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“I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold” It was 2019 when we got our first Star Wars Black Series figure of The Mandalorian, part of the Triple Force Friday event, which also had figures from The Rise of Skywalker, and the Jedi: Fallen Order video game. At this time, The Mandalorian was released as both a standard version, in a white box ‘first edition,’ and as a metallic Carbonized release. That particular look for Mando, in his mismatched armour, was all we really knew at the time, and of course, after Episode 3 and the Beskar update, all future figure releases were pretty much based on the sleek silver armour, save a Credit Collection release in 2020 and the mud-covered Arvala-7 release in 2022. As we approached the 2026 release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the pair's first big screen outing, Hasbro announced a revisit of that original durasteel mismatched armoured Mandalorian, releasing it in May 2026 as an exclusive to Target in the US and the Fan Channel retailers in the UK. It is subtitled as the ‘Pagodon’ version of Mando, referencing the planet on which those first scenes took place with Mythrol and the Ravinack. The release uses the standard black box and is part of the wider Galaxy Collection for The Mandalorian, using the established orange accent colour on the main text and the artwork. This side art shows Mando from a half-side-on stance, looking up and away against the ice world sky. At number 45 in the Galaxy Collection for The Mandalorian, this connects up to the previous release of Moff Gideon in his Dark Trooper Armour. The back of the box, and the background text, is scene-specific to Pagodon detailing Din Djarin’s arrival at the Cantina and the fugitive Mythrol he is hunting. The figure is packed into the usual inner tray, accessed by either the top or bottom box flat. The tray sits into an inner cardboard sleeve, using the same orange colouring, and with the Pagodon skyscape embedded into the image. The figure is built to reflect the earliest configuration of Mando’s mismatched armour, built as per most armoured figures, with cast armoured panels attached onto a base body that reflects the undersuit the character wears. This undersuit is cast in grey, with a fabric sculpt to it. The armoured panels are predominantly a dull brown across the chest, left shoulder, gauntlets, and right hip. The right shoulder has a Pauldron very similar to a Shoretrooper in design and colouring with a tan base and blue stripe to the top. The left thigh piece is a sandy colour. The main armoured panels feature dings and chips as part of the sculpt to replicate damage and these are painted over with silver. The midsection is covered by a flexible plastic piece that incorporates Mando’s belt, shoulder strap, and internal padding as well as the padding over his hips, with the holster part of this section on the right-hand side. The piece is cast in dark brown, and this is left on the belt and strapping with some silver components picked out, including ammo canisters and the Grav-charges. The side panels are picked out in blue, while the central padding is a sandy colour like the lower left thigh. The legs conclude with blue left-hand knee armour and then mismatched shin pieces. The right-hand shin/boot is again coming from a Shoretrooper, with both guards and boots picked out in brown and grey tones and have a bit of painted detailing on the ammo canister. The helmet is a metallic finish, with a black gloss visor and weathering added around the lined panels to illustrate a buildup of dirt and wear over time. The helmet is non-removable, although there is a head sculpted underneath; the two are fixed together. This is, of course, perfectly accurate for the period Mando sports this armour. The outfit concludes with a soft goods cape around the neck that hangs at the back. It uses similar fabric to Jedi robes, and while lightweight and easy enough to shape, it doesn't always hold that shape and can hang a bit too flat. vs 2019 Mandalorian Release (right) Compared to the original 2019 figure, you can see the proportional improvements driven in part by the evolution of the Black Series articulation and joint construction. The colours pop slightly more on the new figure, but overall paint decor and finish are similar, with the same level of damage and wear & tear. The older figure used a sculpted cape, while the new version has soft goods. Both have pros and cons, but the soft goods allow more freedom in the articulation and posing. vs 2026 Mandalorian & Grogu Release (right) This new Pagodon version owes much to the new movie Mandalorian, released as a Deluxe Set with Grogu at the same time. Both figures share the same base figure, with the armoured panels updated and relevant to each iteration of the armour. Both 2026 Mando figures have the same level of articulation, with Pagodon Mando inclusive of 21 joints in total. The legs do see the thigh swivel retired as is now commonplace, and rotation on the legs is added at the knee, but also available at the bootcut due to how the figure is assembled. This, along with the hip, knee and ankle joints, presents Mando with a stable base for neutral or dynamic posing, and he can even sit or kneel thanks to the flexibility in the belt and side panels, and the move to make the left knee armour a floating piece as seen on more recent Clone Troopers. The arms include butterfly shoulders, which extend the arm range for firing positions, as well as a 90-degree elbow bend, forearm swivel, and a wrist that is now ball-jointed for a broader range of 360 movement, but not in the same depth as a single pivot might have given in the past. The twin joints of the neck allow Mando to tilt and cock his helmet to mirror his mannerisms on screen, while the torso joint has some movement but doesn’t add a huge amount of range overall. Accessories start with a similar profile to the 2026 movie release and the Glavis Ringworld figure that preceded it. That means Pagodon Mando has a combat knife, a scaled piece that features a silver blade and a brown grip. It can be stowed in a socket in his right boot and then held in an alternative, smaller grip right hand for fight posing. This alternative right hand is also useful to hold the tiny Grav-Charge that can be pulled off his belt (first one of three) and used as an accessory. You then get the IB-94 blaster, the same weapon as included on the original figure, but the piece itself is a newer sculpt with a wider barrel, as introduced around the Glavis Ringworld release. It comes in a gunmetal colour with a brown painted grip. It fits in the normal right hand, where the trigger finger is separate from the wider grip and can slot into place on the blaster. When not in use, this can be holstered. And then we have the missing piece, as this Pagodon version of Mando was always seen carrying his Amban Phase Rifle, and yet this has not been included in the set. What is evident is that the figure has been designed with the weapon in mind, as they’ve still included a rear slot in the back panel, which can be used to holster the weapon, assuming you have one to borrow from an earlier Mandalorian release. Amban Phase Rifle NOT included (compatible from older releases) It seems an odd thing to leave out of such a specific version of Mando, and the wider profile and look of the figure is lacking without it on his back on display. Amban Phase Rifle NOT included (compatible from older releases) In summary, this is a well-worked and overdue update for the early episode Mandalorian, and the mismatched armour is well replicated in 6-inch form with a good level of built-in damage and decor. The articulation is good and allows a broad range of posing, while the accessories add to those display options thanks to the knife, the blaster and even the Grav-Charge. The lack of the Phase Rifle is a significant issue, and while those with older figures in the collection can borrow it across, new collectors are getting a little short-changed with this missing from the set. 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...

