Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,093: General Grievous (Mission Series 2014)

GENERAL GRIEVOUS Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Utapau
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5919
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS08
Includes: Lightsabers, Obi-Wan Kenobi figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2014
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous face off in an explosive duel on Utapau.  Their Lightsabers clash together again and again as they battle.  Grievous flees, fearing he may lose the fight, but Obi-Wan pursues him, determined to stop this powerful enemy once and for all. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: As someone who died almost immediately, General Grievous gets a lot of love.  Hasbro refuses to stop milking Revenge of the Sith's principal characters as they seem to get redone nearly every couple of years, plus Grievous had a lot of screen time in the last animated series.  As such, it makes sense a cheaper, kid-friendly but still very tall version of the cyborg general would get made eventually. At about 4 1/2-inches tall he's easily one of the biggest and most imposing figures in the line, towering over even Darth Vader.   He has 5 joints and no special features like splitting hands or anything like that.  Even more shocking, he doesn't have holes for foot pegs on display stands.   And this figure needs a display stand unless you keep him in his "sweet spot," and even then it seems it's only a matter of time before gravity causes his ankles to sag under his own weight and flop over.

The sculpt is good, and the deco is acceptable.   I have seen 4 samples up close and personal, most of which had wonky black eye paint.  The greys and ceramic colors on the body look good, as do the greens, yellows, and reds.   Unlike the perpetually wobbly super-articulated Grievous in 2008, this one seems more likely to stay standing in part due to the design and reduction in articulation.  Stiffer plastic for the legs would be helpful, but probably more fragile.  Even a display stand wouldn't help as the problem isn't the feet so much as it is the plastic sagging under his own weight - this can be reduced if his arms are at his sides and not forward.   I should note he's great at sitting, I got him to fit in the Hasbro 2008 General Grievous' Starfighter vehicle with no real problems.  Hasbro did a great job overall, but if you plan on displaying him on a shelf I suggest buying a small doll stand to prevent gravity from doing its dirty sinful business.

I would not say this is the best, or worst, or even most average Grievous.  In terms of pose and personality it's pretty decent - he towers over my other figures and his two lightsabers fit in his hands fairly well, although the right one is a little loose.  Since there is little in the way of articulation Hasbro can instead focus on sculpt, and they did a bang-up job.  I just wish they put a few extra bucks in improving the head paint masks, because a bad head on this figure looks positively silly.  When it's good, though, it's quite nice and the 2-pack looks wonderful when it's all sealed up too.

Collector's Notes: Target got these pretty early, so the good news is that they're out and about.  True story, someone at work once was on the phone and slipped and said "Genital Grievous." Hilarious.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,093: August 8, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,092: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Mission Series 2014)

OBI-WAN KENOBI Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Utapau
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5919
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS08
Includes: Lightsaber, General Grievous figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2014
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous face off in an explosive duel on Utapau.  Their Lightsabers clash together again and again as they battle.  Grievous flees, fearing he may lose the fight, but Obi-Wan pursues him, determined to stop this powerful enemy once and for all. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: It's strange to see, in 2014, that Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting more toys than just about anybody else in the "kid" line.  Including repacks he's had 4 figures, including 2 Expanded Universe costumes with uniquely sculpted elements.  This is not one of them - at best the 2014 Mission Series figure is a redeco of the 2013 Saga Legends version.  To most mortals, it's just a repack - and as such, I would start off by saying you don't need both versions unless you already bought 2013 Obi-Wan and need the companion Grievous in this 2-pack.

Obi-Wan has 5 joints and a great sculpt, as always. His shirt is well-textured and he has no problems standing or sitting, but it can be tricky to cram him in some vehicles.  He has no problems holding is lightsaber, especially when compared to the previous release of this mold.  On my sample, the hair of the 2014 release is glossier, slightly redder, and the skin tone and eye paint seems sharper.  His boots are a bit more saturated with color, but the biggest and most obvious change is his lightsaber.  The blade is a much deeper blue, not quite as "faded" as the original.  If you only get one version of this mold, lean toward the Mission Series version with Grievous as seen here.  I like it more.

