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| Images courtesy NECA |
This past weekend was to be the annual New York Toy Fair for 2022 but as the in-person event was cancelled, most companies held events on their social media sites. An incredible number of announcements, pre-orders, prototypes, and plans for the future of toys and collectibles were on parade across the internet. There is enough from a single company to make several individual articles, but a choice had to be made and it was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from NECA Toys.
Let us start with the movie figures from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze. A four-pack of the titular heroes in the 7-inch scale. Several updates to keep the figures accurate to this iteration of the film franchise and just an excessive number of accessories, from food props to Donatello’s watch. Not only that, but an additional accessory pack is being offered with even more scaled items from the movie. Pre-orders will go up on NECA’s site March 22nd and will stay open for two weeks.
On the animated front, NECA announced several figures and a set coming over the horizon. A Rock Soldier and Crooked Ninja Turtle Goon 2-pack and a Smash and Zach 2-pack to fill out your enemies and allies. The Rock and Goon 2-pack is a troop builder with accessories enough to make every variation, while the Smash (leader of the Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang) and Zach (the Fifth Turtle) 2-pack come with their character appropriate accessories, swappable hands, and two portraits each. In an incredible crossover, Usagi Yojimbo’s animated appearance will come in the Ultimate line, including plenty of his accessories and VHS-style packaging. Then the Turtle’s Lair was teased although no details were given. Usagi and the two 2-packs will have a similar two-week window for preorders coming this March.
In an alternate universe, Universal Monsters x TMNT Ultimate Michelangelo as The Mummy was shown in his bandaged glory. Previously announced was the Raphael as Frankenstein’s monster and Leonardo as Ygor the Hunchback. Michelangelo joins them with ankh nunchuks, extra bandage drapes, a cobra, three sets of hands, and two interchangeable heads. One of these heads is clearly a reference to the decaying prop head from the movies that had become popular recently in memes. Up for preorder on most sites for $37.99 USD and should arrive September 2022.
Lastly, we get reveals from three lines of comics: Archie, Mirage and IDW. The Archie Comics line will bring Slash, Jagwar, Dreadmon, and Ray Fillet/Man Ray! All in the 7-inch scale with Slash having swappable hands and his iconic weapons, Man Ray with his harpoon gun and two portraits. For the Mirage comics, we get reveals of Fugitoid, Utrom, and Rennet. Fugitoid has some interesting articulation due to his unique shape and he will come with several accessories that work with him and his Turtle counterparts. Utrom gives the alien race a comic-accurate exoskeleton and removable brain-body with alternate damaged head. Rennet’s time travelling hijinks will come in the remastered colors and include three swappable portraits, scroll, scepter, and dagger. Then my favorite character gets teased as a solitary image of Casey Jones’ golf bag and mask. IDW’s The Last Ronin is going all out with a fully geared version with not only several weapon accessories, heads, and hands but with two upper torsos for both a ‘shirtless’ and ‘fully outfitted’ look.
This is plenty for every type of Turtle fanatic as we are already deep into the vast world of TMNT!
-SC