Hasbro's 6 Inch Avengers Movie Figures

We saw these at New York Comic Con and tried to get an update every month since then, but as that often works out in the toy biz, we didn't hear back or even see pre-orders...til now when the suckers just started showing up in stores! Our excellent customizer buddy Hunter Knight Customs got the drop on a Florida Walmart when a fresh case arrived...which is most likely the only way any of us are going to see a full set of these suckers as Hulk is 1 per case...as is Loki, Hawkeye and Thor. Only Iron Man and Captain America are two per case, so unless Walmart does something crazy like operate as if they want our money and stock these WALMART EXCLUSIVE figures in force, those of us in scalper rich environments will either have to hunt harder or just pretend they don't exist! Sadder still, there is no Black Widow for the set and Hasbro has announced no plans to make one.

HKC says these went for 15.96 a pop, causing him to spring for all but Iron Man, as he was a simple repaint. It took him a trip to 5 different stores to nab this set. He also remarked on favoring the recently purchased Marvel Select Avengers Movie Hulk over the smaller, less detailed Hasbro one and says it is the one moment where "art overpowers points of articulation" for him. I have very similar taste and often try to buy figures within my established scale (6 inch Marvel Legends sized), but when it comes to Hulk, bigger is always better, so Marvel Select wins immediately. Marvel Select is in a 7 inch scale, so only Hulk and the upcoming Chitauri Warrior (aka Loki's Army) should look right with these Hasbro figures.





































Notes on the line:

• This is the only way to get a 6 inch helmetless Loki figure.
• Thor was shown at NYCC with no sleeves. This one seems to be a completely different figure.
• Iron Man in this line is NOT a Mark 7 like in the movie.
• Nick Fury in the images was from the last wave of 6 inch exclusives which included movie versions of Thor, Captain America and a comic version Loki.

HKC also has an excellent Agent Coulson Marvel Universe scaled (which makes him perfect for your 4 inch Avengers) custom figure up for sale on Ebay!

Click here for our images from NY Comic Con! Note that 6 and 4 inch figures are mixed in this collection.
Click here for a look at Hot Toys 12 inch Avengers Movie action figures!

Doctor Who Mini-Sode "Good as Gold"

...As written by the children of Ashdene School

Amazing Spider-Man Minimates Confirm Lizard Troopers

MEGABloks let art slips ages ago revealing a set with a SWAT Lizard, begging the question...WTF??!! Now Diamond Select get the go ahead to show off their packaged minimates for The Amazing Spider-Man which show off the dude/lizard/thing in question.

The Amazing Spider-Man movie is still a month off, but Spidey fans will be able to get their hands on great Spidey merchandise as early as next week! That's when Marvel Minimates Series 46 hits comic shops and online retailers, with the movie versions of Spider-Man, Peter Parker and the Lizard, plus exclusive figures of Aunt May, Uncle Ben and some Spidey-hunting SWAT Troops! If that's not enough for you, Spidey and the Lizard will also be showing up soon at Toys "R" Us stores and toysrus.com, along with TRU-exclusive figures of Gwen Stacy, Captain Stacy, Curt Connors and Vigilante Spider-Man! Collect them all, and check out the packaging for both assortments below!
























Now from the wording here, we know the SWAT Troops after Spider-Man come across The Lizard and are transformed into lizard creatures themselves. Note: PLURAL CREATURES!! Getting more excited for The Amazing Spider-Man? I know I am.

Check out the Amazing Spider-Man super preview!

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Unleash the Dinobots

When you were a kid, the idea of cool cars and trucks turning into robots was incredible. A boom box? Slightly cooler. Insects? Freaking awesome. DINOSAURS??!! Mind blown. The creators behind Transformers: Fall of Cybertron take all that gamers loved about the more successful Tformers games of the past and injects a whole lot of Dinobot rampage for that little kid inside of all of us.