Collector's Notes: Target got these pretty early, so the good news is that they're out and about. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,092: August 7, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,091: Luke Skywalker (Mission Series 2014)

LUKE SKYWALKER Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Bespin
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5920
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS09
Includes: Lightsaber, Blaster, Darth Vader figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2014
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader engage in a Lightsaber duel in Cloud City, which floats above the gas giant planet Bespin.  Luke fights bravely but cannot defeat the highly skilled Vader.  Luke is dealt two blows: the loss of his hand, and the shocking truth about Vader's identity. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: This Luke Skywalker is totally new - Hasbro put out a really good one in 2012 with 5 joints and yellow hair which I like slightly more, but this one is new and can hold his weapons a little bit better.   The costume coloring is quite different with darker boots and a redder holster.  The more static, arms-down pose looks more like an older action figure plus his costume is smoother and lighter without any of the tears, rips, or sweat over other releases.  It is a significantly different take on the costume, and due to the lighting and copious amount of dirt on Luke's person in The Empire Strikes Back I'm actually not sure which one is the most correct.  The costume is best known as a toy, with many of the most famous publicity shots cropping out his boots.

The last new sculpt for Bespin Luke had hyper-realistic texture on his outfit and detail more becoming of a toy.  This one has smoother textures, but more wrinkles and deco that looks more realistic overall.  His hair is darker, almost wet.  His eyes are still blue, and while not perfect they're painted better than some other recent releases.  Luke still looks a little spaced-out, but is largely sculpted better than many of Hasbro's previous heads - I like what they're doing here.   He has no problems standing, sitting, having a gun in his holster, or generally being pretty good.  I'd suggest comparing the faces on these if you have the chance before buying yours.

His blaster has a silver barrel, and his lightsaber has a silver hilt plus a loop at the end.  It doesn't go anywhere, and looks like a nod to the 12-inch figure Kenner made in the late 1990s - it was a neat gimmick to hang it on the belt, accurate or not.   As toys go this is a fine Luke and I'm happy to see Hasbro putting out new, weird versions of classics in a non-movie year but the figure is hardly essential after the 2010 "vintage" version blew us all away.  It's fun and charming, and I daresay the flight suit may be the most correct deco we've seen yet, but it's tough to know for sure.  As such get this set if you're sitting on ten bucks, as you'd likely waste it on booze and women anyway.  Hasbro needs to work on the eye deco a bit, but otherwise they did a great job here.

Collector's Notes: Target got these pretty early, so the good news is that they're out and about.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,091: August 6, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,090: Darth Vader (Mission Series 2014)

DARTH VADER Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Bespin
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5920
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS09
Includes: Lightsaber, Luke Skywalker figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2014
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader engage in a Lightsaber duel in Cloud City, which floats above the gas giant planet Bespin.  Luke fights bravely but cannot defeat the highly skilled Vader.  Luke is dealt two blows: the loss of his hand, and the shocking truth about Vader's identity. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: This Darth Vader shouldn't get his own entry here - the figure is the same as the 2013 Mission Series Darth Vader with the droid - which we haven't reviewed yet here, but I will sooner or later.   The same mold will be out later this year as a "Star Wars Rebels" figure - the first single-carded release of the figure. The sad commentary there is that single-carded figure will no doubt be a huge hit after 2 2-pack reissues, even though each one has a unique companion figure.  Completist "loose" collectors will own at least 2 of this figure in nearly-identical formats.  There are, of course, minor differences and for the pedants out there, we're going to have to do at least two of these.

The figure itself is Hasbro's second all-new sculpt for a "Bespin" The Empire Strikes Back Darth Vader figure.  The previous Battle Pack version was quite good and was loaded with personality, while this one is more restrained and old-school.  It lacks a glossy helmet and boots, plus the dome seems a little pinched where it flares out near the bottom - but the deco is sharp, the silver highlights and buttons are good, and all of the joints move freely.  The figure has plastic robes split between the legs, allowing him the ability to sit and fit in many vehicles.  His cloth cape fits around his neck nicely, but in the back gets weird - it comes folded back by default and that's arguably how it looks best.  His lightsaber hilt sports black and silver paint apps, kudos to Hasbro for keeping them.

The sculpting is good as always, but this version of the figure is barely different from the version with the probe from 2013.  How can you tell them apart?  The red and blue lights on the right of his chest.  (His left-hand side, rather.)  This release has them sculpted flat - there are tiny indentations on the earlier release.  You have to squint to see them, otherwise the figures are largely indentical.  If you're short on cash I would say that you could skip one of them, but you'd miss out on Hasbro's probe droid or an all-new Luke.  I think you'd want those, so get both 2-packs even though you know better.

