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NECA have released the packaging images for their early 2019 release of the Ultimate Golden Angel Predator - it was shown on the Visual Guide download for the Ultimate Series. The Dark Horse Comics inspired release will include three head options, swap out hands, trophies, weapons and the flintlock pistol that we saw in Predator 2 (1990). The Ultimate packaging for the figure features comic artwork from the Dark Horse series. "NECA presents our first action figure ever from Dark Horse Comics’ “Predator: 1718”! One of the most memorable moments in the 1990 film Predator 2 is when Elder Predator gives his flintlock pistol to Detective Harrigan as a sign of respect. “Predator: 1718” reveals the story of how Elder (whose coloration was more yellow in his younger days) originally acquired the pistol. The figure comes with 3 different heads, alternate hands, trophy necklace, smart disc, shoulder cannon, sword that fits in a back sheath, and flintlock pistol that tucks through his belt. Golden Angel Elder stands approximately 8.25” tall and features over 30 points of articulation. Collector-friendly deluxe window box packaging with opening flap."

Our next #SatTOYday newsletter will be released on Saturday the 29th of December. As is tradition this will be our end of year festive special and as well as covering the news I will take a look back at 2018 and pick our my favourite releases, as well as looking ahead to what 2019 may bring. This year we want your help and we'd love to dedicate a section to your favourite 2018 release. If you want to take part then send us a message with the name of the figure, a few words about why you've picked it and if possible and image of your figure. Deadline will be 12-noon on Friday 28th of December

For the third year running the UK is getting a "Best of MCU" wave courtesy of Hasbro. The principle of these waves is to repack various MCU figures and a relevant BAF together for the UK and European market. In 2019 we are going to have a 7 figure wave that combines the Avengers Infinity War first and second waves. From wave 1 are Iron-Man, Captain America and the Iron-Spider. From wave 2 we get Thor, Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp. The figures will include parts to build the Thanos BAF. While collectors will be pleased to see re-releases of Cap, Iron-Spider, Thor and Widow - the figures of Ant-Man and Wasp are already clogging up pegs and Iron-Man has been heavily discounted and released again in the First Ten Years 3-Pack with LED features. The inclusion of Thanos as the BAF is also perhaps an odd choice considering the aforementioned 3-Pack - which saw the figure much improved - and Cull Obsidian may have been a better option. The UK independent retailers are now opening this wave up for pre-order with an arrival in January / February.

Mezco have announced a further release of their Popeye 1/12 figure, this time as a limited release exclusive. The base figure is identical to the original release, but the clothing has been changed to a white Sailor suit rather than the original dark blue. The accessories remains the same also with two head options and three interchangeable hats. Popeye's comes with 6 versions of his pipes, three of which have added smoke effect. We have seven interchangeable hand options, a telescope, compass and two cans of spinach, one crushed. There is also a soft good duffel bag for Popeye to stow his gear in. And the whole figure sits on a display stand with anchor motif. The figure will arrive in this innovative Spinach Tin packaging Mezco's Exclusive Popeye is due for release in the first quarter of 2019 (Jan to March) and has the usual RRP of $80. You can preorder now from Mezco with a $21.25 non refundable deposit payable. As an exclusive availability in the UK or indeed outside the US will be very limited as Mezco do not ship internationally. "The One:12 Collective Popeye – Deluxe Sailor Edition features Popeye sporting Navy whites, just as he did in the animated shorts between 1940 and 1960. Packaged neatly in a deluxe tin shaped like a spinach can, Popeye comes complete with two head portraits and a wide range of accessories including: a removable pea coat, a duffle bag with functional drawstring, a collapsible spy glass, a compass with hinged lid, two spinach cans, three different hats, and two styles of corncob pipes."

