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Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
The Staff Picks Their Favorites...
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Every year the staff at Figures.com, as well as the YoJoe.com team, reflects back on all the cool toys that came out and joined our collections. Presenting our annual TOP 10, a personal look at our favorite collectibles of 2014.
Reflecting the unique individual collecting tastes of our team, this year’s top toy picks were a diverse bunch. However, certain collectibles did stand out – great toys popping up more than once on our lists. Hot Toys once again dominated our one sixth scale displays, but Sideshow equally amazed us with their new Star Wars and DC Comics figure offerings. NECA’s toy treatment for Pacific Rim continued to be a very popular pick - both 7-inch and towering quarter scale figure formats delivering wicked robot and monster might. Fun was to be found with Funko and their adorable POP! vinyl figures, along with their new ReAction and Fabrikation brand lines. Hasbro impressed fans with Marvel Legends characters from arguably the best movie this year, Guardians of the Galaxy. Bandai wowed collectors with their hyper-articulated S.H. Figurarts Mario; the smart inclusion of add-on accessories really bringing the magical Nintendo world to life. Last, but certainly not least - LEGO - where everything was awesome.
Join us as we celebrate another incredible year in action figure collecting...
- Jeff Saylor and the Figures.com/Action On-Line Team
#1 - NECA PACIFIC RIM 18" CHERNO ALPHA (Read the review HERE!) - NECA's 18" Gipsy Danger topped my list last year, so it's really no surprise that my favorite Pacific Rim Jaeger ranks number one on my list this year. This figure is everything I loved about the smaller 7" Russian Mark-1, only bigger! It's also better, with NECA going all out with a light-up feature not only in the head, but also under four opening hatches in the Cherno's chest. Large and in charge, this huge collectible is hard to miss in my collection, the 18" Cherno Alpha's awesome good looks commanding attention.
#2 - SPIN MASTER MINECRAFT CREEPER ANATOMY (Read the review HERE!) - I haven't even played Minecraft, so this figure's inclusion on my list may seem odd. The neat thing about collecting toys, however, is that they don't have to represent one of your favorite properties. Sometimes they just have to look cool. I have this strange fascination with cross-sectional anatomy, especially the skeletal system. It has something to do with me growing up with those transparent overlays found in old encyclopedias. That said, I immediately perk up when a toy collectible is released featuring cross-sectional anatomy, in particular creatures that you wouldn't associate with having an anatomy to begin with. Minecraft's Creeper is one such creature - a blocky retro gaming design that doesn’t exactly scream organic. Taking inspiration from cross-sectional toy artist extraordinaire, Jason Freeny, Spin Master creatively imagined what the inside of a Creeper looks like. It's all represented in a solidly constructed vinyl toy that actually comes apart and can be reassembled. To this cross-sectional anatomy toy enthusiast, it's the very essence of awesome.
#3 - ART FIGURES 1:6 HEAVY ARMOURED SPECIAL COP (DREDD) (Read the review HERE!) - Sixth scale action figures have gotten way too expensive for me to collect on a regular basis, but I'm willing to make exceptions if one of my favorite characters comes along. Art Figures' Heavy Armoured Special Cop caught the attention of many collectors last spring, its generic name not fooling anyone. This was Judge Dredd from the underrated 2012 sci-fi film, Dredd. Unlicensed? More than likely, but that didn't stop me and other 2000 AD fans from ordering one... fingers crossed that it'd actually ship. Well Dredd, err, Heavy Armoured Special Cop did arrive, and it came out phenomenal. This was Karl Urban as Judge Dredd from the movie in all his future cop glory, Lawgiver included. Judge, jury, and executioner, this was one figure that Dredd fans didn't want to miss.
#4 - SIDESHOW 1:6 STAR WARS DARTH MALGUS (Read the review HERE!) – As a kid growing up, I was an obsessive Star Wars figure collector. I had every character, even if Leia in Bespin Gown was a bit “girly”. These days, I’m much more select. I tend to collect my favorite characters if they appeal to me in a new format (you may recall Boba Fett dominated my Top 10 list last year). I also enjoy getting my hands on fresh, cool new characters, as they are such a rarity in the already established Star Wars universe. Darth Malgus is one such cool new character, the masked Sith Lord hailing from BioWare's MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. I have never played the game, but *OMG!* I had to have this awesome new villain in figure form. While a hard-to-get 3 3/4" Darth Malgus figure exists, Sideshow's 12" Darth Malgus is where it's at. He just commands your figure display at this scale. Sideshow went all-out with this 1:6th scale figure, Darth Malgus' layered armor a thing of beauty. An evil Sith Lord cooler looking than Darth Vader? That'd be Darth Malgus.
#5 - NECA PACIFIC RIM 7" SERIES 3 + 4 (Read the reviews HERE and HERE!) – While NECA’s 18” Cherno Alpha takes my top slot for best toy of 2014, the towering figure wouldn’t be possible without the success of the 7” series. For me it was all about the Jaegers, and Series 3 released back in March delivered in spades. Not only did fans receive the long-awaited Cherno Alpha, but also an all-new Jaeger design with the cool Coyote Tango (Those two new and improved Kaiju weren’t half bad either!). The Jaeger machine continued on strong with Series 4, collector’s not only getting a newly tooled “Hong Kong Brawl” Gipsy Danger, but also an awesome prologue Jaeger, Tacit Ronin. When a figure series starts releasing obscure cameo characters like the Tacit Ronin, it’s a safe bet that line is doing very well. And I hope it continues to do well… we must have more figures from Pacific Rim 2!
#6 – GAMING HEADS FALLOUT 3 VAULT BOY BOBBLEHEAD COLLECTION (Read the reviews HERE and HERE!) – This series received an honorable mention from me last year… only because it hadn’t arrived in time for my 2013 Top 10 list. With Series 1 and 2 now in my collection, the time is right to say these are some of my most anticipated toys. Silly looking to an outsider, these Vault Boy bobbleheads are nothing but pure collectible bliss to a gamer that played Fallout 3 for months on end. That long with a video game creates attachments, more so than most any other form of entertainment. For a company to deliver on such an obscure piece of video game memorabilia so many years later (Fallout 3 came out in 2008) is like a dream come true.
