083 Action Figure Sat-TOY-day News, 7th July 2018

Issue 83 : Saturday 7th July, 2018

Mezco have announced an exclusive version of their One:12 Collective Punisher figure which will be offered at SDCC and across other Summer Conventions.

We've already had a number of versions of the Mezco One:12 Punisher, from the original release to the Mezco Exclusive and the Previews version with red skull symbol. This "Special Ops" version of the Punisher has the white gloves and boots of the original exclusive, with updated armour panels and padding on the body.

The Special Ops releases gets a third head option with a painted skull mask.

Mezco have released the full details of their first Kong figure, the smaller 7" version "King Kong of Skull Island".

The figure is based on the 1932 movie and stands 7" tall with 28 points of articulation. There are two head options included - a neutral head and a roaring/angry version - as well as various hand options. He can be shackled with real chains and for the full authenticity to the 1932 classic, a correctly scaled Ann Darrow figures is packed in with Kong.

Kong will ship in late 2018 / January 2019 and pre-orders are up now via Mezco for US customers. The RRP is a very reasonable $40 which should translate to around £35-£40 here in the UK.

Accessories are all but identical, but the duffle bag looks new as does the Uzi and Hand Grenades. The second muzzle flash FX piece also appears to be a new addition also, although this was included on the MCU version.

The set was momentarily listed as $85 on the Mezco site, but the page is now showing Sold Out and the details taken down. There are also reports of lots of issues checking out the figure. Outside of this short lived pre-order, the set will be on sale at the Mezco booth at SDCC 2018.

King Kong, the monstrous anthropoid that ruled Skull Island and terrorized New York in 1932.

The King Kong of Skull Island figure stands approximately 7” tall, is designed with over 25 points of articulation, and includes interchangeable hands and head portraits.

Each One:12 Collective Punisher: Special Ops Edition figure is packaged in a collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind.

This Mezco Summer Exclusive is only available via our website and at the Mezco Toyz SDCC booth #3445, while supplies last.

Dorkside Toys have shared a few new images of the next wave of Star wars Black series - Bespin Han Solo, Beckett and The Rebel Fleet Trooper.

Wave 18 is due for imminent US release. The figures are numbered as usual with Tobias Beckett at #68, Rebel Fleet Trooper #69 and Han Solo Bespin #70 hile Toys R Us may be no more in the UK, and on the verge of closing in the US, it is still going strong in Canada - and are apparently stocking a brand new Star Wars Black Series exclusive.

The "Quicksilver Baton" Captain Phasma see's our favourite chromed First Order Captain get a new release with added battle damage as seen in The Last Jedi. While the body is likely a re-use, we now get a soft goods cloak as well as battle scorched armour and a battle damaged and melted mask with what looks to be a very impressive face printed eye underneath. Also included is her rifle and the quicksilver baton.

Robotkingdom have posted details of the 2nd wave of the 3.75" Star Wars Vintage collection which will include the wonderful Enfys Nest from Solo.

Also included are Rey, Kylo and a First Order Stormtrooper from The Force Awakens - and Supreme Leader Snoke from The Last Jedi.

Hasbro Pulse has confirmed, as we expected, that the Red Skull pack leaked a few days ago is an SDCC exclusive for 2018. The set includes a 6" scale Red Skull with Tesseract accessory. You also then get an electronic 1:1 scale Tesseract. The whole set is presented in a special presentation box.

The leaked SDCC 2018 Marvel Legends exclusive has been officially unveiled by Hasbro, and it is even cooler than we first thought.

The set is based on the Netflix Marvel serie, specifically the Defenders.

Daredevil is a re-release of the Marvel Knights figure but now comes with an additional unmasked head. Jessica Jones comes without her jacket, in her vest top. Luke Cage is the same sculpt as his 2-pack standard release, but is in a red T-shirt. Colleen Wing is a brand new figure, as is Danny Rand (Iron-Fist) who is dressed in his grey suit with trainers and a glowing fist. We would expect Danny and Colleen to be released more generally in the near future.

Price at the show is $59.99 and we'd expect there to be some residual stocks on Hasbro Toy Store for US customers after San Diego.

What is cool about the set is the packaging which is designed to look like a New York Subway train. The figures are then positioned into the carriage as though they are riding the Subway.

NECA have unveiled their 4th series of Team Fortress figures for October 2018 release.

Based on the Valve Video Game licence, the Team Fortress series 4 figures include 7" scaled figures of Medic, Scout and Sniper.

From one of the best-selling and most successful games in the Valve library comes the long-awaited Team Fortress 2 Series 4 RED action figures!

