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Check out the "build a diorama" plan from Diamond Select for their next batch of Ghostbusters 7" Select Figures - based on the Ghostbusters 2 sequel. The figures will each come with a part that will build the front fascia of the Ghostbusters firehouse, complete with swap out signs to show it as either the original or the GB2 version. The first figures are announced as Ray in Ghostbusters 2 outfit, Louis Tully in Ghostbusters outfit and Vigo. You can pre-order the first wave from our partners at Toys in the Attic

Mattel have unveiled the first 6" figures from the Justice League Movie. The figures will be released under the Multiverse header. The reveal was done on the Join the League website which looks like it will be the home to all the key announcements as we build up to the Justice League movie. The six are made up of the key Justice League members - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg. If the wave follows suit with other Multiverse releases there should also be a Build-a-Figure, which at this point remains a mystery. Also arriving on toy shelves is the 6" scale Batmobile. The figure will retail in the UK at £24.99, the pricing on the Batmobile is unknown at this point. The movie hit's cinemas on the 17th November, expect the toys to hit just before that date - or very shortly afterwards. Checkout these nifty GIF's of each figure

NECA teased a Sythe a few weeks ago, and the speculation then was between a Horror related release, or that NECA were bringing the Grim Reaper to their 8" retro Bill & Ted line. We've now had confirmation that Death is indeed coming, but sadly for Worldwide collectors he is only available at SDCC 2017 and for US customers via a pre-sale arrangement. Only 1000 units will be made. The cost, if you can obtain one, is $35 a SDCC. That price is sure to rise on the secondary market. Death will stand 8 inches high and will use the standard 8" retro body with real cloth robes. The head is an excellent likeness to William Sadler. For our next #SDCC reveal, Death comes calling... From Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey! Whether you call him the Duke of Spook, the Doc of Shock, or the Man with No Tan, Death is now a truly excellent 8" clothed action figure. Death stands 8” tall and features the authorized likeness of #WilliamSadler. The fully poseable figure has a mixed media fabric robe and cowl, and comes with a scythe accessory. Price: $35 Limited edition of 1,000

NECA have unveiled the content of their next 3 figure wave of Predators. Series 18 will be a Dark Horse comic book themed range. It will contain Broken Tusk and Horn Head, figures we've already seen revealed in past teases from NECA. Broken Tusk will come with an impressive 12" double bladed weapon. Horn Head has a removable mask. The third figure is, as we speculated, Machiko - the human female who is adopted into a Predator clan. It seems Machiko will include masked and unmasked heads, which is pretty awesome. Series 18 is due to hit stores in November 2017 "Predator Series 18 is dedicated to three frequently requested Dark Horse Comics characters: Hornhead, Broken Tusk and our first female Predator, Machiko! Hornhead made his first appearance in Predator: Life & Death, and is a great companion piece to the upcoming Ultimate Ahab #Predator, also from the current comics. Comes with removable mask and a sword that fits in a sheath on his back. Broken Tusk originates in the classic 1990s Aliens vs Predator comics. His epic story arc also introduces Machiko Noguchi, a human colonist who earns his respect and joins his tribe. Broken Tusk comes with gun and bladed weapon that measures over 12” in length! Machiko has a removable mask, extra interchangeable hands, and rifle accessory. Hornhead and Broken Tusk stand 8” tall and use the new Ultimate Predator body. Machiko stands 6.5” tall. Each has between 25 and 30 points of articulation."

