Welcome back to Toy Aisle, our roundup of the merchandise most likely to burn a hole in our wallets this week. Today we have some retro Batman action figures, a cool way to build your own LEGO Transformers, and an alarmingly adorable Xenomorph plushie.
Funko Batman ’66 Action Figures
Modern day “retro” figures always seem like a tough deal — paying roughly the price of a modern figure for something specifically designed to look and be worse than a modern figure is a bizarre prospect, even if you love the retro aesthetic of classic action figures. Funko’s “ReAction” line of toys tried to do just that (and failed more often than not), but their own articulated 10cm figures that have come to take its place do a much more impressive job of balancing the retro vibes of old-school figures with at least some decent, albeit basic, articulation and sculpting. The latest series based on the classic Batman TV show works perfectly for the look, balancing retro kitsch with some action figure fun. Batman, Catwoman, Mr Freeze, Batgirl, Batgirl, King Tut and Bookworm form the first wave that hits shelves next month, alongside a Batmobile playset that includes the dynamic duo. [Funko]
ThreeZero Sixth-Scale X-Files Agent Mulder Figure
Mulder? Is that you? ThreeZero is teasing its first sixth-scale X-Files figure based on everyone’s favourite alien hunter/FBI agent: Fox Mulder. The likeness is close enough to David Duchovny that you’d probably recognise and stop him on the street to say hi, but you wouldn’t be so certain in a dark restaurant. There’s no pricing or availability info just yet, or any indication that he’ll come with a grey-skinned alien accessory, but we’re hoping an Agent Scully figure isn’t far behind. [ThreeZero via Toyark]
Plush Alien Xenomorph
H.R. Giger is responsible for creating one of Hollywood’s most terrifying extra-terrestrials, and Etsy’s Abalaba is responsible for turning that Alien Xenomorph into a creature more adorable than a puppy. These hand-made plush creations are about the size of a Golden Retriever, and made with wire-supported fleece so they can be posed and actually stand on their own four legs. At $490 these aren’t cheap as far as plush toys go, but they’d probably be better than a teddy bear for scaring away all the things that go bump in the night. [Etsy via Laughing Squid]
Transformers: Cool Projects for your LEGO Bricks
If you grew up in the ’80s, two of your biggest passions were undoubtedly LEGO and Transformers. Master builder Alex Jones (no, not that Alex Jones) has managed to combine both of those popular toys with a series of LEGO Transformers models that can actually transform. But instead of just staring at his collection with envy, you can now actually build these creations yourself with an upcoming $19 book, Transformers: Cool Projects for your EGO Bricks, that includes building instructions for many of these models. [Book Depository via The LEGO Car Blog]
Shin Godzilla NERV G Weapon
Shin(kawa) Mecha Godzilla ‘NERV’ designed by Yoji Shinkawa will be out in July from Sentinel. pic.twitter.com/vylvxNsUEI
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) May 9, 2017
OK, so this isn’t a “new” toy — it was previously revealed as part of a Godzilla x Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover line of toys, but this amazing Mechagodzilla designed by legendary video game artist Yoji Shinkawa — best known for his illustrative work on Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders — is on its way soon, and huge toy geek and long time collaborator Hideo Kojima recently got an early look at the final figure. It’s Godzilla-esque alright, but it’s more like a cross between Shinkawa’s work on Zone of the Enders and Evangelion than it is a Godzilla/Evangelion mashup, really. Either way, it’s amazing, and you can get your hands on it in Japan when it releases in July.
