Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,047: Sephjet Josall (Battle of Geonosis: Jedi Knights)

SEPHJET JOSALL Battle of Geonosis: Jedi Knights
2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5161
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Jedi launch a rescue mission to Geonosis that ends in a battle between the Jedi and Separatist forces.  The Jedi fly to the planet to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala from the Separatists.  Battle Droids and Geonosian Warriors fight the Jedi in what becomes the first battle of the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: Speaking of Jedi, here's one I didn't even know the name of until the figure came out.   Sephjet Josall is part of an amazing initiative by Hasbro to reuse old tooling to give us new figures, which as a toy industry person I find incredibly clever.  As a collector, I'm sooooo sick of the Battle of Geonosis, Human Jedi, and overpriced gift sets.   This is a nice but ultimately optional purchase.

Sephjet, aside from having a terrible name, reuses some elements of the Evolutions Luke Skywalker body.  The torso, arms, and legs are carried forward with an all-new lower robe piece (as far as I can tell) plus an all-new bald human head.  Courtesy of his obscurity, the figure looks great - if you compare it to stills from the movie, his eyebrows could be darker, and he needs traces of a shaved head, rather than a bald head.  The sculpt is still good, with 14 points of articulation and shows that Hasbro is getting better and better at wisely reusing its vast Jedi tooling library while understanding how adding one tiny new piece of costuming - that lower robe piece - makes a world of difference in changing this from Luke's body to Sephjet's body.   I have zero attachment to the character (played by film editor Joseph Jett Sally, hence the name) but I'm tickled by the good work Hasbro did and I'm always delighted when we get a new figure based on someone who actually works behind-the-scenes on the movies.  It's expensive, but you've paid more for less - get it if you can, especially on a sale.

Collector's Notes: I got this at Toys R Us in Scottsdale, AZ in mid-October.  I saw it at a few stores before buying, because many were opened, or the tape was cut by a knife, or otherwise looked compromised.  At $39.99 I do not anticipate you will have problems finding it unless Hasbro cut the run significantly from previous exclusives.   Also, I don't know why it didn't appear in Black Series packaging - that black-and-orange would probably look beautiful with a photo backdrop in a window boxed set of figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,047: October 31, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,046: Pablo-Jill (The Black Series)

PABLO-JILL Episode II Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5161
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #10
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Pablo-Jill is an Ongree Jedi Knight who battles Separatist forces during the battle of Geonosis. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: This is a good one.  Over the years I've had less and less love in my heart for Jedi Knight figures, but I do enjoy seeing Pablo Jill return to stores.  Depending on where you lived, he was tough to find in 2005 and that figure had a few flaws like very limited articulation and a very snappable lightsaber.  This new version makes good on those problems, but trades in those oh-so-nice plastic sculpted robes which tend to look a lot better.  Cloth hangs funny at this scale, particularly on Jedi robes.  It's one area we've seen Hasbro toying with since the prequel trilogy started, but even 1999's plastic robes on Adi Gallia, Qui-Gon Jinn (Naboo), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Naboo) tend to look better than their most recent experiments in cloth.  That's not meant as a knock at Hasbro's skill, it's just a limitation with working in this medium.

Once you disregard the bulky, awkward, ill-fitting cloth robes you'll find that Pablo-Jill is a fine example of how to make a figure if you don't need him to sit.  The rocker ankles are on par with the best I've seen on a Spider-Man figure, and the new ball-and-socket wrists give the figure a stunning range of movement while not hurting the aesthetics one bit.  I love the added range you get without increasing the piece count from a normal swivel wrist.  The "skirt" is bent out of shape rather oddly, but he still has his strange legs that an be posed to stand if you're willing to work with him a bit.  He has the fully-jointed hips, but they're strange - you can move them a bit in nearly every direction but you probably won't be able to ever get him in a decent "sitting" pose.  I'm sure customizers will dremel out part of the crotch to increase mobility here, but for the rest of us this is a standing-only figure that could probably benefit from a display stand.

Deco and sculpting is on par with Hasbro's current better new figures - Jedi robes are impossible to screw up, so all I can do here is nitpick at a hold in his belt for a lightsaber hilt that isn't included.  (For shame.)  The hands look great, with four digits each, and the head is dynamite with exquisite detailing bringing out the detail in each individual tooth.  At this scale, this is pretty uncommon to see and difficult to pull off well.  I assume in terms of deco, this figure will be appearing at or near the top of everybody's "Best of 2013" lists.

