Figure of the Day: Day 936: Darth Vader

DARTH VADER in blue
30th Anniversary Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87505
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #02
Includes: Lightsaber, torture droid, Rebel figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Early 2007
Appearances: Marvel comics

Bio: The fearsome Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader stops at nothing in his mission to recover the plans for the Death Star, a fact that this Rebel Trooper learns to his deep misfortune. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: In order to flesh out its comic pack line early on, Hasbro took the deco quite literally from the pages of Marvel's early Star Wars comics to give us all crazy figures like this Darth Vader. Because it's such a radical departure from the rest of the line, these brightly colored figures make up a wonderful subset of toys that look more like a piece of pop art than a Hasbro toy. Modeled off a 1999 mold, the Vader isn't much of a toy but he can sit and stand (with a stand). The main reason you need to buy this figure-- and there's two variations of it, so be careful which one you get-- is because it looks super-cool. The first release (pictured) has this ridiculous bright blue on it and it's pretty stunning. Hasbro has done up about 14 Marvel-colored figures (including some new characters) and I have to say, as a collector, I'd almost be happy with just those. Put those things in a shadow box in a desk in your office and it looks like some weird little art installation rather than a bunch of goofy toys. If you can get behind the strange colors and old molds, these are wonderful figures. And as we're all big Vader fans (I assume), there's no reason to not get this one. At least if you buy this Darth Vader figure, it'll look really different for once.

Collector's Notes: There are two versions of this figure-- this one is the first release. A variant was darker blue and much more subdued, which seems to be the rarer of the two. I think this one is the best, which is why you're seeing it in the picture.

Day 936: January 14, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 935: Jodo Kast

JODO KAST Bounty Hunter
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 89597
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD13
Includes: Blaster, droid part
Action Feature: Push down rocket for quick-draw action
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2008
Appearances: Various comics, West End Games RPG supplements

Bio: Wearing Mandalorian armor, this cunning and ruthless bounty hunter lets everyone assume he is Boba Fett to take advantage of Fett's notorious reputation. Unfortunately, the real Boba Fett is not flattered by Kast's impersonation and intends to stop him. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: The worst thing about a figure like Jodo Kast is that it isn't that great. As cheap repaints go, Hasbro had an easy one here. Basically, all fans wanted was a repaint of the Vintage Boba Fett (2004) mold and they'd be happy. Instead, Hasbro used the 2006 Boba Fett, which had the Vintage Fett's legs and the body and arms of a 2003 figure. Combined, it's kind of ungainly and certainly not good by 2008 standards-- it has swivel elbows, decent leg articulation, and not much else. The sculpt isn't as crisp as more recent figures, and since Jodo doesn't have a cape, there's a visible hole in his back. It looks like something might be missing-- in a way it is, but some fans might not realize that Hasbro's shortcut is the reason, and nothing in particular is missing.

If you want to have the first Mandalorian to appear outside the movies, here he is in all his repainted glory. I have hopes Hasbro will do a better one in a comic pack some day, but for now this is it. It's not bad, but not Hasbro's best work.

Collector's Notes: Anything Mandalorian tends to sell, and this guy has been a frequent seller. He's been re-shipping in new assortments with newer droid parts, so packaged collectors might end up with multiple versions if they're all about the droid part stuff.

Day 935: January 13, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 934: Chewbacca

CHEWBACCA Sandstorm Scene
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87675
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD03
Includes: Bowcaster, droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Wounded during the battle to escape from Jabba the Hutt at the Pit of Carkoon, Chewbacca quickly bandages his injured leg. He walks resolutely through one of Tatooine's sandstorms to reach the Millennium Falcon, where he can treat his wound in the ship's medical bay. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: While fans still haven't really seen any footage of the deleted sandstorm scene from Return of the Jedi, Hasbro realized they could make new figures and we'd pick them up-- like this Chewbacca. On one hand, I'm upset at such a shameless grab for my dollars, but on another I gotta give it up to them for doing something new and different rather than cranking out the same figure again. This particular Wookiee is based on the 2004 "Vintage" body, but features a new head, altered arms, and a new bandaged leg. This basically makes it a slightly altered version of the best Chewbacca toy your money can buy, which to me makes it fantastic. He comes with his standard bowcaster, which is a decent choice but if you really stop and think about it, shouldn't he come with a pike or a pistol he stole from one of Jabba's guards? The figures had varying paint, and I picked up a few for various error reasons. This one in particular has unusually thick black lines around his eyes, which I thought was somewhat neat. Other than that, the deco is pretty by-the-book. There are brown claws, varying colors of highlights, and honestly this may be one of Hasbro's best-painted Chewbacca figures because they avoided the random and often ugly bright tan highlights we saw on the figures since about 2005. If you need a Chewie to hang out outside the Falcon, this is the one to get. It's snazzy, but not really representative of anything in the films-- so it's not an essential figure, but certainly a neat one.

