Thursday, December 12, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,197: BB-8 (Holiday Droid Factory)

BB-8 Snowman
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Present, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Balances, dome and ball halves are removable
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Great concept, bad QC (on mine, at least.) The BB-8 (snowman) is a great design, but my sample can't keep it together. The bottom half of the droid slides right off - if you pick it up, it doesn't stay connected. If I swap out the core inner ball with another droid, the parts fit, there's just something about this one where it won't stay together. Your mileage may vary, of course.

This version of BB-8 - not a generic BB droid according to Disney's page - is left mostly white with subtle gray highlights you may not even notice. He has a tiny scarf and a new tiny top hat, which I think is going to be very fun for anyone who likes these kinds of props. One of his sensors has an orange carrot-like ring around it, his central black eye is super glossy, and there are three dots to represent some sort of coat buttons on the torso. It's incredibly simple, but it gets the job done and the BB ball body is perfect for a snowman. I'm kind of annoyed Disney didn't just sell this one carded because it would do well. Having said that, I still need to crack open R6-SN0, Disney's previous snowman robot.

In terms of escaping the trappings of the holiday, just turning around the head and leaving off the gear gives you a mostly plain white droid. It would look fine on any sequel-era display, or serve as great custom fodder. It's useful, it's cute, it more or less fits in - so it's a good design. I just hope yours holds together than mine.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,197: December 12, 2024

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,196: Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (The Retro Collection)

JEDI KNIGHT YORD FANDAR (The Kenner Republic)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.:
No. G0386
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak, and another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. 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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Hey, it's Charlie Barnet! Yord Fandar was a character on The Acolyte who you were happy to see, and then died. He didn't get to do much - but since he was in the first couple of episodes of the show, we got him as a Retro figure. Because he's a good actor, it's fun to have him as a toy figure, but I can't say I'm thrilled by this set's character selection. It makes sense Hasbro made him - why wouldn't all these cool guys survive the show? Well, now we know, they don't. You get three Jedi in this set, but the thing that kind of stinks about pre-Original Trilogy Jedi figures is that they're all pretty similar. But if you don't have enough Jedi, you should get this one because it understands the premise.

While not a perfect match to the actor - or the costume - it does feel like a step closer to what fans want out of a new Kenner figure. The pose has some nice bends in the elbows, arms out just a bit, and a tiny bit of a curve to the neck. It's a bit more human, still a tiny bit stiff but it's nice to see another figure that just doesn't seem to be repeating the old Bespin Luke pose. Everything swivels nicely, but his center of gravity is a little off - you're going to want to use his cloak to prop him up, or tilt his arms (or torso) ever-so-slightly forward or he falls backward. I'm not crazy about that, I just want to stand them upright and have him stand.

The figure's sculpting is pretty good - a bit chunkier, a bit less elegant, with colors that probably aren't quite right and a head sculpt that's just a bit off. In other words - arguably, they nailed it. The gold armor is a bit more saturated than the other figures, with a face that seems a hair too tall (with tall hair that's fine and a face that can't capture Barnet's stare) and enough landmarks that show Hasbro had decent reference. The boots seem a little more wrapped than the other figure, but hey, at least it looks interesting. The belt has a lot of sculpted bits with no painted highlights - which is how Kenner would usually do it - and perfectly nice boots. There's nothing particularly special about the pose, and the colors seem a bit saturated - it feels like someone put him through a toy compression process, and there's just enough of a lack of the actor likeness to make it feel old. It's not perfect to what old Kenner would have done, but it's got the spirit right - by getting it a little wrong.

Hasbro made the hands rather tight, so he's in no danger of dropping his lightsaber. The robe fits pretty well, but we're back to a hood that's kind of hard to fold down - just like the old days. I don't think I'd have done things particularly differently were I asked to chime in, so I would rate the gear as a success.

