Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,283: Pirate Captain Brutus (Epic Hero Series)

PIRATE CAPTAIN BRUTUS (Port Borgo)
Epic World of Action Power the Force Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949 No. G0141
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, projectile, harness, blaster, sword, rocket launcher
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: June 2025, probably
Appearances: Skeleton Crew

Bio: When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange, dangerous galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Hasbro's Epic World of Action (formerly Epic Hero Series) figure line is a weird one. If you're a kid and you buy the whole line, very few stories have more than a couple of characters present. SM-33 and Pirate Captain Brutus (Port Borgo) are the only Skeleton Crew figures in the line. If you want Jod Na Nawood, he's in The Vintage Collection and The Black Series, along with the kids and Brutus and SM-33. Based on the lower number of Brutus' SKU and the fact he has only five joints, I'm assuming this was meant to be a 2024 release that Disney said "wait, hold that back" and now that he's out, his collector-level peers are showing up at Ross for 70% off. It's a shame the kid figure from the kid line based on the kid TV show is currently only available online, months after the show ended, after kids probably forgot about it. It's a nice figure.

Since this is a 4-inch line, it's a hair bigger than 3 3/4-inch. I bring this up because there isn't a 3 3/4-inch equivalent, it's this guy or bust. Given Arleil Schous isn't yet known to be coming, this is a different species of wolf man that is pretty inexpensive. I don't yet have mine in hand so I can't confirm if he can sit on a stool, but the legs do swing forward. With only 5 joints his motion is limited, and this is one of few Epic figures where I found it to be a problem. One of the feet is curled up a bit, so balancing him can be tricky - it might just be my sample. I'm not sure, he comes one per box and no stores have him nearby.

He has no problems holding his gear. Hasbro made the hands fit the flintlock and sword, plus the added optional harness has a hole so the big rocket launcher can balance without (necessarily) toppling the figure over. It's a good design, they clearly put thought into making it work as a kid figure. The rocket launches nicely, but again, the foot might be a problem. It's not as awkward as making a 1995 Obi-Wan or Han Solo stand, but if you remember fidgeting to find their sweet spot? It reminds me of that very specific issue. It's not impossible to work with, but it might require a little adjusting.

The general vibe of the figure is decent. It's a toy! The shoulder swivel, the ball-jointed neck moves nicely. The body has a lot of sculpted details, but they're not all fully painted. The figure is significantly cheaper than collector-level stuff, so some of his buckles and pistols are left undecorated. But you do get red eyes, partially painted boots, some painted skin, and a figure that's decent if you can get over yourself that you collect toys, and not some adult fancy collectible. He looks great in a sea of other aliens too, but it is worth noting he's taller than most of them thanks to the subtle change in scale. I don't think it's any worse than anything from the 1990s, so your own experience with toys will probably say a lot about how much you like this.

Since there's no Skeleton Crew line at this scale, I'd recommend it to people with alien dioramas like Jabba's Palace or a Cantina. Everybody needs more drinking buddies, and for around $13 it's a worthwhile addition. If you're the kind of weirdo who collects toys but can't collect toys without elbows, well, you do you. But this is a great addition to the decades-running Kenner and Hasbro party of rubber-masked, latex-gloved, lightly armed space freaks. The texture on the pants is great, the personality is top-notch, but if they made a better version I'd probably chase that down first.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,283: October 9, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,236: SM-33 (Epic World of Action)

SM-33 2025 Kids Line
Epic World of Action "Power the Force" Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0145
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Arm shields
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: February 2025
Appearances: Skeleton Crew
Bio: SM-33, or just "Thirty-Three," is the decrepit first mate of the ship found buried on At Attin. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Coming out at the wrong time, thanks no doubt to the delay of Skeleton Crew, SM-33 straddles two eras of Epic Hero toys. Year one was mostly 5-jointed, simple figures. Year two are mostly figures with 15 points of articulation. Thirty-Three has bend-and-swivel elbows, with standard swivel shoulders and hips plus a neck joint. Another surprise are his arms - the wrists swivel, and telescope in and out. That's an uncommon feature in action figures, and I think it's a first in Star Wars. Another interesting note is that the figure doesn't quite match the back of the package. The final toy has two opaque discs that plug in his forearms via pegs. The packaging shows clip-on clear shields. What happened? I'd love to know!

It is worth noting that while other figures in this wave have knee joints, SM-33 does not. His design has sculpted joints where his knees go, but they are not functional, moving parts. Do not break it. I was delighted to see that he had a peg leg, and that leg has a foot peg hole in it - unless I'm forgetting something, this is another first in the Star Wars 3 3/4-inch and 4-inch figure world. He seems pretty stable and hasn't yet fallen over on my desk. The engineering seems pretty good overall, with all the joints moving freely. I haven't been able to get the wrists all the way into the forearms, but I'm also not sure precisely how far up there they should go. It's a good toy figure, and I think anyone who buys it to play with it will be pleased by this very large fellow. He's taller than Darth Vader!

