Every year, San Diego Comic-Con gives us a bunch of cool toys that we desperately sigh about because we’ll never get our hands on them without paying hand over fist, either at the con or on the aftermarket. This year’s a bit different: there’s no actual physical con, but there are still exclusives—and they’re a bit easier to get this year.
With San Diego Comic-Con going online for 2020, collectibles makers who would usually show up on the convention floor with exclusives to sell are taking to the internet. They’re offering what would’ve been made for the con attendees only to the world at large which means you have a (decent) chance of nabbing them. Here are just a few of the very best offerings from this year’s crop of toys and merch: and, more importantly, just when and how you can try and get your hands on them yourselves. Look, we said it was easier, not easy. Fingers on those mouse buttons!
Mattel
Mattel’s exclusives this year range from the big and small, and from the absurd to the... absurder? In the diecast vehicle space, Hot Wheels will have two genre-themed offers in the form of an Avengers: Endgame truck ($25), featuring a tiny little Hulk and Rocket Raccoon as they journey to New Asgard, and a Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Luke’s X-Wing, featuring swampy-decals to depict its murky landing on Dagobah ($25). Meanwhile, the Mega Construx Line celebrates the impending arrival of Halo: Infinite later this year with a six-figure collection depicting the many suits of the Master Chief over the course of the games ($20), from the classic Mk V Mjolnir of the original Combat Evolved, all the way up to Infinite’s updated Mk VI Gen 3.
When it comes to action figures this year, Mattel has a very shiny WWE Elite Collection Mr. T ($30), including removeable gold chains and a camoflage jacket, and a truly fabulous Dennis Nedry from the opening of Jurassic Park ($30), who comes in an opening Barbasol shaving foam can, which lights up to use as a display piece!
The Hot Wheels and Mega Construx exclusives will be available from Thursday, July 23 on the Mattel Creations Instagram from 9am PT, while Mr. T and Nedry are available on Entertainment Earth now.
Hasbro
Hasbro has been bringing it down to the wire with revealing some of its exclusives this year—with no time limit on actually being on the con floor, they don’t have to! All the big guns are here, from Star Wars to Marvel, but it’s arguably Transformers that are once again hogging the limelight thanks to a few cheeky crossovers. Not one, but two pop culture classics are getting the transforming robot mashup this year, with both a Top Gun Maverick that turns into a F-14 Tomcat ($50), and Gigawatt the Back to the Future Transformer ($30), who naturally turns into the time-travelling Delorean for his vehicle mode.
On the action figure front, this year Star Wars celebrates Comic-Con with an Empire Strikes Back themed anniversary special: a release of the Black Series 6-inch scaled Wampa ($30) from 2015, this time with a new “clean” paint sculpt and retro Kenner-styled packaging. On the Marvel Legends front, meanwhile, there’s not one, but two new sets, both revolving around the X-Men. A four-pack set of the villainous Hellfire Club ($80) featuring Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Jean Grey, Donald Pierce and a host of accessories celebrates the comics, while the 20th anniversary of the Fox X-Men movie franchise is marked with a new two-pack inspired by Logan, including the movie’s older, hardened takes on the titular Logan and Professor X ($50).
All of these items—including a non-numbered version of Gigawatt, who was available from Walmart before selling out in minutes, alas—will be purchaseable through the Hasbro Pulse online storefront, shipping to customers from next month and September.
NECA
It wouldn’t be NECA exclusives without Aliens and Predators, but thankfully we are covered once again this year. On the Alien front is a glow-in-the-dark take on the original movie’s “Big Chap” Xenomorph ($35), covered in special neon green paint. Meanwhile the Predator 2 City Demon ($35) is cast entirely in a translucent plastic—which has then been painted over in parts to replicate the flashes of lightning the Predator masks itself among when using its cloaking field in the movie.
Most radical of all however, is another NECA mainstay in the form of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutagen Tour four pack ($150). Aside from giving each of the pizza-lovin’ party dudes special rock-band themed outfits, the set includes musical instruments for each of the Ninja Turtles to rock out on.
All of NECA’s SDCC exclusives will be available on the official NECA store from Thursday, July 23rd.
Factory Entertainment
Factory’s got some very silly additions to its catalogue this year, from a Wonder Woman Frisbee based on Diana’s shield ($10), or a 12" plush Bruce the Shark from Jaws ($25), complete with detachable ballasts. But perhaps the fanciest of all exclusives this year is the replica cup and saucer Captain Hikaru Sulu drinks out of aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior, as seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ($35). Hopefully you won’t face any nasty shockwaves trying to sip from it!
All these and more are currently available on Factory’s official store.
Hallmark
Hallmark’s line of keepsake ornaments continues its quest to make your holiday decorations weirder than ever this year, with two new additions from Stars of the Trek and Wars variety. On the Trek front: a fluffy little Tribble ($25), a variant special for 2020 that stands out from prior releases, should your Christmas tree require multiple kinds of Tribble (you can’t have just one!). Meanwhile, suitable for snowy seasonal weather in the Wars side of things is an Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Probe Droid, ready to scout out rebel scum from your tree.
