Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9’s regular round up of the coolest toy and merchandise around. This week, NECA gets us ready for San Diego Comic-Con with a glorious TMNT collection; there’s not one, but two wildly different cool dino toys; and Lego offers a moment of peace. Check it out!
Hasbro Transformers Studio Series Grimlock
If you’re wondering why Transformers fans were optimistic about the film franchise after Bumblebee, you don’t need to look any further than how Grimlock was realized for the big screen in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Looking like a mix between a medieval torture device and a guaranteed case of tetanus if you got too close, the robotic T.rex displayed zero resemblance to the original toy version, except for a pair of stumpy arms. If, for some reason, the big screen version of Grimlock managed to endear himself to you, you can now grab an 8.5-inch version of the Dinobot as part of Hasbro’s Buzzworthy Bumblebee collection for $55. We just recommend maybe wearing a thick pair of gloves as you work through the 30 transformation steps, as Grimlock looks really pointy.
Mondo Masters of the Universe: Skeletor Deluxe Sixth-Scale Figure
Skeletor ranks alongside Cobra Commander and Megatron as one of the most memorable baddies of early morning cartoons in the ‘80s. He-Man may have been strong and heroic, but he was an absolute bore compared to Skeletor, memorably voiced by Alan Oppenheimer. Although there’s no definitive timeline for its release, last week Mondo revealed all the details for a deluxe sixth-scale Skeletor figure with improved articulation, and an additional Dreadful Dragon figure that’s equally posable. Skeletor can either be accessorized to match his appearance in the “original MOTU minicomics,” or made closer to the appearance of the character in Mattel’s iconic toy line. You can’t pre-order the figure yet, but when the time comes, it will set you back $260.
NECA TMNT 3 Samurai 4-Pack (SDCC Exclusive)
Based on the handful of exclusives that have been revealed so far, you’ll want to bring extra deep pockets if you’re making the trek to San Diego for the next Comic-Con. Last week, NECA revealed one of its Con-exclusives for 2023 will be a four-pack of seven-inch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, based on their time traveling adventures in the third live-action film. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo each come dressed in full elaborate samurai attire, while the set includes a large arsenal of weapons, swappable heads, and interchangeable hands. All for a hefty $150.
Threezero Transformers: Rise of the Beasts DLX Bumblebee
Please feel free to argue amongst yourselves about the merits of a Transformer figure that doesn’t actually transform. We’ll instead be spending our time patiently waiting for yet another excellent Threezero DLX figure, this time based on Bumblebee’s upgraded bot mode from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Built around a die-cast metal frame, the eight-inch figure has interchangeable red or blue LED glowing eyes, as well as arm-mounted ion blasters with additional LED lighting effects. The figure also boasts a staggering 60 points of articulation, which helps explain why you’ll have to cough up $170 to pre-order it from Hasbro Pulse, with an expected February 2024 delivery.
Mattel Jurassic Park Hammond Collection Brachiosaurus
Thanks to Amazon Japan, we got our first look at Mattel’s Jurassic Park Hammond Collection Brachiosaurus last week. It appears to be an updated version of the Jurassic World Legacy Collection Brachiosaurus released back in 2019, with updates that include articulated legs giving the 27-inch tall dino much improved posability, a head that can turn from side to side, and a neck with flexible material covering an internal structure that can finally be bent and twisted. Pricing is expected to be around $85 when the figure debuts later this summer in the U.S.
Lego Icons Tranquil Garden
For Lego fans, there’s nothing quite as zen and relaxing as sitting down at the end of a hectic day, opening a new set, and turning to page one of the instruction manual. The latest addition to Lego’s Icons collection takes things one step further with a 1,363-piece build of a miniature Japanese tranquil garden, complete with an arched bridge, a pond full of koi carp, stone lanterns, a pavilion with a tea ceremony room inside, plus various trees, bushes, and lotus flowers that can be re-arranged. It will be available starting August 1 for $110.
Super Impulse Poptaters Wave 2
Was it a good idea to turn Mr. Potato Head, one of the most iconic toys of all time, into a collection of four-inch collectible figures? With Wave 1 of Super Impulse’s Poptaters, featuring KISS’ Gene Simmons, Optimus Prime, Bob Ross, and Garbage Pail Kid Adam Bomb, we would have said yes. But Wave 2 is starting to make us feel a little unsettled, despite including potato versions of The Big Lebowski’s the Dude, Chucky, and a pink-haired troll doll. Less cute are the Potato Head versions of Dwight from The Office, and Sonic the Hedgehog, who looks squeezed into an uncomfortable blue costume. Wave 2 will be available through various retailers, including Amazon, for $15-18 each.
Lego Marvel Iron Man Mark 44 Hulkbuster: Alternate Build
Last October, Lego released its largest Marvel set to date, a 4,049-piece recreation of the Iron Man Hulkbuster armor, and its design immediately divided fans, many of whom found the shoulder and ankle joints to be laughably thin and out of scale. If you head on over to Rebrickable, a website where fans can search for alternate builds for various sets, user Ransom_Fern is now selling build instructions for a fantastic, and far more accurate-looking, rebuild of the Lego Iron Man Mark 44 Hulkbuster set. A downloadable PDF is available for just $20, and the alternate Hulkbuster build exclusively uses parts from the original set, while still allowing the smaller Iron Man Lego buildable figure to ride inside.
Winning Moves Games Monopoly Scrabble
There are countless ways Monopoly can be frustrating to play, including the fact that each player’s moves across the board are completely random and at the whim of a pair of dice. Monopoly Scrabble, which mashes up two of the best-selling board games of all time, gives players a little more control when it comes to their token’s movements. The board game plays more or less like a regular game of Monopoly, but instead of rolling dice, players use wooden tiles to spell out words on a Scrabble board in the center, with the points they earn defining how far their game tokens move. The mash-up has a few other twists as well, including premium spaces on the Scrabble board that award players certain properties, as well as custom Community Chest and Chance cards. Monopoly Scrabble is expected to be available sometime this fall.
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