I think Hasbro did a good job with the character, the format limitations, the deco budget, and what I assumed was no useful information as to the character's fate. If you told me I could pick only 100 figures to make (or reissue), Yord wouldn't be a top contender - but he turned out fine, I probably would have argued about Prune Face too. Now that these figures seem to be exclusively based on non-classic sources and sold only in boxed sets, Hasbro is really hitting their stride - I hope they consider bringing them back to physical stores some day, but for now, this guy is a fine shared online Fan Channel exclusive.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,196: December 10, 2024

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,195: B2EMO (Holiday Droid Factory)

B2EMO Present
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Present, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Feet move forward and back, wheels roll, body telescopes up
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The B2EMO (Present) has all the same features of the regular droid from last year. The whole body telescopes up, the head turns, and the feet can pop forward and back. The green droid is painted with a red ribbon design, and it almost looks like it could blend in the background of an episode of Droids. The black optic looks cool, and the yellow interior guts look great too. If they made the ribbons a little worn or added a little grit, I think it would be at home in a number of alley, street, or other displays.

There's not much to him - he looks neat, and you have to pop his feet in. I think I may have somehow stressed the plastic doing so, so be careful. He's packaged in 3 compartments - left feet, right feet, and head. You can use these pictures to make sure you put them in the right places.

The little guy has wheels under his feet, but they don't roll particularly well. It's very much "better than nothing," but I doubt most fans would miss them were they left out as they don't roll freely. Given a lot of fans liked - but did not necessarily buy - the original release, you may want to get this one since you may not be swimming in options. (Although it is worth noting The Black Series release is, unsurprisingly, kind of cheap.) Anyway, worth a look if you like colorful droids!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,195: December 5, 2024

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,194: X-Wing Pilot (Human Woman, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT
(Human Female)

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.:
No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???

Bio: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's a lady
Oh, whoa, whoa, she's a lady
Listen to me people she's a lady
Yeah yeah yeah yeah she's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa she's a lady
Talkin' about the little lady
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
Yeah yeah yeah she's a lady
Whoa whoa lord, she's a lady.
I can't live without that
She's a lady
Ooh ooh she's a lady. (Taken from Tom Jones.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
The X-Wing Pilots continue with a representative of the Human contingent! I was ready to roll my eyes and grouse about how we're getting an old mold again with a new head of an (as far as I can tell) anonymous extra or Hasbro employee... but she turned out pretty well. Maybe it's the bright lights bringing out her best, maybe it was the pizza I had at dinner, but the figure is fine. Your socks may not be knocked off, but for whatever reason tonight I was impressed, even by the imperfections. The unpainted silver greeblies in her sleeves are sharply sculpted, and even in orange they show Hasbro did some nice work. Molded separately in color, the white vest looks sharp. The panels on her chest look great, the buttons are nicely painted, and the suit is mostly orange with black gloves and boots. The separately molded hoses and straps look far superior to the unpainted, tightly-sculpted ones we got in 1979 and other than the old, outdated hip joints the body is still pretty decent.

Her helmet is the same basic template as the entire set, which borrows a look from the Ahsoka series. Two stripes run down her helmet, one of which is super wide. The colors don't necessarily correspond to a specific show character that I noticed, but perhaps your eyes are more eagle than me at my old and increasingly impatient age. I seem to recall Hasbro saying these are original pilots. There's no weathering or damage deco, but for a made-up figure that's fine. I can add some if I want.

I don't recognize the face, which may prove awkward down the line. I've met a lot of people from various companies involved with these toys and I look at a wonderfully tight hair cut, sharply painted eyes and lips, and excellent eyebrows... and I also hope she isn't reading this and going "dude, we met at the party with the Jenga thing remember?" Hasbro's ability to make a human head seem eerily real yet small enough to shoot out of your nose is incredible, and also, not recommended. But I can say that whoever this is, I hope she's happy with the results because I absolutely believe that this is an actual person somewhere.

