Here’s a photo set of Mattel’s WWE figures of the Undertaker and Hulk Hogan.
Monthly Archives: August 2016
Turtles in the kitchen
Here’s a set of the Revoltech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the kitchen
The kitchen is the Palisades Muppets Swedish Chef kitchen set.
Gothitropolis Raven
Some photos of the Four Horsemen’s Gothitropolis Raven figure from their successful Kickstarter campaign.
The Kickstarter Exclusive Minotaur The Duck figure.
Some random fun with Hasbro’s Captain America.
Bruce Lee
Some quick, random pictures of the Figma and SH Figuarts Bruce Lee figures.
The Figure Swap Problem
The Figure Swap Problem
Howdy readers! I’ve been neglectfully absent for a while, but I return today with a story that I’m seeing more and more of these days; swapped figures returned to stores.
As collectors and action figure fans, we become accustomed to figures being hard to find due to fellow collectors, wonky distribution, case pack outs, or eBay flippers. Another phenomenon I witnessed while I lived in upstate New York was the habit some people had of purchasing an item (box set items were what I noticed most), swapping out figures (sometimes not even from the same line) with the ones that came in the package. Since I’ve lived in Maryland, I have occasionally seen random swaps, or accessories removed entirely, generally with wrestling figures.
I mention all of this to get to the main point of this article, the largest apparent case of figure swapping and removal of accessories I have ever seen in one location. I had stopped into the Glen Burnie Toys R Us a couple weeks back, and noticed an apparently large restock of Mattel’s WWE Basic figures that had been bare at this store for quite some time. As I rifled through them I noted how odd it was that all the figures appeared to be Alberto Del Rio figures, but I chalked that up to his figures usually hanging around longer in this area than other figures. I had stopped in to the store again on Friday that week, and actually looked at the figures on the pegs, since they all seemed to be there. What I noticed shocked me. At that time, I counted 20 figures who were ALL Alberto Del Rio figures swapped into Sheamus and Rock packages from the Mattel TRU exclusive WWE “Build a Booker T figure” wave.
I got on an online forum to connect with some local friends to let them know of the situation, and mentioned that I planned to go back the following week determine exactly how many figures this included, and to bring it to the attention of the employees of the store. That following Monday I returned to the store, armed with a pen flashlight, so I could determine the extent of the apparent crime. I brought I cart into the wrestling figure isle, and began going through the pegs, pulling the figures down and placing them in the cart, counting them as I went. There were 49 figures from this particular wave. Four of them were untouched, with the correct figures, in the correct package, with the Booker T piece intact. Two of the Alberto figures had the BAF (Build a Figure) pieces removed, but were otherwise on the correct card. The other 43 figures were Alberto Del Rio figures swapped into the previously mentioned Sheamus and Rock packages, all with the BAF pieces removed. I took photographic evidence of the cart full of product and the now empty pegs it left. My next step was locating an employee.
I flagged someone in the isle down, and proceeded to explain my concerns with what I noticed, and explained that the store was effectively losing money because this many figures were not going to sell with the main selling point missing. He quickly tried to write it off as that was how they came from the factory. I disagreed, and went to find someone else. The next employee I found said the same thing, and even added that she removed them from the case just like that. I suggested if that was the case, then they had someone in their stock room or distribution center that was doing this swap before they made it to the shelves. I acknowledged that sometimes a factory will package a figure in the wrong package, but the likelihood of the BAF pieces also being missing, as well as showing up in a solid case of incorrect figures was farfetched. They stuck to their stance, so I left the cart filled with figures in the isle and walked out of the store.
I got on the forum to express my frustration to my friends, and let them know that I planned on bringing this to social media, whether it was actually going to do any good or not. I posted one of the pictures of the cart full of figures to Instagram with a description of what I saw. Then I took to Twitter and tagged Mattel, the WWE and Toys R Us about the situation. Lastly, I posted about the situation on the TRU Facebook page. I was happy to see a reply from Mattel about the situation on Twitter, and I got a reply from TRU on the Facebook post. I sent a private message to TRU per their request, and gave them a more detailed account of what happened, and was later emailed a response that the situation had been addressed, and if I had any further questions, to not hesitate to contact them again.
I avoided the store for a week, just because I wanted to give myself some time to see what the store would actually do. I went in again last week and saw a brand new restock of NEW figures (amazing how that happens when the garbage is removed) on the pegs. I was short on time, so I didn’t have time to dig around the store to see what happened with those other figures. It was a day or so later when one of those friends stopped into the same store, found the figures in one of the clearance bins, and posted the picture to my Facebook wall. The original price of the figures was $12.99, and they were marked down to $9.90 in the bin. That’s not a major markdown, but Toys R us has never been a quick liquidator.
