McFarlane Toys

Last year, McFarlane Toys reworked its strategy a bit. Instead of focusing on a few longrunning lines, the company switched to a primary series that encompassed all its licensed properties. Dubbed Color Tops, each wave mixes up comic, gaming, television and film characters into a larger collection. While the big guns like The Walking Dead still make up the primary focus, now things like Mass Effect, Attack on Titan, and even Spawn all fall under one banner. Add in building sets, and you have quite a bit of promising content coming from McFarlane in 2017.

We got action figures based on Brian K. Vaughan's and Fiona Staples' Saga. Those are words I never thought I would write. Not that Saga isn't amazing and worthy of a line of toys, but it's a rarity for independent books like this to be immortalized in plastic. It's a lot cheaper to craft and sell pins and t-shirts than it is action figures or even statues (which Saga has now), and the market for toys based on a property like this is often viewed as too small for the effort. Thankfully, Skybound Entertainment and McFarlane Toys are willing to take risks on properties like Saga. Otherwise we probably never would have gotten such great toys for one of the best comics currently being published.

Negan is a special kind of horrible. As one of the few true nemeses Rick encountered in his time surviving the zombie apocalypse, Negan's earned a spot among the fandom that few characters from The Walking Dead ever attain. Say what you will about the Governor, but Negan makes that guy look like nothing more than an annoying gnat. There was just something about the ruthlessness in Negan's rule that made him someone to truly be feared, not just a guy working well above his pay grade in running a town of other survivors. With such fervor for the character, it made sense that Negan would eventually make the leap to the television show. First however, he'll be getting a resin statue from McFarlane Toys.

Have you ever wanted to take Daryl Dixon home with you? Well we have some good news for you. Thanks to Entertainment Earth, the heartthrob of AMC's The Walking Dead could be yours. That's right, Norman Reedus himself might soon be staring at you from afar, protecting your home from zombies. You'll have to come up with your own protection from his smoldering gaze though. The Daryl Dixon Survivor Series Deluxe 10" figure features the crossbow-wielding member of Rick's survivors in his familiar biker vest, and is accompanied by the poncho made famous during the third season of AMC's adaptation of Robert Kirkman's and Charlie Adlard's massively successful comic. Articulation is a bit limited on the piece, but the design and sculpt on point with the actor's likeness and accuracy to his portrayal on the show.

Yes, dear friends, July has arrived, and we draw ever closer to the ultimate comic book convention in the US, and quite possibly the world, San Diego Comic-Con. While many will venture the halls in hopes of seeing the first footage from the current crop of highly-anticipated blockbuster features, or to catch a fleeting glimpse of the hottest stars appearing in iconic roles, the real challenge of SDCC is reserved for the collectors. Yes, once a year, nearly every major toy, statue, replica and plush manufacturer releases a limited edition piece that can only be found on the floor of the San Diego Convention Center. Devoted fans, aficionados and (unfortunately) re-sellers have been eagerly awaiting the chance to be one of the fortunate few who are able to obtain some of the rarest and most-coveted collectibles to release in a calendar year. Now, with just one week to go, we've gotten almost every last company to reveal its biggest secrets. Collected here for you is a comprehensive list of not just what will be available, but where it will be available, and how much it will cost you (should prices have been provided). This is every comic book toy and collectible exclusive for San Diego Comic-Con 2015.

From companies like Cryptozoic, which is venturing into busts for the first time, to longtime figuremakers like NECA and Mezco, almost every company at the show this year had some sort of comic collectible to show off. Toy Fair is wondrous place filled with all kinds of cool stuff, but this was the cream of the comic book crop.

Each weekday, ComicsAlliance brings you a carefully selected variety of links from around the web about comics and comics-related media, including movies, video games, toys, and whatever else might be worth noting. Quite frankly, these are items you may just need to know about to have a productive day. Take a look at today's hand-picked links after the jump.

Click through for all of Thursday's links.

While McFarlane Toys is usually quick to supply retailers with computer generated renders and prototype images of its The Walking Dead action figures, fans should be pleased to see that a slew of official photos for the TV series line's fifth wave have finally been released. Coming in February will be new action figure versions of Glenn, Maggie and Tyreese, plus an undead Merle Dixon and a Charred

Celebrate making it halfway through another work week with a wealth of links after the cut.