Search this site

McFarlane Toys have released full galleries for their first four 6 inch scale Game of Thrones action figures. We've seen each of these figures revealed over the past couple of months, but these images give us an all round look at the sculpting and paint of each figure. This first wave is due in April when GoT returns to our screens. There are no more details at this stage about wave 2. These may be confirmed at the New York Toy Fair? It is worth noting that Viserion the Dragon is not in scale with the figures and is the first in a new line of McFarlane Monster releases. If you haven't watched the latest season (I know it was a while ago) please note there are spoilers in the following product details. Arya Stark is the third child and second daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife, Lady Catelyn Stark. After narrowly escaping the persecution of House Stark by House Lannister, Arya is trained as a Faceless Man at the House of Black and White in Braavos, and uses her new skills to bring those who have wronged her family to justice. PRODUCT FEATURES: Incredibly detailed figure of Arya Stark modeled from digital scans of actress Maisie Williams Articulated Arya Stark figure featuring her iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Figure features 12+ points of articulation Figure comes with Needle sword and Valyrian steel dagger accessories Pre-order from Amazon US (will deliver to UK) Queen Daenerys Targaryen, is the younger sister of Rhaegar Targaryen and Viserys Targaryen and only daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen and Queen Rhaella Targaryen, who were both ousted from the Iron Throne during Robert Baratheon’s rebellion. Among the most popular characters on the show, Daenerys is also the “Mother of Dragons” having rule over Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. PRODUCT FEATURES: Incredibly detailed figure of Daenerys Targaryen modeled from digital scans of actress Emilia Clark Articulated Daenerys Targaryen figure featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Figure features 12+ points of articulation Figure comes with four screen accurate map marker accessories Pre-order from Amazon US (will deliver to UK) Jon Snow, born Aegon Targaryen, is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, the late Prince of Dragonstone. A decorated individual Jon has been chosen Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and helped lead a successful raid in overtaking Winterfell from House Bolton restoring House Stark’s reign over the North, in which Jon was proclaimed “King of the North.” PRODUCT FEATURES: Incredibly detailed figure of Jon Snow modeled from digital scans of actor Kit Harington Articulated Jon Snow figure featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Figure features 12+ points of articulation Figure comes with legendary Longclaw sword and Dragonglass dagger accessories Pre-order from Amazon US (will deliver to UK) The Night King is the master and the first of the White Walkers, having existed since the age of the First Men. He also serves as the supreme leader of the Army of the Dead. “The true enemy won’t wait out the storm. He brings the storm.” – Jon Snow (about the Night King) PRODUCT FEATURES: Incredibly detailed figure of the Night King modeled from screen accurate digital imaging Articulated Night King figure featuring iconic attire from his appearances in Game of Thrones Figure features 12+ points of articulation Figure comes with Night King blade and spear accessories Pre-order from Amazon US (will deliver to UK) Along with his brothers Drogon and Rhaegal, Viserion was raised since birth by Daenerys Targaryen, however, after being fatally wounded, and then resurrected, Viserion has now fallen under the command of his new master, the Night King. Under the Night King, Viserion would blast away the Wall in Eastside with his now blue flame, allowing the Army of the Dead to enter the Seven Kingdoms. PRODUCT FEATURES: Incredibly detailed figure of Viserion showcasing his ice dragon form from the season 7 finale of Game of Thrones Movable tail, legs, wings, and neck totaling over 10 points of articulation Viserion’s wings span 16.5″ wide and features up and down movement Viserion measures 9″ x 16.5″ x 10.5″ fully displayed on elevated base Figure comes with removable burst of blue fire Pre-order from Amazon US (will deliver to UK)

Further to it's confirmation, NECA have now shared an early prototype image for the Terminator 2 John Connor 7 inch scale action figure, complete with his dirtbike. You've got to love the nod to Guns n Roses. "There's no fate but what we make for ourselves.... Coming in 2019 (prototype shown, final product may vary) #t2uesday #TerminatorTuesday"

