If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

Bastila Shan, as seen in the Knights of the Old Republic video game, is a July 2023 Star Wars Black Series release. While badged under the Gaming Greats banner, Shan is a mainline release within wave 11 of the Galaxy Collection and released alongside Darth Malek from the same source material. The figure comes in window-less, plastic-free packaging with the blue accent colour for the Gaming Greats line. She is number 21 in the series, with the side panel artwork following on directly from the illustration on the Darth Malek release. Releasing Bastila Shan in the main line of figures has allowed Hasbro to step outside the usual tweak and re-use criteria of Gaming Greats to bring us an almost full new figure, although the legs are the same ones used on Aayla Secura and that originate from Admiral Holdo. The base of Bastila’s outfit is a mustard colour with contrasting deep red robes, armour, and boots. The outer robes are an additional rubber sleeve section that incorporates the torso section of the robes, including shoulder panels, and down into the shaped skirt section. Paintwork is applied to add further deeper burgundy panels over the top across the chest, skirt, and bracers. The head is a new sculpt modeled on the game likeness and looks amazing. It still utilises face print technology to add realism to the eyes in particular, but also with some shading around the facial features and deep red lipstick that mirror her costume. The hair piece is fixed onto the head, giving a crisp line with no paint errors, and is sculpted with some hanging strands to frame her face and three tied sections at the reverse. Bastila Shan has 23 points of articulation, arriving with an extra boot cut joint as well as butterfly shoulders behind the robes and a dual joint neck. The upper body is pinless, while the adopted legs are pinned but disguised behind the hanging sections of the skirt. The skirt moves with the leg movement and there is plenty of options when posing. She features her lightsaber as a single accessory, another full new piece in the Black Series but similar in style to the Cal Kestis saber with the two-pronged emitter. The saber hilt is cast in silver with a dark black painted central section. Two translucent yellow blades are included allowing you the option to display Shan with a single saber or her dual blade option ignited. The fact we are getting Old Republic characters at all in the Black Series is a testament both to the popularity of the game and the Expanded Universe in which it is entwined, but also Hasbro’s commitment to the line - although some may argue that they’d like more focus on the missing movie characters from Original, Prequel, and Sequal Trilogies first. Bastila Shan is certainly not out of place in a wave that also includes figures from the Disney+ era and yet represents a much different aesthetic for collectors alongside the figures of Revan, Nihlus, Malek, and the upcoming Darth Malgus. While Bastila Shan is a general mainline release, I suspect she will be harder to find in the coming weeks and months and may be one to pick up now if you wish to explore this particular side of the Star Wars Universe - you won't be disappointed. Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Star Wars Black Series Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

"My master wants you dead!" The ‘Old Master’ Darth Maul is a Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats exclusive release originally planned for the Autumn of 2023, but arriving early in July 2023. The figure is exclusive to Gamestop in the US but sold via Fan Channel retailers elsewhere. The figure is a plastic-free release with no figure window. It uses the Gaming Greats blue accent colour on the box and side artwork and this version of Maul is number 23 in the series, following on from the Rocket Trooper from Jedi: Survivor. This is the 2nd Maul release of the year following on just a few months after the Clone Wars Maul and this Gaming Greats release borrows from that figure, with direct re-use of the robotic legs. The Old Master Maul also looks like it takes the arms and head from the Sith Apprentice Maul from 2021. Over these reused limbs is a new torso section and waistband piece to recreate the Battlefront II look. The body on the whole is cast in black with zero paint apps, with the robotic legs adding the only variation with a glossier dark metallic finish. The arms are cast in red with black painted markings and have new gloved hands with an added rubber cuff at the wrist. The head features Maul with teeth barred and is cast in black with red painted markings, bone-coloured horns, yellow and red eyes, and yellowed teeth. This opposite application of red on black vs the black on the red of the arms does dull the red finish and the two areas do look marginally different. Considering the time difference that this Maul represents vs his time as a Sith Apprentice the use of the same head is questionable. Maul has 19 points of articulation on a pinless body and this includes butterfly shoulders to enhance the lightsaber posing as well as a dual joint neck which adds some menace in the way