#7 - FUNKO POP! SHARKNADO (More pictures HERE!) - SyFy Channel's Sharknado was one of the dumbest movies I've ever watched. It was bad, in a beyond B-movie bad kind of way. Just unbearable, unless you were to play some kind of drinking game while viewing it (and even then I don't know if it'd ease the pain). So why is this toy on my list? Because the Sharknado POP! is so outrageously funny. Because really, that's all Sharknado was - an over-the-top joke where everyone enjoyed a good laugh. It's a shark, in a tornado, in toy form. Enough said.
#8 – FUNKO/ SUPER 7 REACTION (ALIEN, HELLRAISER, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK) – Funko really branched out as a company in 2014, continuing to attract fans with their adorable POP! vinyl (Sharknado!) and showing the market that they can make realistic action figures like the best of them with their superb Legacy Collection. Most impressive to this collector was Funko's ReAction series. Expanding on what Super 7 started with Alien (and with Super 7's continued collaboration), the ReAction series combines the nostalgia of older Kenner-styled action figures with exciting - often unexpected - new licenses. While the figures themselves are laughably bad compared to today's modern action figure sculpting and construction (we're talking basic 5 points of articulation here gang), ReAction's appeal is all about retro charm (and their $9.99 price point!). The simple figure, when displayed on the amazing retro-styled blister card, simply screams cool - especially when it's a violent R-rated movie property like my favorite ReAction figures this year: Hellraiser and Escape From New York. While they didn't come packed on a card, the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Alien ReAction Mystery Eggs were equally awesome, my scoring an Alien doubly so.
#9 - NECA MEGO-STYLE EVIL DEAD II HERO ASH (Read the review HERE!) – I disliked Mego growing up as a kid. Their ill-fitting clothes and oversized heads couldn’t disguise the fact that these were dolls, not action figures. I fully understand the appeal of retro-styled figures, but when NECA announced they were going the Mego route, I was less than enthusiastic… until I got my hands on one. While Mego’s calling card of an 8 inch size and real-cloth clothes is represented here, the rest is NECA upping the action figure ante. Gone are the baggy outfits. Gone are the doll-like portraits. NECA’s Mego-style figure series – Hero Ash in particular – is their tried and true 7 inch figure line gone deluxe. It’s like the crazy love child between a 7” and 12” action figure, both designed by NECA so that all that hyper-realism is left intact. As a non-fan of Mego, but a huge Evil Dead II collector, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed NECA’s Mego-Style Hero Ash. Bring on Snake Plissken!
#10 – JASON FREENY X MIGHTY JAXX: OG SKULL BOMB – I hinted at earlier that I’m a huge fan of artist Jason Freeny. His cross-sectional anatomy of pop culture characters really appeals to me, especially when delivered in toy form. Another thing we evidently share a passion for is vintage bombs; in particular the old WWII variety with a bulbous payload section and retro-rocket tail fins. Slap a skull on there and you have a match made in collectible heaven: the Skull Bomb. Produced by Mighty Jaxx, the first edition run of the hard vinyl 8” Skull Bomb was released in an olive green (OG) color scheme limited to only 100 pieces. I could care less about the OG Skull Bomb’s edition size (except for my initial panic of securing a pre-order before it sold out). No, for me it was all about the color matching the military vibe of the sculpture. Later edition runs of black, glow green and pink – while attractive in a pop art kind of way – just didn’t carry the same impact for me. And what an impact the OG Skull Bomb has made on my collection! Those that say toys aren’t art obviously haven’t seen Jason Freeny’s work.
#1 - NECA PACIFIC RIM KAIJU FIGURES (SCUNNER, AXEHEAD and TRESPASSER) (Read Trespasser's review HERE!) - Continuing to keep monster fans happy following the original release of the film's Knifehead and Leatherback figures, NECA hit a home run for Pacific Rim fans this year by releasing three amazing figures - Axehead, Trespasser and Scunner. Each kaiju features a similar body, leg, and arm design; however, thanks to unique heads, claws and paint applications - along with impressive chest and shoulder armor on Scunner - these three look both amazing and unique! Likewise, if you picked up the original Knifehead and weren't happy with the scale, fear not; two different larger versions - one with battle damage and one without (exclusive to TRU) are now available as well! Try not to tear down a city finding them!
#2 - NECA 18" HALO 4 MASTER CHIEF - We've been fans of Halo now for nearly 15 years... it's about damn time we got ourselves a massive 18" figure of our favorite alien-killing, humanity-saving sci-fi video game warrior: Master Chief! NECA hits the target with this beautifully sculpted and detailed figure portraying Master Chief from the fan-favorite game Halo 4. Sure we'd have preferred a figure based on his appearance from Halo 3, but considering the size, detail, and amazing array of articulation (30 points!) as well as Master Chief's trusty rifle and pistol, this is a sure thing!
#3 - NECA 6" BATMAN (W/ BLU-RAY COMBO HOME VIDEO RELEASE) - You're a fan of the 1989 Batman film and you want a 6" figure from the film? Thank NECA once again for delivering the goods with the film-accurate figure, which came packed exclusively with the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release. It sold out super fast online, though rumor has it TRU should be stocking this set soon! Get it before it disappears into the Gotham night!
#4 - HASBRO MARVEL SUPER HERO MASHERS - You ever want to put Hulk's head on Wolverine's body and Iron Fist's hands on Green Goblin? While now you can thanks to the imaginative, fun and creative new toys by Hasbro. Sure, they're geared more at kids than adult collectors, that didn't stop me from buying every one and spending hours (with my son and daughter) creating our own favorite heroes! And you can even combine them with the Transformers Mashers to make your own Marvel/Transformers characters!
#5 - HASBRO TRANSFORMERS MASHERS - Too good to be true - but yes, Hasbro brought to life everyone's favorite Transformers in the super-customizable and interchangeable Mashers series. There's nothing like giving Optimus Prime a pair of legs from a Dinobot or putting Bumblebee's head on Soundwave! And you can even combine them with the Marvel Super Hero Mashers to make your own Transformers/Marvel characters!
