Search this site

With the announcement of the Star Wars Episode 9 title and the teaser trailer, the global packaging for Episode 9 has been revealed at Star Wars Celebration. The new packaging will be live as of Triple Force Friday, 4th October. Of course the Black Series figures will most likely retain their own design - this is expected to also be a redesign for Episode 9 and The Mandalorian. Official Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Consumer Products Packaging Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker product will be available starting October 4, 2019 as one part of Triple Force Friday – a celebration that will see product set for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Packaging reveals for The Mandalorian and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to come at a later date. Fans on site at Star Wars Celebration Chicago got the chance to fulfill their action figure fantasy by taking a photo in a life-size packaging replica.

A first look, via a magazine/catalogue scan, of the SH Figuarts Spider-Man from Far from Home. It seems the original suit from Homecoming will get a July release followed by the new darker suit in August.

Checkout this upcoming Star Wars Black Series deluxe release of Emperor Palpatine and his throne. The set includes three head options and a force lightning fx piece. The images were found on Amazon, although it isn't clear at this stage if it's an Amazon exclusive. We expect more info at Star Wars Celebration this weekend, but the Amazon listing indicates a 13th April release - scroll down for the promotional text and listed features. Scheming, powerful, and evil to the core, Darth Sidious restored the Sith and destroyed the Jedi Order. He slowly manipulated the political system of the Galactic Republic until he was named Supreme Chancellor and eventually Emperor ruling the galaxy through fear and tyranny. With exquisite features and detail, Star Wars The Black Series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars devotees love. Star Wars The Black Series includes figures, vehicles, and role-play items inspired by the Star Wars entertainment galaxy that includes the Star Wars comics, Star Wars movies, and Star Wars animated series (each sold separately. Subject to availability). Inspired by Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, this Emperor Palpatine figure features realistic deco and detailing. The inclusion of the Emperor's imposing throne makes this a great gift for Star Wars fans to display in their collection. Features & details 6 inch Scale Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) figurine with throne - Imagine action packed Star Wars scenes with this collectible Emperor Palpatine action figure and throne Force Lightning Hands Accessory - In addition to the Emperor's imposing throne, also included with the figure are a set of Force lightning hands and other movie-inspired accessories. Fans can imagine (Naboo Senator/Supreme Chancellor) Palpatine using his Sith powers to weaken his rivals Star Wars movie inspired design - Inspired by the iconic Death Star Throne Room scene in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, this detailed figure of the Emperor is great for display in any Star Wars collection Premium detail and articulation: This Emperor figure features realistic design and detail inspired by Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Multiple points of articulation make the figure highly poseable for play and display Star Wars Collectibles - Inspired by Star Wars movies and entertainment, Star Wars The Black Series figures (each sold separately) enhance any Star Wars collection

While McFarlane haven't fully revealed their new Harry Potter line, this new graphic and the associated pre-order blurb gives us some indication of what to expect from a first wave of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lord Voldermort On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter learns that he has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, brave the challenges of school life while facing the increasing threat of the Dark Forces. As Voldemort returns to power, Harry realizes that only he can stop the Dark Lord. This figure will include Base, Background artwork, Wand and Stag Patronus. The evil Lord Voldemort is first defeated when he unsuccessfully attempts to kill Harry Potter. During Harry’s years at Hogwarts, the Dark Lord becomes progressively stronger and rises to power once more, culminating in the battle of Hogwarts – the ultimate showdown between good and evil. This figure will include Base, Background artwork, Fabric robes, Elder wand and Nagini the snake. One of Harry’s best friends and a fellow Gryffindor, Hermione is a smart and studious pupil. Her quick-thinking and impressive magic skills often aid Harry and Ron in their adventures. This figure will include Base, Background artwork, Wand and Otter Patronus. The ginger-haired and humorous Ron Weasley is Harry’s first friend at Hogwarts. Throughout their years at school, Ron remains a key ally to Harry and is instrumental in their quest to destroy Lord Voldemort. This figure will include Base, Background artwork, Wand and Terrier Patronus.

