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International pre-orders have opened for the NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cartoon 2-pack of the Rock Soldiers - General Traag and Granitor. The Dimension X duo are listed for a November 2020 release. In the US, the set will be exclusive to Target - but it has not yet been fully confirmed and the ETA in the US may vary. We've added General Traag and Granitor to our NECA Database where you can keep track of upcoming releases - and review older ones Based on the classic 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series! After being accidentally exposed to radioactive ooze, four ordinary household pets are transformed into a band of wisecracking, pizza-loving,villain-dicing adolescent reptiles! Whether it's facing fierce enemies or saving humanity from near extinction, with the guidance of their Sensei, these Heroes in a Half Shell are always ready for straight outta the sewer action! After being foiled by the Turtles time and again Krang calls in his heavy hitters. General Traag and Lt. Granitor, leaders of the rock soldier army from Dimension X, have come to conquer Earth. The Turtles don't stand a chance against these hard headed brutes. Checkout our blog page 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

Star Wars Black Series Wave 25 arrived in Summer 2020 and was predominantly based around Episode II : Attack of the Clones. It brought us four new Jedi in the shape of Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Bolstering the Separatist forces with a re-pack of Count Dooku from Wave 24 and a new Geonosis Battle Droid. Packaging 4/5 Wave 25 arrives in the Phase 3 packaging, and is the last wave to feature the black box with red spine and cardback as the Black Series moves to a 4th Phase in the 2nd Half of 2020 with the Galaxy collection packaging split by movie. The Gregory Titus artwork for Anakin is spot on in terms of both likeness but also expression and mannerism, with a frustrated Anakin looking out at you from the box cover. Padawan Anakin is number 110 in the Phase 3 packaging and this numbering is presented on the red side spine and the back of the box as usual. On the back with the numbering and repeat of the Titus artwork is a short piece of generic background text. "A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin was caring and compassionate, but also had a fear of loss that would prove to be his downfall" Paint & Sculpt 3/5 Anakin is a new head sculpt and utilised the face print technology. The decor is spot on and the likess to Hayden Christensen is good - it is just the proportions are a little off when viewing from the front with the cheeks wider than the forehead and hair. The hair piece is well detailed, and painted in two tones of brown. It includes the Padawan braid as a flexible plastic piece that comes out from behind Anakin's right ear. If you look up at where it connects, the plug is quite visible and made slightly worse by using a darker brown on the braid vs the hair itself. As Anakin uses an older body, the pivot peg on the neck is very visible. The rest of the outfit is good with multiple layers of brown and black leather. The upper body is cast in brown with the black and other colours painted, this does leave a brown edge/trim to the black leather look robes which was not there in the movie. The lower part of the tunic are a different, soft plastic, material and much glossier in black colour and these dont have the brown trim. Detailing on the belt in between is good with a two tone brown base and black, silver and gold detailing added. The legs are cast in dark brown and the boots cast in a slightly lighter colour with the joining knee parts painted to match. The body is re-use fully of the original Anakin figure from way back in 2014 and that was then re-released in 2019 as an Archive figure. It has had some updating though with the lower right arm replaced and a new handed added. This hasn't been executed all that well and the lower right arm has a more pronounced pattern than the upper arm above it and the corresponding left arm. The belt too has been adjusted with a filler piece inserted into the light saber slot. There have also been some paint changes in shade and colour. Accessories 3/5 Anakin comes with a saber accessory that initially looks the same as the one usually associated with Anakin and then with Luke and onto Rey. It is actually a new piece and is based on Anakin's first saber which would end up being destroyed in the Geonosis Droid Factory. It is coloured silver in the main with black paint on the centre ring and fins. A small hook seems to project from the saber and I believe the plan was that this hooks onto the inserted block on Anakin's belt. Having tried this numerous times, the engineering has failed here and neither connect at all well and the saber simply falls off. If this wasn't the plan then I have no idea what the loop is for. Like all sabers the blade can be disconnected. For some reason, Hasbro have started using a much thinner plug in piece which is easily bent and snapped if you are not careful. The saber fits into either hand for wielding, but as you will see in articulation two handed options are not possible. It might have been nice to see the release be boosted by the inclusion of a soft goods Jedi robe, or perhaps the cape that Anakin wears as a disguise while travelling with Padme as a Refugee. Articulation 3/5 Anakin has a total of 16 points of articulation as per the original 2014 figure. This does mean he is disadvantaged in a couple of areas to Obi-Wan from the same wave as he is missing the butterfly joints at the shoulder and the updated neck, leaving an ugly peg visible just under the chin. Head : ball joint pivot neck Body : ball joint waist Arms : ball joint shoulder, single rotating elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rockers Without the butterfly joint, and with single joint elbows the options are limited for a lightsaber wielding character. A two handed pose is theoretically possible, but with a now thicker sleeve on the right arm vs the original figure and the joint issues detailed above - you have to push the arms in together and then thread the saber up through the hands. By forcing this, pressure will be put on the saber hilt and on the wrist joints - and all you achieve is a very soft stance rather than a more action focus parry or strike. One handed poses with the saber are more wide ranging with overhead strikes as well as parries and blocks available. The legs move fine under the softer rubber skirt and if needed Anakin can also kneel and sit. All of the joints on Anakin are tight and secure with satisfying ratchets in the majority of them. He has no problem standing. Summary Anakin Skywalker as a Padawan is a figure that probably needed more than just a head update to make it work. The older body from the 2014 Anakin is showing its age in terms of articulation and where it has been patched with the new right arm and the plug to the belt, neither are executed all that well. The deficiencies in articulation are evident against the other Jedi in the wave and that is a shame that Anakin could not have been overhauled with the new neckpiece and shoulder articulatio. The head sculpt is a good likeness, but a bit wide in the cheeks and the ugly neck peg does detract from the head in most poses. The costume is painted OK, but there are issues where black meets brown. It is a nice touch that they re-did the saber to match the first one Anakin wields, it would have been relatively easy to simply repack the existing one and say no more about it. A soft goods robe or refugee cape disguise would have sweetened this release. As it stands I score it a 3 out of 5. Visit our Star Wars Black Series Database for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, attack of the clones, hasbro, jedi, knight, padawan, anakin skywalker