Hasbro really put their best foot forward with this figure, showing us everything they can do with a 3 3/4-inch Jedi Knight figure.   It is absolutely worth your while to track down just to see how the engineering works, and it doesn't hurt that it's a well-sculpted character that has been historically difficult to find.   I don't like the cloth robes, but I can also ignore those and still enjoy everything that's left.  Get one.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen this in a store yet.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so should you were you so inclined.  The figure is a huge, huge improvement over his 2005 ancestor.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,046: October 30, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,045: Stormtrooper (The Black Series)

STORMTROOPER Episode IV Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5083
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #13
Includes: Blaster rifle, blaster pistol with articulated grips
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: These elite soldiers enforce the Emperor's will across the Galactic Empire. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: I've written up thousands of figures and often worried that I came off as too positive in many of the reviews.  How about that!  This Stormtrooper is, like yesterday's clone, evidence of how Hasbro isn't giving this particular subline their all.  Or their factories, or Lucasfilm Licensing.   On paper it's decent - the 2011 The Vintage Collection Stormtrooper was similar and better, unquestionably, in all but one way.  The 2011 Trooper has a removable helmet with a Clone face, which some people don't like - but it had the great lateral hip movement, two nice guns, and a great paint job.

This figure has a helmet that's notable in that the mouth section is actually painted quite well, arguably better than any other Sandtrooper I've had in my hands in months.  The forehead stripe is painted sloppily, the lenses are painted a little off, as it seems to be a worse copy of the VC14 Sandtrooper with a Stormtrooper's belt.  The pauldron isn't here, the backpack isn't here, and the guns are different - but that's the same body configuration, just done with a reduced eye for detail.  The helmets of Stormtroopers and Sandtroopers - at least as toys - have been kinda different, so this is clearly not the same as other Stormtrooper figures.

The figure excels in only one place - accessories.  The "new" Stormtrooper pistol with the moving bits and pieces is included, as is a longer rifle.  Both are nice to have and would be welcome with any future Stormtrooper purchase.

Part of my big beef with The Black Series is that these are thinly veiled reruns, inferior copies of figures which are already in the marketplace and cheaper.   This figure is a fine example of that - I'd be happier with another run of the 2011 Vintage Stormtrooper, or even more of the Saga Legends guy that hasn't hit yet.  Normally troopers as filler in an assortment were welcome - but Hasbro has consistently proven a lack of imagination or a desire to really knock these out of the park with precious few exceptions.   It's figures like this that make me excited for more Saga Legends and 6-inch releases, and I can't help but think this is Hasbro weaning us off of this kind of a figure at this point.  I look forward to the 6-inch Stormtrooper in a few months.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen this in a store yet.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so can you were you so inclined.  It's not a bad figure in theory, but it's just so iffy that all I can say is that you can do better.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,045: October 29, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,044: 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (The Black Series)

41^ST ELITE CORPS CLONE TROOPER Episode III Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5086
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #12
Includes: Helmet, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Under the command of Luminara Unduli and Commander Gree, this battle group specializes in grueling, week-long patrols which often require specialized armor customized for hostile environments. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: There are many legions of troopers, and the 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper was one that never quite clicked with me.  Who?  Where were these?  They have grey stripes on their armpits and I'm supposed to care?  Eh.   Also, this figure shows that Hasbro has consistently found new and interesting ways to redo figures that didn't need redoing incorrectly, which is, to be blunt, not cool.  I mean, I've got a squad of these guys - we've had a few different molds with this deco on it - how is it now that Hasbro neglects to paint the soles of the boots?  The grey shins?  The grey belt?  And aren't there little squares on his forearms?  I'm quite forgiving when Hasbro has to make a figure for the first time, or is doing so from early, possibly unfinished reference that comes from a movie that isn't already on DVD and may change before it hits theatres.  So here, we have two options.  Either I'm a picky idiot, or Hasbro has gotten consistently lazy on clones since 2012.  (It's the second one.  I checked.)