Here is a better look at the McFarlane 7 inch Doom action figure. The Doom Slayer is due for a September 2019 release. He comes with a super shotgun, sheathed and extended sword arm and a display base. The Doom Slayer (also known by the UAC as DM1-5, DOOM Marine or The Slayer, the Demons of Hell as the Doom Slayer, the Unchained Predator, the Hell Walker or to the fandom DOOM Guy) has been the main protagonist for most the series and playable character in Doom franchise and in the upcom-ing Doom Eternal. His origin is intentionally vague, but he wears his iconic green Space Marine armor and slaughters through countless demons and monsters on a perpetual war against hell.

Welcome to our review of the 2019 exclusive Imperial Jumptrooper from the Star Wars Black Series 6 inch action figure range. The Jumptrooper was exclusive to Gamestop stores in the United States, but across the rest of the world was available for specialist stores to order as a shared exclusive. It is the first exclusive to be directly supplied via Hasbro UK to the UK market and as such saw wider availability at a standard £19.99 RRP rather than the usual premium put on exclusives in the UK as retailers had to import them at cost from Hasbro in the Far East. Packaging 3/5 The Jumptrooper arrives in the standard phase 3 red and black packaging. The figure had been called Rocket Trooper in some press and news stories pre-release, but Hasbro have settled on Imperial Jumptrooper as the name. As the figure has been sold directly for the UK and European market, the tradeoff seems to be the use of over stickers on what we assume is the US packaging. The worst of these is a black strip on the front that cuts right across the Gregory Titus artwork and is applied at an angle on mine so it is not even straight. On the back too is a further sticker covering the bottom quarter and now carrying the various word warning in select European languages. Above this we do get a repeat of the Titus artwork and a short bio "An elite squadron within the Imperial ranks, jumptroopers (also known as rocket troopers) were outfitted with jetpacks and utilized in tight spaces. They were trained to act in unison, often swarming and overwhelming their targets". As you open the figure we find another relative first for the Jumptrooper, a packed in stand which sits nearly hidden at the base of the inner tray behind the artwork and name plate on the front of the box. As this is a European release, we also find a folded safety leaflet tucked behind the figure tray as it is withdrawn. Paint & Sculpt 4/5 The Jumptrooper is essentially the body of the previous released Imperial Stormtrooper from 2014. Onto this Hasbro have added a very nice new sculpted helmet which includes a more pronounced brow and ridge and breathing tubes in semi-flexible plastic that snake round to the backpack. The paint is neat and well executed with gloss black visors and grey and yellow trim across the helmet, with the usual blue on the two side vents. The backpack itself is relatively small and cast in gloss white with a touch of paint detail to bring out the vents and boosters. It slots into the back of the figure by means of the hole the Imperial Stormtrooper has on the back of the torso. The shoulder armour has been changed to an extended version, the left of which is cast in bright yellow to add a touch more colour to the figure. Onto these are applied Imperial decals. Being the same body as the 2014 Stormtrooper, the rest of the figure carries the same design, construction and of course flaws. The armour is cast white and looks great and the suit underneath is then cast in or painted black for contrast. The legs remain a little bow logged and the holster is placed on the left of the body when the trigger hand for the blaster is on the right. Accessories 3/5 Our Jumptrooper is armed with an E-11 Blaster, which is again an older and well used cast. As these Jumptroopers are based on their Star Wars Rebels appearance, and not Battlefront 2, the weapon choice is accurate. The blaster is neatly painted too with a silver dry brush over the cast black. It fits into the right hand where there is a flexi trigger finger to slot into place. It will go in the left hand, just not as neatly. When not in use it slots into the holster on the belt. And what about that stand? Well its certainly an innovative design and rather than a peg and hole solution, it has a sleeve at the front of the triangle into which the whole foot of one leg is designed to fit. The fit is certainly not snug, but works for a good amount of neutral posing and some action poses where you can retain the balance of the figure by keeping both feet on the ground. The trouble beyond this for say a running pose or a jump is that with such a loose fit and the foot sitting at the the point of the triangle is that the figure still topples too easily. While I applaud Hasbro for trying with these stands, I think they need to consider the shape/design if these are going to work going forward. Articulation 3/5 We have 18 points of articulation on our Jumptrooper, although that does not equate into great articulation. The head is ball jointed and of course can rotate and pivot, but only within the constraints of those breathing tubes. Beneath this the torso joint allows for rotation of the upper body and also does give some ab crunch movement which I think is crucial for flying poses. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder, but held in place by that shoulder armour so they cant raise up the full distance we'd normally see. Beneath that the bicep swivel is also held back by the extension of the shoulder amour over them. As an older release we get to see the double elbow joint on the figure and the arms end with the pivot wrist. The bow-legged legs start with a hip ball joint that is pretty much restricted to slight tweaks in position due to the leg armour, under this is a thigh swivel which can be rotated in and out to help leg stance. The knees are double jointed and the ankles on rockers. The ankle rockers on our figure was stuck and had to be scraped clear of excess plastic. But aside from this the joints are tight and secure. The figure has enough articulation for basic flying poses, which is great. If Hasbro wanted to include a stand in this figure, then I feel a good flight stand would have been a better inclusion as it really does bring the figure to life. Summary The Imperial Jumptrooper is a very good choice for an exclusive considering it is a niche character and a tweak to an existing sculpt. It also symbolises a couple of firsts for the UK at least when we see the price and availability from Hasbro UK - and of course that stand. As a figure it looks great. Well sculpted, even considering the age of the body, and well coloured and painted. The articulation is a little lacking at shoulder and hips, but to make this work would have mean sacrificing the looks somewhat - so I guess the compromise is OK. The figures issues are part inherited from the original Stormtrooper such as the bow-legs and the oddly placed holster. And also new, with that stand not delivering on what was originally promised. MIB collectors may also be disappointed with the way Hasbro UK are having to oversticker the boxes for the UK market, particularly if it remains so haphazard. With that all considered, the Imperial Jumptrooper is going to score 3 out of 5 on our scale. A steady release with a few flaws. See More Star Wars Black Series figures

