Figure of the Day: Day 343: EV-9D9

EV-9D9 with Datapad
Power of the Force Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69722
Number: n/a
Includes: Datapad, Freeze Frame
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: September 1997
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: EV-9D9 (Eve-Ninedenine) was a sadistic droid who supervised the droids in Jabba the Hutt's palace. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: In the early days of the modern line, fans were thrilled that Kenner was cranking out so many updates to vintage figures (as in, 1980s) that were really hard to find. Although it doesn't seem like they were too thrilled when EV-9D9 hit, as the figure was clearly a resculpted version of the original action figure, minus the nifty mouth-moving mechanism. The figure itself is quite nice-- there eyes, dark bronze coloring, five points of articulation, and a true-to-movie look. However, it's modified from a toy sold in 1985, is missing that toy's most distinctive mechanism, and to the uneducated fan, could be mistaken for the vintage figure. (Not everybody out there is as on-the-ball as the likes of you, dear readers.) It's not that it's a bad figure, it's just reasonably unexciting-- it's a fun character, sure. A lovely design. It's just lacking in what makes a figure great in 2007, and even in 1997, it didn't have modern additions like a waist joint. Is that too much to ask?

Collector's Notes: This is one of two EV-9D9 figures ever made-- and the only modern one. As such, if you want one, it's this one or the very expensive original version. Since Hasbro will likely never revisit EV-9D9 in the near future, I can say this is a release to buy-- it's certainly good enough for most fans' purposes. If you care for such things, there's a fairly extensive backstory which was written for the character in 1996 which involved the torture robot being a criminal droid who escapes Cloud City with Lando out to put an end to whatever evil is going on. Whatever.

Day 343: April 14, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 342: Luke Skywalker

LUKE SKYWALKER Escape from Mos Eisley
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 86820
Number: 036
Includes: Lightsaber hilt, chest, poncho, binoculars, hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 2006
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: When Luke Skywalker discovers that his aunt and uncle have been murdered at the hands of the Empire, he tells Obi-Wan Kenobi, "there is nothing left for me here." Luke agrees to join Obi-Wan on an idealistic crusade to the planet Alderaan. Now driven and focused, Luke is determined to learn about the Force and become a Jedi Knight like his father before him. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: Over the years, there have been many figures of Luke Skywalker from the original film. In 1998 alone, there were four-- and this figure is based on a 1999 version of the figure. They took that body (with its swivel-elbows and jointed knees) and tweaked it into this figure. The good news is that the 1999 version was pretty good-- the bad news is that they dropped a few good features that came from other, earlier Lukes. For example, the macrobinoculars were originally designed to clip on to a figure's belt-- we have the accessory, but not the belt. The figure's head is, in some respects, an improvement, but the decoration gives him unusual looking lips with hair that, by most fans estimates, seems to dark when next to his skin. It's not a bad figure, it just looks... well, like he's wearing a little bit of make-up. (There was a similar problem with the Battle Pack Clone Wars Anakin in 2005.)

The figure, though, is almost inconsequential. You're buying this one for the extras, which are pretty good. He has a lightsaber that plugs into Obi-Wan Kenobi's hope chest, a poncho, the aforementioned chest, a hat, and binoculars. Short of an ignited lightsaber and a blaster, this Luke pretty much has anything you could hope for, even if some of the accessories look better on other figures. It's still a fun figure that offers multiple play opportunities through the wonder of accessories, so if you like figures with lots of gear this should be a must-buy. However, if you already have 10+ unique Tatooine Luke figures, you won't miss this one too much.

Collector's Notes: This mold has been re-released with new accessories many times over, but this version is unique with the new head and added accessories. This configuration of the figure itself, and its accessories, have yet to be rereleased. I especially like the poncho-- especially on the Early Bird version of Luke. It just looks better, trust me. I have a feeling I'll be using these accessories with the upcoming 2007 Luke Skywalker with Moisture Vaporator figure coming out in early Summer. (They're just nice accessories-- arguably the best extras given to any basic figure in 2006.)

Day 342: April 13, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 341: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Acklay Battle)

OBI-WAN KENOBI Acklay Battle
Saga Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84870
Number: 0301
Includes: Pillar, lightsaber, spear, binders
Action Feature: Spear-stabbing action, hand magnet
Retail: $4.99
Availability: January 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Free of the binders that bound him to a column in the Geonosian arena, Obi-Wan Kenobi defends himself against the ferocious beasts that have been let loose in the arena to attack him, Anakin and Padmé for the entertainment of the crowd. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Geonosis shelf.

