Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Victory

Release Date: June 2019

RRP: 6480 yen

Now that the Ultraman S.H. Figuarts range is truly in full swing, it feels like anyone's guess as to what could come next. For many years the line seemed to simply follow the pattern of covering an older Showa era series each year along with what's currently airing, but now it's also begun digging back into other areas of the back catalogue with releases like Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Belial and Ultraman X. Now it comes one step closer to completing that New Generation Hero line up with the release of S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Victory. Like X this is a significant release as the character was previously denied an Ultra-Act release, debuting just as the line was winding down prior to the franchise's integration into S.H. Figuarts

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who "The 1970s" Collectors Figure Set

Release Date: August 2018

RRP: £16.99 

Even though the demand for Doctor Who toys seems to be at its lowest since the series relaunch and physical toy stores/aisles are on the decline, credit has to go to Character Options for doing their best to keep the brand alive. For the past few years they've teamed up with UK chain B&M Bargains to produce sets exclusive to their stores, mostly made up of repaints and retools from pre-existing moulds. One such set is the Doctor Who "The 1970s" Collectors Figure Set, which looks back on the eras of the Third and Fourth Doctors. Included are the Fourth Doctor in his costume from The Talons of Weng Chiang, the Brigadier and a standard Auton as they appeared in Terror of the Autons.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who Regenerated Fourth Doctor and TARDIS

Release Date: March 2019
RRP: £20

Despite being the longest-running science fiction franchise in the world, the Doctor Who toy line isn't in the best of states. What was once huge toy shop displays at the height of the 2005 relaunch is now a string of remoulds, repaints and the odd new head sculpt, with Character Options doing everything they can to keep the brand alive in the increasingly difficult market. These efforts led them to partnering with B&M Bargains to provide exclusive releases to their stores across the UK, including multi-figure packs and Doctor/TARDIS sets. Among the releases in early 2019 was the Fourth Doctor Regenerated and TARDIS set, chronicling Tom Baker's debut as the Doctor in the 1974 four part story Robot. This is the third version of a regenerated Fourth Doctor from Character, having previously been released as a single card figure and in the limited edition Fourth Doctor Time Capsule.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Iron Man Mk 85

Release Date: June 2019

RRP: 6480 yen

Avengers: Endgame marked the end for many aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we currently know it, but for many fans the main thing it'll be remembered for is its place as the final chapter in Tony Stark's story - the man who first shaped its origins way back in 2007's Iron Man. The character is not only the MCU's biggest star but also one of Bandai Tamashii Nations' biggest sellers in the S.H. Figuarts line, given the number of different suit variants the company has put out over the years. So when a number of characters were suddenly announced a few weeks prior to Endgame's cinema release, there was no doubt that the latest rendition of Iron Man was going to be among them. However S.H. Figuarts Iron Man Mk 85 was actually the last of these initial general sale Endgame Figuarts to be released, with a third version of the Infinity War Mk50 suit preceding it the month before.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman R/B the Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond

The annual team up movie is a tokusatsu staple no matter the franchise, and since the beginning of the New Generation Hero chapter in the Ultra Series it’s very much customary for the latest Ultra warrior to crossover with their closest predecessor. 2019 was the turn of Ultraman R/B, as the cast met with that of Ultraman Geed in Ultraman R/B the Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond. As well as acting as an epilogue to R/B itself, this movie is the final piece in the Ultra Series to be released in the Heisei era - with Tsuburaya Productions off the Reiwa era in style a few months later with Ultraman Taiga.

Toybox REVIEW: SDCC 2019 Exclusive Star Wars Black Series 6" Boba Fett (Toy Colours)

Release Date: July 2019 

RRP: $27 

San Diego Comic Con 2019 may have come and gone, but the various exclusives released at the event live on as both a reminder and potentially the bane in collectors’ wallets. Being one of the biggest toy lines out there Star Wars has had some pretty good exclusives over the years, and 2019 was no exception. 3.75” Vintage Collection fans had a both special prototype style Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny 3-pack to enjoy, while over in the 6” Black Series there was a sneak peek at The Rise of Skywalker with an early look at the Sith Trooper. But along with that was something some collectors have been lusting after for years, a special edition Boba Fett figure decked out in the colours of the original 1979 Kenner figure to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Despite the colours of the toy eventually being revised the deco has remained a piece of Star Wars history, appearing on various bits of merchandise before finally being immortalised as part of the Black Series.

Toybox REVIEW: Star Wars Black Series 6" Boba Fett (Prototype Armor)

Release Date: 2014

RRP: $20

Boba Fett is living proof that all some characters need is a fantastic design. Despite not really doing all that much in the films themselves the notorious bounty hunter became one of most iconic designs in all of Star Wars, and his popularity has continued to grow through various spin-off media and, of course, numerous bits of merchandise. But did you know that originally Boba Fett wasn't envisioned as a bounty hunter, and instead proposed as a sort of Empire "Super Trooper". The story of Boba Fett from concept to screen is a pretty interesting one, and his initial all-white design has been immortalised in toy form several times over the years. With Fett being one of the earliest releases in the 6" Black Series back in 2013, it didn't take Hasbro long to take advantage of such an obvious repaint. One year later, the Star Wars Black Series 6" Boba Fett (Prototype Armor) arrived in the US exclusively at Walgreens stores.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Captain America [Avengers: Endgame]

Release Date: May 2019
RRP: 6480 yen

Bandai Tamashii Nations have been pretty on the ball with their Marvel Cinematic Universe releases in the S.H. Figuarts line, and with a release as big as Avengers: Endgame it's no surprise to see how quickly they went all out. The film's release was followed by three months in a row of multiple new figures, and among them was of course a brand new version of America's ass himself. The Endgame edition of S.H. Figuarts Captain America released alongside Ronin and a second nano weapon set of the Iron Man Mark 50 armour in May, all of which were general retail figures.

Anime REVIEW: Shinkansen Robo Henkei Shinkalion

Every year there are dozens of anime series released whose main purpose is to sell toys. With these toys mainly limited to Japan, the shows rarely reach a worldwide audience (be it through streaming or otherwise) and many are simply forgotten about. There are however the ones that do that little bit extra and do get noticed across the globe, even if both the show and toys fail to officially make it out of Japan. Shinkansen Robo Henkei Shinkalion is the latest venture from TakaraTomy to expand their long-running PlaRail toy line, teaming up with the Japan Railways Group to create a transforming robot show deeply rooted in Japan's love for its rail system. The 76-episode series was animated by OLM, Inc., whose experience with merchandise-driven shows led to them to previously work with TakaraTomy on both the Zoids and Tomica Rescue Hero revivals.

Toybox REVIEW: Star Wars Black Series 6" Chopper (C1-10P)

Release Date: May 2019

RRP: £20/$20

It's taken a few years to get there but Star Wars fans are coming ever closer to having the complete main cast of Star Wars Rebels in six inch figure form, as the collector-orientated Black Series adds a further two characters to the range in its latest wave. Finally joining Kanan, Sabine and Hera are Ezra Bridger and the ill-tempered astromech droid Chopper, leaving only Zeb to round off the Ghost crew. A valuable member of the Spectre rebel cell, C1-10P participated in numerous raids and attacks on Imperial targets. Though a loyal and competent droid, his bad temper and argumentative attitude frequently meant he came to blows with his fellow crew members.