The figure has only the short blaster - not the long rifle that previous, cheaper versions of this mold enjoyed as a bonus - and retains the same slightly awkward helmet.  The body sculpt is good - the skinnier body with bend-and-swivel wrists plus lateral hip movement is a winner - but I'm frankly sick of inferior, incorrect deco.   I can live with no battle damage as a cost-cutting measure, but getting a figure wrong that has been right before in all previous releases is increasingly inexcusable.  The same thing happened when Hasbro deployed this Clone body for the 501st Trooper last year.  What gives?  You got it more or less right in 2008, why are we having this conversation now?

With no tooled parts and fewer accessories than previous releases of this mold and of this legion of trooper, this is a dud.  It's a nice dud, requested by no fan - if it were the first release or if I had no reference to the movie, I would say it's a nice figure in its own right.  If Hasbro just claimed this was an all-new legion (40th Elite Corps?) I'd say OK, this is cool, go ahead and buy it.  The Clone head underneath is nice and the paint is clean, but it is simply not acceptable to get this lazy when making these figures, particularly given how this wave of 6 new figures only has 3 new molds in it, and how Hasbro has been spared the taxing work of having to research a never-before-made character.  They've done it right before, and they've previously done a good job.  As such, just hug your existing grey 41st Elite Corps figures a little tighter tonight and be glad that you made the right, cheaper purchasing decision when you bought them the first couple of times.   Just pretend it's an Expanded Universe figure and you'll like this 2013 model just fine.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen this in a store yet.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so should you unless you feel like skipping it.  No one would blame you.  I feel like this is less of a review than it is an elementary school teacher during a parent-teacher conference bellowing about how little Tommy isn't living up to his potential.  Hasbro has made thousands of top-notch (and some average) figures over the past decades, there's really no reason that this figure is missing key paint apps like the shins and belts.  I can live without the shoe soles, nobody would ever notice.  But c'mon!  With price increases, rotten packaging, and a decreased piece count - and the continued indignity of the lesser bucket on their head - can't we at least get the paint job done right?   Who am I supposed to hit with the rolled-up newspaper and say "NO!" to?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,044: October 28, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,043: Luminara Unduli (The Black Series)

LUMINARA UNDULI Episode II Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A52490
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #11
Includes: Lightsaber, hat
Action Feature: Removable hat
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Luminara is a Jedi Master who commands the 41st Elite Corps as a Jedi General during the Clone Wars.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: One of the reasons I looked forward to ending this column was figures like Luminara Unduli which, while good, I fundamentally oppose to on the basis of I didn't need it and neither did you.  The character has a rich history of very interesting figures - in 2002, her $5 figure was an action figure-sized statue with gorgeous flowing robes and an action pose that has been rarely matched in this line.  It's a thing of beauty.  In 2005, we got a top-notch figure with tons of articulation and wonderful soft goods, and I considered that version one of the high points of Revenge of the Sith's movie year toys.  We even got a swell recolor of it for Order 66 - she made a nice Target exclusive.  And now? This is the one with the most bells and whistles, but the thing was I was never unsatisfied with the figures I have.  And now I have another one.  Why?  And why am I complaining?  It's a well-sculpted, nicely-engineered figure that is more in line with what collectors demand from Hasbro - and as such, offers few real surprises.  You more or less know what to expect here.

She now has a cloth "cape" that hangs off her back and gets in the way of her hat staying on straight.  Her dress reaches beyond her shoes, making it difficult to keep her standing without assistance.  She has no problems holding her lightsaber, and now finally has ball-jointed ankles, elbows, shoulders, and all those 14 joints you expect.   This puts her on the same level as recent Barriss Offee and Aayla Secura figures, but again, did we need an improved version of this character?  Hasbro's previous ones were great, and while I do love the quality of the paint job on her garments and the improved face sculpt - with a bun of hair under her hat, a nice touch - did I need it?  No.

If you don't have a Luminara, or you insist on only having the best, this is the figure for you.  The removable hat is a step backward in terms of toy-ness, but those of you who expect a high-end prop replica for ten bucks are going to love this one.  Given Hasbro's toy proclivities, this is likely to be as good as she'll get for years - of course, other than the elbows, I'd have said the same about the 2005 model.  A lightsaber hilt for her belt would be nice, but you can't have everything.

