Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,828: Clone Trooper 501st Legion

CLONE TROOPER  501st Legion
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  98526
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC60
Includes: Blaster, rifle, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2012
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

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 Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  I don't know for certain how it will shake out, but so far this Clone Trooper may be one of the shortest-run Vintage Collection figures yet-- yes, shorter than Wedge, and somewhere around the Naval Trooper if he doesn't come back soon.  This figure (so far) only ships in a single revision case, so if you're sitting there saying "Well screw this figure, I don't want it" consider yourself lucky.  My stats show you guys really don't care about clone troopers much these days, and this one is pretty good.  Not great, but close-- the body is a reuse of the 2011 Vintage Attack of the Clones clone body with an existing, and not exactly superb, helmet. The figure has exceptional articulation with 14 joints, spanning bend-and-swivel wrists and ball-jointed hips.  Every joint has pretty much a full range of movement, and the deco is pretty good too.  Sure, it's "clean," but there's a little scuffing on the blue so it looks pretty good.   In this day and age, though, I expect a clone repaint to be great just because Hasbro has been doing such a bang-up job on the cheaper Clone Wars line's paint jobs these days.

If you bought the 2012 BARC Speeder with Clone Trooper, this is fundamentally the same figure with blue paint.   It's pretty good, it's the best overall 501st Legion trooper yet, but a new helmet.  While you no doubt have a vast army of this style of trooper by now... well, here's one more, and it's a little bit better.  Oh, and your chances of army-building with it are effectively zero unless the Asian eBay people get cracking and put these out.

Collector's Notes:  It's my sincere hope Hasbro reissues the snot out of it, because even though they say collectors don't buy troopers any more, all evidence says any non-plain-white trooper seems to sell just fine.  I haven't seen one in the wild yet, hopefully you are far luckier than I am.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,828: June 15, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,827: Starkiller

STARKILLER  Vader's Apprentice
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37518
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC100
Includes: 2 lightsabers, 2 hilts, backpack, skirt, shoulder armor, 2 gauntlets
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2012
Appearances: The Force Unleashed 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 Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  With this wave, Hasbro seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of their plastic.  Starkiller is another one of their nifty two-for-one figures, where you get a more-or-less "Rebel hero" outfit as well as an "Imperial Pilot" outfit all in one figure.  The sculpt is arguably the best yet, with a really nice Sam Witwer likeness which, given the right paint or a less glossy plastic, would be perfect.  As it is, it's merely above par and potentially their best yet.



Much like Fordo and a few others, you can change Starkiller pretty easily.  He ships in his "pilot" outfit, and the pilot harness easily comes off like a belt.  To get him into his other outfit, you have to slide up a "skirt" piece, snap on a couple of gauntlets, and pop off his head to apply his shoulder armor.  It's a neat idea, but I personally would rather have had Hasbro make a second figure later.  For those of us wanting two to display, we're basically out of luck for a while.   He has 14 points of articulation, more or less what you expect as normal these days, and quite a bit of detail for such a simple outfit.  I can only imagine how great a 100% new TIE Fighter Pilot might be in 2013 or 2014, should Hasbro decide to give it a spin!

The gear is pretty good, although the shoulder armor is a little bulky for its intended purpose.  Unless you get it just right, he looks like he has no neck.  The lightsabers could be bluer, but it seems Hasbro has been doing pale blue for most figures over the last year.   It's a fun figure with enough to play around with that $10 doesn't seem like a bad price, but the plastic for the face could be a smidgen better.  I love the pilot outfit, and the fact you can take off the skirt/straps and he can sit in a stolen TIE Fighter if you'd like.  I'd say that as of now, this is Hasbro's best Starkiller and even if you didn't care for the game-- and many didn't-- the action figure is worth the asking price.  Given the secondary market, it wouldn't stun me if the figure will cost more than the game, depending on where you shop.   If you enjoyed the game, and enjoy late-era Galactic Empire costumes, this should fit right in with some of your Original Trilogy stuff.  Maybe off to the side a bit would be the best place for Starkiller, but he should be at home tormenting your Stormtroopers and other figures.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen this wave in stores yet, but you knew that.  This one came from online, you can order a case at the link below or on any of the fine sponsors at GalacticHunter.com.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,827: June 14, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,826: Grand Moff Tarkin

GRAND MOFF TARKIN  Vintage
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37516
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC98
Includes: Blaster, MSE Droid
Action Feature: Mouse Droid has rolling wheels
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2012
Appearances: Star Wars

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 Pawlus' photo area.  I sprang sixty cents for some red poster board.  What say you?

