Christmas is coming. Geese are fattening up. Pennies are being placed in aging men’s chapeaus. The holiday season is approaching us like the next comic book event series. Obviously, the most important part of this whole thing is presents. Yeah, yeah, peace on Earth, good will, love, sharing, and all that crap is in there, but really, we just want more stuff.
If you have a comic book fan in your home, 2013 has been a particularly awesome year for collectibles. Lets get that straight once and for all. If your action figures stay in their packages or get displayed on a shelf, they are collectibles. If you play with them, then they are toys. Anyway, if you’re starting to panic over what figure to purchase your comic book enthusiast, don’t. I’m here to help with a shopping guide just for you. I call it, 15 Awesome Collectibles That Demand To Be Purchased.
2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Collectibles For The Comic Fan
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Silver Surfer
Company: Diamond Select
Retail Price: $25
For those who love the former herald of Galactus, might I interest you in this seven-inch version of the Silver Surfer? Sculpted by Sam Greenwell, this figure not only comes with an awesome base, which allows you to pose the Surfer with his board behind him or surfing on it, but it also comes with the Infinity Gauntlet.
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Surf's Up Batman
Company: Mattel
Retail Price: $15
Because you damn well know you want a six inch figure of Batman in Bermuda shorts.
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Walter White as Heisenberg
Company: Mezco
Retail Price: $30
I would never have seen Breaking Bad as a place to launch action figures. I was wrong. One of the hottest selling collectibles this Christmas will be this particularly badass piece. Six inches in height, this is Walter White in his Heisenberg guise. The figure includes White’s trademark fedora, sunglasses, bag of cash and guns. If you have a Breaking Bad collector in your home, this figure is the joint.
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Bane
Company: DC Collectibles
Retail Price: $30
Help wash away the awful Bane memories from The Dark Knight Rises with this eight-inch, highly detailed Bane figure from the Batman Arkham Origins video game. The craftsmanship on this figure is excellent. It’s also a heavyweight piece, perfect for displaying.
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Axe Cop
Company: Mezco
Retail Price: $45
From the brilliant comic book comes the first set of Axe Cop toys. Four inches tall, the set includes Axe Cop, his dinosaur Wexter, Dr. Doo Doo and an Avocado soldier. Between the sheer coolness of these figures and their accessories, this is the underground comic find of the decade.
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Star Wars Black Series
Company: Hasbro
Retail Price: $14 Dollars Each
I’m usually not one to hawk the endless supply of Star Wars figures, but this Black Series is pretty awesome. Highly detailed figures with working parts, standing six inches tall, Hasbro has gone out of their way to give these figures a collectible vibe. Easily the best Star Wars figures to hit in a long time.
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The Winter Soldier
Company: Diamond Select Toys
Retail Price: $25
With Captain America: The Winter Soldier due to hit theaters next year, this is going to be an insanely hot ticket for Christmas. Standing at seven-inches tall, this highly detailed version of the Winter Solider comes directly from the Ed Brubaker run on the now-cancelled series. Outside of the figure, there’s a nicely put together base and a huge gun included. One thing to be aware of: this is not what the movie Winter Soldier will look like, this is strictly a comic book version.
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Swamp Thing Deluxe
Company: DC Collectibles
Retail Price: $50
This figure is a little steeper in price than the usual DC Collectible, but with good reason. Standing nearly nine inches high, this is one of the best Swamp Thing figures to ever be released. Taken from the New 52 series penned by Scott Snyder and Charles Soule, our hero has huge removable wings, plus a shield and sword. Use the base to display your proud avatar of The Green. Best of all, the figure is based on Swamp Thing artist Yannick Paquette’s design.
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Classic Thor
Company: Diamond Select Toys
Retail Price: $25
While the world of collectibles has been overrun with Thor toys from the film, this is something specifically for the comic book lover. Standing seven inches tall, this is the Thor we all loved from the comics. With his Jack Kirby-esque face, big yellow boots, original costume, and a nice alien rock to display him from, classic Thor will send your Marvel collector into fits of geek ecstasy.
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Super-Villains Joker
Company: DC Collectibles
Retail Price: $25
Straight from the brilliant Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo run of Batman comes the creepiest Joker figure yet. At seven inches tall, this is the new look for The Joker and his sliced-off face being held on with leather straps and pins. This figure captures those disturbing details perfectly. Comes with a variety of weapons to inflict maximum torture with. This is the Joker figure to end all Joker figures.
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Pacific Rim: Gipsy Danger & Knifehead
Company: Neca Toys
Retail Price: $45
This was one of the weirdest stories on the circuit today. Pacific Rim opened, and though it was truly wonderful, it didn’t do well at the box office. The collectibles line was released, but became increasingly hard to find. Now you can have the main robot fighting for our side and the nemesis creature from the other dimension in a two pack. Standing seven inches tall, the figures are painstakingly detailed. If you find these, jump on them, they might become collector’s items.
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Dr. Who Glow-in-the-Dark Weeping Angel Statue of Liberty
Company: Titans Figures
Retail Price: $65
While technically not a comic book character, this New York Comic Con exclusive will be a hot item this Christmas. Doctor Who just celebrated its 50th Anniversary and is showing greater popularity than ever before. As one of the Doctor’s most acclaimed villains, this eight-inch figure combines the weeping angel and the Statue of Liberty. Complete with tablet and torch, the liberty weeping angel glows in the dark for extra creepiness.
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Masterpiece Christopher Reeve Superman
Company: Hot Toys
Retail Price: $350
Nobody comes close to Hot Toys when it comes to high-end collectibles. This homage to Christopher Reeve’s Superman is a work of art. Standing fifteen inches tall with a sculpted face that looks exactly like Reeve, this figure comes with a Fortress of Solitude base plus a cloth costume. Collectors also get three interchangeable sets of hands. A perfect replica down to the last detail.
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Masterpiece Tom Hiddleston Loki
Company: Hot Toys
Retail Price: $415
Once again, Hot Toys knocks it out of the park. This beautifully-sculpted replica of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is worth every penny. Along with a perfect-looking head and costume, collectors also get the massive helmet, seven pairs of hands, a muzzle, shackles, the scepter and the incredible hand-constructed costume. A perfect gift for those who love Loki.
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Alien Figure Set
Company: Super7
Retail Price: $90
For over a decade, Super7 has been creating some of the greatest collectibles in the world. A global phenomenon, the company’s knack for pop culture combined with its love for Japanese toy culture gives everything they do an edge. In the 70s, an Alien toy line was planned, but abandoned. Super7 picked up on that idea and ran with it. Originally selling the prototypes only, the store now sells the full color set. Ripley, the Alien, Brett and Ash are all present. This is the king collectible for Christmas 2013. Check out super7.com for the Alien set and all their other badass merchandise.