January, in the main, is the leanest month for toys on store shelves as the Xmas stock is sold through and not replenished. I dropped into B&M for a look today and found a couple of interesting items. First is the arrival of more Diamond Select Minimates. These were the Avengers Infinity War sets including Cap and Falcon, Hulkbuster and Corvus Glaive, Black Panther and Ebony Maw - and the Toys R Us exclusive pack of Groot and Rocket, still with TRU sticker in place. They were not priced but was told £2.99 each when I asked. Then there was a new sticker for DC collectible Flash figures. With the Arrow figures sold through this may be the next lot of £7.99 DCC figures. These figures did make a fleeting appearnace in some stores in august. This may mean its a restock or this store has found some old stock. They only had Heatwave, and he of course was also in Home Bargains early in 2018. It will be interesting if any more turn up? And finally, either this store has been very neglected by Dr Who fans, or the rumoured restock of the 2018 sets is now happening. They had all 3 of the recent sets, with no significant paint differences. There was no sign of the 3rd Doctor and TARDIS.

NECA have released these new atmospheric promotional images of their Guillermo del Toro collection Ofelia action figure from Pans Labyrinth. Ofelia will be released with three different fairies figures, the key book and a stone pillar, complete with removable eye. "NECA’s collaboration with renowned movie director Guillermo Del Toro brings select characters from Del Toro’s films to life in premium action figure format with deluxe added elements. From the dark fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth, the young Ofelia stands approximately 5” tall, is fully articulated and comes with detailed accessories from the movie, including three different fairies, key, book, and a small pillar with removable eye. Collectible deluxe window box packaging."

Welcome to our review of the 6 inch Star Wars Black Series Val in her Vandor-1 outfit from Solo : A Star Wars Story. Val is part of Wave 19 of the Black Series, released in late 2018. She is number 71 in the phase 3 red packaging. Packaging 5/5 The phase 3 box for Val follows the usual trend, but with a more detailed than usual Gregory Titus illustration of Val in the bottom right corner. Unusually for the Black Series she is specifically named as Val with the bracketed subtitle (Vandor-1). This places this release specifically on Vandor-1. And yet the other Solo figures like Beckett and Chewbacca are simply listed with their character name only. The side panels remains standard wit the bold red on one side with the bold black number 71. Then the black side with the slight window panel wrap around. Here the character name is shown in small red text, and a blown up version over the top. The rear of the box includes a repeat of the Val illustration, over which is a short piece of background text taken directly from the StarWars.com database. "A no-nonsense and occasionally prickly woman who is a crack shot with a blaster rifle, Val may be the most even-headed and capable member of Tobias Beckett's ragtag crew of scoundrels." Val slides out through either the top or bottom box flap sitting in the red inner cardboard tray. The figure is then slotted into the clear plastic tray within. There are no twisty ties or bands in use. Paint & Sculpt 5*/5 I have been saying for a while that the execution of female characters in the Marvel Legends line using the new face print technology is exemplary. Figures like Gamora and Scarlet Witch are absolutely nailed on with the actor likeness, at a time when the male versions can be hit and miss. Hasbro are now bringing this female likeness expertise over to Star