Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,117: Clone Trooper Sergeant (The Black Series 6-Inch)

CLONE TROOPER SERGEANT 6-inch debut
The Black Series 6-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.:
Asst. A4301 No. B1065
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07 (Blue Box)
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2014
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Clone Trooper sergeants are genetically engineered and trained to command Clone Trooper squads in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: While Yoda is something of an obligation and the TIE Pilot is good overall, the Clone Trooper Sergeant is somewhere in the middle.   In order to make army builders and bean counters happy, repaints - or any use of existing tooling - are a great way to reuse an existing figure while giving fans something new.  Or new-ish.
The sculpt is the same basic white clone trooper that you may have found didn't find in a store near you as part of the orange box line in wave four.   So it's good, a little chunky but that's OK.  What's most exciting about it is that one of the many color arguments in action figures continues, although it seems that the answer is now a bit more consistent.  You see, in 2003 Hasbro insisted that the Sergeants were a green color - and they also say that's what Lucasfilm told Hasbro they should be.  Since the color wasn't plainly visible in the movie not a lot of fans complained, but the 2004 Gentle Giant bust of this armor was this brownish green color.   Despite this, Hasbro continued making the figure in a brighter green color for each new release up until 2012, when they finally gave the brown one a try, despite various official renderings and other licensors continuing to make it in the brownish olive green color.  Why?  I have no idea.  Remember, in the 1990s Lucasfilm told Galoob that Han Solo "always wore black" so the Hoth parka was made as a black micro figure.  Welcome to the fun world of licensed products - if you ask me, these color changes are a big part of what makes it fun.


Anyway, so what's new here?  Paint.  The armor has shoulder stripes and rank pips on his chest. His helmet has a few stripes on it. The guns each have some grey on them, while the previous all-white version was unpainted.  The longer rifle - a DC-15a for those wondering - is closer to the movie reference than before, but could probably use a few more details to get it right.  The smaller blaster - the DC-15S - looks a bit different depending on which reference you examine.  I would say that the ammo clip has more grey paint than necessary, but given the level of customization or damage any trooper could have it certainly doesn't bother me.  I'm at a point where I'd rather have something that's balls-out incorrect or fabricated than the same old thing for the dozenth time.

This figure has 24 or so joints, depending on how you feel like counting today.  It stands fairly well, although after a few days gravity can tip it over.  I would suggest using the rifle as an added support (tripod) unless you are using a small-scale doll stand.  This is a perfectly good figure and I'm quite happy that the oft-avoided olive/brown-green deco was the first ranked 6-inch Clone out of Hasbro, mostly because I'm hardly sick of seeing it yet.   Here's hoping we get the other ones, and if they ever do a tripped-out exclusive boxed set with "wrong" color figures based on popular error action figures of the past, a grassy green redeco could be on deck.  I'd buy one!

Collector's Notes: This figure is in major online and brick-and-mortar stores in the USA now.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,117: December 31, 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,116: TIE Pilot (The Black Series 6-Inch)

TIE PILOT 6-inch debut
The Black Series 6-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.:
Asst. A4301 No. A6521
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05 (Blue Box)
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Holster can carry blaster
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2014
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: TIE Fighter Pilots battle Rebel starfighters during the Battle of Yavin.  These elite Imperial pilots deploy from the Death Star Battle Station and blast the Rebel fighters with laser cannon fire.  "Look out!"  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: While Yoda was a good figure but a bad figure for the price, there's no such question that Hasbro's TIE Pilot is actually pretty good.   You don't get as much stuff in the box, but presentation counts for a lot and there's really nothing bad about this figure.  You get 20 or so points of articulation - depending on how you feel like counting them - on a nice frame with a non-removable helmet.   You may also be curious to note that this is Hasbro's first complete overhaul of the TIE Fighter Pilot sculpt in any articulated size since about 2004.  3 3/4-inch releases retained the Saga sculpt with a few minor tweaks, so this is Hasbro's first fully-sculpted figure with ankles.

The sculpt is basically as good as the best 3 3/4-inch figures and is also just as good as other 6-inch "trooper" figures in this line.  There are ample sculpted wrinkles on the body suit with double-jointed knees, bend-and-swivel wrists, and of course the famous helmet with the tubes leading to the chest device.   His arms stick out a tiny bit, but unfortunately that's par for the course with most of Hasbro's super-articulated figures in nearly any scale.  As such, you can't get that "at attention" pose that troop builders often demand, and, ironically, can only get on the 5-jointed figures when Hasbro deems it worthy to make them that way.

