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Toy Fair 2014: Big Things Coming for Star Wars Black Series 6-Inchers

In the past, I’d referred to Hasbro’s Star Wars Black Series (the 6-inchers) as “Star Wars Legends” insofar as the brand’s first foray into the 6-inch scale has taken strong cues from the Marvel line in terms of its sculpt and articulation. But despite an assumed softness in the age-old 3.75-inch scale that I think prompted the new line, we shouldn’t forget that the brand is more like the Empire, able to take grab shelf space and subvert it to its will.

So while Marvel Legends relies on programs like Build-a-Figure to sweeten the deal for consumers and retailers, Star Wars needs no such enticements. The “big” reveal for this Toy Fair is the introduction of the Black Series Deluxe line extension, offering a vehicle for Hasbro to bring higher price point items into the retail mix. If this were Marvel, we’d have a Build-a-Jabba; the Star Wars brand allows for a shelf-grab for more of your collector dollars.

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Toy Fair 2014: Hasbro Marvel Legends Report

This year I find myself in the rather odd position of reporting on Toy Fair without actually being there. A casualty of the winter storms Pax and Quintus, I’m warm on the west coast but missing the fun of seeing the figures up close and personal. It’s the first time being on the sidelines since I started covering Toy Fair back in the heyday of Toy Biz’s Marvel Legends run in 2005.

In many ways we’re seeing Hasbro’s (second) run of Marvel Legends entering similar territory. Back then, Toy Biz was making waves with the Marvel Legends Sentinel wave. And yet, macroeconomic factors were causing big changes in the industry, and the next year turned out to be Toy Biz’s swan song, with the announcement that they had licensed the Marvel toy lines to Hasbro. Those same factors – rising costs of raw materials and labor, consolidation of retailers – are still in play today for Hasbro. Rather than shutter the Legends line again, Hasbro’s Marvel team announced a shift in branding strategy at SDCC last year, and with their Toy Fair showing, we’re seeing how that plays out in the Marvel Legends line.

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Toy Fair 2014: Batman: The Animated Series Headlines New Reveals for DC Collectibles

The big show hasn’t officially started, but the toy companies are already ahead of the game. With a reveal in USA Today and an item in the full line-up of their Toy Fair press release, DC Collectibles announced they would be turning to one of the most beloved properties in the DC animated universe for a set of new toy lines. Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures will be the design source for 6-inch figures. While these will be in an animated style, it looks like DCC will be incorporating more than the 5 points of articulation you might expect.

Limited runs of animated figures are not unprecedented (DCC produced figures for 2007’s Superman / Doomsday animated movie), but with 6 seasons of shows and numerous animated movies, the Timm-verse could provide as deep a character set as DCC’s foray into Blackest Night, for example.

The rest of the Toy Fair line-up stays closer to DC Collectibles’ wheelhouse. There’s more New 52 and Designer Series (this time Greg Capullo) on the way, as well as lines tied to popular DC comic book events, like Infinite Crisis and Son of Batman.

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Play Imaginative New 52 Super Alloy Superman by Jedd

Singaporean toy company Play Imaginative threw their hat into the sixth scale ring with the release of the Super Alloy Batman figure in 2012, designed by Jim Lee and not quite New 52. Play Imaginative has continued the Super Alloy range, inspired by Japanese die-cast metal “Chogokin” toys. Iron Man seemed a natural fit and they’ve produced multiple Iron Man “marks” across three scales. DC fans (such as myself) can rejoice in the fact that Play Imaginative is also representin’ for the House of El.

This is a guest review by Jedd Jong. In the past, Jedd has provided great coverage of the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention for AFP.

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ThreeA Toys Invincible Iron Man Pre-Order on February 12

The collaboration between 3A Toys and Marvel will see its first product, the 1/6 scale Invincible Iron Man, go up for pre-order in the evening on February 12 (at 8PM EST if they stick to the standard time) at Bambaland. Still no detail on price for either the four-pack or single figures. The Stark Industries Prototype colorway is 3AA exclusive on its own, but available to all in the four pack. And it looks like only the classic red and gold and the Silver Centurion colorways will make it to retailers down the line.

Seeing more of these pictures has me wondering how well the flexible “skin” over the arms and legs will look with the elbows and knees bent. For now, the best view is on the Stealth Iron Man – zoomed in I think you can see some folds. I suppose it’s a trade-off – it looks pretty sleek, but then again, a guy in an armored suit might be expected to have some visible joints.

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