The movie may still be a couple of months away, but NECA have been allowed to reveal their new 2018 Predator figure to the world. Dubbed the Fugitive Predator, this is a 7" scale figure that stands 8" tall. It is an Ultimate release so will arrive in an enclosed box with opening front flap through which the figure can be viewed.

The 7" scale Medic, Scout and Sniper figures are faithful to the animated look of the characters. They feature over 25 points of articulation and include their signature in-game weapons and accessories.

The figure itself includes masked and unmasked heads. There are also swap out forearms one with gauntlets and wrist weapons, and one set without. There are alternative hands, wrist blades and the shoulder cannon is articulated.

The figure should ship in August

The Fugitive Predator stands over 8� tall and features over 30 points of articulation.

Includes 2 interchangeable heads (masked and unmasked), interchangeable forearms, 4 interchangeable hands, 4 wrist blades, and articulated shoulder cannon.

Comes in deluxe 5 panel window box with Velcro closure.

Checkout the packaging reveal of NECA's next Friday the 13th Ultimate Jason from Friday the 13th Part 2. The set is due for release towards the end of July 2018.

We couldn't wait until September to show off the final packaging shots for our Friday the 13th Pt 2 Ultimate Jason. In fact, he'll be shipping in the beginning of July!

NECA have shown the packaging for their 7" scale Evil Dead 2 30th Anniversary 2-pack. The set should start shipping in the US in late July. The set includes Ash and a Deadite as well as a raft of accessories including two additional heads for Ash and one for the Deadite. We also get the laughing deer head trophy and a book of the dead.

NECA have revealed their next Godzilla figure as the Shin Godzilla from the 2016 movie of the same name. This is the 4th form of Shin Godzilla from the climax of the film. Godzilla stands 6" tall and 12" long from head to tail. It uses some existing sculpt from the 2016 release but has a new head sculpt with wide opening jaw. The figure gets a new paint deco also.

The figure is subtitled "Atomic Blast" and the release includes Atomic Blast effects that can be attached to the mouth and the tail. Articulation weighs in at 30 points of articulation, including a fully articulated tail.

This version of the most famous kaiju in the world is based on Godzilla's "Atomic Blast" attack in the movie. The figure measures 6" tall and 12" long from head to tail. It features Atomic Blast effects that attach to both mouth and tail, all new paint deco, new head sculpt, and over 30 points of articulation, including an articulated tail!

NECA have started their SDCC teases as we start to count down towards the convention. More Quarter Scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle product had been talked about, and this image seems to indicate an 18" scale Foot Soldier from the 1990 Turtle movie will be one of the reveals at the show.

The wait is almost over! Available later this month is the Evil Dead 2 (30th Anniversary) Ash vs Deadite Ed 2pk and we are happy to show the final packaging shots before their release!

Shout Factory have announced a brand new exclusive Blu Ray Steelbook release for Night of the Demons, and as an added bonus a brand new 8" NECA figure of Angela is included.

The set is due to go on sale in the US on the 23rd October, and US collectors can pre-order now. It is extremely limit to just 2000 units.

DC Collectibles have announced a new line of animated DC hero figures, the catch is that the figures are part of the incentive to join the new DC Universe subscription service.

DC UNIVERSE is a first-of-its kind digital subscription service that gives fans access to exclusive content and experiences not available anywhere else. With membership, fans will enjoy all-new original live-action and animated series, classic TV series and films, a curated selection of digital comic books, breaking news, an expansive DC-centric encyclopedia, and access to exclusive merchandise. Additional fan features include opportunities to connect with others in the DC community, earn premium rewards and participate in sweepstakes and contests.

SH Figuarts have release the promotional images for their 1/12 scale Infinity War Hulk.

Hulk arrives in November 2018 and comes with three head options as well as swap out hands so you can alternate between open hands or fists for smashing.

As a signed up paid member of DC Universe you will then have access to shop exclusive merchandise such as these DC Justice League animated figures. The set includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter.

Being exclusive within a subscription service doesn't make these limited in terms of release, but they will be harder to get and there will be a big markup from sellers onto the secondary market. The DC Universe Subscription is US only at the moment.

Walmart will be selling an exclusive Jurassic World 2 Lost Kingdom multi-pack, allowing kids and fans to recreate the finale of the movie. The set includes tweaked versions of Blue and the Indoraptor with battle damage.

The third inclusion is the Triceratops skull display from Lockwood Manor's museum room.

It is unknown if the set will be a US only release, or if Walmart will bring this over to the UK via Asda?

Out of the box we get General Veers in his inner tray. Be warned that this is the first figure for quite some time that has twisty ties around the arms & legs - I pulled him straight out not expecting them and risked damage to the paint. To the side of the figure is the Helmet, Blaster and the Chest Armour.