#6 - FUNKO LMS GABRIEL POP VINYL FIGURE (SDCC'14 EXCLUSIVE) (More pictures HERE!) - So when I first met Dan LuVisi back in 2008 at SDCC, I knew his art book/graphic novel/mindblowing work of art called Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter was going to be a hit with fandom... and I wasn't wrong. It has since been republished (twice) and has been optioned for the big screen. So when Funko decided to bring to life the main character - Gabriel - in POP form this last summer, I was super excited - and not disappointed. The Gabriel POP figure - like others in the line - features all the main details of the character in a short, big-headed 4" figure. Stylized and cool, it's the perfect addition to any LMS fan's collection - and if you don't know what LMS is, you will soon...
#7 - FUNKO FABRIKATION GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ROCKET RACOON - What can I say, I love those funny little figures Funko brings to life and their Fabrikations line of stuffed figures is no exception! The latest in the growing line is everyone's favorite trash-talking, gun-totin', spaceship stealing raccoon, Rocket! Featuring a big grin, a HUGE (little) little gun and a film accurate uniform, there's nothing not to love here! Cute, adorable and totally bad ***, this is the Rocket Raccoon you'll want to have on your desk at work!
#8 - THE LOYAL SUBJECTS TRANSFORMERS MINI FIGURES - So you're a fan of the Transformers but want something stylized, in the urban vinyl category of collectible? Look no further than Loyal Subjects Transformers. With multiple series of 3" figures, a number of impressive 5.5" figures and a few 8" beauties, this line of simple, urban-inspired vinyl figures keeps the core character elements of each of your favorite Autobots and Decepticons while mixing in a dash of simple, post-modern flair. Fun and funky, these are great for grown-up collectors looking for something fresh and new.
#9 - HOT TOYS 1:6 AVENGERS HULK AND BRUCE BANNER SET (Read the review HERE!) – Who's not a fan of The Hulk? And who's better at bringing to life 1/6th collectibles than Hot Toys? This year, fans of The Avengers were treated to a gorgeous depiction in 1/6th scale of both the good Doctor Bruce Banner and his muscled and mad alter ego The Hulk. Two of Marvel's most memorable characters captured perfectly in film-accurate beauty...
#10 - HOT TOYS 1:6 The CROW ERIC DRAVEN (Read the review HERE!) – When I was 14, my best friend and I took my Grandmother - God bless her - to see The Crow. It was rated R and we needed Granny to get in... and she hated it... but it forever cemented my love for the film, based on James O'Barr's emotionally traumatic and graphically violent tale of a man whose loss is near unbearable and whose vengeance knows no limits - even the grave. Hot Toys once again delivers with an impressive 1:6th scale figure of The Crow - Eric Draven (played by Brandon Lee) from the 1994 film. Featuring the sly, maniacal grin and black and white make-up and trench coat, this is the action figure The Crow fans have been waiting for. Wait never more.
Re: Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
#1 - WIZKIDS GAMES STAR TREK ATTACK WING - Last year I had a slot in my favorites for Star Trek Tactics, the HeroClix line. While that series hasn’t had a recent release, WizKids’ other spaceship game has been growing like crazy: Star Trek Attack Wing! Based on the game design of Fantasy Flight’s X-Wing Miniatures Game, Attack Wing takes the FlightPath system and adds high quality Star Trek miniatures (about 2-3 inches long), an incredible degree of customization with different ships and their captains as well a huge amount of “upgrades” that allow them to do different things. Notably the game has gone beyond recycling sculpts from Tactics and now includes lots of new ships, including designs that have never before appeared in plastic! From the Reman Scimitar to the Vidiian Fina Prime, both Federation and Cardassian fighter squadrons, and more this game is an incredible source of new Star Trek ships in a great size and at affordable prices.
#2 - DARK HORSE MASS EFFECT SHIP REPLICAS - Continuing with the spaceship trend, 2014 brought more pieces in the awesome Mass Effect Ship Replica lineup from Dark Horse. A bit larger (and appropriately more expensive without breaking the bank) than the previous ships I looked at, the best and easiest to collect of the Mass Effect ships are the approximately 6-9 inch vessels capturing the unique designs from the game. After starting with the requisite Normandy Dark Horse has gone on to add the SX3 Alliance Fighter, Alliance Shuttle, Alliance Cruiser, Turian Cruiser, and more. Mounted on stands and fully painted, these ships look fantastic on the shelf and go great with other similar sized ships like Dark Horse’s Serenity line. And if you’re a really big fan you can always upscale to the larger size replicas like the amazing 18 inch Normandy!
#3 - UNDERGROUND TOYS DOCTOR WHO 3 3/4" FIGURES - For many years fans of Doctor Who were treated to the great 5 inch scale figure series brought across the pond by Underground Toys. After countless Doctors, Daleks, Companions, Cybermen, and everything else from the sci-fi show Underground debuted a new scale, shrinking everybody down to the classic 3 ¾ inch format! They’ve knocked this series out of the park right off the bat with nicely detailed figures of all your favorite characters, and this year they’ve been expanding into classic Who too. Best of all, there are plenty of Daleks! In the recent Wave 3 alone we got a cool Asylum Dalek with the red stamp and a Classic Dalek.
#4 - FOUR HORSEMEN POWER LORDS (Read the review HERE!) - It’s four for four and another new line of 3 ¾ inch (okay, “4 inch”) figures with Four Horsemen’s Power Lords! The resurrection of these classic 1980s figures started in 2013 with some convention and website exclusives, but it was this year that they released the fully carded and painted Wave 1. They’re from the Horsemen so you know they’ve got top notch sculpts, and with the full paint work they’re really nice. This wave consisted of heroic Adam and Lord Power and the evil Ggripptogg, Ggrabbtargg, and Ggrapptikk. Add to that solid articulation, fun accessories, and a huge amount of interchangeable parts (thanks in part to the Glyos system) and you’ve got the fully modern Power Lords. These fun and colorful spacemen and crazy aliens are highly recommended for 3 ¾ / 4 inch collectors.
