Posted By Dan Greenfield on Dec 25, 2024 | 7 comments

The TOYHEM Finale!

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Welcome to TOYHEM! For the sixth straight holiday season, we brought you a series of features and columns celebrating the toys of our youth, which often made for the best memories this time of year. Click here to check out the complete index of stories — and have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and Happy Holidays! — Dan

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By CHRIS FRANKLIN

While the times we live may be difficult on many levels, one thing most fans can agree on, as far as collectibles go, is that we are in a true Golden Age. Manufacturers have seemingly tapped into the minds of fans with disposable income and willing wallets, and created items we only once dreamed of seeing, either again or for the very first time. From obscure characters being revived in a popular figure format, to classic toys being reissued down to the most minute detail, it truly is an embarrassment of riches. To paraphrase Rick James, “Nostalgia is a helluva drug” and the appeal of a simpler time is even more enticing than before.

With this list, we’ll rank my personal TOP 13 RETRO SUPERHERO TOYS OF 2024 (plus one that just barely missed the cut). The criteria are that these toys must have actually been released in 2024, and evoke some nostalgic vibe from comics’ first three primary ages: Golden, Silver and Bronze. There are tons more wonderful toys that could have easily earned a spot here, but on this day, these are the ones who stand out to me. Let us know your picks in the comments below!

So, with even more grails already confirmed as on the way in 2025, lets dive into what hit our retail and display shelves in 2024!

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Honorable Mention: DC Multiverse Clock King (McFarlane Toys). Of course, this guy didn’t quite make the list. Once an also-ran, always an also-ran. A huge “Huh?” moment was seeing the solicitation and eventual release of the classic comics version of the Clock King in three-dimensional form. Don’t get me wrong, I (somewhat) unironically love this guy, but that costume screams “MORT!” like few others. But he does make for a striking (pun intended) action figure!

This Green Arrow rogue and Justice League Antarctica member is a deluxe “Collector Edition” release and comes with his clock hand weapons, and a trading card with art lifted directly from his classic Who’s Who entry by Dan Spiegle!

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13. Marvel Legends Crystar (Hasbro). The word obscure doesn’t begin to describe this selection added to Hasbro’s popular Marvel Legends line of figures. Based on the 11-issue Marvel series that ran from 1983-85, as well as the concurrent toy line issued by Remco during that same period, Crystar was a largely forgotten character that many probably assumed didn’t actually even belong to Marvel. But unlike the more popular Rom (who was given a much more successful Marvel series and is now owned by Hasbro and is due to join the Legends line next year), Crystar belonged to the House of Ideas, so his return was always a possibility, even if it was highly improbable. And yet, here he is, unique crystalline, translucent sculpt and all!

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12. Atlas Comics Line (Mego). If you said you were expecting this, you’re lying. Mego shocked the comic and toy collecting worlds by announcing their set of four figures based on the long-defunct Atlas/Seaboard comics line, initiated by publisher Martin Goodman in the mid-’70s after leaving Marvel. The legend of the Atlas line has lasted far longer than the handful of months the comics did. So, the thought of any merchandise EVER being made off of these characters seemed less probable than pigs flying. Yet here they are, Hands of the Dragon, the Grim Ghost, Devilina, and the Phoenix, available first at New York Comic Con, and then Walmart.

Image courtesy of Action Figure Insider

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11. Batman Classic TV Series Batgirl Cycle (McFarlane Toys). After receiving the Batmobile, Batboat and Batcycle, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that McFarlane would issue a plastic replica of Yvonne Craig’s VERY unique ride. But seeing the purple, lacy, bow-adorned motorcycle in 6” scale was actually quite a shock, as very little merchandise has been made of this singular vehicle. Now we just need the Batcopter, and the original versions of both the Batcycle AND the Batgirl Cycle as seen in the never-aired Batgirl pilot.

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10. DC Multiverse Batman: Detective Comics #27 (McFarlane Toys). As detailed in a previous 13th Dimension column, I’m a big fan of Batman’s original Kane/Finger look. McFarlane did right by them with this figure, with a very authentic design, filtered through that proven McFarlane lens. The wired cape is the real MVP, allowing collectors to display the figure in those iconic early poses.

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9. Batman Classic TV Series Batman and Robin (Beast Kingdom). It was a good year for fans of Batman ’66. McFarlane Toys’ retro line continued with some exciting releases. McFarlane also gave us an excellent 7-inch Adam West Batman in their DC Multiverse line. But Beast Kingdom made people sit up and notice their continuing 8-inch, deluxe cloth-costumed figure line with their versions of TV’s Dynamic Duo. With impressive face sculpts approaching Hot Toys levels at this scale, and a gaggle of Bat-accessories, these two figures quickly became one of my collector goals after seeing them in the gift shop of Fiberglass Freaks’ Batman Museum in Logansport, Indiana.