Given Hasbro's anxieties about SKUs and tooling budgets, I'm genuinely curious why we got an anonymous pilot in an era where vehicle play isn't really a thing anymore. It's a very nice figure - a magnificent demonstration of Hasbro's capabilities in head sculpting and facial detailing that, at this size, is unbeaten in the business. But given the sprawling franchise, the split focus between "classic" and "new," and a massive lack of support of new entries in the series, it seems like an odd choice. If you can get this set for a fair price I think you'll be pleased and impressed if you're looking to add new Rebel pilots to your collection, and of course to see Hasbro prove that they could make more amazing characters from the original trilogy were they so inclined.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,194: December 3, 2024

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,193: Paz Vizsla (Amazon Exclusive 3-Pack, Epic Hero Series)

PAZ VIZSLA Unite the Clans
Epic Hero Series Amazon Exclusive Figure 3-Pack
Item No.:
No. G0311
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Mandalorian Warrior, Paz Vizsla, 2 blasters, fire gauntlet, blade gauntlet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: These Star Wars toys feature design and detail inspired by The Mandalorian live-action series on Disney+. (Taken from the Amazon description.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Unite the Clans Paz Vizsla is basically the same as the Paz Vizsla [FOTD #3,123] figure that came out earlier this year on a deluxe cardback. That release was $14.99 (later $12.99), and was the same base figure with the same fire gauntlet accessory. This figure comes with 2 other figures, but not jet pack, and no rocket-firing giant blaster. Which is better? That's up to you - gift-giving parents might prefer this one because you get more figures for not much more money.

If Hasbro made this figure a little darker, more like the show's armor, I'd recommend it without reservations. Because it's nearly identical - the belt and kama/skirt/whatever are slightly different shades of brown - it's not going to add to your collection. That doesn't mean it isn't a good figure! It's a satisfying, chunky, and sturdy figure that stands well and his one accessory still is pretty darned good. If you got this figure in this 3-pack first, I wouldn't necessarily say it's worth getting the deluxe set for the rocket pack and rocket launcher. But on clearance? Yeah, that backpack is cool enough to justify a double-dip.

The figure sculpt is the same as last time - it's nice, it has dents, it's dynamic and all the joints swivel nicely. The head is on a ball joint, and I would absolutely love to see what a customizer would do with some added silver battle damage or other embellishments. I assume you're all-in on Epic Hero Series, or just not interested. If you are all-in, you're going to get this guy just to get the Axe Woves (Boba Fett retool) and Mandalorian Warrior (multicolor Bo-Katan repaint.) I'd say you get your money's worth, but 1/3 of it is something that may prove redundant - but you can give it to a friend's kid, or keep it on your desk at work. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just not something useful like an army-builder or a generic trooper.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,193: November 28, 2024

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,192: D-0 (Holiday Droid Factory)

D-0 Holiday
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Present, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's that time again! I got the 2024 Advent Calendar because it was on sale pretty early - I had no good reason to pass on a set at under $10 per droid, even if that droid is the puny D-0 (Holiday). His appearance in The Rise of Skywalker helped to highlight the "cute character/new droid" quota of the Disney era, as no such thing was guaranteed in the Lucas era. If you're asking "wait, wasn't there already one of these from Hasbro?" the answer is "no but you're close." A Santa Range Trooper was sold as a Target exclusive a few years ago, and that had a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer redeco of the droid. This one is a smaller size and a different motif, but so many red/white/green droids were made I don't think anyone is going to blame you for thinking you already have something like this.

I didn't much care for the 6-inch figures - well, that's not quite true, it was more the whole $200 per year buy-in - but these little droids take up less room and cost less. The little guy is pretty good - Disney sold him as a properly colored droid a few years ago, so getting him in bright red with white and green elements either reads as "holiday" or "Solo cup." Which, arguably, also means holiday. The figure has a swivel head and a second joint on the body that lets the head rotate forward or backward, and since he's small there's a display stand to keep him upright. It's basically the same as regular D-0, and also comes preassembled in his little box - you don't need to scour parts and dig through baggies like the others.

