The much speculated series of Toys R Us exclusive Iron Man 2 Minimates has been debuted on the Art Asylum website.

The line-up, which seems to follow the newly established 4 sets rule, will be:

• Mark V Iron Man & War Machine
• Mark IV Iron Man & Whiplash
• James Rhodes in Mark II Armor & Black Widow
• Senate Hearing Tony Stark & Mark I Iron Man

I find it rather interesting that they insist on not showing the Mark V armor, yet they feature the real version of it on the packaging.

Also of interest is the apparent rerelease of the Mark II armor, which was the variant from series 21. Still, I suspect that this armor will differ in more ways than just a different face underneath the helmet. We shall see soon, I suppose.

No word on when these will hit exactly, but odds are they will follow the same time frame that past TRU reveals have, so if you’ve worked out the math for your area, go ahead and start counting the days.

Diamond Select Toys has announced their own exclusive for the upcoming C2E2 event: the Stark Expo 2-pack.

DST’s exclusive delivers two of the stars of this spring’s upcoming blockbuster Iron Man 2 in Minimate form!  The Iron Man 2 Stark Expo Minimates Two-Pack will only be available at this show and features Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark and Scarlett Johannson’s Natalie Romanova as they appear during the fictional Stark Expo event.  Each Minimate two-pack will retail at the show for $8.00.

DST also confirms the Action Figure Xpress box set slated for the show, though they’re playing it safe by only confirming Fury, Stark, and a damaged War Machine in the line-up, with the damaged Iron Man armor remaining a mystery.

A second convention exclusive will also be available through Action Figure Xpress in the form of the Iron Man 2 Battle Tactics Minimates Box Set.  This con-only set includes battle damaged versions of both Iron Man and War Machine plus Racecar Tony Stark and the first-ever Iron Man 2 Nick Fury!

DST goes on to say that there will be a few surprises at the show, as well as a daily Minimate giveaway, so anyone in the Chicago area might want to stop by for the event.

Some time ago, it was teased that the sixth series of Toys R Us exclusive Marvel figures would feature the Secret Wars version of Storm. Beyond that, the assortment was a mystery. Until today.

Art Asylum has unveiled packaging shots of the upcoming Marvel series, and a few things are worth noting.

For starters, there’s only 4 pairings, instead of the usual 5. This is a curious turn of events, since one would think 5 different sets would sell better than only 4. But, this will be a blessing to fans looking to find them on shelves, since the math suggests that each pairing will come three to a case.

Second, three of the four sets are new. In the past, we’ve gotten two new sets with three retreads of previous or soon to be released pairings from the LCS series. This time, we get an early release for Thor Reborn & Lady Loki, with TRU exclusives Klaw & Secret Wars Storm and Stretch Attack Mr. Fantastic & World War Hulk, along with non-exclusive but still new Battle-Damaged Wolverine & Captain America.

So, this begs the question of whether or not this will be indicative of the next Marvel assortment set to hit comic shops. Toys R Us exclusives have developed a reputation for going along with other new releases, so will we see more from World War Hulk? The Fantastic Four? A Various Assortment of Damaged Wolverines? Only time will tell.

Toys R Us Marvel series 6 has no set release date, but will likely hit shelves in the coming month.

Action Figure Xpress has jumped on the Iron Man 2 bandwagon with their Battle Tactics box set, due for release as a C2E2 exclusive.

The set features Tony Stark in racing attire, Nick Fury (who is nearly indistinguishable from Ultimate Nick Fury), and battle-damaged versions of War Machine and the Mark VI Iron Man armor (which is likely the last armor in series 35, though we aren’t allowed to see it in its non-battle-damaged glory just yet).

No word yet on whether or not these will be available from the AFX website during or after the show (past exclusives would suggest that they’ll be swimming in them though, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them available on the website eventually)

The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) will be held on April 16th-18th. Iron Man 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 7th.

This just in from the gang at DST:

Fans all over the world are gearing up for Marvel Studios’ next sure-fire blockbuster Iron Man 2 and at Diamond Select Toys we are excited to reveal details surrounding our previously Top Secret Iron Man 2 Minimates!  Due in stores this March, two new assortments of Minimates are sure to thrill fans of all ages!