#5 - NECA PACIFIC RIM SERIES 3 - NECA’s ridiculously awesome 7” Pacific Rim series appeared last year on many of our Top 10 lists, and for good reason. I’m happy to bring the line back again in my 2014 list with Series 3. It included amazing Kaiju in Trespasser and the updated, Battle Damaged Knifehead, but what ensured this would be a top series for me were the Jaegers, and one in particular. Coyote Tango is sweet, but it’s all about the mighty Russian behemoth Cherno Alpha! Our editor Jeff did a fantastic job reviewing this series (see it HERE), a perfect mix of giant monster and robot. And check out Cherno Alpha! Of course, late this year NECA followed up on the Gipsy Danger 18” with a similarly sized version of my favorite Jaeger, but I don’t have one yet to include on this list.
#6 - PALLADIUM BOOKS ROBOTECH RPG TACTICS - Robotech is back! Yes, Toynami occasionally releases new products (plush VFs are out and Super Deformed figures are on the way... soon?), but this year it was all about miniatures. If you missed it, game company Palladium Books Kickstarted Robotech RPG Tactics, a super cool and fast moving miniatures game featuring all of the great mecha designs from the 80s show and more. The Earth forces of the RDF bring to bear the walking tanks of the Destroids along with the transforming Veritechs while the alien Zentraedi have their reverse leg articulated Pods. The game is time and effort intensive as you have to put everything together and paint it all, but the miniatures are fantastic and it’s a great addition to the Robotech legacy.
#7 - MATTEL DC COMICS MULTIVERSE - Getting back to the 3 ¾ inch world, Mattel revived their DC Comics offerings in that scale with some super fan-favorite characters this year. Where once there was Infinite Heroes there is now the Multiverse, a unique collection of characters from movies and video games in a cohesive style and scale. Frankly, and I say this as a huge fan of Infinite Heroes, these are a huge leap forward in detail and especially articulation. Character selection has been amazing, especially with the inclusion of 70s, 80s, and 90s film stars! Most notable, and sought after by collectors, are Christopher Reeve Superman and Michael Keaton, the latter in both masked and unmasked versions. The video game figures are super cool too, especially the total badass that is Arkham Knight Red Hood.
#8 - WIZKIDS GAMES HEROCLIX - Locked in a perennial spot on my Top 10 lists is HeroClix, the miniature game from WizKids featuring DC and Marvel Comics characters as well as Hobbit, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pacific Rim, assorted films, and more. Each year brings tons of new products, with 2014 adding to the lists both a Lord of the Rings and a Hobbit set, Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Deadpool, X-Men: Days of Future Past, War of Light, Guardians of the Galaxy (both movie and comics sets), and Flash. It was hard for a comics HeroClix player NOT to find something cool among the new sets! My favorites in 2014 were all of the Guardians figures and War of Light, an event seemingly tailor made for me as the biggest Green Lantern fan in Sector 2814.
#9 - BIFBANGPOW! TWILIGHT ZONE 3 3/4" FIGURES - Have you guessed by now that I’m a fan of 3 ¾ inch figures? Well, now I’m going to tell you about the new Twilight Zone figures from BifBangPow! and their partners at ZICA Toys. Unlike the previously mentioned Power Lords, Doctor Who, and Multiverse figures, these are fully in the current style of “retro” action figures with five points of articulation and vintage looks. Personally I don’t think that style works for every license, but it sure as heck works here with the sometimes campy, sometimes horrifying, and sometimes quirky characters of Twilight Zone. The initial wave included the Gremlin, Bob Wilson (William Shatner), Talky Tina, Invader, Kanamit, and Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith)! Honestly, they had me at figures of William Shatner and Burgess Meredith. And while the standard versions of the figures are in show accurate grayscale, limited edition 2014 Convention Exclusives featured full color versions of these guys.
#10 - HASBRO MARVEL LEGENDS GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - The coolest movie of the year has brought with it a massive wave of merchandising, all headlined by Hasbro. Of course I’m talking about Guardians of the Galaxy, and the toys included Legends scale figures, Battle Gear 2.5 inch figures and vehicles, larger scale figures, electronic figures, role-play items, and more. Frankly, it’s a smorgasbord of fun no matter your age, and best of all most of it was readily available in regular toy stores (though at first the Legends were a little hard to track down). I loved the movie, and I was super excited to collect toys of my favorite characters and vehicles which Hasbro provided in very affordable packages. Of course there’s a lot more Guardians stuff out there from Legos to Funko items, and you can go nuts with the spending on Dragon Models and next year’s Hot Toys. If you’ve been in a cave for the last few months, you can see a sampling of the Guardians of the Galaxy toys here.
Honorable Mentions:
* Hasbro Transformers Age of Extinction - This probably won’t appear on a lot of Top lists, but Hasbro’s latest Transformers movie collection did a lot of unique things and was awesome for one word: Dinobots! Totally separate from the film, the toy line brought us a ton of cool Dinobot toys in all of the different scales, sizes, and price points. Notably there are a bunch of Grimlocks, and he’s my all-time favorite Transformer so that made me very happy. This was also the year that Hasbro simplified their toys with fewer moving parts and more automation, plus the debut of the one-step changers that made both kids and parents happy.
* Eaglemoss Star Trek Starships Collection - Appearing in my Honorable Mentions for the second year in a row is this elite lineup of Star Trek collectibles in the Starships Collection from across the pond. Sold at comic book stores and solicited in Previews, these highly detailed approximately 5 inch metal and plastic vessels from Eaglemoss cover the length and breadth of the Star Trek universe, and best of all they too are starting to include ships that have never been made into collectibles like the U.S.S. Dauntless! I picked up pretty much all of the Federation ships this year and look forward to more in 2015.
#1 - HOT TOYS IRON MAN 3 1:6 DIE-CAST MARK XLII - The fine folks at Hot Toys have done it again by delivering the most movie-accurate sixth scale figure of the coolest Iron Man suit to date. This epic collectible features tons of moving parts, accessories and light-up features. Take all that awesomeness and add a die-cast external body to it and you got yourself the number one collectible for 2014. 'Nuff said.
