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The low down: Figure: Stromtrooper (Original Trilogy) Franchise: Star Wars Line: Elite Series Price: £18.95 Made by: Disney Swooping in on the hype leading us in to Star Wars The Force Awakens, is Disney’s “Elite” figure series. These figures fall roughly into the 6” figure category, although are mostly just bigger than the main-stay, Black Series from Hasbro and normally chalk up around 6.5-7” in height. The 6” Star Wars figure market seems more densely populated each week at the moment and the Stormtrooper in particular is ubiquitous. The Elite series however, distinguishes itself by being made of metal (die-cast) rather than the typical plastics. But is this different use of material enough to give the line a defined place in the market? And beyond this novel use of die-casting, what are these Stormtrooper figures like to pose, look at, and even play with? Are they truly the elites of the collectors market? Picking up the box, I’m presented with the standard packaging that houses all figures in the line thus far. It’s a light grey, brushed/scratched metal design which has kind of an industrial look, and I guess, references the fact that the figures themselves are indeed made of metal. The packaging is lined by a foil-finished, red border, which tries to give the feeling that you’re buying an elite figure in more than just it’s name. There’s a nice big window which allows full view of the figure and the accessories from the front and sides. Overall, it’s a tidy, nice feeling package but I can’t say that it strikes me as being particularly “Star Warsy” and it does little to grab my attention or excite me. One other negative here (and this is perhaps just a personal peeve) is that the figure is posed within the box in an odd way that doesn't make him appealing. This is something particularly relevant to any MIB collectors, as your Stormtrooper will for ever be in that rather flat T-pose position. Getting your figure out can be a bit of a palaver. Due to the weight of it, because it’s metal, it has to be very firmly strapped in to secure it during transit. It’s good that they’ve tied him in so well, he’s nicely protected and this isn’t a complaint. But it does take a while to release him; I ended up using scissors. Once he’s free however, and in your hands, the first thing you’ll notice is the weight. He is solid and weighty. It feels good holding him, and the nice glossy paint also feels good and of high quality in the hand. The gloss of the paintwork is one of the real positives about this figure. When we see the Stormtroopers burst onto our screens for the first time, they are clean, white, glossy. That’s a finish that we all recognise in the character of the stormtrooper but is rarely seen on an action figure. This is slightly at odds in my head though, as I don’t imagine the Stormtroopers’ helmets to actually be painted metal… But rather a special kind of polymer. With the gloss finish looking so good and well suited for a Stormtrooper, it becomes twice as painful to swallow the fact that the articulation on this figure is rubbish. The more I explore him, the more disappointed I feel. There is no sideways/outwards movement in the arms at all. This means no holding the blaster with two hands (one at trigger and one supporting the barrel) which is essentially THE basic stormtrooper pose everyone will try to adopt. So surprised was I at this lack of articulation that I spent a long time looking at it and thinking “it must just be me…” - and I still expect readers to comment that this is the case. This problem runs through the whole figure, with the “seat” part of the armour blocking outwards movement of the legs at the hip joint. This means that the annoying “knock kneed” look he has in the box is difficult to pose out and the legs can essentially only swing forward and bend straight at the knee. Also, all parts are painted. Not like a plastic figure where the base can be cast in the correct colour plastic and then the details painted. This has lead to a problem with this particular figure, and while I can’t speak for the whole line or all the Stormtrooper figures from it, with my one, as I bent the arm at the elbow, the moving joint caught on the paint and peeled it away. If this were to be an ongoing issue, then repeated play/posing would soon leave you with a figure with exposed, metal joints. But how’s that sculpt? That’s what we collectors tend to pore over these days. Well, it’s good. The helmet is good and looks like a Stormtrooper. It’s well proportioned and shaped and all the details you expect to be there are. However the combination of the metal material and the die-casting process means edges in some of the detailing is soft and at times almost play-doh looking - this doesn’t actually hurt the figure too much as, if you look at the movie prop helmets and the way they are made, they have an almost vacuum formed smoothness to some of the shapes. Standing straight, from the front and side views he looks pretty good. The back view however… well anyone that’s been following the Elite Series releases knows that a lot of people complain about the back view. And for good reason. It’s pretty ugly looking. There are screws everywhere, bolting him together. I kind of think this is unavoidable with this type of manufacturing process at this price point (obviously characters without capes suffer the worst) so you just have to make a decision on whether or not it is an issue for you. The figures come with a stand and are honestly more designed for display than play, so if you’re happy to display it with it’s back to the wall you can pretty much ignore it. He only comes with one accessory, the standard issues imperial E11 blaster. And, he can’t really hold it. It’s loose in his hand and falls out easily. It looks like chewed liquorice. He has an open holster on his belt, and the gun doesn’t fit in. Needless to say, the “accessories” with this figure aren’t going to win any favours with collectors. Paint-wise, simple and obvious things like the “head band” on the front of his helmet not meeting up properly add to a list of careless, sloppy oversights that let this figure down. It feels kind of painful to give this figure a bad rap as to be honest, the overall paint is good, the sculpt is good, it looks good. But when compared to some of the other options on the market, and the quality therein, it becomes difficult to love this figure and/or to recommend it. I realise I mention the fact that it’s metal a lot. And that’s because that has to be it’s selling point. Because it isn’t detail, it isn’t articulation, it isn’t accessories. But the problem with that is, in about 1978 we realised that metal wasn’t as good a material for making action figures as plastic. So while it makes for a nice curiosity, and earlier figures like Finn and Rey worked well and looks good, I can’t see the line having any lasting impact. It feels antiquated, almost oblivious to the advancements that have happened to the action figure craft over the last 10 (37?) years and as such I unfortunately feel that this Stormtrooper misses his mark.

