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The Doctor Who 5" figures have been in limbo for some time now. They were essentially stopped by Character back in 2014 when the scale was moved to a smaller 3.75" figure. While the smaller figures did well initially, they ended up warming pegs and turning up at clearance and it was recently announced they were now finished. While 5" collectors have had a few sets since 2014 thanks to retailers exclusives, a lot of these were driven by Underground Toys in the US via the Character licence agreement. That avenue was closed as Underground Toys were purchased by Funko. So after a year without any new figures fans were probably thinking this was it for the whole Doctor Who line as we know it - and then this pops up on Christmas Day via Twitter posted first by Pearl Mackie and then by one of the Doctor Who fan sites. "Merry Christmas from the 5” Bill Potts action figure, who may be coming to a store near you soon... " @DWPageOFFICIAL Bill looks fabulous and the head sculpt looks to be one of the best yet from Character. And yet she does retain the look and articulation of the main 5" line so won't look out of place. Whether this is another single retailer exclusive, or something bigger remains to be seen. Intriguingly we did read about David Bradley (the 1st Doctor in this years Xmas Special) saying he had an Action Figure too (can't find source now) and that could mean a set from the Xmas special or the reboot of the 5" line ready for the Jodie Whitaker era? We await more news eagerly

Arguably one of the most anticipated NECA figures of 2018 is going to be Pennywise from the 2017 reboot of Stephen King's It. NECA have teased the sculpting on the 7" scale figure - although only from the back - and what looks to be his iconic red balloon. "On Christmas Eve we all float..." - Randy Falk, NECA

NECA announced in October 2017 that they would be producing merchandise from Crash Bandicoot thanks to a new licensing deal with Activision Blizzard. We have just got out first glimpse at a Crash figure from this new licence. "Merry Crash-mas! Coming Spring 2018" - Randy Falk, NECA

October saw NECA confirm a new Ultimate Jason figure would be released in 2018 based on his appearance in Friday the 13th Part II. At the time a box design was shown, based on the original movie poster. NECA have now teased some of the accessories that will be packed with Jason. As well as a number of weapons and accessories, there also seems to be a campfire accessory. NECA have said this is also "not everything" that will be included in the pack. "Loading Jason up to make sure he is truly Ultimate...only some of the contents shown" - Randy Falk, Twitter

NECA have been releasing their annual checklist posters this week as downloadable Xmas treats. While the other posts revealed nothing new, the Xmas Eve poster for Predator gave us a look at two new figures planned for the Predator line in 2018. We had seen hints at the Alien vs Predator Capcom Arcade Game Dutch, and we can now see the figure in all its glory. We are also getting another of the playable characters from the game - Lieutenant Linn Kurosawa. We await more details on these new figures.

Merry #SatTOYday on Christmas Eve! CLICK HERE for this week's issue It has been a relatively quiet run in to Xmas, but Diamond in particular have kept us busy with new images and details for their Spider-Gwen figure and reveals of 2nd waves for both Pacific Rim Uprising and Kingdom Hearts. Medicom also chose the run into Xmas to reveal two new First Order Stormtroopers from The Last Jedi. And not to be outdone, Hasbro sent out some better images of their next Black Series 6" Star Wars figures - Rey and DJ Our Festive issue also summarises our top 5 figures of 2017 - these have been chosen from a shortlist of 24 that we have been counting down through December via our Advent calendar. I think some of my choices may be controversial, but I have indulged myself and chosen the five figures that have made me smile the most in 2017. www.facebook.com/mephitsu www.twitter.com/mephitsu www.issuu.com/mephitsu