Commentary: Nothing is more depressing than when Hasbro revisits a figure, and it makes you think of how much better the previous versions were. While Obi-Wan Kenobi does bring some new elements to the table, he's really no better than the figures sold in 2002. The head looks worse. The pose is awkward. The figure can't really sit or ever be used outside a display/action play environment. It's like a statue, but not-- it has a really rotten action attack that doesn't quite work. The spear is fragile because part of it is metal, and there's a really thin plastic peg keeping it together that, if mistreated, will snap. The handcuffs are worthless because his hands are so far apart-- why include them at all? Ditto with the pillar-- it's a nice value-add, but what am I supposed to do with it? I appreciate the scenery, but added articulation or better head deco would have made this figure a lot more fun. Or, rather, any fun.

Collector's Notes: If you have at least one Obi-Wan Kenobi figure, you don't need this one-- it doesn't bring anything worthwhile to the table that you can't get elsewhere, unless you've got a serious need for arena-specific action figures. In which case, buy two.

Day 341: April 12, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 340: Arvel Crynyd

ARVEL CRYNYD Rebel Pilots
Power of the Force Cinema Scenes
Item No.: Asst. 84035 No. 84057
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Fall 1999
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: For generations, an evil power has spread throughout the galaxy. It began with Darth Sidious' sinister plot to conquer the planet Naboo and peaked with the Empire's domination of the galaxy. Throughout the era, brave starfighter pilots flew into space to fight this power. Naboo pilots braved impossible odds to save their planet from the superior forces of the Trade Federation. years later, X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles, B-wing Pilot Ten Numb, and A-wing pilot Arvel Crynyd were part of the assault on the second Death Star. Their success at the Battle of Endor released the iron grip on the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf. Shock.

Commentary: So who is Arvel Crynyd, anyway? According to some sources, not this guy. Apparently Hasbro picked a Y-Wing pilot and gave it the wrong name, as Arvel is, according to many sources, actually an A-Wing Pilot which this figure obviously is not. My guess is that Arvel was originally meant to be this guy and Hasbro decided to make some changes, or perhaps it was Lucasfilm Licensing. Either way, the final figure isn't representative of the character(s) as seen in the movie. So now that we've established (basically) that this figure is an Expanded Universe release out of Hasbro's imagination and not a pilot from Return of the Jedi as most likely intended...

It's a pretty good figure and a pretty good mold. The helmet fits on nicely, the decoration is good (for the time), and the sculpt has the required 6 points of articulation and can sit in a vehicle with no real problems. It's a decent sculpt and a decent mold, nothing to sing about, and here's hoping it's reused as a pack-in for a Y-Wing some day, assuming they paint him right this time. Even if they don't, this is a nice figure, a good addition to your Rebel ranks, and probably cheap enough so that you can buy two.

Collector's Notes: Arvel isn't the only "error" figure in this set-- Ten Nunb is in his white suit, which was used in a lot of behind-the-scenes photography. You can see Ten Nunb in his correct red flight suit shaking hands during the celebration on Endor. (It looks like Nien Nunb, but look at the suit-- that ain't him.) In 2003, Arvel was repainted and reissued as a pack-in with a green A-Wing Fighter as a Target exclusive. This figure is notable for being pretty good, with an awesome Expanded Universe ship. Get one if you can!

Day 340: April 11, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 339: Gamorrean Guard

GAMORREAN GUARD with Vibro-Ax
Power of the Force Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69693
Number: n/a
Includes: Vibro-ax, Freeze Frame (some releases)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: September 1998-1999
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The brutish nature of Gamorreans, along with their great strength and violent tendencies, made them excellent mercenaries and guardsmen in Jabba's desert palace. (Taken from the figure's Freeze Frame cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Toy Shelves.

Commentary: This Gamorrean Guard was a fantastic update to the vintage 1983 figure in that it solved a few of the original figure's problems, and kept some of them too. The figure now has an articulated neck-- a first-- as well as a waist, but it still has one hand in a sculpted fist, which reduces the amount of "army building" poses you can do with this figure. As a trooper, it's good to be able to pose them in different ways with different accessories, but with only one hand that can hold a weapon, and one weapon, you're kinda stuck. Still, this didn't stop me from troop-building this figure because of its great armor, excellent sculpt, above-par paint job, and decent heft. It's a good diorama figure, you'll want to get several-- but not too many.

The figure is good enough to the point where it's unlikely we'll see a new version in the near future, although it would be nice to see an all-new sculpt with both hands, a Force Pike, and a couple of extra arm joints/swappable limbs. Who wouldn't want a "choking" guard?