Japanese online store AmiAmi released details this week of what they called "Assortment 9" of the Star Wars 6 inch Black Series. This assortment is due for release in February 2016 and is listed as containing the following figures [Set Contents] -Captain Phasma x1 -Jango Fett x1 -Flame Trooper x2 -Finnn 2 x1 -Chewbacca 2 x1 The obvious figure to jump out is that of the Flametrooper who will be packed 2 per case to bolster the ranks of the First Order. Jango Fett will become the first non-Episode 7 character to be included in the new phase 3 packaging. The other interesting elements are the numerical 2 after both Finn and Chewbacca. This could indicate an alterative version. For Finn this is expected to be his Stormtrooper outfit. For Chewbacca, we are not sure, unless there is a signifcantly different look in the film for Chewie I am not sure what you could do, particularly as he is already peg warming. The other alternative is the 2 here relates to this being the 2nd Chewie release in the range after the Original Trilogy chewie from wave 5. This all ties up to the info Dorkside Toys broke earlier in the year, and the only real question now is whether we have 2 more waves coming in December ahead of this Feb release? These would be what we have been calling wave 3 (Tie Pilot and Resistance Trooper) and wave 4 (Hux, Snowtrooper and Asty) CLICK HERE for the AmiAmi page

Issue 03 of Sat-TOY-Day is out today - the action figure news that has caught my eye over the past week. You can read the latest version as follows Via the Mephitsu Archives website Via Issuu.com and once you sign up you can also use their apps on iOS and Android Via PDF at our Google Drive Archive , you can even download it from here to PDF readers or Kindle And if that's not enough, on the website page you can also sign up to our Sat-TOY-Day mailing list to receive the news by email every Saturday As always, feedback is much appreciated, as are shares to expand our audience. I would also love to speak to any stores/businesses that want to partner up for exposure in the Sat-TOY-Day virtual news. As we grow we aren't charging anything for advertising, just looking for partners who may want to help us out with prizes or items for reviews :)

This odd little line of figures was first seen in Toys R Us stores in Taiwan a couple of months back. They then showed up on the shelves of a French retailer, and then regular readers will know that in late October we exclusively revealed that these so called 6" figures would be carried by Aldi in the UK. These are not exclusive to Aldi in the conventional sense. I suspect these have been produced and offered by Hasbro and Aldi are the only one to have taken these up so far. Roll on to this week and the figures finally hit shelves at £6.99 each. Let's be clear first what these are. These are not 6" figures, they are closer to 5.5" so more scaled with the McFarlane Walking Dead or Character's Doctor Who figures. They are at best 4 points of articulation - head, shoulders and waist - with fixed legs. They are a very hollow, almost blown plastic and therefore very light weight. They arrive in these very economical cardboard boxes with a window cut out. The box design is a reduced version of the Hasbro 12" Hero figures and includes a very short character bio on the reverse. The side art is particularly nice, and would look awesome in a TFA display of packaging. Let's start with Kylo Ren. He comes packed with his saber which is separate and fits into his right hand. Kylo has no head articulation, so is now 3POA with his entire lower legs and skirt one piece only. He is a really nice sculpt and even though the cloak is fixed and hard plastic, it is done really well. Sadly, he sits much smaller than the 6" Black Series version and looks bizarre alongside any BS 6" figures Finn is a full 4POA and comes with his gun molded into his hand and it cannot be removed. He also comes with a very odd split in his coat which at first I thought was an articulation piece. Finn's head sculpt is very good and in an odd way is preferable to the one on the Black Series. Finn is also the same height as his Black Series counterpart, so does scale well with all other BS figures. The Stormtrooper is also 4POA and again has his gun molded into his hand. The sculpt is OK but very soft with lots of smooth edges and bleeding between one part and another. He is also considerably "yellow" when compared to Hasbro BS version and is a good half head too short. He can sit in a background army build set-up and won't be too conspicuous, but not enough for me to go out and buy loads of these. I'd rather spend £20 on a single BS Trooper rather than 3 of these. The Snowtrooper, like the Stormtrooper, comes with a fixed weapon. His weapon is painted so is more screen accurate, and he comes with a backpack which is supplied loose and then sits on his back. Again, the plastic is very off white and he too is too short by a few mm. Again, background figure he will work - but save your money for the real ones. Darth Vader is the final figure in this 5 figure series, and an odd choice considering all the others are TFA based. As a figure Vader is pretty nice, reminiscent of his angular helmet look in Rebels. His cloak is a little bit more flexible than the other plastic, and flows well enough. He comes with his saber, with unpainted hilt, and it slots into his right hand. Vader is tiny, so undersized vs his Black Series version. These figures had so much potential, and have sadly disappointed. They aren't articulated enough to be a kids range - mini-meph was most disappointed as he has always wanted some bigger figures, but when the legs didn't move and the weapons were fixed, he soon lost interest. They also miss the mark on being a potential "back drop" range for Black Series. I have no idea why Hasbro made these too short? I can see the appeal of a lower articulation 6" range - same as we have in the 3.75" ranges - but this isn't it. My advice, save your money. Whether you are buying for your kids or for yourself for your collection then these are of no use other than maybe as a niche element of a TFA collection. I doubt these will see a wave 2, I even doubt will be picked up by anyone else after Aldi sell out.

