Toy News Tuesday: Stop - Hammertime!

We’re back at it again with an all new Toy News Tuesday! We’re the one weekly column right here on ScienceFiction.com where we seek out all of the awesome news you need to know about any announcements and cool happenings in the toy industry and put them all in one easy to find place for you! You may or may not have noticed that I was MIA the last two weeks, but it’s great to be back and bring you the latest toy news! Thankfully my good friend Nick was happily able to fill in so that you all didn’t fell too far behind on the state of things while I was away! But more to the point, this week we have a ton of cool stuff for you to check out, so don’t delay any further and delve headfirst into the toy news for the week of April 3rd, 2018!

Geoffrey Signs Off

While news has been circulating that ToysRUs has begun their liquidation process and will be shuttering all 700+ remaining brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S., this week things got a little more real for collectors. This week, toy collectors who tried going to ToysRUs’s website found out that it had already been shut down. We all knew it would happen, but perhaps it happened a little faster than we anticipated. Stores will likely be open until mid to late May, and then that’s all she wrote for what is arguably our nation’s most beloved retail toy store.

Marvel Animated Minimates Continue

With several of the Marvel Animated Series that had been airing on Disney XD coming to an end, fans weren’t sure what the fate of the now long running Walgreens Exclusive line of Marvel Animated Minimates might be! Well now we’ve got the official word from Diamond Select Toys themselves, the line will be continuing for at least one more wave with the recently revealed Series 9! This new wave will consist of figures from a Marvel Animated Series including ‘Avengers Assemble’, ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’, and ‘Spider-Man’! The latest sets to join the line include Black Suit Symbiote Spider-Man with Kraven The Hunter, Homemade Costume Spider-Man with Hobgoblin, Starlord with The Collector, and Skurge The Executioner with The Enchantress! These should be in stores later this Summer!

Diamond Select Toys New Solicits

Our friends over at Diamond Select Toys announced and solicited a number of fantastic new collectibles this week, including a vast number of items for their ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ line, plus new Kingdom Hearts, DC Gallery, Pacific Rim, and even a Marvel 1/2 scale Deadpool bust! There’s plenty to see so check out the full solicits below and be sure to pre-oder at your favorite local comic or specialty shop!

DC GALLERY SUPERMAN COMIC PVC STATUE

Have you started your Gallery? The popular line of PVC Dioramas from Diamond Select Toys expands into the world of DC Comics, starting with this superior sculpt of the Man of Steel! Sculpted in a 9″ scale, this approximately 10″ statue of Superman features detailed sculpting and paint, and comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Joe Menna. A Diamond Select Toys release!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $45.00

KINGDOM HEARTS MINIMATES SERIES 2 ASSORTMENT

Minimates mini-figures are diving back into the world of Kingdom Hearts, and Series 2 spotlights more of Disney and Square Enix’s biggest stars from the second Kingdom Hearts game! The series includes two-packs of Organization 13 Mickey with a Soldier, Master Form Sora with Pete, and an exclusive 2-pack of Space Paranoids Goofy with the villainous Sark! Each Minimates mini-figure features up to 14 points of articulation and fully interchangeable parts and accessories. Designed by Barry Bradfield. A Diamond Select Toys release!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $9.99

LEGENDARY COMICS MARVEL DEADPOOL 1/2 SCALE BUST

A Diamond Select Toys release! Deadpool has a big mouth, and now that mouth just got a lot bigger! This ½ scale bust of the Merc with a Mouth is the biggest we’ve ever done, measuring approximately 10 inches tall with exacting sculpted details and the highest level of paint applications. Limited to only 1,000 pieces, this hand-numbered resin bust comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color, hand-numbered box. Sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $150.00