Commentary:  One of the things fans asked for-- and wisely so-- are for most of the major characters on a Vintage cardback.  Grand Moff Tarkin was one of those semi-conspicuously absent from the original Kenner line, and along with Slave Leia and Wedge Antilles, these heavy-hitters are all on Vintage cardbacks as of today.  Which, as a packaged collector, you may find exciting.  As I rip these open, well, it's less thrilling, but certainly quite nice to see.  Oh, and here's the video.  As that is what you may be here for when it comes to new figures.



Tarkin is, on paper, everything you could ask for.  He recycles 2009 Captain Needa's arms and 2008 Grand Admiral Thrawn's legs with new hands, a new torso, a new head, and a cloth piece below the belt.  On one hand, this is great-- the figure has no problems sitting.  However, it does look like an apron as it doesn't match the rest of the garment, and it photographs oddly.  Depending on your lighting situation, the color doesn't seem like a bad match, but it's obviously cloth against the plastic of the figure.  The new elements are sculpted well, with wrinkly old man hands a slightly hunched-over neck, and an entirely new head sculpt.  These are hurt by the materials used, as fans argue about the color of Tarkin's garments, and no argument is needed regarding his skin color.  Sure, he's pale, but Tarkin is so white and shiny that some of the detail is lost in the process.  The deco is fantastic and the template seems to be there, the sculpt really is amazing, but the shade of plastic sucks out all the detail so you wouldn't necessarily realize that a little bit of paint-- or even a running change using a different batch of plastic-- could make this figure look a lot better.

You get your normal super-articulated, 14-joint vintage figure with a blaster (meh) and a MSE droid (ooh!)  The droid is a nice accessory because it's a new sculpt, smaller than Hasbro's previous efforts and with some tiny wheels.  Rolling wheels aren't essential at this size but they really do look better than the non-wheeled version we saw since the late 1990s and the giant, pullback one we saw later.

Tarkin is a highly-improved sculpt with the best articulation and detail in the line.  Accuracy be damned, I want a less-glossy head and a greyer uniform should Hasbro ever decide to reissue this one.  They can dump the cloth tunic too, I appreciate its functionality but now I see figures returning to the t-crotch without the "skirt" in the way at all, like the 1997 Tarkin, I'd almost rather see that.  I bet you'll like this figure if you get it in your hands, but, obviously, it ain't perfect.  After nearly 2,000 figures I don't think it's unreasonable to expect each new figure is going to be as close to perfection as Hasbro can get, but I think we'll all be a lot happier of we realize "perfection" is like one of us giving 110% at work: it's just not possible.  I'm glad to see Hasbro trying new things, like the mixed media cloth skirt, but is it good?  Well, take a look at the picture and you tell me.  It's grown on me but it doesn't match our other Imperials, and that's also an issue after you get several hundred figures.

Collector's Notes: This figure is super-new so you may not have seen it yet.  As such, I suggest haunting your local toy shop or clicking the link below to order a case from our sponsors, which supports us, which means you'll get more videos if you like that sort of thing.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,826: June 13, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,825: Kithaba (Barada)

KITHABA  Skiff Guard
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  98527
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC56
Includes: Blaster, pike, shoulder strap
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2012
Appearances: Star Wars

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 Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  The figure I was looking forward to the most out of this wave was Kithaba, because I love the original 1980s Power of the Force figures.  This is an update of the vintage Barada figure, more or less.  You're still going to have problems with it, as you let me know I was wrong about this figure before I started writing this review.  Let me explain that: I didn't even start writing this yet, and I started getting messages telling me what I think about this figure is wrong.  And this is before I told anyone what I thought of it.   Man, you people.

