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McFarlane have announced they will be producing a new 6 inch line of figures from the hit HBO show Game of Thrones for its 7th season. "McFarlane Toys partners with HBOs hit television series Game of Thrones to bring you highly detailed figures of iconic characters, each coming with screen accurate accessories. " The first figures are lined up to be Daenerys Targaryen (no image), Arya Stark, Jon Snow and the Night King. Each figure will feature around 12 points of articulation and come with appropriate accessories. The US price is $19.99 for these, so they should be sub £20 here in the UK. The release date for this first wave is April 2019, which coincides with the 8th and final season of Game of Thrones. Images released so far are the usual digital mockups that McFarlane often use, so it is difficult to gauge the quality of the figure - although the McFarlane team rarely disappoint on the look. The move to stay at 6 inch rather than the 7 inch figures is a good one in that these should then fit with the earlier 6 inch line from Funko which released figures from the early GoT seasons. 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. She uses her new skills to bring those who have wronged her family to justice. 6" inch (15.24cm) Scale Made of plastic Features 12+ points of articulation Incredibly detailed Featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Box Contents Arya Stark figure Needle Valyrian steel dagger 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) 6" inch (15.24cm) Scale Made of plastic Features 12+ points of articulation Incredibly detailed Featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Box Contents Night King figure Blade Spear Queen Daenerys Targaryen, is the younger sister of Rhaegar 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. 6" inch (15.24cm) Scale Made of plastic Features 12+ points of articulation Incredibly detailed Featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Box Contents Daenerys Targaryen figure 4 Map markers 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 as 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.” 6" inch (15.24cm) Scale Made of plastic Features 12+ points of articulation Incredibly detailed Featuring iconic attire from season seven of Game of Thrones Box Contents Jon Snow figure Longclaw Dragon glass dagger

Welcome to our review of Captain Rex fro Wave 15 of the Star Wars Black Series. It doesn't seem so long ago that we reviewed the Hascon Exclusive Captain Rex, but we knew at the time that this figure would follow in due course as a standard release. Rex is number 59 in the series (phase 3). Packaging 3/5 After the blue themed box of the Hascon exclusive, it is nice to now see Rex in the contrasting Red scheme of the main Black Series line. Rex stands out well against the red card back, and under here he is named as Clone Captain Rex. There is no mention of his appearance being Star Wars Rebels and that may confuse the casual buyer? The Gregory Titus artwork is that of an helmeted Rex and is quite bland. I would have potentially preferred an unmasked or more dynamic pose? "Clone Captain Rex served the Republic during the Clone Wars, often taking orders from Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. He viewed military service as an honor, and he always completed his mission." Sculpt & Paint 5/5 Rex, and indeed Wave 15, were pioneers for the face print technology on the Star Wars Black Series. This is the key difference between this standard release and the earlier Hascon exclusive - and boy does it make a difference, really putting the Hascon likeness to shame. The clever part is that this is an animated figure - but who has a likeness in the movies thanks to the role of Temuera Morrison. The face print brings that likeness to life, while also leaving you in no doubt this is Captain Rex with his shaved blonde hair. The body remains that of the standard Clone Trooper albeit with added Pauldron section and Kama skirt piece. The Kama is soft goods, so doesn't mess up the articulation. While the body sculpt may be a few years old, it is still well executed and on Rex the detailing is exceptional with the welding marks where Rex has made his own armour from Phase 1 and Phase 2 Clone Armour to the various tally marks to show how many "clankers" he has killed in his various campaigns. The armour is also very well weathered so Rex does look like a "shiny" and you can see he has had some action. Like the Hascon version, Rex comes with a wearable Clone Trooper helmet. This is an individual piece for Rex as it is also Phase 1 and 2 parts "welded together". Like the armour there are some neat pieces of decor ranging from the blue paint to the tally marks and the welding lines. The helmet also comes complete with a poseable range finder. It fits the head of Rex snugly and unlike the Hascon version there does not seem to be as much of an issue of the chin being visible when the helmet is in place. I would urge caution on