Collector's Notes: On the $1 clearances at Toys "R" Us in late 1998/early 1999, all POTF2 figures were $2.99 with a $2 off sticker affixed to many of them. Because of this, I bought a heck of a lot of POTF2 troopers, including about 15-20 Gamorrean Guards. In hindsight, even at $1 each, this was overkill-- it's a great figure, and now I'll never be hard-up for them in a diorama setting, but there's probably no reason to have more than 6 in any given scenario. The Hasbro Jabba's Palace Diorama can keep a lot of figures in it, but not every last alien that has been produced-- as such, if you feel like buying a lot of guards, you might want to keep the army smaller than I did. Also, an Original Trilogy Collection repaint in 2004 looks excellent-- I'll review it at a later date, but it makes a great "captain" to your Gamorrean security force.

Day 339: April 10, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 338: Plo Koon

PLO KOON Jedi Master
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 85174 No. 85289
Number: III-16
Includes: Lightsaber (removable blade), display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: The Prequels

Bio: Jedi Master Plo Koon is a meber of the Jedi Council and comes from a long line of Jedi. Serving as a General in the Clone Wars, he leads a battalion of clone troopers against Separatist forces. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Toy Shelves.

Commentary: Hey, Hasbro got it right! (More or less.) After three other figures, this version of Plo Koon is the best yet-- while it's by no means perfect, it's very, very good. It has wrist articulation, elbow articulation, knee articulation, pretty much everything you could possibly want-- except that the joints are somewhat non-standard when compared to his contemporaries from the Jedi council, like Ki-Adi-Mundi and Shaak-Ti. The figure is, as stated, the best Plo Koon you can buy, but he doesn't have a way to attach his lightsaber to his belt, doesn't have super-crazy-awesome articulation, and doesn't have any extra... extras. Sure, it has ball-jointed shoulders, but the "skirt" keeps the legs from being perfect to pilot his Jedi Starfighter. His knee joints are squarish, clunky, and not too aesthetically pleasing. It's unfortunate that this figure is just a few hairs shy of being perfect-- it's not bad, it's just that Hasbro left the door wide open to do another, even better release in the future. Don't let my comments keep you from buying this figure, if you can find it. It's worth owning. But the elbow joints could be better, the sculpt could be stronger, and yes, there could be more accessories.

Collector's Notes: To date, this is the definitive Plo Koon. There was one with his Jedi robes for Power of the Jedi, a version for the Geonosis Battle from Attack of the Clones in the first Saga line in 2002, and a retooled version of the 2002 figure-- in 2004-- for the Jedi Council sets. Unless you count the Expanded Universe, there's really not all that much left to do for this cyborg-looking alien Jedi, outside of a popular concept sketch featuring the Jedi Master with more battle-gear and a double-bladed Lightsaber gauntlet. Personally, that's as high on my want list as most new characters-- it's just a really cool, really fun looking concept.

Day 338: April 9, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 337: Takeel (Snaggletooth)

TAKEEL Cantina Aliens
Power of the Force Cinema Scene Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84305 No. 84059
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster (not shown)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Their remote location makes the spaceports of Tatooine havens for many suspicious travelers from across the galaxy. At the Mos Eisley spaceport, Chalmun's Cantina is a popular hangout for the rough crowd and deadly violence breaks out on a daily basis. Takeel, a Snivvian, is known to dabble in bounty hunting and smuggling. The horned Devaronian Labria calls himself an "information broker", though his information is questionable at best. No one knows for sure what the Morseerian known as Nabrun Leids looks like underneath his breath mask, which he must wear in all non-methane environments. The former fighter pilot will fly anyone or anything anywhere, if the price is suitable. These kinds of patrons have helped make Tatooine's spaceports famous as a wretched hive of scum and villainy. In the days before the Galactic Empire, the spaceport of Mos Espa hosted many similar characters. From the outdoor markets to the junk shops--overseen by the gambling crimelords, the Hutts--Mos Espa was a place where a nine-year old boy like Anakin Skywalker could learn the ways of the universe. (Taken from the Cantina Aliens box.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' Toy Shelves.

Commentary: The various figures known in some form or another as "Snaggletooth" have caused a bit of confusion over the years, confusing fans as to their appearances (or non-appearances) in the movies and the origins of what were initially thought of as "error" figures. But those are usually named "Zutton." Takeel here can be clearly spotted in the original film, assuming you have widescreen copies of the films handy, it's also a fairly simple figure. In the movie, the images clearly show a little more grey skin (or at least from the lighting they do) while this action figure seems to be a little more on the side of albino. The figure has six points of articulation and a blaster, and is nothing to sneeze at-- it's just an oddly colored figure from almost a decade ago that, sadly, needs a little retouching in the paint department. He's still a solid figure, and the first modern "Snaggletooth," which lead a lot of fans to (incorrectly) think he was the only such creature in the Cantina over the years. Thankfully, we all know there are quite a few in the entire saga, and this is just one of many. (There were also Snivvians in Cloud City and Jabba's Palace, neither of which have yet been made as toys, sadly.)