This is the least interesting figure in the set - and depending on your sense of whimsy, you may not like the others either. This one is a fine accessory, but doesn't exactly impress only because there's not much to it. It's not like they could deck it out with more gear or articulation, so it's very good for what it is, it's just pretty thin. I'm not saying don't buy the set, but maybe buy it for the other figures.  

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,192: November 26, 2024

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,191: Osha Aniseya (The Retro Collection)

OSHA ANISEYA (The Kenner Republic)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.:
No. G0386
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, droid buddy Pip, and another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. 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! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: When I first heard The Acolyte was going to have figures, I quietly sighed - mostly because "new timeline for a modern show" and "old-style figures, of which 50+-year-olds will be the most vocal" was a formula for fan complaints even before we knew what the show was. The figures had some really neat costumes from the Aniseya family, and some pretty repetitive ones for the Jedi. Osha Aniseya came out of the show in the best shape, and her figure was the first one I opened. Her The Vintage Collection figure was excellent, and her Retro figure seems surprisingly willing to jump on some very modern production decisions. Is she good? Yes. Will she please those who insist Hasbro make these things exactly like the 1970s and 1980s? No.

I'm a toy fanatic, and I find that many "collector figures" - even great ones - just feel like they're extracting money from my wallet that should be spent on more toys. I've got both flavors of Osha on my desk now and while both are great, I assume this Kenner one is going to get more attention even though the Vintage one has stunning articulation and exceptionally good attention to detail. Why? Because one may require care when posing, and the other I can pick up, pose, and put on a flat surface without even thinking. I like the simplicity.

The figure itself seems to have understood what needed to be done. Like Leia, she's a little taller than true 3 3/4-inch scale. She has five joints, no more than two colors of paint per piece, and her pose isn't quite as stiff as some other figures - but that may be because of her hair. Functionally, she gets the job done - each hand can grip one of her two accessories. Like most Kenner blasters, hers is a little bit bigger. The blue Pip, on the other hand, is pretty much the same size - but more simply sculpted, and painted. Painted accessories are very uncommon in Kenner's original Star Wars line, with nearly everything save for a few Ewok accessories and Amanaman's staff being molded in color. I assume that this was done because it was too expensive to make another mold to crank out Pip cast in blue, but seeing the extra orange paint app goes above and beyond what Kenner would likely have done. Is it bad? I don't think so - so it does stand out to those of us who had to make do with single-color lightsabers for up to 17 years.

Osha is more than just a fancy sculpt run through some smoothing filters. Creases are in different places, and her vest shows some signs of thought. Her vest's ribbing has 7 lines instead of 8 (or 7 1/2) on Vintage, and Kenner Osha's badge is completely smooth as opposed to having some painted detail like Vintage. Back in the 1980s, one variant of Hoth Leia had a smooth badge as well - I assume that's what Hasbro was opting to capture here. The Kenner-style figure opted out of representing Osha's holsters. This makes sense, few figures had any sort of functional accessory storage back then.

But what about the head? It's fine - but strange. The skin is a bit more translucent than most of the figures I had as a kid, so it makes it a little harder to see some sculpted detail. The silhouette is similar, but not identical, especially in the chin. Kenner humans were often pretty lacking in the chin department, and this one follows suit. What surprised me was that Hasbro gave her a separately molded hairpiece. This is something we only started to see in the 2010s in Vintage, and it looks great when it works well - it's just a bit of an anachronism. Hasbro did a good job getting it right as the "wig" fits perfectly, and because it's molded in red it's not going to scrape and show skin-colored plastic. I suspect it may have been done to give her long hair - Kenner rarely did this back in the day, so molding on a separate piece could well have been something they came up with (along with shorter hair) to give the figure's head a little more authenticity. The head swivels, but the hair does get in the way. The plastic wig is not at all what I would have expected on the final figure. I don't hate it, as it is a modern solution to an old problem.