how often the helmet is used considering it will do some rub damage over time to that lovely face printed head. Accessories 2/5 We were told from the off that standard Rex would not get the same accessorie s as Hascon Rex. While the standard release does get his dual pistols it does miss out on the larger blaster and rifle seen with the Hascon release - although those pieces are not hard to find if you really wanted them. The two pistols are cast in black plastic, but have no other paint applications making them a little bland vs the amount of detailing on the armour. The pistols fit well into the right hand with its trigger finger. Sadly there has been no update for the left hand to do the same, it is simply the standard clone left hand. This means when holding the gun in the left hand, it looks kind of awkward. If you don't want your guns in hand, then they can also be stowed away in Rex's holsters. The fit here is good and once in place they stay put. Articulation 4/5 The Clone Body that Rex uses was well articulated on its first release back in the Orange phase, and it holds its own today with some joints like the elbows having been reigned back on the newer figures. Rex has 18 points of articulation, a couple more than the norm. The head is ball jointed with a pivot and beneath this there is a similar joint in the chest. The arms are where the figure stays head of the others with a ball jointed shoulder under that armour followed by bicep swivel and all important double jointed elbows that really help with weapon and action poses - most notably being able to tuck his helmet neatly under his arm. The arms then end with a pivot wrist. The legs are a little more restricted thanks to the leg armour with the ball jointed hips not having a good range of motion. Under these is a thigh swivel, double jointed knees and finally the ankle rocker. Summary The basic release of Captain Rex takes what was already an impressive figure from Hascon and takes it up a whole other level with the likeness on that face printed head - it is simply stunning. The figure also benefits from a good set of articulation points, more than the other figures in its wave thanks to that body dating from a time where elbows were double jointed. The paint work is also exquisite and every tally mark and weathering point is carried on from the exclusive. The only downsides of the figure are the very plain weapons and the fact a new left shooting hand wasn't developed so Rex could be posed shooting both pistols. I score the Wave 15 Captain Rex an impressive 5/5

Welcome to our review of Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This is the 2nd Star-Lord released from the movie - the first coming in the Titus BAF wave with his shorter jacket. This second version was part of the Mantis BAF wave that brought us the rest of the Guardians Vol. 2 crew including Gamora, Nebula, Rocket & Baby Groot. Packaging 3/5 The packaging for Star-Lord is the standard Legends scooped sided box. For the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 line the colour scheme is a very muted purple that doesn't really stand out too much against the black. The front of the box carries the movie logo as well as the confirmation of the character in a pale purple bar and on the top hanging flap the confirmation that the build-a-figure is Mantis. There is an odd choice down the two side panels as it shows Star-Lord in his helmet, something not actually included in the pack. The art is not a re-use as far as I can see so the decision is a little odd unless you assume that the helmet is more iconic than Chris Pratt's mug? The rear of the box follows the usual format with a posed image of the figure alongside a short piece of text. This text is a little odd in its wording using the opening wording of "cosmic calamity". While I agree Guardians has its humorous side, it feels a bit disappointing that Star-Lord is described this way. Under this sits the build-a-figure checklist showing how all 6 parts of Mantis are split across the 7 figure wave (Deathshead not carrying a part). "Cosmic calamity! When Star-Lord blasts into battle, it's not a matter of if things get weird but a matter of when." Sculpt & Paint 3/5 Out of the package and you can see that this isn't a simple re-use of the Pratt head we got in the previous wave. This is a new sculpt which aims to capture that grin of Star-Lords .While the expression is good, the face print is not at strong as seen in other figures in the wave and the whole head looks a little off. The worse part is the chin line as the beard stops too early and you are left with a line of skin tone as an edge. The hair feels a little lazy too being one tone of light brown and it would have benefitted from a wash. The outfit is based on the long coat Star-Lord is wearing when he arrives on Ego. The coat is separate piece cast in a burgundy plastic but it has been well painted and weathered and it fades darker as you go down its length. Under this is the Yeah Baby T-Shirt which again is well done via