My Top 10 Toylines of 2024

 

   Once again it's February, and that means it's time for my annual Best Of lists for the previous year. I see a lot of other collectors putting out their lists in December, and sometimes even November, but I usually like to give myself a month or so to find items released at the end of the year and give them their fair shake. I also try to really go through my list and make sure items I'm basing my picks on really did get released domestically in North America during the previous year. I have three lists that I do every year and you'll see one a week for the next three weeks or so. I'm starting off with my top honors, though: My Top 10 Toylines of 2024.

    

   Creating my "Top 10" lists is always one of my favorite things to do at Action Figure Barbecue and I always spend quite a bit of time pouring over my notes from the previous year to determine which toylines were my favorites to collect. This is the thirteenth year I've created a list (the earliest ones were posted at The Epic Review) and it's always interesting too see how my lists change from year to year, often reflecting my changing interests and collecting trends. Like is often the case, 2024's list had some long time favorites, some returning champions, and some new comers. 

   In 2024 I noticed what seemed to be a continuing trend of lots of toylines being marketed directly to collectors and being sold just online or through specialty vendors. I know it's been the case for quite a few years now but no longer is traditional retail required to have a successful toyline. Lines like Mythic Legions & Cosmic Legions, Action Force, Savage Crucible, LooseCollector's Coffin Comics, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, anything from Boss Fight, or Chicken Fried Toys are impressive, robust lines, some going for a decade now, and the bigger retail giants have nothing on them.

  Going straight to collectors is the order of the day once again, even for Hasbro, Mattel, and NECA. They have continued to sell product at retail, sure, but also have lots of online exclusive products targeted to collector's base. Heck, NECA might even ship you product you didn't order! At regular retail, you'll find most product marketed to kids in the action figure aisle is based on videogames, probably even more than superheroes, Trasnformers, wrestling, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the now perennial Jurassic Park/ Jurassic World right now. Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bendy, Pokemon, and something called Skibidi Toilet. Heck, Walmart even has classic Sega stuff, including toys from Altered Beast! Altered Beast at Walmart in 2024!

   Unlike last year where it seemed like lots of box office bombs led to lots of product sitting, getting clearanced out, and ending up at Ollie's and the like, this year toy companies seemed to be more conservative. As mentioned earlier, Hasbro was even conservative with Deadpool & Wolverine, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew. This year most toylines that collectors care about from the big players seemed to be produced in smaller numbers. It's been rare to see much new stuff hitting discount stores and liquidators in any significant numbers. 

   It's also been interesting seeing which smaller companies have made it into Walmart, Target, and the like. At my local Walmart and Target I can find figures from Super7, Nacelle, Trick 'r Treat Studios, NECA, Mego, others. It reminds me of the good ol' late 1990s and early 2000s where there was crazy stuff everywhere, though especially at places like Media Play.

      A number of years back I divided my Top 10 list into two separate categories: My Top 10 Toylines and My Top 10 Individual Releases. I always start with My Top 10 Toylines as it's my standard best of list. These are the 10 toylines (action figures, statues, minifigures, etc.) of the past year that I had the most fun collecting and enjoyed the most. They may not always be the best or the most expansive lines, but they're my favorites for one reason or another. As I reiterate every year, the two key word for this list are "my" and "favorite." My list isn't necessarily based on a toyline's true merits and I really don't go outside of what interests me. Take this as a snapshot of the ten toylines I had the most fun collecting in 2024. As always, these are listed alphabetically rather than by any order of merit. And now, for My Top 10 Toylines of 2024...

Action Force by Valaverse

Action Force also made my list in 2022 and 2023. 

   If you're a fan of 1/12th military action figures, it's a great time to be a collector! Valaverse's Action Force made my top 10 list again for the third year in a row with some excellent releases including accessory packs, deluxe figures, a vehicle, and even a price drop! I didn't even get a chance to review all of the Action Force figures I purchased this year but there were some incredible releases. This line just keeps getting better and the accessories are probably the best around. Valavese has also continued to push the line, making it less repetitive with some very unique releases. It's amazing that a company Valaverse's size seems to be able to keep up with companies much larger and more well established, offering excellent product at a very affordable price. There's a rivalry of sorts between some G.I. Joe: Classified Series collectors and Action Force collectors, but I think that's silly. We're all better off having more than one company cranking out great military stuff, both realistic and fantasy or sci-fi inspired.

