Another Toy Fair has come and gone, and like always, I had the chance to see a bevy of new and amazing action figures that will be punishing my wallet over the next several months. Marvel, Star Wars, Masters of Universe, ThunderCats, Nintendo, and many other properties were out in full force, much to my delight. However, the property that REALLY got me excited this year is one that has been with me for almost my entire life: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Several companies brought a variety of executions to the show, and I for one could not be happier.

I am spoiled when it comes to action figure collecting. So many of the characters and properties that I have loved for so long have gotten amazing new action figures across a wide variety of lines. He-Man has MOTU Classics, Star Wars has the Black Series and Figuarts, Marvel has Legends, and so on, and so on. As far as the “big” properties from my childhood go, the Ninja Turtles have been a bit of a holdout in terms of getting modern updates that blend in with the rest of my nostalgia lines.

Playmates has given us some classic and movie updates in the past few years, but nothing very spectacular, and certainly not expansive in terms of selection. I have my comic Turtles as well from NECA, and those are absolutely perfect, but for the most part, Playmates has always been the only game in town.

That is until, seemingly, this most recent Toy Fair. Playmates is still producing a ton of product based on the current Nickelodeon cartoon and movie properties, but the “nostalgia” pieces of Turtle-dom (see: past incarnations) have started seeping into the hands of several different licensors and in a myriad of different executions. I am not sure what has changed over recent times, but with Playmates busy hitting the more kid-centric pieces hard, older iterations are being being represented by the likes of Mega Blocks, NECA, Bandai, Hero Cross, and others. What this means is that I got to clap eyes on more Turtle product that was for me (a longtime fan and collector) than any other time in recent memory, and it gives me a lot of hope for the future.

I grew up with several different incarnations of the Turtles, so I have a lot of love for everything from the original Eastman and Laird comics, the vintage toy line, the classic cartoon, the 1990 movie, the old arcade and NES video games, and so on. Judging by what many licensors are looking to offer in the near future, it is obvious that I am not alone in love for classic Turtles (duh), and the variety of the executions and the incarnations represented therein are going to make a lot of fans and collectors very, very happy.

Four or five companies were the standouts for me at this year’s show, though there were several more bringing their goods, and I know that a nice portion of my hard-earned money is going to be sent their way in the coming months. Several of the classic themes were covered by Funko, Mega Blocks, NECA, Hero Cross, and Bandai, and while the approaches are very diverse, they all offer something that I find myself needing for my TMNT display(s). We have delivered a lot of coverage about these companies and products over the course of the show, but I wanted to take some time to talk about some of the items specifically, because they are looking great.

MEGA BLOCKS

Mega Blocks (a Mattel brand) being in the Turtle game was not new information to this Toy Fair per se, but what they debuted at the Mattel collector event on Sunday afternoon was pretty amazing. Mega is producing their construction sets in the current cartoon format, but they are doing anything but shying away from “building up” a collection of sets based off of the original cartoon and beyond.

Benty took a look at several of the early sets in a pretty expansive feature, and while those featured the Turtles themselves, along with amazing takes on Bebop, Rocksteady, and others, things got a bigger at Toy Fair. The standard sets and releases are going to keep coming, but the centerpiece of the news had to be the very impressing Technodrome. This instantly becomes the most impressive build set of the property thus far, and it represents the first classic Technodrome that we have seen since the ’90s. There is so much going on here, and several throwback details are included, but my favorite is Krang’s area, complete with view screen open to his legions standing in wait in Dimension X. So many of the miniature figures will be able to set up their home base here, and Turtle fans and block builders alike have the perfect piece to build a collection around.

Mega was not done there, though, and in one of the biggest surprises of the entire show, they also presented a building/street set based off of the original Eastman and Laird comics, complete with a black and white color scheme. I really could not believe what as was looking at, so much so that I did about a quadruple take before I was able to process just what I was actually looking at. I might struggle with being able to accommodate the Technodrome from a shelf space perspective, but this set is an INSTANT buy for me, and I hope it sells like crazy so we can see this era of the property continue to expand.

HERO CROSS

The Bluefin booth was a prime destination for TMNT this year at the show, and a couple of companies really caught my eye. Hero Cross was one of them, and their take offered one of the more unique expressions for the Green Machine. If you have been following their work with DC Comics and properties, you know they produce die-cast metal figures with a cute and cartoon influence. Not what I would specifically call “chibi,” but the squat proportions and larger heads make for a unique look among the rest.