You’ll have to jump through a few more hoops to get these, however: they’ll only be available by logging into the Comic-Con website from July 22, and checking out the PopMinded exhibitor page to be taken to a special version of Hallmark’s website.
Funko
You can’t talk convention merch these days without Funko Pops, and there are so many this year we’ve already covered them in their own blog. You can head over there to see the full list as well as which retailers you’ll be able to buy them from, but highlights include My Hero Academia’s Bakugo at his ‘splodiest, a high-flying Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Sith Jet Trooper, and, distressingly, a Toy Story Claw Machine Alien that has skinned Kevin from Up and used him as gruesome con cosplay.
Hot Toys
Hot Toys has quite a few figures it’s spreading out over, err, what would have been the summer convention season, but two of its best come from the world of Marvel games and movies. The Spider-Man 2099 based off of its appearance in the PS4 video game Marvel’s Spider-Man ($270) may not have the comic suit’s spindly, frayed under-arm wings, but it makes up for it with a boatload of Spidey accessories, including extra webs to swing around with (he’ll need it without those gliding wings!).
Meanwhile Stan Lee gets yet another Hot Toys figure, this time based on his appearance as Thor: Ragnarok’s space barber ($255). It’s cool that the figure comes with a bunch of robo-attachments to give Lee his ultimate collection of Sakaarian barbershop tools but really, it’s more that this is the tribute to a legend that gave us Thor’s hottest haircut in the MCU. Bless you, space-Stan.
Both of these figures as well as more Hot Toys summer exclusives will become available to pre-order throughout the week as part of Sideshow Collectible’s Sideshow Con event.
Diamond Select
Diamond’s lines of PVC statues from Gentle Giant, Kotobukiya, and beyond are getting some neat additions for Comic-Con this year. On the Star Wars front there are not one, but two Mandalorian themed busts—a special white-armored Boba Fett based on the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art ($120) that comes with an alternate head depicting the infamous Bounty Hunter’s iconic helmet or the alternate concept design, and a shiny take on Din Djarin from The Mandalorian ($120), holding his phase rifle and ready for action. Kotobukiya meanwhile continues its line of “Ikemen” DC Comics figures—depicting the heroes and villains of Gotham City in stylish and sensual redesigns—($110)
On the action figure front though are two very cool retro offerings. Fans of TMNT can reminisce about the classic Playmates action figures with a six-pack set replicating the original toys ($90), featuring the team as well as Splinter and Shredder in a special box based on the gang’s turtle van. You can also celebrate Tron with a special version of the titular program ($40), which comes in special packaging replicating the beloved film’s VHS release. Fancy!
Every Diamond Select exclusive will be able to preorder through Diamond Previews at your local comic book store from June 22.
Entertainment Earth
Aside from the aforementioned Mattel exclusives available to purchase through them, Entertainment Earth has a whole host of extra exclusives, from action figures to keyring clips. Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars can nab a special set of pins featuring Ahsoka, Captain Rex, and Asajj Ventress ready for action as well as the show’s logo ($20), but perhaps the funnest of all is a special Dragon Ball Z Dragon Stars two-pack depicting the best father/son duo in the entire show. We’re talking about, uh, Piccolo and Gohan of course! The two-pack ($50) features Piccolo and Gohan in their matching training gear, painted with a metallic highlight, with the latter ready to rock in his Super Saiyan enhanced form.
As with the Mattel figures, these toys are currently available to purchase online.
ToyNYK
Tiki mug takes on pop culture icons are all the rage these days, and now Baby Yoda has joined the fun with this three-pack of different, miniature Tiki cups ($43). You do you if you put bone broth in them, but there’s three different versions of the Child to fit your drinking mood: holding a frog to eat, eating said frog, and then a satisfied feeling of content, presumably from having eaten a tasty frog.
If you’re fan of pins however, ToyNYK also has you covered there (especially on the Mandalorian front)—but our favorite absolutely has to be their massive Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers teamup pin ($20), which depicts the full Mighty Morphin’ lineup and their logo, encircling the Megazord. Considering it’s nearly the size of your palm, you may need Megazord power just to attach it to something!
All of ToyNYK’s SDCC exclusives will be available from their website starting today, July 22nd.
Yesterdays Pins
Need even more pins? Yesterdays has you covered, with everything from Ultraman Kaiju to even a pin of the San Diego Convention center, just in case you wanted to wear your 2020 FOMO with pride. But our absolute favorite has to be one pulling on the iconic Spider-Man ‘60s cartoons and its many memes: specifically, this two-pin set ($15) recreates the infamous Spidey-pointing-at-Spidey meme referenced by the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and approximately a billion online forum posts.
You’ll have to act fast: all of Yesterdays exclusives will go live on their website on July 23 at 9 a.m. PT.
Icon Heroes
Look. I’m sorry. They did a facepalm Riker ($90) to go with the facepalm Picard statue. It’s perfect, it’s the best thing we’ve seen at Comic-Con (at home) this year. You can buy it here, and cherish it forever.
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