The Hasbro Marvel Legends Fan Stream in May was very much focused on the reveals for San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Hosted by Dan Yun and Mr. Stevie. You can watch the stream at the link below, or keep scrolling for a summary of reveals along with the promotional images and details. All of the new items have been added to our comprehensive Marvel Legends Collector Database The reveals kicked off with a third Incredible Hulk Deluxe with the Hulk 2099 release featuring two head options. Hulk 2099 is an Amazon & Fan Channel release opening for pre-order on May 21st. More Hulk products are incoming later this year, and there is also another 2099 release incoming at some point. MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES HULK 2099 (HASBRO | Ages 4 & up | Approx. Retail Price: $46.99| Pre-Order on May 21 at 1 PM ET on Hasbro Pulse and other participating retailers; available Fall 2026) In the year 2099, seedy film executive John Eisenhart sends the police after the cult-like Knights of Banner. Caught in a gamma blast during the raid, John becomes the Hulk. Bring the excitement and wonder of the Marvel Universe to your collection with the Hasbro Marvel Legends Hulk 2099 figure! This collectible 6-inch scale Marvel action figure is detailed to look like the character from Marvel's 2099 Unlimited and Hulk 2099 comics. The Hulk 2099 action figure is fully articulated with premium design and poseable head, arms, and legs. This action figure set comes with 2 accessories, including alternate head and back fur. Hasbro Marvel action figures' 6-inch scale make them great for posing and displaying in fans' collections. Pose Hulk 2099 and reimagine Hulk comics-inspired scenes on your shelf with Marvel Legends action figures and Marvel collectibles (each sold separately, subject to availability). They recapped the new Punisher figure from the MCU, but didn't go into a huge amount of details about the figure's source material. The Fan Stream switched back to comic book reveals with a new Future Foundation two pack of Thing and Sue Storm. Both come with alternative heads and hands while Sue Storm features effect parts. This set is a May 27th pre-order at Amazon and Fan Channel retailers. The corresponding two pack will include Reed Richards and Spider-Man, with Reed coming with the extended arm options as well as elongated hand effects. Spidey has a selection of alternative hands. This one is a May 20th pre-order via Amazon and the Fan Channel. MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES FUTURE FOUNDATION MISTER FANTASTIC & SPIDER-MAN (HASBRO | Ages 4 & up | Pre-Order on May 20 at 1 PM ET on Hasbro Pulse and other participating retailers; available Fall 2026) Following the apparent death of the Human Torch, Spider-Man takes Johnny's place on the Fantastic Four per his wishes while donning a new black and white costume made of unstable molecule Bring the excitement and wonder of the Marvel Universe to your collection with the Hasbro Marvel Legends Future Foundation Mister Fantastic & Spider-Man Two-Pack figure set! These collectible 6-inch scale Marvel figures are detailed to look like the characters in their B&W Future Foundation costumes from Marvel's Fantastic Four comics. The Mister Fantastic & Spider-Man action figures are fully articulated with premium design and poseable head, arms, and legs. This Marvel action figure set comes with 11 accessories: 2 alternate hands, 2 alt hands with stretched fingers, 2 bendy-wire stretching arms, and the Ultimate Nulifier for Mister Fantastic, and 2 alt Thwip hands and 2 alt wall-crawling hands for Spider-Man. Hasbro Marvel action figures' 6-inch scale make them great for posing and displaying in fans' collections. Reimagine comics-inspired scenes on your shelf with Marvel Legends action figures and Marvel collectibles (each sold separately, subject to availability). MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES FUTURE FOUNDATION MARVEL'S THE THING & MARVEL'S INVISIBLE WOMAN (HASBRO | Ages 4 & up | Pre-Order on May 27 at 1 PM ET on Hasbro Pulse and other participating retailers; available Fall 2026) Reeling from the apparent death of her brother Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman embraces the tenets of the Future Foundation hoping to change the world forever while acting as Regent of Old Atlantis. Bring the excitement and wonder of the Marvel Universe to your collection with the Hasbro Marvel Legends Future Foundation Marvel's The Thing & Marvel's Invisible Woman Two-Pack figure set! These collectible 6-inch scale Marvel figures are detailed to look like the characters in their B&W Future Foundation costumes from Marvel's Fantastic Four comics. The Marvel's The Thing & Marvel's Invisible Woman action figures are fully articulated with premium design and poseable head, arms, and legs. This Marvel action figure set comes with 9 accessories: 2 alternate hands, and alt head for the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing, and 2 alt hands, invisible force shield, and invisible force effects for Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. Hasbro Marvel action figures' 6-inch scale make them great for posing and displaying in fans' collections. Reimagine comics-inspired scenes on your shelf with Marvel Legends action figures and Marvel collectibles (each sold separately, subject to availability). It was then time for the San Diego Comic Con Exclusives, starting with an X-Men '97 set which is packed into a retro TV set style box. The set containers a new Charles Xavier with a brand new Hover Chair. The set also comes with an alternative head, extra hands, and the Cerebro helmet. The second SDCC set follows the TV theme, with a TV wrapped in Spiderwebs and featuring Spider-Man 1960's animated imagery. The set will include Spider-Man, Lizard, and Electro all paying homage to the 1960's animated style and featuring alternative heads and extra hands. Both SDCC 2026 sets are available at San Diego, with limited quantities available after the event through Hasbro Pulse. MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SPIDER-MAN, MARVEL'S LIZARD, & MARVEL'S ELECTRO (HASBRO | Ages 4 & up | Approx. Retail Price: $84.99| *Availability details below) Spider-Man does whatever a spider can! Peter Parker uses his extraordinary powers to face off against a lizard man and a human lightning bolt in the 1967 cartoon. This 3-pack of characters is inspired by the original Spider-Man cartoon featuring Spider-Man, Marvel's Lizard and Marvel's Electro in 6-inch scale. Includes 28 accessories such as alt hands and heads, Spider-Man mask, and power FX. Bring back the wonder of a classic Saturday morning cartoon as the outer package is designed to look like an old-school TV wrapped in Spidey's webs, plus iconic graphics from the show add a modern twist. Add these figures to the Spider-Man collection on your shelf or display them inside the pack! *The MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SPIDER-MAN, MARVEL'S LIZARD, & MARVEL'S ELECTRO will be available for purchase exclusively at the Hasbro booth during 2026 San Diego Comic-Con (while supplies last). Additional purchasing details to be announced on the official San Diego Comic-Con website. Following San Diego Comic-Con, limited quantities will be available to order on HasbroPulse.com. MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER & HOVERCHAIR, X-MEN '97 (HASBRO | Ages 4 & up | Approx. Retail Price: $49.99| *Availability details below) As one of the most skilled telepaths in the world and founder of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier has vast dreams for human and mutant coexistence. Professor Charles Xavier's iconic Hoverchair makes its debut in the Marvel Legends Series X-Men '97 collection with a special Comic Con release! The Hoverchair vehicle features removable blast effects to display the chair in offensive mode. Also comes with a psychic effect that attaches behind the figure, control panel buttons, and a clear stand to make it look like the chair is hovering over your display shelf. Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, features premium series-inspired design and deco, and over 20 points of articulation that enable him to sit inside the Hoverchair. Comes with an alternate head accessory, 3 alt hands to display him activating his telepathic powers, and removable helmet. The set features a premium outer package styled like a retro TV (sticker decals and VHS slot design included). Within is a window box package so you can display the figure and vehicle on your shelf or in the box! *The MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER & HOVERCHAIR, X-MEN '97 will be available for purchase exclusively at the Hasbro booth during 2026 San Diego Comic-Con (while supplies last). Additional purchasing details to be announced on the official San Diego Comic-Con website. Following San Diego Comic-Con, limited quantities will be available to order on HasbroPulse.com. 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...

“We’ll take out every bad guy in your deck of cards” Ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd, a wave of Star Wars Black Series figures was unveiled and subsequently released. The five-figure general release wave arrived in March and April across the US, where the wave also included a white box ‘first edition’ variation sold via Walmart and Target. In the UK, the wave appeared to be held until the week of May the 4th. The general release figures use the same black box packaging as the wider Black Series, with an assigned accent colour that is a blue-purple tone and used on the name plate, the numbering, the band under the window that confirms the source as ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ and on the artwork. In this review, we are taking a look at The Mandalorian and Grogu, the number 01 figure, and the set that launches the Galaxy Collection for The Mandalorian and Grogu. This set, while essentially part of the launch wave, is a Deluxe or, probably more accurately, what they term a ‘Build Up’ set, which means the box is wider to accommodate both Mando and Grogu and an increased level of accessories. That also means this release is more expensive, retailing around £34 in the UK vs the usual £25 for a single release. The artwork shows Mando in an angled, side-on pose, holding his sword, with Grogu sitting on his left shoulder and looking out in the same direction. The pair are shot against the same cloudy planetary sky seen on all the other figures, but with each shot from a different angle. This artwork starts off the wider montage for The Mandalorian and Grogu, connecting into AT-AT Driver at number 02 with Grogu’s ears projecting into that box, and onward to the AT-RT Driver at 03, Colonel Ward at 04, and the general Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper at number 05 followed by the exclusive variant at number 06. The colour-hued artwork is repeated on the back of the box, along with a short synopsis of the movie rather than the character/trooper. This is to avoid spoilers ahead of the movie hitting cinemas. The box opens via the top or bottom flap, held closed by a piece of tape. Mando and Grogu are positioned in an inner plastic tray with the various accessories surrounding both figures, the smaller ones taped into place. The figure tray sits in a blue/purple-hued backdrop by way of an inserted cardback, and this doesn’t use the incorporated planetary background but a hallway or hanger scene of sorts, which I am sure we will find out more about in the movie. The Mandalorian's armour and outfit overall has remained virtually unchanged since he upgraded to the full Beskar suit in Season 1 of the Disney+ series. This new figure, based on the movie of course, is therefore identical to earlier releases and like most armoured figures in the Black Series currently, is assembled from cast parts that make up the brown cloth undersuit and the silver armoured pieces across the chest, shoulder pauldrons, wrist bracers, and thigh armour. These Beskar pieces are glossy enough to replicate the onscreen armour at 6-inch scale and feature the forged design elements such as the ridges, trims, and the Mudhorn emblem embossed on the right Pauldron. The right thigh armour is, as seen on screen, the only one to include some weathering with a darker base tone and then ‘scratches and rubs’ added in the brighter silver. The costume also features an inserted inner tabard in grey, which also includes hip armour, and Mando’s belt and shoulder strap. Each element of this is overpainted where needed, with brown for the belt and silver for the buckle and the ammunition and explosives off to the left-hand side. The belt also features a working holster. Mando’s boots vary with a Shoretrooper-style armoured panel on the right knee and shin with a more traditional boot on the left. These include painted detail in additional brown tones, with the right lower leg also having an ammo strap and painted silver ammo canisters. The left leg sees a dull grey armoured knee piece with launchers included. The helmet is the same silver gloss finish as the armour, with the black visor. It is not removable, so despite scenes seen so far with Din Djarin unmasked, this ‘deluxe’ version does not include a Pedro Pascal likeness under the helmet or as a second head option. Around the back of the figure, the rear armour panel no longer features a slot for the Amban Phase Rifle, just three slots to attach the backpack. The cape is soft goods, and this is wrapped around the neck and flows predominantly to the right-hand side of the figure. The texture is like that used on Jedi-robed figures and flows reasonably well, but hangs quite flat. The base of the cape is torn with a couple of holes. The jet pack is a silver cast piece with no additional paintwork, and this slots pretty securely into the three sockets, pushing the cape over fully to the right-hand side as it engages. vs 2023 Glavis Ringworld Mandalorian (right) The 2023 release of the Glavis Ringworld Mandalorian was perhaps the pinnacle of Din Djarin figures in the Black Series