Collector's Notes: A lot of fans didn't like this one, but I thought it was awesome. It shipped in good numbers through at least the end of last year, as it eventually shipped on a new-style "blue lens" packaging where the big Stormtrooper on the package changed color. So it's not uncommon yet. Hasbro made companion Luke and Han figures which turned out really nicely, and it's hoped that a Lando and Leia might see production in the next few years.

Day 934: January 12, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 933: Luke Skywalker (Jabba's Palace)

LUKE SKYWALKER Jabba's Palace
Saga Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84715 No. 84731
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0404
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: January 2004
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Hiding his identity, Luke went to Jabba the Hutt's palace on a mission to rescue Han Solo, frozen in carbonite and a macabre wall sculpture in the crime lord's abode, Luke attempted to use Jedi mind tricks to influence the Hutt to free Solo, but the loathsome slug of a gangster was immune to such techniques. Jabba captured Luke and cast him into the rancor pit for a battle to the death. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: Around 2002, Hasbro let fans know two versions of Luke Skywalker in his Jedi Knight outfit would be coming, one would be collector-friendly and the other would be a little... less so. This was the collector one. Featuring a cloth cloak, a blaster, and a lightsaber, Hasbro attempted to recreate the 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker toy with modern bells and whistles. For the most part, they succeeded-- he had jointed knees (still more or less a novelty at the time), swivel wrists, swivel elbows, shoulders, and the normal articulation you've all come to love. While not a super-articulated figure, it really was an example of some of Hasbro's finer work for the time. His hands were sculpted to have a few different uses, like parading around Jabba's palace and also holding a weapon.

As a toy, it basically works but it has difficulty sitting. Other than that, it's a pretty good example of some of Hasbro's better basic figure work around the time that the "new standard" was ushered in by the super-articulated Clone Trooper in late 2003. So at the time, it was a bit of a letdown because we had, just a month earlier, seen a figure which gave us all a glimpse of what the future holds for the line. A future, I might add, which still hasn't come to pass-- the 2007 attempt was a huge step backward, with its odd tan, huge hands, and awful attempt at the costume. The 2008 Sandstorm version was a little better, but lacks the vest-- so I guess we're all still game for yet another version, despite at least one "new" Return of the Jedi Luke figure being sold each year since 2003-- except 2005.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro really likes this mold. It was immediately recolored as a holographic figure just one wave later, and it's been repackaged numerous times to varying degrees of success. A memorable late 2008 reissue appeared as a Target exclusive and featured some of the worst paint you'll ever see out of Hasbro in the Battle at the Sarlacc battle pack. In 2006, the base figure and lightsaber were given a helmet, a poncho, and a belt as well as a new hand and revised legs to recreate the Endor version of the figure.

Day 933: January 9, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 932: Clone Emperor Palpatine

CLONE EMPEROR PALPATINE Expanded Universe
Power of the Force Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69886
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, removable hand, removable cloak, on-package backdrop
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Dark Empire

Bio: Six years after the destruction of the second Death Star, the galaxy is thrust into turmoil. A reborn evil threatens to enslave the galaxy, and the Republic's closest friend - Luke Skywalker - may become their greatest enemy. With the power to transfer his consciousness to genetic clones, a younger, stronger Emperor Palpatine is perilously close to gaining total control of the galaxy forever. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: If there's one thing fans like, it's bad guys. If there's one thing kids don't seem to like, it's the Emperor. That's why this Clone Emperor Palpatine is neat. It takes a familiar face, de-ages him a little bit, and throws him in a newish story. An entirely new mold which was never reissued, the figure had a fairly good streak of popularity among collectors due to it being a version of the Emperor that wasn't an old guy in a black hood. This time around, he had armored hands and a lightsaber to accent his fairly vampire-esque outfit. Underneath, Kenner designed him a unique set of robes and shoulder armor which is sure to please-- or rather it would, had anyone looked underneath his baggy exterior garment. He's fairly mobile for a figure in a big clamshell, which is great as the added wrist joint made him a better-than-average figure for his day.

Rather than literally interpret Cam Kennedy's artwork from Dark Empire, Kenner's deco artists used their heads and opted to not make him a freakish green guy. This resulted in a stronger, less-distracting figure. While some of the original art's influence can be seen with highlights on his robes, this toy took the look and feel of the artwork and translated it into a fairly realistic take on the outfit. This was nice to see, and given how likely Hasbro is to color an item exactly as it appears on the page, it might be something out of the distant past. The new version, while nice, is basically a naked guy underneath. I kind of like seeing my villains as a little more dressed and a little less... blue liver spots. So this was a strong figure in its day, and I think it still is worth owning despite a new version being on shelves today.