Our friends at Bargainmax have just given us the heads up on the arrival of a number of Marvel Legends 12 inch figures at rock bottom prices. 12 inch Iron-Man is priced at just £16.99, with Thor and Black Panther at £24.99. Spider-Man is £23.99 and the 14.5 inch Hulk at £29.99. The range finishes with Deadpool at £34.99 Delivery is free over £15

Welcome to our review of the Star Wars Black Series 6 inch Anakin Skywalker action figure, released in 2014 in the 4th wave of the new 6 inch line under the original orange line phase 1 packaging. Packaging 4/5 Anakin is part of the first phase of Star Wars Black Series releases, the orange line boxes. These are mat black in general colour with a bright orange stripe running down them in the pattern of the lighting used on Imperial installations like the Death Star. The figure is displayed in a window with black card back that does make it hard to see, particularly for a figure whose garb is predominantly black in colour. Orange is used again for the character name and the numbering, in this case Anakin is #12 in the line. The artwork is seen in a small circular image to the top right - and on the back we actually get a movie still, converted to a grayscale image. In Anakin's case it is him and Obi-Wan facing off on Mustafar. Above the dual image is a short piece of text that gives a little background on the basis for the character and where and when it sits in the saga, particularly in this case Revenge of the Sith. "AFTER TURNING TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE, ANAKIN - NOW DARTH VADER - BATTLES HIS FRIEND OBI-WAN KENOBI IN A LIGHTSABER DUEL ON THE LAVA PLANET MUSTAFAR" "I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do" Paint & Sculpt 3/5 From the box, Anakin is a fair resemblance to Hayden Christensen and this first head is the more neutral of the two, pre-Dark Side perhaps. The head is cast in a glossy skin tone and lacks any further tone other than the eyes and eyebrows and his scar which is not overly pronounced. The lack of any wash, shading or even lip colouration means what detail in the sculpt is not realised. The hair is well done with a curling fringe and is painted a single brown tone. While the head is cast in skin tone, the neck is not and has been painted - leaving a variation in colour. The said painting is also messy and bleeds onto the surrounding collar. The neck also has a very ugly peg joint that is visible at all times as it doesn't sit far enough into the head and the joint itself is not painted fully to either side, leaving bold dark lines in a rectangle shape. Anakin is sculpted in his Revenge of the Sith robes and these are made up of brown under robes with a black gloss tunic over the top. The belt is sculpted with a pouch and some other bits and bobs, all painted and neat looking. Similar detail is sculpted on the bindings on the wrists and boots, although only the arm pieces have the straps and buckles painted. As per the movie, Anakin's right hand is gloved - his mechanical hand - while the left is cast in the same glossy skin tone as the head. The skirt segment under the belt is a combination of a leathery type material for the black and a cloth soft goods piece ot the sides to fill in the gaps. This same technique was applied on the earlier Obi-Wan figure to good effect in that it does not impede leg articulation as some skirts might. Anakin is packed with a second head. This one is designed to be the Sith head, representing Anakin as turned to the Dark Side. The head swaps easily enough. The second head carries more of a scowl with the eyes furrowed and the mouth turned down. The skin colouring is the same, a glossy skin plastic with no other shading. The eyes are narrower and darker, but not yet the Sith yellow as we don't see these until Anakin is burning away on the Mustafar lower ground. As before the hair is very well done, now messier and matted, but painted in a single brown tone. The same issue remains with the neck joint which is visible under the chin of the head. Accessories 4/5 Anakin is armed with his Lightsaber, essentially the same one that was included with Luke Skywalker in both the X-Wing and Bespin releases - after all they were the same weapon. The hilt is cast in grey and is then painted with black details around the emitter and a touch of red lower down. The blade can be clipped in and out and this quite a brighter, bolder blue than the Luke versions. The details on this are pretty sharp considering the size and the scale looks good with the figure. When not in use the hilt hangs on Anakin's belt by means of a small peg on the saber and a corresponding plug socket on the belt. The weapon can be wielded in either hand with the blade ignited or not. Articulation 4/5 Anakin has 16 points of articulation starting with the neck peg and ball joint we have already mentioned. This allows the head to rotate and look up and down. The waist is also jointed by means of a ball joint. This also rotates, as well as giving the upper body the ability to lean in or lean back. Arms are ball jointed at the shoulder with full mobility. Further down we have the rotating single jointed elbows. These bend to 90 degrees, but no more. The arms end in pivot wrist joints that rotate and then bend on the peg section. This all allows for some two handed saber poses so you can pose Anakin in battle. The legs are jointed with a ball joint hip that is fully maneuverable thanks to those soft good skirt segments. We have a thigh swivel, hidden under the skirt, to allow the legs to be turned in or out - and then the knees are double jointed allowing kneeling and crouching poses. The final joints sit at the ankles as a ratchet rocker. Anakin is perfectly stable in numerous poses. Summary Anakin is a good looking figure that would have benefitted only from some additional paint around the head and some work on the neck peg. The costume is really well done and is dark and brooding as Anakin's robes should be, but as with any Jedi I do feel he is missing a soft goods cloak to finish him off (something easily bought on the secondary market). The lightsaber is a re-use, but there is no reason why it should have been anything else being the same saber that Luke ends up with in the Saga. I score Anakin Skywalker 4/5