DC Multi. also made the list in 2022 and 2023

DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

   McFarlane Toys' DC Multiverse line is the lone DC based line on the list this year. Fortunately, this line had plenty of figures to choose from and covered some pretty diverse area of the DC Universe. I'm a Batman collector when it comes to DC, so I was pleased, but even fans wanting a more robust and varied DC collection had a lot to choose from. Overall I found almost everything I want from this line this year (except for Lucius Fox!, and still no standard Wonder Woman to be found), but the line has largely stayed affordable and the new Collector Edition subset definitely went more obscure, especially for Batman villains. Figures like Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock, Shining Knight, and Ambush Bug definitely went deep. The Batman films are also still receiving a lot of attention, so we're definitely seeing where McFarlane's bread is buttered. As a Nolan Trilogy fan, though, I'm not at all upset.

Figure Obscura by Four Horseman Studios

Figure Obscura also made my list in 2023

   The Four Horseman's Figure Obscura line doesn't put out many figures, but the ones it did put our were stellar and some of my favorites of the year. Releasing figures from A Christmas Carol and classic horror literature is a surefire way to my heart. Both the Ghost of Christmas Past and Frankenstein's Creature were standout figures in 2024. I'm always really eager to see what this line brings. Thus far none of their spring/ early summer releases have been quite in my Q Zone yet, but we'll see what 2025 brings us. For this year I'd love to see their take on Dracula, the Phantom of the Opera, or the Invisible Man. 

GIJoe:CS has been on the list every year since 2020.

G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

   If there was a sure bet for a line to be included on this list, this would be it. The Classified Series has likely become my favorite toyline of all time (maybe tied with MOTU Classics) and every release still gets me pretty excited. More vehicles, more animal companions, more unusual releases next to old favorites, and just lots of coolness has made this line a joy to collect. I didn't have any trouble getting anything this year, either, so that was a plus. I'm already loving the 2025 releases I have in hand, so it's hard to see this one going away.

Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

ML has made the list in 2014, 2016-2018, 2021, and 2022.

   Last year Hasbro's Marvel Legends Series didn't make my list? This year. They absolutely did. Having rectified many of the problems I had with the line in 2023, Hasbro delivered a heck of a lineup for a mostly mutant collector like myself. Yeah, it was weird that their Deadpool & Wolverine lineup was pretty underwhelming, but everything else was fantastic. Great character selection, some fantastic redos, and some very impressive releases for X-Men '97 made this a banner year in my book. I'm hoping that 2025 is just as good.

Masterverse has made my list every year since 2021.

Masterverse by Mattel

   2024 Wasn't a huge year for Masterverse or anything, but the figures are still really good and we got a decent mix of new Masterverse figures alongside of redos for New Eternia and other subsets. Heck, getting a 1987 movie version of the Beast Man (that's what Skeletor calls him in the movie) was a highlight for me. Also, I think we got the ultimate Snout Spout figure. Who would have thought? Distribution on this line was pretty decent, too, as I saw most figures in stores. With the upcoming film now seeming like a reality more than ever, it'll be interesting to see what Mattel has in store next.

Classic Monsters Collection by NECA

   NECA has been releasing Universal Monsters figures for a couple years now but in 2024 they added characters from silent films, Hammer Horror, and an icon like Vincent Price to the Classic Monsters Collection and now it's just incredible. How amazing is it to have a Man with the Beaver Hat figure from London After Midnight and multiple versions of Count Orlok from Nosferatu to chill alongside the Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror stars, all being joined on the shelf by Vincent Price? I'm really hoping that NECA continues to expand this line, going deeper into Universal Horror, Hammer's catalog, and silent film history. There's so much coolness to mine there and by going just a bit deeper NECA would really be mining new ground in horror figures. The glow-in-the-dark repaints and the Crypt Club figures have also been a lot of fun. Who are my most wanted figures? Cesare and Dr. Caligari, Carmilla/ Ingrid Pitt and Emma Morton/ Madeline Smith from Hammer's The Vampire Lovers, Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, Abbott & Costello as Chick & Wilbur, Gloria Holden as Dracula's Daughter, Henry Hull as the Werewolf of London, Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein, Acquanetta from the Wild Woman series, Kharis the Mummy, and Bela Lugosi as Ygor, the Metaluna Mutant, and the Phantom in his Mask of the Red Death guise. Make it happen, NECA!