The Icon Heroes team ave sent over a full gallery of images, and some details, for their upcoming 6 inch scale Karate Kid figures of Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence. Both figures include three head options, size hands and a fully articulated 1/12 body in their All-Valley Tournament outfits. Each figure will retail in the US for $40 and the are down for a late 2020 release (October-December). THE KARATE KID DANIEL LARUSSO ACTION FIGURE - AVAILABLE 4TH QUARTER 2020 Icon Heroes presents the 6-inch scale Daniel Larusso action figure from the classic film The Karate Kid. This fully poseable action figure features 29 points of articulation and includes three interchangeable heads and six hands. Relive the excitement of the All-Valley Tournament! SRP $40 THE KARATE KID JOHNNY LAWRENCE ACTION FIGURE - AVAILABLE 4TH QUARTER 2020 Icon Heroes presents the 6-inch scale Johnny Lawrence action figure from the classic film The Karate Kid. This fully poseable action figure features 29 points of articulation and includes three interchangeable heads and six interchangeable hands. Relive the excitement of the All-Valley Tournament! SRP $40 Checkout our blog page 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

NECA have released a small promotional gallery of one of their final Godzilla figures, the 1989 Godzilla covered in Biollante Bile, alongside the packaging images for the figure. The release will be exclusive to Target in the US and has yet to go up for sale or have a release date confirmed. We have already seen this offered internationally via NECA wholesalers so it should get a wider release globally, including here in the UK. "NECA is proud to present the next version of the most famous kaiju of the world, Godzilla ! Based on the final Godzilla vs. Biollante fight in 1989. It features paint applications to portray Godzilla covered in Biollante's disgusting green bile. The figure is 15 cm high and 30 cm long from head to tail. Godzilla features over 30 points of articulation and an articulated tail. This NECA Action Figure: Godzilla 1989 - Godzilla with Biollante 12 Inch Bile will come packaged in a collector friendly window box with opening flap." Checkout our blog page 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

After years of producing GI Joe figures in the iconic 3.75 inch scale, Hasbro launched the Classified Collection in 2020 - a new line of 6 inch collector scale figures from the GI Joe franchise. The first wave hit stores in Summer 2020 with 5 figures in total - Duke, Snake Eyes, Destro, Roadblock and Scarlet. Packaging 4/5 The GI Joe Classified packaging follows the window box design that Hasbro use for the rest of their collector focused lines. The colours on the box are specific to the faction with GI Joe characters in blue and Cobra in red. The bottom rail of the box front carries the GI Joe logo and the character name. Above this and wrapping the right hand spine is character specific artwork, in the case of Snake eyes this is a red and blue hued image by Tracie Ching. The other spine carries the numbering for the line - Snake Eyes being number 02. This left hand spine is part of the window with the coloured design with the numbering being part of the cardback piece behind the clear plastic of the window. The back of the box features a montage of GI Joe characters and the usual legal and safety text. What is a shame is the lack of any background info on the box for each character. The old cut out Command Files (Stat Cards) were a staple of the classic GI Joe line and a modern equivalent would have finished off the box nicely. The box opens via the top flap and the figure slides out wrapped on the back and side by the backing card. For Snake Eyes this is in the blue Joe design with the star icon. The figure sits into a plastic tray surrounded by weaponry. There are no twist ties, but the knife and silencer are taped into place so they don't fall loose in the box. Paint & Sculpt 5/5 Snake Eyes is presented all in black, but with a wealth of detail when you get up close with the figure. The helmet is smooth and expressionless with the ridged visor and mouth piece all in a glossy black plastic. The body is cast in black with masses of detail in terms of straps, fastenings, panels and armour. Said armour pieces are in a glossy black like the helmet, while the body suit is a duller black adding contrast across the piece. Paint is applied sparingly but where it is used it is neat and tidy. We have red panels in places like the chest and the belt, with silver then used for fastenings and straps. A loose bandoleer crosses the chest, cast in a rubbery plastic and sculpted with grenades and pouches. There is a similar approach with the belt which can slide up and down around the waist. There are also two strapped pouches on either bicep, they look sculpted at first glance but are actually loose pieces that can be moved up and down and removed if you need to. While the GI Joe Classified line is classed as 6 inch in scale, it is more aligned in size to the Marvel Legends figures where figures sit at about 6.5 inches tall - you can see this in the images below, and how undersized Luke Skywalker looks vs Snake Eyes. Like Marvel Legends, the GI Joe line has gone with a body shape that is perhaps not completely accurate with broad shoulders and slimmer waist. Accessories 5/5 Snake Eyes is fully armed with an array of weapons to use and pose with. We start with a combat knife, cast in black plastic with serrated blade and curved hilt. The plastic used is harder than usual accessories and gives a crisper finish. The blade fits in either hand, but be warned that Snake Eyes has a hell of a grip and the hands are very tough to tease apart to get the weapons in place. When not in use, the knife will fit into a working sheath on Snake Eyes left hip. Weapon two is an odd looking handgun, cast again in a black plastic and with a hole through the middle above the trigger. The barrel is tiny and looks odd, until you realise the tube that comes in the pack is a silencer to slip onto the end of this gun. With the silencer in place, the look is much improved. The gun can be slotted into either hand, and when not in use you can disassemble the weapon to put the gun in a holster and the silencer in a slot next to it. Weapon three is a larger assault weapon of unknown design. Hasbro are taking a more futuristic approach to their GI Joe weapons than using those grounded more in reality from today's military. The assault weapon is OK, but has an odd barrell and another hole through the middle - we will see what that is for shortly. We couldn't have a Snake Eyes without his Katana, and this piece is absolutely gorgeous. It is crisp and straight with loads of detail in both the handle and blade. It fits into either hand, and can also go into a two handed pose thanks to the arm articulation. It comes with a sheath which is in the same black base colour but with some red applied to the details at the top. Finally, Snake Eyes has a backpack. Another piece cast in black with silver then applied to the buckles and straps. It has a peg on the back of the pack that lines up with the hole in Snake Eyes body. When placing the backpack in place you will see a corresponding hole in the bandoleer also. I believe the intention was to push th ebackpack peg through this strap and then into the figure. Sadly, when you do this you end up pushing up the bandoleer on the front so it no longer sits naturally over the shoulder - see image below - and you will get a better overall look by bypassing this hole and slotting the backpack directly into the hole on the figure leaving the strap to sit under the peg. With the backpack in place, you will also find a socket on the bac pack side into which you can then place the Katana sheath. The Katana and Sheath can also be slotted directly onto the back of the figure if you don't want to use the backpack, and you can do the same with the assault rifle. As far as I can tell you could then slot