Maul’s head can be posed. The joints all work well, especially the robotic legs which give great stability to the figure when posed. Maul comes with his updated lightsaber as scavenged from an Inquisitor after Order 66 and as seen first in Solo and then in Battlefront 2. It is the first appearance of this hilt in the Black Series. It is cast in a single silver finish and features a slimmer body and curved guard at one end. The hilt is so slim it does warp easily when held or when inserting the included twin translucent red blades. These blades are cast in the usual red translucent plastic and clip into the hilt at either end by way of a slim peg which can be prone to breaking if you aren’t careful. Maul can wield his weapon as the full two-bladed version, or as a single saber - and the articulation works to support a number of dynamic action poses. The figure represents the ‘Old Master’ Darth Maul well enough within the scope of most Exclusive Gaming Greats releases which base themselves on existing figures with minor tweaks. It is probably one for the completist offering a partly differing look to the recently released Clone Wars Maul, but does bring us the closest we have so far to a Solo / Rebels era Darth Maul. Will we perhaps see the figure again with an aged Ray Park head? Who knows, but for now this Gaming Greats edition is a reasonable stand-in. Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Star Wars Black Series Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

While there has been no news from Playmates on future Star Trek 5-inch figures since Toy Fair 2023, we have now got confirmation of two new releases due in Autumn 2023. The first is the Enterprise D from Star Trek The Next Generation in the ship line. The Enterprise will come with sounds and lights and a removable saucer section. We can then also look forward to a Classic Original Series Communicator in the role-play line also featuring lights and sounds. To manage our storage costs, news article images are archived after 12-months. Accept our apologies if you have reached this news article, and the images are no longer available If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

I have always dabbled in Action Figure customs, starting way back in the late 1990's with the Star Wars Power of the Force Line, and then into the 5-inch Doctor Who line, and most recently with a handful of Marvel Select MCU figures. I've had to give things a break for quite some time due to illness, but I've finally picked up again with some projects on the go for the Star Wars Black Series - taking advantage of the very talented 3D printing community and sellers. Many of my current projects are based on either the Star Wars Cantina or Jabba's Palace ad the first project completed is this interpretation of the Cantinia's Hem Dazon. In A New Hope, we only see Hem Dazon's head at the start of the Cantina sequence, so this figure is based loosely on the 3.75" figure from 2006. The brilliant head and hands of the figure are LandSpeederLuke prints, 3D printed here in the UK by CBPrints3D on Etsy. These were painted in Acrylics and then added onto the base body which is taken from Rogue One's Bodhi Rook with the vest removed. The gun belt is from Greedo, while the vest is from the Black Series Jawa with the piping cut off at the back The figure is finished off with a pair of shoulder armor pieces to cover the original Imperial logo - these are simply false nails painted up in acrylic. Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Star Wars Black Series Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

From The Book of Boba Fett comes this Star Wars Black Series 2-Pack release of Cobb Vanth and Cad Bane, as seen during their shoot-out in Mos Pelgo. The set arrives in the extended Galaxy Collection packages for two packs but retains the sloped artwork side and is the same height and width as the other boxes, just deeper. While the 2-pack uses the green accent colour for The Book of Boba Fett Galaxy Collection Series, this set is not numbered nor does the side art line up with any of the other releases. We start with Cobb Vanth, and this is a variant of the 2022 deluxe release of Vanth minus the Boba Fett armour this time round. That means the torso has been reworked, there are new forearms, and Cobb is sporting a new longer scarf piece around his neck. The proportions for this figure are spot on and the gunslinger look from the show has been faithfully recreated. The body is cast in the base colours of orange for the torso and arms, and dark brown for the legs. The shirt is textured, but not weathered with no further paint apps. The legs also include sculpted detailing but also have some minimal application to dirty them up a little and painted detail on his ammo pouch and the device on his left leg. The belt is also part of the cast waist and this has a tan-brown paint job with a touch of gunmetal. Over this sits the gunslinger's belt in a separate softer orange plastic with a red and white striped buckle. The red neck scarf finishes the look and like the belt, this is an individual piece that sits comfortably on the shoulders and moves as needed so as not to impede any poses. The