Last Saturday, comic book shops across the country celebrated Free Comic Book Day with signings, special appearances, sales, and of course, free comics! We got to be a part of the awesome festivities, and even picked up a few of the 50 different titles that were offered. In case you missed the announcement (or just want to check off which ones you got), here’s a look at the list of comics that were available:
On Thursday April 30, TTPM held its annual Spring Showcase, putting the best and the brightest of this summer’s toy scene on display with an event that included one-on-one time with representatives from top toy companies, as well as a special press conference. In the conference, we got a look at some of TTPM’s best picks for their various imprints, including Outdoor Toys, Movie Toys, the newly-added Pet Products, and more!
Below, you can take a look at some of the best toys that were on display at this year’s TTPM Spring Showcase, along with our take on them.
Movie Toys
This summer, major movie hits like Avengers: Age of Ultron, Minions, and Jurassic World are sure to dominate the box office, so it’s no surprise that the toys based off of them will be a hit with kids as well! TTPM’s top three movie toys for summer 2015 cover all the bases, from roleplay to interactive robotics, and of course good old action figures. Check out the gallery above to see Minions Tumblin’ Stuart, Avengers Age of Ultron Iron Man Arc FX armor, and Jurassic World Indominus Rex!
Outdoor Toys
Nothing’s more emblematic of summer as a kid than playing outside with your friends and family, having fun in the sun both on the block and on the beach. It’s with this in mind that TTPM celebrates the best outdoor toys every year, and this year’s top three look incredible! Check out the gallery above for a look at the Razor Jr. Mini Mod, Super Soaker Flood Fire (which attaches to a garden hose for constant water-gun refilling!), and RoseArt’s Shake n’ Roll Chalk Paint!
Breakout Hits
Finally, TTPM’s “Breakout Hits” category highlights the toys that are expected to really shine over the summer (And beyond!) This year’s top three Breakout Hits feature tons of fun across the board– with tech, outdoor play, and plush making the cut. Check out the gallery above to see VTech’s Kidizoom Action Cam, Sick Bricks by Spin Master, and Just Play’s line of Sheriff Callie plush!
The TTPM Spring Showcase always offers excellent insight into the best and brightest of what’s coming up in kids’ toys and games– if you’re looking for what will be hot this summer (other than the weather!) these toys are surely the best bet!
Marvels Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters today, and what better way to celebrate the return of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” to the silver screen than with some coloring pages of the film’s stars! Your kids will love coloring in their favorite superheroes like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America, and the best part is, you can print out these pages for free using the image links below!
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk and Chris Evans as Captain America. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”– in theaters now!
If you or your children happen to be big superhero fans, you are going to love Marvel Universe Live! The show brings together a team of heroes– including Spider-Man, the Avengers, and some of the X-Men– to fight against Loki and a host of other villains, like Red Skull, the Sinister Six, and more, for a total of over 25 of your favorite Marvel characters battling it out before your very eyes!
The story to the show goes as such: Thor, in possession of the Cosmic Cube (or Tesseract, as it is also known) decides to split it into four pieces and scatter them across the globe in hope that no one person will ever again possess the cube’s full corrupting power. But Loki, clever and dangerous as he always is, devises a plan to use mutant energy and one fragment of the cube to create his own clone Tesseract. It’s up to the Avengers (with help from a few friends) to gather up the three remaining pieces of the Tesseract and stop Loki’s march toward world domination. How will they thwart his plans in time? Check out Marvel Universe Live when it comes to your area to find out!
Marvel Universe Live, which incorporates impressive fight choreography, stunts, motorcycle action, pyrotechnics, and of course, the sheer thrill of seeing countless Marvel heroes and villains live on stage, is a blast for comic book and superhero fans of all ages! We saw the show last week at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and had an incredible time, but don’t fret if you missed it– Marvel Universe Live is still in the area at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn until August 17 and Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale until the 24th. It’s also going to be touring around the country until at least May 2015; you can check out the full tour schedule here.
For more info on Marvel Universe Live, visit the show’s official site.
Also, whether you’ve seen the show already or are eagerly awaiting the chance to go, check out the show’s “Marvel Universe Live Marketplace” on Overstock.com! The shop allows you to get your hands on exclusive Marvel Universe Live merchandise from the comfort of your home. Overstock.com is an official partner of Marvel Universe Live, and as an element of the partnership has (in addition to the Marketplace page) set up an arrangement with the not-for-profit Wounded Warrior Project. Overstock and Marvel Universe Live invited Wounded Warrior guests to attend the show in East Rutherford (with an interactive event preceding the live arena spectacular), and also made a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in their honor.
If you’re looking for The Avengers, look elsewhere. Even though Guardians of the Galaxy shares some features with the 2012 superhero team-up hit, this movie is its own beast entirely, and quite an interesting one at that! Gone are the familiar heroes that typically inhabit the Marvel Cinematic Universe; there’s not a cape or a mask in sight (well, one mask, but it’s more like a breathing apparatus), and instead we’re met with a crew of misfits that includes a treasure hunter, an assassin, a vengeful warrior, a genetically-enhanced talking raccoon, and a humanoid tree.
Guardians of the Galaxy takes this ragtag band and shows us how they came together into the titular superhero team. Chris Pratt captivates as Star Lord from the second he first appears on screen, emanating roguish charm like a slightly-unhinged Han Solo. As we follow the would-be infamous outlaw through his quest to keep the purple infinity stone away from the villainous Ronan the Accuser, we meet the rest of the team that becomes the Guardians of the Galaxy: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), determined to gain the stone to prevent Ronan from annihilating the universe; Drax (Dave Bautista), sworn to kill Ronan to avenge his wife and daughter; and Rocket and Groot (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively), who are just in it for profit. When the crew finds themselves in prison and being hunted by both sides of the law, how can they protect the stone and save the universe? Check out Guardians of the Galaxy in theaters now to find out!
(Note: While “Guardians of the Galaxy” may be a summer favorite for tweens, teens, and up, check twice before bringing little ones– there’s some mature language that makes the movie potentially inappropriate for kids under 8.)