#2 - HOT TOYS THE TERMINATOR 1:6 T-800 BATTLE DAMAGED VERSION - Through the years Hot Toys has delivered some stellar Terminator figures based on all but one film, the one that started it all. Now collectors can finally own their very own original Terminator T-800 figure from the ‘80s. Based on the unforgettable police precinct assault scene from the original film, this figure showcases a young Arnold Schwarzenneger in his prime in the epic role that jump started his career in Hollywood. This one sixth scale masterpiece features two interchangeable heads with light-up features, removable sunglasses, an arsenal of weapons and a deluxe diorama base making this the ultimate grail figure for any Terminator fan.
#3 - HOT TOYS PREDATOR 2 1:6 ELDER PREDATOR v2 - The oldest and wisest of all the Predators is reborn in one sixth figural form and man, does he look good. Although he had a very short appearance at the end of Predator 2, this is hands-down the coolest Predator to appear on film and the folks at Hot Toys have really delivered a movie masterpiece with this one. Armed with his iconic sword, buccaneer rifle and retracting claws, this veteran Predator does not rely on technology to hunt down and kill his prey. You simply cannot have a Predator collection without adding this bad boy to your toy shelf.
#4 - BANDAI TAMASHII NATIONS S.H. FIGUARTS SUPER MARIO - The world famous plumber from the hit Nintendo video game comes to life in action figure form thanks to the folks at Bandai. This awesome highly articulated figure will provide adults and children alike with hours of fun thanks to the diorama expansion sets which help bring the video game to life in 3-dimensional form. This incredible figure is hand-down the coolest video game-based figure released to date an absolute must have for Mario fans of all ages.
#5 - SIDESHOW DC COMICS 1:6 BATMAN - The DC universe continues to expand with amazing comic-based sixth scale figure of the Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader features an incredibly chiseled and muscular heroic body, interchangeable heads with swap-out facial expressions and an arsenal of batarangs and a bat claw to take out the scum that roam the streets of Gotham. The folks at Sideshow have simply delivered the comic-based Batman figure collectors have been waiting for and it is an absolute must-have for DC and Batman fans alike.
#6 - SQUARE ENIX ARKHAM ORIGINS BATMAN PLAY ARTS KAI - This year there has been an overabundance of great Batman action figures released but none of them come even close to Square Enix’s masterful Arkham Origins Play Arts Kai Batman. This amazing figure towers well above all other Play Arts incarnations of the caped crusader and features state-of-the-art articulation and masterfully sculpted details. Throw in a plethora of interchangeable hands, weapons and an incredible paint job and you have yourself the best Batman figure under sixth scale for 2014.
#7 - HASBRO 6” STAR WARS BLACK DELUXE BIKER SCOUT WITH SPEEDER BIKE - The highly successful Star Wars 6” Black Series collection expanded into deluxe offerings this year providing collectors with an upscaled version of the fan-favorite Scout Trooper with Speeder Bike. This is not just a larger version of the smaller figure but rather the most versatile and screen-accurate Scout Trooper figure and speeder released to date. While this amazing deluxe figure did not speed off the toy shelves as expected, it is mainly due to the price and not the quality of the piece. In my opinion, the newly-tooled speeder bike and its imperial pilot are well worth the $40 price tag and the absolute best Black Series release in 2014.
#8 - SIDESHOW STAR WARS 1:6 GENERAL GRIEVOUS - The iconic alien/cyborg hybrid has been immortalized in glorious sixth scale figural form through the talented minds and hands of Sideshow Collectible’s design team. Featuring impeccable detail and a state-of-the-art engineered robotic body, this villainous cybernetic Jedi killer is a true work of articulated art. Grievous features an impressive level of articulation, a beautifully crafted fabric cape and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal to take down the most masterful of Jedi on your toy shelf.
#9 - THREEZERO THE WALKING DEAD 1:6 MICHONNE'S ZOMBIE PETS - Walking Dead fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of one sixth scale figures based on the hit AMC TV show and the folks at ThreeZero have given collectors a taste of what’s to come in the near future. Michonne’s helpless zombie companions feature realistic rubber torsos in a state of decomposition and gaping bloody wounds that will make your stomach turn. This incredibly detailed pair of limbless undead walkers look like they jumped right out of the TV screen and onto your toy shelf and will look amazing displayed next to the upcoming Michonne figure.
#10 - MCFARLANE TOYS THE WALKING DEAD COMIC SERIES RICK GRIMES v2 - This one-handed comic incarnation of Rick Grimes from the popular Image series is the ultimate 4” figure to take down all your undead figures. Don’t let the small scale fool you because this incredibly detailed action figure packs a big one-handed punch with his cool Chuck Norris looks, awesome paint job and arsenal of weapons at his disposal. This figure truly demonstrates how tough of a survivor Rick is and how he can still intimidate and dispatch the undead single-handedly.
Re: Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
#1 - BANDAI TAMASHII NATIONS S.H. FIGUARTS SUPER MARIO - My list starts with Nintendo because Bandai's S.H. Figurarts produced the finest Super Mario figure ever made. And it's all kinds of amazing that it took this long to get one done right. Toy Biz kind of, sorta gave us a decent Mario with its Mario Kart line and K'Nex teased us with some pretty neat brick versions of the Super Mario world, but S.H. Figurarts gave us a figure that looks fantastic and is well articulated. The additional accessory sets also make this line all the more appealing. This might be the only toy that truly blew me away this year.
#2 - LEGO'S THE LEGO MOVIE - I can't just name one toy from the smash hit and critically acclaimed The LEGO Movie. Everything, and I do mean everything was insanely awesome. From the line of LEGO Minifigures, to the Theater Promo piece, to all the various sets and characters including Metalbeard, these were some of the most fun and imaginative LEGOs released to date. Who didn't want a Double Decker Couch after seeing this movie? Both the movies and toys completely delivered.
#3 - TAKARA-TOMY TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE WHEELJACK - Wheeljack is another fantastic recreation of a classic G1 Transformers character. While his Masterpiece toy isn't exactly 'toon accurate in its paint scheme, Takara got it pretty close and it's much more realistic to the paint job of the actual Lancia Stratos Turbo racing car. However you dice it, our G1 Transformers continue to grow in awesome ways. Wheeljack was a step in that right direction.