Because of a large amount of image flipping in Return of the Jedi, some of you said his bandolier is wrong, and others said it was correct.  This brings us to the classic "Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?" gag because, well, what's the truth?  Is what you think you see "right," or the actual prop?  In this case, Hasbro designed the figure after the actual costume, which is best seen during the battles with shots of Chewbacca.  Their bandoliers hang over the same shoulders when they share a frame, so there's your point of reference.  Kithaba's coloring is acceptable, but there's another instance of perception and reality, and in this case I'm not entirely sure what to say.  My gut says Hasbro got this one wrong, Kithaba's headband looks red in the movie and the figure is a much darker color.  Sometimes his vest looks more yellow, and sometimes it looks more tan or brown.   So if you want to say this costume is more or less authentic, or wrong, I guess you can make either argument.  Hasbro rarely gives us a chance to see if fans see the glass as half-empty or half-full, but here it is!

His accessories are great.   The holster isn't quite like the movie, but I'm glad it's here.  I like holsters, authenticity be damned.  The blaster looks good, and the classic staff weapon is included just like the original.  With 14 points of articulation, I have no real ability to complain about the sculpt.  It's nice, I like it.  The eyes are worth noting because in the movie (and the old toy), they look almost completely black.  The mask from the movie casts a shadow over the eyes, making them appear much darker than a well-lit mask might seem with human eyes underneath.  So here, Hasbro tried to make it more lifelike, more like the prequels-- you can see the whites of Kithaba's eyes, and he looks less like a rubber mask and more like a breathing creature as a result.  Is it better?   Is it worse?  I leave it up to you.

Collector's Notes: It's new and as of when I'm writing this I haven't seen it in the wild yet.  (I have seen evidence of the remainders from his case, though.)  The figure also shipped with a red headband, which is assumed to be the later release but the date stamp on the packaging is just that-- the date of the packaging.  The figures sometimes had different stamps carved into their legs.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,825: June 12, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,824: Shae Vizla (The Old Republic Bounty Hunter)

SHAE VIZLA  Old Republic Bounty Hunter
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37519
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC101
Includes: 2 blasters, 2 flame effects, alternate helmet head, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2012
Appearances: The Old Republic

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 Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  Sometimes there are character designs that are fantastic, ignoring the fact they came from a game you may never ever play (and may be a little off-model from said game.) Shae Vizla refined the notion of "female bounty hunter"-type which we previously saw with Rav Bralor, Aurra Sing, and Isabet Reau, and the result is way better.   While I frequently bemoan recent price increases, every now and again Hasbro reminds you that you're actually getting more for your money.  With a removable backpack, an alternate head rather than removable helmet, twin painted blasters, and a pair of flame effects, this is a superior action figure that, while not a perfect match with her game inspiration, actually seems to be slightly improved from the game design.   (Which I say as someone who hasn't played the game-- I really do like Hasbro's helmet design better.)   Here, watch this video, or don't.  It's sort of redundant but I figure maybe YouTubers might get a kick out of it.




Shae Vizla-- which is similar to but spelled differently from Pre Vizsla-- is pretty much an "A" figure.  Why not "A+"?  The face paint needs a little bit of work, but generally it all looks great.  Her unmasked head is molded in an orangey red, which means they use paint for her face-- which does wonders bringing out the detail.  They even gave her some make-up!  As of when I write this, I haven't opened the other figures from the wave yet but I don't think I'm being hyperbolic by saying that this may well be Hasbro's best figure ever.  The articulation is the typical 14 points, without bonus movement at the wrists or hips, but the deco and sculpt are so fantastic it's going to be hard to beat.  Darth Malgus was neat, sure, but the silver, gold, and other colors slathered over Ms. Vizla quite evenly shows that Hasbro can make a figure that can still impress collectors, even after 2,000 of the damn things.  She lacks unsightly date or SKU stamps, and the copyright information is sculpted on the backside of her shins, safely out of view.

