Figure of the Day: Day 436: Zev Senesca

ZEV SENESCA with Rogue 2 Snowspeeder
The Saga Collection Target Exclusive
Item No.: No. 32461
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, snowspeeder
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: Fall 2006
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: The morning after Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are left stranded in the middle of a Hoth blizzard, Zev departs Echo Base and embarks on a sweeping search for the Rebels. After making audio contact with Captain Solo, Zev calls back to Echo Base to announce, "I've found them!" (Taken from the vehicle's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Fans always demand more Rebel Pilots, but it seems fate has a way of making them slower sellers. Zev Senesca here should've been popular, being packaged with a great vehicle and being an exclusive to boot-- but he was doomed to be cleared out in many markets, while other fans were doomed to not see him at all. (Funny how that works.) The figure is a mishmash of new and old parts-- his legs are the same as the Dutch Vander mold, his torso is modified from that mold, and his head and arms are all new. As such, the figure has decent, but not great, articulation with about 10 points, although not all where you might want them. Jointed knees aren't really necessary for figures that fit into vintage Kenner ships, although better waist/hip articulation and elbows would've made this a super cool figure. The figure looks good enough, with a decent likeness and the unmistakable Hoth Pilot coloring. (Well, unmistakable to pilot fans-- odds are the rest of you probably don't care as much, but it is very authentic to the screen.) As such, this figure is worth picking up for a variety of reasons, the main one being that this is the only post-POTF2 mostly new sculpt Hoth pilot that exists on the market today. (A POTF2 Luke was modified during Power of the Jedi.)

Collector's Notes: Fans have been screaming for Hasbro to make a Luke based on this mold, but I think that'd be a mistake-- it might be cool, but Zev is too tall for Luke, plus he's lacking the necessary arm joints to make cool dioramas where Luke brings down the AT-AT. Although if Hasbro were to do a head swap and sell us this figure again but as Luke, I'm sure it'd do very, very well on the retail level.

Day 436: July 16, 2007