Toy Tease: NECA Toys’ Devil May Cry ULTIMATE DANTE

While my Twitter timelines were blowing up with the usual internet shenanigans, a tweet from NECA Toys immediately caught my eye. From Capcom’s hit action video games series Devil May Cry comes Dante. Take a look at the series’ protagonist below, gloriously clad in red.

From NECA’s website:

Seven years in the making, this long-awaited action figure is the definitive version of the original Dante, the one who started it all.

The half-demon demon hunter from Devil May Cry stands nearly 7″ tall, with over 35 points of articulation. Dante is extra-detailed, down to his trademark trench coat, which features a dynamic, wind-shaped sculpt. The figure is loaded with accessories, including Ebony and Ivory pistols with removable muzzle bursts, Dante’s sword Alastor, shotgun, and interchangeable hands.

Comes in deluxe window box packaging with opening flap that recreates the look of the original video game box. Limited edition — one production run only!

No denying it, Dante looks slick. For collectors and/or gamers only familiar with the recent entry in the series, DmC: Devil May Cry, Dante’s look might throw you off. This is Dante’s original look for the first four games in the series. Complete with that cool sword. As a sword lover, you can expect to see pictures of him in my display wielding it in full badass mode. Also, being such a fan of the color blue, I’m curious how he’d look with a royal blue coat of paint with the same style of paint wash.

NECA Toys is known for their high quality collectibles and this one looks to keep that trend going. NECA is no stranger to video games. Over the years, they’ve consistently (to our bank accounts’ displeasure) provided collectors with representations of some of video games’ finest characters under their Player Select banner. Some of those have been delivered in full ongoing lines, such as the amazing Gears of War series, or singular figures, e.g. Raziel from Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver.

According to their site, we can except Dante to be available in March. For more images of the legendary demon hunter and information on the toy maker, head over to NECA Toys.

What do you think of Dante? Is there a place for him in your collection? Sound off below.

SDCC 2014 Hasbro Marvel Highlights

Now that San Diego Comic Con is over, it’s time to pick out some of the best news from the convention. Though I wasn’t in attendance, I was glued to my Twitter feed catching updates as they poured in. The next best thing to actually being at a convention is connecting with friends and strangers on social media to circulate news.

As a huge action figure collector, I tried to catch all the news I could from the usual suspects. Judging by everything shown, it’s easy to see how hyped collectors likely were. But none stood out more than Hasbro’s Marvel Legends and Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”) figures. I’m still unsure of what the new name is for the 3.75” line, formerly known as Marvel Universe. It’s either Avengers Infinite Series or Marvel Infinite Series. I was thrilled to see some of the characters that will get the action figure treatment come 2015 and beyond. The Marvel Legends line will produce an Avengers series as well as a Spider-Man set. Here are my highlights from Hasbro’s Marvel display.

Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”)

Beast (‘90s)
Oh my stars and garters, mutant lovers and toy collectors, Beast from the ‘90s is finally here. This isn’t the first Beast figure Hasbro has produced for this line but it’s the first in this costume. He appears a little slimmer than you’d expect but come on, it’s Beast. Of course you want him.

Bishop (‘90s)
I must admit being surprised to see Bishop on display. He’ll definitely have a good home here though. One aspect of his design I can already see limiting rests in his legs. For those familiar, he appears to share the legs with earlier figures such as Moon Knight and Mr. Fantastic. Still, it’s great to have another X-Man and Black action figure.

Black Cat
Black Cat isn’t a character I’d have given much priority for this line. But she’s a welcome addition in a line with few women figures, one of which being Mary Jane. I expect to see a lot of dioramas featuring Black Cat and the web-slinger once she’s released.

Sandman
Though Sandman doesn’t make my top-5 in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, the character is cool enough and I like his powers. Collectors have been treated quite well in terms of Spidey villains and this figure adds to that. He’ll also have a variant which depicts him in fully covered in sand.

Spider-Man (Big Time costume)
The Big Time costume now comes in 3.75” scale to match its Marvel Legends counterpart. Though it didn’t see long-term use, it does look good. Now all we need is another Hobgoblin figure, this time matching the design of Phil Urich’s costume.

Speaking of Hobgoblin…

Marvel Legends Infinite Series

Hobgoblin
When I saw Humberto Ramos’ newly designed Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #649, I was ecstatic. After reading it, I flipped back and forth through the issue to take in the visuals. It’s a fantastic design. So you can imagine the grin on my face when I saw this figure. My initial joy waned when I discovered he’ll be a Build-A-Figure constructed by pieces paired up with several figures, some of which have yet to be revealed. I would’ve liked to see more scales across his top to match his comic look more but I’m still more than pleased.