It seems we have two further 6 inch Legends Captain Marvel releases incoming. The news was initially broken by Far MFCT on Facebook. Less than 24hrs later the official announcement was released by Hasbro on the Hasbro Pulse. Up first is Captain Marvel Star-Force. This figure uses the same base as the main wave release, but in the green Star-Force colouring. To add further value for collectors there are additional parts added to the box - a scarf, head and bandoleer to allow you to change the figure from Captain Marvel to Doctor Minerva (played by Gemma Chan in the 2019 movie). This release will be exclusive to Target stores in the US. And will most likely get a general independent release in the UK. "Marvel Captain Marvel 6-Inch Legends Captain Marvel (Starforce) Figure (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: January 2019) Available exclusively at Target." The second figure also uses the original Captain Marvel body and head sculpts. In this version both heads and the arms have been amended to be translucent FX pieces. There are also some further clip on FX items for the hands. This exclusive is titled Binary Form Captain Marvel and will be a Walmart exclusive. While Walmart may have a presence in the UK with Asda, none of the other Walmart exclusives from Hasbro have made their way over the pond in recent years - so this one also seems unlikely. It will, like the Starforce Captain, be available via your independent specialist of choice. Both figures look to be a January release in their respective US retailers. "Marvel Captain Marvel 6-Inch Legends Binary Form Figure (HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: January 2019) Available exclusively at Walmart."

