Here are the latest pre-orders and new arrivals from our sponsors at BigBadToyStore.com. Pre-order Pacific Rim Series 2 and NECA's Aliens Series 2. In stock now is the Wampa Creature Plush and the JoeCon 2013 Nocturnal Fire set. Shop the full listing after the jump!

It’s time for July’s edition of the Curto Burns Collectors Cast recorded a few days ago!  Join Dan and James as they talk about the Caravan of the Force, in association with Toys ‘R’ Us, the exclusives available at San Diego Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration Europe along with a quick round up of the latest news from your favorite Star Wars licensees.  They also drop in on Steve Sansweet at Rancho Obi-Wan&

Comic-Con International gets underway with their customary Wednesday evening Preview night, where four day pass holders, special guests, and press are able to get in early with theoretically less foot traffic and snippet what's on the convention floor. Hasbro presented most of their Q3 releases and some exclusive goodies planned for Q4.  Read our report and also peep out the photos in our Image Bank!

Note: Starting in May, 2013 with version 11.0.3 an Apple iTunes update changed the iTunes Miniplayer. This update changed what must be done to view enhanced podcast images in iTunes. To view these images:

Here's some good news - the Amazon exclusive Hasbro Star Wars The Vintage Collection Boba Fett's Slave I vehicle has been given a $30 price drop!  Pre-orders should automatically be given the new price, and if you've been holding off just click here to order yours now. 

You'll have to visit our Facebook and Twitter pages as we've uploaded many photos from the floor, including some nice surprises from Gentle Giant, Kotobukiya, and eFX.

We've got some early shots of the Hasbro booth, including a peek at the Amazon and ToysRUs exclusive vehicles, the K-Mart Scanning Crew and Ewok Catapult set, and much more. Marvel at the beauty of low quality iPhone pics after the jump, and stay tuned for our Preview Night report and pics later this evening!

Here are the latest pre-orders and new arrivals from our sponsors at BigBadToyStore.com: You can now pre-order their shared Transformers Platinum Grimlock vs. Bruticus. Star Wars items include pre-orders for the new Kotobukiya ARTFX + Sandtrooper and 12" Darth Vader from Hasbro. Check out the full listing after the jump!

From our sponsors at BriansToys.com: The Star Wars Mission Series sets have arrived at Brian's Toys! Also new this week are new pre-orders for the Sideshow 12" Clone Troopers Echo & Fives and Gentle Giant Padme Amidala (Ilum) statue.

Our coverage will be starting fairly soon, so make sure to like our Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter for breaking news and photos inside the convention. The countdown begins!

Just in time for Comic-Con, here's our review of the Hasbro SDCC (and Celebration Europe) exclusive Black Series Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite. Will collectors jump in to this new scale? Based on this piece, it's hard not to get excited of what's to come. Check out our review and photos after the jump, and check back tonight as our 2013 SDCC Preview Night coverage begins!

Here's more! Is it time to part with ten bucks? The 5-point-of-articulation experiment continues with a look at Hasbro's brand span-danker-in' new Star Wars 2013 Mission Series Battle Droid with 212th Battalion Clone Trooper Action Figures. If all you're after is one of each new mold, the Battle Droid and Clone are both repeated with different paint jobs elsewhere. And if you're looking for the best examples of each mold ever, these aren't them. They are decent vehicle pilots and the Clone stands up well - but are they worth army building, assuming they become available?

SEE! The pictures.
HEAR! Me speak in the video review.
READ! The review. Reading is fundamental!
Check it all out after the break. Because it's not like you're going to get much SDCC coverage until Wednesday anyway.

Want to know how to wipe off some yellowing from your Vintage 2010 Clone Trooper helmets and many 2002-2004 releases? I have discovered one solution! We also look at retro action figures, more anti-prequel sentiment and the usual stuff. Send in your questions for our next column - I can't guarantee next week due to SDCC, but it'll be soon, I promise! Read on for more!

Now in 2-packs! The 5-point-of-articulation line continues with a look at Hasbro's brand span-danker-in' new Star Wars 2013 Mission Series Anakin Skywalker with 501st Legion Clone Trooper Action Figures. Both figures are repaints of other figures sold individually, and Anakin has more than a couple of changes from the single carded release. The clone is, of course, much bluer than the other releases.

While not necessarily an essential release, it is different enough to warrant your attention. And as usual, we have a short video for those of you who gave up reading for Lent back in 1997. Click through for belt variations and more!

The experiment continues! The 5-point-of-articulation experiment continues with a look at Hasbro's brand span-danker-in' new Star Wars 2013 Saga Legends Obi-Wan Kenobi Action Figure. It's a corporate response to inflation, rising labor costs, and a shifting set of priorities in the world of toy retail, but it has one action figure lacking of previous figures.  Namely, it can sit in your vehicles without a fuss.

We're hoping to get a few more of these up before SDCC 2013, so please do read on and watch the video, too! As the great Jim Osterberg once said, "thank you for your kind indulgence."

How are you liking this format? Love it? Hate it? Can't stand my terrible voice? Let me know!