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery Commando is not one of films that initially springs to mind when you consider Arnie's repertoire in the 1980's. Fans will automatically go to Terminator, Running Man and probably Total Recall. Commando was released in 1985, and is now celebrating it's 30th Anniversary. And to commemorate this birthday, NECA have brought us a John Matrix figure, as played by Arnie. John is an Ultimate release from NECA, so that means it is presented in a larger than normal high gloss presentation box. The front of the box is taken straight from the movie poster with a torso shot of Schwarzenegger, with his surname position just above the Commando title text. Either side of the box repeats the Schwarzenegger & Command text along with the 30th Anniversary text. Round the back is a larger image of the figure itself, with three further inserts each showing a different configuration of the figure and it's assorted weaponry. A short paragraphs, in white text, gives a very loose overview of the films plot. All the Ultimate releases have a front panel that folds away from a Velcro fastener to reveal the figure via a window underneath. I am not convinced by this choice from NECA. As nice as it does I can't visualise how MIB collectors would display this - surely if you can't see the figure it could just be an empty box? The inner panel of the front cover contains another full length atmospheric shot of the actual figure, and in the window the figure is framed by a particularly nice orange backing card. Now let's get a couple of things clear before we start looking at the figure in any depth. First off, this figure ONLY saw the light of day because a large number of the parts could be re-used from the 2013 Predator Dutch Jungle Patrol figure. The trousers, boots and arms are all taken directly from Dutch, and the head sculpt is probably a minor tweak - although it does have a higher hair style. The other point is that the other Ultimate figures announced or released so far have come with alternative heads to give you varying looks for the character. John Matrix does not, however he still qualifies for his Ultimate status with an armory of weapons. Looking at the sculpt, and even with the re-used pieces, this is a mighty impressive figure. The head sculpt captures John really well, all those Terminator figures have allowed NECA to perfect the Arnie look. The arms and the chest, what we can see of it, are well defined without looking cartoony or out of proportion. The vest is jam packed with detail from knives, grenades, shells as well as pockets and pouches. This continues round the reverse with a couple of hidden sheathed knives. The trousers are a little plainer, and as mentioned are simply the same ones used on Predator Dutch. That being said it will take a really really good eye to spot that these aren't screen accurate. John is packing a holster on his right thigh, and even though it would have been easy for NECA to re-use the Dutch piece again here, it is actually a different holster with different thigh straps. All of the pieces are painted really well and very neatly, something NECA is nailing at the moment. Across the vest every piece is painted and the lower pouches have a neat camouflage design. The base of the vest itself is coloured in two varying shades of black, one being a high gloss, and this allows for even more definition to the upper torso. The trousers are a little plainer, done in a ranger green finish and with no discernible wash to bring out the folds, not that it really needs it - although perhaps some weathering or dirt would have added to the realism. Unlike Dutch, the skin tone is a shinier finish made to represent John sweating in the South American jungle. Across the skin areas is camouflage paint. I am not usually a huge fan of this type of "sweaty" skin tone, having seen it tried on other figures - but here, particularly at a distance, it works really well and is aided by the camouflage paint which is applied subtly and slightly opaque rather than a flat solid colour. The eyes on John, which have got some criticism, are really nice on mine and capture that almost manic stare that Arnie used so well in many of his movies. Articulation wise, and John can do most things you need him to. The head is ball jointed to look up and down and to either side. The arms can be raised above his head or out to the side, and coupled with a swivel elbow joint and rotating wrists can ensure John can hold all the weaponry provided either one handed or in a natural looking two handed pose. The legs will allow Arnie to kneel but not sit fully, but I am not sure you would want to see him in any other position than a butch stance with weaponry in hand. John comes with a hand gun that can be slotted in the thigh holster, or put into the right hand - albeit the grip is a little tight. The hand knife also fits into the right hand, or can be balanced in the left. It also slots into a sheath on the front of the vest. There are two machine guns (M60E3 machine gun, Valmet M78/83 machine gun - I had to Google that), both of which fit into the right hand and can be cradled by the left - again it is quite tight getting them into the hand. My favourite piece though is the enormous rocket launcher which is stamped "US army" and can be shoulder slung, or by way of a swing out handle can be held in the right hand - supported by the left. The rear of the launcher also pulls out and there is a "launching" missile that slots into one of the four launcher holes to give that firing effect. If you are a fan of the movie, or Arnie in general or indeed of 1980's classic movie's (which is one of my collection focuses) then I can highly recommend the Ultimate Commando figure. At a shade over the normal RRP of a NECA 7" figure, you get a really nice box that can be repacked if you ever want to. You get a really great looking figure, that stands and poses really well and has an array of weapons to choose with to pose him with. Yes, some parts are re-used but it is a clever re-use to get a figure that no-one ever expected to market. I can't find any real fault with John Matrix and as such award another NECA release our top mark of 5 out of 5.