Collector's Notes: I haven't seen her in a store yet.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so should you.  I have not seen him in stores yet.  As the movie-style character has been out of circulation, it's arguably a good release - the problem is as I get older, it feels like I just got this figure.  And the last new movie mold of her is now 8 years old - maybe I'm too old to be the right person to write these?   Newbies, you'll love it.  Old farts, you'll be left questioning your hobby.  And if you just plain don't collect prequel stuff, keep up the good work.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,043: October 25, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,042: R2-D2 (The Black Series)

R2-D2 Episode II Redux
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5160
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #09
Includes: Removable rockets
Action Feature: Twist head, third leg retracts
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: This brave, loyal droid accompanies Anakin Skywalker on missions that take them from Naboo to Geonosis.  (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: When Hasbro announced the death of Droid Factory, the loss of this R2-D2 was something I considered to be part of the upside - fans were mourning the loss of two unimaginative, repetitive waves of action figures.  Naturally, Hasbro decided to salvage these and here they are.  Le sigh.  So R2-D2 here is the 2005 R4-G9 body with the light-up eye port painted over (that's good!) but is, at its heart, the 2007 30th Anniversary Collection R2-D2, minus the giant flame piece.   So it's a repaint, at a higher price, with less stuff in the box.

There's no dirt or damage deco. This is an existing $7 (2007 dollars) mold with out the coin or giant flame piece - hardly appropriate for a "premium" line and clearly a budget-saving move.  I wouldn't begrudge them a few of these if the actual, newly-tooled figures made it out in better numbers - molds are expensive, why not exploit them?  But I digress.  We're not here to complain about that, nor am I here to complain about this R2-D2's quality.  It really IS good, and any other year I'd be enthusiastic to see it show up in a Battle Pack or as part of an exclusive set as something newish enough to be worthwhile.  After seeing interesting figures shuffled off to de facto Euro exclusives, though, I am no longer feeling forgiving.

There are many R2-D2 molds to enjoy, and this Astromech body has been one of my favorites due to its universal use for so many robots.  It's a nice R2-D2 and the height feels right, regardless of what the truth is.  It also is the best version of R2-D2 with the booster rockets from the second prequel - 2003 and 2007 gave us versions of this figure that were insultingly awful.  This one is just unimaginative - there's nothing wrong with it, other than at this point in the line I think "boring" should be considered a sin.  We have precious few slots, and we've choked down a lot of bad decisions for figures - my heart breaks a little more each time we get a figure that a) isn't a repack and b) doesn't bring something new to the table.  It's better, I guess, sorta.  You can buy it if you want.  You won't feel like you got your money's worth unless you own zero R2-D2s, in which case this is actually a fun little figure in and of itself.  Just try to forget that you could get this mold (sans rockets) and 3 other wonderful figures in a Battle Pack for $20 just a couple of years ago, it'll go down easier.  And if you have the 2007 version of this mold, you're probably in good shape.

Collector's Notes: I am assuming that if this wave starts hitting en masse, R2-D2 will be the easiest way to realize that you missed the case.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so should you.  I have not seen him in stores yet.  As R2-D2s go, it's definitely a good one, but timing is everything.   In a slow year like 2013 each release counts for a lot, and in the context of the first two waves of the struggling 3 3/4-inch The Black Series line, it seems easy to point to each and every figure selection in the line as part of collector-focused 3 3/4-inch figures epitaph in a few years.  After all, we're just a couple of months away from an R2-D2 + C-3PO 2-pack for the same price point.  Who wouldn't rather have that instead?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,042: October 24, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,041: Mara Jade (The Black Series)

MARA JADE Take Three
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Basic Figures Fan's Choice Winner
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5165
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Black Series #14
Includes: Blaster, hilt, lightsaber, pop-off holster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: September 2013
Appearances: Expanded Universe

Bio: An assassin for Emperor Palpatine, Mara's life changes when she meets - and eventually marries - Luke Skywalker. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: I'm somewhat pleased that I was on record of disapproving of Mara Jade before we even saw her - at Toy Fair 2012, during Hasbro's panel, you may have heard a smirking "boooo" from the back when Hasbro announced the Fan's Choice winner.  I was not mad at Hasbro, but you people - with all the stuff you bug me to ask Hasbro to make for you, given the chance, as a community, you all decided what you wanted the most was another Mara Jade?  Well, I guess we get what we deserve as a group.  This could've been a new character, and instead what we have is a figure that's decent but clearly suffering from factory communication problems.  Official photos of Mara show this hair piece fitting well enough to conceal that (as the kids call it) fivehead, which I have found is slang for what happens when someone like that one girl in my high school German class has too much forehead. And now you know.