the Katana Sheath through the whole in the hand gun and into the hole in the assault weapon to have all three weapons back mounted. Articulation 4/5 The articulation on Snakes Eyes is impressive with 22 points of articulation in total. We have the newer two part neck articulation included as well as butterfly shoulder joints with double jointed elbows and knees. Head : ball joint neck with pivot, lower neck joint Body : T-joint chest pivot, waist swivel Arms : ball joint shoulder, butterfly shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rocker None of the joints are blocked or restricted, with parts made to move around them if needed like the belt, bandoleer and arm/thigh straps. Snake Eyes can get into a multitude of fighting poses. Snake Eyes can kneel and sit as well as most poses in between. Add him onto an action stand and he can leap and strike his enemies down at will. The butterfly shoulders work well with the Katana allowing two handed posing and striking. I will however say that there is an issue with the security of joints, particularly the legs and waist which are all very loose and Snake Eyes slides into the splits and falls over far too easily, particularly when there is the added weight from his backpack. Summary For the launch of the GI Joe Classified Series, Snake Eyes was a no brainer and he has been executed really well in this larger 6 inch scale. The sculpt and decor is good, with a clever use of varying finishes to add some contrast to the all black suit. There is plenty of accessories included, and they each have a place on the figure if you want to stow them away when not in use. The designs are a bit odd and while the holes on the guns have a use, they are not very visual pleasing. Articulation is immense, with plenty of posing options - it just suffers a little with loose joints straight out of the box. The box itself is not perfect and while the artwork is great, the generic backing image and the lack of any character details is disappointing. I score the GI Joe Classified Snake Eyes an impressive 4 out of 5. See More GI Joe Figures in our Hasbro Database 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, GI Joe, G.I. Joe, Cobra, Classified Series, Snake Eyes

The Doctor Who 3-packs of figures in B&M have been a summer staple for a number of years now. Within the 2020 B&M sets is a new 3-pack that builds on the single carded general release figures from early 2020 and completes the TARDIS crew for the 13th Doctor with figures of az and Ryan packed with a Judoon Trooper, complete with new gun. Packaging The 2020 packs continue the packaging design established in 2019. It uses the new Dr Who logo, but in a silver colour with the box artwork themed around silver and blue and outline images of the TARDIS. There has been some improvement on the 2019 boxes with the top rail now removed and the window extended to wrap the top of the box and the right hand side. While this resolves issues with the figures head or feet being hidden in the box, it does leave the left hand figure as you look at the box a partially obscured. The window is stickered with a gold foil "limited edition" sticker. Beneath this is confirmation of the set name as Friends & Foe of the Thirteenth Doctor. A small red insert then confirms the scale as 5.5 inch. The character names are not included at all on the front. The left hand side spine continues the TARDIS illustration with a repeat of the set name. The right hand spine is simply coloured blue with a circular insert that now finally confirms the contents and character names. I am not sure why they have not put this on the box front? The back of the box is very basic and carries pictures of each figure with the character name underneath and then repeats itself with a further circle insert with the character names listed again. With so much background detail included on the Dalek and TARDIS sets, I am confused as to why Character cannot include some basic background text for each figure on these sets? The set opens up from the top flap and the figures and tray slide out as one piece. The figures are set against a grey lined cardboard backdrop that replicates the design used on the box reverse. Each figure is strapped in by two clear elasticated ties - one around the waist and another at the feet. It is easiest to snip these with scissors from behind as these can rub the paint if you try to pull them while the ties are in situ. Paint & Sculpt 3/5 Yaz is a superb head sculpt with a brilliant likeness to Mandip Gill, while remaining sympathetic in terms of paint app to the rest of the line. The hair is impressive two with double buns and then lengths of hair from a second hair piece that drape over her shoulders. Yaz uses a Primeval Claudia Brown body, the same one used in this years set for Romana I. While this may be a reuse, it fits perfectly for Yaz both in proportions and design. The outfit is based on the one worn in Arachnids in the UK with the white shirt, not the pink top. It is not a 100% match, but is close enough and in keeping with Jaz's style of clothing. Each element is well painted and detailed including the belt on the jeans and the two tone of the boots. While Yaz is an awesome looking figure, Ryan is less impressive. We have a new head sculpt here too with a passing likeness to Tosin Cole. The head is perhaps too neutral for Ryan and looks too dour, having him smiling or at least with his mouth open as often seen on screen would have worked better. After the head, the body is sadly poorly executed. It starts with the choice. It is a re-use of a Cutter figure from Primeval and that original figure was itself a bit odd in terms of proportions and the huge collar. There was a much better version released in later series of Primeval that would have worked better - they could have also used other figures like the End of Time Master with the hoodie or a Rory with the gilet for a style that Ryan would wear. What he gets is far too formal and it looks like a poor head swap custom. Painting on the jacket is patchy with layers of green design to make the coat weathered just looking odd. The buttons are neatly painted in gold, while the shirt underneath is a vivid and far too bright turquoise. The trousers are grey, again with a quite intensive wash and the boots a jet black. The figure is meant to represent Ryan's outfit in Rosa and while the colours are right, the cut of the costume is wrong and it just isn't Ryan for me. Our final figure is a full repack of the Judoon Trooper. The figure has no substantial changes since it was last released and is predominantly cast in black plastic. The helmet is sculpted into place and there is no option to remove it. Paintwork, where applied, is neat with bright silver on the helmet seal and around the various straps and rivets of the costumer. The skirt sections are a softer rubbery plastic that can be moved with the leg articulation. For some reason, my Judoon arrived with very warped legs as you can see on the image which is disappointing. Accessories 4/5 The set includes a single accessory, a new sculpt blaster rifle for the Judoon. The piece is pretty impressive with a sleek design and various paint apps including black, burgundy, silver and some intricate red dots. It fits into the Judoon hand, but the fit is not overly tight. Articulation 3/5 All three figures utilise the same articulation, 14 points in total. This is of course consistent with the line as a whole and fully as expected considering all three figures use bodies previously used in this or similar lines. Head : rotating neck plug Body : rotating waist Arms : rotating shoulder joint, bicep swivel, single pin elbow, rotating wrist Legs : T-Joint hip, thigh swivel, single pin knee None of the figure are overly expressive. The arms are quite mobile, but engaging the bicep swivel will throw the look of the arm. With no ability to extend the shoulder away from the body, only rotating round, simple gestures are probably