Review : Ultimate Gizmo NECA, Gremlins Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : May 2017 £24.99 Pros : very expressive figure with the articulated ears, swap out faces and those trackball eyes Cons : paint is perhaps missing a wash to help bring out the depth of the fur? Like a lot of kids of the 1980's, I am a huge fan of the movie Gremlins. And yet up until very recently I did not have any Gremlin figures at all in my collection. The early Gremlins figures from NECA are now difficult to obtain, particularly the key characters like Gizmo and Stripe. But NECA have given collectors like me a second opportunity by taking their Gizmo figure and packing it in their Ultimate series. The packaging is a fully enclosed box that uses the white "Mogwai warning" movie poster design. The white is broken by a large red Gremlins movie logo on top and an image of Gizmo from the movie at the bottom. Gizmo's shadow is raised up behind him and is actually a Gremlin and the words are very apt in "what you see.... isn't always what you get". The two side panels are plain white with the Gremlins logo down the spine and a NECA & Reel Toys logo at the base. Round the back of the box and we move from white to black and get our first look at what the contents have in store. There is another Gremlins logo top left and under this in white a synopsis of the movie. To the side and below this text are four image panels, each framed in a wood effect design reminiscent of the ornate box in which Gizmo arrives. Each panel holds an image of the figure in it's different guises taken against the NECA atmospheric dioramas. There is a final image of the figure popping out of the box at the very bottom. Under this final image and in very small text are a list of contents. Rather than open the box to see the figure, the front panel actually opens like the cover of a book - it is held in place by a piece of cicular Velcro. Behind the panel we see the figure via a window. Gizmo sits at the top and is then surrounded by the accessories. Below these sit the three alternative faces. The inner part of this cover has a full colour image of the figure in his Rambo gear with bow and arrow. While there are no instructions in the box, check out the bottom of the outer box which confirms the operation of the trackball to move the eyes. With the box open we have an inner tray that sits into a fully enclosed cardboard backing piece. This backing piece is not instantly visible, but remove the tray and you will see this is an image of Billy's bedroom - a nice touch and something collectors can adapt to have a backdrop to the figure on display. There are no twist ties of any kind, the figure and all the parts are held in by means of an outer cover to the tray that means they are fully enclosed in clear plastic. Let's start with Gizmo as he comes out of the box. The team at NECA have certainly captured the look of the original Gizmo from the film with sculpted fur detail and those big wide eyes and expressive mouth. Turning him round you will find a plastic tag inserted into his head. This is holding the trackball secure in transit, and needs pulling out to use the figures eye articulation. Gizmo stands 3.5" high (feet to top of his head) and a touch higher with his ears in the upward position. The proportions are well done and the fur detailing continues down the body and out into the limbs. Te painting is quite basic with a single tone brown on the brown sections, and the same single tone white on the white fur. The "flesh" ares are skin toned, but again are a single tone with just the hands and feet having an additional paint app with the finger and toe nails painted in a darker shade. The belt is real string, and is tied in place and can be moved up and around the waist and be removed if needed. The usual approach with the Ultimate Series is to provide collectors with swap out heads and body parts to give the figure a number of different looks within a single release. That approach was impractical for Gizmo considering the size of his head, and NECA have therefore taken an innovative approach to provide swap out fascial pieces. The joint is virtually invisible when viewed, but with a touch of pressure the face area will fall away and leaves behind a very disturbing action figure "skull" with the eyes rolling around. These eyes are controlled via a track ball at the back of the head. This is initially counter intuitive and you have to roll the ball the same way you want the eyes to go (initially you will be rolling it opposite). The eyes are not as stiff as perhaps I would have liked and while they move well enough they can be dislodged from their pose by moving the figure. The Gizmo is packed with a neutral face, but there are three more options to play with. First we have the sad Gizmo, this is really well done and you for fans of the movie it takes you straight to those scenes when Gizmo pulls his sad face. There is then an opposite happy version and here we now have an open mouth and some teeth visible, the eyes are now partially closed and the eyelids more visible. We then have what I will call the Rambo version. This is more a stern look and the mouth is turned down and the eyes closed even more with the eyelids leaving just thin slits through which the eyes can be seen. This head comes with the head band in a red soft plastic. The head band is attached at the front of the face and the back piece is sat loose. When the face is added to the figure this strap does crown the head pretty well, but it will take some training to have it sit flat to the head - it can look a little like it is floating. To complete the Rambo look, the set includes Gizmo's bow and arrow. The bow is a very soft plastic, but is designed to look like the paper fastener that Gizmo used in the movie to fashion his weapon. While the bow looks "ok" it is a bit too thick and the string is simply the same plastic but painted a bit darker. On the other hand the explosive arrow is really detailed. You can see the eraser on the pencil and the fuse coming out of the adhesives bottle. The only thing missing really is the text and decoration on the bottle of adhesive. Gizmo's hands are not designed for gripping or holding any of the accessories. There is some gaps between the fingers and the best bet is to use these to prop the accessories on the hands as seen above. If you want a more jolly Gizmo, then the Trumpet may be a better accessory for you. This is cast in a soft bronze plastic and is very nicely designed and you can see the individual tubes bending round to the finger buttons. Again, Gizmo cannot hold this in a traditional sense, but again prop the Trumpet next to Gizmo and it looks very nice. Gizmo is also a very festive release, again reflective of the movie and it taking place over the Christmas period. The final accessory is a candy cane which is simply painted in red and white stripes. Thanks to the hook this can be hooked over Gizmo's arms. And of course we have the Santa hat. This is a hefty piece and is scupted to fit perfectly over the head. It doesn't clip or slot anywhere, the weight of it will keep it in place as will the ears. The hat can be worn on any of the three expressive faces - but of course not with the Rambo face as it clashes with the head band. The hat is cast in red plastic with the white fur trim and bobble painted. There is some red showing through on patches of mine which is a shame. I haven't covered articulation yet, so let's just say it is very very limited considering the build of the figure. I count 12 points of articulation, and that is including the eye trackball we've already covered. The stubby legs are jointed at the hip and while they do move slightly if you take them any where past the neutral stance you will find Gizmo gets very overbalanced due to the large head. The arms are more maneuverable and these do raise up and down as well as swivel. There is a further swivel at the elbow that gives some more twisting movement. The hands are similarly jointed and these rotate as well as pivoting slightly. The head can be rotated and being on a ball joint it can look up and down at any point of rotation. The final joints are the ears and these rotate and flex back and forth - adding even more emotion to the expressive faces. For fans of Gremlins, this is the definitive Gizmo figure. While it lacks the articulation of more traditional human figures, it is very expressive thanks to the articulation that has been put into the eyes, ears and supported by those swap out faces. The accessories are nice, my favourite being the Santa Hat and Candy Cane. The paint might have benefited from some washing on the fur and the flesh areas, its unusual for NECA not to add this. Overall if you want a Gizmo figure, then this is the release for you - and at sub £25 it gives you a number of different options for display. I score Ultimate Gizmo a solid 4 out of 5 and hope we can get a similar scaled Stripe in the future.