Review : Astromech Droid 3 Pack Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Toys R Us (US) Exclusive Released : August 2016 Price : $54.99* * there has been no release of this set outside of the US One certainty with any Star Wars figure range is that once a sculpt of an R2 unit is established in the line, a bunch of variants are sure to follow. The original 6-inch R2-D2 sculpt came back in 2013 with the launch of the Star Wars Black Series. From that original figure, it took 2 more years until in 2015 we got the first variant - the Imperial R2 Unit R2-Q5 who was packed in the Entertainment Earth 4-pack exclusive. Roll forward another year, and in Summer 2016 this Astromech 3-pack was announced as a Toys R Us exclusive. The set, which has only ever been released officially in the US, uses the R2-D2 sculpt to give us two new R2 units. We then get our first R5 unit, with a revised head section designed for this set - and that would go on to be released as R5-D4 in the 40th Anniversary packaging. Like everything else in Phase 3 packaging, the set arrives in a gloss black packaging. There is the grey Black Series logo heading up the box, and grey lined images of the three droids across the bottom In between is a smaller than usual window showing off the figures. Usually the figures are not set against a bright red backdrop, but instead a gloss black one. I get that this stops the two red coloured droids from getting lost against the background, but it means the grey & black R2-F2 does not stand out all that well. It also means the packaging doesn't quite fit the uniformity of all the other Phase 3 boxes. Thank fully the red spine survives, and on here we have a repeat of the droid names. Round the back and the rear is split into three panels, one for each droid. The panels are headed with the same grey scale art from the box front - and then an overview of the droids place in the Star Wars universe. The box blurb is good, but limited, and the simple sentence is repeated in three other languages underneath. The following blurb is taken from the promotional text and is a little more in-depth. It would have been nice to see this somewhere in the box with a carded insert like the one packed with the SDCC Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-F2 served as an astromech droid for Biggs Darklighter, a Rebel Alliance starfighter pilot in the elite Red squadron. Flying a T65 X-Wing starfighter, both R2-F2 and Darklighter perished while aiding Luke Skywalker in the assault on the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin. R5-K6 was the R5-series astromech droid on the Red Leader X-Wing starfighter alongside Garven Dreis, leader of the elite Red Squadron. During the assault on the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, R5-K6 and Dreis were shot down while attempting to destroy the Death Star by launching proton torpedoes into a vulnerable 2 meter wide exhaust port - a feat later accomplished by Luke Skywalker. R2-A3 was an R2 series astromech droid who assisted Rebel Alliance pilot, Wedge Antilles, during the Battle of Yavin. While aiding fellow Red Squadron pilots Biggs Darklighter and Luke Skywalker during an assault on the Death Star, R2-A3 and Wedge Antilles were forced to retreat after damage was dealt to their X-Wing's engine. The box opens from either side panel, and rather than a clear tray the droids sit in a gloss black tray. There is a plain cardboard trim to keep the tray in check. The three droids are held in by the tabs of the tray, and the two R2 units are surrounded by their attachments. There is nothing to go with R5-K6. All the droids use the same basic Astromech sculpt from 2013, and as has already been established - this is a little undersized to the actual size of the prop. The size difference is not too excessive that the droids look undersized when placed alongside figures, but it is there and will frustrate those who prize themselves of accuracy of scale. It does seem that despite the sizing, Hasbro are sticking with the sculpt. R2-F2 is the red & white droid that flew with Biggs at the battle of Yavin. Essentially this droid is cast in white plastic, although its not as bright and glossy as the white used on R2-D2. The red panels are picked out neatly and the silver on the dome is a decent metallic colour. The legs are trimmed in a red panel, and as a throwback to the original R2-D2 this panel pops off. On the R2-D2 it would be replaced with the boosters he uses in the Prequels, but here there is no pack in to do this. The two legs end with the copper wiring into the feet. The dome can be rotated to lower the third leg, allowing you to put R2-F2 into a travelling position. The outer two legs are articulated at the top and foot to support the posing into this travel position. The two front panels pop open like the original R2-D2, and in here are the welder and claw. Both of these arms swing up and out of the body. The R2 units come with the life-form scanner and periscope attachments. On the dome there are panels that pop off to accommodate these. One panel is the hangover from the light-saber insert on the original figure, this is not usable on this release. The other two holes can be used to fit either attachment - front or back - and once inserted they can be rotated to any position. The one thing missing on R2-F2 is some weathering. Like the R2-D2 release he is too clean for a rebel droid who is in action with the alliance. Had Hasbro applied the same weathering as they managed to put on the more recent R5-D4, then this droid would have looked a hell of a lot better. Moving to R5-K6, and this is the first R5 unit in the range - beating the original R5 unit R5-D4 to release. K6 is a very impressive looking droid thanks to the contrasting colour scheme. It is cast in a red plastic, with black trim and panes painted on top with the panels white lined with a very good degree of accuracy and neatness. Round the base of the larger R5 dome, we also get this reflective 3D sticker trim. The dome is topped with an aerial which is cast in a softer plastic to avoid breakages. The R5 units work in the same way as the R2 in that by rotating the dome, the third leg drops down. Articulation remains the same with hinges at top of the leg and again at the ankle/foot joint. K6 also comes with the pop out welder and claw arm, but there are no dome attachments. Again, the finish of the droid is clean and crisp with no weathering - this is not as bad on a deep red droid than on the bright white R2-F2, but is still a miss as a black wash would have really added some character. The final droid is R2-A3. This droid is a deep grey cast plastic with white and black detailing on the various panels and across the dome. He also appears to get the largest range of paint in the finish, with red panels on the dome alongside a blue circle to the side of his eye piece. Round the back there is also a further red panel and yellow circular decal. Articulation is the same as the other three with the wind down central leg. A3 also has the pop off leg panels, the opening front panels with welder & claw arm, as well as the dome attachments that we saw on F2. The life-form scanner on mine had sadly been misshapen in the box and as you will see from the images is a touch bent. For me the F2 droid is the nicest looking, and although it also lacks any weathering - the darker scheme means it is less noticeable. In summing up I would say that for droid fans, or for a Black Series collector wanting to add in some colourful background droids - this set is really good. All three droids are one wash away from being taken up another level. The R2 units come with the bulk of the dome accessories that came with R2-D2, something that was dropped on that Imperial R2-Q5 release. The issue for me is the exclusivity of this set, which was sold only in the US for $54.99. Now that is a very reasonable £43 when you convert directly, and a price that most fans would pay for three variant droids. Sadly, when this set did hit the UK independents as imports the price was nearer £80, making the set a very expensive for paint variants. Now there is still a chance this set could make its way over to Toys R Us UK stores, and there are still US sellers who will ship this internationally for circa £55-£60. At £50 or less, this would easily be a 4 out of 5 set. Unfortunately the price and exclusivity is working against it and I have to award the Astromech Droid 3-pack a 3 out of 5.