Collector's Notes: Target got these pretty early, so the good news is that they're out and about. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,090: August 5, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,089: Darth Sidious (Mission Series 2014)

DARTH SIDIOUS Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Senate Duel
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A6523
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS10
Includes: Lightsaber, Yoda figure (2013 Saga Legends repack)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2014
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Jedi Master Yoda discovers that Senator Palpatine is really the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, leading to an explosive duel in the Senate Chamber on Coruscant. Their intense battle tears apart the chamber in the final hours of the once-great Republic. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!
Commentary: Since the 2010 Vintage version, I really never gave Darth Sidious all that much thought.  This costume was done and done well, getting the mix of cloth, articulation, and deco more or less perfect.   And yet here we are again, with a frankly very strange figure.   The head is a weird mix of the sculpt of the post-transformation Sidious with what appears to be the eyes and smile deco of pre-transformation Palpatine.   The grin is not an evil one, and the simple eyes do look a lot more like the classic action figures which may have inspired this line.   The pale skin of the hands was left undecorated, while the head has a weird, rusty wipe on it.   It is, to say the least, strange - but it also has the off-model charm of the best figures 1979 had to offer like Walrus Man.  Something here is wrong, and for that reason, it's quite interesting.

The costume, on the other hand, is quite right.   The hood fits, but is so overbearing that it prevents the neck from turning in any meaningful way.  To make up for this, Hasbro left the hands articulated so you can rotate them around in duel poses or menacing poses.  Each finger on the left hand is separate, and it looks incredibly good.   His right hand is posed gripping the lightsaber, and can rotate around to make a number of awesome dueling poses.  What's more, the legs have 1980s-style robe cuts so he has no problems sitting, standing, or looking decent - when you split the legs, you'll see his pants and boots inside.  Hasbro did a nice job here, rather than cheaping out and just leaving the area between the legs a flat, unsculpted surface.

Getting robed figures to sit is insanely touch - usually something gets in the way of the legs bending at a 90-degree angle, but Hasbro nailed it.  The figure has no problems standing or sitting, or looking decent while posed.  Sure, he has goofy deco and his neck doesn't move but the engineering is otherwise superb.   It's a weird figure that is off-model in strange ways, which makes it fun from where I sit.  Oh, I should also note his lightsaber hilt is all silver.  While a minor detail, one more paint app would do wonders to make it look better.   This is the prequel-era Sidious to beat - and if Hasbro puts it out again with new paint, it might not be all that hard.  Having said that, it's still worth a look if you missed the companion Yoda and arguably interesting enough even if you have one already.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen this one yet, but his casemates have been out for weeks thanks to a revision case with Luke/Vader, Han/Chewie, and Grievous/Kenobi.  Some write that Yoda is a "repaint" and I disagree - any differences seem to be batch variation, and do not look to be significant or intentional changes in color.  Even if you have them side by side, the 2013 Saga Legends Yoda is virtually identical to the 2014 Mission Series Yoda.   If you're reading this in the future, skip the single Yoda and just get him in this 2-pack, or the Rebels repack due later on.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,089: August 4, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,084: Snowtrooper (Saga Legends 2014)

SNOWTROOPER Hothilicious
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Saga Legends
Item No.: Asst. A3857 No. A6135
Number: #SL16
Includes: Blaster, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: CDN $6.99
Availability: May 2014 (Canada)
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Snowtroopers wear specialized white armor that protects them from freezing climates and provides camouflage on snow-covered worlds.  Geared for battle, Snowtroopers attack and destroy the Rebels' hidden base on the ice-covered planet Hoth.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: At press time there is no concrete evidence of US-packaged figures on the market.   To date it appears that it is debuting in Canada, so keep an eye overseas.  I have not yet seen one in any packaging on eBay or Amazon.

Commentary: We've seen a lot of Snowtrooper figures, but this may be my favorite.  The super-articulated Vintage The Saga Collection figure is OK, but bulky and his hat falls off.  The 2003 Saga one had an awesome firing tripod cannon, but not a lot of articulation.  And the 1997 one, well, he couldn't sit.  There have been many of these, but I think this one offers the most as far as standing around goes.    He really does look like a modernized take on the 1980 action figure.