a transfer print of some kind, it is however a lot lighter blue than we see on the earlier figure. Star-Lords hands are updated so he is wearing gloves, which is good from an accuracy perspective. I am not convinced by the scarf which is a separate piece also - it is much less intrusive on screen, where as on the figure it covers the whole front of the shirt. Thank fully being removable you can choose to ditch it if you wish. It is great to see tht Hasbro have kept neck pegs the same on both 2017 Star-Lord figures so the head options can be moved around. That means the more solemn (and arguably nicer) head or indeed the helmet head from the Titus wave can be used on this figure. Impressively the same neck pegs in used on the 2014 Star-Lord too opening up that figure to some head swaps if you wish. Articulation 4/5 Star-Lord weighs in with an impressive 21 points of articulation, 2 more than the usual standard for most male key characters in the line. As usual we get the ball jointed pivot head, and below this a ratcheted chest piece and a rotating waist. The arms are ball jointed with a bicep swivel, double jointed elbows and wrist pivots. The legs are ball jointed at the hips followed by the thigh cut swivel. Knees are double jointed and under these there is a further swivel where the boots meet the trousers. We finish with a solid set of ankle rockers. Star-Lord has no issues standing. While movement isn't an issue from these numerous joints there are a couple of negatives. The first is the elbows and these are very stiff on the upper joint so treat these with care. And of course the coat does come into play with the leg articulation - and while it doesn't stop any movement it will make any kneeling or crouching poses difficult. Accessories 3/5 The first accessory for Star-Lord is his walkman. This is a simple black casted piece with no paint apps. This then has a socket on the back that corresponds with a peg on his belt. This piece is sadly not great in a number of ways. It doesn't stay on particularly well and I don't understand why it wasn't glued in place or part of the belt other than letting Star-Lord hold it? It also fails to stand out once attached, being the same dark colouring as the trousers. I'd have liked to see this cast in blue with perhaps a white stripe to make it stand out. Thank fully the blasters are much more impressive. These are identical to the ones in the Titus wave and are cast in a harder plastic and then painted with gold and silver detailing. The fit into the hands isn't the easiest or most natural, but once in place they are in, and with that wide ranging arm movement, there are a good few firing poses to get Star-Lord into. When not in use the figure employs the same pegs on the hips as its predecessor. In this iteration however they aren't as intrusive, being hidden by the coat. It takes a bit to work out how they clip in place, but once done they are quite solid and will stay in the holstered position. Summary As the main character from the GOTG Vol. 2 movie it is good to see Star-Lord getting a couple of different figures. However this release might have been better served as being included with the Ego figure in the 2-pack? This release has a poorer head sculpt than its predecessor, it is missing a helmeted head and it also sports a slightly odd look because of the scarf which may put people off when they see it in the packaging. If you get past these issues the rest of the figure is pretty impressive and with interchangeable parts between the figures you can tweak your Star-Lords look if you have earlier Star-Lord figures. The articulation is good and the guns are decent accessories, even if the walkman is a bit meh! I score the Mantis Wave Star-Lord an average 3/5

Happy #SatTOYday! CLICK HERE for this week's issue And we must warn fans that this weeks issue does contain what could be considered minor spoilers for Captain Marvel and Aquaman.... Our issue is dominated by Brie Larson's Captain Marvel with new figures announced for release in Jan 2019. We also have some new Aquaman figures from Mattel as that movie gets closer to release. In other news we have a further New York exclusive to look at from Mezco, while SH Figuarts and MAFEX continue to release the details of their early 2019 releases. In reviews we take a look at the newly released Doctor Who Bill Potts figure from Amazon. www.facebook.com/mephitsu www.twitter.com/mephitsu www.issuu.com/mephitsu #SatTOYday #news #newsletter #actionfigures #toys #startrek #starwars #marvel #diamondselect #neca #hasbro #SHFiguarts #Mafex #TwinSuns

Syfy.com have published a wonderful article going behind the scenes at NECA and their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. Within the article is a first glimpse of the Quarter Scale Shredder figure, with a couple of angles of the unpainted head as well as a layout of some other parts. The article also confirms that NECA are looking to release a 7" version of their Raphael in Trenchcoat as part of their Gamestop exclusive line.