the order of the day. The legs have more scope thanks to the T-Joint hip which can swing the leg out in front or to the side. This allows for wider stance posing, or some level of bend in the knees. There is a drawback though with the feet as there is no ankle joint to keep the feet flat to the floor as the other leg joints are moved. That leaves all leg posing in the hands of the figure to balance on the turned foot. The Judoon can just about get its hands round for a two handed weapon pose, although the left hand struggles to fully grip his blaster weapon. Those warped feet on the Judoon, coupled with some loose leg joints and a top heavy design, make him difficult to stand Summary The Friends & Foe of the Thirteenth Doctor is an odd set in so much it is bringing Ryan and Yaz into the mix for the first time rather than granting them a single general release like Graeme, and then coupling them with a recent villain that itself would normally be an army builder and perhaps more fit for single release. The figures themselves range from the very impressive Yaz, to the middle of the road Judoon, to the Ryan figure which just does not do it for me thanks to poor choice for the body/outfit. The overall look of the figures and the articulation is still in keeping with the main line that has now been running for 14 years - and therefore Ryan, Yaz and the Judoon will fit perfectly into any display. The packaging also presents some missed opportunity for background text, and even simple things like naming the figures on the front of the box. I score the Friends & Foe of the Thirteenth Doctor a 3 out of 5. Individually I would score Yaz a 4, Judoon a 3 and Ryan a 2. Visit our Doctor Who Archive for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, doctor who, dr who, 13th doctor, yaz, ryan, judoon, B&M, character options, toys

The Doctor Who 3-packs of figures in B&M have been a summer staple for a number of years now. While a lot of the previous sets have been re-releases and re-paints, 2020 carries on where the Harry Sullivan figure left off with three sets all with new head sculpts included. The Companions of the Fourth Doctor finally brings a Classic Era Sarah Jane Smith figure to the line along with figure of Romana I and Romana II, both full new additions to the line. Packaging 3/5 The 2020 packs continue the packaging design established in 2019. It uses the new Dr Who logo, but in a silver colour with the box artwork themed around silver and blue and outline images of the TARDIS. There has been some improvement on the 2019 boxes with the top rail now removed and the window extended to wrap the top of the box and the right hand side. While this resolves issues with the figures head or feet being hidden in the box, it does leave the left hand figure as you look at the box a partially obscured. The window is stickered with a gold foil "limited edition" sticker. Beneath this is confirmation of the set name as Companions of the Fourth Doctor. A small red insert then confirms the scale as 5.5 inch. The character names are not included at all on the front. The left hand side spine continues the TARDIS illustration with a repeat of the set name. The right hand spine is simply coloured blue with a circular insert that now finally confirms the contents and character names. I am not sure why they have not put this on the box front. The back of the box is very basic and carries pictures of each figure with the character name underneath and then repeats itself with a further circle insert with the character names listed again. With so much background detail included on the Dalek and TARDIS sets, I am confused as to why Character cannot include some basic background text for each figure on these sets? The set opens up from the top flap and the figures and tray slide out as one piece. The figures are set against a grey lined cardboard backdrop that replicates the design used on the box reverse. Each figure is strapped in by two clear elasticated ties - one around the waist and another at the feet. It is easiest to snip these with scissors from behind as these can rub the paint if you try to pull them while the ties are in situ. Paint & Sculpt 4/5 Sarah Jane Smith has had a number of figures to date - both in the Who line and the spin-off Sarah Jane Adventures packs, but all of them have been a Modern Era Sarah Jane. This version see's a brand new 1975 Sarah Jane head sculpt and it does a great job of capturing the younger Elisabeth Sladen, while remaining consistent to the overall look of the line with the painting of the eyes and lips. The hair is a good shape too and tucked around the head and designed to sit just above the shoulders of her borrowed body. The body is from a Series 3 Martha Jones figure from 2008, the one with the combat suit from The Last of the TImelord. It is repainted to recreate the outfit Sarah wore at the end of Genesis of the Daleks and into Revenge of the Cybermen. The trousers are repainted in the camouflage design and the boots in brown as a match to the 1975 outfit. The jacket is not quite the same as it wasn't double breasted in the episode and she didn't wear it fastened. That aside the colour is a match and the collar is painted in cream for the shirt underneath. Everything is painted neatly, with the como design very impressive. There is also neat detailing of the belt and buttons. The only real issue with the figure is the neck which has does carry a gap and its worth checking before you buy as some packs have a much larger gap than others. Romana I is also a new head sculpt of Mary Tamm and this is based on her season 16 stories across 1978-79. The likeness to Mary Tamm is OK, but the head feels very generic and plain with quite heavy painting of the eyes, lips and eyebrows. The hair is swept back from the forehead by quite a way but is well sculpted down the sides into the various bangs and curls. The figure is essentially based on Romana from The Pirate Planet, but the hair is more alike to the style she has in the Stones of Blood. In the Pirate Planet she was wearing a headband. Like Sarah Jane, Romana I is a repurposed body to create a close approximation to the outfit worn in The Pirate Planet. The original figure was Claudia Brown from Primeval, a line that has lent a number of bodies to the Who cause recently in B&M sets. The jacket is re-painted pink as per the episode but it is quite different in style as it was tied closed in the episode and extended down past her waist. The arms are painted only to create the shorter sleeves. The rest of the outfit works well with the collared shirt, flared sleeves and white trousers and shoes. While Romana I is a little disappointing, Romana II is a much more impressive figure. Again, we have a new head sculpt of Lalla Ward with a good likeness painted with the ongoing style of the Character Doctor Who line so it will fit in with all the other figures. While Sarah Jane and Romana I were sculpted with a neutral expression, Romana II has been given a slight smile/smirk which does add character to the head. Her hair piece is a rubbery plastic piece allowing it to flow down and over the shoulders. It is well painted with a brown base colour and darker brown wash. Romana II takes her body from a long coated Sarah Jane figure from the Sarah Jane Adventures, another line by Character back in 2009. This re-use is perfect as it with a repaint we pretty much have a match to the long pink coat, trousers and brown leather boots that Romana II wears in Destiny of the Daleks. The scarf is a new piece cast in rubbery white plastic to hang over Romana's head to finish the outfit fully. The scarf piece does sit a little oddly on the body, pushed out by the flare of the coat to sit a little unnaturally at the point where the two ends trail towards the floor. You can start to train this on your display with it being a softer plastic - and I also suspect (but do this with caution and ask an adult to help) hot water treatment will