While Hasbro created a figure with the perfect clearance to sit, the wrap around his legs is just bulky enough to cause him to fail the Landspeeder Test.   I tried a smattering of vehicles, and found he could sit in the new, smaller Revenge of the Sith Jedi Starfighter without too much trouble.   His range of movement is more than acceptable given the design challenge, as his head cannot move but the arms can freely rotate.  The legs come closer to a 90-degree angle than one might expect, so if I bet he could fit in my MTV-7 if I could easily find it.   Otherwise, the actual sculpting is quite good.  The boots have a little dark color on them, the knee pads are glossy, and all of the wrinkles and buttons and textures look better than previous versions.  The Vintage 2000s version had a wider mask, this one seems a little narrower than most and I think looks all the better for it.  Of course, according to photos, it could be more accurate - the mask should touch the shoulders it seems.

So sure, the head isn't as accurate as it could be, but it feels good.  That counts for a lot in my book, and I'd buy a few more of these to populate my 2010 AT-AT if given the chance.  I do not anticipate being given that chance, so I'm going to be happy with the one and presumably only version of this mold I'll probably ever see.   You would have loved buying these for $6 at the store, but like the Stormtrooper before it you're probably going to have to rely on help or just live in another country where this figure is more common.  Looking ahead it seems that Saga Legends will continue with Rebels characters and a good smattering of Original Trilogy Empire troops, which, really, what more could you ask for?  I'd love more AT-AT Drivers, TIE Pilots, Stormtroopers, and six bucks a whack - especially if they can fit in the vehicles.

Collector's Notes: I have seen no online pre-sells for US packaging.  This pattern - Canadian or European releases followed by a US release much, much later - has happened a few times with Transformers lately, but there have also been quite a figure figures that started out in Europe and stayed there.   I'm not seeing on eBay, nor Amazon, so while it could just be early my paranoia kicked in early.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,084: June 5, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,083: Darth Maul (Saga Legends 2014)

DARTH MAUL Sith Lord
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Saga Legends
Item No.: Asst. A3857 No. A6137
Number: #SL15
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: CDN $6.99
Availability: May 2014 (Canada)
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Sith Lord Darth Maul emerges from the shadows to reveal the ominous presence of the Sith, who use the dark side of the Force and are enemies of the Jedi.  Maul duels Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine and finishes that Lightsaber duel, with deadly results, on Naboo.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: At press time there is no concrete evidence of US-packaged figures on the market.   To date it appears that it is debuting in Canada, so keep an eye overseas.  I have not yet seen one in any packaging on eBay or Amazon.

Commentary: At no point did I start 2014 saying "gee, I wish I had another Darth Maul figure."  I have plenty - so do you.  2012 got us the Vintage Collection version which is good, but it turns out that even though we got a swell simplified one in a 3-pack there was still room for improvement.  Hasbro did a bang-up job on this guy since he stands fairly well.  The design is exquisite - Hasbro put a lot of thought into making this guy interesting for anybody.  The right hand is rotated slightly, giving him a unique offensive pose while not giving him a wonky arm when he isn't holding his weapon.  The left hand is more or less normal, allowing him to hold the blade in a not-too-fun format.  It's good for display shelves, but not fun - so really, this figure was designed with a lot of people in mind.

Darth Maul's bulky costume won't allow him to pass the Landspeeder Test, but he can fit in the Hasbro Sith Infiltrator vehicle.  That's what really matters - he fits, and he fits well.   The detailing on the robe is good, on par with Hasbro's recent better efforts.   The gloves and boots aren't terribly glossy, but they do shine enough to be interesting.  I really like the head sculpt - the horns are painted well, the face is fierce and determined, and they don't show any teeth here for once.  His face tattoos are bright and neatly applied, plus his lightsaber has a silver grip with a few red buttons on it.    This may not be all you want in a Maul, but it's certainly everything you need.  I'm pleased to have such a figure that can look good, sit, and stand without a fuss - Hasbro did a great job here.   Well, they did a great job designing, decorating, and creating it.  Getting it to you, the consumer, will hopefully get better in the coming months because man, this is a nice one.

Collector's Notes: I have seen no online pre-sells for US packaging.  This pattern - Canadian or European releases followed by a US release much, much later - has happened a few times with Transformers lately, but there have also been quite a figure figures that started out in Europe and stayed there.   I'm not seeing on eBay, nor Amazon, so while it could just be early my paranoia kicked in early.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,083: June 4, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,082: Luke Skywalker (Saga Legends 2014)

LUKE SKYWALKER Jedi Knight
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Saga Legends
Item No.: Asst. A3857 No. A5917
Number: #SL14
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: CDN $6.99
Availability: May 2014 (Canada)
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio:Luke goes to the second Death Star for a final confrontation with Darth Vader.  When Luke refuses to turn to the dark side, a devastating Lightsaber battle ensues between father and son! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: At press time there is no concrete evidence of US-packaged figures on the market.   To date it appears that it is debuting in Canada, so keep an eye overseas.  I have not yet seen one in any packaging on eBay or Amazon.