MARVEL AVENGERS 3 MINIMATES BOX SET

A Diamond Select Toys release! This all-new box set features Iron Man in his Mark 50 armor, Thanos with his Infinity Gauntlet, and two exclusive characters – Black Widow and the Winter Soldier! Each Minimates mini-figures measures approximately 2 inches tall with 14 points of articulation, as well as fully interchangeable parts and accessories and a display stand. Packaged in a full color window box. Designed by Barry Bradfield!
In Shops: Mar 21, 2018
SRP: $24.99

MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS 3 BLACK WIDOW PVC STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 9-inch scale sculpture of Black Widow shows her leaping over obstacles with her battle staff in hand. Featuring detailed sculpting and collectible-quality paint applications, this PVC plastic diorama comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $45.00

MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS 3 CAPTAIN AMERICA PVC STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! These 9-inch scale sculptures of the Avengers from the new movie Avengers: Infinity War feature detailed sculpting and collectible-quality paint applications. Each PVC plastic diorama comes packaged in a full-color window box. Coming in Summer 2018!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $45.00

MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS 3 DR STRANGE PVC STATUE

MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS 3 THANOS PVC STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 9-inch scale sculpture of Thanos shows him standing atop a pile of rubble. Featuring detailed sculpting and collectible-quality paint applications, this PVC plastic diorama comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $45.00

MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS 3 THOR PVC STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 9-inch scale sculpture of Thor features detailed sculpting and collectible-quality paint applications. The PVC plastic diorama comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $45.00

MARVEL GALLERY WOLVERINE COMIC PVC STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! The X-Men’s resident berserker joins the Marvel Gallery line of PVC dioramas! This 9-inch scale sculpture of Wolverine shows the hero in his classic brown costume, perched on a rock formation with claws extended, ready to tear into an opponent. Featuring detailed sculpting and collectible-quality paint applications, this sculpture comes packaged in a full-color window box.
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $45.00

MARVEL MILESTONES AVENGERS 3 HULKBUSTER STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! These resin statues of the Avengers as they appear in the new movie Avengers: Infinity War are approximately 12-inch scale, and feature high-quality sculpting and paint details. Each statue is limited to a production run of 3,000 pieces, and each is hand-numbered, with an accompanying certificate of authenticity in a full-color, hand-numbered box. Coming in Fall 2018!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $300.00

MARVEL PREMIER COLL AVENGERS 3 IRON SPIDER-MAN STATUE

MARVEL PREMIER COLL AVENGERS 3 THOR & ROCKET STATUE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This resin statue of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s heavily armed Rocket with a battle-ravaged Thor, atop a diorama base. This statue is limited to a production run of 3,000 pieces, and each statue is hand-numbered, with an accompanying certificate of authenticity in a full-color, hand-numbered box. Sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!
In Shops: N/A
SRP: $150.00

MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS 3 CAPTAIN AMERICA ACTION FIGURE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 7-inch scale action figure of Captain America features approximately 16 points of articulation and interchangeable parts and accessories. Packaged in the full-color, display-ready Select packaging, with side-panel artwork for shelf reference. Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $24.99

MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS 3 IRON SPIDER-MAN ACTION FIGURE

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 7-inch scale action figure of Spider-Man features his “Iron Spider” look from the movie, and features approximately 16 points of articulation and interchangeable parts and accessories. Packaged in the full-color, display-ready Select packaging, with side-panel artwork for shelf reference. Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $24.99

MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS 3 THOR & GROOT ACTION FIGURES

A Diamond Select Toys release! This 7-inch scale action figure of Thor features approximately 16 points of articulation and interchangeable parts and accessories, plus a poseable figure of an adolescent Groot, from the Guardians of the Galaxy! Packaged in the full-color, display-ready Select packaging, with side-panel artwork for shelf reference. Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios!
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $24.99