head sculpt is also a direct carry-over from the first release, but seems to have had a painted decor update with slightly lighter grey hair with highlights, and a less glossy finish to the skin tone - both of which make this a good likeness to actor Timothy Olyphant. Cobb has a single blaster for his showdown with Cad Bane, the same Western revolver-inspired piece from the first set. This has also had a small upgrade in decor and is now a gunmetal finish and painted grip as opposed to the plain black of the first release. Articulation is 17 points in total, with a full pinless body which certainly enhances the overall look. There is no torso joint, just a ball joint waist, and no butterfly shoulders - and these do lessen the posing options. That aside the joints all work well, are secure when posed, and are sufficient for the various gunslinging poses you would want from Cobb Vanth. Facing off against Cobb Vanth is Cad Bane, and this release represents the first live-action Cad Bane figure - following on from the releases from The Clone Wars and Bad Batch in recent years. This Book of Boba Fett version is an entirely brand new figure based on the prosthetics and costume from this surprise appearance on the show. While previous Bane figures have been described as converting the animated look to a real-world setting, this new Cad Bane is much more realistic on the body with a broader chest and thicker legs than the predecessors. Each part of the body is cast, as usual, in the base colour with further paint detailing added on top around the various insignia of his shirt, the straps on his legs and the ammunition stored around each boot. Cad retains his gauntlet devices on each arm, painted here in blue and with a number of controls and buttons neatly coloured in white, red, silver and yellow. Over the top of the base figure is a separate long coat in soft plastic and a gun slinger’s belt both also picked out with smaller detailing like lapel insignia or more ammunition. The head sculpt is given a snarling look with teeth barred - and this head is exclusive to the set with the figure and a more neutral head scheduled as a single release in the months ahead. The blue Duros skin tone is muted to match what we see on screen and the eyes are given a red hue surrounded with dark rings. The headpiece includes the metal plate over his head - painted in silver - and the rebreather tubes that exit the cheeks and go down over his shoulders to a control unit on the back. Cad Bane’s iconic hat is a removable piece cast in softer brown plastic with painted metal panels and fits perfectly on the head. If you do want to vary your Cad Bane looks it is worth noting that all of the hats from any of the Cad Bane Black Series figures will fit this new BOBF version and vice versa. Cobb Vanth represents the first figure in the Black Series to lose the thigh swivel joint although he gains a boot swivel to keep the articulation count at the 19 points mark, all pinless and inclusive of butterfly shoulders tucked away neatly behind the jacket. The longer coat puts pay to some of the leg posing, but every joint does its job and gives Cad Bane sufficient options for the included accessories. These start with the twin blasters which are also brand new and feature a slightly metallic deep bronze finish with painted grip. As they don't have a true trigger the fit into the hands is not quite as secure as some Black Series figures, but they hold well enough and can be holstered in the working holsters on his belt when not in use. The blasters can also be enhanced with two firing effect pieces in translucent yellow and orange that slot onto the barrel of the blasters. A similar larger piece is shaped to clip into a socket on the right arm bracer to recreate the flamethrower option. These effect pieces also appear to be exclusive to this set, and while they won't be everyone's cup of tea - they are some of the best ones we’ve had in terms of engineering, execution and overall look. The Cobb Vanth vs Cad Bane pack is an exclusive release sold via Target stores in the US, and available via the Fan Channel here in the UK. The set carries that dreaded exclusive price tag and rather than be equivalent to two single releases, you are paying about £7 over the odds for two variant figures. Cobb Vanth is a sufficient improvement to the armoured version to warrant this, while Cad Bane is probably going to benefit from being released in this set first as had he come after the single box release demand may have been lessened. The ‘snarling’ head provides a strong point of difference to the upcoming general release as do the included effect pieces. The strength of the set is the two figures together and recreating that showdown in a set that could have easily been Cad Bane vs another Boba Fett. Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Star Wars Black Series Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