Commentary: As a kid I wanted Luke Skywalker figures.  I had most of them as the line went on, but I didn't get some until years later.  This white-flapped Death Star version of Luke didn't even exist as a figure for quite some time, so seeing it today as a 5-jointed throwback is a real treat.   The sculpt is good, the paint is acceptable, and the ability to sit is good enough.  He has no problems standing, so he's a winner in my book.

The first thing I noticed about this figure is that the eye paint wasn't as perfect as I might like - it's not the worst Jedi Luke, but well, there's some real zingers in there.  His eye paint in this version is just a tiny bit too much - the top of the eyes seems to be painted larger than the eye sculpt, but the sculpt itself is exquisite.  There's a subtle mole on his left cheek I didn't notice until I put him under my desk lamp, with another similar marking just under his right eye.   The chin is good, the hair is good, really this figure is a redeco away form being excellent.  The torso is glossy and the limbs are more matte, with a white shirt flap.  The right glove, boots, and belt are glossy which was a real surprise for the so-called discount figure range, and this is certainly the best action figure Margaret Keane ever designed.

Luke's sculpt is pretty simple - he's skinny, and the outfit is more or less what you'd want in this figure.  I'm certainly satisfied with various silver snaps and buttons on his belt, giving the figure a little more detail than I would have expected.  He has no problem holding his green lightsaber, which has a silver grip and that gold bit near the emitter.   The flare on the blade seems more subtle than usual, too.  The figure passes the Landspeeder Test, so he may be a good vehicle pilot if you can find one.   It's a good figure if you like this kind of toy - and I do.  If you don't, well, I guess it won't matter to you that he isn't easy to get right now.   I'm glad I got one, and I hope Hasbro makes more figures similar to him in the future.

Collector's Notes: I have seen no online pre-sells for US packaging.  This pattern - Canadian or European releases followed by a US release much, much later - has happened a few times with Transformers lately, but there have also been quite a figure figures that started out in Europe and stayed there.   I'm not seeing on eBay, nor Amazon, so while it could just be early my paranoia kicked in early.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,082: June 3, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,081: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Saga Legends 2014)

OBI-WAN KENOBI Jedi Knight
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Saga Legends
Item No.: Asst. A3857 No. A5916
Number: #SL13
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: CDN $6.99
Availability: May 2014 (Canada)
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi leads Clone Trooper forces into battle during the Clone Wars as a Jedi General. Using his skills as a warrior and negotiator, he helps the Republic achieve many victories. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: At press time there is no concrete evidence of US-packaged figures on the market.   To date it appears that it is debuting in Canada, so keep an eye overseas.  I have not yet seen one in any packaging on eBay or Amazon.

Commentary: Upon his first reveal at Comic-Con 2013 it wasn't obvious to me that Obi-Wan Kenobi was new.  It took a while to click that the line for kids would have not one, but two TV-inspired, Ewan McGregor-based figures of the Jedi hero.  Considering we just got this costume as a Vintage figure in late 2012 it's quite remarkable to see it made as a kid figure again, but given the seemingly intentionally low distribution of him so far maybe it makes good sense.   It's not like it's going to have a chance to rot on the pegs, but neither did the guys from wave 2.

The lost waist joint is no big loss, as it was ugly anyway.  The new joints largely blend in and they all seem to move quite freely, even the hip joints actually have enough clearance so he can sit down.  Hasbro did a great job giving the figure a little personality in his face, too, but I think the 2005 one is a bit more expressive.  His helmet is a very tight fit, and his dreadlocks more or less work fine.   I didn't have any real problems getting him to hold his weapons, but in cold weather it seems the plastic in his hands have a little less give than I would prefer.

This figure was a real surprise - I was expecting a recycled warrior and I got something new and well-executed.  The entire wave is above average - 3 new guys, 2 retools - I gotta give Hasbro credit, this is easily the best new wave of figures in The Black Series so far.   It seems that this Obi-Wan Kenobi's head is similar if not identical to the previous two, albeit with different deco.  The body and legs seem all new, but the arms may share some parts - I'm unclear, but if you compare the Mission Series 2-pack Obi-Wan Kenobi to this one, it seems the Clone armor bits may be the same.   It feels like there's more paint on the new figure, with what seems to be more than one brown in his hair and a surprise like a silver belt buckle around his waist.   There is no black paint on the legs for the Clone body glove, but from the waist on up it's pretty dang good.

