Mezco

After a relatively quiet and focused decade of DC films, the publisher (and its parent company Warner Bros.), will have two different movies arriving this year that are part of a new shared cinematic universe. Marvel's success with the all-encompassing media assault has led to a number of companies trying to follow suit, but DC's plan seems to make the most sense given the similarities to its number one rival. Where once the world was perfectly content to live through Batman movies alone, we've now got a long list of films planned to fill the rest of the Man of Steel's world out. While Suicide Squad wasn't at the top of expected series to see an adaptation, along with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Steel, it will pave the way for the future of the DC cinematic universe. While the BVS film has been hogging most of the attention (which given its closer release date and star power makes sense), Suicide Squad is arguably just as important to the future of DC's silver screen plans. It's strange that to this point we haven't heard or seen much about the merchandising plans, particularly given that Suicide Squad features several leading ladies that would surely be welcome on the figure circuit. We'll probably learn more about Suicide Squad's collectible future at Toy Fair in a few weeks, but Mezco's gotten a leg up on the competition by giving us an early look at the very first Suicide Squad movie toys.

Though to this point Mezco's One:12 Collective has been limited to comic heroes, the company had teased some classic movie and television characters would join the line eventually. The wait won't be much longer for the first figure based on a real person. This spring, Mezco's One:12 Collective adds Star Trek to its roster starting with the smartest man in Starfleet. Well, at least maybe the smartest man on the USS Enterprise. Yes, that's right; Mr. Spock, the first officer of Starfleet's flagship starship, will be getting his very own 1/12 scale figure to fit in alongside the likes of Batman and Judge Dredd (and eventually Frankenstein and Space Ghost). Even though there's a new movie on the way, Mezco's figure is steeped in nostalgia, and brings us original series' incarnation of the fan-favorite character as portrayed by Leonard Nimoy. That's okay with us though. Old school Spock rules.

I'm a big fan of Mezco's One:12 Collective. It all started when I first got my hands on the prototype Dark Knight Returns Batman that kicked the line off. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the detailed, mixed-media figures, but once I held the aged Bruce, I knew this collection had incredible potential. The second release, Judge Dredd, was equally as impressive, but wasn't a must own for me. I loved the design, but felt I could forego this piece in lieu of upcoming pieces like the Flash or Superman. Then I saw the Black and White variant prototype of Judge Dredd at SDCC. I'll put it plainly; I'm a sucker for black and white variants. It all started with NECA's Mirage-inspired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles box set, and has continued through the years. There's just something more intriguing about a figure whose design has been whittled down to its most basic essence. Of course, where 2D linework can easily express a full figure, there's a true talent in being able to translate the simplified aesthetic into an appealing action figure. Even though the Judge Dredd Black and White NYCC variant doesn't quite have the same attention to line details as something like DC Collectibles' Blue Line Batman, its monochromatic scheme still catches my eye in a way the standard version doesn't.

Mezco's One:12 Collective hasn't been around very long (just one released figure, and one shipping soon), but it's already made a major impression on collectors. Featuring incredible articulation, real fabric costumes and a wealth of accessories, Mezco has seemingly brought the same kind of quality and experience you'd expect from larger, more elaborate (read: expensive) collectibles to an affordable scale that fits in with most other figure lines. As the first entry in the brand, the Dark Knight Returns Batman may have set an impossible bar for Mezco to meet again, but that doesn't mean the company isn't trying. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, Mezco revealed a partial upcoming slate of figures it has planned for 2016, including more DC heroes, and some interesting surprises. Though only in prototype form, the pieces look to continue what Mezco started, and evolve the One:12 Collective into more than just a flash in the pan.

Didn't get your hands on one of Mezco's One:12 Collective Dark Knight Returns Batman figures the first time around? Do you really love that moment from the book where Batman takes on the Mutant Leader in the mud pit and loses horribly? Good, because Mezco's upcoming summer convention exclusive is a pretty bogue box set commemorating the fracas. Mezco kicked off its One:12 Collective series this year with a standard Dark Knight Returns Batman, available in a variety of outfits from the seminal comic series. All of them quickly sold out. At Toy Fair, the company teased the Mutant Leader as one of its next figures (as well as a sick Judge Dredd we're eagerly awaiting) in the One:12 Collective, but were vague about its potential release date. Now we know why.

As one of the most celebrated Batman stories of all time, The Dark Knight Returns has influenced a generation of fans with its grim and gritty portrayal of a hero pushed to every last limit. There have been collectibles and figures throughout the years that pay tribute to Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley's seminal piece, but none have done it in quite the same way as Mezco's new One:12 Collective version.

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.

You might know Mezco from its diverse line of figures ranging from Axe Cop and the DC Universe to TV shows like Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad. While the company has mostly worked in the more standard (read: affordable) action figure market in the past, Mezco's new One:12 Collective line has a more high-end collector in mind. Last year, Mezco announced its first One:12 Collective figure, Batman from The Dark Knight Returns. Now, ahead of Toy Fair 2015, the manufacturer has provided new images of the second figure in the One:12 Collective line--none other than Mega-City One's Judge Dredd.

Listen: I'm not saying that you have to buy the entire staff of ComicsAlliance one of Mezco's new Dark Knight Returns action figures, but I am saying that it's basically the least you could do after all that we've done for you. The new 1/12 scale action figure is available for pre-order today (and expected to ship in January), and as you can tell from the photo above, it's pretty awesome. Standing 6.75" tall and boasting 30 points of articulation, four sets of interchangeable fists (including two "batarang fists," a grappling hook and rope, a grappling hook pistol, an interchangeable boot (in case the first one gets worn out from stomping crooks, I imagine), interchangeable but equally grumpy heads, and cloth costume that actually looks pretty awesome. The price: $65.

Knowing what to buy anyone during the holidays can make for a pretty dicey season of giving. But toy collectors with discerning tastes? That's usually gift card territory. But it doesn't have to end that way! We're here to help with a guide breaking down some of the most awesome action figure and toy options for the young and young at heart (mostly the latter). Whatever your articulated plastic bu