While The Vulture is the main "big bad" for the Spider-Man Homecoming movie, we have known for a while that Shocker will also play a part. Vulture and Spidey have also been confirmed as being released in the Hasbro figure line, and in many parts of the world are already on sale. But now this image has leaked online of a Shocker figure. This figure is in the limited articulation basic range of 6" figures which retails for about £10. It is also unclear if this is an accurate costume for Shocker in the movie, or if some licence has been taken by this more kid friendly line - the same approach has been taken for a blue suited Spider-Man called the Tech Suit (unless this is something the movie has kept really quiet).

Happy Sat-TOY-Day everyone! CLICK HERE for this week's issue Inside Issue 55 we take a look at the new Ghostbuster figures from Diamond, as well as their new Capt Jack Sparrow figure and diorama. NECA unveil two SDCC exclusives, and a new Predator for general release. McFarlane announce an exiting new Sci-Fi licence - and SH Figuarts continue to tease from the Far East, with their own Jack Sparrow, new Star Wars offerings and a very cool Spider-Man figure. www.facebook.com/mephitsu www.twitter.com/mephitsu www.issuu.com/mephitsu

NECA teased a variant coloured Xenomorph back in their SDCC 2016 display. The figure has now been named as the "Sewer Mutation", a potential homage to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizza monster. While the homage is clear to fans, the blurb invents its own background for the figure - a result of a radioactive accident on a Weyland Yutani outpost. The figure itself appears to use the sculpt of the AvP warrior, with a ridged head crest. The figure will be a limited edition of 3000 units, sold at SDCC 2017. But in a move to please UK fans, it will be available as a pre-order to UK collectors via the NECA Alien X Club (assuming you are signed up as a member). The US RRP at SDCC is $30, that would be circa £25 here in the UK. "Happy #facehuggerfriday! Ready for another #SDCC reveal? Read all the way to the bottom for availability notes! Deep in space, something is happening at a remote Weyland-Yutani scientific outpost! The terrible coincidence of a power outage and a deep space radiation has created a new Xenomorph… one that’s right at home in the pipes and tubes of the station’s sub-levels. The Sewer Mutation Warrior Alien Movie UK stands over 9" tall and features over 30 points of articulation and a bendable tail. Limited edition of 3,000 Price: $30 This figure WILL be available to Alien Movie UK Club members and at our booth at SDCC. It will NOT be available during the online presale that starts on 6/20. A full post about the SDCC pre-sale will be coming on Monday 6/5 - look forward to it!"

Hero of the Locust War, former Gear, Marcus Fenix finds himself called out of an isolated retirement to aid his estranged son, JD Fenix, to stop the Swarm. This figure stands 7 inches tall and comes equipped with Customized Lancer Assault Rifle and Snub Pistol sidearm. Designed with 14+ points of articulation for dynamic posing and includes stylized display base. Figure includes on Gears of War 4 Pack, a downloadable code for unlocking spectacular In-Game content.

Developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, Mass Effect™: Andromeda is the newest chapter in the Mass Effect series, and gives players the freedom to chart their own course through space, leading the first humans in Andromeda on a desperate search for a new home. Scott Ryder is a brand new character to the Mass Effect Universe. Figure stands 7″ tall and comes equipped with primary Avenger AAX5 Assault Rifle. Alternate helmet-less head and Mass Effect: Andromeda branded display base included.

Have a look at these promotional images of the 14" Marvel Legends Hulk - coming later this year in their 12" scale range of Marvel Comicbook heroes. Hulk will come with two head options - one angry, one stern - and swap out hands so you can display him with clenched fists or open palms.

Last year, NECA brought fans attending SDCC some fantastic 7" scaled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures based on the classic arcade game. 2017 will see NECA go one better with an enormous 8 figure box set based this time on the classic cartoon series. The set will open to initially reveal the four turtles with appropriate weapons and accessories, including pizza. There are also variant hand options for each turtle. Behind this first tray is then a secondary tray containing the Villains - a cartoon Shredder, Krang and two Foot Soldiers. The villians are also suitably armed and have additional hand options included. The set will be sold at SDCC 2017 for $200. The initial press release, via The Fwoosh, also states that fans can pre-order this via the NECA store in advance of SDCC. We would expect this is US only, particularly due to the Turtle licencing agreement that NECA hold being for the US only. To celebrate 30 years of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, we needed to create something suitably epic, like this massive, limited edition collector’s set with carrying case! It includes 8 action figures (Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Shredder, Krang with Bubble Walker, and 2 Foot soldiers) and tons of accessories, all packed into two figure trays in a vinyl carrying case. The case features original artwork by Ken Mitchroney, Archie Comics’ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures" artist. Figures stand in 7” scale and are fully articulated. Case measures approximately 16” H x 10” W x 5.5” D. Limited edition of 5,000. Retail: $200