The sculpt isn't bad - there's more texture on the garments than we saw on the 2012 The Vintage Collection figure and it makes the most of its paint budget.  There's no Open Circle Fleet logo or Jedi Knight insignia, nor is there any mud or sweat.  It's just a nice, armored figure that I would have assumed would appeal to the tiny tots - or in this case, the Canadian tots.  The figure passes the Landspeeder Test, in that it fits in a Kenner Landspeeder as well as the most excellent downsized Revenge of the Sith and Attack of the Clones Jedi Starfighters.   All I want in a good toy is for it to stand, to sit in vehicles, and to hold his weapons.  Many figures cannot do this, but Ben here can!

If this figure came out earlier, I'm convinced it would've been a decent hit - it's great, and I wish I had one or two more to sit in vehicles.   The lightsaber is cast in blue with silver paint plus a black band around the grip - which is more than I'd have expected.   As a complainer, I can't complain about the overall quality here.  The eye paint is good, the face is expressive, and I'm a huge fan of the Cloned-up Kenobi figures.   Get it if the chance arises, I'd even say consider overpaying a couple of bucks if it comes to that.  Your not having this figure is something of a tragedy.

Collector's Notes: I have seen no online pre-sells for US packaging.  This pattern - Canadian or European releases followed by a US release much, much later - has happened a few times with Transformers lately, but there have also been quite a figure figures that started out in Europe and stayed there.   I'm not seeing on eBay, nor Amazon, so while it could just be early my paranoia kicked in early.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,081: June 2, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,075: Chewbacca (Mission Series 2013)

CHEWBACCA Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Death Star
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5789
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS07
Includes: Bowcaster, Han Solo figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: December 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Han Solo and Chewbacca are swept up in the Rebel Alliance's struggle to free the galaxy from the evil Galactic Empire. These two unlikely heroes help rescue a princess and deliver plans to the Rebels that help them destroy the Empire's Death Star.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: You can't have Han Solo without Chewbacca, so it makes sense that we'd get one here.  It's a figure that feels close to great, but it's a little undercooked.  The deco and his weapon are the sour points, but the sculpting and articulation are more or less exactly what you would want from a figure like this.  (And for the record, I don't expect most of you will want a simplified Chewie.  Me, I'm OK with it.  I like weird figures.)

Compatibility with the big Millennium Falcon is something most Chewie figures lack and I'm thrilled to report this one can sit in the cockpit.   There's no dangling Chewie man purse to get in the way of sitting - just pull the seat back, and presto, there he sits.   The joints for his hips swing forward without restriction too, so from an engineering perspective this is probably the best Chewbacca to play with since the line rebooted in 1995.  His head looks a little skinny, but I'm OK with that.  The fur sculpt is quite nice, and while it lacks the articulation of the 2004 Vintage Original Trilogy Collection Chewbacca and his descendants it also lacks the hanging fur and ugly torso joints.

The biggest problem with this figure is that it's for kids. Since Hasbro did something terrible for children, it's likely both adults and young fans will walk away from this figure disliking it.  The bowcaster crossbow weapon is three separate pieces held together with a clear rubber band.   It you take this rubber band off - and of course you would - the scope part falls off easily.  I didn't even realize I had knocked it off several times after I opened it.  It will not stay put - you're going to need to glue it or prepare to lose it.  It's up there with TK-421's commlink for the winner of future-most-lost accessory.  The bowcaster is otherwise nice, it fits easily in Chewbacca's hand.  No kid-driven figure (or accessory) should require any post-factory modifications to avoid falling to pieces, so I don't think any reasonable fan (or apologist) can make a case for it being this way.  I don't care if it saved one-tenth of a cent per figure across thousands of figures - it shouldn't fall off like this.

Deco is a mixed bag - I've seen a few of these and the eyes and teeth are clean on some and not on others.   If you see it in a store, examine Chewie's head closely before making a purchase.   You'll also note that his fur color is off - this is another thing Hasbro could easily fix in a running change if enough fans make a stink of it, but you guys won't, because lately you can't be bothered to say much to Hasbro or on forums other than distribution issues.  So we'll all just suffer with this desaturated brown color that looks like an aging Chewbacca is starting to go gray.

