McFarlane Toys Announces Comic Shop Exclusive Variants

McFarlane Toys has announced an exciting new partnership with Diamond Comic Distributors that will bring comic shop exclusive action figure variants to local comic stores nationwide. Starting this summer, collectors will be able to find limited edition variants of popular McFarlane figures only at their local comic shops.

The Program Details

The "Comic Shop Exclusives" program will launch with three major releases:

• Batman: Black & White Variant: A monochrome variant of the popular Batman figure, limited to 5,000 pieces
• Spider-Man: Classic Comic Colors: A repaint featuring the exact color palette from Steve Ditko's original artwork
• Spawn: Vintage Card Back: A throwback variant packaged on a recreation of the original 1994 card back

Why This Matters

For comic retailers, this represents a significant opportunity to drive foot traffic and expand their customer base beyond traditional comic book collectors. "We've seen how Funko Pop exclusives can drive store visits," says Diamond's VP of Marketing. "We believe McFarlane's quality and collector focus can have the same impact."

For collectors, these exclusives offer something increasingly rare: genuinely limited production runs that won't be available at mass retail or online giants. Each piece will feature a special "Comic Shop Exclusive" sticker and unique numbering.

Availability

The first wave releases on June 15, 2026. Participating stores are listed on Diamond's website, and each store will receive allocation based on their ordering history with Diamond. McFarlane Toys has confirmed that future waves are planned quarterly, with characters from DC, Marvel, and independent comics all potentially receiving the exclusive treatment.