If I have to nitpick-- and you know I do-- the figure's only real failing come from the compatibility with accessories.  While she can hold both pistols, there are no holsters, and these are more or less expected these days.  The guns themselves are fantastic, seemingly molded in black plastic with silver and blue paint.  They're also different sculpts.  The flames are gorgeous and fit perfectly into exceptionally-designed gauntlets, however gravity will cause them to sag within minutes.  I appreciate Hasbro spending the money to include the detail, but I'd rather Hasbro not go through the expense of including such an accessory if the result is non-functional.

The helmet is a little different than the game, with a shorter, uh, "face" plus a few other streamlined details on the armor.    I have a feeling you'll hang me for being OK with it being less authentic, but when comparing the toy to the game art, I like the toy better.

There's no doubt that this is a character design out of a post-Halo world, with nods to the rich lore of Star Wars history and, if I'm not mistaken, a nod or two to the great Samus Aran.  There are very few action figures in this line which look and feel like they would warrant a $9.99 price tag, but this is one of them.  If you shell out $10 or even $15 for her, I doubt you'll be sorry-- you can see where your money is going on this one, a strong contender for the best aesthetic achievement of the year and perhaps the new figure to beat as the entire line is concerned.  She looks more like she stepped out of a video game than from Star Wars, but geez, it's gorgeous!

Collector's Notes: This figure is super-new so you may not have seen it yet.  As such, I suggest haunting your local toy shop or clicking the link below to order a case from our sponsors, which supports us, which means you'll get more videos if you like that sort of thing.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,824: June 11, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,823: Captain Rex

CAPTAIN REX Launcher Fires Missile!
The Clone Wars Basic Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37290 No. 37297
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: CW13
Includes: 2 pistols, display stand, launcher, projectile
Action Feature: Gun launches rocket
Retail: $8.99
Availability: April 2012
Appearances: Clone Wars TV series

Bio: During the Clone Wars, Captain Rex is Anakin Skywalker's second-in-command.  This tough, free-thinking soldier commands the 501st Legion in many battles against the Droid Army.  A seasoned fighter, Rex opens fire with his blaster, destroying one Battle Droid after another in the fight to save the Republic.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  One step forward, two steps back.  Captain Rex looks awesome.  I mean, seriously, awesome.  I know there should be some debate on if his helmet is too big-- I'll leave that to you in the comments-- but I can't deny the new sculpt is, overall, impressive and the deco is more ornate than just about any clone figure out of Hasbro.  It might even be better than a lot of the high-end statues and big figures I've seen, Rex is covered in "kill marks" and dirt, making his 2008 figure look like a cheapo pile of garbage.  Unfortunately, that cheapo pile of garbage had 14 points of articulation and a removable helmet, while this figure has no removable helmet (which I consider a plus) and only sports 8 points of articulation.  With SCUBA Ahsoka, I could see how reducing the articulation improved her aesthetics, a relatively dainty figure only had so much room to cram a joint before we got cankles.  With rex, I don't get it.  The 2012 Commander Cody had a new body sculpt with awesome rocker joints, a lot of gear, a removable helmet, two jet packs, and, well, less impressive deco.   The lack of wrists, knees, and ankles seems odd here.

I have to assume that when Hasbro was costing this figure out, they pulled resources from articulation and gear to really pump up the paint.  I mean, look at it-- there's very little white plastic exposed, except on the top and back of the helmet.  He's got a lot of yellowish brown dirt and scrapes on him, plus a lot of blue.  Like, a ton.  Those little "kill marks" are pretty amazing, this kind of fine detail probably doesn't come cheap and I doubt many fans would argue they would prefer knees over this kind of deco.  Of course, for $9, I kinda think I deserve both.  Rex' blasters fit perfectly in his hands or holsters, and his "skirt" does get in the way of his legs swinging forward to sit in a vehicle.  This is a figure meant for standing.