The successor to the highest-rated Transformers game of all time and in development by the acclaimed team at High Moon Studios, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron allows players to experience the darkest hours of the war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS as they vie for control of their dying home world. Fans will fight through both sides of the Transformers' most epic battles that culminate in their legendary exodus from Cybertron. With the stakes higher and scale bigger than ever, fans will embark on an action-packed journey through massive, war-torn environments designed around each character's unique abilities and alternate forms, including GRIMLOCK's nearly indestructible T-Rex form and the legendary COMBATICONS combining into the colossal BRUTICUS. Taking the franchise's competitive multiplayer to all-new heights, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron lets fans go head-to-head in blistering AUTOBOT vs. DECEPTICON matches after creating their own unique characters with the most in-depth, advanced customization ever before seen in a Transformers game.




CLICK HERE to pre-order Transformers: Fall of Cybertron!
CLICK HERE for trailers!
CLICK HERE for more images of the Dinobots in action!

G.I.Joe Retaliation Bumped to 2013

Here's the official statement from Hasbro:

Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ:HAS), and Paramount Pictures, announced today that G.I. JOE: RETALIATION will now be released in 3D. The film, originally slated for release in June 2012, is scheduled to be released March 29, 2013.

"It is increasingly evident that 3D resonates with movie-goers globally and together with Paramount, we made the decision to bring fans an even more immersive entertainment experience," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's President and CEO.

"In 2012, we continue to have several strong motion picture and television entertainment backed properties that are selling well at retail and our entertainment strategy remains strong and on-track," Goldner said. "Through our own Hasbro Studios for television and in partnership with several movie studios including Paramount, Universal, Sony and Relativity, we are creating entertainment experiences around many of our highly popular iconic brands. For the full year 2012, we continue to believe, absent the impact of foreign exchange, we will again grow revenues and earnings per share."

The funny thing is, the legal under this statement is longer than the statement itself! I'd post it but I'm afraid you'd burst a blood vessel whilst reading. No doubt, Hasbro is expecting some backlash from retailers already selling movie product and taking pre-orders on plenty of further product, all hinged on the release of a film that is now a year away. People have begun to speculate that the stall "due to a post 3D conversion" excuse really means "with a market already dominated by The Avengers and monsters like Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises and Amazing Spider-Man on the way...we chicken out" or to a greater degree "we are expecting unkind numbers back from Battleship's run, so we need to distance ourselves before we damage the Hasbro brand further on an un-sure thing." Either are probably true..or both. The facts remain..we'll have to wait til 2013 for the further adventures of Snake Eyes and company.

A Musical Interlude with Resident Evil's Milla Jovovich

You thought this was gonna be jokey, didn't ya?! Milla rocks.

YOU Choose Marvel Minimates Series 50!

The year 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of Diamond Select Toys' Marvel Minimates line, and will coincidentally see the 50th consecutive series of figures released at comic shops and specialty stores. To celebrate, DST wants to do something to recognize the fans who have supported the line over the years. And since there are so many fan-favorite characters who have yet to be made in the line, they're going to give those fans the power to decide the line-up for Series 50! This series will only be available at comic shops and specialty stores, and will be entirely composed of fan-voted characters!

Over the next four weeks, Marvel.com will present a series of four polls, each representing one group of characters. Poll #1 will be the Main Assault Team, showcasing the Marvel Universe's star players sporting distinctly different looks. Poll #2 will be the Support Team, giving some love to the unsung heroes who have backed up the all-stars over the years. Poll #3 will be the Primary Targets, villain characters who we've never gotten as Minimates or who desperately need a re-do. And Poll #4 will be the Cannon Fodder, army-builder characters who you may want to buy more than one of. The top 1 or 2 vote-getters in each category will be produced for Series 50, and once the line-up is assembled, Diamond Select will create a rare variant figure of one of those characters to round out the assortment!

The first poll, to choose the Main Assault Team, is live right now at Marvel.com, and a new poll will post at that same link every week after that! Keep checking back to cast your vote!

