A New Hope

DYNAMIC D.U.O:

Folks, have I got great news for you! Just what the doctor ordered, a new line of Batman toys! D.U.O Force, extremely reminiscent of the Crime Squad line, features three great-looking re-painted figures. Packaged in bubbles, as opposed to the "molded plastic" of the Crime Squad series, and featuring the Adventures of Batman and Robin card (with slight modifications), the series consists of Turbo Surge Batman, Air Strike Robin, a new Mr. Freeze, and Prune Juice drinkin' Alfred (that last one's a joke, by the way). The fantastic and extremely play-friendly aspect of this line is that each figure comes with a weapon that converts from a weapon to a mobile attack vehicle. Neat!

MISTAKES MEAN MONEY!:

The FAO Schwarz History of Batman three pack has started shipping, and there's already a major variant crisis on hand. A very small amount of these sets came out of the factory with a reversed bat-emblem! You heard me! The bat is yellow and the background is black. The number could be so small that we may have a winner in the race for Batman collectible of the decade. In other doll news, most everyone is very impressed by the beautfiul Batman/Catwoman 2 pack (available at Toys R Us) and over in FAO, the History of Superman set is getting ready to be shipped out. What's the variant gonna be this time? Oops...we packaged Superman in an energy containment unit...wait a minute....

STERN RULES!:

Perhaps I veer a little off topic here, but there are rumors Howard Stern has been asked to play the Scarecrow in the fifth Batman movie. How cool would a Howard Stern toy be? Remember to catch PRIVATE PARTS, Howard's feature film, as soon as is humanly possible. After all, Stern rules. Also, I'd like to take this time to note that an interesting cross-collectible in the Batman field of action figures is ACTORS. A few years down the line, celebrity collectors will definitely want a piece of the action, as in Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholoson likenesses. Cross-collectibles are fun, kids.

ME AM IDIOT:

Sorry folks, even the best of us make mistakes. I've lost the addresses of most of the contest winners, so i'd appreciate it if you guys sent me your addresses one mo' time. Once again, my apologies.

EVER SMELL AN OLD MEGO DOLL?:

If I get enough requests from the masses, I'd be very happy to write a special column on DC Mego dolls and Super Powers toys. Whadda ya say? Dolls ain't just for girls and sissies, after all.

MARKET MADNESS!:

The DC lines of action figures definitely need a shot in the arm when it comes to the aftermarket. The latest Total Justice line sparked very little interest, and the new Dark Knight Batman toys, while initially causing a buzz, have followed to the wayside thanks to Star Wars and Marvel toys, not to mention the hype on upcoming Todd Toys productions. The Bane and Scarecrow figures from the Dark Knight line are still hanging around the pegs, so dealers don't look for much more than $15 on these bad-lookin' baddies. Things are quite on the Superman line, for now, and the excitement over Aquaman in the TJ line has leveled off. However, not surprisingly, Batman: The Animated Series is as hot as ever. Plain and simple, people are paying $100 and more for the Penguin, and other classic villains like Two-Face, Man-bat and Poison Ivy continue to enjoy a strong demand. The top five!!
1. Penguin (Batman: The Animated Series)
2. Female figures (Batman: The Animated Series)
3. Phantasm (Batman: The Animated Movie)
4. Scarecrow (Dark Knight)
5. History of Batman three-pack (FAO Schwarz)

...SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:

In honor of the greatest space epic ever created, the three columns coinciding with the Star Wars movie extravaganza, will feature section on STAR WARS TOYS! THAT'S RIGHT, PAL! Calm yourself and let's get to talking about the hottest toys this side of the Dagobah system.

WANNA BUY SOME JAWAS?:

Not even all those pesky little Jawas have enough time to assemble and keep track of Kenner's awesome Star Wars line. If you haven't checked out Toys R Us lately, you're missing out on a huge display featuring an electronic millenium falcon and more Star Wars toys than you can shake a wompa at (not that you'd want to shake a wompa). The status of pre-1997 toys remains the same, in that long saber variations are in demand, the half-circle Boba Fett remains impossible to find, and Leia and Lando are now starting to pop up everywhere. Stormtroopers remain extremely popular thanks to the desire most fans (like myself) have to create a Stormtrooper army, and many claim that the original Han Solo is starting to disappear off the shelves. In my personal experience, there sure are a lot less of ol' Han, but I wouldn't classify him as "rare" just yet. The majority of vehicles still available right now could very well show up with green boxes, a la the 1997 green carded action figures, so now would be a good time to buy. The 1996 SW hot list:
1. Long Saber, Full shot Ben Kenobi
2. Half circle Boba Fett
3. All other long sabers
4. Warning Sticker Tie Fighter Pilot
5. Yoda. (No variation, no nothing. Just plain, old, ugly, green Yoda).

ORANGE, GREEN, GREEN W/ HOLOGRAM --- SHUT UP!!:

Why in God's name did Kenner decide to torture loyal Star Wars collectors with their cardboard mayhem of 1997? Well, there's no real answer, so I think it's time collectors stop whining. Fact is, because of the huge demand (and I mean huge) for 1997 Star Wars toys, every figure, orange OR green card, is worth picking up. What's my stance on the issue of holograms? Well, they peel off easily, so that's that, period. However, there are rumors that some Hologram cards, when the hologram is peeled off, have a box underneath the sticker with a black message that shouts "AFFIX HERE". This could be a factor in pricing, but for now, everything remains the same with green and green/hologram cards. The Collection one figures (Deathstar Gunner, Sandtrooper, and Greedo) remain prickly hot on Orange cards, and Collection 2 figures (Sandperson, R5-D4, Hammerhead, the Jawas, Luke Stormtrooper) are much more affordable but still as hot as a Miami afternoon! The Orange cards are showing up less and less, so folks, it's no joke when I say "Hurry up before they're gone!" New items in the store, currently, are the Deluxe Probe Droid (very cool!), Deluxe Boba Fett (keen!) and Skyhopper, a really nifty-looking vehicle. In addition, the "Empire Strikes Back" assortment is out in full force. Look for Bossk (hell yeah!), Luke in Hoth uniform, Hoth Rebel, 2-1B Medic Droid, and the AT-ST driver man. Don't forget, these figures are relatively new, so don't be too upset if you can't find them very readily at local toy stores. The hot list:
1. Orange card collection 1
2. Orange card collection 2
3. Green card Jawas (gotta love them Jawas)
4. Luke Stormtrooper Green card (gotta love them removable helmets)
5. Luke in Hoth uniform

Next month-- big news! period. Keep eating those Lays chips, folks! :)

Column by Eitan Shapiro

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