The Entertainer website has been updated with four new Star Wars Black Series 6 inch figures as coming soon. All four are previous US retailer exclusives. From The Last Jedi we have the "deluxe" environment sets of Rey on Crait and Kylo Ren in Snoke's Throne Room. These include a diorama base and diecast parts. Ray was a Toys R Us Exclusive while Kylo was Walmart. At this stage the third set of Luke on Ahch-to is not listed, this was a Target exclusive. One Target exclusive that is up on The Entertainer is the exclusive Chewbacca figure from Solo. And the foursome is rounded out by the new Stormtrooper with blast FX parts that has been a Disney Store exclusive in the US. Chewie is listed for £22, while the other three are listed as £49.99. This is quite rich considering the US prices of each of these. Expect that to be an establishment price before a discount as we saw with things like the Centrepiece sets. I'd predict somewhere around £20 for each of these. We may also get lucky and get Chewie at a discount too?

The first Endgame products have started to appear on shelves at Smyths Toys. The predominant line is of course Lego, with a full line of sets on both an aisle end and the aisle itself. The Action Figure aisle has been re-planned, with Toy Story 4 now prominent and Jurassic World / Godzilla relegated to further down the aisle. Marvel remains as is with the Endgame figures sit within the standard mix of figures and roleplay items. These are the basic line of Hasbro figures in the 6 inch and 12 inch sizes. The 6 inch figures are £9.99 each, and for some reason only Iron-Man was in stock. There is then a deluxe Thanos at £12.99 although he looked tiny and not much bigger than Iron-Man. In the larger 12 inch hereos we found Endgame Ronin, Hulk and Thor - as well as repacks of others in Endgame livery like Black Panther. In terms of bargains, there are still 6 inch Star Wars Black Series knocking around at a fiver - these were all Rogue One (Jyn, Cassian and Krennic). I did notice that in Transformers the Studio Series Crowbar was now half price at £10 and the other Deluxe Transfomers like Jazz and Stinger were down to £14.99. The larger Voyagers were also reduced to £21.99, the Smyths I went to only had Starscream - but you'd assume some may also still have Optimus.

B&M have been a bit quiet as late for Toys, but my local store have recently replanned their Toy Aisle which may signal new arrivals. The new arrivals seem to be the 3.75 inch Stranger Things figures which obviously have a niche following in their retro style. The other interest is in what was reduced with the Ghostbusters down to £8 and the Walking Dead down as low as £5 per figure.