Sculpt is good. The show was mostly dark, so I assume we're going to go ahead and forgive the toy designers from - I assume - working from an unfinished design. While gray on the show he is darker and significantly more battered. There are a lot more lights and painted panels. The TV show figure has wires coming out of the back of his head, which are missing on this figure. (You can see them on the card art.) the actual sculpt looks pretty close to the design, with an eye patch, a messed-up mouth, and armored plating. The toy has bright copper joints and forearms - not quite a match for the show - but it looks good as an action figure. He has no blasters or real weapons, just those two discs you can plug in if you want. The cardback shows exposed torso wires like C-3PO, but we didn't see much of this on the show.

Given Skeleton Crew has a whopping two figures outside of The Black Series, I'm presently giving them a lot of leeway on accuracy because it doesn't look like we're going to have a ship or a crew or much of a presence in the world of toys. Hasbro seemed intent on making the best action figure that the budget and known design parameters would allow, and I'd say they succeeded. If you asked Toddler Adam if he wanted a pirate robot, he'd say yes. It took a few decades, but now we have one and I don't think the show is necessary to appreciate the figure.

Should you buy this figure? I think so. I bet if Hasbro makes a The Vintage Collection version, it'd be a deluxe figure for $25 (or higher, thanks democracy) due to its wide, tall build. If Kenner made a similar toy in the 1980s I would absolutely have him menacing R2-D2 and C-3PO, and he'd fit right in with Droids. We don't get many all-new characters these days, so I'd say go ahead and chase this one down. It's eight bucks. If you've been collecting for the past 30 years, eight bucks isn't even real money. Go get one.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,236: April 29, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,190: Jod Na Nawood (The Vintage Collection)

JOD NA NAWOOD Debut! And probably only release
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9777
Number: #310
Includes: Scarf, blaster
Action Feature: Hilt connects to belt, removable robe
Retail: $16.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: Skeleton Crew

Bio: When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies, will be a grater adventure than they have ever imagined. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's good!  I tend to pick up waves by the case, so I didn't know I had Jod Na Nawood coming necessarily. The character comes from Skeleton Crew, featuring what appears to be Gigolo Joe doing a cosplay of Jyn Erso and Hondo Ohnaka. The trailer implies he might be a Jedi, the outfit says he might have pirate friends, and the scarf says he's a big fan of Felicity Jones - and who isn't? He's the only newly-tooled figure in his wave (everybody else is a repaint, a partial, or more or less a repack) so unless the show is a total dud, I assume he's going to wind up being sought after and popular. If they're making the kids, or the ship, I don't know - maybe it'll be a HasLab set someday.

So anyway, Jude Law. He's been a sex robot, an injured astronaut, and now... I guess I don't know yet - but his action figure matches the publicity photo and cardboard standees. This 3 3/4-inch scale figure reminds me of DJ (and others), and is generally excellent. I'd love to know if it was designed from real-life reference material or early sketches, because while it looks like Jude Law it does look a little clean - maybe that's the point. The hair is separately molded, with lightly painted scruff, glossy eyes and lips, subtle forehead wrinkles, and very good eyebrows. It's almost unreal - if you grew up with 20th century Kenner toys, this sort of thing still feels like it's from the distant future. You're paying more, but the level of detail on the corn kernel-sized head really makes me wonder how lifelike these things look as my eyesight deteriorates. I don't have anything really negative to say about the head - maybe it's too good for the customer base who will get it, look at it, and put it back in a box/on a shelf to never examine again.

The cot looks great, with some very interesting painted gold trim, some reddish trim, and excellent textures. I assume they could make a second figure without the coat and swapped arms - maybe that comes later. His gloves look good, and are able to hold his blaster in his hands or the holster. The coat has a few cuts in it that seem to be designed to allow the figure to fit in a vehicle or sit, but no such vehicles are known to be coming for Skeleton Crew. I hope they change that, because the designs are pretty good.

The figures's body is mostly excellent - clearly Hasbro has been putting some thought into the joints. There's a great pivot joint at the waist that lets you rock him in any direction or twist, and it's under the shirt - so it doesn't hinder the look of the costume unlike some figures I know. Also notable, the elbows have an exceptionally good range of movement. How you cut the joints make a big difference, as Hasbro discovered in The Black Series a few years ago. Jod (Jod Na?) can't quite reach his blaster in his belt, but he can hold his hands in front of his eyes like he's crushing your head.

Not only does he stand well (and easily!) but his legs swing forward well, and he has a swell scarf hat. It sits a little high, but it fits well given the scale and material. While Mr. Nawood lacks the breadth of accessories we've seen with other new $17 figures - alternate hands, excessive blasters - I assume this figure's appearance and gear are specifically reduced to ensure we don't know what his full deal is on the show. Figures like Osha Aniseya and Bo-Katan Kryze tend to have more parts and more gear that are immediately more impressive, so Jod Na doesn't exactly overwhelm or impress in terms of quantity - but the quality is good. If you stumbled across this guy after not buying figures in a few years, it would probably inspire you to go buy more from Skeleton Crew because it seems exquisitely made. But the joke is on you - for now, at least, this is it. So go pick him up and cross your fingers that the show is good and Hasbro is game to make more stuff from it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,190: November 19, 2024