"Intruder alert. Open fire" The New Republic Security Droid, as featured in The Mandalorian Season 1 in ‘The Prisoner’, was released in 2022 in the Black Series Galaxy Collection, number 23 in The Mandalorian Series and part of the general release Wave 8. The Security Droid comes in the slanted window box with a burnt umber accent colour on the box front and across the side artwork. This N5 Sentry Droid is a brand new sculpt, whilst taking some level of inspiration and functionality from previous figures with similar joints & articulation such as K-2SO and the original IG-88 figure. The body is cast in grey for the most part with a flat grey used for the main body parts and a more metallic gunmetal finish used on the inner workings as visible at the neck, chest and waist. Paint details are limited with some orange indicators & panels on the body, a blue panel on the figure's back, and a yellow painted visor on the head. A New Republic orange decal is applied on the left side of the chest unit and again on the back of the figure's back. The articulation is built in with the actual design of the droid with circular pinned joints at the ankles, knees, wrists and elbows that bend as well as rotate. More traditional joints exist at the hips and shoulders - including butterfly joints - and there are ball joints at the neck and waist. The shoulder armour panels are a flexible plastic and have a rubberised hinge so they can move up and down with the arms. All in all, this gives 19 points of articulation allowing our awkward-looking droid some pretty extensive movement and posing options. Our Droid is armed with a single blaster, a DH-17 that has seen previous releases with the Rebel Troopers on Hoth and the Tantive IV. The blaster includes a reasonable level of detail in the grey cast body and also includes silver painted detail on the barrel and the sights. It fits into the Droid's right hand where a trigger finger just and so fits into place. The New Republic Security Droid is a solid release, without being remarkable. The figure is a few extra paint apps away from looking its best - but what we get is neat, tidy and reflective of what we see on the show just quite flat in the finish. The weapon is exactly as we see them wield on screen, with no other items I’d expect to have seen included. With the droid's subsequent appearance in Season 3 of The Mandalorian and potential appearance in upcoming New Republic-era content like Ahsoka, this is a welcome addition to the Black Series collection. Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Star Wars Black Series Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

One of the significant gaps in the Marvel Legends MCU range of figures following the 2021 release of Spider-Man: No Way Home were figures of the returning Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, such had been the secrecy around their return. Hasbro confirmed a three-pack was being worked on, and in July 2023 the No Way Home 3-pack finally arrived in collector hands. The set comes in a widened box to encompass all three figures, but retains the same height and depth as a normal Marvel Legends box, with the same scooped sides with artwork depicting the characters in the set. This is a plastic-free release, so there are no windows or any way of checking the contents unless you unbox it - the contents are illustrated on the reverse for clarity. Inside each Spider-man is wrapped in wax paper and slotted into an inner brown cardboard tray. A further waxy paper bag contains all the alternative hands, and a longer bag the three web accessories. Working in order of original movie releases, we will start with Tobey Maguire who is a new pinless figure with his red and blue suit sculpted with the deeper web lines with these then picked out in silver paint. The central chest Spider icon is also sculpted and then painted black, with a second relief version on the reverse - this time painted in red. The mask has the same sculpted and silver-painted web lines with the eyes painted a very light reflective silver and edged in black. While there have been reports of some quality control issues with Maguire, our version was fine with all web lines and painted details where they should be. The overall proportions are that of the older Peter Parker from No Way Home with a slightly heavier set than his original movies. This Spider-Man has three hand options, allowing you to choose any combo from a pair of clenched fists, a pair of open hands, and a pair of web-slinging hands. Maguire has 21 points of articulation including shoulder butterfly joints and a dual ab crunch and ball joint in the torso. Despite all of these he is not overly easy to pose, with the joints very tight and even ‘springy’ in places - especially the torso ball joint - and the hips in particular not mobile enough for the crouching poses we did see on some of the early digital images for the set. Moving onto Andrew Garfield, this is another full new pinless figure and a significant (as expected) improvement on the much older 2014 Spider-Man figure from Amazing Spider-Man 2. Like Tobey, the Andrew Spider-Man is cast predominantly in dark blue plastic with red panels on the chest, arms, and boots, and sculpted web lines. These web lines are painted in black as is the chest logo, with the rear logo painted in red. The Garfield Spider-man is taller than the other two in the set and reflective of his stature in No Way Home but does perhaps look