His claws are sculpted but not decirated, and there aren't many painted highlights on his fur.  The color choice is particularly frustrating because the bandolier looks good and the face looks nice.  If it was a terrible sculpt, it'd be a lot easier to just not care.   It's still decent - I love how he lacks the giant and annoying strap for his weapon and fur that looks like its gravity-specific in how it should be posed.  This new Chewbacca is a lot like Mission Series R2-D2 in the sense that it's frustrating just how close he got to being the perfect modern-era toy (for kids) action figure.   On the bright side, Hasbro could easily remedy all of these problems with their existing tooling.  A tiny bit of glue and a different mix of brown plastic would make it a huge improvement and would upgrade it to a worthy pilot for anyone with the 2008 Legacy Millennium Falcon.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth in early December.  I have not seen it in stores yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,075: January 3, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,074: Han Solo (Mission Series 2013)

HAN SOLO Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Death Star
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5789
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS07
Includes: Blaster, Chewbacca figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: December 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Han Solo and Chewbacca are swept up in the Rebel Alliance's struggle to free the galaxy from the evil Galactic Empire. These two unlikely heroes help rescue a princess and deliver plans to the Rebels that help them destroy the Empire's Death Star.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: With their new approach to figures, Hasbro has cut a few corners - in some cases, you won't really notice unless you squint.  WIth Han Solo it's a little more obvious.   The sculpting pulls from the vintage, stand-at-attention aesthetic which is both refreshing and falls just short of perfection - this would have been a wonderful opportunity for Hasbro to bend Han's right elbow, just like the 1978 release.  Instead both arms are straight down, which, frankly, that's OK too.  

In terms of sculpt and color, Hasbro got it really close this time.  The wrists are flesh.  His pants have the red stripes on them.  The hair color seems right, his gun is black, and his boots are glossy.   The only place where Hasbro needed some help are the eyes.  On my sample the eyes look to have some off-center blue color, which is wrong because a) it shouldn't be off-center and b) it shouldn't be blue.   The eyebrows are a smidgen off - you can see where they're sculpted, and the paint masks don't line up quite right.  Because of this, he reminds me more of Beau Bridges with his unique brows.  Also, one of mine is crooked.  Lastly, it's worth noting that Han has some smile lines around his mouth - kudos to Hasbro for including such a great, easy way to give Han Solo his trademark smirk, but perhaps it needs to be dialed back a notch - these lines have the power to grant personality, and also to add age.  It should be a little more subtle here, and had Hasbro selected another kind of flesh plastic for his head we may not even be having this conversation right now.   I really do believe a different paint job (or plastic job) could change this figure from pretty good to great with no sculpt changes.  The sculptor seems to have done a nice job.

As a toy, this figure succeeds because it passes my test for any and all future Han Solo toys - he can sit in the cockpit of the big 2008 Millennium Falcon just fine.  Those chairs seemed designed with bent knees in mind, but this one still fits - so does Chewie.   That's incredibly important to me, and actually trumps the entire previous paragraph of deco and sculpt concerns.  Hasbro gave me what I wanted most - a figure I can play with.   If you don't like the pose (understandable) or the lack of a working holster (Rex got two!), I feel you.  The head deco could be better, and hopefully my sample was just a bad egg.   Hasbro engineered the figure correctly, and from where I sit (as a spoiled man-child with over 30 different Han Solos in my toy room) that's really all I'm after now. I'm pumped Hasbro made a version of the character where his holster doesn't get in the way of him sitting in his signature vehicle, and as such - shortcomings aside - this is my new go-to Han Solo figure for pretty much any situation.  I eagerly await Hasbro's next core character in this style.  (Leia please.)

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth in early December.  I have not seen it in stores yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,074: January 2, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,073: R2-D2 (Mission Series 2013)

R2-D2 Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Tantive IV
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5234
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS05
Includes: C-3PO figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: December 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: R2-D2 and C-3PO escape from the Rebel ship Tantive IV as it boarded by Darth Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers. The Droids flee the ship in an escape pod that falls to the remote desert planet Tatooine – and puts in motion an adventure that will change the galaxy forever.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: If you bought R4-P17 from Saga Legends, this R2-D2 uses the same mold - with much less paint.   The sculpt itself is shorter than the average astromech, roughly the same height as The Vintage Collection version from late 2010.   Hasbro did a nice job sculpting the figure, as everything seems in place.  Hasbro even did a good job giving the figure jointed legs and a dome, and everything moves smoothly.  Heck, Hasbro even picked good paint colors - the silver shines without being too shiny, and the metallic blue paint around his glossy, big black eye is augmented by a red light just under that optic.   Hasbro got this one tantalizingly close to perfect for a cheap figure, but close really isn't enough here.   I feel that I got my money's worth, but there are a few things missing from R4-P17 in terms of deco bells and whistles.