If you ignored The Acolyte as a property, this is still a good figure. It shows Hasbro experimenting with improving their techniques and trying to deliver a better new (old) experience. There's no way they could deliver this hair technique in the 1980s, but it's probably better than just giving her a shorter hairdo. I like both 3 3/4-inch Osha figures for completely different reasons, and have no desire to unload either one - but I'm biased to like Retro more, even if the other one is more impressive. For $60 this is a pretty good set and I'd be lying if that didn't color my preferences. I'd even go as far as to say I'd love to see Hasbro do a few (very few) other figures - Bazil and The Stranger would be great, as would Vernestra Rwoh, but I don't assume any toys not already in the works will ever see the light of day. I like what Hasbro made, and how they priced it, too much to steer you away from this (sadly) mostly human collection. At least they picked some pretty good mostly humans.

Packaging Notes: The cardbacks are much sturdier than many Star Wars Retro figures. The cardstock seems sturdier than the old-school ones too, but it still has the sticker and faux weathering, both of which I could do without. Cardbacks are unpunched.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,191: November 21, 2024

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,190: Jod Na Nawood (The Vintage Collection)

JOD NA NAWOOD
Debut! And probably only release

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.:
Asst. E7763 No. F9777
Number: #310
Includes: Scarf, blaster
Action Feature: Hilt connects to belt, removable robe
Retail: $16.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: Skeleton Crew

Bio: When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies, will be a grater adventure than they have ever imagined. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
It's good!  I tend to pick up waves by the case, so I didn't know I had Jod Na Nawood coming necessarily. The character comes from Skeleton Crew, featuring what appears to be Gigolo Joe doing a cosplay of Jyn Erso and Hondo Ohnaka. The trailer implies he might be a Jedi, the outfit says he might have pirate friends, and the scarf says he's a big fan of Felicity Jones - and who isn't? He's the only newly-tooled figure in his wave (everybody else is a repaint, a partial, or more or less a repack) so unless the show is a total dud, I assume he's going to wind up being sought after and popular. If they're making the kids, or the ship, I don't know - maybe it'll be a HasLab set someday.

So anyway, Jude Law. He's been a sex robot, an injured astronaut, and now... I guess I don't know yet - but his action figure matches the publicity photo and cardboard standees. This 3 3/4-inch scale figure reminds me of DJ (and others), and is generally excellent. I'd love to know if it was designed from real-life reference material or early sketches, because while it looks like Jude Law it does look a little clean - maybe that's the point. The hair is separately molded, with lightly painted scruff, glossy eyes and lips, subtle forehead wrinkles, and very good eyebrows. It's almost unreal - if you grew up with 20th century Kenner toys, this sort of thing still feels like it's from the distant future. You're paying more, but the level of detail on the corn kernel-sized head really makes me wonder how lifelike these things look as my eyesight deteriorates. I don't have anything really negative to say about the head - maybe it's too good for the customer base who will get it, look at it, and put it back in a box/on a shelf to never examine again.

The cot looks great, with some very interesting painted gold trim, some reddish trim, and excellent textures. I assume they could make a second figure without the coat and swapped arms - maybe that comes later. His gloves look good, and are able to hold his blaster in his hands or the holster. The coat has a few cuts in it that seem to be designed to allow the figure to fit in a vehicle or sit, but no such vehicles are known to be coming for Skeleton Crew. I hope they change that, because the designs are pretty good.

The figures's body is mostly excellent - clearly Hasbro has been putting some thought into the joints. There's a great pivot joint at the waist that lets you rock him in any direction or twist, and it's under the shirt - so it doesn't hinder the look of the costume unlike some figures I know. Also notable, the elbows have an exceptionally good range of movement. How you cut the joints make a big difference, as Hasbro discovered in The Black Series a few years ago. Jod (Jod Na?) can't quite reach his blaster in his belt, but he can hold his hands in front of his eyes like he's crushing your head.

