Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,563: Val (Solo: A Star Wars Story line look)

VAL Just One Name
Solo: A Star Wars Story Force Link 2.0 Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. E0323  No. E1686
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2018
Appearances: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Val was a female human criminal who worked with fellow outlaw Tobias Beckett during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Val was a no-nonsense and occasionally prickly woman who was a crack shot with a blaster rifle. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Her appearance was only slightly longer than her name.  Val didn't get to do much prior to her on-screen death (if you didn't see last year's Solo yet, you shouldn't be reading this site), so it's kind of a miracle she got a figure - let alone a post-home-video-release one.  Hasbro has had precious little time to look back, or continue a new movie line beyond a couple of waves.  Seeing Solo get four waves, but an excellent final wave on top of that, was unthinkable.

Val turned out well.  I didn't realize she had glove joints at first, so with 7 points of articulation she's pretty good. The hair is a separately molded piece, and the boots don't swivel - but there's a lot of good sculpted texture here, with a pretty great head sculpt and deco given it's the size of a peanut.  She has a t-crotch and v-arms - an unusual combo, so her legs swing straight forward and her arms veer out a bit.  It's not bad, as it helps with her aim.  The legs are only able to swing forward a little bit, as the belt hangs over the thighs and prevents forward movement beyond about 50 degrees.  Interestingly, it's not the rubbery cords that block the movement but the actual hard plastic belt that's part of the torso.  She has a cable running from her arm to her back, and is generally nicely done with nifty boots and a soft scarf and what I assume are some heating cables.

As the only 3 3/4-inch Val, it's nice that Hasbro gave us a good one. I wouldn't be surprised to see a super-articulated Val in the future, but for now? This is it. Go buy it.

Force Link 2.0 Notes: "Here comes a world of hurt." "I can't hold them off on my own forever!"  "Show me what else you've got."  "You're asking for it."  "Here come the enemy troops. Let's give them a good thumping."    Blaster sounds.  I believe it's a soundalike.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,563: February 26, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,551: Val (The Black Series 6-Inch)

VAL Vandor-1
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E1208
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #71
Includes: Rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2018
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: A no-nonsense and occasionally prickly woman who is a crack shot with a blaster rifle, Val may be the most even-headed and capable member of Tobias Beckett's ragtag crew of scoundrels.  (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!

Commentary: Hey it's Thandie Newton!   The short-lived Val managed to sneak a 6-inch and 3 3/4-inch figure out before Solo got put back into the theoretical vault as these selling seasons tend to be short.  I'm surprised to see so many characters come out, and it's cool to see Val in her cold weather gear with all the various bells and whistles - and cords and belts.  There are clear conduits over her jacket, a scarf, and other little design elements that make this look like it could have been out of the 1970s.  Heck, the hair does that too.  There's a power pack on the back, and a lot of subtle detail sculpted in the fabric/plastic.  The face printing has improved significantly since the first figures about a year ago,  with bright glossy eyes and lips with eyebrows that look a little more realistic.  The cheeks and other detail really brings out the life in her face, making this one of the better faces in the line.

Goggles with clear lenses around her neck are a better-than-expected detail, but aren't an actual working accessory. They're just there to look cool, as are the metal coverings on her fingers on her gloves.   There's not a heck of a lot new going on here, but the detailing is excellent given that this $20 figure comes from a movie a lot of fans didn't bother to go see.  Hasbro didn't cut corners here, and I'm glad they seem to be ticking the boxes of most of the major players from each of the Disney-era movies.   I'm hoping we see more figures with this level of detail and the better-than-average portraits as time goes on, as that seems to be a great way to distinguish these figures from other brands and other manufacturers.

Get yourself a Val. I don't assume we'll see another one any time soon, even if that Trooper costume would be awesome to have, too.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,551: January 15, 2019