Welcome to our review of the 2019 Marvel Legends T'Chaka figure. T'Chaka is part of the 2nd wave of Black Panther figures, and an entire wave of Marvel Cinematic Universe figures with a build-a-figure of M'Baku. Packaging 4/5 The packaging remains consistent for T'Chaka with the 1st Black Panther wave with a golden backdrop for the figure and artwork drawn with a blue hue and gold highlights. The rear of the packaging see's the most recent running change with promotional images of the figure replaced with artwork from the movie. Alongside this shot of T'Chaka sits the standard short character text "As king of Wakanda, T'Chaka assumes the Black Panther identify and with it, the responsibility to protect the sacred metal, vibranium, and the honoured history of his kingdom." T'Chaka arrives posed in his inner tray and is held in by the shaping of the tray with no ties or bands in place. M'Baku's leg sits to his right. Paint & Sculpt 4/5 T'Chaka features a new Black Panther masked head with a movie accurate design that holds a number of sculpted panels and textures as we've seen on the other Panther masks across the Black Panther waves. The helmet is cast in black plastic with gold trim and gold lenses on the eyes. The gold paint i neat, but there is some missing god on the strip that crosses the head from back to front. Alongside the gold is a very tiny amount of white paint to highlight two "teeth" on the lower jaw of the helmet. Considering their size this application is impressive. While the helmet is a new piece, the torso and arms are a re-use from the Civil War Black Panther figure. Of course this is accurate to the movie with T'Challa obviously inheriting his fathers suit but making changes & improvements to the design. The body is cast in black with gold on the necklace and the trims around the arms and the claws. The legs are a new sculpt too with baggier trousers tucked into strapped boots. This lower half is nicely sculpted but they have missed the strapping we see on the actual costume. The lower legs are simply left as plain black plastic with no paint added at all. The decor budget has of course been spent on the outer robes which are cast in a rubbery purple plastic with tribal Wakandan colours and designs added on top. The patterns and level of detail is spectacular and adds a real point of difference on your MCU shelf. If the robes are not to your liking then you will be pleased to know they can be removed. They are pegged down the side and once un-clipped the robes slide off revealing the full figure underneath. Accessories N/A There are no accessories packed with T'Chaka Articulation 3/5 T'Chaka has 21 points of articulation, two more than the Black Panther figure on which he is based - with two extra joints coming in on the legs with swivels at the thigh and top of boot sitting alongside the ball jointed hip, double jointed knees and ankle rockers. The torso, being the same as the Civil War Panther, carries the same articulation with a simple waist swivel - hidden under the robes - a torso t-joint and a ball jointed neck peg. The arms are ball jointed shoulders, bicep swivel, double joint elbows and a pivot wrist. Because this is the Civil War Panther body, the figure suffers from the same issue around the shoulder with the joint not allowing the arms to get in flush with the body. Again this can be mitigated slightly by turning in the bicep joint. Summary T'Chaka was a figure we didn't necessarily need having appeared only in flashbacks. It is however a really good looking figure, adding further tribal colours and designs to your MCU Black Panther display. It does re-use some parts, but with a new helmet and lower legs the body doesn't look like a simple repaint. T'Chaka still suffers from some paint issues. There is very little across the main figure body, you'd therefore hope what is there would be well applied - but sadly there are issues on the gold trimming. The figure also carries over the arm articulation issue that the Civil War Panther has and that makes some of the arm posing difficult. The biggest miss is the lack of any other parts with the figure. Considering what is packed with other figures in the same wave, T'Chaka is crying out for an unmasked head or at least some variant hand options. I score the T'Chaka Black Panther an average 3 out of 5. See More Marvel Legend MCU figures here

