Toybox REVIEW: MAFEX Scarlet Spider (Comic Ver.)

Release Date: June 2023

RRP: 9680 yen

One has to admire Medicom's dedication to releasing as many different Spider-Man variants in the MAFEX line as possible. While on the one hand it is just them getting their money's worth out of the moulding/tooling, on the other it's delivered some fantastic versions of the wall-crawler so far. As such a MAFEX Scarlet Spider must have been on many fans' wish lists for some time and after the release of the Ben Reilly Spider-Man figure seemed inevitable, yet it still took another year and a half to become a reality. The 1990s are back once again with the star of the infamous Clone Saga, as the clone Peter Parker (renaming himself Ben Reilly) takes on this mantle after donning this makeshift costume.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts The Amazing Spider-Man

Release Date: June 2023

RRP: 7700 yen

They say good things often come in threes, and when it comes to Spider-Man you can't really beat getting all three modern movie Spideys together in Spider-Man: No Way Home. So of course Bandai Tamashii Nations (along with several other toy companies) are going to capitalise on that for the S.H. Figuarts line, and the trifecta is now complete with the release of S.H. Figuarts The Amazing Spider-Man! Despite being the last of the three to be released, Andrew Garfield's version of the web-slinger was actually meant to was actually meant to come a few months earlier - with a rare case of production problems not only leading to delays but also last minute changes. Like both the Friendly Neighborhood and Integrated Suit -Final Battle Edition- figures, the Amazing Spider-Man was released as a Tamashii web exclusive.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Spider-Man (Integrated Suit) -Final Battle Edition-

Release Date: May 2023

RRP: 9350 yen

Even though S.H. Figuarts is a collector-orientated line first and foremost, Bandai Tamashii Nations certainly aren't opposed to getting things out in the name of timeliness either. This is particularly true for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, with figures often being released to coincide with the films rather than some months later. The unfortunate result of working off of concept art (rather than the finished product) however is that sometimes these figures will get details wrong, which means Bandai end up releasing a better version those few months later anyway. This is true of the lengthily titled S.H. Figuarts Spider-Man (Integrated Suit) -Final Battle Edition-, the second of Spider-Man: No Way Home's three Spideys to be released as a Tamashii web exclusive. Following some technical issues with the Amazing Spider-Man, Peter 1 was pushed back from his original March release date to May – which is a pretty appropriate month to release a Spider-Man figure when you think about it.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Release Date: March 2023

RRP: 8800 yen

The Multi-Verse is set to play a big part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forwards, but arguably it's already peaked by bringing together three different eras of web-slinger together in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The climax of the film saw both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's iterations of the hero join Tom Holland in a battle against Spider-Man's enemies from across the Multi-Verse, renewing interest in both actors and their respective films. Of course it also means brand new merchandise too, with Bandai Tamashii Nations among the first to announce all three versions as part of the S.H. Figuarts line. Kicking off with the original, S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (also dubbed "Peter 2" in the film) was released as a Tamashii web exclusive.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Ghost Rider

Release Date: November 2022

RRP: $27.99/£25.99

Retro-carded releases have become one of Hasbro's favourite things in the last few years, releasing them across nearly all of their collector brands. It's hard to see how they're a bad thing though, in fact there's quite a lot of advantages to these releases. They appease MISB fans with their nostalgic packaging, though reissues the figures themselves are often ones that have gone long out of print and more often than not they have considerably improved decos. So what's not to love? With all the Marvel Comics cartoons and toy lines there were back in the 90s the Marvel Legends line features a good share of figures with these throwback card backs. Picks like Spider-Man, X-Men and even the Fantastic Four seem obvious, but who could have seen a Marvel Legends Ghost Rider with retro packaging coming?

Toybox REVIEW: Star Wars Black Series Boba Fett (In Disguise)

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: $33.99/£38.99

If Hasbro are ever in doubt about what to release as a convention exclusive, they can always be sure that a Boba Fett variant will go down well. Not only is his Mandalorian armour one of the most iconic designs in all of Star Wars, but there are so many colour variants that it'll be a while before Hasbro run out of options. For 2022's San Diego Comic Con Hasbro turned their attention toward the more recent Marvel Comics, releasing the Black Series Boba Fett (In Disguise) as both an SDCC and fan-channel exclusive. Based on the War of the Bounty Hunters comic event from 2021, the story sees Boba don an all-black look to enter fighting pits after a complication arises in delivering Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt.

Top 5: Tamashii Nation 2022 Reveals

This weekend saw the Bandai Tamashii Nations 2022 event take place in Tokyo, and as usual it was an exciting few days of brand-new reveals to look forward to over the coming years. 2022 saw big moments such as the grand return of One Piece S.H. Figuarts, the continuation of the Super Sentai range, Metal Heroes gain new life in the Chogokin line, a strong return for S.H. MonsterArts as well as the usual impressive displays from the likes of Kamen Rider, Gundam, Ultraman, Macross and more. So today I'm looking back on my five favourite reveals from the event, all of which I simply can't wait to preorder…providing these aren't more examples of figures that revealed and immediately end up in Bandai purgatory that is.

