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Important Toy News: An amazing Alita action figure, a magnficent Mera, and more
If you're like me (and most of the northern parts of the United States), you're currently doing your best to avoid the extremely cold temperatures. Fortunately for all of us, the internet never has to worry about trifling issues like weather and keeps on trucking regardless of what's happening outside our windows. That means we can stay in and binge new shows, or keep abreast of the latest Important Toy News no matter how frigid the air is beyond the front door.
ALITA BIT OF BATTLE ANGEL IN MY LIFE
Alita: Battle Angel is a fascinating prospect. The American adaptation of the manga is certainly going for it, though scuttlebutt alludes to the general population being rather divided on whether or not "it" is something they want. I'm rather fascinated by the film, and as someone who generally likes Robert Rodriguez's portfolio, I'm curious to see how the final product turns out. Independent of all of that, I also actually like the design of Alita for this new film, and subsequently, that means I like this new Hot Toys version of the cyborg hero.
The character's complex robotic body translates well to action figure form, and there's an incredible amount of detail throughout the figure. All that machinery hides the 30 points of articulation well too, providing a somewhat seamless design that has a range of display options. Alita comes with a scant few accessories but does come with some clothing options if you want a more refined look. Knowing how Hot Toys does design its clothes, they'll look great, but you had better decide whether or not you want them on or off at the jump because they are almost always a bear to put back on once removed.
There's currently no price or pre-order open on Alita, but the figure is due out in Q4 2019. More details on pricing should become available later this week from Sideshow Collectibles.
DON'T OVERLOOK THESE DOLLS
Mezco's Living Dead Dolls aren't really my thing, but given how long the line has been going, these creepy characters are certainly popular. For the most part, the LDD line has been original creations, with some licensed characters scattered in across the years. This week, Mezco seemingly hit that perfect nexus of creep, cool, and collectible with the announcement of a pair of twin dolls based on the Grady twins from The Shining.
Not only are these dolls extremely freakish, but they also come with sound chips to play quotes from the movie. If you thought these spectral guests of the Overlook Hotel were haunting before, just wait until they're staring at you from across the room with their gaze never wavering. Conversely, you could play some real nasty tricks on your guests by moving these dolls around and having them say, "Come play with us..." over and over.
You can pre-order the set right now on Mezco's site for $80, and expect to get them sometime in Q3 this year.
MERA, MERA ON THE WALL
The work Prime1 Studio has been doing for the past few years is nothing short of spectacular. No matter what the license or scale, each of its statues has been a remarkable piece of work. Sure they're expensive, but they're also not priced unfairly. While a lot of the premium pieces over the past few years have been memorable, it's the company's new line of DC characters designed by Stanley "ArtGerm" Lau that really show off all of Prime1's talents. Supergirl was already shown off earlier this year, but the new Mera statue is just chef_kiss.gif.
For just a shade over $1,000, you get a two-and-a-half-foot-tall statue of Mera bursting from the ocean in her bright green costume. The translucent water contrasts well with Mera's traditional outfit and red hair, and the way it's cascading gives a sense of power to the piece. Her pose and slightly flowing locks also add to the momentum, impressing a feeling that it is about to go down, and you don't want to be on the other side of Mera's trident.
The statue is available for pre-order now for $1,099 and is expected to arrive in Q2 2020. With work this good, we can't wait to see which of DC's leading ladies is next in line for release.
TWO PRINCES WHO ADORE YOU
Thor: Ragnarok was a wonderful closing to the first trilogy of the MCU's Asgardian adventures. There have been a number of collectibles released already that feature Thor and Loki in their best Sakaar duds, but none of them have been as adorable as these upcoming Nendoroids. To be fair, these figures were actually already released in a standard format, but Good Smile announced new, deluxe versions this week to give fans even more accessories for this pair.
Thor comes with his standard club and shield and some lightning effects, but now also comes with a Bifrost display base that has a Berserkers piece to recreate the scene in which Thor gets his powers back when fighting Hela. The same goes for Loki, who comes with his knives and standard crown, but also features a second body to display him in his black suit, a mini Tesseract, and a Bifrost display base.
Both Thor and Loki are available at import sites for ~$90 each, and they're expected to arrive this September.