I may have gone well beyond what a normal customer would do, but I am a collector, and I am also someone who spent 13 years working retail, and have seen some gutsy returns that ended up being nothing but literal garbage. I am on the retailer’s side here as much as I am the customer’s in a situation like this. I know you can’t expect all employees that work returns in stores to know every line that they sell, but when a figure in the package clearly doesn’t match the character ON the package, something should sound an alarm. I also know that toys are generally low level on the loss prevention scale, compared to things like televisions and game systems, but on this kind of scale that adds up. Even if the figures weren’t returned all at once, which would have been really gutsy, the total loss still comes up to almost $585 in product/lost sales.
I would like thank Mattel and Toys R Us both for acknowledging the issue when it was brought to their attention and to TRU for taking action on the store level to remedy the issue. I have seen similar issues at local Targets and Walmarts, so all local collectors should be extra cautious when purchasing an item that has an extra piece that’s not easy to see with the naked eye. I know I’ve taken to bringing my pen flashlight with me so I can check the package for signs of tampering before I walk out of the store with something.
Best of luck on your action figure hunts. I’ll see you in the isles.
Fear of the Unknown
Fear of the Unknown
Fear of the unknown provokes outlandish response. That’s what happened recently when a Florida mother saw Mezco’s “Breaking Bad” action figures at a Toys “R” Us store. She proceeded to get on change.org to start a petition (as apparently everyone does these days) to get them pulled from the store shelves. She was featured on television shows, and the media had a field day with it, blowing things out of proportion as they usually do. Sadly, Toys “R” Us caved, and pulled them from the shelves, as well as from their online store.
I have issues with this. The figure has been sold at TRU for over a year now, it’s not something that just popped up over the last week. The figure is clearly labeled for “ages 15 +” and was stocked in TRU’s adult collector isle of the store. It was not sold next to super hero and Mickey Mouse toys, as the mom would have you believe. Toys “R” Us has also been selling various Adult Collector lines for years now. They currently carry The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Predator, Aliens, and other product aimed at the older collectors, who TRU knows want these things, because most children these days are more focused on their electronic items. That’s the other problem; this mom has no problem with Grand Theft Auto 5 being sold right next to “family friendly” games like Skylanders, but somehow singles out this figure?
To play devil’s advocate for a moment, let’s assume this petition and reaction from TRU emboldens others to claim “offense” at something they don’t like, and had no intention of buying anyway. What if someone claimed that Monster High dolls offended them because it pushed an unfair and unhealthy image that all monsters needed to be like that to be popular? What if someone thought Pokemon figures would make their kids grab a ball and run out into the woods trying to “capture” an animal so it could fight for them? What about Nerf guns causing gun violence? Those thoughts are just as absurd as her thoughts expressed to a CNN affiliate: “Kids mimic their action figures, if you will,” she told the station. “Do you want your child in an orange jumpsuit?” If a parent buys this clearly adult themed figure for their child, I would be MORE worried for the child’s well being with the parent, than what a toy could possibly influence them doing.![breaking-bad-heisenberg-figure-[2]-156-p.gif](http://darrahdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/breaking-bad-heisenberg-figure-2-156-p.gif.jpg)
I don’t know how exactly she came across the figure to begin with, whether the child was running wild through the store, as I have seen on many occasions, or if the figure was picked up by someone, carried through the store, and left on another shelf after they changed their mind about the purchase. Either scenario is entirely possible, but she could have, and should have, kept on her merry way if she didn’t want to explain to her child that it was for adults, and not for children.
Adults are a big draw for companies these days, as we have the disposable income that they are after, and are willing to spend more to get the things we want. Stores like Toys “R” Us have noticed that, as have Target, Walmart and even Walgreens, who have begun carrying lines from The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, among others. Are these people going to protest those stores as well? Not likely, because there is other product there that they want. Toys “R” Us hasn’t been strictly a ‘kids toy store’ in a long time, and if something on the shelf doesn’t interest you, just move along to something that does; don’t push to have it pulled, so those that DO want it, can’t get it in a local store.