The poll is here:
http://marvel.com/news/story/18697/marvel_minimates_10th_anniversary_fan_polls

POLL #1: MAIN ASSAULT TEAM (Top two will be chosen)

Savage Grey Hulk (bulked up)

Mutated Thing (Extra-Rocky)

Iron Man 2020
Werewolf Captain America
Cyborg Spider-Man

Team X Wolverine

Ghost Rider (Blue, Danny Ketch)

Hydro Armor Iron Man

I of course will be voting for Werewolf Cap and Cyborg Spidey..because the only thing better than Marvel Superheroes is when they are monsters.

The Hunger Games on Blu-ray & DVD this August

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games juggernaut will arrive on home entertainment at 12:01 A.M. on Saturday, August 18, as the first film in Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF) The Hunger Games franchise, which has already grossed nearly $400 million at the North American box office and is approaching $650 million at the worldwide box office, debuts on 2-disc DVD (plus digital copy), 2-disc Blu-Ray (plus digital copy), VOD and digital download with three hours of previously unavailable bonus materials in the biggest home entertainment launch in Lionsgate’s history, the Company announced today.

The film, based on the New York Times best-selling novel from writer Suzanne Collins, achieved a remarkable four-week run as the #1 film at the North American theatrical box office where it has already grossed $392 million, ranking as the 14th highest-grossing film of all time, and it is approaching $650 million at the worldwide box office with an early June opening slated in China.

The 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD arrive loaded with over three hours of extensive bonus materials including the comprehensive eight-part documentary, “The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games.” Other special features include a sit-down conversation with director Gary Ross as well as numerous featurettes that examine the global success of the books, the creation of the control room in the film and the filmmakers’ motivation behind creating new scenes that were not in the book plus much more. The Blu-ray Disc set contains an additional exclusive feature, “Preparing for the Games: A Director’s Process,” which looks at the progression of taking three key scenes from the book to the screen. The Hunger Games Blu-ray Disc and DVD is a must-have film that is hailed as “exciting and thought-provoking in a way few adventure dramas ever are” (New York Daily News). Fans will be able to pre-order the Blu-ray Disc and DVD, starting on Friday, May 25th, for $39.99 and $30.98, respectively.

“The motion picture event of the year is poised to become the home entertainment event of the year and, with a midnight launch and midnight retail events scheduled at stores around the country, we expect to replicate the same level of consumer excitement generated by the film’s theatrical debut,” said Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate Executive Vice President & General Manager, Home Entertainment. “This is far and away the biggest home entertainment launch in Lionsgate’s history and, true to a theatrical marketing campaign that incorporated an unprecedented reliance on digital and traditional media alike, our home entertainment launch will involve a similarly innovative and integrated digital and packaged media rollout that we will unveil in the weeks ahead.”



Directed by Academy Award® nominee Gary Ross (Seabiscuit), The Hunger Games, starring Academy Award® nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), features an ensemble cast that includes Golden Globe® winner Donald Sutherland (Citizen X), Academy Award® nominee Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson (The People vs. Larry Flynt), Lenny Kravitz (Precious) and Emmy® nominee Elizabeth Banks (TV’s “30 Rock”). The film also stars some of the industry’s brightest up and coming actors such as Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) and Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2).

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy of books published by Scholastic that has already become a literary phenomenon with over 36.5 million copies in circulation. Set in the future, one male and one female from each of the twelve districts of the nation is forced to participate in the annual competition called The Hunger Games, which is broadcast live throughout the country for the entertainment of the Capitol’s wealthy residents. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) volunteers in her younger sister’s place to enter the games, and is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy when she’s pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

BLU-RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*

* "The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games" - an eight-part documentary covering the "making of" the film in all aspects from the pre-production process all the way through the theatrical release and fan reactions
* "Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenom" featurette
* "Letters from the Rose Garden" featurette - insights from Donald Sutherland on the development of his role as President Snow
* "Controlling the Games" featurette - stories and concepts behind creating the control center
* "A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell"
* Propaganda Film (in its entirety)
* Marketing Archive
* "Preparing for The Games: A Director's Process" (Blu-ray Exclusive)
* Subject to change

CLICK HERE to check out the latest Hunger Games action figures by NECA!
...And HERE for the full merch rundown from Toy Fair 2012!

