New York Toy Fair 2019: Mattel

From WWE to Jurassic World, to the final year of DC Comics toys, Mattel’s Toy Fair showroom was a strong showing.

Mattel condensed their two blogger events into one at Toy Fair this year, and even though weather prevented us from being there, I wanted to share some thoughts on the best of the new products they showed off.

I was very happy to see lots of playsets and environments being added to the WWE collection, which will help diversity any wrestling display. Some of the new Elite Collection figures looked great, especially the classic Hardy Boys in all their early aughts glory. I can’t wait to see them and the upcoming Ronda Rousey, among some other wrestlers slated for release later this year.

While I was disappointed not to see more human figures on display, the new Jurassic World Indominus Rex will be incredible, more than a match for last year’s Tyrannosaurus… and a true menace for any 3.75″ Jurassic World humans (which the new creature can eat whole).

We all know 2019 will be Mattel’s final year making traditional DC Comics action figures, though we did find out other iterations such as Super Hero Girls will carry on. As for DC’s more traditional action figures, we’re going to see a full line of Shazam movie 6″ basic figures, a solid match for the similar toys released around Aquaman and Justice League, as well as a pair of DC Multiverse figures from the Zachary Levi-lead movie.

The Batman 6″ series will expand to include more classic DC super heroes and villains, and we will see several waves of Multiverse figures before it’s all said and done. While some of the figures displayed previously at San Diego Comic Con and elsewhere were not to be found (nor were the Signature Collection DeVito Penguin and Ledger Joker), a new wave inspired by the 1989 to 91 Batman era caught a lot of attention.

Hailed as a tribute to the ’89 Toy Biz toy line, this set of figures actually pays homage to both the first movie style Batman and Joker figures released that year, and also some characters from the very early 90s, when Kenner first reclaimed the DC license. These include a Tim Drake Robin based on the infamous 1992 Batman Returns figure originally intended to be Marlon Wayans’ discarded character from the movie, as well as a gorgeous Poison Ivy who is styled after her look in Batman The Animated Series. Round out the set is a spandex clad Riddler based on the 1990 Toy Biz release, and the aforementioned Batman and Joker. I love the Joker’s colors, modeled after Jack Nicholson’s costume (though very much lacking his likeness), and the acid spray effect that connects to his lapel flower perfectly represents the water squirting action feature of the original. I love the look of this Batman, clad all in black with gold detailing like the first Toy Biz figure. He skips Michael Keaton’s likeness for an all new square jawed portrait that I think is the single best adaptation of the Super Powers Batman face ever sculpted. I know time is running short, but if Mattel can re-release this sculpt in Super Powers colors before then end of the year, this would be the ultimate Multiverse/ DC Universe Classics Batman.

I’m intrigued to see what else Mattel has planned this year, especially what else they’ll manage to release in their DC lines, and what surprises they have in store for Jurassic World, Mega Construx, and (maybe?) She-Ra and He-Man… time will tell.

Check out some photos below, graciously provided by friends of the site Julian Cannon and Toy Shiz. For more great action figure content, be sure to follow them on Instagram at the links below:

WWE pics courtesy of @julianexcalibur

DC and Jurassic World pics courtesy @ToyShiz