In an effort to get TRU to change their mind, Daniel Pickett, and action figure collector and owner of AFI has started a counter petition in hopes of persuading TRU of keeping the Breaking Bad figures on the pegs in their stores. While BB star Bryan Cranston responded to the brouhaha over the figures on Twitter, costar Aaron Paul responded to the counter petition on Twitter, and also signed it himself. Based on the terminology used in their statement about pulling the figures, I’m hopeful that TRU might be persuaded to out the figures back on the shelves at some point.
I fear the precedent this kind of action could snowball into with other easily offended in their own minds people who want to protect “the greater good” based on their beliefs. At the time of this writing, Pickett’s counter petition has over 53,000 signatures, almost 6 times the number of the original one that started this situation. If you are an adult collector, even if you aren’t a fan of Breaking Bad itself, please share the petition, or post on TRU’s Facebook page and let them know you support their right to offer adult collectibles in their stores. Remind them that #AdultsCollect as well.
Thanks for reading.
Top 10 Action Figures of 2014
Top 10 Action Figures of 2014
A Happy New Year to all of my dear readers. The New Year means it’s time for my Top 10 action figures of 2014. I know I haven’t had many reviews the past year, but my 1 resolution for 2015 is to get back to bringing you as many new reviews or news pieces as possible on a consistent basis. With that out of the way, I will say that choosing the figures this year was more difficult than I thought it would be. That’s a good thing, as it means many companies put out some worthwhile product. I’ll preface this list with the fact that some of these figures weren’t purchased locally for one reason or another.
So let’s get down to it.
Starting off the list at number 10 is The Star Wars Black Series Storm Trooper. The cannon fodder of the Star Wars universe gets the 6 inch treatment. If you’d already gotten the Sand Trooper, you already know the majority of what this figure holds. The only big difference is the helmet, one of the shins, the belt, and the clean paint job. Due to the army building potential of this figure, they were quite hard to find for a while, especially when many local stores are choking on figures from older waves.
Coming in at number 9 is The DC Collectibles Crime Syndicate Ultraman figure. This guy is one of the most articulated DCC has ever produced, and whet the appetite of many figure fans for the same treatment to be given to his ”real” counterpart, Superman. He just about all the articulation you could want, a softer rubber cape that doesn’t hinder his posing too much, and sculpt that matches the source material near perfectly. The only drawback to the figure was a pungent plastic smell, which has dissipated over time. Sadly, we are still waiting on a Superman and Batman that truly match the standard this guy set.
Next on the list is The Bandai FiguArts Mario, a figure that many fans of the property have been waiting for since the 80s. There have been plenty of static mini statues of the Italian plummer, his brother, and other characters from the various games, but this was the first truly articulated version. He also came with some blocks to interact with, and coins that you could display as if they popped out of the “?” blocks. This guy, along with 2 different diorama sets were first released in Japan, but eventually made it to US online retailers, as well as local Barnes & Noble stores. The line is continuing with the just released in Japan, Luigi, as well as a prototype shown of dino buddy Yoshi.
Coming in at number 7 is the BAF of Groot from the Hasbro Guardians of the Galaxy series. If you saw the movie, you likely ended being a fan of Rocket & Groot, whether you knew who they were from the comics or not. In general, the entire set of figures from this wave was wonderful, but Groot evokes the look of the movie model like many of the others don’t quite. His headsculpt and expression allow you to mimic many emotions with just a head title and turn. While ALL the figures weren’t ideal (space armor Iron Man), I gladly bought them all to get this guy.
Roaring into the number 6 spot is The Star Wars Black Series Chewbacca figure. Chewie was one of the figures from the 2014 wave 3 assortment that I didn’t see much of locally, so I ended up getting him, Luke and Darth Vader through Amazon. I’m not the kind of Star Wars fan who has to have every character who appeared in the films, but Chewbacca is one my must have figures for the line. The headsculpt is amazing, even though he has more of a growling expression with the open mouth. The fur sculpt around his hands looks best with his arms down, but he has enough articulation that he can get into most of the poses you’d see him in throughout the trilogy. There have been leaked images of a new version with closed mouth, so I’m hoping he could come with the mesh bag and “broken” C-3PO to go on his back.
Coming in at the halfway point is NECA’s Bad Blood Predator figure. NECA has been going strong with the Predator line for some time, and even had other amazing figures from the same wave as this guy, including the “Shredator” Enforcer Predator figure. This guy is unique due to the comic book style deco he sports, which is a more vibrant, flat paint job. He sports a three bladed wrist blades, various skull and bone trophies adorning his armor, and 2 severed heads that hang from his belt. He ships in a solid case all by himself, and has been seen at Toys R Us as recently as stores begin their after the holiday restocks.
