The Quarter Bin

If you’ve visited the site before at all, you know how big a fan I am of NECA’s products. We stopped by their booth at Toy Fair 2010 to see what they had in store for us this year, and just as expected, the figures they have planned for this year are going to be awesome.

Whether it’s their incredible sculpts, their attention to detail, or their knack for knowing just what action figures I’m dying to own, NECA’s one of a few companies from which I’ll buy whatever they’re making. Even though they’ve been making high quality collectibles for years, they’re probably best known for their Gears of War line. And deservedly so. Nearly every chink, strap, buckle, crease, pocket, or pouch of their get-up is painstakingly recreated on a smaller three-dimensional scale. Though many of the Gears figures on display this year were from waves that are currently available, NECA was showing of three new fully-painted sculpts of the Kantus, Scorge, and the Boomer Butcher. Each of the figures looks as if it’s literally jumped out of the television, and that’s a testament to how talented the sculptors are over at NECA. There’s such great detail in the Locust soldier faces as well. Scorge and the Butcher are definitely two figures that are going to find their way onto my shelf. To this point, the only other Locust figure I own is the “Headshot” one, and I’m sure he’s getting a little lonely with all the members of the COG army surrounding him.

More recently, NECA started a line of figures based on the BioShock video game, which to this point has consisted of a Bouncer, Big Sister, Subject Delta, and a Little Sister, though she’s only available bundled with the Big Sister. Soon the line will expand with a Rosie, a tommy-gun-wielding lady Splicer, and an Eleanor Lamb Little Sister. It’s likely that the Eleanor will be bundled with a regular Little Sister, but it’s not 100% confirmed at this point. While I personally wish they would have gone with a Thuggish Splicer instead of a Leadhead, there’s plenty of time and types of Splicers that by when all is said and done, the BioShock line could rival the Gears of War line as far as sheer number of figures. It’s a tall task, no doubt, but BioShock has a deep pool of characters to draw from. Hopefully an Andrew Ryan figure isn’t too far off. NECA’s also hinted at there being a San Diego Comic Con exclusive inspired from something that happens near the conclusion of the recently released sequel, and if my guess (which we won’t discuss in case some of you haven’t finished the game) is right, it’s going to be a pretty cool figure.

NECA’s also dabbled in prop replicas before, ala the Gears Lancer, and that trend has continued with BioShock. You may have seen the EVE Hypo or the Big Daddy Plush in stores, but the company’s plans don’t stop there. Coming later this year will be a full-size Adam Syringe, exactly like the ones the Little Sisters use to draw the red liquid from dead Splicers. Proving their commitment to detail, NECA’s Randy Falk told us he tracked down the exact gas pump handle that 2K used for inspiration when modeling the syringe to make sure that NECA’s replica was perfect. While there wasn’t a production model available to look at during Toy Fair, we’ll be sure to keep our eyes open to bring you a first look as soon as possible.

Those of you who picked up a pre-order copy of Dante’s Inferno were lucky enough to get your hands on a Dante action figure, complete with holy cross and scythe. Unfortunately, that’s the only way to get that figure. However, later this year, NECA’s going to have another Dante figure available for everyone. This time he’ll be wearing his armor from the Crusades, and even though it’s not nearly as gruesome, the figure is still wonderfully detailed. The company also created a terrifying Unbaptized Baby figure, which will probably come bundled with either the new Dante sculpt or another Baby. I haven’t yet had time to play the game, but I’ve seen enough footage to know how sick looking the Babies are in the game, and NECA’s done an incredible job translating that eerieness to a three-inch figure. You also may have heard NECA’s going to be making more Dead Space figures to tie into the upcoming sequel. Even though the game’s not due to arrive until early 2011, there was a Necromorph figure on display at Toy Fair, and it’s just as demented as its video game counterpart. There will be a new Isaac sculpt available as well, but it was too early in production for NECA to show anything yet.

On the movie-based property front, NECA’s got figures planned for the upcoming Jonah Hex movie, the new Clash of the Titans and Nightmare on Elm Street remakes, and new T-1000 and Predator sculpts to add to the already existing Terminator 2 and Predator lines. Their Jonah Hex line is fantastic looking, and not only gave us our first glimpse at what John Malkovich will look like in the movie, but will also present us with the best-looking Megan Fox figure to date. Josh Brolin’s scarred up Jonah looks stunning, and will be a welcome addition to any comic or movie fan’s collection. While it’s not the first time that Jonah Hex has been turned into a toy, this new figure is the only one to present the character with such grim detail. We also got to see the Perseus figure from Clash of the Titans, and judging by the trailers, NECA’s done an bang-up job bringing the Sam Worthington character to life as an action figure. You’ll also be able to find prop replicas of Perseus’ sword and a few other weapons from the film around the time the movie releases.

Two new Freddy figures from the upcoming Nightmare remake will be hitting shelves this year as well. One will be based on pre-accident Fred, and the other will be a translation of the horribly scarred Freddy we’ve all come to love. I’m not sure how many people will be interested in owning the regular version of Fred, but it’s still a great looking figure. The Freddy, on the other hand, is a day one purchase for me. There’s a great amount of detail in the burn scars, as well as the character’s signature bladed glove, and even though he’s such a grotesque man, any fan of the franchise won’t be able to pass this sculpt up. Like NECA’s done before with their replica hockey mask for the Friday the 13th line, you’ll be able to get a replica bladed glove, which you can wear should the mood fit.

The T-1000 has had his fair share of figures before, but none that quite captured Robert Patrick so well. NECA’s planning for three different versions of the T2 baddie: one in standard police get up, one that’s entirely liquid metal, and one that’s battle damaged. While the regular and liquid figures do look great, the real “must own” figure is the battle damaged T-1000 from the final battle in the film. His head’s split open, he’s got bullet splash holes, and he’s got the metal hook arms, but best of all, the parts on any of the figures will be interchangeable so you can create your own version of the figure if you want. The completely liquid version will be a SDCC exclusive, but NECA did a great job making their exclusive available to everyone last year, and I expect this year they’ll do the same. The company’s Predator figures, based on the old Predator from the conclusion of Predator 2 and the one Arnold fights in Predator, don’t look that radically different from what NECA’s done before with the alien, but they’re still incredible, and fans of the franchise will have a hard time passing them up.

The rest of the year looks pretty good for NECA, too. Arriving later this summer will be a new Ezio from Assassin’s Creed 2, a talking Claptrap from Borderlands, and a Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell: Conviction. They’ve also got the license for Robert Rodriguez’s Predators, and they’re really excited about that line. Keep in mind, those are just the figures they’re able to talk about now. We’ve heard they’ve got some interesting plans in store for gaming and movie fans alike, but NECA’s keeping everything pretty close to the vest until San Diego. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try and pry a few more secrets from them in the coming months. In the meantime, if you’re dying to hear more about NECA’s plans for 2010, check out my interview with Randy Falk.