His holster is notable in that it's a loose, rotating piece like the ones added to the 3 3/4-inch TIE Pilots around the Legacy (2008-2010) era.   It gives the figure a little more heft, and it means you don't have to keep him holding his gun all the time - a plus when it comes to figures of this size.

With glossy black boots and gloves plus silver highlights here and there, this is a TIE Fighter Pilot you can be proud of for twenty bones.  It has no problems standing, and it feels sturdy and pleasingly chunky.  However, he can't sit well due to the crotch formation blocking the legs from swinging forward to a 90-degree angle.   Most of the figures in this line share this problem, and it either says to you that a) there won't be vehicles, or b) like G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary figures they lacked foresight to prepare figures for hypothetical non-bike vehicles down the road.  So when you make your scratch-built 6-inch scale TIE Fighter, remember to get a second pilot figure and shave down the hips a bit.

Collector's Notes: This figure is in major online and brick-and-mortar stores in the USA now.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,116: December 30, 2014

Monday, December 29, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,115: Yoda (The Black Series 6-Inch)

YODA Dagobah Outfit
The Black Series 6-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.:
Asst. A4301 No. A9011
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #06 (Blue Box)
Includes: Green blade, lightsaber hilt, snake, flute, belt, gimer stick
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2014
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: On the remote swamp planet Dagobah, Jedi Master Yoda teachers young Luke Skywalker the ways of the Jedi and the power of the Force.  "My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: Generally speaking, a Star Wars action figure review writes itself.  Within seconds I can tell you if a 3 3/4-inch action figure fits within established parameters for "good," and while some aspects may cause controversy - specifically, if one or two bad elements make a figure bad or not - generally the reaction is pretty good.  I trust my gut.  My gut didn't have an immediate positive or negative reaction to the 6-inch Yoda, mostly because unlike the similarly small R2-D2 he didn't demonstrate value.   While we as a group have come to accept that 3 3/4-inch scale figures are now generally $11, those figures usually have a decent array of accessories and there's really no competing Hasbro Star Wars product delivering a similar product at a better value.  Not so with the 6-inch line.  Due to his shorter size, Yoda is, for all intents and purposes, a 3 1/4-inch action figure.  This means that Hasbro's decision to ask $20 of him is either a result of cynicism (i.e., "those people will buy anything,") or perhaps poor planning.   I have no doubt this figure costs less to make, although it's possible even the factory (which Hasbro doesn't own, if you weren't familiar with how things in China work) could have said "all 6-inch figures are $X" and as such, Yoda fell under a goofy pricing structure.  Since there are no half-sized 6-inch assortments or plussed-up gift sets, this price is what it is - faulty.


As collectors, we are quite often suckers for the things we love. We bite the bullet, shell out our money, and ultimately get what we want.  Since Yoda will sell even at secondary market mark-ups and the sculpt is good, it's sort of an issue and it sort of isn't.  This figure could fit in a 3 3/4-inch package pretty easily, and seeing that he's short, with a similar to 3 3/4-inch piece count, the price really does sting.  This is, simply put, not even big enough to be a 3 3/4-inch figure yet because it comes in a big box, we pay twice as much without hesitation.   Not every figure in this line is perfect, and some like the Sandtroopers offer a lot of stuff for your money.  With Yoda, you're opting in on paying the Yoda toll.

There are no foot holes in his tridactyl feet, but the ankles are jointed as are the hips and an upper thigh-swivel.  But why offer both ankles and a thigh swivel, when no knees are present?  It just adds more parts, which takes more engineering and assembly, without offering additional functionality or value.  With 16 points of articulation the figure is neither impressive nor bad - the lack of knee joints at this scale is somewhat baffling, and at the same time a decision to not simplify it to sell it as an accessory to a Dagobah Luke (for example) is also a little strange.  What we have here is a figure that would be average as a 3 3/4-inch release, and also would fit within the confines of that assortment.  There are no bend-and-swivel wrists, but you do get completely unnecessary double-jointed elbows - the cloth garments don't let you get the most out of them and it isn't like Yoda is super-bendy as a character in the first place.