Were this figure released in or before 2010, I think people would be more accepting.  Hasbro has been trying to say Vintage and now Black Series are "premium" expressions of the characters, but all we're seeing are head-swaps and higher price tags.  Mara Jade is one of precious few 100% newly-tooled figures in the assortment, which would be fine if we were dealing with a budget-conscious kid's line.  For eleven bucks, I want something good.  I admit I'm being unfair, but once a figure's head is poor the entire figure is skippable.   We've found out that you can give her various Black Widow (Marvel) heads to improve her, but should we have to?  The 1990s hair is more or less an acceptable color, but the eyebrows aren't quite right and probably should be darker.   Her expression isn't much to look at, and at best the head is just OK.   In some respects, the figure compares unfavorably to her 1998 ancestor. If you look at the official Hasbro shot on Amazon (see above for link), Mara 2013 actually looks quite pretty.

The figure body is largely good - the one thing I actively dislike about it is how her blaster holster falls off if you look at it funny.  The sculpt is nice, the torso joint is perfect, and the proportions are better than usual for a Hasbro lady figure.   What we have here feels like a missing link, or at least something that Hasbro probably had perfected in-house and got mucked up by China.  But that's all I can complain about - the arms are nice, the legs are nice, and she can actually sit down.  That's a big deal with me, and her gloves don't look like monster hands either.  It's clear to me that Hasbro designed the perfect Heir to the Empire Mara Jade, and got very close to giving it to us - maybe we'll see a tweak when she shows up in a later wave, because the existing figure's 14 points of articulation are so wonderfully integrated into her design that I'd be lying if I said Hasbro didn't deserve a pat on the back.  They did their job - they really tried!

I would be a bad toy complainer if I didn't mention how good her accessories were - the detail on the lightsaber hilts is quite good, with lots of little finely sculpted bits.  The unlit saber in particular is a joy to squint at, and the blaster is well worthy of your eyeballs.  Given the high prices of third-party accessories in some toy lines I feel silly suggesting you buy a figure for the parts but this is one of those times I believe a customizer would get a lot more out of this figure than a collector.   Overall this is a good figure with two significant flaws.  The body is nearly perfect.  The accessories are good, and fit in her hands and belt holes nicely (minus the holster).  It's rare to see a figure with a tight outfit that doesn't have exceptionally large assets.  I'm not saying they aren't big, but hey, they held back a bit here.   Also, Mara may have the tightest pants in the line.  She's going to make Meryl Silverburgh blush.

Collector's Notes: Early packaged sample photos have her hair set correctly and a red (rather than purple) lightsaber blade.  I got this figure online from Entertainment Earth, and so should you.  I have not seen her in stores yet.  And yes, I'm still irate she won a Fan's Choice slot over something new... and also that fans expected Mara Jade Skywalker.  Heck, so did Hasbro - the UPC for this figure actually reads "Mara Jade Skywalker" so it's clear someone changed their minds during development.  Ah well!  So close.  I anticipate seeing her with a better head as an exclusive later.  Throw in Sim Aloo and a couple of Stormtroopers, and you've got a deal.

Oh, and I loathe the unimaginative packaging.  If I look at a shelf of these, I can't tell who's there easily - the grey doesn't pop, and it's not obvious.  I just intensely dislike it and can't wait to see Hasbro change it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,041: October 23, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,040: Stemzee (Ewok Assault Catapult)

STEMZEE Ewok Assault Catapult
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: No. A4185
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Spear, hood, Chubbray figure, two rocks, catapult
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $20.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Ewoks help a Rebel strike team capture the shield generator that is protecting the second Death Star from attack.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: Like Chubbray, I'm fairly positive Stemzee didn't really exist as a character until this exclusive set came to be.  I'm quite accepting of this - it's a remix of existing parts.  Nanta (Corpsey) donated his head and hood, with Wicket (2010) giving his spear and the body has been previously used on the likes of Logray (2011) and Teebo (2012). Add some new paint, and presto, you're done.