Commando is not one of films that initially springs to mind when you consider Arnie's repertoire in the 1980's. Fans will automatically go to Terminator, Running Man and probably Total Recall. Commando was released in 1985, and is now celebrating it's 30th Anniversary. And to commemorate this birthday, NECA have brought us a John Matrix figure, as played by Arnie. John is an Ultimate release from NECA, so that means it is presented in a larger than normal high gloss presentation box. The front of the box is taken straight from the movie poster with a torso shot of Schwarzenegger, with his surname position just above the Commando title text. Either side of the box repeats the Schwarzenegger & Command text along with the 30th Anniversary text. Round the back is a larger image of the figure itself, with three further inserts each showing a different configuration of the figure and it's assorted weaponry. A short paragraphs, in white text, gives a very loose overview of the films plot. All the Ultimate releases have a front panel that folds away from a Velcro fastener to reveal the figure via a window underneath. I am not convinced by this choice from NECA. As nice as it does I can't visualise how MIB collectors would display this - surely if you can't see the figure it could just be an empty box? The inner panel of the front cover contains another full length atmospheric shot of the actual figure, and in the window the figure is framed by a particularly nice orange backing card. Now let's get a couple of things clear before we start looking at the figure in any depth. First off, this figure ONLY saw the light of day because a large number of the parts could be re-used from the 2013 Predator Dutch Jungle Patrol figure. The trousers, boots and arms are all taken directly from Dutch, and the head sculpt is probably a minor tweak - although it does have a higher hair style. The other point is that the other Ultimate figures announced or released so far have come with alternative heads to give you varying looks for the character. John Matrix does not, however he still qualifies for his Ultimate status with an armory of weapons. Looking at the sculpt, and even with the re-used pieces, this is a mighty impressive figure. The head sculpt captures John really well, all those Terminator figures have allowed NECA to perfect the Arnie look. The arms and the chest, what we can see of it, are well defined without looking cartoony or out of proportion. The vest is jam packed with detail from knives, grenades, shells as well as pockets and pouches. This continues round the reverse with a couple of hidden sheathed knives. The trousers are a little plainer, and as mentioned are simply the same ones used on Predator Dutch. That being said it will take a really really good eye to spot that these aren't screen accurate. John is packing a holster on his right thigh, and even though it would have been easy for NECA to re-use the Dutch piece again here, it is actually a different holster with different thigh straps. All of the pieces are painted really well and very neatly, something NECA is nailing at the moment. Across the vest every piece is painted and the lower pouches have a neat camouflage design. The base of the vest itself is coloured in two varying shades of black, one being a high gloss, and this allows for even more definition to the upper torso. The trousers are a little plainer, done in a ranger green finish and with no discernible wash to bring out the folds, not that it really needs it - although perhaps some weathering or dirt would have added to the realism. Unlike Dutch, the skin tone is a shinier finish made to represent John sweating in the South American jungle. Across the skin areas is camouflage paint. I am not usually a huge fan of this type of "sweaty" skin tone, having seen it tried on other figures - but here, particularly at a distance, it works really well and is aided by the camouflage paint which is applied subtly and slightly opaque rather than a flat solid colour. The eyes on John, which have got some criticism, are really nice on mine and capture that almost manic stare that Arnie used so well in many of his movies. Articulation wise, and John can do most things you need him to. The head is ball jointed to look up and down and to either side. The arms can be raised above his head or out to the side, and coupled with a swivel elbow joint and rotating wrists can ensure John can hold all the weaponry provided either one handed or in a natural looking two handed pose. The legs will allow Arnie to kneel but not sit fully, but I am not sure you would want to see him in any other position than a butch stance with weaponry in hand. John comes with a hand gun that can be slotted in the thigh holster, or put into the right hand - albeit the grip is a little tight. The hand knife also fits into the right hand, or can be balanced in the left. It also slots into a sheath on the front of the vest. There are two machine guns (M60E3 machine gun, Valmet M78/83 machine gun - I had to Google that), both of which fit into the right hand and can be cradled by the left - again it is quite tight getting them into the hand. My favourite piece though is the enormous rocket launcher which is stamped "US army" and can be shoulder slung, or by way of a swing out handle can be held in the right hand - supported by the left. The rear of the launcher also pulls out and there is a "launching" missile that slots into one of the four launcher holes to give that firing effect. If you are a fan of the movie, or Arnie in general or indeed of 1980's classic movie's (which is one of my collection focuses) then I can highly recommend the Ultimate Commando figure. At a shade over the normal RRP of a NECA 7" figure, you get a really nice box that can be repacked if you ever want to. You get a really great looking figure, that stands and poses really well and has an array of weapons to choose with to pose him with. Yes, some parts are re-used but it is a clever re-use to get a figure that no-one ever expected to market. I can't find any real fault with John Matrix and as such award another NECA release our top mark of 5 out of 5.

