Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,925: Nom Anor

NOM ANOR  Expanded Universe
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  98525
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC59
Includes: 2-piece staff, cloth cloak, removable plastic shoulder spikes
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2012
Appearances: Crimson Empire II

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.


Commentary: The fact that we ever got Nom Anor feels something like a miracle, as he was previewed in print ages ago as an upcoming Comic Pack figure and of course that whole thing went down the toilet.  To add insult to injury, Nom Anor was meant to be a late summer 2011 release, and it got bumped to 2012.  And of course, pretty much all 2012 figures are a little tricky to track down, so it really seems as if fate tried really, really hard to make sure you never got this figure.  And to be honest, if we didn't, I don't think I'd have minded too much.

A member of an extragalactic race, a true "other" in a story jam-packed with alien worlds, makes sense for a villain.  Everybody loves a common enemy, and this is one who debuted in the Crimson Empire II comic series and he was later retconned into a Yuuzhan Vong for the novels.  As a figure, he's pretty nasty.  I don't much care for the design in general, but the execution is probably an acceptable one.  It's less a "Hasbro did an iffy job" issue than it is a "I don't think I recognize this figure's right to exist" issue.  The deco on the head with freaky skin, pointy ears, nasty teeth, and tattoos on the head cap off a figure whose bulky form and wonky armor are in line (sort of) with the TLC Yuuzhan Vong figure release.   It looks sort of like an exterior muscle suit, without the bug- or creature-like qualities one may expect.  The cloth cloak is really tough to make look good on this figure, and you'll need to remove a slab of shoulder armor and spikes if you want him to be able to wear it.  A giant two-part staff requires your assembly as it's too large to fit in the vintage blister size, but it would've fit well in the comic pack packaging.

With 14 points of articulation and a fair amount of deco, this is a well-designed and engineered figure.  I just hate it.  After thousands of these dang things I usually can find something interesting to say about anything, even (and especially) stuff I don't like.  Red Darth Vader? I can spend days complaining about it, it's fun.  Nom Anor just kind of is.  It looks like a creature designed to menace Frodo and the Shire.   I love the Expanded Universe, but I would advise against tracking this one down if you're on the fence.  I admit it's just because I don't like it, the pose doesn't do much for me, the cloak hangs poorly, and dammit, it's ugly in a way I don't like.  Couldn't we have just got like a holographic figure again?  Seriously.  When is the last one of those we got, 2008?

Collector's Notes: Generally speaking Expanded Universe figures draw special attention and higher prices on the secondary market if they're the slightest bit hard to find.   This one is, on the whole, pretty cheap on eBay so I would say the market has spoken.  This figure sucks.  Next!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,925: October 30, 2012

Figure of the Day: Day 1,205: Yuuzhan Vong

YUUZHAN VONG & Kyle Katarn
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87746
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #03
Includes: Amphistaff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn and New Republic agent Jan Ors help Imperial officer Pallin free a group of people on Ord Sedra who have been enslaved by the Yuuzhan Vong. But the flimsy cells in which the Yuuzhan Vong have been placed may not be strong enough to hold these cruel conquerors until morning. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: Depending on your levels of fandom, you'll find this Yuuzhan Vong either the greatest thing ever or an abomination. A lot of old-timers either ignored or hated the Vong as their novels brought forth the death of Chewbacca, Anakin Solo, and the Force as an unbeatable... force. Fans of the books may be upset that this hulking berserker was based on a comic rather than the books directly, but that's what I like about it. This particular figure is one of the biggest Hasbro Star Wars figures, right up there with the likes of the giant Darktrooper but not of Graxol Kelvyyn. He's super-articulated, big, mean, ugly, and covered in that bio-armor you've read so much about. You can see what may be intended as little faces here and there on his suit, The deco is good, the paint is good, really the only thing this figure has going against it is that it looks a little un-Star Warsy.

If you like action figures as action figures-- not necessarily Star Wars-- this is a good one to get. It's big, impressive, and fun to futz with. It's rare you get an alien figure that looks quite so mean, nasty, and horrible, so this one is probably worth picking up.

Collector's Notes: One release so far, and it's been popular. Hopefully you got or are getting yours.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,205: January 26, 2010