Hasbro made sure the molds could easily swap heads between bodies, which works well for customizers and for Hasbro.  This is the first time the Nanta head was used on the Logray body, and it fits perfectly.  The deco and light stripes look very Logray-ish, and the ball-jointed elbows with lateral-moving hips makes this a superior denizen of Endor's Bright Tree Village.   For a race fans supposedly hate, and a character no fan can claim to know, it's a nice figure.  The painted nails look great and the fur color just fits.   If you didn't have Nanta nearby, odds are you wouldn't even notice that it's a reuse of existing parts.

I like Stemzee, despite having zero emotional attachment to the character.  I do like Ewoks, though, and the set was more or less worth the asking price.  I hope Hasbro does another set like this next year, maybe with a mini Battle Wagon or some other bizarre extra piece of equipment.  Isn't it time we got a movie-style Baga?

Collector's Notes: I bought the last one at my local Kmart, which happens to have a store locator function on this item on their web site.  It seems pretty accurate - I went to the Kmart that it said had them, and they did.  And when I went home, it said they no longer had it.   So that works.  The set at $21 has a huge box filled with air, so there's a lot of wasted space in this set.  It's worth it though - the catapult is arguably a $7ish accessory, and each figure in today's dollars is probably also close to $7ish.  I got my money's worth here.  If you think it costs too much, well, OK, wait for clearance.  I'll be buying more then myself.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,040: October 22, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,039: Chubbray (Ewok Assault Catapult)

CHUBBRAY Ewok Assault Catapult
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: No. A4185
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Spear, hood, Stemzee figure, two rocks, catapult
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $20.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Ewoks help a Rebel strike team capture the shield generator that is protecting the second Death Star from attack.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: Part of the fun of collecting for so long is that every few years, Hasbro actually gives me everything I want.  And then some.  As Ewoks go, at this point, all I ever really nag anyone for are more TV-based furballs, like Chukha-Trok or a version of Kaink that doesn't suck.   As such, Hasbro delights me by giving me new figures that didn't even have names before, and with figures like Chubbray I have to take their word that he appeared in the movie.  I really don't know - I realize this is a tough thing to read, but it's tough to admit too.  I loves me some Ewoks, but I don't know this guy.   Wookieepedia's page is pretty bare-bones so my guess is this went up as soon as the name got out because, most likely, Lucasfilm just named this guy in the last year.

As far as I can tell, the headdress is Kneesaa's, the body was originally used for Graak, and the head is seemingly new.  Chubbray has closed lips with what almost looks like lipstick, pointy ears, and no exposed teeth - this makes him (or possibly her) unusual.  The spear is the same that came with Romba back in 2007.  The white mask on the figure's eye looks cool, and it's a great reuse of new and old parts.  Honestly, Hasbro could have just repainted an old head and switched around various hoods and I wouldn't mind in the slightest.  There are nearly 30 Ewoks in the modern (1998-present) line, and I'd be fine if Hasbro wanted to make up their own mixing around their current elements.

Chubbray sports an older 2007 Ewok body, with 10 points of articulation.  Sure it's not as good as other recent releases, but 10 is a lot if you were a kid in the 1980s.  Ours had 4 joints.   As such, I put this one in the "win" column - Hasbro, please, keep making more Ewoks for me.  I'll buy, and I won't complain... until they cost over $10 per.

Also, I should note that there's a new catapult included.  It's similar to the original, but better looking while functionally not quite as good.  Part of it might fall off when you launch, and the new boulders feel similar to the Star Wars Angry Birds figures.  The deco is solid, the sculpting is great, and for dioramas it's great.  You'll love it.  I don't think kids will love it, but are kids buying Ewoks today?  I'm curious.  I liked Ewoks when I was a kid, so I guess it isn't impossible.