at the time, so it is no surprise this Mando & Grogu movie version is extremely similar on first glance, but it seems Hasbro has reworked or created new parts for this 2026 release, with slightly smaller profiles to the armour, notably at the chest and thighs. The upper legs, too, are new, removing the older thigh swivel. There is also an updated left gauntlet that no longer includes the Whistling Birds launcher. And we’ve also seen the removal of the slot on the rear of the figure for the Phase Rifle. vs 2023 Glavis Ringworld Mandalorian (right) There are also colour variations with the blue knee armour and central belt pieces moving to a grey on the new figure, while the belt and shoulder strap are much lighter. The cloak too is updated, with the new figure having a smaller width, but what feels like a lighter material weight-wise, but darker in colour. I found it harder to tuck and hang to the side vs the marginally heavier, yet larger, Ringworld release. I kept finding the cape hanging as a flat triangle out to Mando’s right side rather than hanging bunched and folded. Articulation remains the same as the original figure, with 21 points in total. The upper body includes a chest pivot and dual neck joint, while the arms have a good range of movement thanks to the butterfly shoulders, elbow joint that bends to 90 degrees, forearm ‘glove’ rotation and wrist peg and pivot. The legs feature a standard hip joint, allowing Mando to kneel and sit, a knee joint, a bootcut swivel and an ankle pivot. These are all tight and secure, and once positioned, Mando holds his pose really well. There are a larger volume of accessories vs a normal release, all for Mando and starting with his IB-94 blaster, which was one of the accessories updated from the original Mando releases around the time of the Glavis Ringworld release, with a larger and more flared barrel. This one is cast in plain silver with a brown painted stock. It can be holstered or fits into Mando’s right hand, where a trigger finger engages in to the open trigger. Next up, is the small knife Mando carries in his boot. This was featured on the Glavis Ringworld Mando, but this time around, we also get a replacement right hand with a tighter grip in order to hold it. The Knife is relatively plain in decor, but considering its size, this is not an issue. The handle is a darker gunmetal finish, with the blade a brighter silver. It works well in the extra right hand, and there is a neat socket built into the right boot where it can be sheathed when not in use. While you have the knife hand in place, there is a bonus ‘accessory’ secreted on Mando’s person, with the first of his explosive Grav-charges on the left-hand side of his belt being removable. They connect by way of a plug and socket, and this is virtually invisible initially. This tiny piece can then be held, ideally using the knife hand, as though preparing to be thrown and detonated. This functionality is not advertised anywhere or on any promo images. Mando obviously enjoyed using the Darksaber and has obtained a new sword for The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is a shorter blade, reminiscent of a Roman sword, with the blade in silver and the hilt in grey with a silver pommel. In scenes released so far, Mando appears to draw this from his back, but there is no obvious holster or socket. The sword fits in either of the three included hands, with a looser grip in the normal hands, while stretching the knife hand a bit too much, which will then loosen the grip over time on the knife. The sword itself is very soft, but it looks to hold its shape out of the box and into the display. There is no Amban Phase Rifle in the set, which initially makes sense, considering it was destroyed, but we do see Mando with it in some of the footage released to date. We do get a replacement, which is an unspecified blaster rifle that bears a level of similarity in the grip, in particular, to Boba Fett’s rifle. This is a cast plastic piece, coloured in a gun metal silver with brown painted stock and main body. Detailing is relatively crisp, including on the upper sights. The gun is slightly tricky to engage in Mando’s trigger hand, but once in place, it can be wielded in a number of positions, including having the left hand cradle it for two-handed positions. Like the Boba Fett rifle, these two-handed and firitng positions do see the rear stock bent off to the side and bends and warps at the point the looped connector fastens it to the main body of the gun. Over time, this will cause some damage, while it also looks odd with a solid wooden stock bent round and under an arm. The rifle's scope does detach, as seen in some scenes released so far, rather than plugging in, it employs two posts on the bottom of the scope that line up with two ‘clips’ on the weapon. This is less secure than a plug and socket solution we’ve seen on other weapons that break down into components, and with no immediate benefit visually, as once disconnected, the scope still has two pronged pegs underneath. As a standalone accessory, it can be held by Mando and used as a scope. We’ve also seen Grogu use the scope in scenes, but the included Grogu figure is unable to hold this in his left hand; he can grip it in the right, but as we will see, this right hand is permanently engaged, holding him in place on Mando’s back. And so to Grogu, and so far over the many Grogu releases we’ve had a very static standing or sitting Grogu with an articulated head, arms and hands. This time round, we have a Grogu designed to ride on the Mandalorian’s back by way of a fully reworked body that is pivoted halfway and extends the legs and feet out in front of itself. The protruding feet are flat and can be rotated, while the arms are ball-jointed with a rotating wrist. The articulation, 7 points in total, concludes with the head. Each part is cast in a base colour, with the robes given a lighter touch around the collar and sleeve cuffs. The feet and hands are left in the base green, while the head has painted black eyes, and some detailing around the face and the inner ears. There is the faintest of hair over Grogu’s head, painted in a white/grey finish Grogu has been designed to integrate with Mando with no immediate changes to the Mandalorian body; even the change to the back armour has no influence on how Grogu connects. What the setup relies on is a gripping right hand on Grogu that holds onto the larger of the two ‘aerials’ on the jetpack. With this key point of contact engaged, Grogu’s flat feet, one set back further than the other, sit around the shape of the side of the jetpack, leaving his head and left hand to articulate within the scope of the joint while riding on Mando’s back. While this works to a degree, I found it incredibly difficult to hold in place, especially if I went on to move the figure around. Grogu is always going to need to be the last thing you add to the figure once posed, as any movement in the body or left arm in person will dislodge him. I think the preference here, considering the Grogu body has no other