Welcome to our review of the Marvel Legends Infinite Series 6 inch Star-Lord action figure from Guardians of the Galaxy. Released in 2014, Star-Lord was part of the Groot Build-a-figure wave that also included fellow Guardians Drax, Gamora and Rocket. Packaging 3/5 The Infinite Series saw the Hasbro Marvel Legends move from the blister card design to what would go on to be the standard scooped window box for the Legends line. The Guardians wave with Groot as the BAF would use a purple hue as the colour scheme and this is reflected in the top of the card, character name panel and the two identical side images of Star-Lord. On the back is an image of the figure and a checklist of the rest of the Groot wave. A short piece of text to the top right reads... "With the Universe in peril, interstellar adventurer Peter Quill (a.k.a. STAR-LORD) assembles a ragtag team of cosmic misfits to defend it : the Guardians of the Galaxy" Paint & Sculpt 3/5 As he comes out of the box, Peter Quill is wearing his helmet and this appears to be sculpted and cast to what we see on screen. The colours are crisp, but not majorly accurate as the helmet is too dark overall and needs a gunmetal type finish. The lenses of the eyes are painted and that makes them look a bit bland and flat, and we also have elements of paint bleed here. From the helmet sprouts Quill's hair which is nicely done but then painted in a single brown that is perhaps too glossy. The rest of Star-Lords outfit is well executed. It is the longer coat we see at the start of the movie as he looks for the Orb on Morag. The coat is full of details and neat touches accurate to the coat in the movie. It is cast in a burgundy with painted detail on the shoulder panel. The whole thing is washed to dirty it up, which works brilliantly. The only criticism I can level is the lack of paint to the logo on his left lapel. The shirt underneath is a plain grey, also accurate, and the trousers are a darker grey - almost blue. Ideally these should have brown leather panels, but as the coat obscures where these would be you can forgive Hasbro. Peter's boots are replicated well with their boosters painted in silver. he also has his back pack which is an individual piece in softer plastic. It circumvents the torso by means of three straps and ends in the actual bag piece round the back - this does not open. Quill also gets an unmasked head in the pack. It is a passing likeness to Chris Pratt - but could just as easily be a comic book approximation of Star-Lord. The forehead is a little too large with the hair sat a bit too far back. The hair itself is done as well as the helmet version, and there is some paint application here to add depth. The eyes are a little cartoonish and the beard too thick when it should be more of a stubble. Articulation 5/5 Star-Lord comes with 19 points of articulation, starting with the ball joint neck that supports both heads being able to rotate and tilt. The chest section has a ratcheted t-joint to bend the torso forward and back, and to help it rotate we have a simple twist joint at the waist. Shoulders are ball jointed and have full movement. There is a bicep swivel and double jointed elbows. While the elbows allow a huge level of movement, they to sacrifice some looks to do so and the elbow joint can look a little odd and unnatural in certain poses. The legs have hip ball joints that have full movement, but have to work around the coat for posing. The thigh is then cut with a swivel, knees double jointed and ankles fitted with rockers. All the leg joints are tight and ratcheted and Star-Lord has no issues standing. Accessories 5/5 Star-Lord comes with a whole raft of accessories starting with his guns. These are identical in terms of casting and are cast in a grey plastic with a metallic finish and some gold panels painted on. They fit in either hand with both hands having a trigger finger to slot into place. When not in use the guns will have to be returned to the bits box as there is no working holster (as we get on the GOTG2 figures). Accessory two is the Orb that Star-Lord recovers on Morag, the one that contains the Infinity Stone. The piece is cast with a pot marked surface, that is not quite a pattern, but that looks great once painted. Star-Lord can hold the Orb in his hand which is great for display. The final accessories are Peter's Walkman and headphones. These have a few issues in that the Walkman is yellow, when it should be blue and silver. It is also too small. It can be held in Peter's hand, but there is no way of attaching it to the belt. I'd have preferred to see it as a sculpted piece than a separate accessory. The headphones are cast in a grey plastic. If we are being totally accurate then these should have yellow ear pieces. These are too big and don't sit great on the unmasked head and have two odd points on either side. They can also go round Star-Lord's neck. Summary Star-Lord is another strong figure in the fledgling MCU releases of the Marvel Legends series. The helmeted head would not be out of place in current releases and the body and articulation are just as well executed as a more recent figure. Accessories are extensive, even if the Walkman and Headphones are not that great. For me the beauty of this figure, and the others in the wave, are when they are assembled as a team with the Groot BAF (or in our case the Evolution Groot in the image above). I score the 2014 Star-Lord a strong 4 out of 5

The Diamond Select Infinity War figures may be quite a few months later than we might have hoped, but they are due in January and Diamond have revealed the packaging for two of the three releases - Thor/Groot and Iron-Spider The packaging uses a striking yellow exploding colour scheme sat behind the figure. We then have a blue scheme with the character name down the side in the same font as the Comic Book releases. The Infinity War logo is positioned in the triangular insert. Captain America is not yet revealed, but is shown on the card back as "also available"

The first wave of the new Star Wars Black Series Archive wave have been released by Hasbro. The first wave, due in Spring, is made up of re-releases of Boba Fett, IG-88, Bossk and X-Wing Luke Skywalker. Luke will be updated to include the face print technology. It is interesting to see the image of IG-88 still has the gold tone paint - it was withdrawn from display at London Comic Con as apparently this colouring was not accurate to the final release.

We are only a few weeks (if that) away from the first Captain Marvel wave of 6 inch Legends figures, and Hasbro have now released additional promo images including most of the wave in the packaging. The wave includes two Captain Marvel figures, both labelled the same which I can see causing some problems particularly for online orders vs shipping. The first Captain Marvel figure with the masked head will not include a BAF part. Images have not yet been shared for the Star Force Commander.