New promotional images have been released by Hasbro for the next wave (15) of Star Wars Black Series figures. The wave is already showing up on eBay and arrival is imminent of Rey (Island Journey), DJ (Canto Bight) and the wider release Captain Rex. These figures also signify the first to include the face print technology. While we are awaiting the Rex images, the images of DJ and Rey are certainly whetting our appetite for the game changer that is this new face print technology.

Medicom have announced two new MAFEX figures in their Star Wars line based on First Order Stormtroopers seem in the Last Jedi. The first is the Executioner, a figure we have seen lots of from other companies including Hasbro and Bandai. The figure will be released with a full set of accessories including the standard First Order Blaster Pistol and Rifle. The main weapon is of course the executioner axe which comes with both closed and open head piece and some electro FX pieces. The figure will retail at 7800 yen, that is £51 or $69 - but expect to add more for import. The figure is number 69 in the MAFEX movie releases and is down to ship in August 2018. The second figure takes on the Black Series Amazon set in terms of accessories - and not only does it match it, it goes to the next level. Using the same sculpt as the Executioner, the figure itself is a standard First Order Trooper as seen in the Last Jedi. Collectors can then arm him with a variety of weapons and pauldrons to create the look they want. The accessories included are blaster rifle, blaster pistol, heavy blaster and stand, heavy weapon strap and ammo pouch, backpack, macrobinoculars, riot shield, riot baton (one open and one closed) and three rank pauldrons - orange, black and white. Like the Executioner, the set retails at 7800 yen - around £51 / $69 plus import. We can't locate a number as yet for the Stormtrooper release, but expect it to be #70 or thereabouts. A release date is also not known at this point.

Gotham Select 7" figures from Diamond are reduced on Bargainmax from between £8.99 and £11.99. Includes figures from first three waves. *Bargainmax are an affiliate link of the Mephitsu Archives.

The packaging design for NECA's Ultimate Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street 2 : Freddy's Revenge has been unveiled on Twitter via CobraJoes. The box art is based on the movie poster for Freddy's Revenge. Like all Ultimate releases, the figure and the pack in parts and accessories are revealed behind the front cover. Freddy will be coming with three head options, his trademark hat, an alternative knife hand and of course the two demon dogs. You also get a flame FX piece to replicate the pool scene. This new Ultimate Freddy should ship in early 2018.