Operation Monster Force by Fresh Monkey Fiction and Big Bad Workshop

   I've been looking forward to Fresh Monkey Fiction and Big Bad Workshop's Operation: Monster Force since it was first announced and when I finally had the first series of figures in hand I wasn't disappointed. Mixing classic monsters and horror elements with a modern military vibe absolutely is right up my alley and these figures rock. Cool designs, great articulation (they blend nicely with G.I. Joe and Action Force), and so many freaking accessories really make for some impressive offerings. I'm hoping that they pace these well going forward (not too many delays nor a flood of too many figures at once) to keep fans engaged without being overwhelmed. This line could have an unnaturally long life ahead of it.

Turtles of Grayskull by Mattel

   I actually thought Masters of the Universe Origins grew a bit stale this year. There were still some neat releases (Eternia, Lady Slither, and Sy-Klone stand out) but I actually found the Masters of the Universe/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mash-up to be far more interesting. Delivering a fun crossover that felt more organic than most, Turtles of Grayskull was a heck of a lot of fun with some neat action figures. It must be doing well as Mattel has more figures showing up in 2025. I didn't pick up everyone from this line but I grabbed the ones that really stood out to me. A Ram Man who is actually a mutant ram? Brilliant!

Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

   Last year Jada's Chun-Li made my Best of the Rest list but now, with a full year of figures, Jada's Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers has made my Top 10 list. I love this line! Jada has nailed the right look for the line: Stylized, with an anime look that blends the different in-game appearances. The accessories are fun, the articulation is incredible, and the price is right. The deluxe releases are also pretty darn cool. Next year this line might have some competition as Storm Collectibles is also launching their new Storm Arena line, though they're focusing right out of the gate on Street Fighter Alpha 3 while Jada is already over halfway through the Street Fighter 2 roster. Maybe these lines will complement each other well and we'll all be winners!

  

There you have it: My Top 10 lines of 2024. What were your favorite toylines of last year? Only half of my lines from last year's Top 10 carried over this year. Remember that I'll soon be releasing more lists, including my top 10 favorite individual releases that weren't part of these toylines and my annual Missing in Action report, so those may shed some light on the lines that didn't make it onto the Top 10 this year.

And, as always, here are some fun facts:

# of lines that have appeared on this list multiple years: 5

# of lines returning from last year: 5

# of lines from NECA: 1

# of lines from Four Horsemen Studios: 1

# of lines from Mattel: 2 

# of lines from Hasbro: 2

# of lines from McFarlane Toys: 1

# of lines from Valaverse: 1

# of lines from Jada Toys: 1

# of lines from Fresh Monkey Fiction & Big Bad Workshop: 1

# of lines featuring He-Man: 2

# of lines featuring Batman: 2

# of lines featuring Dracula: 3

# of lines based on or featuring figures from films released in: 2024: 2

# of toylines featuring figures based on video games: 1 

# of toylines that I never saw hide nor hair of at Wal-Mart: 4

# of toylines that I was a completest on and bought everything offered: 0 (Street Fighter was close, but I skipped the Ken in the white gi.)

# of toylines that were only available through Kickstarter, a limited sale online, or an online subscription method: 1

# of toylines in a 1/18th scale or smaller: 0

# of toylines with no articulation: 0

# of toylines with irritating, hard to obtain exclusive or chase figures: 6

# of toylines I collected that were affected by Warner Bros. "no guns on merchandise" ban: 1

# of toylines that are just modern updates of toys I had as a kid: 8

# of toylines featuring characters who have been around for over 100 years: 4