Collector's Notes: I bought the last one at my local Kmart, which happens to have a store locator function on this item on their web site.  It seems pretty accurate - I went to the Kmart that it said had them, and they did.  And when I went home, it said they no longer had it.   So that works.  The set at $21 has a huge box filled with air, so there's a lot of wasted space in this set.  It's worth it though - the catapult is arguably a $7ish accessory, and each figure in today's dollars is probably also close to $7ish.  I got my money's worth here.  If you think it costs too much, well, OK, wait for clearance.  I'll be buying more then myself.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,039: October 21, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,038: Imperial Officer (Death Star Scanning Crew)

IMPERIAL OFFICER Death Star Scanning Crew
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A5605 No. A5606
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Navy Cap, Scanning Equipment with removable wheels, Imperial Technician figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $15.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star.  A scanning crew searches the ship for crew or Droids, while an Imperial officer monitors the investigation.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: These packs are a mixed bag - we got a Stormtrooper with a new belt, a scanning guy with a new head, and even the Imperial Officer is pretty newfangled and wonderful.  Sort of.  While it reuses the Captain Needa body, it also reuses his hands - his gloved hands - which are repainted in flesh somewhat sloppily.   After you collect a few thousand figures, you'll notice that hands that are painted (and are not gloves) tend to look wonky - were they molded in flesh, they'd look better.  As it is, they're on the low end of acceptable.

A few years ago, Hasbro revealed Captain Needa as the template of upcoming Imperials - the removable rank pin would allow for them to deploy this body for numerous new officers easily.  Well, we got a couple of figures using these body parts but certainly not many.  This nameless Imperial Officer is one of few, along with Baron Fel, that made use of the pretty good tooling.  The head sculpt is very nice, but it could be anybody - for all I know this is a guy at Hasbro as it's certainly not Commander Praji.  With four blue rank bars, I have no idea what the rank is - or who this should be - but I like it.  It looks good, and his hat comes off.  Other than the vague identity, slightly askew eyebrows are my only other complaint.  Since the figures are sold in a closed box, I have no idea how common this "problem" is or if I just got one that's a wee bit off.  The neat thing, though, is that his eyes are looking slidewise which gives him a little more personality in the facial region.  Kudos.

Collector's Notes: The "Death Star Scanning Crew" set is the less interesting one of the sets - the Scanning Trooper is basically a repack with a repainted accessory, while the Officer is arguably quite interesting.  I like the other one more, and this is anecdotally the slower seller.  To anyone who has enjoyed this column, take some advice - go ahead and buy it.  For $16 it's pretty much worth it, especially in light of where this line is (OK, isn't) going.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,038: October 18, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,037: Imperial Technician (Death Star Scanning Crew)

IMPERIAL TECHNICIAN Death Star Scanning Crew
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A5605 No. A5606
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Scanning Equipment with removable wheels, Imperial Officer figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $15.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star.  A scanning crew searches the ship for crew or Droids, while an Imperial officer monitors the investigation.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: This is a slightly different Imperial Technician from yesterday - the figure is basically the same, with the original 2009 head.   And it's actually pretty much the same figure from 2009 with batch differences - obviously, things like skin tone aren't an exact match when you whip up a batch of "flesh" like four years later.  The figure is fundamentally the same, with the same 14 joints, excellent range of movement, and perfectly fine sculpting.  Obviously Hasbro has done better, but Hasbro has done worse and I like this figure a bunch.  It's perfectly fine.

In addition to an Imperial blaster, it comes with an extensively repainted scanning equipment base, and inside are what I assume are the Death Star's collection of vinyl - surely there's some "White Light/White Heat" and "Ultimate Spinach" in there.  (I'm just assuming.)   The wheeled accessory has been improved slightly, and now features significantly different deco.  The base is a lighter blue color, with grey corners and some white highlights on the "LPs" in the middle.  The red vertical stripes on the sides are now unpainted.  It's surprisingly different, so I'd suggest getting both versions of this figure if you're the kind of person who has small armies.  Can you ever have enough Imperials?  (Well, if Hasbro never puts out a Death Star, yeah,  yeah you can.)  I like it.

Collector's Notes: The "Death Star Scanning Crew" set is the less interesting one of the sets - the Scanning Trooper is basically a repack with a repainted accessory, while the Officer is arguably quite interesting.  I like the other one more, and this is anecdotally the slower seller.  To anyone who has enjoyed this column, take some advice - go ahead and buy it.  For $16 it's pretty much worth it, especially in light of where this line is (OK, isn't) going.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,037: October 17, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,036: Imperial Technician (Imperial Scanning Crew)

IMPERIAL TECHNICIAN Imperial Scanning Crew
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A5605 No. A5607
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Scanning Equipment with removable gadgets, TK-421 stormtrooper figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $15.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star.  A scanning crew searches the ship while Stormtrooper TK-421 stands guard outside the ship.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: There are few figures which fans can claim they've been waiting on for years, but Hasbro first promised this Imperial Technician back around 2009 - the idea was that they would release the same figure with two heads and different pieces of scanning equipment, so by buying both, you'd get a whole crew.   At least it made it out, but this figure may hold the record of the longest wait from an explicit announcement to an actual plastic release.  I could be wrong here.