Scarlet Witch
I’m not particularly invested in Scarlet Witch’s character but I don’t have any problems with her. Well, except for that whole “No more mutants” episode. I do acknowledge and appreciate her place within the Marvel Universe and she makes for some decent action figures.

Captain Marvel
As a proud member of the Carol Corps, I couldn’t contain my excitement upon spotting Captain Marvel on Instagram. My love for the character has grown in recent years and I’ve been a big supporter of her books. Seeing this figure (with interchangeable heads!) geeked me up more than I can describe.

Ms. Marvel & Radioactive Man
These two figures will be packed with yet another Captain America. This one is a repaint of the previous Ultimate Captain America. But he’s nowhere near as important as Ms. Marvel and Radioactive Man. I’ve wanted a good Ms. Marvel figure for some time and while we’ll have Carol in her Captain Marvel costume, her previous one is still worth picking up. Seeing Radioactive Man yields some hope that he won’t be in action figure limbo for too much longer after being revealed last year. Also, I just want more villains in my collections of both scales. Initially I thought, and still do to a degree, that it was odd for these figures to be packed together. But as an Avengers vs. Avengers baddie pack, it has extra appeal.

Hawkeye (classic costume)
Another figure we’ve seen before only to be hidden away by Hasbro is Hawkeye in his classic costume. He was originally set for release as part of Hasbro’s train wreck of a variant program in 2013. This entailed figures being swapped in for others during production as “running changes.” I’m not exactly sure how well it worked. All I know is there are plenty of characters sitting in a Hasbro prison waiting to be freed. The only Hawkeye to hit the market featured his modern costume. So let’s hope this one sees release as I’ve held a spot for him in my collection.

What did you think of the toys shown at Comic Con? Which figures stood out to you? What toys disappointed you? Were there any you expected to see that weren’t shown? Sound off below.

*All photos courtesy of ActionFigureFury.com. You can find more images on their site here, here and here.

Figma Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

Even with all the chaos of Comic Con, the fun wasn’t strictly contained to the San Diego city limits. At the same time, the bi-annual Wonder Festival was holding its second event in Japan, Wonder Festival 2014 Summer. At the event, Max Factory’s Figma Motoko Kusanagi from the Ghost In The Shell manga and anime franchise was fully revealed. This figure represents her design used in the Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime. I’ve been a fan of the anime franchise and the Major for years and it’s time she joined my toy collection. For the uninitiated, she held the rank of Major within Section 9 and was frequently referred to as “The Major.”

From Good Smile’s website:

“Just a whisper. I hear it in my ghost.”


From the anime series ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX’ comes a figma of the main character, Motoko Kusanagi!




Using the smooth yet posable joints of figma, you can act out a variety of different scenes.




She comes with three expressions including her standard face, a shouting face and a smiling face.




Her weapons of choice, the Seburo M-5 and Seburo C-26A are both included allowing for various action scenes.




A flexible plastic is used for important areas, allowing proportions to be kept without compromising posability.




An articulated figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

I own two Figma figures, both of which represent video game icons: Link from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Samus from Metroid: Other M. They’re great toys all around. The sculpts, articulation, interchangeable pieces and accessories are top-notch. They also come with stands. With all of that comes a higher price tag, which is common for import action figures. Motoko carries a price of ¥4,800 which converts to $46.79. I’ll be adding her to my collection when she’s released as scheduled in December. She might even serve as a gift to myself if she arrives before Christmas.

Figma Motoko is available for pre-order from Good Smile Company. She’s also likely to pop up in Previews Magazine if she hasn’t appeared yet. The current catalog has others listed as well as re-orders for the previously mentioned Link and Samus figures.

TOY TEASE: NECA Toys’ NES Classic Video Game Appearance Predator

NECA Toys will be adding the original Predator to their Classic Video Game Appearance series. This version of the classic Jungle Hunter Predator is based on the 1989 NES video game. The Predator will be the fourth figure to get this treatment following other iconic characters Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm St.) and RoboCop. Below is an image of what we can expect.

NECA’s Jungle Hunter Predator (1989 Video Game Appearance) is a fully articulated 8-inch tall figure with extendable wrist blades, removable backpack, and over 20 points of articulation. The Predator is painted in shades of blue with black and a hint of cel shading.

This figure comes in special window box packaging with opening flap to re-create the look and feel of the classic 1989 video game packaging.

In my last video, I mentioned how much of a fan I am of NECA Toys, especially their Predator figures. This one will certainly have a place in my collection. They also released an updated visual guide for the Predator line. Check it out below.

