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NECA Announces Two New Elvira Figures

Who would have thought that an obscure horror movie hostess would become a franchise powerhouse that’s lasted over four decades? And it all started with a casting call for Movie Macabre. Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, has outlasted nearly every other horror movie host by becoming a pop culture icon. And with that honor, we’re seeing more Elvira merchandise being announced.

NECA is continuing its line of Elvira figures with two new entries. The first is a new version of her 8″ tall action figures. Named the Red, Fright, and Boo figure, this Elvira is decked out in a shiny red version of her iconic and revealing dress. She’s light on accessories, but who needs them when you’ve got a great set of cans? Expect this one out in September.

However, if you’re looking for Elvira in her classic outfit, the hostess with the mostess is also available in a Toony Terrors boxed set. The set features Elvira lounging on her sofa in her black outfit, and Gonk is included, too! The exact size of this figure isn’t clear, but

NECA's Elvira Figures
Photo Credit: NECA
NECA's Elvira Figures
Photo Credit: NECA

The devilishly delightful Cassandra Peterson has played the part of Elvira for more than 40 years with grace, humor and more than a little camp. NECA is proud to present this positively patriotic figure of the Mistress of the Dark in a sparkling red dress for your horror collection.

Red, Fright, and Boo Elvira comes with the following:

  • Winking head
  • Skull and snake candle holder
  • Chalice
  • Figure stand
NECA's Elvira Figures
Photo Credit: NECA

I wasn’t kidding when I said Elvira’s merchandise is still popular. Over the past couple of years, I’ve covered several collectibles, including the republication of her comic book. Other items we saw were a doll and an excellent statue from Mezco.

Unfortunately, I can’t ignore when Cassandra Peterson called fans trash on Twitter.

[Source: NECA] [Source: NECA]

Judge Tosses Gamers’ Microsoft Activision/Blizzard Lawsuit

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A class-action lawsuit filed by a group of gamers has been dismissed from a California court this week. The suit alleged that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard would have anticompetitive effects on the industry.

The lawsuit’s key point was that Call of Duty could be chained to Microsoft’s consoles and PCs. Considering this major semi-annual series sells well across most major platforms, it is concerning that PlayStation owners may be cut out of the mix. However, would Microsoft be willing to miss out on the revenue to spite Sony? Doubtful.

Regardless, the Alioto and Joseph Saveri Law Firms out of San Francisco claimed that the merger would violate the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914: “This is a private antitrust action seeking an order of the Court prohibiting the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. by Microsoft Corporation as a violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. § 18). The threatened loss or damage to the Plaintiffs and to the public at-large by the merging of two giants in the video game industry is extensive and broad.”

GameSpot linked to the dismissal documents, wherein North District of California judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said the class-action suit “does not plausibly allege the merger creates a reasonable probability of anticompetitive effects in any relevant market.

However, Jude Corley does state that it is entirely possible that Microsoft could make Call of Duty or any other acquired IP exclusive to its platforms, but there was not enough evidence to show this was a certainty, “they do not make any factual allegations that support the conclusory incentive assertion. Why would Microsoft make Call of Duty exclusive to its platforms thus resulting in fewer games sold? What is it about the console market or PC games market and Microsoft’s position in those markets that makes it plausible there is a reasonable probability Microsoft would take such steps.

It will take an entity more prominent than the customer base to derail the Activision/Blizzard buyout at this point.

[Source: GameSpot] [Source: Document Cloud]

Ya’ll Got Battletoads? PCS Has Some In Statue Form!

Hey kids! Remember Battletoads? Remember when Microsoft dug them out of the grave and delivered a mediocre beat ’em up with a de-sexified Dark Queen? Nope, me neither. It never happened.

However, if you want collectibles based on the glory days of Rare’s iconic series of slimy hopping heroes, check out statues Premium Collectibles Studio announced this week!

Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio

Although Pimple, Rash, and Zitz can be purchased as individual statues, the best way to go is with the Battletoads Brawler Collection. The collection features all three Battletoads and includes interchangeable parts for Pimple and Zitz:

  • Swap-Out Right Arm for Zitz with Battletoads Logo
  • Swap-Out Left Hand for Zitz with Rodent Enemy
  • Swap-Out Right Hand for Pimple with Pig Enemy

The individual Battletoads statues are limited to 350 pieces each, but only 300 copies of the Brawler Collection will be made. Expect the warty warriors to ship between September and November this year.

The combo statue is $1,800. Rash and Pimple are each $550, and Zitz is $650.

Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio
Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio
Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio
Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio
Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio
Battletoads
Photo Credit: Premium Collectibles Studio

The Battletoads Brawler Collection features all three heroes of the mutant space warrior squad: the leader Zitz, the muscular Pimple, and the cool cat Rash. When assembled as a collection with the Battletoads cover art title, the statue set measures 22″ tall, 21″ wide, and 19″ deep. Each character in the statue set is fully sculpted with amphibian textures and vibrant colors that bring their original two-dimensional designs to life in three-dimensional form. Their proximity bases can be displayed alongside one another to create one cohesive scene.

Are you looking for more Battletoads collectibles? Then, check out the action figures being made by Premium DNA.

[Source: Premium Collectibles Studio]

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’s Kang Gets A Hot Toys Figure

With the recent news that Marvel Cinematic Universe executive Victoria Alonso has left the company, perhaps Phase 5 will improve. Over the next few years, it’ll be a game of ‘wait and see’. However, that won’t stop the collectibles from the previous films from hitting the market. Who’s ready for a Hot Toys Kang figure?!

The artists at Hot Toys nailed the likeness of Jonathan Majors both in and out of his helmet. Even the costume, as bland as it is, looks nicely detailed. The face and eyes feature an LED lighting effect, which may look pretty cool. However, we won’t know how it really looks until next year.

There’s also a tease of a Hot Toys MODOK on the way. But, wait… who’s going to buy a $300+ version of the MCU’s laughable MODOK?! Will he come with a voice chip declaring that he’s “not a dick”?

If you found Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and this version of Kang interesting, head over to Sideshow Collectibles. You can pre-order the MCU’s version of the iconic villain for $285.

Kang is priced at $285 and will arrive between April and September 2024.

Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys
Kang
Photo Credit: Hot Toys

Kang will come with these features, accessories, and parts:

One (1) newly developed head sculpt with LED light-up function on eyes and face (battery operated)
– Highly-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles, and skin texture
– Body with over 30 points of articulations
– Approximately 31 cm tall
– Six (6) pieces of interchangeable gloved hands including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relax hands
– One (1) pair of open hands
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:
– One (1) metallic purple, green colored suit with forearm, calf armors
– One (1) metallic purple, green colored cape (bendable wire embedded)
– One (1) pair of metallic purple, green colored shoes

Accessories:
– One (1) pair of power-using translucent blue colored effect accessories
– One (1) translucent blue colored circular ground effect
– A figure stand with movie logo and character name

What did you think of Kang? Let us know below.

[Source: Hot Toys]

Dr. Strange Returns In New Marvel Pull List

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After a long time absence, the Sorcerer Supreme is back with the return of Stephen Strange. He along with She-Hulk, Spider-Man, and the X-Men are all highlighted in the new pull list from Marvel Comics.

“Stephen Strange is back in DOCTOR STRANGE (2023) #1. Reunited with Clea and Wong, it’s back to business as usual for the Sorcerer Supreme,” Marvel said on their website. “Have your children fallen into a deep nightmarish slumber? Are demonic refugees invading your home? Is your husband possessed by a satanic entity? Then call Doctor Strange! Join Jed MacKay and Pasqual Ferry as they begin a new chapter in the life of the Master of the Mystic Arts!”

Spider-Man is also in the spotlight as the mystery in the pages of his comic book continues to evolve.

“Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2022) #22 continues to finally answer the question that launched the series: what did Peter do,” they added. “Also, who is this mysterious figure, and what do they have to do with Peter and Mary Jane’s disappearances?!”