And get your pre-order in for the Blu-ray HERE!

New Adventure Time Zombie Candy Pack Found

While hitting a Men in Black 3 screening in NY, I made my usual visit to the TRex in Times Square and had plenty of time to browse the rest of the plastic kingdom. Not expecting much, I gave the Adventure Time cube (note that TRU now understands the popularity of the show enough to give it half a well placed cube) and came across more new product! Behold..the Adventure Time Undead People 4 figure pack starring Zombie Ice Cream, Zombie Finn, Zombie Heart & Zombie Cupcake (the original pack we saw at Toy Fair had a Zombie Candycorn in place of the candy heart). The good news? The paints are a BIT crisper and the sculpts are a wee bit sharper. The bad news? These are still unposable PVC's. Again, Jazwares, I'll stress that I'm a massive fan of the cartoon and have yet to buy a single figure. Please make something that will get me excited!!












On the flip side of the packaging was a teaser for the Fionna and Cake pack with Cake, Fionna, Prince Gumball and Marshall Lee and a Candy People pack with Finn, Princess Bubblegum, Cinnamon Bun and Peppermint Butler. I'm assuming these are out there right now, though my location only had the zombie candy peeps. I will note that Toys R Us.com only has the Undead People pack up for order, so maybe they are being released 1 at a time? We shall see. Happy Hunting!

CLICK HERE for our last look at new Adventure Time 2 packs!

CLICK HERE to order Adventure Time 2-Inch Deluxe Undead People Action Figures from Entertainment Earth! They've also got listings for the Marceline, Lumpy Space Princess, Finn in a Jake Suit & Beemo 5 inch figures, Finn in PJ's, Cake, Ice King, Fionna and Jake plush and MORE!

Marvel Heroes MMO First Look

The Cosmic Cube is a device of untold power capable of changing the very fabric of reality at the whim of its possessor. The brilliant but malevolent Dr. Doom has the Cube, and with it he aims to reshape the world in his own image. Determined to succeed where the Cube's previous wielders have failed, Doom has lined up villainous allies to prevent the super-heroes from interfering. Can you unravel Doctor Doom's sinister plan and stop him before it's too late?

Marvel Heroes is a free-to-play MMO Action RPG created by David Brevik, the visionary behind Diablo and a team of industry veterans assembled specifically for this project.

Marvel Heroes combines core gameplay elements of Diablo with the expansive library of characters from the Marvel Universe.

• Engage in Action-RPG-style gameplay, but in an MMO world.
• Team up online with your friends, or play solo.
• Randomly generated environments are different every time you play.
  

Collect and play as your favorite Marvel Super Heroes including Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, Wolverine, Hulk, and many others.

• Choose from a list of fan favorites from the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and every corner of the Marvel Universe.
• Build your character using a library of spectacular powers appropriate to your hero.
• Customize your character with a library of costumes from Marvel’s rich history.
• Discover an endless variety of gear to increase your hero's power.
  

Explore the Marvel Universe in a story crafted by comic book super-scribe Brian Michael Bendis.

• Visit famous locations from the Marvel Universe, from Avengers Tower to Mutant Town to the Savage Land.
• Smash through hordes of iconic Marvel enemies, such as the dreaded Purifiers and the legions of HYDRA.
• Face off against dozens of super-villains (soon to be revealed).
  

And it's all FREE-TO-PLAY with Marvel Heroes!

New Batman: Dark Knight Rises Character Art

Right out of the gate, Dark Knight Rises is winning the "Superheroes on Screen" battle in the categories of superior sculptures and now, killer teaser posters. Sure, there's no way in holy hell they can hope to top the Avengers box office, but I'm sure they'll take their wins where they can get em'! Yahoo Movies got the scoop on these individual character posters featuring Bane, Catwoman and Batman with some little bits of info dropped along side them like..