New York Comic Con is almost upon us, and we have our usual coverage and commentary on the various announcements and reveals from the show. As a UK site we are not attending, but we will share the key announcements and images as they go live, For UK fans and collectors the following dates and times are when to watch out for key announcements. We will update this as any new panels or information is released. You can access our NYCC 2018 page HERE or via the link on the header bar of the website. Thursday 4th October Convention floor is open from 10am to 7pm (that is 3pm to midnight in the UK) Transformers Bumblebee Movie & Generations Toys Sneak Peek 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM (4.45pm in the UK) Friday 5th October Convention floor is open from 10am to 7pm (that is 3pm to midnight in the UK) Hasbro Star Wars Preview 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM (10pm Friday in the UK) Saturday 6th October Convention floor is open from 10am to 7pm (that is 3pm to midnight in the UK) Diamond Select Toys: The Best of All Worlds 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (6pm in the UK) Sunday 7th October Convention floor is open from 10am to 5pm (that is 3pm to 11am in the UK) Power Rangers: Beyond the Grid 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM (5.15pm in the UK) Hasbro Star Wars 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM (6.15pm in the UK)

Welcome to our review of the 2014 Rocket Raccoon Marvel Legend figure from Guardians of the Galaxy. 2014 was an important year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe figures - with these finally brought into the Legends banner and with the Guardians of the Galaxy wave seeing the first MCU dominated wave with an MCU build-a-figure of Groot. Packaging 3/5 we purchased our review figure loose so the images below are stock images In 2014 the Legends were operating under the Infinite Series logo. The box design was predominantly black with the film logo at the top and the legends logo underneath. The Guardians line was a purple hue added to the box and there was artwork on each of the scooped sides of the Rocket figure. On the top flap we had the peg hook and confirmation of the Build-a-Figure as Groot. Round the back we have an image of the figure touting his blaster a short bio that confirms Rocket as a Bounty Hunter hot on the trail of their next big pay day. Below this we then have the checklist for the Groot BAF with the parts coming from the 6 figures of the wave - Rocket, Drax, Gamora, Star-Lord are taken from the movie while Iron-Man and Nova are comic book based. "Intergalactic bounty hunter ROCKET RACCOON and his partner GROOT are hot on the trail of their next big payday, the human know as STAR-LORD." Sculpt and Paint 2/5 It is difficult to review a 4 year old figure without comparing to the current standard of sculpt and paint application. While the likeness of the 2014 release is good, the paint is still quite basic. The eyes are a bit flat and are lost in the dark fur around the nose. The fur sculpt itself is quite soft with a dark wash over the top to try and bring out the detailing. The suit is the one worn by Rocket in the early scenes from Nova Prime and this is a good choice as its a very stark contrast of the orange against the brown fur. The suit includes some panelling and straps and these are painted over the top of the orange with grey and black paint work. There is some paint errors around the suit where the black and silver aren't quite covering all that they should. There is more detail round the back of the suit with a backpack - but again there is some paint missing from this and there is orange visible underneath. While the fur around the neck was washed with black, this drops off on the arms and legs and these are left as plain brown plastic. The final details on the fur are then on the tail where there is a variegating dark brown stripe design. When you compare the 2014 Rocket with the 2017 Rocket there is a size difference, with the newer Rocket having gotten a little smaller. Side by side you can see the improvement in paint and sculpting in those 3-years. The 2017 release also remind us that perhaps a 2nd head might have been a nice pack in with the 2014 release, a screaming head on this figure would have looked pretty good. Articulation 2/5 As a smaller figure there was no way Rocket was going to pack as much articulation as a full 6 inch figure. There are 9 points of articulation all together and the first of these is the head which can rotate on the peg. The arms are jointed at the shoulder with a single rotating elbow and a final pivot at the wrist. The waist is also jointed and the 9th joint is in the tail which can rotate - although when you do so it will impact the stability of the figure as the tail is used to stand the figure. The legs are fixed as single piece and that is a shame, particularly if you want to try and have Rocket riding on Groot's shoulders or in a flying pose. Accessories 4/5 To make up for the smaller size figure and reduced articulation, Hasbro have thrown some pretty big guns in with Rocket. The first of these is this huge blaster that Rocket uses in the movie and through to the final battle. It is cast in a brown plastic but has some darker paint apps to add some variation. The problem is that Rocket cannot hold the weapon particularly well making posing difficult. Thankfully there are a couple of neat poses you can employ, my favourite being the weapon slung over Rocket's shoulder. The second accessory is not technically an accessory for Rocket. It is the Hadron Enforcer, the enormous weapon used in the movie to try and defeat Ronan. The piece is huge and it does make sense for it to be used to fill in the "box space" that Rocket's small frame would leave. It is cast in a slightly softer plastic so it has some warping to it in place. It is painted in metallic colouring with bronze and silver the primary colours. While it can stand up, the weapon is actually designed to be placed against a figures chest with two handles hidden under the outer section. Due to its weight you need a hefty figure like Drax to wield the piece - as seen at the movie's climax. Star Lord can also hold the weapon but you will probably need to support the pose with a stand as Star-Lord is a lighter figure and the Enforcer will overbalance him. Summary Considering that the MCU Legend figures were in their infancy at the time, this is not a half bad attempt at Rocket Raccoon. The more obvious flaws are the articulation which limits the way the gun is held, and also stops you getting a real good pose of him standing on Groot's shoulders. The less obvious issues are of the time such as the sculpt and paint finish - something that has stepped on quite a way in the last 3-4 years. If you are an MCU completist and want an original Guardians movie line up then this is the only Rocket for you - I doubt Hasbro will give us a do-ver anytime soon. I score Rocket Raccoon a 3 out of 5 with the decision to include the Hadron Enforcer taking this release just over average.

