A lot of discussion in regards to action figure presence in a retail environment these days operates off of a common theme of “missed opportunities”. Either retail shelves are flooded with an early wave of undesirable product, key characters are missing, toy design itself is compromised, or distribution can’t get the figures that collectors (and kids) want.

Looking back a few years, Bandai was poised to make a huge splash in the action figure world with their captivating Thundercats relaunch, and this seemed to be a toyline that was orchestrated to near perfection. Early geek reaction to the animated series was at a fever pitch. A highly polished and exceptionally well produced trailer captured the attention of every fanboy across the world between the ages of 24 and 38, and along with the landmark series, Bandai was fully prepared to get Thundercats in front of the world at large.

Virtually the same weekend as the series launched on Cartoon Network, retail outlets were flooded with Thundercats toys of all shapes and sizes. Smaller 4” figures, which maintained a nice level of articulation even at the smaller scale, mid range 6” figures, and just to tap into those 80s mindsets, the larger 8” scale classic figures. Each scale and size had fantastic sculpting, almost perfectly blending animation with figure construction and three dimensional aesthetics.

Even as a long time fan of G.I. Joe, Star Wars, and other 4” action figure lines, my love for Thundercats rested firmly on the 6” action figure series. The enhanced articulation at a larger size, the amazingly detailed and interactive accessories, and the overall look and feel of the characters in plastic form did nearly everything right. Many would argue, and rightfully so, that Bandai and Cartoon Network failed to significantly market the figures and the series well enough to capture a large mass media audience. That was tough to gauge from inside the pop culture geek lion’s den, however.

For fans (or kids) who couldn’t quite spring for the somewhat pricey 6” line, there were plenty of terrific offerings at the 4” scale, too, which also allowed for the inclusion of vehicles, deluxe sets, and even the Tower of Omens!

Even though these toys were designed exceptionally well, and even though the animated series was the perfect example of how to reboot a beloved property right, after only two series, the 2011 Thundercats toyline evaporated. The first hints of trouble were at Toy Fair in 2012 when Bandai mysteriously had nothing to show for the popular line of action figures. However, fans clung to the hope that perhaps they were holding something for Comic-Con.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. By the time 2012 was over, word came out that Cartoon Network had canceled the series after one season and the Bandai toyline was no longer being supported, leaving many fans in a lurch. Even though folks who snapped up the 4” toys pretty much got a full roster of Thundercats heroes, the 6” fans were left twisting in the wind, even through promises of upscaled Wily Kit and Wily Kat (according to an interview on MTV Geek), and a Tygra that wound up being frustratingly short-shipped.

As I travel across the Internet and see frequent complaints from the online collector community, I can’t help but think back to what Bandai did with Thundercats, which was to do everything almost perfectly from a toy design perspective. Still, the line and the animated series failed, and the collecting community is left to wonder why.