#4 - LEGO GHOSTBUSTERS - I love LEGO and I love The Ghostbusters. Put them together and you got a remarkable little set. Much like last year's Back to the Future set, this was the result of the LEGO Ideas program where LEGO builders can submit their ideas to be turned into a mass produced LEGO set. As a set that only comes with the four main Ghostbusters and their Ecto-1, it's a great stand alone and I'd be okay if nothing more came of it... but of course it'd be great to see more Ghostbusters fun from LEGO.
#5 - LEGO THE SIMPSONS - This is the third time that LEGO shows up on my list this year and it's because it's such a cool thing. The Simpsons house and a separate wave of Minifigures were released this year along with promise of a whole lot more to come. I can't even really say how much I love this. It just blows my mind.
#6 - HASBRO 6" STAR WARS BLACK DELUXE JABBA THE HUTT (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2014 EXCLUSIVE) - A shout out really goes to the entire line of Star Wars Black this year for delivering us the Stormtrooper, Biker Scout, and even Darth Vader, but the quality of Jabba the Hutt makes this deluxe figure a little extra special. The standard Jabba the Hutt is currently warming the shelves at all your local stores, but the San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive sold out before the weekend was up. What made it worth double the retail price? It was the little Salacious Crumb, available only through this release. Throw in an opening mouth action feature and you have one of my favorite pieces of the year.
#7 - HASBRO MARVEL LEGENDS GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - It's getting harder and harder each year to narrow my focus to a single figure that catches my interest, but when there's a collection of figures from the year's most satisfying comic-book movie, it deserves a spot on the list. Sure, you had to buy an Iron Man and Nova just to build Groot, but it was worth it!
#8 - TAKARA-TOMY SUSHI SENTAI SCHALLYDER - Transforming sushi rangers. The toys are not hi-tech by any means, with a simple one button push for transforming. The lack of articulation and decals for faces are also disappointing, but there's something simply pure and fun about them. How can transforming sushi rangers protect our ocean from other evil sushi rolls? It doesn't matter because these are ridiculously cool.
#9 - NINTENDO AMIIBO - A relative late entry this year, Amiibo was something I wasn't even aware of until it hit the shelves, causing myself to do quite a bit of impulse buying. If anyone recalls playing Super Smash Bros. on the Wii, acquiring digital figurines in the game was some of the more satisfying aspects of the game. Now I can do it for real and my wallet hates me for it. The line started strong right out of the gate with many favorite characters and a whole lot more announced, these figures look even better than the Disney Infinity figures.
#10 - TAKARA-TOMY TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE BUMBLEBEE - Bumblebee is last on my list this year simply because I don't have him in my hands yet, but know once I do, he would make the list. From the pictures I've seen online, he isn't perfect, but it's the best Bee we've had since, well... ever! He is small but he comes with Daniel in his Exo suit, which, if you're a fan of the movie, and who isn't, makes for a very cool addition indeed.
Honorable Mentions:
* Cubex Huff
* Anything Hot Toys
* NECA Godzilla
I don’t have a top ten this year due to one simple fact: I did not buy ten new products off shelves. Let me assure you, that this doesn’t mean that I didn’t see a bevvy of new figures I wanted, between the continued Pacific Rim items from NECA, as well as the 50th Anniversary Joes from Hasbro, I had plenty to entice me (Dark Horse’ Epic Game of Thrones Ned Stark, Funko’s reAction offerings, DST’s Epic Marvel Select Rhino). In the end, however, I put my funds elsewhere - namely in LEGO.
Some folks may say 2014 was the year of LEGO. The privately-owned manufacturer of brick-based building sets dethroned Mattel as the #1 toy company in the world and gained mainstream press adoration thanks to February’s The LEGO Movie. Regardless of pop-culture respect, LEGO has been delivering the goods to fans for years, and 2014 was no different. LEGO continued to release new and exciting varieties of products that appeal to not only their core buyers but also collectors whose real interests lay outside interlocking-brick building systems.
LEGO captured my dollars primarily due to their being perhaps the king licensee for major properties - the Hobbit, specifically, at present. I applaud Bridge Direct’s efforts at both 3.75 and 6” offerings from the Hobbit trilogy, but with a focus primarily on core figures, the line did not appeal to me like LEGO’s extensive offerings. While buying the full LEGO line led to a few duplicate Gandalfs and Bilbos, the overall assortment allowed collectors to obtain all 13 dwarves and an army of Orcs - plus playsets and “vehicles” (war machines, really) to boot.
And that’s why LEGO is winning. We’ve entered a time in the figure industry, wherein, getting full, dynamic lines to accompany film properties is becoming less the norm, but LEGO’s pricing tiers and brand planning are built for delivering a wide array of characters, small vehicles, larger ones, and playsets.
Of course, the other beauty of LEGO is its inherent customization. Being a modular toy, LEGO minifigures are easy to personalize, adjust, and alter. I recall my days boiling 6” Buffy figures from DST and Moore Action Collectibles to soften the plastic and pop joints before alone sculpting and painting them to their new costumes or episode specific detail (let alone the boneyard of parts I left in my wake). With LEGO, the figures can change outfits, heads, and gear without issue - a customizer’s dream, especially given the sheer number of legitimate third party companies creating alternate weapons and accessories to accompany the figures.
Of course, whether you display LEGO as the model kits instruct or kitbash your own minifigures (within the hobby, we call kitbashes, “Figbarf”), LEGO is small enough in scale that display building can be absolutely epic, even in a somewhat contained space. Granted, the internet has shown us endless 10’x10’ brickbuilt battles and 9-foot towers to actual scale with the figures, but even in a 3’ x 3’ space, a child AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) can create a dynamic and expansive display that looks neither cluttered nor out of scale.
While I have invested specifically in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings collections, I was fortunately gifted others as well. 2014 allowed me to pit an underwater Caped Crusader against a Penguin, complete with Burton-esque duck car, as well as spend time with Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled (yes, I bought Disney Princess LEGO and built it with my niece). Plus, I had the joy of collecting Minifigures from the Simpsons, The LEGO Movie, and LEGO’s ongoing line of generic characters. I gotta put this out there. At a time when Hasbro’s nostalgic 5-poa Star Wars Saga Legends throwbacks still roll at $6 a pop, LEGO’s $4 collectible minifigure lines and $5 Mixels are some of the funnest cheap buys on the market.