His sculpt is good - it looks like Stuart Freeborn's sculpt, which itself looks a bunch like Mr. Freeborn.   His green skin feels darker than most Yoda figures, but it gets the point across.  His soulful eyes remain, and the paint on my sample is mostly good although there's a little too much white on this particular figure's left eye.   It's a pretty good recreation of a latex puppet, and I can't complain about the quality of his jacket either.  Unlike the 3 3/4-inch scale Yoda released earlier this year, it is a bit more tattered and worn - and looks like it actually fits him.  The belt is good, and the banded snake is also very nice.  His cane fits in his hand loosely, while the prequel-inspired lightsaber seems a smidgen large for his tiny hands.  (And it's also an added, unnecessary cost here.  A blue backpack for Luke would have been more fun, but it is what it is.)

Because it's a 6-inch scale Yoda with a good sculpt, I can't say this is a bad figure.  However based purely on the criteria of the 3 3/4-inch line, it's clearly not a good deal.  It also doesn't matter to this series' bottom line, so Hasbro doesn't need to fret.   Hasbro's line of 3 3/4-inch figures are taller, similarly articulated figures with a piece count that's sometimes similar to Yoda here.  For a figure that's only an inch taller than a standard Hasbro/Kenner Yoda he's sort of a bitter pill to swallow, but Yoda figures have been historically smaller and overpriced since the line started.  Of course, usually we were dealing with figures in the $3-$7 range, now that he's $20 it's impossible to ignore that there's not enough plastic here to warrant the price tag, nor is this figure twice as big or twice as good as a typical 3 3/4-inch tall Hasbro Star Wars figure.  It's not bad either - and this is very important - this figure's only flaw is that he doesn't deliver sufficient toy for your money. Hasbro's Deluxe-class Transformers are $15 and are roughly twice the size. If money is not an issue for you, or if you just love Yoda, this is a wonderful figure at a price I can't get behind.  You can get bigger, better, more impressive figures in this line for the same price, but you won't because we just like Yoda too much.

Collector's Notes: This figure is in major online and brick-and-mortar stores in the USA now.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,115: December 29, 2014

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,114: Luke Skywalker (Hoth - The Black Series 2014)

LUKE SKYWALKER Hoth Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.:
Asst. A5077 No. A8056
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #02
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: While on patrol on Hoth, Luke is attacked by a carnivorous Wampa that drags young Skywalker back to its icy lair. Although wounded, Luke is not ready to become the Wampa's next meal.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: The second new figure in the newest batch of The Black Series is Luke Skywalker. The packaging makes no specific mention of outfit, but the bio indicates this is a post-Wampa-attack figure and... well, we've had a few.  Basically this is the Vintage 2012 Hoth Luke that was perfectly fine, with a new head and basically the same articulation - so Hasbro put new development dollars into packaging ($) and a new head ($$) to make a figure that we can loosely accept as new.  It's not bad at all - but it's one of those things where a droid repaint or even carrying forward another, more popular figure from recent years might have been a more exciting move.  After all, Darth Revan still has many fans.


If you like what you see, it's well made.  If you are sitting there going "Don't I basically have that?" let me assure you that yes, you pretty much do.  You'll like this figure, it's just as good as it was when you bought it two years ago with an extra accessory on better packaging at a lower price.  He can sit on a Tauntaun fairly well, can stand adequately, but on my sample the torso is a little twisted and won't stand up straight.

Also, the puffy collar piece isn't glued down, and this is starting to bother me - especially as I doubt there will be much alternate use for this spot with other figures.  Luke still has the same off-color elbow rings that are something of an eyesore, and this figure basically has all the same flaws and benefits of its predecessor minus a couple of paint applications, notably on the shoulder and wrist.

If you want to know if it's better or worse, it's about 8% worse - it's basically the same, except for the head and those couple of points of decoration.  The head is no better or worse, but if you want a scarf posed more like the Kenner Hoth Lukes this is a good one.  The 2003 one with the Wampa cave ceiling and articulated scarf is a better overall design (coloration aside) as far as play and display goes, but if your definition of a good figure is one you can sort of pose and will ultimately just stand around on a shelf after you open it, this is perfection incarnate.  Just don't look at his shoulder from the side.

Some more blood, some snow on the boots, a little something would have made this figure a lot more exciting.  As it is, it's one you'll open and if you missed the Vintage one, you'll probably really love it.  If you needed another one for some reason, it's quite nice.  If you've got almost every figure Hasbro made, and you bought this one to keep your set complete, you'll probably just hate yourself a tiny bit more unless you had a specific reason for wanting this figure.  I suspect this one will probably go down as being the quintessential update to the 1982 Kenner original - which is good - but getting it so soon and in such a drag of a year as new 3 3/4-inch The Black Series goes, it's more than a little anticlimactic.  

