August 2009 Notable Toys — Action Figures

Launch date: Fall 2009
The vehicles are one of the best parts of the Star Wars universe. Eight deluxe vehicle and figure packs based on scenes from The Clone Wars cartoon features one Star Wars vehicle and an accompanying action figure, both designed in the classic 3-3/4-inch scale. Pictured is the evil Count Dooku on a speeder bike.

Launch date: Fall 2009
The Clone Wars were waged in the fall of 2009, and continue to be played out on Cartoon Network. Dozens of new figures, each with action features and accessories, will be brought home this year. Entries include Kit Fisto, Mace Windu (pictured) and Commander Gree.

Launch date: August 2009
This gift set contains the largest and most powerful enemy the heroic Autobots will face in the June 24 movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Six separate construction vehicles turn into robots, then join together into Devastator in order to, well, devastate. It hopes to capture the interest of children who love construction vehicles, robots and interactivity between toys, as well as the older collector who remembers Devastator and the Constructicons of his youth.

This collection brings back some old favorites, as well as a number of new faces, in a whole new way. These 3.75" scale plastic action figures include accessories and fun details, such as articulated wrists and removable helmets. Launch date: July 2009.

Idolz are wearable, stackable, poseable, colorful action figures with interchangeable parts. Kids can customize Idolz by collecting and swapping accessories. "This product has all the qualities of a stylish collectible, while remaining durable enough to play with or display in many different ways. It's designed to be fun and fashionable for both boys and girls of nearly all ages," Damien Noble, president of Idolz Toys LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

This 3"-tall disembodied head of Freud is made of soft foam rubber designed for squeezing. It can be kept in the car for stressful commutes and on the desk at work for those days when nothing seems to go right. It comes in a net bag with an illustrated header. Launch date: April 17, 2009.

Squeak? You'd squeal like a pig if this ghoulish Halloween child got a hold of you on a dark starless night. She comes dressed in an eerie swine costume, but what's underneath her mask is even more frightening.

There are hundreds of different Star Wars action figures, but the Droid Factory line lets kids make their own. Kids can use 12 action figures per wave to make their own distinctive droids to add to their stories. Launch date: Fall 2009.

The two-toys-in-one Transformers change from robot to vehicle or beast. The characters from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” are available in three scales. The Deluxe scale includes 24 figures. The next largest size is Voyager, with 11. There are three Leader class figures, which also have lights and sounds. Pictured is the Deluxe Soundwave. Launch date: Summer 2009.

During each episode of the “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” cartoon, the Dark Knight teams up with a fellow hero, such as Blue Beetle or Aquaman. These figures come with interchangeable accessories so boys can “build up” the figures and “battle up” the bad guys. They can also “change up” the figures by snapping and switching parts. Launch date: Spring 2009.