Come May, the hunter becomes the hunted as collectors stalk toy jungles in search of this limited run item. For updates, visit NECA Toys.

VIDEO: Massive Action Figure Haul

In this second video I show off a huge toy haul. There are action figures from across several lines. This video was the main idea behind expanding to YouTube. Sit back and enjoy the toy show.

Thanks for watching.

NYCC 2013 Post-Con Report

We’re a week removed from New York Comic Con 2013 and being my first trip to the Big Apple, I must say: ReedPOP put on a great show for everyone. I’m no convention rookie, but even I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. I was caught between trying to cover events, seeing stuff as a fan and just taking in what NYCC had to offer. As I’ve said before, comic conventions are a sensory overload of awesome. Four days full of comic book, cosplayers, toys, video games and everything else to have the fangirls and fanboys geeked out.

Speaking of the people, oh my, was there a crowd. Reports came in about the attendance rivaling that of San Diego Comic Con. Seeing it all four days, I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. Having been to both, I do prefer the layout of NYCC as opposed to SDCC. The new RFID chips in the badges seemed to have worked to cut down or cut out completely the counterfeit badge issues they’ve had in the past. Attendees had to activate their badges and “tap in” and “tap out” upon entering and exiting the convention grounds.

As for programming, it may sound cliche, but there was something for everyone. Take it from me, NYCC is a monster. I was there the entire show and only missed a few hours, but I still don’t think I saw everything there was to see. There were panels on comic books, toys, movies, television shows, anime, etc.

The biggest highlight for me was the premier of Rebuild of Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo. I’ve been waiting a few years for it and it did not disappoint. Plus I walked away with an Evangelion poster.

The comic books are the best part of a convention to me, so the guest list is a big draw. ReedPOP didn’t skimp on the talent. Among the creators in attendance were: Stan Lee, Jim Steranko, Marjorie Lee, Clayton Henry, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert, Amy Reeder, John Romita Jr., and Sara Pichelli. That’s just a small portion of the people at the show as guests or in artist alley.

Artist Alley was traffic heavy as expected. There were people arranging commissions, getting books signed by their favorite creators and just interacting with talented individuals. I hope the crowds meant everyone with a table really got to interact with fans and of course had a profitable weekend.

Most of the major publishers, including Marvel, Image and BOOM!, had a presence on the show floor. DC Comics was notably absent, which is odd considering this is Superman’s 75th anniversary. There were huge displays showing off some of the great books from each company. Also, the publishers had many books available for purchase. This did not include Marvel. In my experience Marvel and DC have never done this.

For more photos from the show, visit the following links: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Overall, it was a fun show. As big as SDCC is, the focus on comic books has been somewhat lost. For the big comic book convention experience, New York Comic Con is the show for you. I think I may add it to my schedule for next year. I expect big things in New York come 2014 considering it’s the Ghostbusters’ 30th Anniversary.

NYCC 2013 Day 4 Photos

New York Comic Con 2013 was full of awesome comic announcements and cool costumes. On Sunday, the last day of the show, I hit the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles booth to check out their display of vintage figures. All the adult TMNT fans will likely drool upon seeing these. Also I met Mr. G.I. Joe himself, Larry Hama.

Kicking off the last round of photos are my two programs from the show signed by tons of creators including: Alex Maleev, Amanda Conner, Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Charles Soule, Clay Mann, Clayton Henry, Cliff Chiang, David Marquez, David Petersen, Dustin Nguyen, Edgar Delgado, Emilio Lopez, Harold Edge, Humberto Ramos, Jamal Igle, Jim Cheung, Jim McCann, Jim Steranko, Jonathan Hickman, Jorge Molina, Keron Grant, Khary Rhandolph, Kieron Gillen, Lamin Martin, Larry Hama, Mahmud Asrar, Marc Laming, Marcio Takara, Marjorie Liu, Mark Brooks, Mark Morales, Matteo Scalera, Michael Walsh, Mico Suayan, Mike Choi, Nick Dragotta, Olivier Coipel, Rafael Albuquerque, Robert Atkins, Roc Upchurch, Sara Pichelli, Steve Howard and Trevor McCarthy.

NYCC 2013 Day 3 Photos

The third day of New York Comic Con 2013 was packed as expected. Here are the pictures from Saturday. Enjoy!

NYCC 2013 Day 2 Photos

NYCC 2013 Day 1 Photos

Even though day one of New York Comic Con 2013 was shorter, it was still full of fun sights. Take a look at some of what NYCC had to offer. Enjoy!