Slashing his way into the number 4 spot is NECA’s Ultimate Freddy Krueger figure. This is the articulated figure fans have been asking for since NECA began making product from the film franchise. Besides the articulated legs, Freddy comes with 2 alternate heads, an alternate hand with green “blood” spurting out of the chopped off finger, a skinned face “mask” and the telephone with the tongue sticking out of it. He also has a soft rubber sweater overlay that allows for his waist and torso articulation to get a better than average range of motion. NECA has noted they are going to do other ‘Ultimate’ figures, so I eagerly wait to see what they will be.
Swooping in to the number 3 spot is NECA’s 8 bit NES/Blu-Ray bundle 89 Batman figure. This entry is sort of a twofer, as they are technically 2 releases, but only one of them was sold by itself. The figure is actually a shrunk down version of NECA’s amazing ¼ scale Keaton Batman, which we thought was all we could get, at the time. It turns out that NECA found a loophole in their contract that let them release a version from the NES Tim Burton Batman movie. Towards the end of the year it was revealed that they managed to find a way to release an actual film version of the figure, but it was bundled with the Diamond-Luxe Blu-Ray version, and sold on ebay. That sold unbelievably fast, and NECA kept fans up to date on progress of it being released elsewhere. That ended up being to TRU, where it was only sold with the standard Blu-Ray of the film, with a sticker signifying that. For fans old enough to remember, the figure is packaged as homage to the old Toy Biz Batman figure from when the first movie toys originally came out. The scarce availability aside, the figure is amazingly articulated, like all of the best NECA figures have been, and comes with a second pair of hands, Batarang, and grapple gun.
Number 2 is a figure (and variants) that just slid into the list for 2014, though some people won’t actually receive theirs until sometime this year, The Four Horsemen’s Gothitropolis Raven figure. The figure, and all his variants began as a Kickstarter campaign back in July of 2013, which ran until August of that year. The campaign exceeded everyone’s expectations, and all the stretch goals that were revealed, were met and surpassed. The figures arriving would end up being a mystery due to the sheer number of backers, and some reasons that only the Horsemen know for sure. Despite any drama that might have caused, the figure lives up to the very high standards that the Horsemen have strived for in each of their creator owned properties. The sculpting and paintwork is phenomenal, and the articulation is incredible. Some of the figures received by other backers had stuck joints, but a quick heat with a hair dryer or a dip in boiling water will loosen them right up. The base figure comes with an amazingly detailed staff weapon, and 2 alternate sets of clawed feet; 1 pair of closed, and a pair of grasping feet. The Horsemen’s online store had some figures for preorder, but they have been sold out since they went up. Nobody knows for sure if there will be more, but if you are interested, your best bet is to check ebay or other online locations for people who might be selling some of the figures.
Topping the list at number 1 is not just 1 figure, but all 4 of The Revoltech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures from Kiayodo. These are import figures, so you won’t be able to find them in any of your local stores, unless you happen to have one that imports figures from the Far East. If you are a fan of the new TMNT show on Nickelodeon, then these are the figures for you. The Playmates figures are great for a mass market retail line, but if you want figures as close to the show’s model sheets, then you want these. Each of the turtles has a moveable eye system activated by moving the back of their bandanna, an alternate head, their signature weapon, and a display base of some sort. The articulation on the figures allows for some amazing poses, and their wide feet allow them to balance on 1 foot unassisted, which is great for ninja running poses. These guys sold fast, so you might have to spend more than you’re comfortable with, but Amazon and Big Bad Toy Store have some in stock, if you are inclined.
That wraps up the top 10 for 2014, but I would like to give mention to some figures that just missed the cut this year.
- DC Collectables Thrasher Armor Batman
- NECA Enforcer Predator
- Star Wars Black Biker Scout and Speeder Bike
- NECA Planet of the Apes Gorilla Soldier
- NECA Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Caesar
- DC Collectables The New Batman Adventures Batman
- DC Collectables Batman the Animated Series Catwoman
As you can see, last year had an amazing array of figures, and with what’s solicited for this coming year, we look to have stiff competition for the top 10 next year.
Thanks for reading.
I’ll see you in the toy isles.
Top 10 Toys of 2015
Top 10 toys of 2015
As we close out 2015, it’s time to take a look back at the top action figures of the year. These types of lists are always subjective, but out of all the things I’ve gotten this year, these are the 10 items I’m most impressed with. As you go down the list, you might notice a theme, which just happened to be the way the year in toys went for me, but it doesn’t discount a lot of other amazing figures.
