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Black Library Bibliophiles is our occasional series on the collection and display of Black Library books. From diving between the covers of deluxe editions to chasing rare treatments and notable misprints… from collectors’ well-stocked personal libraries to the curated display of trinkets, curios, and other Warhammer memorabilia… we go beyond the pages to celebrate the love of the books themselves.
If, a year ago, you were told that Chinese toymaker JOYTOY would be having a product announcement during the 2025 Big Summer Preview, odds are pretty good you would have assumed it was going to be a new wave of action figures. After all, the 1/18th scale figures had been their bread and butter offering since acquiring the Warhammer license in 2021.
Instead, they were kicking off an entirely new product line- one that puts them squarely in the frame of library display. When the first 1:1 scale Space Marine helmet decked out for Lieutenant Titus in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 hit the screen, it was a perfect addition to my Black Library Museum.
Today we’ll be giving it a thorough look- both this helmet and the line.
The Hat Makes the (Transhu-)Man
So the first thing to note is that it’s big, with the interesting “in-between” dynamic of being scaled by Astartes but wearable by us mortals. In my head I’d envisioned it sitting snugly on the top shelf of one of my displays, a nice centerpiece for the Ultramarines wing.
Not a chance. With the optional display stand, this thing’s a beast. For those who are considering adding one of these to their Black Library collection, don’t rely on eyeballs and vibes like I did. Get out the tape measure and make sure for yourself. For me, it instead had to sit on top of the display altogether.
I added Bobby G. on that last pic just to help give a sense of proportion.
The optional stand it sits on is a nice bit of work. I’m always impressed by the inclusion of less-necessary details, such as the decorations on the stand itself that aren’t really visible when you’ve mounted the helmet (which will be almost all of the time for most folks).
This being a helmet, of course, it’s meant to be worn. While it’s bulky and cumbersome and not the easiest thing in the world to see through1, it is rather comfortable thanks to some thoughtful padding placement on the inside.
That third picture also shows the battery compartment, as this thing’s illuminated. It takes two AAA batteries, and it’s an easy installation. The helmet’s lights have a toggle switch that’s visible in that first pic, just below the headband.
When turned on, you get two red-colored lights just above the eyes. Were I to wear this as a prop, I’d probably want to build in a little visor of some kind to keep the light out of my eyes, as it’s a bit intrusive. The batteries are visible in that first pic for display, but the cover is one of the ‘snap-in’ types that’s simple to remove2.
Buyer’s Remorse?
Overall I found this to be a solid product that was nicely made and won’t make you feel badly about the pricetag if it happens to be the kind of collectible you enjoy displaying. Altogether with shipping it’s going to be above $200- again, it’s big, and the box it comes in is very well padded making it even bigger- so it’s a centerpiece level of investment for most.
For me, it’s an odd fit, and the second time I jumped at a luxury collectible that ended up being a bit bigger than I’d expected and therefore not quite a match for my museum display. (The previous time was the Sanguinius limited edition Displate, which I reviewed here). That’s certainly no fault of JOYTOY’s, and I’m perfectly happy letting it sit atop one of the display stands rather than within it.
That said, in a world where I had an unlimited checkbook I’d grab one of every one of these they made. It’s not hard to imagine having a display case for each of the 20 18 Legions, with one of these proudly sitting atop it.
Since I don’t, I’m going to enjoy having the one where it is in my office, sitting above the Ultramarines display. But JOYTOY, if you ever expand the range and make a Night Lords parade helm, bat wings and all… we’ll meet again.
The Line Forms Here
JOYTOY’s designers have mastered both the art of individuation as well as iteration. Their action figure line for Warhammer is incredibly varied, yet they also expand the range through variations on a theme where appropriate. And given Warhammer’s technical modularity, where a lot of power armor really is largely the same outside of factional customization, it works:
Little surprise, then, that with the helmet line presumably selling well enough to warrant continuation, JOYTOY has begun pushing out the boundaries of what it’s able to offer.
The range of helmets now extends to five, with generic (non-character-specific) options available for the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, White Scars, and (currently on preorder) Blood Angels.
Each is available with and without the display stand, which adds an additional USD $30 to the helmet price of $160.
Now, let’s take a look at some books!
July’s Deluxe Offerings
Those who have champagne wishes and caviar dreams for their personal libraries at home had several reasons to enjoy what hit the shelves in July.
Ghosts of Cadia (Special Edition), by Rob Young
On occasion, the designers of the deluxe editions like to pretend you’re plucking something right out of the grim, dark future and sticking it on your shelf. The Special Editon of Robbie MacNiven’s Vagabond Squadron, for example, looked like a technical manual complete with a few grease stains right off of a mechanic’s table.
This time, though, they really outdid themselves with the visual trompe l’oeil that made the book look creased and well-worn. Check the ‘creases’ out on that title page, or the scuffing on the back cover. If I didn’t have it in my hand I wouldn’t believe that wasn’t the result of a bad day at the printer’s.
Overall it’s a solid design, nothing all that flashy aside from the gold foiling on the cover. There’s an author’s afterword, which is one of the features I most enjoy from deluxe editions.