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery It is fair to say that over at NECA it is their older licences that always out perform their new licences. Prometheus was a flop, where as Aliens goes from strength to strength. Planet of the Apes Classic was better received than the modern POTA interpretation. And now the Terminator licence is looking likely to follow that trend with the Genisys line being short lived, whilst characters from the earlier movies will eclipse them this year and next. I must applaud NECA for still going after the modern licences, and I believe in time that these short lived modern lines like POTA, Prometheus and Genisys will be highly sought after due to their limited runs. Of the Genisys figures that have hit shelves to date (Nov 2016), we are today reviewing the T-1000. NECA continue the boxed packaging with Genisys, and the box design is particularly striking vs the more muted darker tones that NECA have preferred on other licences. The box base colour is predominantly a striking red within which is a background scene including T800 Endoskeletons and on the rear a hovering Hunter Killer. The window is cut out at an angular shape, and the bottom of the box moves to a gun metal colouring emblazoned by a T800 Endoskeleton skull logo. The character's full name in this bottom panel is T-1000 Police Disguise, and a top this sits the Genisys movie logo. Both box sides repeat the Endoskeleton head logo, with the character name printed at the base of each side spine and the Genisys movie logo at the very top. On the reverse you will find a black box to the right hand side, in which is a breakdown of the T-1000 under the headers Description, Strengths, Weaknesses and Interesting Facts, the last one feeling a bit out of place. Under this biography box are torso images of the T-800 Guardian, which was released at the same time, and the T-800 2017 Guardian ("Pops") who is marked as Coming Soon. At the very base of the rear are three images of the T-1000 figure, each showing a different configuration of parts. Upon opening the box there is the usual inner perspex tray and a dark grey cardboard back insert. You cannot knock this figure for a lack of options or accessories. The T-1000 comes out of the box with two head options, two chest options, a swap-able arm, alternative hands, a Police revolver and a liquid metal spear. The head & chest combinations alone allow for four different configurations, and loose collectors will spend a while deciding how best to display the T-1000, or perhaps invest in one or two more to display variant options. Let's look at the sculpt first, and it is as strong as any other NECA property. The heads, both of them, are a strong likeness for Lee Byung-hun and both portray that dead pan emotionless face that we have come to associate with any Terminator, be it Arnie, the original T-1000 Robert Patrick or indeed Lee Byung-hun's portrayal in Genisys. The damaged head is my personal favourite as it shows the T-1000 for what it is and the liquid metal crater here is really well done as it goes back into the head cavity itself giving depth to the damage. The body sculpt is reasonably plain, so doesn't lend itself to large amounts of detail. The Police Uniform is neatly done with the relevant pockets, buttons and lapels. The belt and holster accommodate the supplied revolver and the Police Department Badge is replicated well enough on the chest. Where the head damage was really well done, I found myself disappointed with the damaged chest option. Rather than any extension back into the torso, the liquid metal holes here look more stuck on and float on top of the uniform rather than extend into it. Paint applications are a bit muted vs usual NECA standards. Compare the T-1000 head for example to that of the recent T-800 Ultimate Terminator and it just looks and feels a bit soft. I can't put my finger on why as the eyes are neatly done and the lips a good natural colour. I think the fact there is some bleed of skin tone into the hair makes it look a bit sloppy, and the skin tone is just that - one tone - so doesn't pick out any depth. It may also just be that the actor's face is relatively smooth and featureless? The Uniform is painted a flat black, but there is definition in finish between uniform and the shoes which are a glossier finish and have a defined brown sole. The detail, such as it is, is picked up in silver paint - buttons, belt buckle and the officer ID. The Police Badge has a silver base, with blue detail on top. All the silver damage is just that, one tone solid silver and again the head one looks a lot better as there is more depth into the head to give some shadow. Before we hit articulation, let's look at the swap-able elements. The idea of a complete Torso exchange is a new one on me, but it works well enough with pegs within the body to accept either of the two chests. I am going to drift back to the body damage here which as I mentioned earlier looks "stuck on". The fact that they went with two different Torso's makes this even more frustrating as the damage could have been sculpted back into the body. The way it is presented here could have probably been achieved with stuck on parts on magnets or similar? The hands are a little easier to swap than some other NECA figures we have had recently. All the hand options are a right hand, giving three different versions - one flat palmed, one to hold the gun and another to hold the spear. The left hand option is a liquid metal stump mimicking damage sustained in the film. The left arm pops off at the elbow joint, and this again works well - although I don't feel it looks particularly effective vs what we saw in the film. The spear doesn't quite fit snugly into any hand provided and has a tendency to slide out of the grip. It is also a bit of a let down when you consider the overriding image of a T-1000 (from either Genisys or Judgement Day) is him turning his arms into hook like weapons, and I wish NECA had dropped the damage arm, one of the hands and the spear - and gone with some swap-able hook arm weapons (although I appreciate this is what they are doing with their 2016 Ultimate T-1000 fro T2). Articulation is very good on the T-1000. Even though it is changeable and not a ball joint, the head still rotates a decent way either side and can look up and down with a good range of motion. Ball jointed shoulders allow the arms to move out perpendicular to the body - which is great for "aiming his pistol" shots. They can also rotate and go above his head, which works well for a spear throwing pose. The arms are further bolstered with a rotating elbow joint and pegged wrists which rotate. Because of the torso arrangements, there is no mid torso joint, but there is a waist joint which allows some swivel in the top half vs the legs. The ball jointed hips can get out into the splits, or into a sitting position. They are aided in this by a flexible crotch which is made out of a rubber material and moves with the legs. No thigh swivel, so the next leg option is the wonderful NECA hidden knee joint and the figure ends with an ankle rocker. T-1000 is really easy to pose and stands well enough. He can be made to look like he is aiming his spear or sword or dropped into a neutral pose, or you can even get close to that menacing arms by side march that will eventually turn into a run as he makes chase to our heroes. For value for money, this figure is packed with options - NECA could have easily badged it as an Ultimate version. Sadly I think the chest damage isn;t done well enough, and I wanted the arm weapons, not the pretty poor spear or the chopped off at the elbow look. The paint on the head is lacking just a touch and the whole figure doesn't look "NECA" enough - which shows how high they had set the bar of late. I am going to score the T-1000 a 3 out of 5.

I am proud to publish Issue 02 of the new look Sat-Toy-Day news, the Action Figure news that caught my eye this week. You can read the new format via Issuu which is a self publishing platform and their associated Applications Or you can read it via the Website HERE And on the same page, if you wish, you can sign up to have it pop into your inbox each Saturday in PDF format to read at your convenience Of course you can also continue to follow us over on FACEBOOK and/or TWITTER for daily news as well as reviews, price alerts and store reports. You can also enter our contributor draw by submitting your own stories and I would also love to hear your feedback on the new look Sat-TOY-Day newsletter.