Toybox REVIEW: SV-Action Peni Parker & SP//dr

Release Date: June 2022

RRP: 13750 yen

While it seems that MAFEX have given up halfway through the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse cast, thankfully Sentinel arrived to pick up the slack and see the main Spider crew through right to the end with their aptly-titled SV-Action line. Starting things off simply with figures of both Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker, Sentinel then threw a bit off a curveball - not going the predictable route by doing Gwen next but instead surprising everyone with SV-Action Peni Parker & SP//dr. Given that even Hasbro haven't touched this pair with the Marvel Legends range, it certainly shows their dedication to the critically-acclaimed film.

Toybox REVIEW: MAFEX Spider-Man (Ben Reilly)

Release Date: November 2021

RRP: 7800 yen

The various Spider-Verse titles there have been in the past few years may have shown that there's much more to Spider-Man than just Peter Parker, but back in the 1990s when comic readers were introduced to a brand-new Spidey he wasn't that far detached from our original hero. Popularised during the infamous Clone Saga that ran between 1994 and 1995, Ben Reilly (combining Uncle Ben's forename and Aunt May's maiden name) is a clone of Peter Parker that originally fought as the Scarlet Spider before truly taking the mantle of Spider-Man in Peter's absence. His time as Spider-Man saw him bond with the Carnage symbiote as well as take part in the multiversal Marvel vs DC crossover, though Peter would eventually return when Ben took a fatal wound from the Green Goblin. Despite the Clone Saga's notoriety, the character's popularity makes him an obvious choice for Medicom's "miracle action figure" line. MAFEX Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) is the next in a long line of Spider-Man figures from the company, and it looks like they have no plans on stopping any time soon.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Deadpool

Release Date: February 2022

RRP: 7700 yen

Marvel has been a big seller for Bandai Tamashii Nations' S.H. Figuarts line for some time now, but in focusing purely on characters as they appear specifically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has definitely limited their scope somewhat. However with Disney's buyout of Fox as well as the consolidation of the Marvel Cinematic MULTIverse being carried out in both Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, those days might finally be over. There's been one big name missing from the line this entire time, and that gap has finally been filled with the long-awaited arrival of the Merc with a Mouth himself – S.H. Figuarts Deadpool.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Retro Thing

Release Date: November 2021

RRP: $22.99/£21.99

Just call the four! Fantastic Four! What better way to round out this quartet of Fantastic February reviews than with Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew, the Marvel Legends Retro Thing! Although not a blood relative like the rest of Marvel's first family, Benjamin Grimm is as much as part of the family as the rest of them. The pilot of that fateful spacecraft that was bombarded by cosmic rays, Ben was turned into a walking pile of rocks - unable to "turn off" his powers like the rest of the team. Though an integral part of the Fantastic Four the Thing's popularity has also led him to break away into many of his own adventures - from solo comic runs to a short-lived animated series in 1979 (where he had quite the different origin). This retro version from Hasbro is supposed to reminiscence on a different animated version though - the one from the Fantastic Four animated series of the 1990s which debuted as part of the Marvel Action Hour.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Retro Human Torch

Release Date: November 2021

RRP: $22.99/£21.99

No need to fear, they're here! Part three of Fantastic February continues with Hasbro's Marvel Legends retro Human Torch figure! The brother of Invisible Woman Susan Richards, Johnny Storm is the youngest and most hot-headed member of the Fantastic Four. After shouting his catchphrase of "Flame On!", Johnny becomes engulfed in flame and is capable of flight in addition to controlling his own flames or absorbing any around him. As was the case with the Invisible Woman, a Hasbro Pulse exclusive version was released alongside this general retail figure. Only this time the difference was a little more substantial, with the Hasbro Pulse variant being a powered-down version of Johnny with minimal flame effects.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Retro Invisible Woman

Release Date: November 2021
RRP: $22.99/£21.99

And the four were changed forever, in some most fantastic ways! This quartet of Fantastic February reviews continues with the Marvel Legends retro Invisible Woman figure! Given the powers of invisibility and force field projection by the cosmic rays that hit their spacecraft, Susan Richards (nee Storm) formed the Fantastic Four alongside her husband-to-be Reed Richards, brother Johnny Storm and friend Ben Grimm. This entry in Hasbro's ever-growing range of retro-figures is based about the character's appearance in the 1994-96 animated series, where she battled against the likes of Doctor Doom, Galactus, Annihilus, Blastaar, the Skrulls, Psycho-Man and many more. While this figure was a general retail release, it was also accompanied by an "invisible" Hasbro Pulse exclusive variant moulded entirely in clear plastic.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Retro Mr. Fantastic

Release Date: November 2021

RRP: $22.99/£21.99

On an outer space adventure, they got hit by cosmic rays! Though often under-appreciated, the 1994-96 Fantastic Four animated series was a significant piece of Marvel Comics animation for fans growing up during that time. Though it may not have been on the same level as the Spider-Man or X-Men cartoons, Fantastic Four was my generation's main introduction to the world of Marvel's first family - and its (SIGNIFICANTLY better) second season the likes of Black Panther, Thor and Ghost Rider too. So imagine my excitement when Hasbro announced a whole wave of retro carded Fantastic Four Marvel Legends figures, following on from the retro carded Doctor Doom released in 2020. So in celebration of these figures and my love for the cartoon, I'm kicking off a little set of reviews I like to call Fantastic February - starting off with the genius scientist who can stretch like elastic, Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic. 