For the Emperor (Illustrated and Annotated Edition), by Sandy Mitchell
I feel a bit like Flavva Flav to GW’s Chuck D here, but I won’t stop bragging on these editions. Pound for pound they’re one of the best values in the Black Library and the perfect ‘starter book’ for building up a deluxe collection. Added art throughout the inside of the book paired with a treasure trove of author insights, all in a lovely sprayed-edge hardcover with ribbon bookmark. Chef’s kiss.
Don’t be thrown by the spartan foreword, there’s also a lengthier afterword from Mitchell at the end of the book. Indeed, this is the first book I can recall that’s offered both.
I recently reviewed Robert Rath’s The Infinite and Divine from this series, and a full review of For the Emperor is right around the corner.
Cainaphanalia
Alongside the new edition of For the Emperor, it was a good time to be a Ciaphas Cain fan as we finally got to see him in plastic. While the official Games Workshop photo gave Cain and Jurgen something of a simian appearance I didn’t love, I actually prefer the unpainted look for most of my minis and they look much better on their own.
We also saw the release of a new regimental banner, this one for the Valhallans. For scale, I put the Cain/Jurgen mini in the center, so it’s a nice size for your wall or shelf. The banner is made of canvas and is great, but the cord and dowel setup are fairly chincy. Still, it’s not something you’ll notice once you’ve got it up.
Rynn’s World (Special Edition), by Steve Parker
Yeah, stock photos for this one. If you’ve been following my Rynn’s World saga the last few weeks as it’s unfolded in Black Library Weekly, you already know my heartbreak. The TLDR is this: I successfully managed to score one online, but when the box arrived at my local Warhammer store we opened it to find the picker had tossed in something that… wasn’t… my book. Not even remotely close.
Fair play to GW, I got a “double-refund” for my trouble (which I later used to get the Mephiston Box Set), but all subsequent efforts to track down another copy have come to naught.
Consequently, I can’t give any firsthand appreciation for the work that went into this one. Perhaps someday, once the ‘scalper rush’ calms down.
False Gods (Premium Edition), by Graham McNeill
Finally, the Horus Heresy Saga rolls on with the Premium Edition of Graham McNeill’s sophomore entry. It has a lovely leatherette cover with embossed metal medallion, with a spine treatment that looks awfully classy when seated alongside others that are similar.
As a Premium Edition, there’s no unique numbering or author autographs here, but it does have a small six-panel map folded up and seated within. Sadly, no additional author commentary from McNeill.
Community Shelfies
Finally, some shelfies that caught my eye recently from around the community, because as much as I like to look at what’s in my own study, it’s a blast to see how others are displaying their own collections!
Here’s u/robynjames777’s Gaunt’s Ghosts shelf, with the recent edition of The Sabbat Worlds Crusade as well as a number of the print-on-demand novels by Dan Abnett.
I wanted to highlight this one, though, because of their display’s centerpiece. It’s always great to see people go outside the usual when decorating their library, and this was a framed printout that really pulls it together.
Speaking of going outside the usual, nobody should have to wonder what Devin Lea’s favorite faction is, and it’s probably not revealed by the presence of that one hapless Tyranid. Plenty of Black Library books, Games Workshop goodies, and Etsy pickups have made this less of a library and more of a shrine.
If I might offer one suggestion to those who store their books like this, it’s that having them out in the open makes them a magnet for dust and calamity. It might be worth grabbing a few acrylic book protectors to safeguard them- some of those Blood Angel deluxes go for stupid money on the secondary market- and if you have a decent painting hand you can even thematically decorate the acrylic cases, too!
A ‘first shelfie’ is always a special moment, because it’s the first time you realize you’ve built something worth photographing. It’s no longer just a collection of books, but a thing greater than the sum of its parts. A collection.
u/Own-Function6537 celebrated getting a new place that had room for theirs by posting it up, and ever since I’ve seen this image I’ve been ruminating on how slick it looks to have tight shelf spacing. I have a lot of “dead air” in mine- easily enough for another shelf if I was able to compress the unusued space- and when the time finally arrives for shelf upgrades this is exactly the kind of functionality I’ll be looking for.
Having little air gap atop the books also is a great way to reduce the dust that loves to collect on books.
Matt Kadish also enjoys working JOYTOY figures into his collection to great effect, and the plastic is definitely competing for available display space with the paper. Matt noted he’d had to banish the paperbacks to a new shelf (don’t worry, he notes he’s ‘working on’ a solution to shield them from the sun), though these days copies of Throne of Light and The Wolftime can go for as much (or more) than a new Limited Edition hardcover.
Thanks to all those who take the time to open up their collections and show them off, it’s great to see these books being so treasured.
That’s it for this month. Until next, may your library be every bit the collection you want- or at least be moving in that direction!
Cosplayer problems, I’m sure they’d quickly acclimate. I’ve worn the thing twice, I’m good. I didn’t buy it to wear, but you certainly could.
As opposed to the ones that are omnipresent in kids’ toys these days that require a Philips-head screwdriver and a generous dollop of patience.
I’m both impressed and disappointed with the joytoy helmets. They are amazing to look at, but for the price tag I was hoping for some better internals.