That being said, I failed on building my standard figure collection in 2014, but I basically got a third of the entirety of Middle-earth in LEGO form, plus extras. Not a bad year, all in all.
Re: Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
#1 - HASBRO KRE-O TERROR DROME - Two years ago, if you'd told me the Hasbro Kre-O team would be developing a Cobra Terror Drome, I would have said it was nothing I wanted to see. The original run of Kre-O, while fun, was all based on Battleship parts, more or less, but in the past 18 months, the G.I. Joe Kre-O design team has done some impressive things, but perhaps none more impressive than their Cobra Terror Drome.
Managing to engineer something that resembles the classic version aesthetically, yet adds some great play value is no small feat, yet they also managed to incorporate the separately sold Firebat, and include some amazing mini figures as well. Serpentor alone is almost worth the price of admission.
The future is uncertain for G.I. Joe Kre-O right now, and if indeed it does not continue, I can't think of many better exclamation points than the spectacular Terror Drome.
#2 - HASBRO MINI HISS TANK - In a year where Hasbro almost seemed to consider G.I. Joe an afterthought it's amazing to me that a licensed item came from out of the blue and surprised the community at large. Originally sold on Amazon, but later offered through other book sellers, the Lights and Sound HISS Tank is a terrific miniaturized version of the familiar Cobra vehicle, with laser-bright lights, impressive sounds, and an incredible collection of filecards crammed into its "Mission Book". An excellent trinket that made for a really fun 2014 G.I. Joe collectible.
#3 - HASBRO 50TH ANNIVERSARY FLINT AND VAMP (RETAIL) - While most everyone was scrambling to get the vintage inspired ComicCon exclusive Danger at the Docks set, I found myself far more drawn to the Toys "R" Us version. With some terrific urban camouflage, a great version of the G.I. Joe Warrant Officer, and a nicely vintage inspired Cobra Night Landing, this Toys "R" Us Exclusive boxed set has a lot to love. Flint is nearly perfect, the VAMP MK II is a great update, and the weapons foot locker with the Night Landing adds so much value it's almost criminal. This was a sure highlight of the 50th Anniversary line and a good example of when Hasbro does everything right.
#4 - HASBRO 50TH ANNIVERSARY DESTRO - For everything that the fans seem to find wrong with what Hasbro did in 2014, I keep coming back to the fact that they took two very high demand figures and managed to get them out to retail shelves. Were they perfect? Not necessarily, but the fact that this version of Destro made it to Toys "R" Us shelves across the US is a very good thing. It's a huge, broad, muscular figure with some terrific new sculpting and a great accessory kit. Just standing this figure next to the 25th Anniversary version (which was one of the greatest figures in that initial release) makes you realize how far things have come. A highlight of the 50th Anniversary, for sure.
#5 - HASBRO FSS BIG BEAR - Okay, this may admittedly be my own biases coming into play here, as the original Big Bear figure holds a bit of a special meaning here, but I was elated to finally have a modern version of this character. With the great head sculpt by Boss Fight Studios, this figure effortlessly fits in with the 2012 Oktober Guard Convention set. While a very different uniform than Big bear traditionally wears, the color scheme and accessory complement leave us no doubt who this guy is. Plus, we finally got that Arctic Duke jacket we've been waiting on since 2009!
#6 - SIDESHOW 1:6 BARONESS - What can I say? This Baroness is very nearly perfect. Aside from a minor clearance issue with her ammunition clip holder, this figure is just about flawless. Sideshow once again delivers the goods. A great head sculpt, two different glasses, and a ridiculously complex uniform that still stays true to her 1984 figure. There's a lot to love here. If you were lucky enough to snag the Sideshow exclusive version, you could even get that windswept hair look.
#7 - SIDESHOW 1:6 COBRA COMMANDER - This is the Cobra Commander we were all envisioning when Sideshow first announced they had the G.I. Joe license. Helmeted or masked head, you can't go wrong. This figure is almost straight out of the old Marvel Comics, with just enough touches to please even the Sunbow cartoon fans. And with an ingenious magnetic-attaching cape, you can add a touch of regality to your figure without fiddling with confusing straps. It's enough to make us feel shame at the thought of ever liking the old Hall of Fame figures!
#8 - HASBRO 50TH ANNIVERSARY LEATHERNECK - This is one of those figures I've been drooling over ever since I saw it back in the Concept Case at the 2013 G.I. Joe convention. To think I would have it in my hands just over a year later is surreal - these were supposed to be pie-in-the-sky stuff unlikely to see the light of day! But I am so glad it got to retail. This figure, with a simple new head and vest, proves once again the versatility of the modern G.I. Joe aesthetics. We've already had most of this figure as two Roadblocks and a Repeater, and yet, this Leatherneck looks like no one else. He's a mean ol' jarhead, with his trusty M-16/M-203 combo. Get him angry enough and you might just get a taste of that Browning M2. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
#9 - HOT TOYS 1:6 GI JOE RETALIATION ROADBLOCK - The last of four figures in the Hot Toys G.I.Joe Retaliation movie line, Roadblock is arguably the best in detail and likeness. The hyper-realistic portrait of action star Dwayne Johnson is uncanny. One of the early highlights in the Retaliation film was the Battle-Kata system that Roadblock would feature on screen, which employed the use of base handles and interchangeable weapons. All of those are accurately featured here, along with an authentic M249-E2 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). From his multi-cam uniform to his tribal tattoos, everything here is about the details.
#10 - GI JOE 12-INCH CLUB CONVENTION SET "CODE-NAME: G.I.JOE" - This is the big year for G.I.Joe, the 50th anniversary! Half a century of America’s Movable Fighting Man and A Real American Hero. To celebrate, the G.I.Joe Collectors Club released this convention exclusive set featuring a vintage C-hands 12-inch G.I.Joe Green Beret with authentic Vietnam War era tiger stripe camouflage, beret and M-16 rifle. The second era of the vintage 12-inch line was the G.I.Joe Adventure Team and with this figure, we have a flocked head figure featuring the legendary Kung-Fu Grip and an outfit suitable for a G.I.Joe who has moved off the battle field and into the career of an adventurer, including hunting rifle, duffle bag and more.
