Arcade Sushi editor-in-chief Luke Brown is an experienced video game journalist who has contributed to Official Xbox Magazine and Games Radar. As ComicsAlliance's senior editor, he spends most of his time dishing on the latest action figures, collectibles, and gaming trends.
Luke Brown
Rogue One’s Jyn Erso Gets Her Hot Toys Figure Just in Time For the Rebellion
Finally, after numerous Stormtroopers and Deathtroopers, we have our new Star Wars protagonist getting her own Hot Toys figure. Now obviously it's easy for Hot Toys to churn out some Imperial soldiers given that they use the same basic model from the original trilogy that they're using in the upcoming anthology prequel, and it takes a little bit more time to work out the nuances of an actual human being. The wait was very much worth it though, as the Jyn Erso figure is pretty damn remarkable.
Dead Rising 4 Review (Xbox One)
Dead Rising 4 sees the franchise's original hero forced back into action in a sequel that's bigger than any entry in the series before, yet feels more empty and bereft of excitement than its predecessors.
Black Widow and Captain America Kick Off New Marvel Ultimate Action Doll Series at Disney Stores
Surprise, there are new Black Widow and Captain America figures hitting Disney Stores right now! Marvel's parent company just launched an all-new premium figure series called Marvel Ultimate, and the Soviet Spy is finally on the front lines instead of waiting around in the wings. Yeah, Captain America is there too, but it's not like he needs any help getting merchandise out to the masses.
The Marvel Ultimate line is Disney's latest take on the action doll market. Each figure includes a fully-poseable body with 30+ points of articulation, as well as molded and fabric elements. You could view this as Disney's attempt to target that DC Super Hero Girls market, without having to rely on any third-party partners. Launching store-exclusive lines isn't a new tactic for Disney, but this is the first time we're seeing practices usually held for the Princesses adapted over to the Marvel brand. Not that we're complaining. The Marvel Ultimate figures actually look cool.
Where’s Jyn? This Fall, She’ll Be in the Star Wars Black Series
It didn't take long today during the Star Wars Celebration Europe Rogue One panel for Felicity Jones to get a chance to see her very first action figure. While many of us in the collecting world had assumed the protagonist of this winter's first Star Wars film to take place away from the Skywalkers, Hasbro had never confirmed it for certain. It is official now however, and Jyn Erso will join the ranks of the Star Wars Black series when the next wave launches this fall.
There's no exact release date for the upcoming wave, which also includes Leia Organa (A New Hope), Sabine Wren and unmasked Kylo Ren (and more), but if last year's Force Friday event in September is any kind of indicator, better mark you calendars for that first Friday now. What's more, Jyn joining this wave makes it the most female-centric Black Series wave since the line launched. There has never been a wave with three female figures in it before, let alone two, so this fall is going to be home to all kinds of firsts.
Funko Announces More ‘Suicide Squad’ Collectibles Than Any Prison Could Hold
I've heard it said there are few definitives in life beyond death and taxes, but you can probably throw Funko making Pops of something in there really soon, if you haven't already. The company's reach far exceeds what I'm sure anyone expected from Funko when the Pops first appeared as Funko Force 2.0 at San Diego Comic-Con 2010. In just six years, the Pop line has multiplied exponentially, and it seems that Funko can hardly even keep up with the demand. That doesn't stop 'em from trying though, as you can hardly make it through a day without Funko announcing at least one new property joining the fold.
While we did know Suicide Squad collectibles were in the works, we didn't really have an idea of just how far Funko's rabbit hole went when it came to the upcoming Warner Bros. film based on the DC Comics characters. Needless to say, if you like Harley Quinn and the Joker, as portrayed by Margot Robbie and Jared Leto respectively, then you are going to have a lot of little deformed versions of those characters to buy this year.