functionality than the riding position, would have been to have plug-in feet to add security to the position, albeit that would have left visible sockets on the jetpack when Grogu was not used. In the end, for display, I have used a touch of museum putty to hold Grogu in place. If we compare this Deluxe ‘Build Up’ release of Mando to the 2023 Ringworld figure, the accessories are comparable to the point that both figures have a sword, and include the same jetpack, blaster and knife. That leaves the extra hand and the new blaster rifle as over and above in the new set, along with Grogu himself. While Grogu's body is newly tooled, the Mando figure is more or less a direct re-use from the 2023 release. When you then look at this vs the £34 RRP, then Grogu and a rifle are setting you back around £9, which is OK, but not exceptional value in the current market. A couple of extra parts, even ones already in circulation like the Phase Rifle, would have bolstered the value for money. What we do get is an arguably enhanced Mandalorian figure, which had very little room for improvement considering the strength of the Glavis Ringworld release. This is accurate to the film and able to mirror the scenes with Grogu riding on Mando’s back. Articulation is great, paintwork and decor are fine, and the detail of Mando’s armour is impressive, including the various ammunition storage belts, the Mudhorn symbol, and we’ve even now got a removable Grav-Charge. Grogu works, but is little more than an accessory and would have benefited from a more secure fitting. This is as good a replication of the early movie posters and scenes, but I do suspect a follow-up version will be incoming with an unmasked Mando and a likeness that mirrors the Marvel Legends Mr Fantastic release. I can also see the return of the Amban Phase Rifle, and I suspect Grogu will get a release in his armour, either in another Build Up pack or solo with his ‘acquired’ hover pram. This is the Way! 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...

The new McFarlane Hellboy figure will have a Platinum Edition 'Chase' version, short-packed into the case assortments. This version has Hellboy with full horns and flaming crown. You also get alternative right and left hands, sword, and the Samaritan pistol. The figure is packed into the same McFarlane Collector Edition packaging, stickered with the Platinum Edition badge. We've added this variant to our extensive McFarlane Collector Database On December 23, 1944, a small red demonlike creature appeared in flames at a ruined church in East Bromwich, England, coinciding with the end of Rasputin’s Ragna Rak project; Trevor Bruttenholm, sensing more to it than its appearance suggested, named it Hellboy. When the Americans took Hellboy to New Mexico for study, Bruttenholm accompanied him and founded the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense with U.S. support to investigate occult activities. He worked closely with Hellboy during this time and grew fond of him. In 1946, Bruttenholm officially adopted the two-year-old Hellboy. 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...

As first revealed during the McFarlane Show, episode 15, the Helldiver in CE-35 Trench Engineer Armour will feature alternative hands, and an array of weaponry including torcher, liberator, senator, railgun, stun baton, saber, and machine gun, It also features a fabric cape and a display base. This Elite Edition release is live for pre-orders as of the 20th of May 2026. We've added the Trench Engineer Armour to our extensive McFarlane Collector Database Helldiver in CE-35 Trench Engineer Armor 7" deluxe action figure based on the Helldivers 2 video game launches for pre-order MAY 20th at select retailers! This McFarlane Elite Edition action figure includes 4 alternate hands, torcher, liberator, senator, railgun, stun baton, saber, machine gun, fabric cape, display base and a McFarlane Elite points card. 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...

“Long live the Empire.” The Mandalorian and Grogu is a May 2026 release, and the first Star Wars big screen outing since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Ahead of the movie, Hasbro announced and revealed a launch wave of Star Wars Black Series figures, opening a new Galaxy Collection series for the film. Alongside a Deluxe figure of Mando & Grogu as number 01, there was a wave of four single figures numbering 02 to 05, and finally an exclusive single release of an Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper at 06. And despite the numbering, it is the 6th figure in the collection that has landed first, arriving with collectors in mid-March. The Mando & Grogu figures come in the standard Black Series matte black collector box with a front window. The line is assigned a new indigo highlight colour that is utilised on the text and the artwork. This side art features the Stormtrooper with E-11 Blaster raised against a backdrop that appears to feature clouds and potentially some mountains. This artwork will connect to the preceding 05 release, also an Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper, a variation with pauldron The same image is used on the back of the box along with a synopsis. Like most figures that arrive ahead of the movie or TV series, the text is generic and simply talks about “The Mandalorian and his young apprentice, Grogu, embark on a thrilling adventure as they travel the galaxy”. The figure is packed, as is standard, into an inner plastic tray with the blaster to one side. This then sits against an Indigo coloured backing card that features an embedded background similar to the side art, featuring mountains and clouds. We know from the trailer and snippets of The Mandalorian and Grogu that they spend some of the movie hunting the Imperial Remnant, hence the launch figures are predominantly from those scattered Imperial forces. The Remnant Stormtrooper is presented in a dishevelled and battle-worn state, using the current Stormtrooper figure as a base. Instead of gloss white armoured panels, the Remnant Stormtrooper has dulled off-white armour which also features an applied layer of grime weathering. This includes the softer plastic belt carrying the Trooper’ ammo. The undersuit remains ridged black plastic, incorporating most of the joints. To further reflect their disparate nature, the Stormtrooper has also had parts of the armour swapped out with the upper left arm using a brown patched piece, the brown painted over the base white. Similarly, the left shin is Shoretrooper armour and painted over in a slightly lighter brown. This overpainting of both the shin and arm piece does leave some rough edges where the original white is not fully covered. Both pieces appear new, created to fit with the base Stormtrooper figure, and are not carried over from previous Imperial Troopers. The final decor on the body is found at the stomach section with black painted segments. The head is the new Stormtrooper format, where the helmet is actually over a sculpted head, although the head is left unpainted