Our 8 Favorite Pop-Cultural Artifacts of 2022: Part 1
Toymakers went more retro-active than ever this year
Retro was once again king in 2022. And unlike our pal Starscream’s reign, the ’90s’ resurgence has lasted far longer than a few seconds.
Over the past few years, brands like Hasbro or Mattel have forged major digital platforms geared toward adult collectors. (For the named brands, that’s Hasbro Pulse and Mattel Creations, respectively.) This means lots of 2022 recreations and/or upgrades of classic toys—as well as a highly competitive secondary market.
Akin to the MCU’s cinematic dominance, this glut of nerd-cultural products is never-ending. But there are some gems scattered among the hordes. Today, we’re digging into our favorite new (or in some cases, new-old) products from the year—and why they rose above the rest. In no particular order:
1. Transformers Studio Series 86-12 Leader Coronation Starscream ($54.99, Hasbro)
OK; so I gave this one away at the top.
First, I just admire the audacity of creating a Starscream figure celebrating a very brief scene in 1986’s Transformers: The Movie.
Some people call this kind of release “fan service” or a “money grab,” but esoterism is a vital pillar of collector culture. Coronation Starscream is just a descendent of Kenner’s R5-D4 figure in 1978, which celebrated a droid whose demise served as both comedic relief and paved the way for R2D2 joining our heroes’ party.
Eagle-eyed Transformers fans recognize this Starscream as basically the Earthrise figure with a new paint job. But that one didn't have a little crown, cape, and throne! Social media users like to clutch their pearls at moves like this, but let’s be real: The kind of fan who will buy a 50-dollar Coronation Starscream knows that’s just how the game works and will decide if it’s worth it on their own.
It is.
2. Jurassic Park T. rex Breakout ($99.99, LEGO)
Recreating one of the most iconic scenes in cinema, this gorgeous LEGO set is a delight to construct, from the mud-filled base to the titular baddie herself. These 18+ sets from LEGO are never really inappropriate for the young builder, but at least it feels a bit more honest about its target audience than its peers’ packaging. (The 18+ designation actually replaced the former Expert one for LEGO, which just means it’s a more advanced set for adult builders.)
One of my favorite touches on this one? The Ian Malcolm quote affixed to the front: "Boy, do I hate being right all the time."
LEGO gave a similar prestige treatment to some of its Star Wars sets this year, like the “diorama” takes on on the Death Star trench run and trash compactor scenes, as well as Jedi training on Dagobah.
The Jurassic Park set only comes in at 1,212, so it can be easily knocked out within the the timeframe of the movie itself.
3. DC Multiverse Green Lantern Kyle Rayner ($19.99, McFarlane Toys (Target Exclusive))
Some folks get pretty angry about the scarcity of these Target- and Wal-Mart- exclusives (and even moreso, the secondary market that triples their original price points). I get that. But between us, I also enjoy the thrill of the hunt.
Kyle here, the the Lantern that debuted in 1994, has a particular soft spot for me. Maybe it’s because he found his girlfriend stuffed in a fridge that one time. Mostly, I think the Parallax storyline in the Green Lantern comics was criminally underrated for the time, eclipsed by the fan reactions of the time—which included death threats against writer Ron Marz.
Just a lovely sculpture for Kyle here, including that Jonathan Taylor Thomas hair. McFarlane gets a lot of flack for continually churning out new Batmen, but in 2022, we’ve also gotten plenty of special entries like Kyle here. Even if he wasn’t easy to track down.
4. Marvel Legends Series Deluxe Retro Iron Man ($44.99, Hasbro)
Confession. This is not how Iron Man is intended to be posed with his plasma cannon in this set. But I’m a maverick.
Modeled after the Marvel Action Hour animated take on Ol’ Shellhead, this retro-carded set is just pure throwback fun. It even comes with a mulleted Tony Stark head.
The success of this set, for me, is that it truly does feel like something created for kids, even though its primary audience are folks who recognize the vibrant packaging from their childhoods. A gorgeous paintjob that pops, multiple attachable plasma blasts, and a cannon Iron Man can barely hold in his arms—it’s a maximalist set that would be ideal for a kid who likes to actually play with his toys.
But the packaging also displays very well if you’re that kind of fan, too.
So that’s the first half of our favorite sets of the year! The other four you can expect in your mailbox in the coming days.