Hasbro have confirmed their full Avengers Endgame product line for Spring 2019 in a press release. While we knew about the collector side for Legends, the 6 inch basic line will continue in 2019 with a basic figure assortment, two packs and larger figures of Thanos and Hulk. A first assortment of Captain Marvel, Ronin, Iron-Man, Captain America and War Machine are pictured, but I am more intrigued by what is quoted but not shown. This is in a second assortment, still slated for Spring 2019, where figures of Iron-Spider, Black Panther and a Chitauri are mentioned. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME 6-INCH Figure Assortment (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Spring 2019) These MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME figures include a character-inspired accessory for movie-inspired battling action! Collect AVENGERS: ENDGAME 6-inch-scale figures to assemble a team of MARVEL Super Heroes and imagine action-packed scenes from the MARVEL universe. Characters in this assortment include CAPTAIN MARVEL, RONIN, IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and WAR MACHINE. Each sold separately. Available at most major retailers. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME 6-INCH Figure Assortment (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Spring 2019) Imagine the incredible, super-powered action of the AVENGERS with figures inspired by AVENGERS: ENDGAME! MARVEL fans can imagine action-packed scenes with these poseable 6-inch figures, featuring articulated arms and head and movie-inspired deco. Collect AVENGERS: ENDGAME 6-inch-scale figures to assemble a team of MARVEL Super Heroes and imagine action-packed scenes from the MARVEL universe. Characters include CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON SPIDER, BLACK PANTHER, ANT-MAN, and CHITARI. Includes figure and accessory. Each figure sold separately. Available at most major retailers. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME CAPTAIN AMERICA AND CAPTAIN MARVEL 2-PACK (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Spring 2019) CAPTAIN AMERICA powers up in his Team Suit and CAPTAIN MARVEL unleashes her incredible Photon power to take on the toughest of enemies. These 6-inch AVENGERS figures feature design inspired by AVENGERS: ENDGAME, so kids can imagine their favorite Super Heroes battling against the evil THANOS. Look for other AVENGERS: ENDGAME figures (each sold separately) to imagine even more adventures in the MARVEL UNIVERSE. Includes 2 figures and 2 accessories. Available at most major retailers. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME THOR AND ROCKET RACOON 2-PACK (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Spring 2019) The mighty AVENGER THOR and ROCKET RACOON from the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY team up to stop THANOS and his evil plans to wield the Infinity Stones. These 6-inch AVENGERS figures feature design inspired by AVENGERS: ENDGAME so kids can imagine their favorite Super Heroes battling against the evil THANOS. Look for other AVENGERS: ENDGAME figures (each sold separately) to imagine even more adventures in the MARVEL UNIVERSE. Includes 2 figures and 2 accessories. Available at most major retailers. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME TEAM SUIT HULK DELUXE Figure (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Spring 2019) When the universe is in danger, BRUCE BANNER becomes the gamma-powered hero HULK. This MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME TEAM SUIT HULK DELUXE figure lets kids imagine AVENGERS action as the big, green Super Hero battles to protect the universe. This 6-inch figure features design inspired by the HULK’S appearance in AVENGERS: ENDGAME, with multiple points of articulation and a character-inspired accessory. Look for other AVENGERS: ENDGAME figures (each sold separately) to imagine even more adventures in the MARVEL UNIVERSE. Includes figure and accessory. Available at most major retailers. MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME WARRIOR THANOS DELUXE Figure (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Spring 2019) The evil THANOS wields the power of the Infinity Stones to bend the universe to his will. This MARVEL AVENGERS: ENDGAME WARRIOR THANOS DELUXE figure lets kids imagine AVENGERS action as wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet seeks to reshape the universe. This 6-inch figure features design inspired by THANOS’ appearance in AVENGERS: ENDGAME, with multiple points of articulation and a character-inspired accessory. Look for other AVENGERS: ENDGAME figures (each sold separately) to imagine even more adventures in the MARVEL UNIVERSE. Includes figure and accessory. Available at most major retailers.

SH Figuarts have released details of their 1/12 Avengers Endgame figures for 2019. These are headed by an impressive armoured Thanos with variant head options (expressions) and his giant battle sword. Facing off against Thanos is a new Mk50 Iron-Man, the suit we saw in Infinity War, but with new Nano weaponry. We then get a new Endgame Iron-Man that seems to be called the Mark 85. Joining Iron-Man is Captain America. Cap is a very standard release with shield and one head option. The new Black Widow looks awesome, as does Ronin (Hawkeye) although there is no unmasked Clint Barton head. The final figure announced, Ant-Man does get an unmasked head. Thanos, Ant-Man and Black Widow should be with us this month, April 2019. The Mk50, Ronin and Captain America arrive in May with the final Iron-Man due in June.