Welcome back to Toy Aisle, our round-up of cool new toys and merchandise. This week, porgs continue their relentless march all over the world, Lego has a fancy new collectors set, and stunningly detailed Ben Afflecks abound. Hide your wallets!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Suction Cup Porg
Joining the Ewoks and Jar-Jar as the next highly-marketable slapstick star of Star Wars, it’s become apparent that The Last Jedi’s porgs are mostly in the film for comic relief and selling merchandise. Once you accept that, it will be easier to cover the windows of your car with these eight-inch tall suction cup porg plushies that include an amusing “Porg on Board” sticker you can slap on your bumper. If you can think of a better aftermarket upgrade for your ride that costs just $US15, I’d love to see it. [ThinkGeek via GeekAlerts]
Lego Downtown Diner
Lego expands its modular building series by another city block with its new 2,480-piece Downtown Diner featuring 1950s-inspired decor, including the gratuitous use of a pink and teal colour scheme. The three-story structure includes a fully-stocked diner on the main floor, a boxing gym on the second floor, and a recording studio on the top level. Available starting on January 1, 2018, for $US170, the set comes with six minifigures and a pink convertible, and might be the most quaint set Lego’s designers have ever assembled. [Lego]
Star Wars Cutesy Roll Plush
Everybody loves those faux-chocolate miniature candy logs called Tootsie Rolls, right? And everyone loves Star Wars, so it only makes sense to combine the two into a collection of oblong plush toys featuring your favourite non-human and non-droid Lucasfilm characters. We’re not entirely sure how the conversation went in the ThinkGeek boardroom when these were being pitched, but that was a long time ago – at least a few months – because these are now available for $US30 each in Chewie, Yoda, or Porg flavours. [ThinkGeek]
Hot Toys Justice League Batman
Hot Toys’ zillionth Ben Affleck Batman is here to join his Justice League compatriots, but at least this one is a little different. It comes with a full Ben Affleck head as well as the more typical cowled, scowled Batman head. To further differentiate it so you feel somewhat accepting of spending upwards of $US200 – 300 on another Batfleck, this “deluxe” edition of the Dark Knight includes all the sort of things you’d expect from a Hot Toys figure – accessories, alternate hands, the whole shebang – plus it comes with a fancy base and a Parademon gun for Bruce to pose with, like the one he purloins in Justice League‘s climax. [Hot Toys]
Figuarts The Last Jedi Luke Skywalker
Figuarts’ line of Last Jedi figures continues with a Luke Skywalker we’ve not really seen too much of in the merchandise — the new costume Luke dons after swapping out his white robes from The Force Awakens. Full of earthy tones and Jedi mystery, this “Jedi Exile” Luke, which will cost you the equivalent of roughly $US58, comes with a hood for Luke to wear and two intriguing accessories: a necklace with a red crystal embedded in it, and an old compass that actually played a part in Luke’s section of the Star Wars: Battlefront II campaign. It’s all connected these days, even the toys and games. [Toyark]
Ash vs. Evil Dead Ashy Slashy Puppet
If you love Bruce Campbell, you’ll love him even more in puppet form. Based on the season two episode of Ash vs. Evil Dead where Ash meets his puppet-based evil doppelgänger, this adorable plush features articulation in lil’ Ash’s hands to pose him, while you use your own to open and close his mouth. Ability to sound like a foul-mouthed Bruce Campbell not included, unless you happen to do a good impression. [Toyark]