Marvel revealed the pull list as follows:

New Comics

  • AVENGERS 9 FACSIMILE EDITION (2023) #1
  • AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON – MARVEL TALES 1 (2023) #1
  • CARNAGE (2022) #11
  • DOCTOR STRANGE (2023) #1
  • JOE FIXIT (2023) #3
  • MARAUDERS (2022) #12
  • MONICA RAMBEAU: PHOTON (2022) #4
  • PUNISHER (2022) #10
  • SHE-HULK (2022) #11
  • SPIDER-MAN: THE LOST HUNT (2022) #5
  • STAR WARS: DARTH VADER (2020) #32
  • STORM & THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS (2023) #2
  • THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2022) #22
  • TIGER DIVISION (2022) #5
  • WASP (2023) #3
  • WOMEN OF MARVEL (2023) #1
  • X-TREME X-MEN (2022) #4

New Collections

  • FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION: THE DREAM IS DEAD TPB
  • MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DAZZLER VOL. 4 HC
  • MOON KNIGHT VOL. 3: HALFWAY TO SANITY TPB
  • MS. MARVEL: SOMETHING NEW GN-TPB
  • NEW MUTANTS VOL. 4 TPB
  • SAVAGE AVENGERS BY GERRY DUGGAN OMNIBUS HC FINCH COVER
  • SPIDER-PUNK: BATTLE OF THE BANNED TPB
  • THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL OMNIBUS HC HENDERSON COVER
  • WOLVERINE BY BENJAMIN PERCY VOL. 2 HC

Marvel Unlimited

  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15 [DWB]
  • DARK WEB: X-MEN #1 [DWB]
  • DEADPOOL #2
  • INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1
  • LEGION OF X #8
  • MONICA RAMBEAU: PHOTON #1
  • PLANET HULK: WORLDBREAKER #2
  • STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #29
  • STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN #6
  • ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 FACSIMILE EDITION

These titles will be available on March 23rd, 2023 in print or digital versions.

‘Solo Leveling’ Anime To Debut Winter 2024

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The publishers of the Korean comic book series ‘Solo Leveling’ teased fans with an anime adaption from Japanese animation studio A-1 Pictures in 2022. Announcements were lacking for a time, but now a new teaser has debuted that reveals the anime will come to viewers in the winter of 2024.

“The official accounts for the upcoming Solo Leveling TV anime adaptation released the first teaser trailer and key visual for the series today announcing that the adaptation of DUBU (REDICE Studio), Chugong, h-goon’s webcomic will premiere next winter,” Crunchyroll said on their website. They added that they will stream the anime on their app.

Shunsuke Nakashige has been tapped to direct the anime with Noboru Kimura joining as the writer and Tomoko Sudo handling the character designs.

You can watch the teaser trailer below:

‘Solo Leveling’ was originally published by South Korean author Chugong as a webcomic on the KakaoPage website with the art studio Dubu handling the illustrations. D&C Media began publishing it in physical form. Tapas publishes it in Nother America.

Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,

“In a world where hunters — human warriors who possess supernatural abilities — must battle deadly monsters to protect mankind from certain annihilation, a notoriously weak hunter named Sung Jinwoo finds himself in a seemingly endless struggle for survival. One day, after narrowly surviving an overwhelmingly powerful double dungeon that nearly wipes out his entire party, a mysterious program called the System chooses him as its sole player and in turn, gives him the extremely rare ability to level up in strength and turn anyone he kills into a loyal minion called a shadow. Jinwoo then sets out on a journey as he fights against all kinds of enemies, both man and monster, to discover the secrets of the dungeons and the true source of his powers.”

The series is also known as ‘Only I Level Up’ in other markets.

Next 9,000 Amazon Layoffs Will Affect Twitch, Tech, and Advertising

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We cannot go one week without hearing about more tech industry layoffs, can we? Amazon has announced an additional 9,000 terminations via a memo titled ‘Update from CEO Andy Jassy on Amazon’s operating plan and additional role eliminations.’ At least Jassy didn’t hide the news behind a rosy headline.