Wars, first with the recent Leia figures and then with this Val figure. The likeness to Thandie Newton is spectacular with such subtle skin tones of light and shadow as well as hyper realistic eyes. There is a slightly glossy lip tone on lips sculpted in a slight smile, and even a touch of blusher on the cheeks. The outfit is a work of art too with a basic black ensemble. On closer inspection you can see the various textures and shades of this outfit. And then there are the more visual details like the goggles hanging around her neck, the fur trim to her jacket and the variety of pipes and ropes that represent her climbing gear on Vandor-1. If you want to talk about attention to detail on a figure, then look at Val's gloves and those tiny metal components on two of her fingers. Painting is spot on with no obvious errors or bleeding. There are also numerous colours in play from the red of the ropes to the brown of the strapping and the silver of the buckles and clips. Round the back is a section of flexible brown rubbery plastic as a skirt section. This concludes the outfit, but as we will see doesn't impede articulation. Articulation 5/5 Val has the usual 16 points of articulation. And while you may worry the piping and ropework would impede movement, it has all been really well thought out. The head and neck is a ball joint with pivot, and that allows you to both turn, tilt and even cock Val's head to the sides adding more character to that wonderful head sculpt and decor. Arms sit with ball jointed shoulders, single rotating elbows and a pivot wrist. Both arms move fully with the red piping being flexible enough to move with the arms as they are raised or bent. There is a torso joint build into the chest, hidden behind the fur scarf which hangs over the top. This too is fully mobile for rotating the upper torso or leaning the figure in and out of poses. Legs are ball jointed at the hips, and the skirt section and climbing ropes are flexible and positioned well enough to allow the legs more or less full motion. Under the hips are thigh swivels, double jointed knees and ankle rockers. All of Val's joints are tight and robust and she stands perfectly well in a number of poses. Accessories 3/5 Val has one accessory, a blaster. This is not quite the blaster we see Val use in the movie as there is no grappling accessory or rear sights. This might mean it is based on a pre-production blaster. It is a shame as this takes the shine off what so far has been a wonderful figure. Said unspecified blaster is cast in grey plastic and has some pretty decent cast detail up close like ridging along the barrell and panels above the trigger. The only paint application is a light bron that covers the grip and a further section between trigger and barrel. It is designed to slot into Val's right hand, and while it does go it looks a little oversized with the trigger finger not quite getting into the trigger fully. Thanks to the articulation, two handed poses look much better with Val cradling that lower segment of the blaster with her left hand. Summary Val is probably the best Black Series figure from the Solo movie in terms, and possibly the best of 2018. She looks brilliant with the best face print likeness we've seen to date in the Black Series line. Her outfit is really well designed and articulation is sufficient and not at all impeded by those pipes and climbing gear - she is really well thought out. The blaster takes just an edge off the shine as it's not quite screen accurate and a little dull for such a brilliant looking figure. Had Hasbro replicated the grappling gun and maybe given her one of her bombs, we'd be adding Val to our very exclusive 5* club. Instead I am going to rate the Val (Vandor-1) Black Series release a 5 out of 5.