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery Robb Stark is number 11 in Funko's Legacy Game of Thrones collection, released in 2014 as part of series 2. Robb arrives in the standard window box that we are no accustomed to, with a colour scheme and design identical to that of his father, Ned Stark, as seen in series 1. The box is adorned with the Stark Wolf Crest and on the rear is a listing of the 6 figures that make up series 2, as well as a shot of Robb directly from the TV show - as played by Richard Madden. Once opened, you will find Robb packed in the inner perspex tray along with his sword accessory. In hand, Robb is a solid enough figure with a good weight to him. The sculpt, as completed by Gentle Giant, is really impressive. The head & face is a really good likeness to Richard Madden, but the sculpt detail is actually found further down in his clothing. The leather armour tunic is patterned and overlaid with a studded neck & chest piece. The arms are adorned with elbow armour, wrist bracers and end in wrist long leather gloves. The legs are a little less impressive as just plain black trousers ending in knee high boots. From Robb's waist hangs a tied leather belt which is sculpted with a wolf design buckle, and hanging from this is a wrapped sheath into which the sword sits snuggly. The outfit is finished with the fur cloak which is strapped around Robb's torso and hangs realistically off his shoulders and eventually flows down to the ground. It is worth saying that THIS is the outfit, or at least style of outfit, that we wanted to see Ned Stark in - not the Kings Landing version. We should hope that if the line continues we can at some point get a Winterfell Ned Stark. Articulation will always be restricted when you have a bulky armoured figure, and the addition of the cloak sadly restricts Robb even further. The ball jointed head can look up and down a few degrees and can move side to side but is soon stopped in its tracked by the cloak collar. The arms can move upward to almost 90 degrees from the body, and the fur pelt section of the shoulder cloak will move with the arm. The elbow joint moves neatly underneath the armour and the wrist, which is on a peg, can only really rotate rather than bend back and forth. There is a waist joint and you can move Robb's torso a few degrees to either side before the belt and sheath start to catch. Under the skirt of the tunic are double jointed knee joints, which would work with the hip articulation to give a really good range of movement. The issue is the skirt, which blocks the majority of this movement - leaving Robb's only real option for stance as a neutral one. The cloak does also make Robb over balanced to the rear, so you will be thankful of the ankle rockers and the thigh swivel to get that balance right to keep Robb upright. Paint applications on the outfit are awesome. Despite looking all "brown" from a distance, once you start inspecting Robb up close you will see varying shades and colours with washes to bring out the detail, and on the cloak in particular some really good weathering at the base of the cloak to represent mud splashes. Buckles, clasps and buttons are all picked out neatly in bronze and the belt buckle and top of the sword sheath are painted in gold to bring out the sculpted gilding. The fur cloak is washed to bring out the depth of texture, and this same process is used on Robb's hair. My only criticism of the painting is the face. The eyes are really good, but the beard is sloppy with a smudge under the lips which ruins the face sculpt sadly. Robb's only accessory, as we mentioned, is his broad sword which is really tight to fit in either hand. The arm articulation isn't good enough to get Robb in a 2 handed fighting stance, which is a shame. I suspect most people will simply drop the sword into the sheath for display. I really like Robb Stark, it is already one of my favorites from the range. He looks mean, moody and captures the on screen persona really well. I guess you cant have ultimate articulation and realistic cloaks and armour, and anyone who knows me knows I favour looks over articulation and pose-ability. One negative for me is the sloppy paint on the beard - there always seems to be one bit on every GoT figure from Funko that is just lazy and spoils all the other neat and detailed paintwork. I also found getting him to stand naturally a bit frustrating with the cloak pulling him backwards, and of course Funko decided not to put peg holes in the feet to allow the use of a pegged stand. Those two minor gripes aside, I award Robb Stark a solid 4 out of 5.

Marvel have today announced the development of new merchandise for adult collectors, including product based on the Netflix shows Daredevil and Jessica Jones For Action Figure fans, the line that Marvel will be bringing new Marvel Legends to collectors will be welcome news. And we still hold out very slim hope that at some point the guys at Diamond could bring us a 1/10 scale TV Daredevil figure to sit with their Marvel Cinematic Universe figures (that's me straw clutching) The full press release is as follows... As fans continue to demand unique items to wear and collect from Marvel’s deep stable of characters, Marvel is rolling out its merchandising and retail plans for popular anti-heroes and vigilantes Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones and Deadpool. This new development addresses a key Marvel strategy to tap into the Marvel vault and satisfy not only the fans of the major Marvel franchises --Avengers, Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy - but also comic book fans and those watching Marvel’s new Netflix Original Series. Utilizing new artwork that launched this past summer, the merchandise campaigns focus on images from the vast Marvel Publishing archive to embrace an edgier tone. The lines have begun rolling out in stores with larger launches planned for January 2016 targeting teens and adults. Activity will heat up later in 2016 with the debut of the second season of the critically acclaimed Netflix’s “Marvel’s Daredevil”, which will include the first-ever live-action appearance of the Punisher on television. The licensing program features a wide array of adult fan-focused product originating off of the wildly popular Marvel Comics publishing line, from apparel to collectibles and action figures. Fans will have the chance to build out full collections for the first time with collectibles from Diamond Select, Funko, Sideshow, Kotobukiya, and NECA coming to retail. Additionally, Hasbro will add Marvel Legends collector figures and Hot Wheels will unveil collectible die-cast vehicles next fall. Mad Engine, C-Life, Hybrid, Freeze, Fifth Sun, Silver Buffalo and Bioworld will each be launching a robust lineup of product including men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, footwear, bags, home goods, and drinkware. The merchandising programs will be rounded out with additional offerings including collector plush, stationery, consumer electronics, and novelties. And this assortment would not be complete without the collected Marvel Comics editions where these popular heroes originated. At retail, best-in-class partners are working on extensive in-store and online support. Beginning in January, Target will feature a Funko display that will spotlight Daredevil, The Punisher and Deadpool collectible bobbleheads. In February, Hot Topic is launching an in-store and online Deadpool campaign that will include eye-catching signage, a homepage takeover, and social media posts. Other brick and mortar retailers including Walmart, JCPenney, Spencer’s, Party City, and Kohl’s will also provide in-store and online support. Amazon will expand on its toy and apparel offerings for the characters and CafePress is launching a dedicated Jessica Jones shop offering unique merchandise for both men and women. “Our goal is to open our deep vault of characters and explore all opportunities to drive incremental revenue that extends beyond our core franchises and extends our reach to new consumer segments,” said Paul Gitter, senior vice president, licensing, Marvel at Disney Consumer Products. “The excitement that is brewing across the board from not just fans, but also the licensees and retailers, is overwhelming and we are looking forward to seeing the reaction to this awesome product lineup.”