Not only does he stand well (and easily!) but his legs swing forward well, and he has a swell scarf hat. It sits a little high, but it fits well given the scale and material. While Mr. Nawood lacks the breadth of accessories we've seen with other new $17 figures - alternate hands, excessive blasters - I assume this figure's appearance and gear are specifically reduced to ensure we don't know what his full deal is on the show. Figures like Osha Aniseya and Bo-Katan Kryze tend to have more parts and more gear that are immediately more impressive, so Jod Na doesn't exactly overwhelm or impress in terms of quantity - but the quality is good. If you stumbled across this guy after not buying figures in a few years, it would probably inspire you to go buy more from Skeleton Crew because it seems exquisitely made. But the joke is on you - for now, at least, this is it. So go pick him up and cross your fingers that the show is good and Hasbro is game to make more stuff from it.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,190: November 19, 2024

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,189: Axe Woves (Amazon Exclusive 3-Pack, Epic Hero Series)

AXE WOVES
Unite the Clans

Epic Hero Series Amazon Exclusive Figure 3-Pack
Item No.:
No. G0311
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Mandalorian Warrior, Paz Vizsla, 2 blasters, fire gauntlet, blade gauntlet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: These Star Wars toys feature design and detail inspired by The Mandalorian live-action series on Disney+. (Taken from the Amazon description.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
I held off on buying the Unite the Clans set, not because I didn't like it, but because I don't pay for Prime. It's not a bad little set - for $19.99 you get figures with 1-2 accessories each, all of which are made from existing tooling. It's not amazing, and it missed some interesting repaint opportunities, but at least it's interesting. I don't think there's any kid demand for Axe Woves but maybe I'm wrong. He did some stuff on the show, and kids glom on to surprising things.

He has no jet pack, and his two blasters are the same as the one we got with Bo-Katan Kryze (but darker.) It's pretty much what you might expect other than the missing rocket pack. The first salvo of most figure lines are usually great, and the second salvo involves a degree of repaints or retools - and this would be part of that second salvo. While you do get an extra blaster, compromises on the body and a lack of jet pack puts him on the bottom of the list for this line so far.

The figure itself is pretty interesting - he's the only figure in the 3-pack that has new tooling. He's derived from the same digital sculpts that got us Boba Fett [FOTD #3,165], but with some changes. The helmet and arms seem unaltered. The and torso use the same poses, but are different. The front and back armor is a different sculpt, the boots are new tooling, and the thigh armor seems to match the character's first appearance - so it resembles that of Mando. For a cobbled-together figure, they did a pretty good job, but you're probably not going to be buying this guy for accuracy. The shoulder armor is dead wrong, the wrist gauntlets look pretty good, but the armor on the back of the actual hands is off-model. Since the figure is more or less painted correctly, I don't think the target audience for this line is going to care if the figure is a bit more on the thick side and the boots just don't seem quite right.

From the front the figure looks acceptable. From behind you'll notice the helmet forehead stripe does not continue along the back, and he has no armor on his back either - making him a soft target. Hasbro did a nice job delivering this figure - and indeed this set - on a budget, but I don't think this is going to be anybody's favorite. Repainting Bo-Katan as Koska Reeves might have turned out better, but this is what we got, and for the price it's a pretty good set. I also think it's pretty likely this set will go on sale or wind up at a closeout store - not because it's bad, but because similar Amazon exclusive multi-packs of Spin Master DC figures were all over DD's Discounts and Ross last year.

Axe Woves has a sturdy build and feels like an old Kenner figure - and like an old Kenner figure, isn't terribly accurate. This set seems to be meant to represent season three armors, and the non-repaint parts fall short of that. But I like a weird figure, and if you ever see this set on sale for $15 or under I'd strongly recommend it. If you're a completist, I think you can appreciate that what you get for the money is pretty good and if any kids get this, $20 is a pretty good price for a gift set with this much in the box in 2024. Heck, just Paz Vizsla (with a rocket launcher) was $12-$15 earlier this year, so $20 for Axe Woves and a couple of buddies is acceptable. Not great but certainly good enough.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,189: November 14, 2024