I will actually have some reviews coming up of some of these figures, so you will be able to get a more in depth look if anything here peaks your interest. Without further ado, let’s begin.
- Funko Legacy Rocketeer
While Funko’s Legacy line has been plagued with issues among the 2 Game of Thrones waves, the Firefly wave, the lack of paint details in their Magic the Gathering line, and even some people’s experience with this figure itself, he makes my list. The Rocketeer movie came out in 1991, so I was sophomore in high school at the time, but it was one of the more faithful adaptations of a comic book to film that had happened yet. While the initial promo images suggested the rocket pack and the front flap to the jacket were going to be removable, the production figure did not. The swappable heads might require a little heat to avoid breaking the neck, and the hips could be an issue, but I have never had a problem with mine. I am happy to have a figure of a movie I loved (and still love), that I can display with a Hasbro WW2 era Captain America, so they can fight for the USA.
- DC Collectibles CW Arrow v 2.0 >
I have been a fan of the CW’s Arrow since season one, so when DC Collectibles announced they were making figures, I was excited. We first got the season one look with the grease paint in a 2 pack with “Deathstroke”, everyone wanted the season 2 look with the domino mask and compound bow. This figure represents it fairly well, and comes with the bow and a few arrows. While the articulation does limit the poses he can get into, for instance he can’t get into a full draw of the bow pose, he can be displayed in some fight scenes with other figures in his scale. I am anxiously waiting for the next figure in his season 4 “Green Arrow” look.
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NECA Aliens series 5 Ripley
The Alien franchise was another series that helped influence my early teenage years. I was only 10 when Aliens came out in theaters, so I experienced it on television at home later, but it left an impression on my tastes in sci-fi/horror films. This look for Ripley, is the one I think of the most when I think of the character. The other obvious look is her in the bra and panties, but the likelihood of that being done in figure form is slim to none, so I am happy to have the version in the collection. Ripley has all the articulation that you would come expect from any of the newer NECA figures, especially any of the “Ultimate” figures. While I think the facial expression is a little vacant, I prefer it to some always angry/screaming face.
- Mezco One:12 Collective Judge Dredd
Mezco’s One:12 Collective line wowed the online toy community last summer con season when the initial figures were shown off. My exposure to Judge Dredd has been limited to a few of the Batman/Dredd comic book crossovers and the dreadfully panned Stallone Dredd movie. With that said, when I saw the initial prototype of the Mezco Judge Dredd figure, I knew I had to get him. He scales really well with other 6 inch figures, and if you have any of the ThreeA WWP 6 inch figures from Ashley Wood, you have some readymade dregs for Dredd to bust. His shoulder armor pieces are held in place by small magnets, as is his badge. This is an amazing idea, and works pretty well, as it allows them to shift when you move his arms. The suit it tight, and is a faux leather like material, so he can’t really get into any deep crouches or extreme poses, but for some typical Dredd poses, he’s more than capable, and he looks like he’s come straight from a comic. The next question is, do I really need his upcoming Lawmaster motorcycle?
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NECA Ultimate T-800 Terminator
If you’re reading this, you might wonder why I included this figure when NECA already released basically the same figure 3 times before. While I have some of the original figures, this “Ultimate” version comes with 3 heads, is loaded down with assorted weapons, and has articulated legs. That last bit was the biggest selling point for me. While I liked the previous figures, they had static legs in a single pose, so you couldn’t make any little adjustments, or even pose him on a motorcycle, which was a big set piece from the film. There were comments online that the Terminator didn’t need to be getting into Spiderman poses, but I have 2 pictures in the gallery to show why this update was needed. Both from scenes that are integral to the story progression in the film. I’m happy to have him, and I can now retire the cobbled together “custom” I made a few years ago.
- Hasbro Transformers Devastator
Growing up in the 80s, you had to have at least a passing knowledge about the Transformers, even if you weren’t a fan. I was a fan, and had quite the collection of the “Generation 1” toys growing up, and the combing group of evil Decepticons, the Constructicons, were among some I wanted. I don’t remember if I had them all as a kid, but I know I had a few of them. Just ahead 30 years and some of the independent “third party” companies created their own updated versions of the combiners and the combined form, Devastator. It wasn’t until last year that we found out that Hasbro was going to release their own version of the Decepticon stalwart, but he was going to be at Toys R Us. The figure is huge, practically dwarfing small children. While he does have a few issues, he is an imposing figure that you can find at retail if you’re lucky, for less than the “third party” versions cost.