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8. Marvel Legends Series Secret Wars (Hasbro). With 2024 marking the 40th anniversary of both the Secret Wars comics miniseries and the Mattel toy line it was created to support, Hasbro delighted fans with figures and packaging homaging this seminal Marvel toy line. Issuing 6-inch scale figures complete with the lenticular shields that were the gimmick of the original toys, Hasbro selected the original 4 heroes and added two antagonists created for the comic series: Titania and the man-god behind it all, the perm-adorned Beyonder. It was the kind of fan service that years ago was only dreamed of.

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7. DC Direct Digital Collection Robin of Earth-2 (McFarlane Toys). There’s niche, and then there’s niche. Sure, it’s Robin, who is one of the most recognizable superheroes on the planet, but who expected McFarlane to make a version of the “Ex-Boy Wonder” from the original Earth-Two? Member of the Justice Society of America and its offshoot the Super Squad, the mature Dick Grayson is depicted here in my FAVORITE version of his red/green/yellow suit designed by Neal Adams. That half cowl with his hair sticking out bridges that Batman/Robin gap, as depicted in Justice League of America issues drawn by Dick Dillin, and my single favorite comic of all time, The Brave and the Bold #182 by Alan Brennert and Jim Aparo. Now Todd, if you can just do Dick in his “Batman-esque” get-up for our pal Walt Grogan, that would be great!

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6. Marvel Legends Giant-Man (Hasbro). Hank Pym had his biggest break since the ’60s when the Haslab team announced this crowd-funded figure last year. Adorned in the first (and best) version of his Giant Man outfit, Hank comes with multiple face portraits (including a Marvel Zombies one) and even white-and-black antennae to allow you to choose which comic-accurate look you were going for. A bit more affordable than the large Legends crowdfunds of the last few years (Sentinel and Galactus), there were some problems with some collectors not getting all the sets of eyes meant to be included, but my understanding is that problem is being addressed. Either way this guy just changed the way a great number of fans have their Avengers assembled.

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5. One:12 Collective Robin: Golden Age Edition (Mezco Toyz). Mezco followed up their previous Golden Age Batman/Two-Face 2-pack with this wonderful interpretation of a young Dick Grayson. While not quite capturing the Dick Sprang vibe of the previous Batman, this figure nonetheless evokes the best of all the great Golden Age Batman artists. I do wish his cape were just a bit wider for more posing possibilities, but that’s a minor niggle. The swappable portraits and gear perfectly capture the early days of the laughing young daredevil, character-find of 1940! And a VERY Sprang-like Joker is on his way to bedevil the Dynamic Duo next year!

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4. Super Powers Green Lantern/Starman/Hourman 3-Pack (McFarlane Toys). In 1985, when I received my Kenner Super Powers Dr. Fate figure, I believed, I HOPED that this would be just the beginning of an onslaught of Kent Nelson’s fellow Justice Society of America members. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Flash forward nearly 40 years, and McFarlane Toys has righted that wrong by giving us this trio of JSA mainstays. The figures of Alan, Ted and Rex look fantastic, with even detailing on all their capes being spot-on comics accurate. And unlike Dr. Fate, these guys are about to get back-up in the form of Jay Garrick’s Flash next year!

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3. One:12 Collective The Amazing Spider-Man/Green Goblin (Mezco Toyz). Mezco began their line of artist- and era-faithful Marvel editions with these two releases, sold separately, but definitely meant to be a pair. The Spider-man is perhaps the purest action figure representation of co-creator Steve Ditko’s version of the character ever. The Goblin seems to ride the line between Ditko and John Romita’s interpretations but is no less classic. You can almost smell the newsprint coming off of these and hear the voices from the classic 1967 cartoon series.

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2. Batmobile With Batman and Robin (Corgi). Corgi’s reissue of the beloved diecast Batmobile as originally released in 1966 was well documented here on 13th Dimension. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore it here! This seminal piece of Batman memorabilia launched many a young Batfan’s desire to own a piece of the Caped Crusader, and it was a thrill to see it arrive in the hands of those who remember it fondly (like Dan), and those who always longed for a mint version of their own (like me). As much as I love the toy (released in two versions, gloss and matte), I think I am just as smitten with the reproduction packaging!

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1. Mego 50th Anniversary World’s Greatest Mighty Marvel 4-Pack (Mego). After announcing the license some time back, Mego was finally able to reveal the company’s first Marvel figure releases in over 40 years, a four-pack containing Spider-Man and three of his foes. Starting out with their biggest hero, and perhaps Mego’s quintessential action figure, was certainly a smart move. Reissuing his two adversaries from the original line, the Green Goblin and the Lizard was also a great choice, especially considering they are two of the nicest looking figures in the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes range. But the icing on the cake is the inclusion of Electro, looking like Mego had found a supply of him in a warehouse that had been abandoned since 1977. Despite the company’s well-chronicled distribution issues, with even more of the Mego Merry Marvel Marching Society on the way, these are exciting times.

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MORE

— The Complete TOYHEM INDEX of Stories and Features. Click here.

— Hasbro’s SPIDER-MAN ’77 and MEGO: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — To Be a Bronze Age SPIDER-MAN Fan. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor Chris Franklin is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and podcaster, who co-hosts and produces several shows on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, including JLUCast.