and the helmet fixed in place. There was no obvious warping on the helmet on our review figure. The helmet colouring matches the off-white dull armour, with a painted visor, vents, and black ridge trim. A dull grey is used on the inset panels to the side of the upper helmet and behind the sides of the visor. vs 2020 Remnant Exclusive (centre) and 2020 Imperial Stormtrooper (right) When you compare our new Remnant Stormtrooper to the shiny base model from 2020 released under The Mandalorian banner, and the weathered Remnant Trooper from the same year, the variation in finishes is clear/ The original Remnant still used glossy armour, overlaid with sun bleaching and splashed grey mud from Navarro, while this new 2026 version feels grittier and more weathered since the fall of the Empire. Our Trooper has a full range of articulation across 19 points of pinless articulation. The joints are built into the black undersuit, between armour panels, with the panels themselves worked so as not to impede articulation. This is clearest at the shoulders, where the pauldrons are on a flexible hinge to move with the ball and butterfly jointed shoulders. The elbows bend to 90 degrees, with rotation built in, while the pegged hands feature a small pivot to allow them to facilitate a number of weapon positions or gestures. The head is a two joint neck, with the helmet having a range of motion to the point that the base of the helmet meets the shoulders. A ball jointed waist gives some leaning movement as well as waist rotation. And the legs are secure on ball-jointed hips, a thigh swivel tucked away under the armour, and knee and ankle rockers. The Trooper can kneel if required, while the ankles are secure for most standing poses. The usual peg holes are on each foot, should an aftermarket stand be required. There is a single accessory included, an E-11 blaster using the newer design with lots of crisp detailing, but zero paint applications on the black plastic cast. It fits best into the Trooper’s right hand, with the left able to come across to cradle the barrel for guard position, marching, or even firing, with the ability to have the weapon all the way up to the helmet visor and in a shooting position. The left hand also features a trigger finger, so the grip can be reversed if you prefer a left-handed shooter, but it is not as secure in this orientation. There is little new here in summary to get massively excited about; this is the basic Black Series Stormtrooper that has been used multiple times since it was established in 2019, and that works really well in terms of its proportions, articulation, and overall look. The variant armour is neat, but like the Night Trooper from Ahsoka, it makes the figure more unique than an actual army builder. The Mandalorian & Grogu Galaxy collection 06 Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper is an Exclusive, sold at Target in the US and via Fan Channel retailers here. That makes it a little more problematic (particularly in the US) if you do want to army build the figure. It forms part of a launch wave featuring a second, standard armoured Remnant Stormtrooper at 05 with pauldron and ammunition, which presents arguably better variations for army building. 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...

“Long Live The Empire” Ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd, a wave of Star Wars Black Series figures was unveiled and subsequently released. The five-figure general release wave arrived in March and April across the US, where the wave also included a white box ‘first edition’ variation sold via Walmart and Target. In the UK, the wave appeared to be held until the week of May the 4th. The general release figures use the same black box packaging as the wider Black Series, with an assigned accent colour that is a blue-purple tone and used on the name plate, the numbering, the band under the window that confirms the source as ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ and on the artwork. In this review, we are taking a look at the Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper, the number 05 release in the wave. The artwork shows the Stormtrooper, wearing a pauldron and marching into battle holding his E-11 blaster rifle. The figure connects directly in the wider montage of artwork, preceded by the number 04 figure of Colonel Ward and then connecting onward to the very similar Exclusive release of a second Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper at number 06. This 06 release was a Target exclusive in the US and via the Fan Channel in the UK, arriving in March 2026, much earlier than the main wave. The same side artwork is repeated on the back of the box, along with a short synopsis of the movie rather than the character/trooper. This is to avoid spoilers ahead of the movie hitting cinemas. The box opens via the top or bottom flap, held closed by a piece of tape. Inside our Stormtrooper sits in an inner-shaped plastic tray with the pauldron and blaster rifle to the side. This tray is given a matching blue/purple-hued backdrop by way of an inserted cardback that itself incorporates an embedded image of a planetary sky scene. Our Remnant Stormtrooper uses the existing Stormtrooper body as first released in 2020 as both a ‘shiny’ Imperial Trooper and, at the same time, an Imperial Remnant Trooper as seen in Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Like the Clone Trooper, the Stormtrooper body is assembled with the core armour panels cast in white and connected to the joints, which are black and ridged to mimic the Trooper’s undersuit. This requires limited painting of black over white or vice-versa and provides clean and straight edges where the armour finishes. Rather than gloss white, this Mandalorian & Grogu version uses a dulled white finish with applied weathering by way of a brown wash in the recessed areas, particularly noticeable around the belt, arms, and legs. The central midsection has additional paint decor in black and grey to pick out the greebles on the central section. Some additional grey trim is used around the belt canister on the back of the figure. The helmet is the newer format too, actually hollow and fitted over a sculpted head, although the two are glued together, and the head itself is left unpainted. The white is similarly dulled, with the detailing painted in black and grey around the eyes, vents, and side panels, with the two mouth vents and some parts of the nose area picked out with some silver. This is essentially an army-builder release, and there are four distinctive looks that can be achieved using the included parts. Out of the box, we have a basic Trooper with an ammunition pouch on the left shoulder. This piece is a softer black plastic that loops around the neck and under the left arm to stay in place. It has no paint detailing, but does have detail within the sculpt, such as the ridged strap and fastenings on the ammunition pockets. You then get a black Pauldron within the set, again softer black plastic with a loop for the right arm and a hole