Other than that the paler blue details on his helmet seem more subtle on TV, I'd say Hasbro nailed the deco.  Well, that and the fact that a tiny part of his helmet seems clean.  The torso has a hole for a jetpack (were you so inclined) and oveall, it just looks amazing.  If you're a carded collector, you should have no reason to skip this figure beyond your inability to find it.   If you have the resources, I suggest that you get one.  It's the only "Phase 2" Rex to date, and hopefully Hasbro ships him long enough for you to go from desiring him to being sick of him.  Because that's how we are as collectors, figures are only fun until we can get them.

Collector's Notes: The figure is in 2 waves so far, so that has to help.   I haven't seen it in the wild yet.  I believe I heard Hasbro say they were working on Jedi Pong Krell, which could mean there's some sort of gift set en route which includes a repackaged Rex some day.  If Hasbro does decide to make this Rex again, I'd love to see it built off the 2012 Cody body, just because it'd be 40% more awesome.  When I did this write up in April, people were routinely paying $20 and as much as $40 for him.  Don't pay that.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,823: June 8, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,822: Daultay Dofine

DAULTAY DOFINE  Stunted Slime
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37502  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC82
Includes: Miter, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

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 Pawlus' Ultarama.

Commentary:  If there was a short list of character categories I'd never see again, the Trade Federation would be at the top.  But here we are, with a new character Daultay Dofine being done quite nicely.  Nute Gunray never got a proper update, or any figure from his Revenge of the Sith outfit, so seeing his sidekick done up as Hasbro's finest example of the species.  His removable hat is cool, the face sculpt looks a lot like the mask from the movie, even the cloth blue robes look nice-- and Hasbro gave them some added plastic bits for added definition.  I think overall an entirely plastic figure would look better, but the cloth-meets-plastic robes satisfy the needs of mobility and aesthetics, sort of.  I don't think it'll make either camp, the "more soft goods" or "more plastic" groups, particularly happy but it does look nice enough.

The articulation is good-- ball-jointed elbows and swivel wrists are nice to have, but ultimately don't add much to how I'm assuming this figure will be used.  (1. Packaged, never to be opened.  2. Shelf bait.)  As the line goes on, it seems it's less about "what would be fun or exciting?" rather than "OK, so who's left?"  Daultay's left, because Nute Gunray and Rune Haako sold slowly enough where it probably didn't make sense to do him until a proper marketing push permitted it.  I like the figure, he's a high-quality figure, but he's basically no fun to play with and he's best for standing around, looking good.   If you want something fun, keep looking.  This isn't a knock against Hasbro, they're doing a bang-up job making new figures that, for all intents and purposes, have transcended the toy aisle and are now merely collectibles for old sci-fi fans.

Collector's Notes: The figure is being phased out somewhat quickly, so he may (or may not) be around long depending on how many Hasbro made.  There seems to be little shortage of this wave, but that can (and sometimes does) change overnight.  For $5 or so, it's great.  Even at $10 you're getting your money's worth.  It's just not as exciting as a new Luke or a new alien from a different species.  I figure we'll have him around until at least September if not September of next year, just from those first January 2012 shipments.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,822: June 7, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,821: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Order 66
30th Anniversary Collection Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87356 No. 87360
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 4 of 6
Includes: Right hand, lightsaber right hand, cloak, lightsaber hilt (and AT-RT Driver)
Action Feature: Squeeze legs for lightsaber-swinging action
Retail: $9.99
Availability: March 2007
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio:  Obi-Wan's leadership during the Clone Wars earns him a well-deserved reputation as an outstanding general. He battles the Separatist forces with the help of clone troopers who operate AT-RT vehicles in the thick of battle.   (Taken from the set's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' old desk and old computer.