Welcome to our review of Qi'Ra from the Star Wars Black Series, Wave 17, released in the summer of 2018. Qi'ra is from the standalone Solo movie and was number 66 in the 3rd phase (red and black) Black Series packaging. She was released alongside 4-LOM and repacks of other figure like Lando and the Range Trooper. Packaging 3/5 My default position on the packaging for the Black Series is 4/5. The colour scheme and design is now well and truly fixed in our collecting habits and the only variation is the Gregory Titus artwork. For Qi'ra, this artwork is not as good or as dynamic as we have seen on other releases and is a very generic likeness to Emilia Clarke. Qi'ra is number #66 in the line and her character name is followed by Corellia (in brackets) to signify this is her outfit from the early scenes of Solo on Corellia. At time of writing there is not a second version which prefixing the name on this one may indicate. "At 18 years of age, young Qi'Ra is already enmeshed in a life of crime, working for a gang on Corellia." The figure is accessed, as usual, by the top or bottom tab and slides out complete with outer cardboard backing card. The figure is not secured in the inner tray - held in by the design of the tray only. Qi'ra's blaster sits to the side and is taped over to hold it in place. Sculpt & Paint 5/5 While the box art was perhaps lacking in the likeness departments, the figures face sculpt is spot on - with the face print technology capturing Clarke's likeness and in particular the expressive green eyes and the glossy lips - complete with slight scowl. The hair is well painted too with a brown wash over the dark brown base and being cast as a separate piece we have hair that can hang down over the face without a ragged paint line between the two. If you were being harsh then the hair is a touch too neat and well brushed vs the chase scenes on Corellia. While I am not a fan of the Corellia outfit in terms of its look from onscreen - the figure has recreated the various pieces really well. The coat is clearly fur-lined with a texture built into the fur segments. Under here is a red and black top and then a skirt which is weathered in white with a white plastic. There are bullets or canisters of some description in a belt which are clearly defined and painted. The only gripe on the skirt are two odds tassels that hang off at either side. On each hand we have sculpted bands and devices, each well painted with red and silver details. And there are similar straps on the boots with weathering too on the soles as though Qi'ra has been splashed with mud which has then dried. Articulation 4/5 Qi'ra has 16 points of articulation starting with a ball jointed pivot head which can look up and down by some way as well as rotating around on the neck post. The waist is jointed so that too can rotate and being rounded it has some forward and backward lean. The arms are ball jointed shoulders, rotating elbow joints and a pivot wrist. Under the skirt is a ball jointed hip, thigh swivel, double jointed knee and ankle rocker. Qi'ra poses pretty well, and with a split into that skirt piece the legs are not as restricted as they initially look. The ankle rockers are sturdy and support the figure to stand pretty well as long as you have wider stance. If you want Qi'ra to look more ladylike then a stand may be needed to have her stood with her feet closer together. Accessories 3/5 Qi'Ra is packed with a single blaster as her sole accessory. This is cast in a grey plastic with silver paint applied across the barrel piece. It sits into her right hand with a flexible trigger finger that slots into the trigger. I do not recall (I may be wrong) Qi'ra using or having a blaster on Corellia - and I suspect this is based on her blaster from latter parts of the movie. It is a shame there is no holster for the blaster to fit into. Summary Qi'ra is a fantastic figure in the Solo line of 6" figures and the only disappointment is the choice of outfit. In terms of displaying the team, a Qi'ra from later in the movie would have been ideal but I guess that may be one for the future. Qi'ra has a very nice head sculpt with a well executed outfit with good textures and sculpted clothes and some neat weathering on the skirt and boots. The blaster is as good as most Black Series weapons, and is better than nothing when you consider what they could have packed with Qi'ra from the Corellia scenes. I score Qi'ra a solid 4 out of 5. RANKING

Hello there! SH Figuarts have released the promotional images for their 1/12 Revenge of the Sith Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. Arriving in February 2019, Obi-Wan is a companion piece toy the Revenge of the Sith Anakin released this week. Obi-Wan comes with a neutral head and a shouting version so he can tell Anakin he had the high ground. There will also be hand options and a lightsaber included.