through which the neck sits. You have to remove the Trooper’s head to get this in place, but it has been engineered and produced so the head pops off easily enough. The Pauldron allows you to have a full kitted out Trooper alongside the Ammunition Pouch, or it can be displayed instead of the ammo pouch. The final look is simply removing both from the figure to leave a basic Trooper. Both the pauldron piece and the Ammo strap do appear to be new; they are not the same as those used on the recent Sandtrooper upgrade, nor the ones used on either the Jedha Trooper or Sergeant Kreel. As the 2026 general release Remnant Stormtrooper uses the same body and design as previous Stormtroopers, then in principle the Pauldron and Ammo strap can be used on other bodies. It is, however, noticeable how difficult the other Stormtroopers' heads are to pop off vs the way this one has been released. In terms of a finish, the duller armour is comparable with the number 06 exclusive release, but the weathering is different across the two, with a grey application on the Exclusive Trooper, rather than brown, and a focus on patches of dirt rather than a buildup in the recessed parts of the suit. Both are wildly different to the original 2020 Remnant Trooper who retails the glossy armour finish, with heavy-handed grey mud and sun bleaching effect added. vs Exclusive Remnant Stormtrooper 2026 (centre) and original Remnant Stormtrooper 2020 (right) You get a solitary E-11 blaster rifle as a weapon, the newer version with the side component as well as the upper sights and usual grip and trigger. It is cast in black with no paint apps. The intended fit is into the right hand, where a flexible trigger finger can slot into place. There is scope to have the Trooper wield it left-handed, as there is a separated trigger finger here also, but it is not as extended, and the fit is not perfect. The left hand is best suited to the barrel grip for two-handed positions, as we see on the box or as we will see shortly when posing the figure in action. The Trooper has 19 points of pinless articulation, with each joint seamlessly built into the construction of the armour and within the black visible suited parts. While the Pauldron can restrict a bit of movement, the arms are very articulate thanks to butterfly shoulders and a hinged shoulder panel that moves with the arm. The elbows bend beyond 90 degrees, and there is a pivot movement in the wrist as well as a swivel. This allows weapons poses to be achieved up to and including having the blaster raised so the Trooper can mimic looking down the sights. The legs are jointed at the hip, thigh, knee and ankle and are wide-ranging enough to have the Trooper kneel or sit. There are plenty of more dynamic walking or running poses available too, although the more extreme poses will require you to utilise the foot peg and an aftermarket stand. The ankles are solid in their build with a ratchet you can feel engage as the foot is pivoted. Once in a standing position, the Remnant Trooper is solid on display and difficult to dislodge. The general release (05) Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper does very little wrong in terms of being an army-build solution for your Imperial Remnant. There are four defined looks, and perhaps the only build might have been through adding a second blaster to provide even more scope for assembling a ramshackle Imperial Remnant squad. I prefer the weathering on this Trooper vs the Exclusive version with Shore Trooper parts, and it is a pity that despite them releasing concurrently in the collection, and we assume from the same or similar scenes, the finish is different when displayed side to side. Articulation is excellent, and the look overall is great, either singularly or if you intend to broaden these out to support your own (or the incoming) Imperial Remnant Warlord. 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...

McFarlane's next pair of Mortal Kombat Klassic 7-inch figures have been revealed, and they include Reptile (Invisible) alongside the Sub-Zero Ice Clone. Both Reptile and Sub-Zero will feature an alternative pair of hands and a display base. These new figures are live for pre-order as of the 15th of May at stockists and are expected to ship between July and August. We've added them to our extensive McFarlane Collector Database As Shang Tsung’s personal protector the elusive Reptile lurks in the shadows stopping all those who would do his master harm. His human form is believed to disguise a horrid reptilian creature whose race was thought to be extinct millions of years ago. Thought to have been killed in the Shaolin tournament, Sub-Zero mysteriously returns. It is believed he travelled into the outworld to again attempt to assassinate Shang Tsung. To do so he must fight his way through Shao Kahn’s tournament. 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...

Episode 13 of the McFarlane Show on YouTube contained the usual plethora of previewed items from across the McFarlane line. For their new Helldivers licence, we got a look at a new Trench Engineer in the Elite Series, and we won't have to wait long for that as it opens for pre-order on the 20th of May. Also joining the Elite Series and part of the Image Comics Founders Series is Savage Man Moving to DC's Superfriends, there was a new selection featuring Farmer Superman, Black Vulcan, Wonder Woman. There will also be Red Platinum Edition releases of Evil Wonder Woman, Phantom Zone Batman, and Crystalized Superman. Then over to Batman: The Animated Series and a new wave featuring The Vetrilaquist & Scarface, Harvey Bullock, Talia, and Robin. The build-a-figure in the wave is Rene Montoya. In the US this is a Target Exclusive wave. 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 Hiya Toys Rocky/Creed line of Exquisite Super 6-inch figures will be expanded to include Adonis Creed from Creed II later this year. The release will feature a fully articulated Adonis in black boxing gloves, black 'stars and stripes' shorts, and red boxing shoes. You can then select from two other outfits with his black ring entrance robe, a red hooded sweatshirt and 'Stars & Stripes' red and blue trunks. There is also an alternative 'roaring' head sculpt, extra hands, and a display base. The figure is down to release in the final quarter (October - December) of 2026. From Creed II, we proudly present Adonis Creed in the EXQUISITE SUPER Series — a 1/12 scale action figure capturing his drive, discipline, and destiny. Standing 16CM tall, this figure features Adonis in his match-ready look: black boxing trunks with star trim and a bold “CREED” waistband, paired with black boxing gloves and vibrant red high-top boxing shoes — a modern champion’s silhouette. Includes: - 6 interchangeable hands for dynamic poses - Alternate roaring head sculpt - Gradient black robe - Red hooded zip-up sweatshirt - Patriotic trunks Relive every blow, every roar, and every moment of Adonis Creed’s fight for legacy in stunning collectible detail. 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...