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery Brienne of Tarth is the 8th figure in Funko's Legacy range of 6 inch figures from Game of Thrones. She is part of the second series of figures, released in 2014, and made up of 5 other figures including Robb Stark and Jamie Lanister. Like all Funko GoT figures, Brienne comes in a display box with the box colour scheme of each box being aligned to a faction or house from Westeros. Brienne's box is a grey colour with the Westeros map in the bottom left insert. The rear of the box shows a screen image of Brienne, as played by Gwendoline Christie, and a listing of all 6 figures that make up series 2. Out of the box and Brienne stands an impressive 6 1/2 inches high, a tad taller when scaled up than the reported with the 6'2 height of Christie herself. It is also nice, although not really relevant, that this figure is a similar height to Hasbro's Captain Phasma from Star Wars - also played by Christie. I haven't found a GoT figure from Funko as yet who does not have a stunning sculpt, as you would expect when being delivered from Gentle Giant. Brienne's headsculpt captures the stern and determined look that Christie potrays on screen. The armour is beautifully detailed and decorated with varying panels from a bronze chestplate across overlaying shoulder pieces, elbows and bracers. Brienne sports two belts down into a chequered texture skirt piece. Beneath this are plain trousers which tuck into knee height armoured boots. Everything is crisp and well detailed, and my only criticism would be the lack of a helmet which I think would have been nice as a display option. I usually find that Funko figures are painted to a good standard, but then let down with some sloppy finishing on certain areas. This thankfully is not the case with Brienne. From the head the eyes are neatly picked out and the lips done in subtle tone rather than going with a brighter red that we seem to find on many female figures. The hair is painted blonde, with a darker brown wash which not only adds depth, but gives Brienne that bedraggled look she sports in battle. The armour is bronze in the main, but has been washed in a black to bring out the lines and joints of the armour. The arms have a blue metallic armour under the bronze and this is also washed and in cases dry-brushed on the edges to add a touch of bronze. The skirt is a plain green, but with the chequered sculpt it captures the light well enough to bring out the definition. The trousers, most of which are hidden under the skirt, are painted and then dry-brushed in a lighter grey tone which in reality wouldn't have been missed. Like the armour, the boot shin armour are bronze painted and washed and the final boots underneath a green leather. All the belts and fastenings are neatly painted with buckles trimmed out in a dull gold. The Sword sheath is a lighter brown with darker brown leather wraps and the sword is then decorated with a silver blade and a two colour hilt. All good so far. So let's look at the final element, articulation. Like all Funko figures I have handled so far, the figure still feels a little weak in the joints and I would recommend heating them up with a hair-dryer prior to moving them about too much. Although Series 2 seems to be more robust than the earlier Series 1 figures I still think there is a risk. The head is sat on a ball joint (I am told can also be easily popped off and swapped onto the Hasbro Phasma figure) and rotates the full way around the body, it does however lack any significant up and down movement due to the high collar of the armour. Both arms are jointed at the shoulder, and the armour panels here are done in a flexible rubber to aid movement. This means that Brienne can get her arms out to 90 degrees to her body, you won't however get any further than this without potentially ripping off the armoured shoulder panels. The elbow is jointed just under the larger elbow armour and the wrist is neatly done with a pivot and swivel with the hand armour moving with the joint - although this armour does stick out in a weird way with certain hand positions. You can feel a waist joint, but it does not move, so the next points of articulation are at the hips. These feel to have a good range of movement, but you are blocked by the skirt in all directions. That leaves you with simply getting Brienne into wider leg stance rather than a one legged kneel or sitting position. The knees are double jointed, and with the two joints you can get Brienne to a double kneel - but the rigid sheath stops this being of any use. The leg articulation ends with rocker ankle joints. To sum up, there is very little wrong at all with Brienne of Tarth. I have mentioned the lack of a helmet, which may have been nice, but isn't a deal breaker as she only really wore this in one scene in Season 2. I have also spoken about the fragility of the figures - but I have had nothing break on Brienne and this issue is certainly not exclusive to Funko, with NECA figures needing a similar treatment. The sculpt is beautifully realised and enhanced with some fantastic paint applications considering this is a £20 figure. If you want to niggle about articulation, a two handed sword stance would have been nice. Considering all that, there is not quite enough for a perfect 5, but Brienne walks away with a very high 4 out of 5.