a little too skinny. The masked head is implemented in the same way with painted sculpted web lines along with a very light silver reflective eye lens with black edging. Garfield also comes with three pairs of hands to choose from. Again we have a pair of fists, a pair with open-handed posing, and the web-slinging pair. This Spider-man also weighs in with 21 points of articulation with the butterfly shoulders and dual joints in the torso. With a slightly slimmer waist, the Garfield Spider-man is slightly more wide-ranging in posing options with some level of crouching poses available to you. The ‘springy’ torso and hips do carry forward onto this figure and that can impede some poses. The set is concluded with the Tom Holland Spider-man from No Way Home, and disappointingly this is a repack of the 2021 integrated suit complete with the gold wrist pieces that aren’t actually seen in the final scenes with all three Peter Parkers. The suit is cast in dark blue with red painted detail across a sculpted spider-web effect with further gold trim added. The huge improvement to the 2021 version is the decor around these web lines which are all now painted in blue - while the original figure left them unpainted in the base red. This does make a huge difference to the figure, particularly in the chest and on the masked head which is now much more realistic to the movie with the blue weblines and white eyes with black border. This is the only figure in my set with paint issues, with some stray red paint splashed on the legs. The Tom Holland Spidey also gets three pairs of hands. These include the fists and web-slinging hands from the 2021 version and a new set of open 'on the floor' crouching hands. It is worth noting that those inaccurate wrist pieces are removable once you take off the hands. It does leave a very slim wrist behind but maybe a better option for those looking for a more accurate No Way Home finale Spider-Man. Again there are 21 points of articulation on a fully pinless body and that gives a reasonable degree of movement but again not quite the very dynamic posing we did see on the digital artwork for the set. The Spider-Man set also comes with three of the longer flexible webs that made their MCU debut with the 2021 Upgraded Suit Spider-man from No Way Home. In principle these are great for display with a hook at one end, and a handle at the other end for the figure to hold. And the ‘hold’ word is the issue here as none of the Spider-man figures come with gripping hands to use with the webs. While you can do some balancing poses - as seen in our images - none of these are secure enough for display and is another disappointment in the set, especially as a pair of hands are available for the Holland Spider-Man at least from the aforementioned Upgraded suit release. The Spider-Man: No Way Home 3-pack is a very expensive set retailing as a Hasbro Pulse Exclusive at £99 - putting a £33 price on each figure, a good £8 above the usual retail price. Granted, for that we get improved paint work on the web lines - but the set needed much more to create value for money for the collector. Unmasked heads would have been the first improvement - with a Holland sculpt already available - as would including gripping hands that would work with the web lines included. I would also argue that the Iron Spider legs for the Holland version - even repurposed from the Infinity War release - would have given the set more gravitas considering that is a key look we don’t have yet for No Way Home. In the end, the set gives us three good representations of the Multiverse Spider-men, albeit without the unmasked heads. The set is selling partly on the strength of 'FOMO' at the moment, with it going out of stock and then being restocked on Hasbro Pulse. And on the strong rumours of a future No Way Home wave with unmasked heads incoming. This set is expensive, but in the long run may be the only route to a definitive trio of No Way Home Peter Parkers, albeit with parts from future sets. Keep Track of all the Marvel Legends figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive Marvel Legends Collectors Database & Checklist If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

The Emperor's Royal Guard sculpt has been well used within the Star Wars Black Series, and the latest incarnation of the figure is in the Gaming Greats line as the base sculpt is recoloured in gloss blue to replicate the Imperial Senate Guards as seen in the Force Unleashed video game. The figure is number 08 in the Gaming Greats series of the Galaxy Collection and comes in a black window box and uses blue accent colours for the character details and artwork. As a Gaming Greats release it also carries the Gaming Greats sticker on the window, and the logo of the video game is used on top of the rear artwork. The figure is identical to all those that have come before with the exception of the soft goods robes which are discarded altogether in order to recreate the Guards you fight against in The Force Unleashed. The armoured pieces are cast in a high gloss blue, with the undersuit a black that varies sadly from a matt finish on the thighs, to a shinier gloss on the arms - it would have