Christopher Nolan revealed that the mask that Bane wears is meant to deliver a pain-relieving anesthetic. He explained, "Bane is ravaged by pain from a trauma suffered long ago."













So what happens after "The Legend Ends"? Another reboot? It wouldn't be difficult to just pick up where this film leaves off with a new creative team, hoping beyond hope everyone at Warner Brothers has learned from past success that you should NEVER EVER PUT NIPPLES ON THE BAT SUIT AGAIN. Safe bet, no? I'd also like to beg that the next team consider a Batman with a voice modulator...not a growly voice. Lord, how I despise the growly voice.

Get Classy All Over Again with Anchorman 2

Ron Motherfucking Burgundy is back with those bastards of KVWN...ready to throw down with rival news teams, tridents at the ready. No babies shall stand in the way of the truth. These boys are fully willing to wrestle bears to get to the meat of the matter. Well..maybe only Ron is..but if you set up multiple shots of bourbon, I'm sure the rest of the crew will jump into the fray. Anchorman: The Legend Continues comes to theaters in 2013, so for now, you'll have to settle for this teaser trailer. Will it tease you into a sexual frenzy? Let's just say, just like Sex Panther Cologne... 60% of the time, it works every time. Ready your trembling eyeballs...

Gay Marriage in the Marvel Universe

AKA "What you didn't see on The View today"
AKA "98% of the comic book people I know don't really care"

(BTW..if that's Storm over there..WTF?!)

Why? Because once you've opened your mind to the possibility of planet eating aliens, radioactive super-power enabling spiders, a mutant gene, unstable molecules and the enigma of Deadpool's popularity...Gay Marriage isn't all that mind blowing! Never the less, Marvel will make this a headline, so for those of you who don't watch the View..which is all of you..here's the skinny...

The X-Men, one of the world’s most popular super hero teams, have always been at the forefront of the biggest stories in comic history; and today is no different as Marvel is proud to announce the wedding that has everyone talking! Today, fans worldwide learned on ABC’s The View, that Jean-Paul Beaubier, AKA Northstar and a popular member of the X-Men, proposes to his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu in Astonishing X-Men #50, on-sale tomorrow in comic stores, on the Marvel Comics app and at the Marvel Digital Comics Shop. The creative team of New York Times best-sellers Marjorie Liu (X-23¸ the urban fantasy Hunter Kiss series and the Dirk & Steele paranormal romances) and Mike Perkins (Stephen King’s The Stand) have put Northstar and Kyle’s relationship to the test—and now they’re about to take their biggest step yet. But will their path to wedded matrimony in New York City be smooth or are there hidden dangers around the corner?

“The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in that reality,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Editor in Chief. “We’ve been working on this story for over a year to ensure Northstar and Kyle's wedding reflects Marvel's "world outside your window" tradition."

Then, on June 20th, don’t miss the wedding of Northstar and Kyle in the pages of Astonishing X-Men #51! This unforgettable issue features covers by Dustin Weaver and Marko Djurdjevic, along with a special “Create Your Own Wedding” blank variant cover! Select comic book retailers nationwide will host wedding parties at their stores to celebrate this joyous occasion, with special items exclusively available at participating stores! (oh man...so many jokes in my head I can't even stand up straight..~thud~)

“The story of Northstar and Kyle is universal, and at the core of everything I write: a powerful love between two people who have to fight for it against all odds,” said Liu. “This is the quintessential Marvel story, one that blends the modern world with the fantasy of super heroes in order to tell an exciting story that begins with a wedding—and continues in ways you can’t imagine.”

