Big news today from Marvel and Diamond Select Toys with the announcement of both companies moving into the realm of making Mego-esque, 8″ retro, cloth costumed figures.   When I had originally heard the rumor of this it was just going to be costumes only.  I’m delighted to hear that it’s also full figures.   These will be deluxe sets with additional costumes, accessories and pieces and they will have more of a “deluxe” price.

Between what BifBangPow, DST, EMCE and Figures Toy Company is doing with these 8″ retro figures we are living in a golden age of toys for collectors of that style.  Once again, for the first time in almost 40 years that fans can get both Marvel and DC action figures in that same retro “World’s Greatest Super Heroes” style.   And with the team at EMCE on board you KNOW there’s going to be a lot of TLC put into these.

Here’s the write up today from Marvel.com:

It seems like retro-style 8″ figures have become all the rage lately, but one license has been noticeably absent: the Marvel Comics characters from Mego’s World’s Greatest Super-Heroes line.These classic 8-inch, cloth-costume action figures were very popular back in the 1970s, and are as beloved today as they are hard to find mint-in-box. Luckily, Diamond Select Toys has announced a line of deluxe Marvel Retro 8″ figures that will reproduce (and add to) those classic figures, starting with the Amazing Spider-Man!

Only available as part of as special collector set, the Amazing Spider-Man will come as he first appeared in 1973, in his original “circle suit” costume and inside a reproduction window box. Additionally, the set contains all-new interchangeable heads, hands, outfits and accessories so that you can swap out parts on the classic figure to turn him into his alter ego: Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker, or even a modern comic version of the wall-crawler!

Designed and sculpted for DST by the retro-toy craftsmen at EMCE Toys, the set will also contain a miniature booklet outlining the history of Spider-Man. Future sets in the line will turn the spotlight on Captain America, Iron Man and Wolverine, who was never included in the original 1970′s line. Each set will be limited to just 3,000 pieces, and retail for approximately $80.

Pre-orders will open for Spider-Man shortly, and he will be on store shelves (although probably not for long) in late 2014! And for more from Diamond Select, visit their website.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/toys/2014/4/21/22369/swing_to_the_past_with_this_retro_spider-man_figure#ixzz2zXwb5n6w