looked much better with a matt black application throughout. The pieces are cast in their base colour, so the only paint apps to mention are the black of the helmet visor and the silver on the belt buckle. The lower skirt piece of the belt has also had to be painted in blue but is not distinguishable from the cast pieces. The articulation is that of an older format Black Series figure with 16 points in total and retaining the double jointed pinned knees. The armour does play a part in restricting some of the motion of the joints with the shoulder armour stopping the arm being raised all the way up, and the chest and torso amour impeding the waist ball joint. So while the articulation is relatively wide ranging - the execution on the figure is less so and that leaves limited options for action posing particularly in the arms and torso. The Senate Guard is armed with a Cortosis Staff, the same as was used for the Shadow Guard release back in 2017. This consists of a dark grey staff piece with crisp detailing around its various ringed segments, but lacking any paint apps. Into this you can then clip a translucent red blade. This blade connects OK but the clip is quite shallow, and my version did arrive warped and needed some heat treatment to straighten out. The staff fits into either hand, but the Guard still comes with the very odd right hand with extended ‘pointing’ finger that originally allowed the normal Guard’s force pike to be shoulders. Used to hold any other weapon does make the grip look odd with the extended finger pointing away from the weapon. The other included accessory is an EC-17 hold out blaster. This is delivered in the holster - as has been the case for all the releases to date - held in place with some elastic strapping. While the holster is on the figure's right side, it can only be held by the left hand which has a split grip allowing two fingers to go into the blaster's handle. This weapon and holster do not appear to be consistent with the game, but it was obviously easier to include them rather than design a new belt piece. Nearly all the Gaming Greats releases are tweaks to existing figures, and the Senate Guard was a prime candidate for inclusion. It looks OK, but not only suffers from the same issues as the original Emperor's Royal Guard figures - but also lacks the soft goods and features a weapon that the hands were not originally designed to wield. As a Gaming Greats exclusive, this release does retail initially at a higher price than general release figures that are more unique and that in itself is an issue and invariably why many of these Gaming figures end up at deep discount sooner rather than later. However, it is worth considering these Force Unleashed figures may just have become more desirable with the recent news that key protagonist, Starkiller Galen Marek, is on his way to the Star Wars Black Series.. For more News, Reviews and a Checklist of Releases - visit our Star Wars Database If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

The new McFarlane DC Multiverse Collector Edition Wave 1 is confirmed to have variant Platinum Edition chases for each figure. There is a 'Day of Vengeance' variant of Superman, a black and red Abyss with a white cloak, and a variant of the Alan Scott Green Lantern with what looks like a green glow paint effect. As Platinum 'chase' releases, these are randomly inserted into the Collecor Edition Wave 1 cases, and will be received at random. To manage our storage costs, news article images are archived after 12-months. Accept our apologies if you have reached this news article, and the images are no longer available If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

At the McFarlane SDCC 2023 panel, we were shown a number of new DC Multiverse releases in the works from the McFarlane team. Starting with the main 7-inch line there is a wave of figures incoming based on the Batman & Robin 1997 movie with Batman, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Robin and a build-a-figure of Mr. Freeze. This should be an Autumn 2023 release. (Images are from Toyshiz) From the comics we can also expect new figures in the new 'Collector Edition' line of Firestorm, Hawkman, and Sinestro. And there are more Gold Label figures planned with Black Lightning Green Lantern (Zombies), Supergirl and Catman. Again, these are lined up for an Autumn 2023 release. McFarlane are also getting into Digital Collectible as a format and crossing this over into their main physical lines with a new wave of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman which then include the ability to collect a digital Starro collectible via the use of an NFT included with each physical release. Moving on to the DC Retro Super Powers 5-inch line and McFarlane have a handful of new products in the works including the Whirlybat and figures of Batman, Superman, Robin, The Flash, Reverse Flash, and Nightwing. The Retro Batman line is also expanding with the next wave featuring Batman, Robin, Superman, Robot Batman, Lord Death Man, and The Joker. All of these DC Retro figures are Autumn 2023 reelases. Also in the 6-inch format, and under the DC Direct banner we can look forward to a Batman the Animated Series line. The wave shown at SDCC for a Quarter 4 2023 release was a build-a-figure wave including Batman, Robin, Scarecrow, Mr Freeze and a Condiment King build-a-figure. McFarlane's other key license, Spawn, was shown as a new 'kick starter' project for later this year with a Medieval Spawn figure promising to be the most detailed Spawn to date. To manage our storage costs, news article images are archived after 12-months. Accept our apologies if you have reached this news article, and the images are no longer available If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

