If we were to categorize the press info coming out of 2015’s Toy Fair as the proverbial shotgun out the back door, then Mezco’s Pierre was doing so with an open choke and some seriously mean game load. Among the many interviews the man did during the event, he was throwing out all kinds of interesting tidbits. Inevitably, not all of them will find their mark, sure, but I think there’s a lot more hit than miss.
Among the things Pierre talked about most were what we could consider “accessory packs,” of a sort. Specifically, he discussed an interest in doing things that the One:12 figures could interact and be displayed with. This could obviously include things like vehicles — the Lawmaster is certainly going to bring a lot to any Judge Dredd display, but that might also mean smaller, more playset-type items . . .
Not unlike the Star Trek Captain’s chair, for example.
Pierre talks often about Hot Toys and their fearlessness when it comes to things like vehicles, but it’s worth noting that the Sideshow/Hot Toys crew have also come up with come clever small environment pieces that offer maybe not playset level-sized parts, but put enough of them together and you can certainly do some stuff. So in that vein, here’s some thoughts I had for some small vehicle/accessory sets that could pair nicely with some of the figures we’re aware of.
Dark Knight Returns Batman obviously will go down as one of the cornerstones of this line and has already amassed some great companion pieces. Still, there’s plenty of fascinating accessories and set pieces that can be added, and one of the first easy calls would be the Batcycle and sidecar from Book 3. Naturally a great counter to the Lawmaster, this also ups the ante for getting around to that Carrie Kelly Robin. Mezco has done a great job giving Batman a large selection of gear and display options already, but the one piece that would really finish the job would have to be an old Bruce Wayne head. Maybe a Jason Todd costume case to brood over? There’s not a bat-fan on the planet who can turn down a dead sidekick costume display.
Batman V Superman Batman is still very much an open book as far as what you could add to that figure. After next month, my thoughts might be different, but one of the initial things that really struck me were the Batcave scenes teased in the trailers.
My sort of unfinished thought toward that would be a type of Batcave workbench or computer bank set. It might be too much to ask for a Jeremy Irons Alfred, greatest Batman accessory though he may be, but a desk that Batman could hunch over, scowling at pictures of Cavill Superman would be perfect. Personally, I feel like a Knightmare Batman is all but an awesome inevitability, and I would figure an unmasked Affleck head would be a given there. If not, though, something like that would go great with this kind of set.
In a similar fashion, seeing Frank Castle make his prototype debut last month made me think of all the wonderful guns I’m going to set up with him. Now, while there are options out there to do this without a formal accessory, the thought of a Punisher armory is just too cool not to mention here. A section a pegboard, a chunk of bench with a clamp vice and some machine tools, and maybe a shelf of two with some ammunition boxes would give Frank just what he needs.
Of course, accessories don’t have to be even that large, or exclusive. A set with some battle-damaged or unmasked heads would be great for Daredevil and Captain America, along with a classic shield for the latter, and maybe some additional arrows for Ollie? I’m sure he’ll come with several, but there really can’t be too many. Cursed Earth Judge Dredd already took care of the classic sidearm, but there’s certainly some other weapons that you could add in. And there’s the old DCUC wishlist of things like Kandor, Phantom Zone Projectors, and Cosmic Treadmills, provided the DC Collectibles Icons line doesn’t cover those already.
When it comes to this line, one thing that is simply not up for debate is that these figures require an investment. Whether it’s a large or small investment is dependent certainly on circumstances, but I think it’s safe to say anyone putting down $70 for a figure is probably going to want to keep the value of that investment. And accessories and vehicles are always a great way to refresh figures you’ve already bought. And with “centerpiece” figures like these, I think a lot of value can be added by fleshing-out their environment with some well-selected optionals.