PACIFIC RIM 2 D-FORMZ BMB PVC 12CT DISPLAY

Join the Uprising! The new Pacific Rim Uprising movie has introduced the world to new heroic Jaeger robots and new evil Kaiju monsters, and now you can get them all in a tiny, collectible format! Each blind-packaged box contains either a Jaeger or a Kaiju, sculpted in the adorable “chibi” style, including Gipsy Avenger, Saber Athena, Bracer Phoenix and the hideous Raijin! There are 7 different variations to collect! Sculpted by Bigshot Toy Works. A Diamond Select Toys release!In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $7.99

Hail Caeser

This year marks the 50th anniversary of a little film franchise you may have heard of called ‘Planet Of The Apes’! Yes, the franchise is officially a half-century old as of this year, and the team at Super7 is doing their best to celebrate appropriately with an all new line of ReAction figures based on the original film! These ‘Planet Of the Apes’ ReAction figures are made to look like the retro Kenner-style figures of the late 70’s and early 80’s, sporting limited articulation and minimalist figure designs that still perfectly convey the characters they’re made to represent. Included in this first wave of ‘Planet Of The Apes’ ReAction figures are Taylor, Nova, Dr. Zaius, General Ursus, Zira, and Cornelius! These are expected to release later this month from Super7!

The Force Is Strong With Fandom

Never underestimate the power of a rabid fanbase! At Toy Fair 2018 Hasbro announced their new HasLab division would be working away to create big ticket items for fans to help them bring to life via pre-orders; essentially making a “made to order” toyline of items that would only be produced if the minimum number of items needed to sell had been preordered. The first item from HasLabis the Khetanna Sail Barge from ‘Star Wars’, better known as Jabba’s Sail Barge from ‘Return Of The Jedi’! The Khetanna is the largest vehicle ever produced for the ‘Star Wars’ line, coming in at a whopping 4-feet in length so that’s it’s entirely in scale with your 3.75″ scale ‘Star Wars: The Vintage Collection’ figures. It’s also priced at a whopping $500 in price, which is why we can see some collectors being a little hesitant to commit to this massive piece of toy history!

We are currently in the final days of the pre-order cycle for the Khetanna, but HasLab has announced that they have officially reached their preorder goal 0f 5000 orders so that this ship will definitely see production! Today is the final day to get your pre-order placed before the cycle is over and your chance to own this iconic vehicle is gone forever (unless you want to try and get it on the secondary market later, but good luck with that one!). Hasbro has said that no additional orders will be placed once the pre-order cycle is finished, so this is a one and done type of release. You can still pre-order yours here for the time being. Check out the full release info and gallery below!

Measuring approximately 4ft long, this vast vehicle is a dream item for any Star Wars collection. Designed to captivate and inspire, The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) features exquisitely detailed, fan accessible decks that complement 3.75-inch figures (not included) allowing fans and collectors to recreate intense battles in the Star Wars saga. Its removable side panels also offer a unique opportunity to pose and set up incredible dioramas. Complete with premium deco, vintage packaging, and soft cloth sails, this dream product offers Star Wars devotees the quality and realism they know and love. Included with the vehicle is Jabba the Hutt (3.75-inch scale figure).

The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) complete with exquisitely-detailed and fan accessible interior/exterior decks, two soft-cloth fabric sails, and other realistic features that mimic one of the most notorious vehicles in the Star Wars universe
Jabba the Hutt 3.75-inch scale figure
Classic Vintage Collection packaging with special limited edition HASLAB seal of authenticity

Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna): Behind the Workbench, a premium, 64-page booklet, that goes behind the scenes of the design and development of the actual Sail Barge film set piece and Hasbro toy. Complete with set photos, product blueprints, interviews, and more.
A dedicated, ongoing stream of behind-the-scenes development updates, keeping you informed as The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) makes its way from a dream at Hasbro to a reality in your hands (subject to reaching the minimum backing goal).
NOW INCLUDING: 3.75″ Yak Face figure from The Vintage Collection in exclusive Power of the Force card back packaging with exclusive Collector Coin

If the minimum number of backers (5,000) is reached by 11:59 EST on April 3, 2018, The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) estimated ship date is 2/28/2019 and Jabba’s Sail Barge (Te Khetanna): Behind the Workbench booklet will start shipping on 4/4/2018.