Welcome to our review and gallery for the Star Wars Black Series 6 inch Rio Durant Action Figure. Rio, from Solo : A Star Wars Story, was released in late 2018 and is number 77 in the 3rd phase red packaging. Rio was part of Wave 19 of the 3rd phase alongside other Solo characters Rio, The Imperial Patrol Trooper and L3-37, as well as original trilogy figures of Dengar, Leia in her Hoth outfit and Lando in the Skiff Guard disguise. Packaging 4/5 Rio Durant is packed in the usual sleek black box of the 3rd phase of Black Series packaging, complete with red backing card for the figure and gloss red right spine. The figure is number 77 in the line and the numbering sits on the red spine. The artwork of Rio is expressive, showing a more subdued Rio than perhaps we see him in the movie. This image is replicated on the reverse of the box, and in a larger size so you can see much more of the detail in the Ardonnian's face including the scar on his forehead (remember this detail). Rio's background text talks about the operations Rio has done alongside Tobias Beckett. Interestingly it is not taken from StarWars.com like most of the text we see on the Black Series figure releases. "Rio Durant has carried out dangerous operations alongside the scoundrel Tobias Beckett for years. The good-natured Ardennian pilot is up for any challenge, not unlike his young counterpart Han Solo." Paint & Sculpt 4/5 Hasbro fail to disappoint with Alien sculpts, and Rio is another fantastic head sculpt. Like the illustration, this is quite a glum Rio rather than the wisecracking pilot we see on screen. The eyes are particularly realistic and the overall head paint job does a very good job of adding depth and realism to the sculpt. There are shadows and darker lines in the wrinkles and the whole face eventually fades to a darker grey around the rest of the head. The flight goggles are actually a removable piece, which surprised me when they first came off. Taking them off doesn't really do much for the figure - but it does expose the scar on his head. I first thought this was a casting error, but it is screen accurate and matches the onscreen character - and the illustration on the box front. The goggles themselves are a rubbery plastic and actually include transparent red lenses. They do not however fit down over the eyes, so can only be propped on the head. They aren't the best fitting either and it's hard to get them back into the position they were in the box and can slip off or be pushed up or outward when the head is moved. Rio stands 4 3/5 inches high, which is accurate to his 4ft 11 stature scaled down to 1/12. He comes in his blue flight suit, as seen while flying the AT Hauler, complete with bright yellow flight vest. Everything on the outfit is sculpted well and there are some good details including items like the zip on the flight suit, control panels on the chest unit and flight vest, and even a decompression valve on the leg of the suit. Painting is neat with no real issues. There is a lack of weathering, with just a touch around the white of the belt and front of chest unit to dirty it up. Accessories 3/5 Rio's first accessory is a the large blaster that comes packed next to him in the box. This is a new weapon in the line and it looks a bit like a flamethrower with some pipework from the grip round to the front of the gun. It is cast in black plastic with no paint application at all. This larger weapon is not something seen in the movie as far as I can see, it was perhaps based on an earlier design that was later dropped. It fits into any of Rio's four hands, all of which come with a gripping action and trigger finger. The second weapon is packed in Rio's blaster as he arrives, it is held in with a very slim elasticated band. This is a what appears to be an SE-14C blaster, and this is screen accurate in terms of Rio using a pair of these when he is fighting off the Cloud Riders on the AT Hauler. Like the larger weapon this is cast in black plastic with no paint applications. And again it fits into any hand, although considering its holster location it feels like it should be a right handed weapon. Articulation 4/5 As an Ardennian, Rio has four arms which makes articulating him a little out of the norm to most humanoid figures. Rio has 23 points of articulation making him one of the most articulated figures to date, although that doesn't quite translate to the most poseable. The head is ball jointed and is also fitted with a pivot. The head can rotate a good way either side until a flexible hose connected to the ear piece starts to get too stretched. Under this is a torso ball joint, hidden beneath the yellow vest, and this adds another rotation motion - but not a great deal of options for leaning. The waist however gets a further ball joint and this allows the crouching and leaning motion that Rio needs as well as a further point where the upper body can rotate. While the arms have obviously gained joints, the legs do lose out a little. We begin with a ball jointed hip which is fully mobile with the belt and holster moving with the leg. Being short and stubby the legs do lose the thigh swivel and we go straight into the knees. These are a single rotating joint only but do bend to 90 degrees, and they also rotate to make up for the thigh swivel. We do gain again when we reach the ankles as there is both a rotation joint on the ankle and then an ankle rocker to level out the feet. This rocker is a touch loose, but so far I have had no issues standing Rio. Each of the four arms is jointed with a ball joint where it meets the torso. All of these have full movement upward, but the rear pair of arms are blocked a little by the front pair, so these can swing out to the side and upward, but not forward. Each arm has a rotating elbow with the rear pair bending to just about 90 degrees, and the front pair a touch further thanks to the rounding of the elbow shape. Each hand is then pegged with a pivot so rotates and pivots within the sleeve. All these arm joints give a multitude of arm posing options, although it is tricky to get them looking natural (for a 4 armed Ardennian) with some poses just looking awkward. The front hands can get into a two handed weapon pose with the larger blaster, while the rear arms can be posed to look as though they are adjusting those goggles. Summary I am really pleased Rio made it into the Black Series, rounding off Beckett's crew and giving us another key character from Solo. It is also another great Alien design, something the Black Series has been lacking since inception. Rio looks great with Beckett and the other Solo figures, scaling perfectly well. He has a few flaws, those goggles being one of them and I'd have preferred a sculpted or glued piece if they can only be fitted one way and not worn over the eyes for a variant look. The outfit could maybe do with weathering a touch. The two accessories are OK, nothing special and the larger gun being an odd one to include unless it was based on an unused prop. The sculpting and paint is very good, with a very realistic face sculpt and those glassy expressive eyes. The articulation is also very well designed, with no obvious scrimping on the joints by Hasbro to bring us a fully articulated six limbed alien - it is only this anatomy that restricts the joints with the stubby legs and the arms being so close together that they do impeded each other. I score Rio Durant a strong 4 out of 5.

