San Diego Comic-Con is just around the corner, and with that comes plenty of exclusive Funko items. Some you will only be able to get there, but there are some that will be available at Barnes & Noble or Hot Topic on July 9 (while supplies last). Nothing is confirmed yet, but there are lots of rumors circulating from credible sources about what items will be available at these locations. Since I cannot make it to San Diego, I plan on hitting those two stores to get whatever I can get my hands on. Some items I am very excited about, but some are pretty lackluster. I’ll tell you which ones I think are too good to miss and which you might find on clearance in a few months. I’ll also discuss what I think are missed opportunities. Though my list is fairly comic-focused, there are plenty of Television, Star Wars, and Disney ones which are pretty awesome. You can see everything that will be released here.
Unmasked Pop! Figures: I know some people think these are lazy and don’t like them, but I’m really excited for these. Some of my most anticipated are The Flash (Toysrus.com exclusive), Jason Voorhes, and Captain America (B&N). I especially like Jason Voorhees, bumpy, deformed head and all (Publisher concurs). Admit it, some of your favorite parts of Friday the 13th were when Jason lost his mask. Unfortunately, it seems Jason will be limited to a run of 1008, so he will be hard to find. The Flash and Cap look to be the same bodies as their base figure with new heads.
Hikaris: I don’t own any of these (yet), but I really like the look of some of these. Some of my favorites are Frosted Groot, Cosmic Powers Deadpool, and Infrared Boba Fett. Deadpool and Boba Fett are both very red and shiny, so of course I like them. I like shiny things, much like an ostrich. I like Groot, because it looks like he had a little too much fun at the club, if you know what I mean. Seriously though, it’s just him covered in snow or ice, which works.
Dorbz: Again, I don’t own any of these (yet) but I will be trying to get my hands on Thrillkiller Batman, X-Force Deadpool, and 6 inch Batman (B&N). These look just like their common counterparts, simply with a new paint job and/or bigger size. Mine will be desk decorations at work.
ReAction: Jaws - Bloody Great White Shark + Quint: I’m not usually a fan of these, BUT THIS IS A FIGURE OF JAWS EATING OLD ROUGH TALKING QUINT!! It doesn’t get much better than that. You can buy this for yourself or someone else to have some bathtime fun. Just kidding. Maybe….(ed. note: THIS will be one of the must-haves from SDCC)
Batman v Superman 2-pack Movie Pop!s: Oh….my…..God. Calm down. Breathe. I need this. Badly. But….only 500. No...Just...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I love the Dark Knight Returns looking Batsuit here. Not to mention Superman looks pretty sweet flying around. Why? Why do they do this to me? 500….
6 inch Flocked Mr. Snuffleupagus (B&N): At first I thought this would be silly, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. I think I like it because it’s a giant elephant creature with hair/fuzz.
Honorable Mentions: Here are a few more I think deserve to be mentioned, in no certain order: Vinyl Idolz Ghostbusters, French Mistake Castiel Pop!, Rocket Raccoon 6 inch Dorbz (B&N), Gold Bender Pop! (Hot Topic), Black Out Ant-Man Pop! (B&N), and Gone Batty Minion Pop! (Hot Topic).
According to Funko CEO Brian Mariotti, half of the comments they have received about these upcoming releases are negative. I don’t understand that, because most of these are some pretty nice pieces. I really did like most of the stuff, but some are less than savory.
Lil’ Gruesome colored Pop! figures: Who are the people that are clamoring for more than one Lil’ Gruesome? Does a rabid Lil’ Gruesome fan have some pictures that Funko doesn’t want made public? I get making one since they are releasing a Hanna-Barbera's Wacky Races line, but three more? People are clamoring for things like more Supernatural characters, different Disney variations and characters, or more movie variations, but we get a rainbow of Lil’ Gruesome? I just don’t understand this.
Unmasked Baymax Pop!: This is the only unmasked one I don’t like. I can literally make this myself. All I need to do is get regular and armored Baymax and get to work. It also just looks…..odd.
And one I’m on the fence about:
Pop! Tees: The shirts are pretty cool, but do I really need to start collecting clothes now? I can barely dress myself in anything other than superhero t-shirts as it is, so I don’t need to collect anymore. I would like the Skeletor and TMNT ones though.
There are many things to choose from this year at SDCC, but I can’t help but feel like they could do so much more. One thing that is noticeable absent from most Funko lines are Spider-Man villains. Why not make items with the Sinister Six? I know Marvel will be putting Spider-Man in their new Captain America movie, so start releasing Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin stuff. There is also nothing to do with Secret Wars, which is a shame, because Spider-Gwen or Miles Morales would be great. Maybe they are saving Secret Wars for the next Marvel Collector Corps box. And finally, where is Gambit? He’s probably the second most popular member of the X-Men, but there is nothing for him. I also think they could do more horror variants besides just being bloody or glow in the dark, but I’ll save that discussion for another day.