Welcome to our review of the 12th Doctor Set, a 2018 B&M Exclusive 3-pack from Character Options Doctor Who line. The set was released in August 2018 alongside other three packs from the 1970's and 11th Doctor era's. There was also a 3rd Doctor and TARDIS set released at the same time. The 3-packs had a £16.99 RRP, which was awesome value - although it did mean the sets were predominantly repaints and tweaks f existing figures. The 11th Doctor set comes in the same window box packaging as the other sets and is consistent with the current packaging design of the Who 5.5 inch figures going back to 2016. The set uses the cosmic cloud design with varying pinks and oranges that blend and fade to a starscape around the box. The Who logo is the generic white logo that was first used on the 1996 TV movie. Character names and features are shown in blue inserts around the box. The figures are pictured on the side spines and on the reverse where the names are confirmed as Missy, the 12th Doctor and Bill Potts. There is no specific bio or even a nod to which episode these figures are from. The figures are accessed via the top flap of box. They slide out in a cardboard backing section with a lovely blue clockwork vortex design. The three figures are then set into an inner clear tray with some elasticated clear ties holding them in place. Sadly these ties do have a habit of rubbing against the paint and on our set the Doctor in particular had some markings on his shins. We start with the 12th Doctor, while this appears to be a direct re-use of the 2015 12th Doctor figures it is actually a combination of the 2015 and the 2017 figures. The head sculpt is the much nicer 2017 version which is a pretty decent likeness to Capaldi - and the paint is applied nicely to help the sculpt - defining key features like those angry eyebrows. The torso and arms are from the 2015 version. This shirt and jacket combo is painted to represent the outfit he was wearing in the 2015 episode, Face the Raven. It is sadly not screen accurate as the coat was more of a velvet texture and finish and the Doctor was wearing a waistcoat underneath. The lower half of the figure has been swapped with the 2017 version. This is more obvious when you look at the boots which are now a touch larger but with smaller tags on the back. Using these legs also makes this a taller figure all round - a criticism of the original Capaldi sculpt was that he was too short. The 12th Doctor has 17 points of articulation, which is a decent number for a Who figure. The head design remains the usual head and neck combo that plugs into the torso and allows only for rotation. The arms start with the newer shoulder joint which both rotate and raise out from the body by means of a hinge. Under this is a bicep swivel and elbow and wrist joints. The legs are T-Joint hips which will swing out to side and out in front - although the coat tails do impede this a little. Under here are thigh swivels, knee joints and a rotating ankle where the boots meet the legs. All of this makes this Capaldi pretty mobile for posing and he stands well. The one criticism is the lack of a sonic screwdriver accessory - particularly when the hand is still the sonic holding pose - it looks a little odd. Our second figure is that of Missy, the 12th Doctor's nemesis across a number of episodes. Like the Doctor the Missy figure combines a couple of prior 2015 releases with the head previously used on the black dress version, and the body off the darker purple releases. While the original head sculpt was an acceptable likeness to Michelle Gomez, this new version spoils that with a gaudy paint job which is frankly frightening. The make up around the eyes is a bright blue and the eye brows very dark and painted up in a "surprised" look. The mouth is sculpted open and once painted it ends up looking halfway between a smile and a grimace. The hair is quite messy with the edges not quite finished, leaving her with what looks like bald patches at the sides as they remain skin coloured. The outfit (and makeup) is based on Missy's look from the episode Extremis. Like the Doctor this is an approximation of the screen accurate, using figure already out there. To be closer to the onscreen look Missy would need a different hair piece and a new bow around her neck rather than a tie - although overall it is not a bad look. The outfit is well executed in terms of paint with crisp purple colouring and black edging. Missy boasts a staggering 18 points of articulation. While this reads well you have to consider that the 8 points under the skirt are not really viable as the fixed skirt blocks most movement. Under said skirt we have a t-joint hip, thigh swivel, knee joint and a rotating ankle piece on the sculpted boots. Missy also get a waist joint as well as the usual head rotation. Arms