allow you to reshape it further. Accessories N/A The figures in the Companions of the Fourth Doctor Set are devoid of any accessories as such, although it is worth noting that the Romana II scarf can be removed if you wish. When you look at the accompanying sets in this years selection, there has certainly been a better deal for accessories so it is a shame a Key to Time and/or Tracer could not have been included. Articulation 3/5 All three Companions have the same articulation, 14 points in total. This is of course consistent with the line as a whole and fully as expected considering all three figures use bodies previously used in this or similar lines. Head : rotating neck plug Body : rotating waist Arms : rotating shoulder joint, bicep swivel, single pin elbow, rotating wrist Legs : T-Joint hip, thigh swivel, single pin knee None of the figure are overly expressive. The arms are quite mobile, but engaging the bicep swivel will throw the look of the arm. With no ability to extend the shoulder away from the body, only rotating round, simple gestures are probably the order of the day. The legs have more scope thanks to the T-Joint hip which can swing the leg out in front or to the side. This allows for wider stance posing, or some level of bend in the knees. There is a drawback though with the feet as there is no ankle joint to keep the feet flat to the floor as the other leg joints are moved. That leaves all leg posing in the hands of the figure to balance on the turned foot. Summary The Companions of the 4th Doctor Set from B&M brings us three new Classic companions to line up with our multiple Tom Baker figures - the previous choices being Leela, K9 or Harry Sullivan from last years sets. In a time when new figures are few and far between, it seems the relationship and agreement with B&M is growing to facilitate the sculpting of new heads and parts to work with existing figures to create new versions or new characters completely. It is also pleasing to see a focus on the Classic era rather than the newer series stuff. This does mean we have to put up with some inaccuracies in the outfit, but they are certainly done well within the confines of what parts Character have available to them. In a way I also like the fact Character are not tweaking the line in terms of paint apps or articulation - particularly with the more modern options available - it makes this almost a Retro line with the 2020 figures sitting perfectly in line with the first figure releases from 2006. At £19.99 for three figures this is steal of a set when you consider general release Who figures are £12.99 each. The packaging could do with jazzing up a little, remove the repetition and give us some character/story background on the reverse like is done so well on the TARDIS and Dalek Sets. I score the Companions of the Fourth Doctor Set from the 2020 B&M Exclusive line 3 out of 5. Visit our Doctor Who Archive for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, Doctor Who, Dr Who, 4th Doctor, Fourth Doctor, Companions, Romana, Romana II, Sarah Jane Smith, TARDIS, Dalek, Character Options, B&M

The Doctor Who 3-packs of figures in B&M have been a summer staple for a number of years now. While a lot of the previous sets have been re-releases and re-paints, 2020 see's an exciting new set for fans of UNIT with a pack based on the 1971 story The Claws of Axos. The set contains figures of the Brigadier, Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton. Packaging 3/5 The 2020 packs continue the packaging design established in 2019. It uses the new Dr Who logo, but in a silver colour with the box artwork themed around silver and blue and outline images of the TARDIS. There has been some improvement on the 2019 boxes with the top rail now removed and the window extended to wrap the top of the box and the right hand side. While this resolves issues with the figures head or feet being hidden in the box, it does leave the left hand figure as you look at the box a partially obscured. The window is stickered with a gold foil "limited edition" sticker. Beneath this is confirmation of the set name as U.N.I.T. 1971 - the Claws of Axos. A small red insert then confirms the scale as 5.5 inch. The character names are not included at all on the front. The left hand side spine continues the TARDIS illustration with a repeat of the set name. The right hand spine is simply coloured blue with a circular insert that now finally confirms the contents and character names. I am not sure why they have not put this on the box front. The back of the box is very basic and carries pictures of each figure with the character name underneath and then repeats itself with a further circle insert with the character names listed again. With so much background detail included on the Dalek and TARDIS sets, I am confused as to why Character cannot include some basic background text for each figure on these sets? The set opens up from the top flap and the figures and tray slide out as one piece. The figures are set against a grey lined cardboard backdrop that replicates the design used on the box reverse. Each figure is strapped in by two clear elasticated ties - one around the waist and another at the feet. It is easiest to snip these with scissors from behind as these can rub the paint if you try to pull them while the ties are in situ. The weapons are each sellotaped into the tray. As you will see later, these are quite a hard brittle plastic so remove with care otherwise you risk sapping the smaller parts like the barrels or grips. Paint & Sculpt 4/5 Let's start with Captain Yates. The head sculpt is brand new to the line as Yates has not been released in any format before. The likeness to actor Richard Franklin is recogniseable while the paint retains the spirit of the line and does not look out f place against any of the older figures. Mike is wearing his UNIT beret, complete with circular UNIT badge, that looks to be applied as a decal and is legible with the UNIT lettering around the inner grey circle. Yate's body the legs from the Brigadier figures with the arms specifically from the Three Doctors Brigadier. The chest piece is a rubbery over-piece which is new to the line and position over what I assume is the base torso from the Brigadier figures. This essentially creates a brand new figure that is a good match to the combat uniforms see in the Claws of Axos. The only thing missing is the combat boots rather than the shoes this figure is wearing. The uniform is painted in varying combat greens with a grey for the neck scarf and silver for the buckles on the straps and belts. Another UNIT decal is applied to the left arm of Yates. Yates is sculpted wearing gloves, as taken from the Brigadier figure, painted in burgundy. Gloves do vary as being worn and not worn for the UNIT troops in the Story, but Yates is definitely wearing these colour gloves in some of the final scenes with the UNIT jeep chase. Sergeant Benton is another head sculpt, and another recogniseable likeness to actor John Levine. Again, the paint is neat and tidy and in keeping with the line, there is even a degree of expression with Benton with the eyebrows narrowed and the mouth downturned. Benton is wearing the same beret as Yates with the same UNIT decal. Benton shares the exact same body as Yates with the only difference being the sergeant stripes applied as decals to the left and right arms above the elbow. Benton has the same gloved hands as Yates, painted in the ame burgundy. This is perhaps not entirely accurate to Benton's scenes as he is not wearing any gloves in most of them - however, the type and colour are consistent with Yates and the Brigadier so is a very minor point. Our Brigadier figure is a full re-use of the original Claws of Axos Brigadier. The head sculpt is a very good likeness to Nicholas Courtney and the painting a little more detailed around the eyes. Sadly though the moustache is less detailed with parts of it left in the flesh tone which is