The Action Figure and Toy Collecting and Discussion Thread!

Even the 2003 and 2004 Jedi Council and Geonosian War Room sets had flimsy, clip-out backdrops. The figures, platforms and included accessories were great, but the backdrops weren't much to speak of.

 

I never bought many SW sets like that, though I have a lot more SW figures than Trek ones.

It's just the contrast between the nice parts and the crappy background that bothers me, yeah.

Still working on adding to my 8"-9" figure collection; this week I have ordered 8" Q, 9" Data, and 8" "City on the Edge of Forever" Spock. (I am trying to get one of every Spock I can find.)

 

Second to last month of Club Infinite Earths

This month we get an absolutely crucial and iconic villain that I cannot believe it has taken so long to get to. Here's Ra's Al Ghul:


And honestly.....he's a bit of a disappointment. The headsculpt lacks the definition we've seen in other figures from this line, and they've neglected to paint the white streaks at his temples. That's too bad. Such an important character deserved better.

While CIE has one month to go, Club Black Freighter wrapped it up this month with Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias:


He looks fantastic. That overlay makes his shoulder articulation worthless, though.

So, here's the complete Watchmen group. There may be a few rough edges in the line, but I'm thrilled to have them all.


It does bother me that Rorschach is the tallest and Doctor Manhattan is the shortest, when that should be switched around.

 

Do you know which figure will be the final Club Infinite Earths figure or have they not revealed those details just yet?

 

Next month's figure is Batzarro, and then that's all she wrote.

They had revealed four figures that were intended for next year's club: 90s Aquaman, Ice, Superboy, and Damian Wayne. Next year's club was cancelled though. Those four figures will be released quarterly on MattyCollector.com. There won't be a club though, so anyone who wants them will have to try their luck on day of sale.

 

I ordered Ra's on BTTS. BTTS also has pre-orders now for the War Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver, which according to them looks like it will ship in Jan.

 

I was in Wegman's Supermarket, shopping for Thanksgiving when I stumbled upon these guys. They are 31" tall, I have never seen Action Figures of such stature.

 

Batzarro wasn't meant to be the last figure. He was revealed before the club for next year failed. Still, many fans are pissed he's being included at all, since there's plenty of far more iconic characters we haven't gotten. The accepted theory seems to be that Batzarro was a figure planned for the cancelled Batman Unlimited retail line, but was pushed into the sub once that got the axe. That's the same thing that happened with Damian.

 

There are actually four of the 31" Star Wars figures from Jakks-Pacific:

-Vader
-501st Legion Clone Trooper (blue markings)
-Coruscant Shock Trooper (red markings)
-212th Battalion Utapau Clone Trooper (orange markings)

I believe the Utapau Clone is currently available only as one-half of a special two-pack along with Vader (it's been spotted at some Walmarts), but it'll likely show up on shelves being sold individually along with the others.

It's possible more 31" characters are in the works, but as of right now these are the four that we know of.

 

if i find a giant 501st Legion Clone Trooper i will buy it. i've only seen Vader thus far.

 

A plain white 31" Stormtrooper from the Original Trilogy would probably be very popular.

That three of the first four 31" figures are Prequel Clones is a direct retail aftereffect of the cancellation of the 3-D theatrical releases of Episodes II and III, but not until after a significant amount of tie-in product had already been designed and greenlit for production and release.

 

I sort of want a Vader, but on the other hand, it's huge and I wouldn't know where to put it, and I have quite a few Vaders already.

But yeah, an original stormtrooper would be pretty cool. I would buy one, probably.

 

This Vader actually has not only a soft goods fabric cape and skirt but also an actual metal or plastic chain around the base of his helmet to mimic the metallic cape chain that dangles from Vader's neck during his decades inside the black armor.

The best that even the most impressive and accurately-sculpted 3.75" and 12" action figures can do is either a clumsy-looking painted fabric chain or none at all.

 

Just a reminder: these are the six figures available only in the exclusive Amazon six-pack (seven if you count the fully assembled TC-70 Jabba's Protocol Droid that comes piecemeal with each figure in this unique assortment). The regular price is $59.99 for the entire set that comes in a protective white Hasbro box but in the last week or so that's dropped to as low as $39.99. I'm not sure if that markdown is still in effect, but it might be worth checking out if you're at all interested in getting these.

For the record, the only completely new figure in the set is Dooku's FA-4 Pilot Droid. The Build-a-Droid TC-70 is made from repainted Build-a-Droid pieces from the end of the last decade and the five other carded figures are repaints and slight tweaks of existing figures and body parts. The Sandtrooper is pretty much the popular VC112 Vintage Collection figure with cleaner-looking armor and a new black pauldron, but otherwise it's the same.

 

They had those at Wegman's???? I've seen action figures there before, but never the huge ass ones like those.

 

Seven or more points of articulation on the Darth Vader, which allows it to match or even surpass many 3.75" and 12" figures that have been made. I can't speak for the three different Prequel Clone Troopers but I imagine the articulation is similar. For $29.99 or $39.99 you get a LOT of plastic even if doesn't come with one or two dozen ball joints or removable gear (although the Vader has a separate lightsaber hilt that you can, I believe, plug onto the side of his belt when he's not holding it).

 

I saw pics of the Hot Toys "Avengers" Dr. Bruce Banner, and he looks impressive...especially the likeness of Ruffalo.

 

Diamond Select is releasing a Captain Picard figure!

http://www.thetrekcollective.com/2013/11/trek-toys-updates-latest-figures-and.html

 

Nice! We could use more Trek characters along these lines.