It’s been hella fortnight since we’ve last taken a look at Heroclix-stuff, mostly because Square Enix drops enough product on a weekly basis to that point where I can ignore the tabletop gaming section. However, NECA has released a line based on Bioshock Infinite, one of my favorite video games from the past few months, so now I’m contractually obligated to care. Currently available are single blind-box Clixs, as well as a six Clix starter set with Booker Dewitt, Elizabeth, Daisy Fitzoy, an Automated Stallion, and both a Handyman and a Flakman (ALL OF THE MANS!). The starter set, which retails for about $25, comes with the respected Clix’s character cards, 5 Object token, 1 powers and abilities card, 1 rule book, 2 dice and 2 maps. A solid starter set, at least in my opinion, but I’m not exactly the biggest Heroclixs guy, you YMMV. And if Bioshock Infinite isn’t your thing for some reason, we all have tons of Marvel and DC-based sets and expansions, Gears of Wars Clix, and as mentioned in the past Pacific Rim. NECA is gunning hard for my wallet, and I applaud them for their efforts.
I made that Square Enix joke above for a reason by the way. Once again the company is flooding our shelves with Play Art Kai figures, which I’m sure has nothing to do with all the negative press the new Final Fantasy game has been getting (No it doesn’t but the timing IS funny to me). The Arkham line gets 2 new additions in the form of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and we get our first Dead Space Play Arts figures with DS3 Issac Clarke. As you see from the photo attached, Ivy is SUPER GREEN and SUPER PANTLESS, and I think I have a bigger problem with her given paint color more than I do with her design. The New 52 Harley has soften my stance on her Arkham City counterpart, so I kind of dig it now. Issac….Issac is a busy figure, and I’m still not sure how I feel about the fur collar with armor thing he’s got going on there. My issues aside, the figures are extremely well put together, fairly articulated, and well-stocked in the accessories department: They all come with alternate hands, and Ivy comes with some plant life, Harley with some guns and a baseball bat, and Isaac comes with a Plasma Cutter and a rifle. They run the usual $60-$70 price point, and given the fact that Harley and Ivy are fan favorites, I imagine keeping them on our shelves is a little more difficult than usual.
And big ups to Squenix for releasing 2 different Batman-related lines without actually releasing a Batman figure in either of them (not a dig by the way, I’m being as sincere as I can be when talking about Bat-Merch here). The Dark Knight Joker and Dark Knight Rises Catwoman figures are also in stock, and are probably the best plastic versions of these characters that aren’t Hot Toys releases. Square Enix did a fantastic job of capturing the actor’s likenesses with these collectibles, to the point that it’s almost creepy. Catwoman comes with a variant head, 3 alternate hands and a gun, and the Joker comes packaged with 2 variant heads, a pair of hands, playing cards and a knife. These are a huge step-up from the previous movie-verse Play Arts, and are a good sign for the upcoming Man of Steel figures dropping later this year.