detrating up close. The Brigadier is wearing a combat sweater and plain trousers, both painted in khaki green with lighter pads on the shoulders and elbows. He is wearing a belt, with a holster on his left hand side. This is a sculpted piece and it does not work with the included revolver. Despite being from the same Story, the two Claws of Axos Brigadiers do have some significant paint variations between this new version and the original 2013 release. The beret is a different green, as are the trousers. The gloved hands are now burgundy and not black, this burgundy colour looks to be more accurate to the episode. The flesh tone used on the head is more rosy in 2020, while the 2013 version seems to be have the better painting of the moustache. Accessories 4/5 It is a relative rarity for a B&M set to include accessories, so the UNIT set is very impressive to boast three weapons to share among your troopers. We have two versions of an Automatic Rifle. These are cast in black in a hard and brittle plastic, so be careful of damage. Being a harder plastic, the detailing is quite impressive even without any further paint apps on top of the base plastic. The rifles are taken from the Primeval range of figures and appear to be an M4 Carbine. They are technically far too modern for the 1971 setting of the story and are certainly not what UNIT was using on screen. They do, however, work well with the figures sitting into the right hand, with a trigger finger that slots into place. The left hand can also hold the front grip for a two handed pose. There is then a smaller handgun which sits with the Brigadier figure - but that can be used with any of them as you see fit. This is also cast in black plastic with no paint apps. This looks to be a Webley Revolver, which is consistent with the handgun used by the Brigadier. It has been included in most Brigadier releases to date - but as stated above, does not fit into the holster which is sculpted for display only. Articulation 4/5 All three figures share the same base body and therefore the ame articulation count of 16 points of articulation. Head : rotating neck plug Body : rotating waist Arms : rotating and pivoting shoulder joint, bicep swivel, single pin elbow, rotating wrist Legs : T-Joint hip, thigh swivel, single pin knee The one joint that is more extensive than usual is the shoulder which can be swung out from the body as well as rotating in its slot - only a handful of Who figures have included this joint to date. The figures are all mobile enough in the arms for two handed weapon poses, but the bicep swivel is still disjointed when turned vs the rest of the arm because of how the arms are sculpted. The legs are OK but limited without an ankle rocker to some wider stances only. Summary Not only is this an impressive set, with two new characters introduced into the line. But it is also a very nostalgic set for those of us who grew up with 70's and 80's Who and who also loved soldiers and the UNIT troops. It is a shame the box could not have carried the same background info as seen on the Dalek & TARDIS sets to give us some more background info to UNIT and the Brigadier, Benton and Yates. The set is good value at £19.99 for three figures, and while the Brigadier is a re-release (with paint tweaks) the new figures of Yates and Benton expand the Third Doctor era figures considerably. The paint work is neat and tidy and remains consistent with the whole line back to the launch in 2006. The likenesses on all three heads, not just the two new ones, is great. As with most B&M sets of recent years, paint application and the positioning of the decals can be mixed - so inspect your set carefully to get the best option. I score the UNIT 1971 Claws of Axos set a very impressive 4 out of 5. Visit our Doctor Who Archive for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, doctor who, dr who, claws of axos, unit, brigadier, yates, benton, 3rd doctor, TARDIS, B&M, Character options

Continuing their line of 6 inch figures based on various video game 1v1 fighting games, Storm Collectibles have revealed this new figure of Jin Kazama, as seen in Tekken 7. The figure will include three head options, 4 set of hands and a very impressive special effect that sits over Jin's hands for a super punch action. Pre-orders are now open for Jin Kazama with a release date between October and December 2020. JIN KAZAMA - The leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the man who declared war on the world. Fighting the Devil inside him which gets stronger everyday, he yearns to be rid of it once and for all. When his battle is over at last, will he find hope… or despair? Features: 3 x Interchanging Jin Kazama's Head-Sculpt 4 x Interchanging Hands 1 x Special Effect Estimated Release Date: Q4 2020 Checkout our blog page 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, and following on from the Deluxe Probe Droid, Hasbro released a Deluxe Set of Luke Skywalker and Yoda from their Jedi Training scenes on Dagobah. The Dagobah Luke was the winner of a Fan Vote from 2019, while Yoda finally got a size reduction to be better scaled. Luke will get a re-release in the 3rd wave of Vintage carded 40th Anniversary figures - but if you want a full on Jedi Training Luke, then this is the set you need. Packaging 5/5 The set comes in packaging that uses a lot of the Phase 3 packaging design features, but merges them with some classic elements - particularly the silver tramline around the window and The Empire Strikes Back logo. The box is about 4 cm wider than a normal box, and for some reason is about 0.5 cm deeper which is odd as nothing in the box warrants the box to be any deeper. It is the same height as the normal boxes. The front of the box has a 40th Anniversary logo in silver foil in the top right. It also uses a Gregory Titus illustration of Luke with Yoda on his back. The set name, in red, sits under the Empire logo and crosses into the illustration. The set is numbered as it is not an exclusive, it is specified as D4 the 4th general release in the Deluxe Series. The numbering sits on the red side spine and again on the back alongside a bigger image of the Titus artwork and some background text for the set. "Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back with Luke Skywalker & Yoda figures. At the urging of Obi-Wan, Yoda agreed to instruct Luke, developing his Jedi abilities" Paint & Sculpt 5/5 Luke is a brand new figure from the ground up as far as I can tell. The head sculpt is amazing, and definitely the best Mark Hamill likeness in the line to date. The face uses face print technology to bring out the realism in the sculpt - which itself is impressive with a determined and out of breath look for Luke - complete with unkempt and sweaty looking hair. Luke is sculpted in his vest, with the arms uncovered. The joints in the arms have been well disguised so he doesn't look clunky when posed. The legs are the flight suit trousers from the Bespin getup, but are brand new sculpt and nt from the existing Bespin figure. Both vest and trousers are cast in the base colour, then washed with a darker brown and finished with some grey splashes to create a grimy finish - as you see on screen and as you would expect from someone training in a Dagobah swamp. Yoda too is a brand new figure, now shrunk down a little to be a better scale to the Empire Strikes Back puppet - and, as we will see later, to fit in that backpack. Yoda comes with two head sculpts, both the same size as the previous version, but new sculpts. The first is a standard head, the second with eyes closed in concentration ready to lift up an X-Wing. Both are gorgeous thanks to a combination of an amazing head sculpt and the new face print. Yoda is wearing his robes, now tailored to the smaller body and in the same material as the previous 40th Anniversary / Archive Yoda. The bissl sits round his neck - watch out for that getting snagged and trapped when you swap heads. The robes are tied with