The release of a Star Wars Black Series General Veers came as somewhat of a surprise, particularly as it hit UK and Far East sellers just a few weeks after the release was confirmed. The figure is exclusive to Walgreens in the US, and around the rest of the world is available as a shared exclusive to most retailers.

Being exclusive the figure is not numbered, but everything else about the packaging is identical to the Phase 3 releases. I am not overly impressed with the Titus artwork on this box, ironically the figure has a better likeness.

This artwork is repeated on the rear of the box alongside the bio text. The text talks around Veers as a cold and efficient officer. It then gets very specific, confirming Veers involvement in the Imperial Assault on Hoth.

The white sticker you see on our review figure confirms it as supplied by Hasbro's Far East distributor. It is not easy to remove.

I mentioned the likeness on the figure was, for me, better than the Titus artwork. It uses the face print technology and that gives the figure a very strong likeness to Julian Glover - although it is not a dead on look. The figure is wearing his Imperial Peak Cap out of the pack which is decorated with a single silver button.

The look of the uniform is excellent, a flat grey with glossy black boots and black gloves. The belt is black with a silver buckle and either side of the chest there are those canisters to his left his Imperial ranking insignia. The colouring of the uniform is a plain grey but does have a few blemishes which is a shame - they look like watermarks as though the figure got wet before the paint dried. Thankfully they are not overly visible.

I guess once one Imperial Uniform has been sculpted, Hasbro were enabled to bring us multiple officers. The legs and arms have come originally from the Krennic figure from Rogue One, and have gone on to be used for Tarkin, Veers and I would assume the upcoming Piett figure. The chest section is not a direct reuse but I suspect some molds were tweaked.

The peaked Cap is removable, and once off the likeness to Glover is much stronger. The hair is sculpted but is very flat to allow the Cap to sit in place.

The Cap is made of a soft rubber and it is well engineered to sit so flush to the head and not look oversized - a problem with a lot of figures with removable head gear.

It is worth noting that Veers comes with a factory fault on his right shoulder.

There is a pull or something in the mold that causes this unsightly defect, and this seems to appear on all the originally released figures. If this bothers you then you may want to wait for later stocks and hope it is corrected - or at least check your Veers if you can to see how bad it is on that particular figure - there are varying degrees of damage.

Now up to this point the Veers figure has really not been the one we have seen on screen, although he was seen briefly in his dress uniform whe Vader ordered him to ready his troops, We are of course more used to seeing the General in his attack armour leading the AT-AT assault on Echo Base.

This armour is supplied as a separate piece that is cast in hard plastic on the armour with soft plastic belt and holster. The armour first goes over Veers head and then there is a black flexible belt that goes round his waist and clips into a socket underneath the holster.

You don't need your Imperial Officers to do much in terms of action posing, but despite this Veers still has the usual 16 points of articulation. The head is ball jointed, as is the waist which rotates and pivots forward and backward.

Arms are ball jointed shoulders, rotating single joint elbow and pivot peg wrist. Legs are ball jointed hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle rockers.

Veers thankfully stands easily. I was concerned he may be a touch unsteady as the legs are from Krennic, a figure that falls over far too easily with its floppy ankle joints.

The second part is the helmet which like the Cap is a well engineered piece that slots snugly over Veers' head. The chin strap is flexible that wraps under the trim.

Like the uniform, there are a few paint niggles on the armour. The details are neatly done with a repeat of Veers' rank insignia as well as led and controls down at the base. To the side of this however is what looks like patched up paint.

Veers looks awesome, but even more so posed with the Imperial Hoth Troopers like the AT-AT Drivers and Snowtroopers. I predict a rush on these Imperials now Veers is out so collectors can build an impressive force for their Hoth assault.

Veers comes with a blaster and this is cast in a black plastic with no other paint or details. This slots into the right hand with a trigger finger slotting into place

When the blaster is not in use it can be fitted into a working holster. The holster works similar to the one that comes with Han Solo.

The weapon slots into place and then a strap goes over the top of the blaster and slots into a socket to hold it in place. The fit is tight but with no paint on either blaster or holster you needn't worry about paint rub.

General Veers is essentially two figures in one, and Hasbro could have released the basic figure and a second with armour as a later exclusive.

Instead they have given us both, albeit at a little premium to normal - which I think is acceptable. The figure likeness is great and the uniform, even with the reuse, looks great. My only problems with the figure are the odd few paint blemishes on the uniform and amour, and that disappointing. shoulder fault.

I score General Maximilian Veers an almost there 4 out of 5.