Northstar was first introduced to comic fans in the pages of 1979’s Uncanny X-Men #120, a member of the super hero team Alpha Flight and antagonist to the popular super heroes. A gold medal winning Olympian and successful businessman, the French-Canadian super hero quickly became one of the most popular members of Alpha Flight when its ongoing series launched in 1983. In 1992’s historic Alpha Flight #106, Northstar became the first openly gay super hero when he announced his sexual identity through national media. Since then, Northstar has not only joined the X-Men but become one of their most popular new members. Northstar and Kyle have been a couple since 2009, garnering a large fan following since their first appearance together.

“As a long-time fan of the X-Men, it’s not only a true honor to be part of such a historically significant story but also a complete joy,” explained Perkins.

Don’t miss the proposal everyone’s talking in Astonishing X-Men #50, available tomorrow in comic stores, on the Marvel Comics app and at the Marvel Digital Comics Shop. And then save the date for June 20, as Northstar and Kyle tie the knot in Astonishing X-Men #51

ASTONISHING X-MEN #50 (MAR120623) Written by MARJORIE LIU, Art by MIKE PERKINS, Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER, Variant Cover by JOHN CASSADAY, Sketch Variant Cover by JOHN CASSADAY (that's THREEE covers, folks) Rated T+ …$3.99 ON SALE 5/23/12

ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 (APR120665) Written by MARJORIE LIU, Art by MIKE PERKINS, Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER, Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC, Create Your Own Wedding Variant also available. Rated T+ …$3.99 FOC—5/28/12, On-Sale—6/20/12

I was going to tack on a series of pictures of male superheroes making out at the bottom of this, as I know whenever I set foot in an Anime convention, there's some creepy mofo selling art of this, but after typing Yaoi into google (don't ever, ever, ever do this..sooo many penises), I'm calling it quits. As a consolation prize, here's classic Superman tonguing classic Batman and my favorite Marvel Comics gays, Rictor and Shatterstar. Enjoy!

Men In Black: Alien Crisis in Stores Today

Grab your black sunglasses and suit up for extraterrestrial warfare because Men In Black: Alien Crisis™, from Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard Inc., (Nasdaq: ATVI), hits retail shelves today. Gamers can finally fulfill their dreams of becoming the ultimate MIB agent and saving the world from a hostile alien takeover, just like renowned agents J and K in Men In Black™ 3, in theaters this Friday, May 25, 2012. The Men in Black: Alien Crisis video game is available nationwide for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and the Wii™ system from Nintendo, and is rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB.

In Men In Black: Alien Crisis, gamers take on the role of MIB agent Peter Delacoeur, rising to fight against an alien ploy to take over Earth. In this third-person arcade shooter, the good guys in black will blast through intense alien shootouts, dodging enemy fire while trying to drive the scum of the universe back into outer space with upgradable weapons like MIB’s famous Noisy Cricket, Plasma Handgun, and more. And with elite guards watching players’ every step, they must also secretly interrogate suspects in order to uncover evil intergalactic conspiracies. Men In Black: Alien Crisis not only gives gamers the classic MIB agent look and gear, but also puts them behind the wheel of the tricked out MIB car, with epic chases flying around the city in pursuit of aliens on the run.

With two-player split screen multiplayer and four-player “hot-seat” mode, and the compatible Top Shot Elite, PlayStation®Move sharp shooter, and Wii Zapper™ peripherals, family and friends will have the ultimate MIB agent experience, blasting their way through fun challenges and competitions to see who the best really is.








Men In Black: Alien Crisis is available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 system for a suggested retail price of $59.99, and on Wii for $49.99. Specially marked packages contain an eMovie Cash code redeemable for $10.00 off a Men In Black 3 movie ticket at participating theatres starting May 25, 2012. For more information, please visit www.MenInBlackGame.com.

Order Men in Black: Alien Crisis for the XBox 360 now!
...or maybe you are in the market for a Frank the Pug talking plush..tempt tempt...

Gilbert Gottfried Reads Fifty Shades of Grey

What a perfect way to end a week! Goes without saying..not safe for work or meant for the ears of those under 18!