While one particular high-flying armor-clad character will remain hidden until the March release date, we can now reveal the full contents of our upcoming Marvel Minimates Series 35 Assortment and Iron Man 2 Single Pack Minimates Display.  Rounding out the cast of Series 35 is the high-tech army builder paired with Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan – Hammer Industries’ Hammer Drone!  Glimpsed only briefly in the Iron Man 2 trailer, not much is known about the Hammer Drones – except that Iron Man and War Machine will apparently square off against an entire squad of them at some point during the film.

The biggest reveal comes in the form of our Iron Man 2 Single Pack Minimates Display, a special set of individually boxed Iron Man 2 Minimates limited to only 500 cases.  This set was under complete lockdown, however now we can reveal the full contents!

Each display will include 12 individually packaged Iron Man 2 Minimates, including:

Air Assault Drone
Ground Assault Drone
Sea Assault Drone
Tactical Assault Drone

Plus limited short-packs found in every case featuring:
Battle Damaged Hammer Drone
Justin Hammer

Styled after the four branches of the US Military, exact how these high-powered armors will come to exist and what their creation means for Iron Man remains to be seen – but we can’t wait to find out!  Retailers can still order this limited set as part of their January 2010 Previews orders, so if  you want these Iron Man 2 exclusives to become a part of your collection make sure you let them know before it’s too late!

Check out DST’s website for individual shots of the army building sets.

On a regular basis, the gang over at Art Asylum compile questions from their fans and present them to DSTChuck in a segment they call Ask DST.

In the 71st installment, the topic of conversation is, of course, Minimates. Below are the highlights:

• No current plans for Kang the Conqueror.
• Marvel vehicles are still a no go.
• Ghost Busters license also does not allow for vehicles at the moment.
• Ghost Rider movie license has passed, but if they do a second movie, who knows?
• No set plans in place for Battle Beasts. Several options are on the table that are being reviewed.
• The “full idea” and what DST wants to do with the vehicle line will be more evident in the second series of releases.
• No plans for a pony tail on Jim Lee Jean Grey, though final production hasn’t been set yet.
• No plans for any more Battlestar Galactica vehicles.
• DST wants to do more box sets in 2010.
• Several new ideas and lines are slated for 2010, including new directions and categories. Stay tuned at Toy Fair.
• DST has considered the slime packs for the Ghost Busters. It is hard to balance the desire to do every figure with the demand from retailers. In the past they’ve been bitten by going one wave too far and they don’t want that to happen with this line, so they’re being cautious. (Editor’s note: Does this sound like an unofficial announcement that the GB line is nearing completion?)
• The plan is to make the flight stand more readily available for use.
• Bruce Lee license is no more.
• No current plans for another Black Panther figure.
• DST has never really discussed a Dragonball Z license.
• Generally, box sets and the like are planned a good year in advance, with some room for more editorial demands (tie-ins to current storylines and such). At present, 2010 for DST is planned out through at least October, though some of the summer box sets and stuff are being filled in right now.
• Alpha Flight has been penciled in several times, but never seem to make it into production. Still, the chances get better every day.
• Vulture’s wings “could” be used for Songbird, but Chuck thinks they’d work a lot better for Falcon.
• DST is getting better at planning out what works better as box sets and what works better as 2-packs, as well as line-ups that compliment each other. As line-ups are starting to be planned out, locking characters into place creates a sort of mental vibe that tends to follow the trend, leading to a series of Jim Lee X-Men or Excalibur, with thought given to fleshing out a team or set.

The Zombie Minimates Decal Kit has staggered into Luke’s Toy Store!

Luke’s latest decal kit is all about the undead! The Zombie Minimates Decal Kit will allow you to create 6 unique brain-hungry zombies to add to your Minimates collection. You won’t have to worry about hunting for parts, as these horrific characters can be made by combining parts from 2 Minimate sets that are currently available. Plus, this kit comes with an additional 6 zombie faces that you can use with almost any other Minimate, for a total of 12 terrifying zombies! It is a fun and easy way to expand your Minimate collection. These decals have been designed so that anyone can apply them using only a bowl of water and a sharp scissors or hobby knife. After a little practice you can make a brand new zombie in as little as 10 minutes!