a plastic belt which does not come undone and therefore the robes cannot be removed, although there is a sculpted body underneath. The robe is already threading a little being a courser material so watch out for snagging loose threads and fraying at the edges. The robes do cover the hands, and needs to be pushed back a little to expose them. The hands, and feet, are painted well in the same green tone as Yoda's head with the claws picked out in a darker brown. You can see below the scale of this new Yoda alongside Luke, and alongside the previous released version. You can also see the comparison to the Bespin Luke (Archive Release) and the differences in the trousers which I had assumed may have been reused into this set. Some early comments were critical of Yoda's head size vs his body. I personally don't see this with the set in hand and open - it perhaps has more to do with the packaging and how it frames the head and compresses the robes? I will mention, for those who think the same as I, that the heads are not interchangeable on Yoda. The ball socket on the new one is much smaller than the existing one so you can't transplant the spare head onto a Yoda body for a variant version - not without making some physical adjustments to either the peg or the hole. Accessories 4/5 The Jedi Training set comes with a raft of accessories, mainly for Luke, to allow for the various scenes from Dagobah to be recreated. We start with Luke's lightsaber, and this is the same as the previous Luke/Anakin releases but with a brighter silver finish. We have black painted fins, gold on the strip and red on the button near the emitter. The blade is pale blue with quite a thick socket to connect to the hilt - this means the fit is secure and the saber is less likely to be damaged or bend. The saber will fit into either or both hands for posing. Like a lot of Black Series figures who have both Saber's and Blasters the decision has been to give Luke a trigger finger hand and letting that "make do" to hold the saber. Luke is als armed with his DL-44 blaster. This is not quite the same as the Archive Luke release and is not numbered on the body of the weapon as seen with the two previous releases with the original Bespin Luke and Archive Bespin Luke. Mine arrived warped, possibly due to a combination of the packaging inner tray and the softer plastic leaving the barrel is very bent and misshapen. The weapon fits in Luke's right hand where a softer plastic trigger finger can slot into place. Luke does come with a second pair of hands and these are designed for force actions and some acrobatics. The hands swap out easily, but the pegs are much slimmer than usual so be mindful of that when swapping them over. When this set was released it was demonstrated that the flat left palm could support the figure in the single arm handstand we see Luke perform in the film. As the image below testifies, this is indeed possible - although I failed to get Yoda stood on his foot unaided. This pose is very much dependent on the left arm elbow joint, and mine is a little loose. It might have been nice for Hasbro to build the left hand into a stand to help posing - even if you get Luke balanced he will never stay in this pose on display for any length of time. Moving on to Yoda, and he gets his walking stick. And this is significantly shrunk from the previous release. At such as small size the detai is hard to see but it does seem to include some wooden texture. It is cast straight with the curved top and will slot into either hand. The final accessory is the backpack for Luke to wear, and Yoda to sit in. It is cast in a blue rubber plastic with paint apps on the buckles and straps in silver. To get it onto the figure you will need to find the plug which is positioned on the strap that would sit on Luke's left shoulder. A plug connects the strap to the pack and unclips to get the backpack onto the figure. The only issue with this design is how fiddly it is to reattach the plug once the backpack is on the figure. It would have been easier to have the connection on the front rather than tucked into the back strapping. Articulation 5/5 Luke is one of the most articulated Black Series figures I have seen to date, with a total of 19 points of articulation and no armour, capes or belts to restrict the movement of any of them. Head : ball joint neck, ball joint neck base Body : ball joint torso Arms : ball joint shoulders, butterfly shoulders, single joint rotating elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single joint rotating knees, ankle rockers The neck joint removes the ugly pivot we usually see and still allows the head full movement. The butterfly shoulders support the posing of the arms for two handed saber poses and for posing with the backpack, as per the iconic image from the film. The arms, even without the double joint elbow, pretty much fold back on themselves. And the single joint knees still allow for kneeling and sitting poses - albeit the last one is a little awkward. If you want a workaround or the handstand pose, then I would recommend a stand of some kind. I used these cheaper secondary market stands to hold Luke in place. You can even take waist clip from a second stand to hold Yoda if you want to put this on display. Despite his small stature, Yoda too boasts a relatively impressive set of articulation for someone so small. He comes with 14 points of articulation in total, and while the movement in each may be limited it does allow for some iconic posing. Head : ball joint neck Body : waist swivel Arms : ball joint shoulder, single rotating elbow joint, wrist rotation Legs : ball joint hips, single rotating knee joint, ball joint ankle Yoda can reach out with the Force, particularly impressive with the eyes closed head. He can also lean both hands on his walking stick, as well as hunch over to walk with his stick. With the backpack engaged, the two figure become one display piece. Luke's articulation allows for the same wide range of movement even with the backpack in place. This includes using his saber, or posed as though holding the straps of the back pack. In situ in the backpack Yoda's legs are rendered useless, but his head and arms will need to be posed to instruct Luke as though talking to one side of his head, or reaching past him to gestue at something or make a point. Summary The Yoda and Luke Skywalker Jedi Training Deluxe set is pretty much flawless, apart from one warped blaster. The box is a wonderful hybrid of new and old, while both figures look superb and articulate brilliantly. The accessories are extensive, and there are a wide range of options for the set if you want to unbox it and have it on display in one of the Dagobah scene poses. The promise of Luke being able to balance on one hand is realised, but he will need help to be posed that way for any length of time on display. And any criticism of the slimmed down Yoda having too big a head will simply vanish when you have it in hand and start posing. I have no qualms at all about rating this set our top marks of 5 out of 5. Visit our Star Wars Black Series Database for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, yoda, 40th anniversary, the empire strikes back, luke skywalker, dagobah, jedi, training, swamp