are the improved two-way shoulder joint, followed by bicep swivel, elbow and wrist joints. So while promising lots of movement, Missy is kind of restricted to arm gestures only. And the big frustration is how hard she is to stand. The 2015 Missy's stood without an issue while using the same heeled boots we see here. Having had a good look it seems this new version has the heels a touch shorter than the shoes - perhaps a warp in the mold - and this means Missy always wants to lean backward however you position the shoes. The final figure of the set is Bill Potts. Bill is the only brand new figure both in this set, but in the whole of the 2018 B&M releases full stop. She was originally sculpted to be an exclusive at Toys R Us - but there demise put that on hold, so B&M have obviously taken advantage. The same figure has since been released by Amazon using a different paint scheme. The likeness to Pearl Mackie is good considering the scale. The skin tone and face details are well painted, but the hair is messy with a bow that is painted to look more like she has had orange paint drip on her head. Having got both of these Bill's in hand I prefer the B&M paint job, which is impressive considering the whole 3-pack cost about the same as the single figure from Amazon. The outfit is made to be the one she is wearing in the Doctor's office at the start of her debut story, The Pilot. The stripes are neatly painted and I really like the trousers which are painted and then dry-brushed to look like denim jeans. Even the trainer boots are well done with sculpted laces and then neat paint apps with a muddy wash over the top. Like the Amazon version, Bill does have some issues with paint. The skin paint on the arms is very heavily applied so much so it has made the elbow joints freeze - even with hot water treatment they are well and truly stuck and when force is applied the joint splits open rather than bends. Articulation on the whole is quite a bit lower than other figures with just 13 joints overall. We have a standard head which rotates at the neck. There is no waist swivel so you go straight to t-joint hips. They also skip the thigh swivel, replacing it with a ankle swivel where the boots meet the trousers. Just above this sits the knee peg joint. Even though its a new release, Bill isn't blessed with the newer shoulder joint and so it only rotates around the body. We do get a bicep swivel, and then those ugly (and stuck) elbows. Being a female with bare arms there is no wrist joint. Character still can't quite get the scale right on these figures, particularly when they are calling it a very odd 5.5 inch collectors series. Bill is more like 5 inch scale and the Doctor now 5.5 inch - making the two of them look a little mismatched with Bill half a head too short. The same issue is evident with Missy. Michelle Gomez usually is looking straight at Capaldi's nose when they are side by side. In the figures she is a good head too short. When summing we do have to consider that this set has a price tag of just £16.99, that is under £6 per figure which is fantastic value when the latest Bill Potts release has a £15.99 RRP on its own from Amazon. With this set you get a kit bashed 12th Doctor with his red jacket and a new Bill figure - albeit paint variance to the Amazon. Missy is the weak link and for me I'd have much rather have seen her replaced with something like a 10th Planet Cyberman or even a kit-bashed John Simm Master. I score the 12th Doctor Set a 3 out of 5 rating.

NECA have unveiled the final packaging design for their upcoming 8" retro style Captain Blake figure from the iconic horror movie, The Fog. The figure is due for release in October in the US, collectors in UK might have to wait a little longer.

Mezco have announced another One:12 Autumn exclusive with their 5 Ronin Wolverine. Wolverine is presented in his costume from the 5 Ronin story. The figure inckudes two head options and a variety of hand options including the claw options. There are long and short Katana blades with sheath. And there is a lovely red scarf with posing site for that dynamic posing. The figure will cost $85 and will be on sale at the Mezco New York Comic Con booth. It has already sold out online. "The One:12 Collective Wolverine 5 Ronin figure depicts the mutant enduring the brutality of 17th century Japan. Based on his appearance in ‘5 Ronin’, Wolverine is authentically dressed in traditional samurai clothing and comes complete with two katana swords of arming length, and two sheaths that can be neatly tucked into his waist belt and a scarf. Wolverine is forced to walk the lonely path of the masterless samurai in the violent and tumultuous world of feudal Japan. Determined to avenge his brother, Wolverine sets off to find the Damiyo who is responsible for his brother’s demise."