1. The dome top - the cap on his dome is left silver, it should be blue.  This is the one and only paint application I feel Hasbro should've left on here even in budget cutting - the mismatched color looks wrong, and is the only one I find upsetting.
2. The horizontal lines on his right side are unpainted.
3. The various greeblies on the bottom of his body are unpainted.
4. The entire batch of silver painted bits on his arms were left blank.
5. The back of the figure is white, same as R4-P17.
6. The back of his dome lacks various colored lights, just like R4-P17.

That top part of his dome really gets to me - this would probably be my go-to R2 if that were included.  The mold itself is a lot of fun, and the candylike blue paint is a treat to behold up close.   I was delighted to see Hasbro sculpt the wires on his feet in a dynamic way, rather than making them boring straight lines like on several previous R2 toys.   I would suggest this version of the figure for completists only, because without the blue circle on his head this doesn't make a good droid socket filler.   It's fun to fidget with, though, and in the grand tradition of vintage Kenner figures is moderately charming because of his omissions.   I can't quit you, R2.   But if you get a single-carded repaint, I expect those bits to be fixed.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth in early December.  I have not seen it in stores yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,073: January 1, 2014

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,072: C-3PO (Mission Series 2013)

C-3PO Movie-Style
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Tantive IV
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5234
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS05
Includes: R2-D2 figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: December 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: R2-D2 and C-3PO escape from the Rebel ship Tantive IV as it boarded by Darth Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers. The Droids flee the ship in an escape pod that falls to the remote desert planet Tatooine – and puts in motion an adventure that will change the galaxy forever.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: While I'm generally quite pleased with this particular format, I'd be lying if I said C-3PO met my low expectations.  He's slightly less poseable than the 2004 Original Trilogy Collection Vintage take on the figure, which also had five joints.  While Hasbro's Mission Series sculpt is way better and gives the droid a ton of personality just standing there, it comes up short as a toy simply because the hip joints are restricted.  C-3PO barely can bend a few degrees forward, and can still stand on his own two feet while "completely" bent down.  It's pretty unfortunate - Hasbro can do better, and has done better here.   As a toy, it's not so great.  But as a display piece?  This is a winner - just keep an eye on the head deco before opening it.

In my formative years, I often read that R2-D2 and C-3PO were the keys to the saga - the original trilogy is largely told through their eyes, and I read that they would be an important part of the prequels.  It's odd that this is the first time the pairing ever got sold as a 2-pack in a non-exclusive format, but here we are.  C-3PO's golden paint is similar to the 2010 Vintage version, in that it's not shiny.  C-3PO's arms and neck rotate freely, plus he's got a silver right shin.   The one place Hasbro has tripped up a lot on this character is his head, as most figures over the years didn't have painted black dots in his eyes - this one does, and some samples are looking up, or down, or in the wrong direction.   My sample is nicely centered and while it looks good, it might have looked better had Hasbro elected to use a different color of paint or a different technique to decorate him.

The figure spectacularly fails The Landspeeder Test, and is unable to fit in any vehicle require sitting.  Maybe he'll be at home in the AST-5, CAP-2, or PDT-8, but he won't be driving Luke's car or sitting down in the hold of the Millennium Falcon.   For diorama fans this may be a great choice - good custom fodder, too.  You could have this one stand around Jabba the Hutt and it's a perfect fit.  Since the character is usually seen standing and not sitting, I'll guess most people who buy it won't care that he can't sit.  As a kid I would frequently put R2-D2 and C-3PO in vehicles together, so C-3PO having the ability to sit and drive around has always been important.

While C-3PO does not meet my low standards for this series, he does stand well and will look good on a shelf, on your desk, or in a playset.   The sculpting is good, the deco is fine, it's just that the engineering could use some work.  I was under the impression that this line was meant to foster strong connections to the 1978 toy line, which means sitting.  Ah well.  Perhaps Hasbro will retool him on a future release, or give us a shiny metalized version down the road.  I'd be game, but for now this two-pack will probably delight more kids than adult fans.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth in early December.  I have not seen it in stores yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,072: December 31, 2013