Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,540: Master Tholme

THOLME and T'ra Saa
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs Wave 7
Item No.:
Asst. 87504 No. 89779
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #12
Includes: Lightsaber, cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: March 2010
Appearances: Republic, Legacy comic books

Bio: Jedi Masters T'ra Saa and Tholme battle their own personal difficulties during the Clone Wars. T'ra Saa is severely wounded when bounty hunters attack a triage unit she is overseeing on Null. Her close friend Tholme is alarmed when circumstances indicate that fellow Jedi Quinlan Vos has truly turned to the dark side. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old back yard.

Commentary: In the 2-year death march that was the demise of the comic packs line, some items were significantly delayed and released in seemingly smaller numbers. Tholme, a recurring Jedi Master from the Clone Wars-era of Star Wars: Republic comic books, was unceremoniously dumped online and, on the whole, at Target stores just before word got out that the final figures from this assortment were to be exclusive to an online retailer. While ample supplies of this wave were available for a brief time, after they dried up people suddenly became interested. (That is the way of our people.)

Tholme is an all-new mold with a lot going on. There's a ponytail, a cane implying an injury, and even a damaged eye with a scar. Hasbro did a good job painting this figure as well, giving a little more life to the sculpted details which show his age and combat-specific damage from the years. Like a lot of figures in the decline of the Comic Packs line, he is indeed super-articulated with 14 joints. As Jedi bodies go, aside from the right leg, it stands to reason Hasbro will eventually reuse the body for another minor movie character.

As far as accessories go, the figure certainly has a nice pair. The lightsaber has a removable green blade, while his cane has a nifty design which may remind you of some sort of bird. Or the chozo, if you're in to that sort of thing. The added gold paint on the cane is a nice touch, and this set as a whole certainly seemed to show why Hasbro increased the price a few bucks on this segment of the line. Even in their decline, the comic packs continued to get better.

Collector's Notes: An unpackaged sample of Tholme commands above retail price for the set. T'ra Saa is slightly cheaper, so clearly, the kids love their Tholme. Based on the quantities that fans claimed to see (or not see) it's not unthinkable that there may be reserves waiting to show up on closeout some day. If by some miracle you can get this set at or under $20 today, I suggest you do so.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 1,540: May 10, 2011

1 comment:

Bravo said...

This guy is possibly a reason why the comic pack died...boring character (at least from those unfamiliar with him, which includes me.)

Actually, comic packs have flopped for GI JOE and Star Wars, regardless of characters, and I expect the Marvel ones to end by next year. The format just seems unwinnable.