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at retail stores as of early November.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,114: November 18, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,113: Chopper C1-10P (Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends)


C1-10P "Chopper"
Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends
Item No.:
Asst. A3857 No. A8649
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #SL06
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Chopper, otherwise known as C1-10P, is an Astromech Droid on board the Ghost freighter.  Chopper assists the freedom fighters at ship repair, navigation, and computer access. An older model Droid patched together with various parts, Chopper is often cranky and grumpy.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: I assume you aren't reading this because you're trying to find one of your own.  Chopper is the second droid to carry the name, and the third action figure (don't forget the clone). He's a tiny little guy and the first (only?) C1 droid we've ever seen.  The figure looks pretty good, highlighting how this cheaper format works while also reminding us of what happens when a shortcut takes place.  The little fellow has three joints - the neck and arms - and that's it.  His bizarre shopping cart third wheel isn't included, nor are the arms that pop out the side of his head which were inspired by early McQuarrie R2-D2 concepts.  If you're gaga for robots, you need this. No question.

It feels more than a little cartoony - just like the rest of the line - thanks to his bright colors and lack of battle damage.  He's clean and largely undecorated - the left side of his body doesn't have the murky paint of the animation model, and some of the panel lines on the dome are left unpainted.  If anything, he looks like he might've been more at home in the Droids line, although I do seem to be saying that a little too much lately.  Since he has no accessories or figures, he's the biggest lightweight of the batch and his charm will be the main selling point. Granted, I was doing cartwheels once i saw the design just because he looks like some freakish cobbled-together Star Wars reject, which is sort of the exact kind of thing I'd like to buy.  On the cartoon, he's also an abusive little jerk - and how can you not love that?

The bottoms of his feet have little faux treads and he has no problems standing.  He's too short to be of much use in most Astromech Droid sockets in vehicles, and he won't fit in the Jedi Turbo Speeder at all - but he'll fit in the Y-Wing, post-FX X-Wings, Starspeeder 1000, and many others.  He doesn't fit perfectly in the little compartment in the Phantom sadly, but he can still be stored in the cargo hold.

Chopper is hardly a perfect figure - like R2-D2, there are lots of gimmicks left out that could make for a compelling second bite at the apple or a deluxe figure down the road.  (Dare I say "Black Series"?)   This is, of course, assuming there will be a road to go down later - I don't have high hopes for the long-term success of Rebels as 3 3/4-inch action figures (if it tops 50, I'll be impressed) but that means you can probably afford to collect the whole thing.  Chopper is a pretty good place to start - if you were a kid in the 1980s, he's going to make you happy.  It's just a fun, cool little toy for six bucks - there's no gee-wiz here, so if you like what you see it's worth the asking price.  Let's be honest, we've all paid more for less.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at Target, Toys R Us, and reportedly elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,113: November 14, 2014

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,112: Agent Kallus (Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends)

AGENT KALLUS Figure Debut
Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends
Item No.:
Asst. A3857 No. A8648
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #SL05
Includes: Rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Agent Kallus is a member of the Imperial Security Bureau, a secret police force that hunts down and crushes any rebellion in the galaxy.  Intelligent and ruthless, Kallus is a skilled pilot who makes it his mission to stop troublesome freedom fighters. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: Not bad.  Not bad at all.  Agent Kallus will never be the Admiral Screed figure I'll never get, but it's one of the better figures from this wave in terms of overall quality.   It ain't perfect but it's a worthwhile design upgrade to the long-running Imperial Officer.  Heck, it's basically an armored-up version of the original Kenner figure from the 1980s.  He has glossy black gloves and boots - this is what earns him a lot of extra praise - and trades the Navy cap with a helmet which is a distant cousin of the Naval Trooper/Death Squad Commando bucket.  Interestingly, it looks like the head is a two-piece ordeal - the helmet isn't removable, but it's molded in a separate color of plastic than the head.  We've seen this before with figures' hair (see Mara Jade) and Playmobil has been doing things like this for years, even with the horns of its dinosaurs.

This feels like a descendant of the Droids cartoon line.  Kallus has straight arms and no subtext - it's a bad guy, named accordingly and dressed in black. He stands or sits just fine, and should fit in most vehicles.  Actually, I kind of wish he had his own vehicle right now.  He has no problems holding his weapon - a bo-rifle, but not the same one that Zeb has.  It's unpainted and features no articulated parts, plus it's a wee bit skinnier.   Kallus' deco is pretty good - a black plastic figure has grey shoulders and some body armor not unlike that of General Veers, and a rank badge that to this day I don't understand.