Commentary:  Continuing a proud tradition of excessive reuse, this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure is based on a figure from 2005 which, as of its release in 2007, was already old and crusty.  It's not terrible-- as a toy, it's actually quite fun, and the sculpt is more or less just fine.  This figure is a repaint of a figure from 2005, which was packed with a blue Jedi Starfighter in 2005, painted with weird lava highlights in 2005, and was rendered obsolete in 2005 with a super-aritculated pilot version.   That didn't take long!  Anyway, so why do you want this one, you ask, and why did I buy it in 2007?  Honestly, it's pretty good for what you got-- as of this figure's release, single figures were about $7 and it also included an exclusive orange Utapau AT-RT Driver figure, which was the real selling point.

Obi-Wan is the same mold as before, with a little more white in his beard.  That's the big difference.  Arguably the best release of this mold, it makes for an acceptable toy because he can swing his weapon around and the lightsaber is actually molded to his articulated hand.  It's a good, fun design but since it can't sit very well, it made for a below-average pilot figure, and because it had difficulty standing, it was hard to leave on your desk.   Hasbro had done better, but I'd be lying if I said this one wasn't any fun.  Since he has 10 joints and a hole for his lightsaber on his belt, it's a pretty good release.  It could be better, of course, but that can be said of pretty much everything in life.  I wouldn't chase him down just for this figure, but if you're a clone fan, this is a worthwhile set to get the AT-RT Driver with Obi-Wan as a bonus.

Collector's Notes: This set is worth about $5, packaged.  The entire wave of 6 2-packs is worth about $40-$80, depending on the day.  It's not bad for $10 particularly in today's market, but if you already have a few hundred figures this might not be an exciting pursuit given the alternatives available to you at retail or on eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,821: June 6, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,820: Wooof (Klaatu)

WOOOF The 1983 Klaatu
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568  No. 21485
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC24
Includes: Helmet, blaster, staff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

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 Fore be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  There is no bio.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:  This Wooof figure is an update of the 1983 Klaatu from Kenner, which also had the dubious distinction of being one of the last figures I ever saw on a retail shelf-- I bought mine on a family trip to San Diego a couple of years after the line died off.  We wound up at a Kay-Bee, it was a dollar, and I got it-- and because of that, the wait since the 1990s for Hasbro to remake him has been a long one.  I've actually  been looking forward to seeing a new version of him for years, and I think Hasbro did a decent job.  It's not perfect, but neither was the original.  The cool green alien now has a removable hat, which I have to admit doesn't really add to the figure.  It's easy to knock around, and while it's sculpted nicely I am surprised they didn't just glue (or mold) it to the head.  As with Giran, the head sculpt is exquisite and covered in horns, warts, bumps, and of course, green paint.  The shiny black eyes look great, bringing the figure to life. 

Compared to his original counterpart, it's remarkable how favorably the original holds up for being 28 years its elder.  The same soft goods "skirt" has been updated, but it seems to fit  better on the original-- the new one has some material hanging off his right hip.  Of course, the new one has 14 points of articulation and a holster, plus some amazing sculpting on his costume with top-notch texture detail.  I can't help but wonder if the 2010 release would have looked better with a plastic skirt, but as that element was a particularly memorable piece of the original it's good they tried to update it.  Overall, this is a figure with a fantastic sculpt and a paint job to match, I appreciate the extra weapons and detail but I could do without the helmet being removable.  I mean, what good will removing it do me, beyond Hasbro being able to point at it and say "we gave you more accessories!" anyway?   The same can be said of the removable bandolier-- it's a nice touch, but unless it helps Hasbro reduce costs in some way, it seems like wasted resources.  I don't want to take it off, but at least there's no subtle, sculpted groove acting as an eyesore underneath it.

If you're looking to update the original "Collect all 92 93 96 whatever" cardback tally, this is an essential figure.  It also looks really cool, and is the only action figure of this character in this outfit since 1983.

Collector's Notes: This figure was one of the nasty pegwarmers in his wave, sticking around for nearly a year unsold.  You might even still be able to find him at a Target near you.   If you can, I would suggest grabbing one-- you won't be disappointed!  On the secondary market, you should have little or no problem getting him for $5-$10.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,820: June 5, 2012