UK retailer Darkside Toys has shared new promotional images, courtesy of Hasbro, for the 3.75 inch Star Wars Resistance figures. The new cardbacks are very striking with a white cardback and black Star Wars logo. The cards are also individual shaped on the right side where the character image is located. The figures, which are arriving in US stores as we speak, should hit the UK independents - including Darkside Toys - in late January. At this stage it is unclear if any of the Toy stores or Supermarkets will support the line.

NECA have shared images of the Series 13 Alien figures in their blister packaging. The Series, due soon, is made up of Kenner inspired figures of Sergeant Apone, the Snake alien and the Scorpion Alien. "Series 13 in NECA’s bestselling Aliens line is dedicated to the classic Kenner Expanded Universe Aliens of the early 1990s! Taking inspiration from those designs, our team has transformed these Kenner classics into modern versions with all of today’s detail and articulation. It includes the long-awaited debut of Space Marine Sgt. Apone as well as the frequently requested Snake Alien and Scorpion Alien. Space Marine Sgt. Apone stands approximately 7” tall and features an extraordinary bio-mechanical right arm and heavy-duty grenades on his back. The figure is highly articulated and comes with a rifle accessory. Snake Alien feature a 12″ long bendable tail and ball-jointed fingers for attacking its unlucky prey. Scorpion Alien has over 30 points of articulation. Both highly detailed figures measure over 9” tall. The clamshell packaging is an homage to the classic Kenner art, featuring custom illustrations and a color palette reminiscent of the toy shelves of the early ’90s."

We first saw the Terminator 2 John Connor action figure from NECA at SDCC 2018, although details at the time were sketchy. NECA have now confirmed on their Twitter page, that John will be an Ultimate release and come complete with his motorbike. This was after an image was found on the back of the Terminator Future War figures. We would expect this to be a release for the 2nd half of 2019 and we expect more news at Toy Fair. The question now is, will we get the T800 on his bike?

January 2019, and we've updated our extensive UK Action Figure Store Directory with the addition of Cool! Merchandise in both Basingstoke and Salisbury, and Scorch Comics in Eastbourne. You can see these shops, and all our other listed UK stores, on our interactive map here In the online category we say hello to Cosmic Geeks Our online directory of Action Figure stockists is here and lists both our current site partners and affiliates, followed by an extensive UK listing. Entry onto either of these listings is FREE and if you know of a store we have not listed then please get in touch Read more about our advertising and promotional options...