There's a little triangle on the collar of his uniform, and the deco doesn't match the show exactly - but it makes for a good action figure.  My only real gripe are his eyebrows are the wrong color, and if I could add a fake complaint it would be that the figure lacks the character's greatest gag - the helmet-shaped sideburns.  Maybe they could show up in the future somewhere, because as an easy-to-grasp metaphor - the helmet really never comes off - it seems like it would be a good feature to deliver to the tiny tots.

The back of the figure has  a couple of little slats, and you can sort of cram his rifle in there for storage if you like.  I like this - it's a neat spin on the holster thing, which is a feature I can't get enough of.  On-figure storage? Yes please.

Since the deco is basically on the mark, deco isn't sloppy, and the shiny bits are shiny I can't complain with what I got for the money.  In an era where super-articulated figures cost $11-$13, a decent $5 figure that feels like an honest-to-goodness toy is pretty welcome.  I don't begrudge the articulation of the fancier figures, but I do find it nice to see a figure at mid-1990s prices again.   That sort of thing matters to me as a collector, mostly because when you realize you have over 2,000 of these things and a lot of them cost you $10 (or more, in some cases) you want to get those prices back down to $5 or $6.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at Target, Toys R Us, and reportedly elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,112: November 13, 2014

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,111: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (Star Wars Rebels Mission Series)


GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS and Stormtrooper
Star Wars Rebels Mission Series
Item No.:
Asst. A5228 No. A8658
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS01
Includes: Bo-Rifle, Stormtrooper figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios and the crew of the Ghost go on a rescue mission that entangles them with the Galactic Empire's Stormtroopers. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: If you've been reading this series of articles, you know I'm a big fan of changes in figures that make for better toys - and I find many of the figures with five points of articulation to be charming, durable, and priced right to serve a function as a toy.  Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios falls a little short here.  While this two-pack with a Stormtrooper does bring an adequate bang for the buck, Zeb has shortcomings that weren't present on previous releases like Kanan, Ezra, and the previous Saga Legends/Mission Series figures over the past year and change.

Creating a consistent, solid program of action figures is tough - not impossible, but a challenge.  Star Wars is, at its heart, a figure-and-vehicle line so compatibility between the two is very important.  Unfortunately, Zeb's a big guy and is too wide to fit in the Phantom as pilot or as cargo - unless you cram him in there on his side.  He also won't fit in most of the recent TIE Fighters like we saw in "Fighter Flight."  This is a common problem since 1995, while Kenner's designers made sure the original Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca could play together in 1978, we're not seeing enough of that kind of foresight today.  And as you know from the movies, people get upset when there's a lack of vision.   His legs are a little more wobbly than his peers, and may require some bending to get him to stand upright.

Zeb's 5 joints move freely and taken as a stand-alone collectible, he's fantastic.  He's pretty big, pretty beefy, colorful, and seemingly a fine sibling to the likes of Kez Iban.  As a figure unto itself, it's neat - the green eyes, white shoulder design, black stripes, and yellow body suit all look pretty nice and are quite close to the character design, but close is sometimes not enough.  Kanan and Ezra are pretty simple designs, and Zeb's lack of paint reveals how much budget cutting we're getting here. His eyes are a tad too green and lack the shading around the eye sockets.


Animated Zeb's amazingly expressive mouth is completely lacking in the action figure, so we miss out on those great teeth and big black maw.  It's not wildly inaccurate, but the figure suffers because Hasbro is looking to save a few pennies - which I suppose opens the door to future, higher-dollar Zebs and that's probably what some people would ask for anyway.

His hands easily hold his somewhat awkward weapon - a Bo-Rifle.  It looks like it was designed to be a roleplay weapon, and Hasbro took a few shortcuts to make it at this price point - you'd pretty much have to.   There are articulated elements near the grip on the show, but for the toy they're fused.  One is open, one is closed.  A red laser sight above one of the barrels is the only paint you'll get, as the wrappings are left undecorated along with the rest of the plastic.  It's primitive, but so is the entire package - Zeb feels like a Kenner figure from the very late 1980s or early 1990s, minus the action features.  It's for the best, really. 