Unlike years past, there is a third figure in the 12-inch convention set, a 4-inch G.I.Joe as featured in the 1980s Marvel comic book. (Joseph “G.I.Joe” Colton was the founding member of the G.I.Joe team in the comics) and features his blue business suit, hidden vest holster, pistol, revolver and shotgun.
Whether it’s Go Joe or Yo Joe to you, everything about this set celebrates 50 incredible years of our favorite adventuring patriot.
Re: Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
Always look forward to this feature each year!
For me (in no particular order):
#1-3 - NECA's Classic Planet of the Apes figs (especially the great army-builder Gorilla Soldier 2-pack!) - Fantastic figs that I have wanted for decades! Thank you NECA for making this Apes-fan's fig dreams come true!
#4 - NECA 18" Knifehead - My first 18" fig ever. It's the behemoth of my collection, towering over my mostly 6"-7" scale collection. Oh how I hope NECA will give us an 18" Scunner and Tresspasser/Axehead too!
#5 - DC Arkham Origins Killer Croc - One heck of a cool fig. Since he only cost about half of what the previous year's Arkham City Croc did, I expected that he must be rotocast or the quality would be lacking in some respect. But nope, when I got him I was amazed to find he was every bit as big, hefty and satisfying as the other Croc. Dunno how they managed to pull off this kind of quality at this price point, but this miracle definitely secures him a spot on my Top 10 list. Great fig!
#6-8 - MOTUC Scorpia, Entrapta & Goat Man - The MOTUC line continued to have many great figs this year.
Scorpia in particular was one character I had wanted a fig of for decades. And I'm quite partial to the ladies of the line, especially the baddies. Just as Octavia was on my Top 10 list in the year she came out, this year Entrapta was another very cool fig that brought some sexy Horde goodness to my shelves.
And Goat Man showed the depth & breadth of this line (another of the things that has made MOTUC great). An obscure minor character from an 80s MOTU kids' book, it is AMAZING that he could be added to the line in fig form and provide us with such an awesome addition to our collections. Thank you Mattel!! (Now give us some Skelcons too!)
#9 - NECA Diablo - Diablo is one of my fave video game franchises of all time, and in my opinion it is a license that has SCREAMED for more figs for many years now. I was so devastated a decade ago when Toycom's Diablo II line, highlighted right here on Figures.com with a fans' character choice poll for future characters to be made, got cancelled.
So getting a Diablo III Diablo fig was nice, but I really hope it will be just the first of many more figs to come from this property that has such a rich pool of untapped cool potential fig choices to choose from. Come on NECA, give us MORE! (like a Diablo I Diablo, The Butcher, Overlord or Goat Man, Diablo II Mephisto or Baal, or Diablo III Malthael)
#10 - Diamond Universal Monsters Son of Frankenstein - I am so sad about the death of this line. There is still a lot left that they could have done.
But I am grateful for what they did achieve, such as their outstanding Bride of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and the great accessories such as the Phantom of the Opera's organ, The Mummy's coffin or The Creature From the Black Lagoon's victim.
Unlike the Sideshow version a decade earlier, Diamond's Son of Frankie was a brand new sculpt, and resonated its own pathos. And continuing the high standards of the line, it even came with a movie-accurate piece of Frankenstein lab equipment.
Well done, Diamond! I am really going to miss this line! :(:(:(
Re: Figures.com TOP 10 Toys of 2014
Good read!
Nice picks, guys. Some were among my faves this year too, like the NECA Pacific Rim figures,and a lot are way beyond my price range, like all the Hot Toys, but yours is among the most fun of the year-end Top 10s, because it exposes me to all kinds of work being done that I'd otherwise miss. So thanks a bunch!
Here's mine:
THE RAVEN
The guys who made Poacher, who made Manga Spawn, who made DCUC Deathstroke, who made the Elephant Swordsman and Scarabus, the 4 Horsemen, let loose on their own project. Been following this one for years, and to finally see it out - it really does deliver. I love everything about it, plus I adore the idea that I can add on a couple bucks for a helmet, a couple more for a sword, a few more for wings, a couple more for bone wings and a skull head. Got to me from my pledge on Kickstarter on Dec29th, so just made it!!
MASTERPIECE WHEELJACK
A great character design, and a great toy, robot mode is bad to the bone and solid as a rock and the car mode is pure candy. First silhouette shown during the holidays last year, that sweet satisfaction to finally have him join the ranks is undeniable.
MMC CUBRAR
The entire production of this toy is just a tank of awesome that rolls over all objections. The level of work in the 3rd party of transformers continues to amaze and destroy, and Mastermind Creations knocked this bad boy outta the park.
BANDAI KIT DARTH VADER
I have not had as much fun putting together a posable action figure from a kit from sprues since 1998's bandai rockman toys, and here they go again, given a shot at the perennial father villain Darth Vader. Makes you want all toys produced this way.
INFINITE CARNAGE
A beautiful case that doing something simple, but doing it right, produces amazing results. There's not much to this Bucky-bod-and-head nineties fad character, but it really does hit all the right buttons as a rad toy.
ALPHA CHERNO
Ok, out of all the really great pacific rim toys being made, it was really the design of the cherno alpha, beauty that it is, and realized beautifully.
ML 3-PACK WARBIRD
Bias for sure on this one, because I'm a big fan from back in the day and it's great to have her on the new body, even if it is just a repaint of songbird, it's a totally solid figure.
GENERATIONS JETFIRE
Who's the Gundam that lives with the transformers? it's jetfire! or skyfire, or somesuch thing, whatever, despite loosing some paint apps along the way, it's still one of the best things to find on the shelves this year.
INFINITE AGENT VENOM
I admit I'm just happy when some of the 'lost' marvel legends get out, and if walgreens is gonna get in it, y'know, what? let's go to walgreens. Hell yeah. One more off the list. Great figure.
and just because.. I'll admit that the NECA Trespasser was a better toy in every way, but still...
GENERATIONS COSMOS.
he's just adorable.