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NECA 7″ Christopher Reeve Superman
When I think of Superman, Christopher Reeve’s version is the one I usually think of first. While I have the Hot Toys version, I was hoping for a version that would fit in with my DCC Arrow figures, as well as the Michael Keaton Batman figure NECA snuck out last year. As it turns out, NECA and WB were working on something, because NECA announced on Twitter that there would be a bundle with assorted DVDs, of not just a shrunken down version of their 1/4 scale Christopher Reeve Superman, but their Heath Ledger Joker, and Adam West Batman figures. They were first available through ebay, but eventually started to show up on Toys R Us stores. Those were the only 2 options, and unfortunately for those looking and not aware, NECA has their own reps who go to TRU to stock the shelves, so their products don’t show up in TRU’s system. That was only part of the problem, as we found out that in the rush to get these figures out before the holidays, the first batch of Superman figures (and in some cases the other 2 figures as well) suffered from some weak plastic/molding issues, and were breaking right out of the package, and in some cases, IN the package. I grew up with this as MY Superman, so I was willing to risk the issues to get an in scale movie Superman to go with my other similar figures. I have 3 of them, all of which have no issues, so that should attest to how much I love this figure.
- DC Collectibles Batman The Animated Series Batman
Coming after the bombastic success of the Tim Burton Batman movie, this animated series took the gothic feel of the movie and combined it with an amazing design sense and incredible storytelling. The series debuted right before I graduated from high school, but it didn’t stop me from fully enjoying it, and even getting some of the old action figures. Over the years, fans would wonder aloud if we would ever get 6 inch, updated figures inspired by the series. Cue DC Collectibles, who announced figures of not just the original series, but of the New Batman Adventures slight reboot. There are many amazing figures thus far in the line, depending on your preferred animated look, and DCC has even listed to fans and improved the figures as they have gone forward. While the figure itself suffers from some limited articulation due to the design, he looks amazing just standing there with Robin next to him, and the Batmobile behind then.
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Mezco One:12 Collective TDKR Batman
Frank Miller’s Batman The Dark Knight Returns reinvigorated Batman after a lull in the 70s, and following the Batman craze of the Adam West Bat era. While action figure and comic fans have gotten occasional figures of some of the characters over the years, we never got anything truly amazing. That all changed when Mezco announced and showed off their One:12 Collective TDKR Batman figure. He was a 6 inch figure in a cloth outfit, with sculpted head, hands and feet. This was new territory, and looked like an attempt at pulling off Hot Toys style in a 6 inch format. There have been 5 versions (black and white 2015 NY Toy Fair, standard back & gray, Previews (comic shop) light blue & gray with bat oval; a Mezco exclusive dark blue & gray; and a battle damaged version with the Mutant Leader at this year’s SDCC. He comes loaded out with extra hands, an extra head, flight stand on a bat symbol base, and depending on the version you get, a hand gun or even a sniper rifle from a pivotal scene from the book. The articulation is outstanding, and the tailoring on the costume is almost Hot Toys level. I have 2 versions myself, and hope to eventually see a TDKR Superman, Joker and Carrie Kelly Robin in this style. Based on release schedule though, might be waiting a while. They might make a best of 2020 or beyond list, if it happens.
- DC Collectibles Batman The Animated Series Batmobile
Yes, I know you’re saying to yourself: “This isn’t an action figure.” You’d be correct, but it is a vehicle FOR action figures, and an amazing one at that Those of us who collect figures are used to the cheap, generally undersized vehicles that mainstream companies trot out to “appease” fans who ask for them, just look at the retail shelves right now. Occasionally companies with throw us a bone, but that doesn’t always work either, look at the Matty Collector Ghostbusters Ecto-1 that Mattel announced in 2013. That item had some of the same ingredients this Batmobile has, but was being sold for quite a bit more. The Batmobile has rubber tires that rotate, front wheels that you can steer right/left, fights 2 of the DC Collectibles Batman figures, and has several light up features for about $100. The thing is massive, made of a nice sturdy plastic, and looks like it drove straight out of your TV. This is a centerpiece to any collection for Batman fans, and I am certainly happy to name it my toy of the year.
Welcome to the new Darrah Designs
Welcome to the NEW DarrahDesigns.com
With the shutdown of the home of my past figure reviews, I thought it was time to update the main site, and get focused on doing reviews and figure photo shoots on a more consistent basis.
Stay tuned as I get this new version up and running.
Eric Darrah
Toy Photographer/Web Designer/Artist/Writer
