It’s pretty hard to believe that it’s October now, which means we’re only a month away from the Thor 2 movie hitting in theaters, as “Thor: The Dark World” will be released on November 8, 2013. Unfortunately, Thor’s been getting snubbed a bit when it comes to Thor: The Dark World figures and collectibles. The good news is that Diamond Select Toys isn’t totally ignoring Thor 2 and is releasing eight Thor The Dark World Minimates figures to specialty stores. The bad news is that the best four figures planned for Thor: The Dark World Minimates aren’t going to be released at all…

Thor has really gotten a bum deal as far as the merchandising for his new movie goes. First Hasbro declines to create a 6″ Thor The Dark World Marvel Legends-style wave of figures, and now Toys R Us has declined their usual series of Marvel movie Minimates exclusives.

As a result, the four Thor: The Dark World Minimates that had been planned as Toys R Us exclusives have been scrapped. Considering that we would have seen Toys R Us Thor 2 Minimates two-packs of Fandral/Hogun to complete the Warriors Three and Odin/Frigga, this is quite a big loss. The cancellation of the Minimates Fandral and Hogun figures especially frustrated, as though figures were also planned for the first Thor movie in 2011 and ended up canceled then too. Alas, poor Minimates Volstagg will seemingly be spending eternity alone.

But while Toys R Us may have shot down Minimates for the second Thor film, Diamond Select Toys will keep on chugging along at comic book and specialty stores. Eight figures are scheduled to be released as part of Thor The Dark World Minimates Series 53:

• Thor and Malekith the Dark Elf
• Loki and Heimdall
• Dr. Erik Selvig with Dark Elf
• Darcy Lewis with Dark Elf

This is unfortunately a little bit of a weak wave, as four of the eight figures are taken up by two civilians and two identical army builders. I suspect that Diamond Select Toys/Art Asylum would have reshuffled the figures a bit and given us Fandral and Hogun with the Dark Elf Minimates if they’d had more warning that Toys R Us wasn’t going to take the exclusive wave of figures, but it was not to be.

Instead, we’ll be getting the sort-of-cool-but-also-sort-of-boring Darcy and Erik Selvig Minimates figures that will unquestionably be the only toys of those characters ever produced.

Anyway, this is the only Thor: The Dark World Malekith figure currently announced for release from any toy company, so you can bet that I’ll be picking up the set of Thor and Malekith Minimates. And since I can’t resist Loki, the Minimates Loki and Heimdall pack as well. And since Malekith needs minions, well… suffice to say, I’m ordering the whole Marvel Minimates Thor The Dark World series.

The Thor: The Dark World Marvel Minimates Wave 53 set of eight figures is available for pre-order for $29.99 online (much cheaper than the $9.99 per pack charged at most comic book stores), and is expected to be released in late October 2013.