Shortly before part works publisher Eaglemoss went out of business the company launched a range of ship models based on the TV adaptation of the science fiction saga, The Expanse. Master Replicas have now announced The Expanse – The Official Ship Collection, and teased a model of the FN Koto, as part of their new Collector Die Cast Vehicles and Prop Replicas range.
The Expanse collection was previously launched in the last days of Eaglemoss and only had limited distribution. The first model was an XL version of the series’ main ship, the Rocinante, a Martian corvette that ended up under series lead James Holden’s control, which sold out very quickly (but you can sign up on the Master Replicas website to be notified of any re-release).
UN One, which is still available, was only produced in limited quantities, a short-range craft that was used by the President of the United Nations. It could be carried aboard a larger ship to make interplanetary journeys. Avasarala used it on a diplomatic mission to Mars. It was destroyed druing the asteroid attack on Earth, when a shockwave tore it apart, killing Nancy Gao.
Master Replicas has now teased the impending release of the FN Koto in September, a patrol destroyer first seen in the series guarding and protecting Ceres from potential military counter-strikes from Earth or Mars.
The news about the die cast ship models and other products is the result of an agreement between Master Replicas/Heathside Trading Ltd. and Alcon Television Group, creators of the The Expanse TV series and other properties. As the authorised licensee for The Expanse die cast vehicles, prop replicas and figures, Heathside Trading will launch the products in Spring 2024 through selected retail partners, as well as direct to consumer through MasterReplicas.com.
The license was facilitated by Mandy Bardisbanian from Striker Entertainment, the licensing agency for The Expanse, and Kirsty Guthrie of KJG Ltd, the licensing consultant for Master Replicas/Heathside.
“We are so thrilled to be adding The Expanse to our increasing portfolio of properties,” Darren Epstein from Heathside commented. “The huge global fanbase for this license will mean we will be able to bring some really nice content to fans worldwide.”
Mandy Bardisbanian from Striker Entertainment added, “We are delighted to see Heathside come aboard to bring an elevated, yet accessible line of products to market for The Expanse fans.”
Rather than releasing all the ships in one go, Heathside Trading Ltd. – through Master Replicas – will make a curated selection of vehicles, prop replicas and figures available over the course of the license. This will allow fans to add to the continuance of their collections with selected resellers who will be making stock available on a limited basis online.
Heathside Trading Ltd, who own MasterReplicas.com, is a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of Pop Culture Consumer Products based in the United Kingdom, offering ranges of product to customers globally on various formats.
The Expanse comics continue
The revival of The Expanse range is welcome news for fans of both the original books and their various spinoffs.
The Hugo award-winning TV series, based on the hugely popular science fiction novels by James S.A. Corey, was developed and scripted by the Academy Award nominated writing duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby who executive produced the series, available to watch now on Prime Video, alongside Naren Shankar, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Laura Lancaster, Sharon Hall, Sean Daniel and Jason Brown of Hivemind, Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck and Dan Nowak. Shankar served as showrunner for all seasons. The Expanse was produced by Alcon Television Group, a division of Alcon Entertainment.
Since the series ending, US publisher Boom! Studios has successfully relaunched the TV adaptation into comics, initially with The Expanse: Origins, published in 2017, and The Expanse, a four issue mini series launched in 2020, a story set between Season Four and Season Five of the TV series.
Boom! launched The Expanse: Dragon Tooth earlier this year, the focus of a phenomenally successful crowdfunding campaign, written by Andy Diggle with art by Rubine.
The 12-issue comic book series is set after Season Six of the TV series and before the events of seventh book of the book series, Persepolis Rising. Funding for the series was raised via Kickstarter and set a record of $1.4 million in its category by the end of the pledge period.
• Master Replicas are online at masterreplicas.com
• The Expanse is available to watch now on Prime Video
• Buy copies of The Expanse novels from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
THE EXPANSE COMICS
Written by Hallie Lambert and Georgia Lee, with art by Huang Danlan, Triona Farrell, and Juan Useche. The comic miniseries was initially only released online in digital form and later collected
Based on the bestselling books and tying into the hit television series, The Expanse: Origins reveals the untold genesis of the crew members of The Rocinante.
As interplanetary tensions reach an all-time high, The Rocinante crew finds themselves at the center of a conflict that threatens to destroy all of human civilization. But before they were heroes, each member of the crew faced moments that would define them and bring them one step closer to the ship they now call home.
Featuring stories by author James S.A. Corey, written by Hallie Lambert and Georgia Lee and illustrated by Huang Danlan, this graphic novel explores the history of each character and what led them to The Canterbury, making it a must-read for fans.
Written by Corinna Bechko, with art by artist Alejandro Aragon
Chrisjen Avasarala, the former longtime Secretary-General of the United Nations, has found herself relegated to Luna after losing the latest elections…and she doesn’t plan on going down without a fight. So when Bobbie Draper – a former Martian marine – brings her intel on an intergalactic black market weapons ring, Avasarala sees a chance to reclaim her former political position of power through a clandestine operation.
But as Draper digs deeper into this secret cabal, she soon realises the threat they pose is far larger – and closer to home – than either of them ever imagined…
Written by Andy Diggle with art by Rubine
The Expanse lives on at BOOM!, covering the missing years between The Expanse: Babylon’s Ashes and The Expanse: Persepolis Rising — the only place for fans to find official content.
Picking up after the final season of the acclaimed and beloved sci-fi series which is available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime, The Expanse: Dragon Tooth will fill in the missing years between The Expanse: Babylon’s Ashes and The Expanse: Persepolis Rising, the secret history of fans favorite characters will be revealed for the very first time!
Everything comes together in this epic 12-issue story, tying together the threads of the show and answering lingering questions that will bring readers and viewers alike far beyond the stellar horizon.
• You can find Andy Diggle on twitter at @andydiggle or on the web at andydiggle.com
• You can find Rubine on Instagram at @rubinecr
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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