Collector's Notes: This was a bit of a sleeper when it hit as it came and went quickly-- and fans took notice. Demand shot up for a period of time, but time tends to dampen fan enthusiasm for a hard-to-get figure. It's still a neat figure, although the new one in stores now may make fans less excited about owning this older version from a nearly 20-year-old comic.

Day 932: January 8, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 931: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID with Yoda with Force Powers!
Saga Deluxe Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84859 No. 84900
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster effect, crane, base, Yoda
Action Feature: Falls over, generally sucks
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Spring 2002
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The oldest member of the Jedi Council, Yoda is a powerful Jedi with enormous powers. Engaged in battle against a formidable and deadly Super Battle Droid, Yoda reveals his superior skill in the Force as well as his dexterity and fighting prowess. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: With Episode II, Hasbro had another army-builder-tunity with the Super Battle Droid. They made a version with Play-Doh you could mold, another one blew up, and then there was this one-- the crappy one Yoda could beat up. The sole purpose of this figure is to be a target for Yoda to knock over, and it isn't much of a challenge. You see, the figure really can't stand on his own. The Yoda in this set included a magnet, so he could be moved around and look all cool. This droid just falls over due to how the legs were designed. He desperately needs a display stand, yet does not have one. So really, this figure is best as a sort of a filler in a diorama, as his deco is OK but there's not much he can do other than aim or fall over, so he'll need your support. With only four points of articulation, this figure does not impress and it's a shame Hasbro carded a new version individually in 2005. It's not good, and I don't like it. I don't expect you will either. All I ask for is a figure that can stand... and I don't get it here.

Collector's Notes: As the Yoda this figure came with is nothing special, there's not much to go crazy for here. This Super Battle Droid figure has been offered a few times with different paint, and still basically sucks. The 2007 mold is way better, and the 2008 Saga Legends version is arguably the best overall.

Day 931: January 7, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 930: C-3PO

C-3PO Purchase of the Droids
Power of the Force Cinema Scenes
Item No.: Asst. 69650 No. 69778
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Uncle Owen, Luke Skywalker, Display Stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: 1998
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: Under attack by an Imperial Star Destroyer, protocol droid C-3PO and his partner R2-D2 safely escaped a battered Rebel capital ship and landed on the desert planet of Tatooine. Soon after, the droids were abducted by scavenging Jawas and sold to Owen Lars for use on his desert moisture farm. Luke Skywalker, nephew of Owen and a Tatooine youth, remained unaware that his uncle's purchase of C-3PO and R2-D2 was to help launch one of the most pivotal destinies the galaxy had ever known... his own. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Commentary: 10 years after its release, I can honestly say that this C-3PO still impresses me. Sure, we've seen better articulation, but deco on a C-3PO figure really hasn't ever been done better. With the standard articulation of his era, he can move his head and arms and legs, which is about as good as C-3PO figures pre-2006 ever got. The vast amount of sludge is astounding-- this is as dirty as C-3PO ever got as an action figure. Hasbro also had the sense to include the restraining bolt on his chest, which is something you generally don't see on Threepio. The figure looks a little cleaner in this picture than it does in person, but it's pretty stunning still. Look at all the grime around the eyes, all the mud caked on the joints, and so forth. It's a little exaggerated from the movie, but it's pretty much stunning for its time. Hasbro tried to do something new, and it really paid off. Sadly, most of the recent figures we've got for C-3PO are clean gold, or maybe have some muck on their feet. This one is a freaking mess, and I love it. Nearly 11 years later, it's still wonderful. Get one.

Collector's Notes: When reviewing other figures from this boxed set, I said it was worth it just for the C-3PO. I stand by this comment. It's pretty cheap on eBay so go get yourself one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 930: January 6, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 929: Clone Trooper (Coruscant Landing Platform)

CLONE TROOPER Coruscant Landing Platform
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 89594
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD17
Includes: Blaster, antenna, droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2008
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Clone troopers are stationed on Coruscant to maintain order and provide for the many distinguished visitors who come and go from the planet. The troopers must be constantly vigilant against plots and attacks from the Separatists and their supporters. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: You know what I can't get enough of? Clone Trooper figures.