The CEO of Amazon came out swinging, announcing that “AWS, PXT, Advertising, and Twitch” would be taking the brunt of the layoffs. Amazon Web Services (AWS) handles the company’s cloud platforms. PXT stands for People Experience and Technology Solutions. It’s Amazon’s innovation arm. Advertising and Twitch shouldn’t need an explanation.

Amazon shuttered 18K positions globally in January, but that wasn’t enough. This was only part of a multi-phase plan to streamline the company’s “costs and headcount.” The next phase encompasses an additional 9,000 terminations while also conducting “limited hiring in some of our businesses in strategic areas where we’ve prioritized allocating more resources.” What are these areas? Jassy does not specify.

Amazon’s CEO heads us off at the pass when it comes to asking why these cuts weren’t announced with the others. It turns out that he didn’t want all the teams/divisions to rush their assessments. It was good to know management took their time deciding who would be shafted. I’m sure it makes those people feel warm and fuzzy.

Jassy believes shedding this weight will lead to a better experience for Amazon’s customers, “being leaner while doing so in a way that enables us to still invest robustly in the key long-term customer experiences that we believe can meaningfully improve customers’ lives and Amazon as a whole.” His call for a leaner Amazon echoes what Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this month.

I ask myself, what did Andy Jassy sacrifice before he decided 27,000 employees needed to become unemployed in 2023? While we don’t know exactly how many people will be affected in each division, there has to be some tangible metric used that Amazon refuses to share with the outside world. Twitch may have become a glorified PG-13 webcam site over the past six or seven years, but the service has little competition. So where, exactly, were the staffing deficiencies?

Then again, this could be a good thing for Twitch, considering the horror stories we’ve heard about the staff.

[Source: About Amazon] [Source: GameIndustry.biz]

Factory Entertainment Announces A 1:1 Replica of Black Manta’s Helmet

The DCEU may be getting rebooted, but the collectibles market for the original version of the cinematic universe is still alive. If you were a fan of 2018’s Aquaman, Factory Entertainment has something you may enjoy: a 1:1 replica of Black Manta’s helmet.

Unfortunately, the helmet cannot be worn. This isn’t entirely surprising, considering that most of the shots of Black Manta wearing the helmet were CGI. However, for $999.99, I would have expected this to be cosplay-friendly.

However, the replica is quite accurate. Factory Entertainment had the original prop studio create a helmet specifically for reproduction. In addition, the lenses feature LED lights powered by an AC adaptor.

Only 250 copies of the helmet will be made. However, factory Entertainment hopes to ship out this Aquaman prop by December.

Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment
Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment
Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment
Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment
Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment
Aquaman's Black Manta Helmet
Photo Credit: Factory Entertainment

Each replica is crafted from durable heavyweight fiberglass and is accented with ABS plastic, metal, and polyresin parts. LED lighting and digital sound effects taken directly from the film have been incorporated into the replica to simulate the effects as seen in the film.

It was apparent in the film that CGI enhanced Black Manta’s costume. But, unfortunately, that’s something that I always found a turnoff when it came to prop collecting. I like the idea of owning an exact replica of what was filmed, but if the original was computer augmented, the replicas lose their luster.

Black Manta’s look is nearly as iconic as Aquaman’s. So when Black Manta was announced as the film’s main villain, I wondered how Warner Bros. would pull off the massive headpiece. Of course, I was sure it would be all CGI. However, it’s nice to learn that some practical effects were used.

Which props from the DCEU would you like to see hit the market? Let us know below.

[Source: Factory Entertainment]

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Story Trailer Reveals More Surprises

If you’ve been looking forward to Respawn Entertainment’s next Star Wars game, you’ll have another new trailer to look over. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is set to release on April 28th, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, following up from the previous game made by Respawn Entertainment. Now that the release of the game is imminent, EA revealed on their official social media pages and YouTube channel a new Story Trailer that sheds some light on what the plot of the game will be. But with more answers comes even more questions.