The new G.I. Joe Classified Series figures of Tiger Force Flint, and Python Patrol Vypra were on display at the Hasbro booth at SDCC - and less than a week later we have the official pre-order for both figures. Python Patrol Vypra is number 88 in the Classified Series and includes a skull mask. Weaponry includes katana and wakizashi swords, quiver, and bow and arrow. Vypra is listed as an August 4th 2023 release, so not long to wait at all. Flint is number 89 in the line and features a removable beret as well as a trio of guns and a machete. Flint is listed as a March 2024 release. In the US the figures are Target exclusives, with limited numbers on Hasbro Pulse. Here in the UK they are exclusive to Hasbro Pulse as is the case with all the G.I. Joe Classified figures. G.I. Joe is a highly skilled special operations force of men and women from around the globe. tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination. Prepared to seek out Cobra in any environment on the planet…wherever there’s trouble, G.I. Joe is there. New to the G.I. Joe Classified Series line, Tiger Force Flint comes ready for adventure, with multiple points of articulation for high poseability. This Tiger Force Flint figure contains 6 character-inspired accessory pieces including his signature beret, machete, and 4 weapon accessories; plus a footlocker to stow all his gear! Flint was a Rhodes Scholar and earned his degree in English Lit before applying the tenacity and concentration he had used so well scholastically to grind his way through G.I. Joe recruitment. Flint is a mission specialist and leader, providing tactical information and training to the team to make sure they’re ready for whatever Cobra throws at them. The G.I. Joe Classified Series evolves the toy figures fans know and love into a highly articulated 6-inch (150 mm) scale with premium deco and detailing Features a classic design updated to bring the G.I. Joe tactical mission commander into the modern era and 6 accessory pieces inspired by the character’s rich history G.I. Joe Classified Series Tiger Force Flint action figure set features premium detailing and articulation for poseability to create dynamic dioramas (some poses may require additional support) 89 in the G.I Joe Classified Series sequence. The closed-box packaging showcases accessory loadout, character-specific File Card Icons, original artwork, and unique digital renders that are perfect for display Look for other G.I. Joe Figures and G.I. Joe Toys to build your roster of heroes and villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) G.I. Joe is a highly skilled, on-demand, special operations force of men and women from around the globe. tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination. The brave members of G.I. Joe are prepared to seek out Cobra in any environment on the planet. From hostile jungles to ice-clad arctic peaks…wherever there’s trouble, G.I. Joe is there. New to the G.I. Joe Classified Series line, Python Patrol Vypra comes ready for adventure, with multiple points of articulation for high poseability. This Python Patrol Vypra figure contains 6 character-inspired accessory pieces including skull mask, katana and wakizashi swords, quiver, and bow and arrow; plus a footlocker to stow all her gear! Vypra allegedly offered her services to Cobra Commander as a mercenary and intelligence courier by audaciously sneaking into his private business meeting at Extensive Enterprises. Intrigued by her boldness he brought her aboard. The G.I. Joe Classified Series evolves the toy figures fans know and love into a highly articulated 6-inch (150 mm) scale with premium deco and detailing Features a classic design updated to bring the Cobra Ninja Mercenary and Intelligence Courier into the modern era and 6 accessory pieces inspired by the character’s rich history G.I. Joe Classified Series Python Patrol Vypra action figure set features premium detailing and articulation for poseability to create dynamic dioramas (some poses may require additional support) 88 in the G.I Joe Classified Series sequence. The closed-box packaging showcases accessory loadout, character-specific File Card Icons, original artwork, and unique digital renders that are perfect for display Look for other G.I. Joe Figures and G.I. Joe Toys to build your roster of heroes and villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) To manage our storage costs, news article images are archived after 12-months. Accept our apologies if you have reached this news article, and the images are no longer available If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...