Collector's Notes: This figure originally (and exclusively) shipped in a 3-pack with Nabrun Leids and Labria in 1998. In 2007, heavily repainted versions of those other two aliens were released as Wal-Mart exclusives-- perhaps Takeel isn't going to be far behind?

Day 337: April 8, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 336: Barada

BARADA Jabba's Skiff Guards
Power of the Force Cinema Scenes Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84035 No. 84061
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Barada was a Klatooinian who served as chief mechanic for Jabba the Hutt's sail barge Khetanna. He was one of the most loyal and hardworking of Jabba's servants and his loyalty would last until his death at the battle at the Great Pit of Carkoon. (Stolen from Wookieepedia)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Toy Shelves.

Commentary: There's a bit of hubbub about this figure. Since the original figure in about 1984, the alien action figure with this face was marketed as Barada, but the name has been applied to other aliens of his species known as the Klatooinians. So if this is Barada, when will we see the red-pants alien from the vintage line, if ever? (Who, by the by, is known as Kithaba these days?) It's a big argument in fan circles, or at least some of them. For the sake of this article, though, we're going to ignore them and just look at this figure.

Made in 1998, this figure was the victim of Hasbro's attempts to make figures look more dynamic and gritty-- as you can see, the figure's head, belt, and hands are the victim of some sort of horrible paint wipe process. The figure's sculpt is decent, and with six points of articulation he's nothing to sneeze at. Unfortunately, the attempt to paint this figure is so awful that it's hard to look at this figure as being especially good, even with this in mind. Why on Earth would there be the same green wiped on the skin, hands/gloves, belt, and headband? It doesn't make any sense. The figure's costume is great, the shirt and pants are sculpted well and painted appropriately. If you like the unique paint decoration on the head-- and I absolutely don't-- you should probably go buy this one, as it appears in two multipacks released nearly 5 years apart. Obviously, Hasbro liked it enough to crank it out twice with no significant changes before a third release in 2006 gave it a better paint job, leaving some fans pleased with the upgrade while others were irritated that we didn't get Kithaba or an all-new sculpt instetad.

Collector's Notes: A nearly identical (or for the purposes of this column, completely identical) Barada figure was sold in the Skirmish at Carkoon multipack in 2003 (and beyond) at Toys "R" Us. In 2006, this mold was heavily repainted and it looks, well, less crappy. If you have the chance to buy the newer Saga Collection release, I advise you to get it. The original 1998 version was packaged in a three-pack with Klaatu and Nikto action figures.

Day 336: April 7, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 335: Chewbacca (Boushh's Prisoner)

CHEWBACCA Boushh Prisoner
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 85805
Number: 005
Includes: Metal chain, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: January 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The mighty Chewbacca has been "captured" and taken to Jabba's Palace. Jabba quickly realizes that his capture is a mere ploy to free Han Solo from carbonite. Jabba orders Chewbacca and his friends to be executed, but Luke Skywalker has other plans. Chewbacca helps his friends defect Jabba and saves Han and Lando Calrissian from their doom, proving once again that he is a fearless Wookie warrior! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Toy Shelves.

Commentary: Hasbro loves to find a new way to use an old mold-- and this particular Chewbacca mold has been used many, many times. (More on that later.) This release is unique in that it includes a metal chain for it pretending to be Boushh's captive prisoner, but otherwise isn't really all that new. The decoration is the same as the previous release, more or less, and the figure includes no weapons. You get a Wookiee, a chain, and a display base-- and that's it. Sure, it's a figure with 7 points of articulation, and yes, it's a very tall and properly scaled Chewbacca, but still, there's not much for him to do other than stand there. Also, Chewie in the movie doesn't look quite like this-- his hair is a little different, and the chain around his neck is over, not under, most of the fur. As this is the second version of a "Boushh's Prisoner" Chewbacca, one might hope it would be good enough to be the final. Sadly, there's still room for improvement, but it's better than the 1998 version.

This figure goes very well with the 2007 version of Leia in Boushh Disguise, but if you don't have that figure, you really don't need this new Chewbacca figure at all.

Collector's Notes: This mold has been used many, many times before. In 2001, it was packaged with goggles, a torch, and the monniker "Millennium Falcon Mechanic." And then it was repackaged several times. In 2004, the figure was packaged along with a carry case, a Millennium Falcon, and in some cases had added accessories like a display base. It was redecorated in late 2006/early 2007 in "Marvel Comics colors" which, most fans hope, will be the final use of this mold.

Day 335: April 6, 2007