...is what I would have said in 2005. Today, it's a little less exciting to hear yet another clone announcement, even if it's a new deco, or a more articulated version of a previous figure. This grey-striped trooper has been done before, twice in 2005-- both times with inaccurate deco. So I guess this one is exciting because they have all the stripes and dots now, which they were lacking previously. It's also based on the super-articualted body, which is still the gold standard for Revenge of the Sith-style clones. So with that in mind, you basically know exactly what to expect from his construction-- 14 points of articulation, and lods of poses are now easy to get. The bad thing is that the packaging really did a number on his legs, distorting them a little so on my two samples, he stands kinda funny. But hey, that's why Hasbro gave us articulation-- you can fudge that by reposing him a little bit. The figure holds together as well as any other based on this mold, so hey, that's a plus.

The stripey deco is pretty excellent. He has little squares on his arms and torso, lots of stripes, and basically everything you could wish for short of dirt and smudges. As a clean trooper, he's awesome-- I like the deco here a lot. As an added bonus, Hasbro, for the first time ever, painted his antenna. It's removable, as always, but now it has silver smudging on it which looks really neat. It'd look better had the clone been given smudges and damage marks, but hey, it's a start. Nice idea, Hasbro designers! Army builders will no doubt like this figure, and Clone fans, well, you know what to expect. It isn't bad, but it's getting a little old, these movie clones. Maybe we can move on to more multi-colored Stormtroopers as we move forward.

Collector's Notes: In 2005, Hasbro released an Evolutions Clone Trooper loosely based on this design. Also, they had a Battle Pack with a clone also loosely based on this design. Of the three, this one I'm now reviewing has the best articulation and deco as far as marking accuracy goes. Although I will say the Evolutions version had amazing dirty marks that are so impressive you should get one. Yes, even you. I can see you reading this.

Day 929: January 5, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 928: Kir Kanos

KIR KANOS Training Uniform
The Legacy Collection Previews Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87924
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pike, helmet, 5 other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: December 2008
Appearances: Crimson Empire comic books

Bio: Each member of the Royal Guard has undergone grueling tests of combat reflexes and stamina, and is trained in the deadly art of echani. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' living room.

Commentary: Early reactions to this set were mixed, especially as it wasn't immediately obvious that Kir Kanos and his four multi-colored buddies had removable helmets with unique, full heads under their helmets. I'm in the minority (or so it seems) of liking the overall design of the characters from the comics, which has been knocked as Power Ranger-esuqe in the various forums out there. The important thing, to me, is that it's true to the comic designs. So at least they look right, and have unique details like a special symbol on their helmet which is also repeated on the back of their shirt-- I didn't see that coming, it's a nice touch.

Where the figure falls apart for me is in its construction. His crotchial region and legs are borrowed from the "Training Fatigues" Clone Trooper sold in late 2007, and his head is from the 2006 Kir Kanos. (As is Jax's, Alum Frost and Lemmet Tauk both have new heads.) How is this a problem? Thankfully, the legs aren't too restricted so you can force him to sit if you want-- but the arms are terrible. They're standard swivel shoulders, the kind you had on all your vintage figures from the 1980s. These are joined by very loose swivel elbows, which tend to pop apart very easily. (Like when you remove the figures from the box.) The wrists are also swivels, but this is normal and really nothing of any great consequence. He can hold his weapon, but he's not really able to have much movement. In a lot of ways, this figure feels like a big step back from the original Kir Kanos a few years ago, which was really pretty awesome for the most part.

While I can deal with weird articulation, one thing I have a huge problem with is a bad face sculpt. Interestingly, this figure doesn't have a bad face sculpt-- as we've seen it before and it looked pretty good. No, here Hasbro opted to use a low-grade plastic and paint it badly. This ruins an otherwise good figure. A light brown color was used for his eyes and eyebrows, and this seems to melt into the very pale color of flesh used for the head. The details are largely lost, and his eyes look a little bloodshot. As I work somewhere where these are sold, I got to look at a few of them-- and they're all like this. The other characters are slightly better than this one but this one is a bit of a downer. It's not a terrible release, but it comes up short on so many levels it's a little disappointing. Hasbro did wonderful exclusive figures in its boxed sets for Diamond over the years, it makes one wonder what the heck went wrong here.

If I tell you it's awful, you'll probably pick it up and say "it isn't really all that bad," but if I tell you it's awesome, you're likely to disagree. It's that kind of figure, much like how Balls of Fury is that kind of a movie.

Collector's Notes: This is the second figure of Kir Kanos, the first was released as a shared exclusive in 2006. That one is the better of the two. The boxed set-- if you're curious-- includes Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and 3 other guards. The Emperor has a unique paint job and probably has the best flesh color I've ever seen on the mold, but Vader is the same as the 2006/2007 one. We'll go into those more later.

Day 928: January 2, 2009