Collectibles Review: Pulp Heroes Snap Bots

When it comes to comic book heroes, we often hear tales of how they’ve “lept from the pages” of their respective books, snapping into action, usually on the big screen. With Pulp Heroes Snap Bots, from Far Out Toys, that description is a bit more literal and a lot more fun.

They’re not really action figures, and they’re definitely not vehicles, but Pulp Heroes are figures, and they do have wheels.

These unique 2D-to-3D figures are stylized, blocky, comic book-inspired depictions of famous characters from Marvel and Star Wars. Crafted from heavyweight cardstock, each figure sits atop an attached pull-back base that kids can use to send their Pulp Heroes racing into action!

When the fun is done, the figure folds flat and slides into an included, hard-plastic comic book sleeve, which also doubles as a character art display stand. When it’s time to play again, kids can slide their Snap Bot out of its sleeve to see it “snap” from a flat, 2D form into a 3D figure that’s ready for action!

The initial wave of Marvel Comics Pulp Heroes includes some notable Avengers, such as Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, Black Panther, and Thor, along with a pair from Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord and Groot.

The Star Wars Pulp Heroes series arrived this fall on Triple Force Friday, including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Jedi Master Yoda, Boba Fett, an Imperial Stormtrooper, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Chewbacca. The included sleeves are inspired by the artwork of the 1980s Star Wars comic books published by Marvel.

The design is fantastic, but since Pulp Heroes are constructed out of cardstock, repeatedly snapping the character in and out of their sleeves means there’s potential for tearing or artwork to rub off. Personally, I love the comic book art which looks fantastic on display next to each figure. For carded or in-package collectors, Far Out Toys packages each Pulp Heroes character on a blister-packed card back that looks great on display either standing or hanging.

With two waves at retail thus far, early word is that the reaction has been strong and that another wave, including Princess Leia and Captain Marvel, is looming on the horizon.

Photos: Far Out Toys, the Pop Insider

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.