Welcome to our review of the 6 inch action figure of L3-37 from Star Wars, The Black Series, L3-37 is the "self made" droid who travels with Lando Calrissian in Solo, A Star Wars Story. She was released in 2018 as part of wave 19, the final wave of that year. She is number 73 in the phase 3 (red) packaging. Packaging 3/5 L3-37 arrives in the standard phase 3 red line packaging, numbered 73. The character name is simply given as L3-37 with no reference to the Solo movie as such - this is of course standard for the Black Series releases. The Titus artwork is quite emotive considering L3-37 is a droid and he has captured her looking almost mournful, although that might be just my imagination and because I know about the character and her role in the film. Either way the detailing on the illustration is impressive, especially on the various parts of the neck. You see more detail on the reverse where there is a larger image of the illustration, this is overwritten with some basic background text for L3-37 - taken as usual from StarWars.com "A "self-made droid" build from astromech and protocol parts, L3-37 is an enlightened navigator who cares deeply about droid rights." The text on this packaging seems smaller than usual, and there is a big chunk of the StarWars.com bio text cut off - this is a shame as it goes on to talk about her link to the Millennium Falcon and the whole Droids Rights movement. The figure is accessed in the usual way and as per normal is not strapped into the tray, just held in by the shape. Be careful extracting her from said packaging as she is a bit more fragile than usual figures with her slim limbs and various wired parts. Paint & Sculpt 5/5 Up until now, there hasn't really been any stand-out droids in the Black Series line. While Troopers usually are hits, the droids have been a bit "meh" from the undersized R2 units to the less than shiny C3-PO. While K-2SO came close, it is this release of L3-37 that has really set the bar for sculpting and painting of a droid figure. The astromech droid head is cast to include the triangular symbol on top, and this section is painted in silver with green detailing. The rest of the head is the base plastic cream with some fantastic wiring detail to one side that hangs down from the head and is painted in silver, red and yellow. The rest of the body is well executed also, being first cast in the off white plastic and then connected by various robotic constructs and parts with exposed wiring and workings. Checkout the stomach section for the level of detail on the inner workings and wire - brilliant. The paint application is incredible with a green panel theme throughout, silver and grey on the workings and various colouring for the wires. The body is also dry brushed in parts to weather L3 and give her that worn and Galaxy weary look we see in the film. Up close this is a little patchy and there are areas you'd think would be distressed that aren't - the bottom of the legs being a good example - but we are of course nitpicking. Accessories N/A L3-37 is devoid of accessories of any kind and therefore we can't mark this segment. I have struggled to think of anything she could include, and my best idea was an extra "head" that Lando and Han could carry ready to plug into the Falcon? I guess the level of paint apps used the budget for the figure. Articulation 2/5 L3's articulation is anything but standard, and after checking I am going to go with a figure of 15 points of articulation. The head is jointed initially at the top of the neck where the Astromech dome is connected. This can rotate and tilt. We then have a second joint at the base of the neck giving further rotation and pivot action as far as the torso will allow. The arms are essentially a ball joint plugged directly into the torso. They can swing out to about 45 degrees before the upper arm rounded shoulder hits the torso and impedes the movement. Being a rudimentary joint the movement is also springy and the arms don't always hold and behave as you'd like them. The elbows are odd in that they do not bend at all. They are certainly designed too, but wiring on both keeps them straight. The same elbow joint does then rotate on a circular pad between upper and lower arms. The wrists are the usual traditional pivot which rotates and bends. Moving back to the body and the torso is jointed where the upper section meets the stomach wiring and parts. This is a ball joint so the torso rotates and L3 can lean forward and back on the joint. The legs are a similar joint to the shoulders, with a socket in the leg this time pushed onto a ball on the hips. Once again movement is restricted by the large rounded top to the legs and the mass of connected wiring. Beneath this is a knee that is more of a pivot allowing the lower leg to bend forward and backward on a peg. We finish with the biggest issue on articulation (and sculpt to a degree) and that is the feet. These are jointed to the lower leg by a pivot which means they aren't rockers and instead rotate around the base of the leg. Being true to the screen these are mismatched and the surface area that is in contact with the ground is minimal. As L3 is also so light, standing her and keeping her stood are big issues with the figure. There isn't even a peg hole in the foot to help her by dropping her on an aftermarket stand. All of this makes L3-37 a wonderful figure to look at, but a difficult one to display in anything outside a neutral pose. Summary L3-37 is a figure I cannot find much fault with on looks, the painting and sculpting are excellent. I am not even bothered about the lack of any accessories - it's clear to see where the money was spent on this figure. She looks brilliant alongside Lando, or other Droids like the Disney 2-pack. The issue is sadly the articulation, and specifically the ability to stand. I am no figure designer, but using some licence and making the feet bigger would certainly have helped. Perhaps also putting some weight into the lower legs to help balance. L3-37 is not a bad figure and I would recommend all collectors add her to the Solo collection if you are going in that direction. I score her a 3/5 and would hope Hasbro can iron out the articulation (or have done so already) on these types of droids before Grievous and the Battle Droids hit final production. #490

The boys are back in town! Three 7-inch scale action figures are joining the ultimate Ghostbusters Action Figure line, each with a piece of the massive firehouse diorama! Based on the sequel Ghostbusters 2, this series features We're Back Peter in his gray jumpsuit, We're Back Winston in his grey jumpsuit, and Slime-Blower Ray Stanz with his massive equipment! Each 7-inch figure comes packaged in the famous Select action figure packaging, ready for display with side-panel artwork for shelf reference. And each contributes to the firehouse doors, getting you that much closer to having a Ghostbusters HQ in your own home!