That is not to say that these are just a “cute” take in the sense it diminishes the actual product, because the detail and styling are all first rate. These capture the branding that is used for the classic Turtles really well, and the requisite weapons are included to help complete the look. Now, I spoke with the Bluefin representative, and I was told that these would include two different heads, and you can see from Don, Mike, and Leo that one will represent the cartoon (with pupils) and looking at Raph, a vintage toy/comic look without the pupils will come as well. Plus, these should be able to stick to metal surfaces via magnets in the feet, so if there are any Turtle figures that are more “desk ready” than these, I haven’t seen them.

NECA

Now talk about unexpected! The company that brought us (arguably) the best from-the-source material Turtle figures ever is back in the game. Yeah, those comic-based Turtles (and April) they did many moons ago are definitely my favorite TMNT figures to date, but NECA is looking to eclipse their own work with new one-quarter-scale figures based on my beloved 1990 movie designs. Out of nowhere, they had movie Donatello up in their show space, and the likeness to the source material is so good, it kind of freaked me out.

I mean . . . look at this thing. To my eyes, every single minute detail from the awesome Henson movie designs is present, and they could not have picked a more perfect expression for the smart, but playful Donatello. The sculpted details are downright scary accurate, and while that certainly shows up in the Donny figure itself, the bo staff is a masterpiece all on its own. Big Bad Toy Store was on the stick and put this baby up for pre-order with an arrival date of June, and you goddamned better believe my order is in, so go get yours as well.

Now, the prototype shown at Toy Fair was only about 10.5 inches tall, but the final figure will clock in at 16.5 inches, putting it in perfect scale with the rest of the NECA quarter-scale figures. Donny’s brothers will follow suit, but NECA gets extra props for starting with the very best Turtle, and I cannot wait to see the rest. Now, there is a rumor swirling around that these figures *might* also be shrunk down into the 7-inch scale as well, and if that is the case, I will totally lose my sh*t. Take that as a rumor for now, but mavaaaaaaan, I hope it does come to pass. Either way, I will be diving into the quarter scale for the first time ever, and I cannot think of a better property to finally push me over that edge.

BANDAI

For me, this was the grandaddy of the show, even though we had seen these same prototypes before. If you have been on sabbatical from the site (shame on you), we have be really pumped about what Bandai has been teasing ever since last year’s New York Comic Con, and just before the start of Toy Fair, we finally got some solicitations for these super-articulated figures based on the original cartoon. Finally seeing these things in person made me absolutely giddy, and even though they already had my money for the first two via the pre-order I placed last week, I still wanted to be sold a little bit more in terms of what I was going to get.

Seeing them live at the show only affirmed my choice in plunking down the cash for these babies because they are absolutely stunning in just about every facet. The updated expressions and color combinations have improved since NYCC, so they look even better than they did before, and i actually lost count in trying do come up with a correct number of points of articulation, because there are a TON. Add in fun and serious swappable heads, signature weapons, different belt options, and character-specific accessories, and you have tremendous combination for success.

I had the chance to speak to one of the Bandai representatives at the show, and I was very happy with what he had to say. First, even though Leo and Donny are the only two solicited, Mike and Raph will also release before the end of the year. Towards that end, the early pre-order numbers are VERY strong, and Bandai pursued this property for a more Western focus, rather than being meant primarily for their customers in Japan. Additionally, the Turtles’ belt buckles will be made from die-cast metal, as will their lower legs to help facilitate more dynamic posing options. Finally, and this is the big one for me, they have every intention of having more characters on display in prototype form at this year’s San Diego Comic Com. Did you catch that? They want to move beyond just doing the four turtle bothers and in to the wider TMNT world. This is so important to me because I want an expansive line, and hearing names like Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Casey Jones being dropped has me absolutely giddy at the possibilities.

Could Bandai be on the verge of affording us the “TMNT Classics” line we have been waiting for for years? Sales will certainly be the determining factor, but I am confident, and I would STRONGLY recommend getting your pre-order in for these babies now because they are going to be really popular, and (most likely) amazing figures.

Well, I want to stay cautious in my optimism, but it appears that 2016 is going to be a great year for those of us who are classic Turtle fans. Aside from the companies I highlighted, others like MONDO and Funko are bring some classic TMNT flair as well, so you should not have a shortage of things to buy, no matter your taste. Admittedly, I am most excited for NECA and Bandai, but I will be getting things from the other guys as well, because I truly adore my Turtles, and it is their time to be in the action figure sun. So, TMNT fans unite, I think we are on the cusp of finally getting our due.