Read more about the Zombie Minimates Decal Kit at Luke’s Toy Store here: http://lukestoystore.com/exclusives.html

Of all the ghosts that haven’t been done yet for the Ghost Busters line, the ones that pop up in a lot of people’s minds is Vigo and the Scoleri brothers. Of all the Ghost Buster variants that haven’t been produced, Ghost Busters 2 Egon and the court room variants for Ray and Egon are pretty high on the list.

In an effort to shut us all up, it seems DST is pulling out all the stops in a third series of Toys R Us exclusive Minimates. Here’s the story, straight from DST’s mouth:

More Ghostbusters Exclusives Coming to Toys ‘R’ Us!

In just a few short weeks, fans of Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum will be able to take their Ghostbusters Minimates collections to an entirely new level thanks to the latest batch of exclusive Ghostbusters Minimates only available from Toys ‘R’ Us!  This new assortment will deliver eight new Minimates and complete two sets started in previous waves as well as four new villains – including Vigo himself!

The first two-pack will feature the brilliant Egon Spengler in his Ghostbusters 2 uniform (the last missing Ghostbuster in that style) paired with the Titanic Ghost seen captaining the ill-fated luxury liner in the second Ghostbusters film.  Two exclusive sets will complete the Courtroom set started with last year’s Peter Venkman by pairing Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler with the dreaded Scolari Brothers – Nunzio and Tony.  The final set combines two of our favorite Ghostbusters 2 characters: the near-unstoppable Vigo the Carpathian and Peter Venkman in his “World of the Psychic” ensemble – which of course includes his signature hairless cat!

All four of these exclusive sets will be available in Toys ‘R’ Us stores nationwide and serve as perfect compliments to the previously-released Ghostbusters Minimates sets currently available in comic and specialty stores.  Look for these two-packs in the weeks to come and be sure to check out the latest updates from DiamondSelectToys.com and ArtAsylum.com as the Ghostbusters Minimate universe expands to new heights!

No real indication of exactly when these will hit shelves and in what areas, so your mileage may vary. If we’re lucky, these will hit the TRU website, which should open up a few more doors for some people, though admittedly not all.

So, for those who might have missed it, Marvel Minimates series 31 (and in some cases 32) have hit store shelves in the North American market. As for what to expect:

• Maddrox comes with an extra set of green arms for display without a trench coat. In addition, the torso seems to be reversible with an alternate version of his shirt on the back.
• X-23 comes with an extra head, an extra set of hands, but no spikey feet.
• Extra hair for Captain Britain.

Oh, and apparently the variant set of Angel comes three to a case, while the non-variant First Appearance Angel comes one to a case.

Collectors are reporting in that while the blue suited Angel is marked as the variant on the packaging, he’s coming three to a case. This is kind of a big deal, since people who have put down their money to preorder variant sets are essentially paying extra for a slightly less than common figure, while people who were anticipating a plentiful release of First Appearance Angels to go along with their X-Men #1 box sets are fighting Toys R Us levels of disappointment and frustration.

No word from DST on what happened or when (or even if) anything will be done about the mix up. It’s very reminiscent of the Marvel series 11 mix up where a switcheroo was pulled regarding which Iceman was common and which was the variant, the difference being that neither figure was marked as a variant in that case.

No, this isn’t the long anticipated (and probably never happening) announcement of Transformers Minimates. Rather, it is covering the Minimate Vehicle line as appearing in ToyFare #151.

By now, we already know that a radiation suit-wearing Marty will be accompanying the upcoming frosted version of the Delorean (dubbed the “Time Machine” by official word, likely due to licensing issues with the Delorean people), and with the Previews ….well… preview, we know that the battle damaged Hunter Killer tank will come with a human resistance fighter and the red Minimate M.A.X. jet will come with an equally red pilot.

Today’s ToyFare, however, gives us a scoop on some of the rest. The black version of the M.A.X. jet will come with a pilot decked out in black and a somewhat gun metal gray. The standard version of the HK will come with *shock* an Endoskeleton. Which leaves our unfrosty version of the Time Machine, which will be piloted by….

…a to be determined Minimate. Yeah, the one piece of news we all wanted was noticeably absent from the announcement.

Release date is scheduled for May, which seems to jive with the latest shipping info from Art Asylum.

(I’ll post the images as soon as I’m near a scanner, or when someone else beats me to it.)