The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set around 5 years after the events of the previous game. Cal Kestis and the crew of The Mantis have been evading the Galactic Empire, as the galaxy falls into despair following the major events of Order 66. In the trailer, Cal Kestis is seen with a number of characters from Jedi Fallen Order, including our first real look at Merrin in the game. We also see Cal interacting with Cere Junda, giving Greez a hug, and speaking with newcomer Bode Akuna.

Of course, there’s a lot of action included in the trailer too. Cal Kestis is going to be getting into a lot of trouble throughout the course of the game, including what seems to be another vehicle crash while fighting the Empire on a planet that we don’t know. Lightsabers will clash as well with plenty of new enemies that will stand in Cal’s way. One of the baddies we get another quick look at in the new trailer includes Rayvis, an armored Gen’Dai that will fight Cal Kestis at some point during the story.

One interesting part of the trailer featured the mysterious figure who is wearing gold robes, signifying a possible connection to the High Republic era of Star Wars. The figure tosses over a stormtrooper helmet and scolds Cal Kestis for allowing the Empire to take control of the galaxy, which he deemed unworthy. Who this person is and what they want is unknown for now, but we can expect a major reveal that may connect multiple eras of Star Wars together in the game. What we do now is that they also have a lightsaber on their belt, signifying they might be a Jedi looking for a fight with Cal.

While the story trailer has glimpses of some of the action we’ll see in the final release, we still have a bit longer to wait before Jedi Survivor hits stores. Other things that can be spotted are quick shots of the puzzle dungeons, lightsaber combat forms with different lightsaber builds, as well as teaming up with an ally to take down enemies. Before it was known Cal Kestis could team up with Bode Akuna, but it looks like Merrin will be an ally in combat as well. Maybe we’ll see other characters jump into the fight too? We’ll find out when Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on April 28th. Until then, make sure you check out our look at Five Star Wars Things to Watch before Jedi Survivor comes out!

Are you excited about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor? Ready to see what happens next with Cal Kestis? Post a comment down below and let us know if you’ll be picking up the game on release day!

‘Atelier Ryza’ RPG Is Getting An Anime Adaption From Liden Films

Liden Films, the Japanese animation studio behind ‘Goblin Slayer,’ is adapting the Koei Tecmo RPG video game ‘Atelier Ryza’ into an anime. The announcement was made during the live stream of the “Atelier 25th Anniversary Progam #5” where they said it would adapt the first game in the franchise ‘Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout.’

You can check out the trailer below:

Anime News Network reported, “Tokoyami no Joō to Himitsu no Kakurega Animation features the returning main cast from the game. Ema Yuzuriha is directing the anime at LIDEN FILMS, and Yashichiro Takahashi (Shakugan no Shana) is returning from the game to oversee the series scripts. Tomoyuki Shitaya (Bakuman., Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma ) is designing the characters. Kazuki Yanagawa is returning from the game to compose the music.”

Fans were also excited when Ryza voice actress Yuri Noguchi confirmed that she would be returning to the role for the anime. Crunchyroll also revealed the rest of the Japanese cast on their website:

  • Hitomi Ōwada as Klaudia Valentz
  • Takuma Terashima as Lent Marslink
  • Yui Kondo as Tao Mongarten
  • Hirofumi Nojima as Empel Vollmer
  • Haruka Terui as Lila Decyrus

Takahashi previously worked on the video game ‘Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan desu’ as well as the sci-fi light novel ‘A/B Extreme’ and the supernatural manga ‘Shakugan no Shana.’

The news came as a third RPG will be released titled ‘Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key’ on March 24, 2023. This follows the second game ‘Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy’ which debuted in 2020.

Media outlet Nitendo Life noted, “Koei Tecmo has also released the final trailer for Atelier Ryza 3. This follows an update about the collective sales of Atelier Ryza and Atelier Ryza 2 – revealing the series has now shipped more than 1.6 million units worldwide.”

The first ‘Atelier Ryza’ video game was released in 2019 on PC, Nintendo Switch, and the PS4.

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