“Hello There!”

The ‘Star Wars’ Prequel Trilogy has fans torn pretty clean down the middle. You either love them, or you hate them entirely. There isn’t a lot of room for the middle ground (and as any Prequel Trilogy fan will tell you, they have the high ground!) with this fan base, even almost twenty years since the first film ‘The Phantom Menace’ released in theaters.This week the team at Hot Toys have decided to cross the line into Prequel Trilogy territory for their latest offering, an all new 1:6th scale figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi based on his appearance in ‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith’. There will be a standard and a deluxe version of this figure released, with the deluxe including additional exclusive accessories! Check out the full releases for both versions below!

SW EP3 Revenge of the Sith – 1/6th scale Obi-Wan Kenobi

“It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!” – Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi is fans’ beloved character in the Star Wars galaxy! Gifted in the ways of the Force, he fought alongside Qui-Gon Jinn, trained Anakin Skywalker, and served as a general in the Republic Army during the Clone Wars. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, fans finally witness the conflict and climatic battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin who had turned to the Dark Side!

Hot Toys is very excited to officially present today, the new 1/6th scale collectible figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith! Sophisticatedly crafted based on the appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film, the 1/6th scale collectible figure features a newly developed head sculpt with stunning likeness, a skillfully tailored Jedi robe and tunic, a LED light-up lightsaber, severed battle droid parts and a specially designed figure base with interchangeable graphic cards! Don’t pass up on the chance to add the new Obi-Wan Kenobi collectible figure to your Star Wars collection!

SW EP3 Revenge of the Sith – 1/6th scale Obi-Wan Kenobi (Deluxe)

“Bring balance to the force… not leave it in darkness!” – Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi is fans’ beloved character in the Star Wars galaxy! Gifted in the ways of the Force, he fought alongside Qui-Gon Jinn, trained Anakin Skywalker, and served as a general in the Republic Army during the Clone Wars. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, fans finally witness the conflict and climatic battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin who had turned to the Dark Side!

Today, following the release of Hot Toys’ 1/6th scale Anakin Skywalker collectible figure, we are very excited to officially introduce the eagerly anticipated a Deluxe Version of 1/6th scale collectible figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith!

Sophisticatedly crafted based on the appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film, the 1/6th scale collectible figure features a newly developed head sculpt with stunning likeness, a skillfully tailored Jedi robe and tunic, a LED light-up lightsaber, severed battle droid parts and a specially designed figure base with interchangeable graphic cards! Moreover, this Deluxe Version will exclusively include hologram figures of Darth Sidious and Anakin with LED light-up table and a baby Luke Skywalker! Prepare your display shelves and add this remarkable Obi-Wan Kenobi (Deluxe Version) collectible figure to your Star Wars collection!

To Infinity War And Beyond

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is going to be arguably the most ambitious spectacle of a film to ever be made, so it stands within reason that the toys for the film will be equally ambitious. Hot Toys has been blowing us away with new ‘Infinity War’ figures being announced on a seemingly weekly basis, but this week’s offering is the film’s big bad himself, Thanos! The massive new Hot Toys 1:6th scale Thanos figure is based on his appearance in the upcoming ‘Infinity War’ and includes an alternative head, alternative hands, and a special display base! He also towers over most other 1:6th scale figures, as seen in the images below. Check out the full release for the new Hot Toys 1:6th scale Thanos below and keep scrolling for another awesome Hot Toys surprise!