This is the best Zeb you can buy, and I believe Hasbro could make it very nice if they decide to repaint it in a gift set or another package down the road.  The sculpt is good, but if Hasbro gave it a more expressive head and a little more deco it'd be very good.  And if they did a version for The Black Series I think a lot of fans would be pretty happy.   Since Zeb has some problems standing and can't fit in vehicles, the figure comes up short for me and I'd like to see another attempt soon.  Given the budgeting on these things it ain't bad, but as this segment's biggest cheerleader I'd be doing you a disservice by saying that this is a fantastic figure.  It's OK - if this is the only Zeb we get, it's acceptable.  For the asking price, this set is certainly worth it.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at Target, Toys R Us, and reportedly elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,111: November 12, 2014

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,110: The Inquisitor (Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends)

THE INQUISITOR  has no actual name yet
Star Wars Rebels Saga Legends
Item No.:
Asst. A3857 No. A8646
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #SL03
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio:The Inquisitor is a Force-sensitive spy and interrogator for the Galactic Empire who uses a ring-hilted Lightsaber that he spins and throws in combat.  He tracks down Jedi who escaped Order 66 and citizens who exhibit Force abilities. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Commentary: Saga Legends are here - and so are the first single-carded characters from a completely new piece of Star Wars media in North America since 2012.  The last wave was Canada-only with Jedi Luke, a Snowtrooper, Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Clone Wars).  Darth Maul isn't carried in this wave, but the other three make their US debut alongside The Inquisitor, as do repacks of Jango Fett (previously Mission Series), Darth Vader (also previously Mission Series), and the Clone Trooper (Saga Legends 2013).

This case is better than The Black Series waves on the whole, given that (to most of you) 9 of the figures are new.  Although I do find it baffling that they didn't make a case with 2 each of the 6 Rebels guys, or some mix of just the new characters, at least they're taking into account that there are likely some kids out there who are going to want some movie dudes.

Thankfully Hasbro at least decided to put The Inquisitor in an exclusive boxed set with his TIE Fighter at Target (hitting stores nowish), because he ain't in Wave 5 for some reason.  From where I sit it appears that Hasbro may have exceptionally low expectations for this segment of the franchise, because with no launch, main characters in short supply, and what feels like little or no promotion to fan sites or in general, this entire segment could be swept under the rug pretty easily.  This is a shame, because this is a decent figure.  There are limitations in the "cheap" format, but our nameless villain here makes the most of what the budget allows.  As the third Pau'an action figure that I can name, the figure has relatively shallow grooves on his head unlike previous members of his race.  He has Sith eyes which just confuses me - we've seen them on Anakin/Vader, Darth Maul, and nobody else so far - so what do they mean, really?  The yellow eyes have a black dot in the center and black eyeliner, plus red markings that seem like something Alice Cooper may have found kind of tame.  Overall, it's a good look for him.

The overall feel of the action figure is very 1990s.  It reminds me of some of the later animated Batman toys with skinny limbs, but a very stable build and enough bulk that it feels he could do some damage.  His gauntlets look vaguely like repurposed Clone Trooper gear, and his shoulders each have an Empire symbol on them.  I love this.  The black armor is largely evenly painted, although my sample had a significant gash in it, exposing the grey plastic underneath.

A black marker swipe actually fixed it, and while it's not a perfect match you really have to know where to look to see the problem.  His belt and buckle are painted, as are his black matte boots.  I assume a larger budget would have allowed for shinier shoes, but that's just a hunch - at least we get his cool ring Lightsaber.  It's red clear plastic with a black hilt that fits well in either hand.

I find the Inquisitor to be more than satisfactory.  I bet a more expensive one would be better - a few pennies on deco, a multi-piece weapon, and a mouth with exposed teeth could have made for a much more menacing threat.  This pale, tattooed guy is clearly evil but the animation model's skin is a little more ashen, and his grimace more pronounced.  Plus there's something unsettling about those grooves in the skin that, in this lighter colored plastic, is lost.  If you can get behind a figure that feels like an older toy - and boy howdy, can I - this is one of the good ones.   For the new figures as of this wave (Stormtrooper, Kallus, Chopper, and the Inquisitor) I'd probably rank Inquisitor near the top in terms of just looking like he's worth the asking price the most.  Heck, at $7, he'd still be pretty good.  Don't get me wrong, I love Chopper, but Chopper doesn't impress in quite the same way.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at Target, Toys R Us, and reportedly elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 2,110: November 11, 2014