Collect Your Favorite Decomposing Corpses with Topps’ New Walking Dead Cards
People love The Walking Dead. Despite some rage-inducing story decisions made at the end of this last season (and numerous times throughout the show's run depending on who you're asking), the show is still one of the biggest hits not on premium cable. It's so successful it even necessitated the creation of a spin-off series, Fear the Walking Dead, which showcases the zombie apocalypse from an all-new perspective of characters not seen in the comic series before. And there's the post-show talk show too, but the merits of its existence is a whole different discussion nobody wants to have.
While there has certainly been no shortage of merchandise for the television show, including trading cards, Topps has seen fit to add the popular series to its stable of licensed products. Things kicked off today with the launch of a new, free digital card app, The Walking Dead Card Trader, with physical cards planned to follow later in 2016. What kind of cards are we talking about here? Walkers. Lots and lots of walkers.
New Star Wars Game Coming From Titanfall, God of War Creative Teams
The marketing blitz of Star Wars Day did not disappoint this May the Fourth, with a number of announcements for new toys, statutes, clothing, books and more hitting the web. While most of the reveals were expected, and welcome, EA dropped arguably the biggest surprise of the day. In addition to continued support by DICE from Star Wars Battlefront, the various mobile teams working on portable Star Wars experiences, and Viscerals upcoming secret Star Wars adventure, now Respawn Entertainment would be joining the mix. That's right, the developers who helped craft the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare that went on to form an all-new studio and launch the Titanfall series will dive head first into the galactic waters of Star Wars video games.
Hot Toys’ Princess Leia is a Jedi Knight in White Satin [Review]
Alright, you got me. Technically Leia Organa isn't a Jedi Knight. Maybe at one time that was her destiny, but that might be something I made up in the '90s. As we all know today, Leia Organa may have been incredibly Force-sensitive like her brother Luke Skywalker, but she never took to the Jedi training like he did. Leia stuck with the Rebellion for decades, maintaining her role as a leader in the galaxy's Resistance against the remaining Empire forces. Her path to becoming a general however started way back in the original Star Wars, where Leia used her diplomatic privileges to help the fledgling Rebel Alliance.
Since debuting in Star Wars in 1977, Leia Organa has become an icon that transcended the genre. While it took a few figures to get here, Hot Toys has finally seen fit to honor one of cinema's greatest heroes with a figure worthy of her status. The Star Wars: A New Hope Princess Leia may not be the hardened general we know her as today, but Hot Toys' latest figure manages to bring her to life in figure form so well, you can see the beginnings of the galaxy's greatest leader in every detail.
Where’s Rey? On Star Wars Day She’ll Be at Kmart
Last year, Hasbro released an exclusive figure through Kmart featuring Kylo Ren in a snow-dusted cloak and standing in a icy base. We'd seen the scene a number of times in the trailers, and it made for a moderately interesting variant of the standard Black Series Kylo. Still, that was released last winter, and we were all left wondering if we'd ever see the second half of the planned set. At the time, many presumed the follow-up figure would be Finn from that same wintery scene. Oh how foolish we all were to believe a trailer would show us the entire movie and spoil one of the greatest moments in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
On May 4, aka Star Wars Day, the diorama will finally be complete when Starkiller Base Rey arrives.
There’s a Very Slim Chance You’ll Survive the New Ghostbusters Video Game
If you had told me the new Ghostbusters movie would lead to a new four-player, co-op, isometric RPG shooter meant to tie into the film's release, I probably would have given a speech much like the OG GBs gave to the mayor of New York in the original film. Rumors of a Ghostbusters game have been flying around since the updated feature was announced, but this week Activision confirmed plans to support the Paul Feig film with an original game that takes place after the events of 2016's Ghostbusters. Which is interesting considering the game comes out before the movie hits theaters.
As if enough Ghostbusters media and merchandise branded with that simple name wasn't confusing enough already, the game too will rely on just the default team name coined by the original paranormal investigators back in 1984. No real prior knowledge of the franchise will be necessary though, as Ghostbusters will feature an entirely new cast of characters, different from the new cast of characters in the movie, which are all different from the comics and cartoons based on the first Ghostbusters. Still with me?