“But we’re pilots.” Ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd, a wave of Star Wars Black Series figures was unveiled and subsequently released. The five-figure general release wave arrived in March and April across the US, where the wave also included a white box ‘first edition’ variation sold via Walmart and Target. In the UK, the wave appeared to be held until the week of May the 4th. The general release figures use the same black box packaging as the wider Black Series, with an assigned accent colour that is a blue-purple tone and used on the name plate, the numbering, the band under the window that confirms the source as ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ and on the artwork. In this review, we are taking a look at the Imperial Remnant AT-AT Driver, the number 02 release in the wave. The artwork shows the AT-AT Driver in a planted stance, looking down and to the right against a cloudy planetary sky, which has been a consistent and linked background on all the figures. This artwork connects directly in the wider montage for The Mandalorian and Grogu, preceded by the launch figure for the series, the 01 release of The Mandalorian and Grogu and leading into the subsequent figures of the AT-RT Driver at 03, Colonel Ward at 04, and the general Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper at number 05 followed by the exclusive variant at number 06. The colour-hued artwork is repeated on the back of the box, along with a short synopsis of the movie rather than the character/trooper. This is to avoid spoilers ahead of the movie hitting cinemas. The box opens via the top or bottom flap, held closed by a piece of tape. Our Driver sits in an inner-shaped plastic tray with a solitary blaster to the top left. The figure tray sits in a blue/purple-hued backdrop by way of an inserted cardback that itself incorporates the same embedded image of a planetary sky scene used on the side art. Our AT-AT Driver is, as we remember it from the Original Trilogy, made up of a grey combat suit over which armoured panels are laid. The main body is therefore cast in light grey and features the sculpted cloth features of the suit as well as seams and pockets. Over the main chest is a white armoured piece in a glossier plastic, but weathered to look worn and aged. On top of this sits the AT-AT Driver chest unit, in a similar white but with painted red, black and silver components. Two corrugated pipes come from each side of this unit and connect upward into the helmet. Around the back of the chest armour, which is a cleaner white, with the weathering saved only for the front visible section, are some more paint apps with a black painted central panel with light grey trim and components. Boots and gloves are cast in a variant grey and plugged into the main body, removing the need for any overpainting of large areas. For the boots, this is a shame, as there is a level of detail included around the boot straps that would have been nice to pick out. For the gloves, these are less interesting, and on the left glove, we do get a silver-painted wrist comms panel. The main suit concludes with twin shoulder Pauldrons in white with a surrounding trim and an embossed rectangular pattern at the top. These appear to be more or less the same as the ones on the AT-RT driver, but fitted and hinged the other way round. We then have a combat belt and holster, added in a softer plastic and wrapping the waist with a black and white finish, and with the same grey as the gloves used on the holster to the right hip. The helmet replicates the original look from 1980 with a face plate of a Stormtrooper with painted black eye visors and the nose piece in both black and silver. The front vents are silver with a red centre, and sit on either side of a black mouthpiece. From this faceplate, the helmet is then similar to that of a pilot with enlarged on both the top and sides and incorporating a central ridge piece that has a black triangular pattern projecting backwards from two silver piped pieces that sit just above the eyes. Similar black and grey pipework sits to the side of the faceplate. The helmet is finished with decals on either side of the main ridge in red of the Imperial Crest. The two corrugated conduit pipes we saw earlier on the chest connect around the back of the helmet with a red painted ring at the top of each. vs the 2016 AT-AT Driver from The Empire Strikes Back (right) The AT-AT Driver (or Pilot, depending on which box you got) was first released in 2016, and the same figure was re-released in 2020 on the Anniversary Card backs for ESB. This Mando & Grogu release is the first overhaul of the Troop type, and there are variations in the two onscreen designs, with the new version moving away from the pilot style webbing to a combat belt with a holster. Otherwise, the two are visually similar with a similar level of decor and detail. The newer figure probably edges it on proportions, with the older figure always standing a little bow-legged, as was common for figures of that time due to the format of the leg joints. With some minor tweaks, this new body could easily be re-released as an Empire Strikes Back version in the future if there is a demand for it. The original AT-AT Driver release saw the figure given a standard Stormtrooper E-11 blaster in the absence of them using any weapons in their scenes during the Battle of Hoth. For this release, and as seen in scenes from The Mandalorian and Grogu, the AT-AT Drivers are sent out to fight and are equipped with a small holdout blaster, the SE-14r. This is the same basic weapon as the AT-RT Driver from the wave, and originates with the 2016 Deathtroopers from Rogue One and also used on some of the Andor Imperial figures, as well as the Morak Tank Driver figures of Din Djarin and Migs Mayfeld from The Mandalorian. The weapon includes an upper separated sights piece and a main barrel with a centralised grip and trigger. The detailing is visible, but basic in terms of visible rivets in the hilt and lines down the barrel and sights. It is cast in grey plastic and features no other decor. Our AT-AT driver comes with a right-hand trigger finger to hold the weapon as well as a holstered option on the belt where the main barrel slides into the holster while the sights sit outside. Our AT-AT Driver is fully articulated and features 21 points in total, benefitting from additional rotation at the bootcup and glove cut, which is over and above the usual format and a result of the modular construction of the figure. Our Driver can kneel, and sit, should anyone want to explore aftermarket or custom scenes of an AT-AT cockpit. The Trooper is also solid when standing with robust ankles and evident internal ratchets. The chest has some movement, but nothing extensive, while the twin-jointed neck allows the helmet a reasonable range as far as the connected pipework will allow. Arms are fully extensive in their range, with the shoulder pauldrons hinged and able to move as the arms are raised and extended or drawn inward by the butterfly joints. This gives enough scope for dynamic posing with the blaster or without. Like the rest of the wave, the AT-AT Driver from The Mandalorian and Grogu is a solid release if not spectacular. It reworks this Imperial Troop to both match the look from the 2026 movie while remaining faithful to the original design, and there is certainly an option to change this figure into an ESB version by swapping the belt and holster for the pilot webbing. These Imperial Remnant Troops are all perceived as battle-worn and not quite as clean as when they were at the peak of their power. For the AT-AT Driver, this is done through some yellowing of the chest unit and helmet while leaving the rest of the figure untouched, and I am fine with that, considering these are not ground troops or in the thick of battle like the Stormtroopers included in the same wave. I also struggle to ask for another accessory in terms of their role unless something becomes apparent in the movie. A very good release, easy to display and stands well on its own, or as a pair. It would be nice to perhaps see the AT-AT commander to go with them at some stage. 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...

NECA has previewed a new release of Art the Clown as Santa Claus from Damien Leone's Terrifier 3. The figure will open for pre-order at the NECA Store on the 18th of May. 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...