Super7 have announced a new line of figures based on classic Disney animated movies. The line will fall in Super7's Ultimate collection and will be around 7 inch in height depending on the character. The line will launch with three figures in the first wave, We have King john from Robin Hood, Pinocchio, and Mickey Mouse from the Sorcerer's Apprentice. The figures will be sculpted and fully articulated and will also feature soft good elements. Pinocchio will include three head options, alternative hands, a school book, an apple and in scale figures of Jiminy Cricket, Cleo and fish bowl and Figaro the Cat. King John also includes three heads and a selection of hand options. He comes with a vanity mirror and two versions of Sir Hiss. Mickey has three heads and alternative hands and comes with a giant Spell book, two buckets and a mop. All three figures are now open for pre-order, with the pre-order period open until the 5th of September 2020. Once ordered, the figures won't ship until June 2021. Pinocchio, the puppet with a penchant for tall tales and a curiosity for life, inspired our desire for adventure and belonging. The Pinocchio Ultimates! Figure is super poseable with 3 interchangeable heads showing his growing nose, interchangeable hands, his conscience Jiminy Cricket (of course), a school book, an axe, an apple, Cleo’s fishbowl, Figaro the Cat, and a fabric vest with gold trim. Although he is no match for Robin Hood’s stealth and valor, Prince John is still one of the most notorious cartoon villains. The Prince John Ultimates! Figure is super poseable and features three interchangeable heads, interchangeable hands with and without the jewels of his rings, two versions of his slithering assistant Sir Hiss, a vanity mirror, and a plush velvet robe with a fur trim. From the timeless animated classic Fantasia comes Disney’s Mickey Mouse, in his iconic role as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. This Ultimates! Figure is super poseable and features three interchangeable expressive heads, interchangeable hands, two water buckets, an animated broom, an axe and the Sorcerer’s giant spell book. The Ultimates! Figure is also dressed in a tailored, velvety-soft wizard robe with a real rope tied waistband. Checkout our blog page 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

The Gaming Greats line launched in 2020 as a sub-line to the 6 inch scale Star Wars Black Series, bringing us figures of our favourite Star Wars video game characters. The first releases were of Jedi Revan and the Battlefront Heavy Battle Droid. They were followed in Summer 2020 with two Stormtrooper releases from The Force Unleashed. Here we look at the Shadow Stormtrooper Gaming Greats figure. Packaging 5/5 The Gaming Greats line follows the base design and shape as the Phase 3 Star Wars Black Series packaging. The base colour of the box remains black with the glossy Star Wars Black Series logo across the top rail. The differences start with a hexagon cut into the window with the Gaming Greats logo. The figure card back and side spine are variant colours depending on the character, with an electric blue shade used for the Shadow Stormtrooper matching the hue of the blue lighting in their armour. This same blue is used for the character name and in the Gregory Titus artwork, creating a haunting looking of the Shadow Stormtrooper with those blue eye lenses starting at you from the box front. This gives the box a very vibrant and different look to the other Black Series figures. Most Black Series characters are now labelled as to the movie or property they are taken from, however the Gaming Greats line - and other video game figures prior to the line being launched - carry the game logo on the bottom right of the box. The side spine itself is not numbered, but rather than the dot matrix pattern of other exclusives, it uses the Hexagon Gaming Greats logo above the character name. The back of the box repeats the Titus artwork and the Force Unleashed logo. It also carries the usual background text which is split between the premise of the Game and the role of the Shadow Stormtrooper. "Star Wars : The Force Unleashed follows Darth Vader's secret apprentice, trained to hunt down and destroy Jedi, while Shadow Stormtroopers use cloaking technology to ambush enemies" Paint & Sculpt 4/5 The figure in hand is well proportioned to the generic Stormtrooper look, with the helmet shaped well and the armour all well rounded and shaped. The whole figure is designed to look like it is about to phase into its cloaked mode and to do that we have some parts cast in blue translucent plastic and then part painted over the top in black with almost a metallic pearlescent sheen. Other parts like the shoulder pauldrons and the helmet have blue painted over the grey. The look is incredible and even with translucency of key parts like the stomach and arms - you are not at all distracted by the inner workings of the figure beyond. There is however one shame about the figure which many have commented on since it was first shown - and that is the feet. These are cast in a gloss black and therefore create a very harsh transition from the translucent phasing lower legs into the shoes. It leaves him looking like he is wearing glossy patent black loafers and throws off everything else on the figure when your eyes are drawn to it. Had they executed the feet like all the other parts we would have been looking at a 5 out of 5 figure here for sculpt, paint and overall looks. The figure uses the original 2014 Stormtrooper Sculpt and not the upcoming 2020 revisit. In the main this isn't an issue, but the 2014 Stormtrooper has always suffered with a bow legged look which does translate into this figure. The other previous Shadow Trooper release from 2014 can be seen here side by side with our new Gaming Greats version. While the base figure remains the same the decor is wildly different. Accessories 4/5 The Shadow Stormtrooper is packed with the same weapons as all previous Stormtrooper releases. The E-11 blaster rifle is cast in a black plastic and has the silver panel painted on the barrel. It is designed to fit in the right hand, where a trigger finger slots into place. When not in use it can fit into the holster on the left hip. The E-11 is consistent with the appearance in game. The D-20A rifle was not used in the game, but has been included here. It is cast in a grey plastic and over this we have some hefty gunmetal dry brushing. It too fits into the right hand and can also fit in the holster if needed, but it looks a bit odd sticking up so far towards the head. The silver look of this gun does not quite match the Shadow Stormtrooper overall aesthetic and while I applaud paint apps on weapons - perhaps this one needed to be kept plain black? Articulation 3/5 The Stormtrooper weighs in with 18 points of articulation. This is a couple more than standard as this is an older figure base and gets the bonus of having double joint elbows supported by a bicep swivel. This makes the lower arms very mobile and poseable with weapons posing etc, but the upper shoulders are not quite so lucky as they are blocked by the shoulder armour when you try to raise them. Head : Ball joint Pivot Neck Body : torso ball joint Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbow, wrist pivot Leg : ball joint hip, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, ankle rocker The legs too, as mentioned, are carried over from the older figure and are not quite right. They look bow-legged a lot of time and to get a stance you often have to bend the right knee. The knees and ankles are securely ratcheted, but there is an issue that the feet never seem to line up with the knees for a flat position pose. Summary The Shadow Stormtrooper is one pair of feet away from top marks from me. I love the box, artwork and colours. I love the execution of the cloaking parts, with clever use of translucent parts in with well painted armoured parts. The only issue is those feet and it is a bizarre choice to leave something so out of place on the figure after everything else has been executed so well. Like other Gaming Greats the figure will also be a little harder to obtain. It is exclusive to Gamestop in the US and via the Fan Channel here. With an increased base price of circa £24 and likely limited availability, army building a squad of these or more will be more difficult. I score the Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats Stormtrooper Commander 4 out of 5. Visit our Star Wars Black Series Database for more News & Reviews 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, gaming greats, stormtrooper, empire, force unleashed, imperial, hasbro