Welcome to our review of the Star Wars Black Series action figure The Death Star Trooper. This review covers the wave 16 release of the figure in 2018, however the first appearance of the figure was in the 2017 40th Anniversary Vintage Carded figures. The 2018 update see's the figure get the new face print technology making it a distinct variant release. Packaging 4/5 While I enjoyed the 40th Anniversary line of Vintage carded 6 inch figures, it is nice to finally see this trooper in the Black Series packaging. He looks "right" with his sleek black uniform against the red backdrop in the black box. The 40th Anniversary release was called the Death Squad Commander, as per the original 1978 original. In this release the name has been updated to Death Star Trooper - which then leads to a longer than usual translation underneath in French. The Gregory Titus artwork illustrates a generic Trooper looking slightly pensive and to the right spine of the box. The figure is number 60 in the line and the numbering is planted atop the red spine and again in red on the back of the box. The artwork is repeated on the reverse and overwritten with what looks to be a longer than usual bio text. This reads as follows, with the extra wording being more in the three translations than the original English text. "Death Star Troopers were the elite of the Imperial Navy who were stationed aboard the first and second Death Star. They were responsible for piloting the super-structure to its destinations and firing the superlaser on the orders of those in command of the station. They wore black uniforms and flared, reflective helmets." As usual your Trooper comes out via top or bottom flaps. He is clipped into the inner clear tray, there are no ties or bands. His blaster sits to the side of his head. Sculpt & Paint 4/5 While the figure is badged as a Death Star Trooper, in actual fact this is an Imperial Navy Trooper and has appeared in the original three movies as well as being seen in the Corellia Spaceport scene in Solo and of course on the Death Star in Rogue One. The original figure has been updated with face print technology for this release and it looks fantastic. I can't put the face to a specific Navy Trooper, but that is OK as very few of them are seen for more than a few seconds. The uniform is sleek and black but with the relevant creases and folds you would expect from a cloth uniform. The belt adds a break with its large silver buckle and compartments. We also get an Imperial symbol on the Troopers left shoulder, this is a decal rather than painted. There is a final touch of silver on the buckles on the two gloves. The helmet is cast in hard glossy plastic and can be removed if you wish. The fit is very good with the chin strap being flexible enough to pop under the chin and hold itself in place. The face print technology is layered over the original sculpt. You can see the difference when you put the two figures side by side. Other than the head printing there are no other significant differences. Articulation 4/5 aOur Navy Trooper has the basic 16 points of articulation, and that is plenty for a figure that pretty much is always seen operating a computer bank of some kind in the movie. The head is ball jointed, but we lose the torso ball joint in favour of one in the waist which only really allows rotation. Arms are ball jointed shoulders, single rotating elbows and wrist pivot pegs. This allows for the obligatory Imperial hands behind back pose. The legs are ball jointed hips and a thigh swivel, both hidden under the bottom of the upper tunic. The knees are double jointed and there are tight ankle rockers with a satisfying click as they are ratcheted. This means the Trooper stands perfectly well in a variety of poses. Accessories 4/5 Like the first release, the Trooper is armed with a DH-17 blaster. This is accurate to the weapons the Troopers draw in the Detention Block scene in A New Hope. The blaster is cast in a dark grey plastic with painted silver barrel. The blaster fits into the right hand snugly with a trigger finger that slots in place. When not in use the blaster also fits securely in the holster provided on the belt. Summary Hasbro always promised to deliver the Death Squad Commander in the basic range, and it is good to see them deliver on their promise as well as update the face with the new print technology. As an army-build figure it is good to see a couple of differing looks. As a basic human in a black uniform the opportunity to make this figure special is difficult, but when you see the level of detail in the helmet and the touches like the silver buckles on the gloves you know that Hasbro have delivered the best they could with this figure aside from alternative heads (army builder heaven) or an MSE droid? I scored the 40th Anniversary release of this figure a 4 out of 5, and with the updated face sculpt and aligned packaging to the rest of Phase 3 I see no reason why I could not give the newly titled Death Star Trooper a 5 out of 5 rating.