Welcome back to Toy Aisle, Gizmodo’s regular round up of the latest and greatest in all things merch. This week, Lego dusts off its spring line up with Star Wars, Marvel, cool cars, and… Elvis Presley? Meanwhile, Hasbro gets retro with the Ghostbusters, and The Boys heads to the Figma lineup. Check it out!
Lego The Mandalorian, Dark Trooper, and Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmets
Lego’s line of Star Wars helmet display pieces continues with a trio of… well, we guess they’re now all The Mandalorian adjacent, aren’t they? The obvious Mando-affiliated ones being, of course, Din Djarin’s own helmet and the sinister head of a Dark Trooper, but they’ll also be joined by current live-action Star Wars guest star du jour, Luke Skywalker, in the form of his classic Red 5 X-Wing pilot helmet. Luke, Mando, and the Dark Trooper are all available to pre-order now for a March 1 release, costing $US60 ($83) apiece.
Good Smile Figma The Boys Homelander
The Boys’ gory dash into the world of merchandising as the Amazon series heads into its third season continues with a sideward step into the world of import action figures. Coming from Good Smile’s Figma line is a new 6″ scaled take on Homelander. He comes with an articulated cape, multiple eye-beam effects parts and hands for posing, and three alternate faces, including one suitably bloodied look. Homelander will cost around $US110 ($153) when he releases in Japan in April 2023. [Toyark]
Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian Dark Trooper Attack
Thanks to shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett we now know the rest of the Star Wars universe is just as interesting (maybe even moreso) without the Jedi running around with their laser swords. Now we just need to convince Disney of that, since the studio decided a digitally resurrected Luke Skywalker was important to round out season two of The Mandalorian. Despite us having to stare at dead CG eyes, Luke’s entrance was very entertaining as this new 166-piece Dark Trooper Attack Lego set clearly illustrates. It pits Luke against three of the troopers and includes a rotating elevator and a sliding mechanism in the floor to help recreate a Force-powered push. But like most of the Lego sets revealed this past week, you’ll have to wait until March 1 to grab one, as pre-orders aren’t being taken.
Hasbro x Mego Ghostbusters Four-Pack
Hasbro has announced a new team up with retro doll maker Mego to bring classic figures of the original Ghostbusters crew to life. Available as a four pack, the set includes Egon, Peter, Ray, and Winston rendered in the classic Mego style, complete with cloth clothing. Each member of the crew gets a proton pack, neutrona wand, and ghost trap, while Egon gets a PKE metre and Ray comes with his own ecto-goggles. The set is scheduled to release in November 2022, for $US70 ($97).
Lego Marvel Thor’s Hammer
We’ve long felt that Lego should be making more prop replica sets, and its new $US100 ($139) Thor’s Hammer helps explain why. The 18-inch model of Mjölnir (we’re not sure why the set’s not called that officially) features a mostly stud-free smooth exterior, and in addition to coming with a display base and a Thor minifigure, the side of the replica opens to reveal three smaller models: the Tesseract, Odin’s Fire, and the Infinity Gauntlet. It’s currently available for pre-order now on Lego’s site, but won’t ship until March 1.
Premium DNA Madballs vs. Garbage Pail Kids Figures
Simply being gross was a surefire way to sell toys to kids in the ‘80s, with lines like Madballs and Garbage Pail Kids leaving parents dismayed at how their offspring chose to spend their allowances. Over 30 years later, the unstoppable force called nostalgia is going to make these Madballs vs. GPK figures an even easier sell. Available in two-packs, the figures feature swappable body parts and include characters like Oculus Orbus, Screamin’ Meemie, and Sy Clops. They unfortunately won’t be available until early 2023 according to the BigBadToyStore, which is currently taking pre-orders, and double-unfortunately each two-pack will set you back $US90 ($125).
Lego Art Elvis Presley “The King”
In 1992, the United States Postal Service planned to release a stamp commemorating rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, but asked the people of America to vote on whether the stamp should feature a likeness of older Elvis or younger Elvis. The latter won out, but with Lego’s new 3,445-piece art set, you actually get to choose one of three versions of the King to build: at the start of his career, in his prime, or Elvis from his later years. The $US120 ($167) set isn’t available for pre-order, so you’ll have to set a calendar reminder for March 1 if you want to grab a copy from Lego’s site or stores.
Disney Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett Electronic Jet Pack Toy
In 1978, Kenner famously scrapped a Boba Fett Star Wars figure featuring a tiny spring-loaded missile that fired because the toymaker was worried it could be a choking hazard. Forty-four years later, kids can roleplay as that Boba Fett figure with this wearable electronic jet pack. It doesn’t actually make kids fly — toys still have safety standards — but it’s got lights and sound effects to simulate that experience, plus a missile that can be launched by yanking on a D-ring on the shoulder strap. It’s available from the Disney Store now for $US50 ($69).
Lego Speed Champions Lamborghini Countach
The literal poster child for ‘80s super cars, the Lamborghini Countach — which adorned bedroom walls the world over — gets a lovely Lego treatment as part of its relatively affordable Speed Champion line. The switch to an eight-stud wide chassis definitely benefits this model, which does a good job at recreating the Countach’s angular styling, and just about the only drawback we can see is having to wait until March 1 to grab this $US20 ($28) set.
Playmobil Mini Cooper
Although an iconic part of British traffic for years, the Mini Cooper became cool internationally after the 1969 Michael Caine heist flick, The Italian Job. Despite becoming a staple of hipsters after BMW revived the iconic design, the original Mini Cooper has retained most of its cool factor, and for $US80 ($111) you can park one on a shelf with Playmobil’s own recreation. Available now, the playset includes the car itself with chrome accents and enough room inside to fit four Playmobil figures, with a dalmation on someone’s lap. The trunk opens, and in true British fashion, you’ll find the steering wheel on the right side of the toy.
Lego App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle
The Transformers might be a Hasbro and Takara Tomy specialty, but Lego is trying its hand at the “one thing turning into another thing” genre with its latest app-controlled RC car. Simply called the Transformation Vehicle so there’s no doubt what the gimmick is, the 772-piece model races along on a set of tank treads allowing it to easily climb and clamber over objects — but when it gets flipped, it transforms from a race style vehicle to an exploration truck automatically. An app running on a mobile device serves as a controller, and every time the vehicle flips and transforms so does the interface on the app to match the vehicle style. It will be available starting on March 1 for $US140 ($194), but pre-orders aren’t being accepted.