Review : Deathtrooper Star Wars 6-Inch Hero Series Wave/Series : Lidl UK Released : December 2017 Price : £5.99 Pro's : Nice sculpt and shiny black armour. Blaster is pretty detailed Con's : Too short, articulation is limited As well as producing the successful 6" Black Series range of Star Wars figures, Hasbro do produce and distribute a budget series of 6" figures. These limited articulation figures share similar qualities to the 12" Hero series. They were predominantly made for the Far East market as well as discount stores in the US and of course the UK, where Aldi stores have become the retailer of choice. These first hit UK stores in 2015 in line with The Force Awakens release. The first set of figures included Stormtroopers, Snowtroopers, Finn, Kylo Ren and a Darth Vader. A second set was released in December 2016 as part of the Rogue One merchandising, but didn't contain any Rogue One figures - instead we got figures of Rey (Force Awakens), Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, Han Solo and Kanan Jarrus. The only Rogue One figure released in 2016 was a Deathtrooper, and as far as I am aware it has only been available in Canada.... until now. In December 2017 the discount retailer Lidl confirmed that they would be selling a number of these figures in their stores. The assortment in Lidl was predominantly re-releases made up of Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, First Order Stormtrooper, Finn and Rey - but also included was the elusive Deathtrooper. The Deathtrooper comes in Rogue One branded packaging, the only figure to do so to date and of course the only figure in this 6" Budget range that is from the movie. The actual design of the box is the same as that used in 2016 for Darth Maul and Rey with the base black colouring with the scratches of blue emerging at the side. The top half of the figure is viewed through a window and behind this sits a red backing card. The packages are fitted with a hanging tab - but this is folded back as like Aldi, Lidl only merchandise these in a cage. The rear of the box is headed with the Star Wars logo, but with Rogue One slotted underneath. We then have a short description in red text of the Deathtrooper and their role as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic. This is taken from the back of the 2016 Black Series release, although it has been truncated and stops after the mention of Krennic and is missing the additional line from the Black Series that explains who Krennic is. The 2015 and 16 releases had wonderful artwork on the side panels and the Deathtrooper is arguable one of the best with a very dynamic image of the Deathtrooper in action. Out of the box the Deathtrooper is strapped directly to the card back - there is no inner tray. The cardback itself, like the 2016 versions of Rey and Maul, is not plain red but does hold a pattern. The figure is held in place with four elasticated white ties. Our Deathtrooper stands 5 3/4 inches high and looks beefier and bulkier in overall proportions vs the Black Series version. The armour is very well cast in a hard plastic and the glossy black is impressive - although there is no contrasting matt colouring, so the figure is just shiny from all angles. The only colouring aside from the black is a silver belt buckle and the green accents on the lenses of the helmet and the breather holes. The gun is a good sculpt of the rifle used in the movie, and is cast in a lighter grey plastic - no paint apps. It is cast with the hand attached and then plugged into the figure. You can see the size variance to the full 1/12 Black Series line when you place the Deathtrooper up against his Black Series counterpart. He comes in a good inch too short - but looks wise there is not a great deal in it. Articulation is very basic and the Deathtrooper has 5 points of articulation - one more than most of the figures in the series. We start with the arms which are jointed at the shoulder and simply rotate forward and backward. As a result of the gun being cast with the hand, the plug at the wrist can also be used to articulate the right hand and allows the blaster to be turned to the side. The head rotates to the side and there is a similar joint at the waist allowing the torso to be turned independently of the legs. Below the waist the leg section is all fixed. These are sculpted to stand flat on a surface, and there is no stability issue until the arms are raised. Due to the hollow lightweight nature of the figure, the arms can overbalance the figure if both are swung out in front. I only learned of this figure recently via the excellent Toy Run podcast, and it is great that this has now shown up for UK collectors. The budget series is very niche, but I have supported the line from the start and therefore he is a must to keep me up to date. Sadly, as these figures are made to a fixed height and not a true scale, the Deathtrooper is too short to be used in any Black Series display - otherwise he would have made a very affordable army builder. Articulation will never be a strong point of this line, it is how the price is kept so low. And the same applies to the paint application. The figure does have a good sculpt going for it and for that I score it a 3 out of 5.