Avengers: Infinity War – 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure

“Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.” – Thanos In less than a month, fans will witness the Avengers assemble again in Marvel Studios Avengers: Infinity War, who are brought face to face with the cunning, intelligent, and fierce warlord, Thanos, a ruthless cosmic threat consumed with saving the universe from itself. To stop him, the Avengers must join forces to bring down this villain who will stop at nothing to collect the six Infinity Stones. Hot Toys has dedicated its great effort to create the latest Avengers: Infinity War collectibles based on the most up-to-date details, and today Hot Toys is ecstatic to officially introduce the highly movie accurate 1/6th scale Thanos collectible figure that Marvels fans eagerly sought after!

The spectacular 1/6th scale Thanos collectible figure is meticulously crafted with impressive likeness based on the main appearance of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The collectible figure features two newly developed and sophisticatedly crafted interchangeable head sculpts inspired by Thano’s serious and angry expressions respectively. It also comes with two styles of LED light up metallic gold-colored Infinity Gauntlets with all six Infinity Stones and weathering effect, an additional interchangeable non-articulated left arm with great muscle details for Thanos’ iconic and intimidating clenched fist pose, a newly sculpted and tailored armored costume with intricate details, and a specially designed figure base and backdrop.

This astonishingly detailed collectible figure of the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe super villain will surely put a smile on your face when you add him to your incredible Marvel collection!

To add some icing to their Marvel-ous cake, Hot Toys has announced what we’re going to call a ‘budget’ version of one of their most popular recent releases, their 1:1 scale life sized Baby Groot! We’re calling this the ‘budget’ version because it comes as a pretty bare-bones release compared to the previous version. This new version comes with what you see; the figure has no interchangeable parts or add ones, and is packaged with two fake speakers so you can recreate the opening of ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’! The previous version included 3 alternative faces, interchangeable hands with stretched out vine fingers, a special display stand, and a removable Ravager outfit! The other big difference is the price, with the original having been released at $190 and this one only being around $140 so that fans on a bit of a budget have their chance to bring home their own life sized Baby Groot! Check out the full release from Hot Toys below!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 -Groot Life-Size Collectible Figure

“I am Groot!” Being one of the most adorable superheroes among Marvel Studios’ productions, Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 has drawn tremendous attention across continents after the world premiere. The tiniest Guardian is a vulnerable one with quite a lot to learn from his oddball cosmic family, and he has emotions as well as moments of failure. Today Hot Toys is delighted to present fans the eagerly awaited must-have Groot life-size collectible figure.

The extraordinarily movie-accurate Groot life-size collectible figure stands approximately 26cm tall with a newly developed body and expert paint applications to reflect Baby Groot’s unique appearance and a beautifully designed packaging to recreate the scene with Groot dancing along with music in the very beginning of the movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 fanatics surely can’t pass up on the opportunity to have this wonderful collectible figure in your display!

The Funko Forecast

Get ready for the Funko Forecast! This is where we’re going to be showcasing all of the cool new announcements and reveals from Funko! With all of the awesome that consistently seems to be flowing out of those guys, it shouldn’t be hard to keep this section alive each and every week!

New Glam Shots Galore!

This week things are a little light on the Funko side of things, but we’ve got a ton of new glam shots of some POP! Vinyls we first saw earlier this year at Toy Fair!

This week we’ve got a better look at ‘Stranger Things 2’ Series 2 which has Hopper (with Vines), Billy, Eleven (Elevated), Bob, and Steve (with Sunglasses)! There will also be a Gamestop exclusive Bob (in Vampire Costume) and a Hot Top Exclusive Steve (Upside Down) coming later this spring!

From this summer’s ‘Jurassic World’ we’ve got a better look at Owen, Claire, and Blue the Velociraptor! These are expected to hit stores this summer!

And finally, we have an entire new wave of Deadpool POP! Vinyls that are all pretty self explanatory! Check them out below!

And with that, we bring this week’s Toy News Tuesday to a close! What do you think about the new items announced this week? Do you plan on picking up anything we mentioned in this week’s column? Are there any lines or brands you’d like to see more coverage of? Let us know in the comments section below!

Toy News Tuesday: Stop – Hammertime!