Toy Fair 2015 Comic Collectibles Round-Up: Zombies and Turtles and Bombshells, Oh My
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.
No matter where you looked on the show floor, you were bound to catch at least one super hero in your periphery. Such was the case at booth's like NECA's and Mezco's, where iconic DC heroes like Batman and Superman were represented in full. NECA's quarter-scale figure line continues to expand this year, with both a Batman Returns Penguin (decked out in dapper coat and top hat) and a Christopher Reeve Superman looking mighty impressive at ~18". Following the success of its Batman: Arkham Origins Batman, NECA is again returning to the video game franchise for the upcoming Arkham Knight. While only a rough prototype was shown, the insane detailing on the new armored suit was impeccable. Working in quarter-scale really gives the sculptors a chance to nail down every intricate detail. Not to be left out, the 25th Anniversary Dark Horse Comics Predator was also out and about, and looked spectacular. The window box packaging is also being tooled to give the impression collectors are opening the cover of the comic, and the Predator is jumping off the page.
Mezco's One:12 Collective is easily one of the most ambitious and impressive debuts at Toy Fair. While we've seen images of Batman and Judge Dredd in this format from the company, seeing these pieces in person only served to solidify the wow factor. The figures are hefty, and have solid posability despite being clothed. The weight was quite misleading, as often figures of this size don't have so much mass. The Batman feels as weighty and dense as you think a Dark Knight Returns Batman should. Factor in all the great accessorization, and you've got a real game changer for the company. With Judge Dredd also on the way, with (fingers crossed) a Lawmaster cycle set to join him at some point, too, and the One:12 line is off to a great start. The DKR Mutant Leader will be coming eventually, too, and he looked just as impressive as the Batman. Mezco's got a nice library of licenses that could do well in this format. Perhaps we'll learn about what else is in store at San Diego Comic Con.
Five years ago, if you would have told us that there would be building block sets based around The Walking Dead, we would never have believed you. However, today, that's exactly what McFarlane Toys is focused on delivering to the hordes of fans of the hit show, based on the long-running comic. It's tough to wrap your head around the idea until you see in the collections in person, but once you observe what's possible with the building sets (like a full prison riot with zombies), it's hard to believe no one thought to try this before. The more realistic building sets are very intricate and feature a variety of combinations, which allows fans to put together dioramas and recreations of their favorite moments from the show. Better yet, it also allows you to come up with your own scenarios.
Though the miniatures included aren't the most detailed, McFarlane does make a larger line of actual figures based on the show, so you can still find your favorite characters in a larger scale. There's just something about being able to buy hordes of zombies in bulk blind bags, then line them up at the gates to overrun the survivors. The only drawback is just how much space a full piece would take up. The individual sets don't necessarily occupy that much room, but once you start stacking, thing can escalate quickly from coffee table to dining room table to new addition.
Elsewhere, Cryptozoic debuted the first of its planned Bone statues, as well as a few other new busts and collectibles. Previously, Cryptozoic focused mostly on trading cards and board games, but in 2015, the company is stretching out a bit to provide an even wider range of collectibles based on some of your favorite properties. The upcoming Bone line will be offered in conjunction with new editions of the trade paperbacks through Scholastic, though you'll also be able to get the pieces separately as well. The pieces will be based on the cover images, and you can see Fone Bone holding his map, Smiley is planned to be in a matter-of-fact pose, and Phoney will be just as exasperated as you remember.
Additionally, Cryptozoic is going to be releasing mini-busts of the DC Bombshells, which will be based directly on the originals from DC Collectibles. There will also be a stylized line of Bombshells that's a bit more cartoony, but will be more than just busts. Ghostbusters is also getting a line of miniatures, which will be based on both films. You may have heard about the Kickstarter for the board game, but that's just one part of Cryptozoic's plans for the license. No models were on hand at Toy Fair, but the concept art did reveal some nice caricatures of the familiar faces from Hook and Ladder 8.
Good Smile was on hand with a few new pieces, including the full-color Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle statues its developing. Based on a print by James Jean, the collection of four statues bring the Turtles to life in ways we haven't seen before. The paint apps look terrific, and the detailing on the sculpts is quite impressive. You'll also get a miniature metallic version of the original print if you happen to purchase all four figures to complete the design. As cool as the Turtles were, it was the massive statue of Berserk's Guts that really captured our eyes. The statue is about two feet tall, with a base consisting of a slayed monster. Guts looks badass, and the overall design is something fans of the manga should be really happy with... if they can afford it.
While collectible dolls might not traditionally be something we'd be seeking out at Toy Fair, we couldn't help but notice the new line of DC figures coming from Madame Alexander. Typically associated more with high-end fashion dolls, seeing Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn in this style was a bit jarring at first. These wouldn't be the first high-end dolls created of the characters, as Tonner's tackled a few in the past, but they are the most recent attempt at merging the two worlds. The dolls will be offered in a few different styles, though the 16" is the most traditional-looking wave.
With so many tremendous collectibles on display, it's hard to believe this is only a fraction of what 2015 holds for these companies and the collectors. Still, that there's so much variety in what and how we can show off our adoration of these characters speaks to just how seriously these companies are taking the comic community.