Toybox REVIEW: MAFEX Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy)

Release Date: September 2021

RRP: 9800 yen

These days numerous companies have gotten in on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse action but when Medicom first announced they'd be tackling the Academy Award-winning film in their MAFEX line, things were pretty damn exciting. Fast-forward nearly two years and several delays later and both their Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker figures proved to be worth the wait, so it's only natural that they should be joined by a third. MAFEX Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy) is the first time MAFEX have tackled this alternate universe Spider-Man where Gwen was bitten rather than Peter, even though they've been also been tackling comic versions of Spidey for some time now. However since her appearance in Spider-Verse Spider-Gwen (or Ghost Spider if you prefer)'s popularity has only continued to skyrocket, so if any version deserves to join the ranks of the MAFEX line it's this one.

Toybox REVIEW: MAFEX Spider-Man (Peter B. Parker)

Release Date: January 2021

RRP: 8800 yen

Medicom continue their mission to produce as many Spider-Man figures as possible within their MAFEX Miracle Action Figure line as they continue to dive into 2018's award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Hot on the heels of Miles Morales' release comes MAFEX Spider-Man (Peter B. Parker), the Spider-Man of another universe who becomes a mentor to Miles after falling on hard times in his own world. Though originally scheduled for a July 2020 release, repeated delays meant this figure not actually make it out until six months later in January 2021 - making it the perfect way to kick off a whole new year of figures. MAFEX have released plenty of Peter Parker Spider-Man figures over the years, but they've never done one quite like this before.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Doctor Strange (Battle on Titan Edition)

Release Date: January 2021

RRP: 8800 yen

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga having finally come to an end, it seems that all of the toy companies that produce Marvel figures are having one last hurrah before moving onto the next phase - releasing the best versions of these beloved characters that they can. That can definitely be said for Bandai Tamashii Nations, whose S.H. Figuarts line moved into a number of "Final Battle" editions based on the climactic scene from Avengers: Endgame (it helps when you're releasing toys after the movie has been released, rather than just prior like they did initially). However with many key characters absent from Endgame for the most part there are plenty of iconic scenes to explore from Avengers: Infinity War as well, such as this S.H. Figuarts Doctor Strange (Battle on Titan Edition) figure. 

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Carnage (Venompool Wave)

Release Date: September 2020

RRP: $19.99/£19.99

There are so many characters in the Marvel Comics universe that Hasbro could probably get away with brand new ones for each and every release and still not run out, but with new collectors joining all the time of course you’re going to keep all of the favourites in circulation. The psychotic symbiote and Spider-Man villain Carnage is one such character, having previously graced the line in 2018 as part of the Monster Venom build-a-figure wave and now having returned two years later in the Venompool build-a-figure assortment. A slightly different take on the classic character to the previous release, this Marvel Legends Carnage has also seen a re-release in 2021 - perfect for helping to generate hype in the lead up to Carnage’s cinematic debut in the forthcoming Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Series REVIEW: Toei's Spider-Man

In the late 1970s the Toei Company made a three year licensing deal with Marvel Comics that allowed them to take their characters and reimagine them for a Japanese audience. This collaboration was key to the creation of the Super Sentai franchise as we know it today, with many of its tropes introduced through both Battle Fever J and subsequent instalments Denshi Sentai Denjiman and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan. But prior to these came the most infamous result of the partnership - Toei’s Spider-Man. Released in 1978 and running for a total of 41 episodes (plus one 25-minute movie), Toei’s Spider-Man took the iconography of Marvel’s legendary hero and transformed him into in a true henshin hero. In recent years the character has gone though something of a renaissance - prominently appearing in the various Spider-Verse crossover comic series, receiving a dedicated documentary on Disney+ and slated to appear in the 2022 sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Toybox REVIEW: MAFEX Spider-Man (Miles Morales)

Release Date: December 2020

RRP: 8580 yen

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released all the way back at the end of 2018 and was instantly a smash hit, so it’s crazy to think that only now all of the collector-orientated toy companies are getting in on the action. Hasbro released their Marvel Legends at the end of 2020, while Sentinel have announced the first of their own figures to be released later in the year. However it was actually Medicom who were first off the mark with the announcement of multiple figures from the film for their MAFEX Miracle Action Figure line, but of course in typical MAFEX fashion it didn’t quite go according to plan. MAFEX Spider-Man (Miles Morales) was originally scheduled for release in June 2020, but that date just continued to slip back until he finally hit stores six months later. Though the first of MAFEX’s Into the Spider-Verse figures this is actually the second Miles produced for the line - following on from an adult form of his comic counterpart released back in 2019.