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery This review may be a lot shorter than you might be expecting. The main reason is that this new 4 figure box set is essentially a repeat of 4 figures we have had before. To that end, I won't be repeating a full review of each figure, but I will link in to earlier reviews if you want a run down of the figure (click on the header for each figure to go to a corresponding review). This review will then concentrate on the key tweaks in this box-set as well as showcasing the set in our image gallery. Firstly, looking at the box, and this is a quite different piece than any we have seen previously in the Black Series. Essentially the size is that of 2 standard boxes side by side, and then 2 deep. There are no windows, with the front of the box taken up fully with grey scale artwork of the 4 contained characters. The Black Series logo is slotted in top an centre, and along the bottom of the front panel are the names of each of the four figures. These are in red text and in dual language. The right hand side of the box uses the red panel we now are familiar with on the 2015 releases. There are no numbers, but instead four symbols representing the Republic (2 of), Empire and finally the First Order. The left hand side has a repeat of the Black Series logo and the word TROOPER as a shadow writing on the black background. The Top has a similar design with the Black series Logo and head shots of the First Order Troopers. The rear panel repeats the logo and Republic, Imperial and First Order symbols. There is then four text panels, each covering the four troopers contained in the box and with a short paragraph about each - that is then repeated in four languages. The box doesn't finish there though as if you go to the left hand panel there are two velcro tabs, and once undone the box folds out on itself to reveal the Troopers within. It is this inner display with windows that MIB collectors will no doubt display, with each figure presented as it would be on a single release with grey-scale character art, red character name and the widow displaying the figure itself against a stark red background. My only criticism is that opening the box does start to cause creasing on the red right panel and I am not sure how robust the box will be over time. The box opens well enough and you can open at the top of bottom of each half. Once open a double tray slides out with the red cardboard background and an inner plastic tray. Clonetrooper Mark 1 (Clone Commander, Yellow) There are no differences in this figure vs the three that have come before other than paint application. The Yellow trim represents a Clone Commander, and that is applied neatly against the white of the armour. The figure comes with the Clone Rifle and smaller blaster, both of which have additional white paint panels added vs the original Clone Phase 1 Trooper. The only other noticeable difference is on the rear of the Commander where the back pack has been painted in plack in the recessed areas - this looks a lot nicer. The figure is thankfully the shinier white, and not the duller finish we saw on the Green Clone Sergeant. Clonetrooper Mark 2 The only real new sculpt of the set is the helmet of the Phase 2 clone as seen in Revenge of the Sith. This is still a probable tweak on the Commander Cody bucket, but it is about time we saw this helmet version hit the Black Series. The figure itself is quite plain, using the same body as the Mark 1 - and sharing the same issues with the odd patch of paint bleed and the painted elbows and knees showing a different finish to the rest of the armour. The weapons included are again the Clone Rifle and Blaster - and for some reason we are back to plain black with this figure. The main excitement from this figure is the potential for the future as we now have a good selection of Clone Parts to start getting Arc troopers, Commanders and various legions like the 501st or Shock Troopers. StormTrooper (Oily) I am really not sure what to make of this figure. He is obviously made to look battle damaged, but it looks more like he has been playing paintball. He comes packed with same weaponry as the 2014 release. Now I do have an issue with this figure in that he is massively warped at the arms which stick out at odd angles. The joints feel very rubbery vs the original troopers. My view is that you can't get enough Stormtroopers and I would have simply dropped in a basic version - or perhaps thought out of the box and done an orange pauldron version as seen recently in Rebels? First Order Stormtrooper Officer We have had this First Order trooper so very recently, both as SDCC exclusive and then within wave 1 of the Force Awakens figures. All this one adds to that release is the Orange Pauldron, which is the same one used on the Snowtrooper officer - albeit maybe a different shade of orange. Like the Stormtrooper, but weirdly not with either Clones, the First Order Officer is really poor quality. The immediate issue is that the arms and legs are very soft and at wierd angles which make him really difficult to stand. There is then a very obvious shade different in the chest plate which is more off white on this version vs the original trooper. The painted white knee pads and belt are also going towards a cream. Had I not bought this direct from Amazon then with this and the Oily Stormtrooper being so poor I would have worried I'd bought a cheap knock off. In Summary None of these figures are a real wow, but then again none really offend all to much and as a set you can see the logic. The quality concerns on the two Stormtroopers may be isolated and will frustrate when you compare to the original releases. Marking this set comes down to price. So far, this set has only been available via the US Amazon site. They have been shipping to UK however, and once delivery and customs are added the set will come in around £75 for UK collectors. At that price then this set is good value. However, UK sites who are looking to import this are starting to quote circa £100 which makes this £25 per figure, and for tweaks and repaints it starts to look less appealing. If you can get this anywhere near £80, then this gets a 3 out of 5 score as a set. The Clones would score 4 out of 5, I really like these - where as the Stormtroopers would get a 2 out of 5 as the quality is really low and that Stormtrooper paint job is just bizarre. The set will bolster your troops, and will look realy nice in a MIB display. The biggest positives to take from this have to be that Mk2 Clone lid which will open lots of doors going forward - if you like Clone variants of course...