The figure itself is basically the same as the one in the other set, save for a new head.  It's also similar to the 2009 Legacy Collection figure, meaning you'll probably enjoy the 14 points of articulation, working holster, blaster rifle, and all of that.  What you won't like is that the head is clearly too small for the body, but that sort of thing happens once in a while and at least it's for a trooper in a diorama where the head is not quite as important, anyway.  Still... Hasbro could have done better here.  The expression is bland as usual, with sideburns that clearly set him apart from his scanning siblings.   A new head is, for me, always good enough to warrant another purchase so I'd say go ahead and enjoy this one.

The reason to buy this set - and I would assume the reason it was delayed - are the scanning tools.  There are a lot of paint applications here, plus numerous pieces which can be removed.  I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason this got delayed so long was because Hasbro couldn't cost it out as a basic figure in the 2009 manufacturing world, it probably just resulted in the figure breaking its budget and as you all know, we can't have that.  The case has a removable lid, and some assembly is required to fit the bottom platform into place.  It'll snap when it locks in.  Inside, you'll find a canister with a hose that plugs in to a larger beige box, plus a removable silver scanning device of some sort.  To me, this is where the value comes in - the figure set is inarguably more worthwhile than 2 or maybe even 3 Black Series figures of this size, so you won't feel bad about shelling out for it.  There's a lot of paint, and it's all quite clean and clear.  The extra pieces snap into place in the scanning equipment, and it fits over the original 2009 piece quite nicely.  It does not snap into place, though, so don't be surprised if it falls out when you lift it.   As an added bonus, you get a stormtrooper blaster.

Thankfully I didn't have to, but I would've paid just $16 for the scanning crew and his equipment.  It's certainly good enough to warrant it, and the Stormtrooper is a wonderful bonus - which is probably also worth $10ish.  You get your money's worth here, so go get it.  The other set is not quite as amazing and we'll look at that next.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro didn't go out of their way to tell you how awesome this set was - which is for the best, given Kmarts are closing left and right.   Both figures are worthwhile and in my one sighting to date, this set was in the shortest supply - no surprise there, as it's easily the more desirable of the two.  If last year's Ewoks and AT-ST is any indication, there were probably a large amount of these made and they will continue to trickle out through the season.  Don't overpay just yet, unless you don't live near a Kmart.  In which case, go ahead and overpay.   $20-$25 feels totally fair, $30 feels like what we'll be paying anyway in four years.  Go ahead and get this set, you'll be glad you did.  Oh, and it's worth noting that the packaging is mostly air - Hasbro could have made this half the size, easily.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,036: October 16, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,035: TK-421 (Stormtrooper)

TK-421 Imperial Scanning Crew
The Vintage Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A5605 No. A5607
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Removable commlink, blaster, Scanning Equipment, Imperial Technician figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $15.99
Availability: October 2013
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star.  A scanning crew searches the ship while Stormtrooper TK-421 stands guard outside the ship.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: We're back - but just to give everybody a quick look at some new figures, and if the reads are good I'll keep doing this for other new figures as they arrive.  Figure reviews are hard to do, but FOTD? Not so tough.  We'll be back to look at Kmart's six new figures starting with the Stormtrooper TK-421, which as far as I can recall is the first Stormtrooper to get his own name on the box.   The figure is basically an enhanced The Vintage Collection Stormtrooper from the Original Trilogy Collection days roughly nine years ago.  The body is the same - same 14 points of articulation, same white plastic, same sort of cool, sort of awkward pose.  His legs can swing forward better than I remember, but the holster dangling down the back gets in the way. (Spoiler: gun cannot fit in holster.)

The gun is one of two notable accessories - why notable?  This uses the new, articulated version of the stormtrooper blaster that allows multiple positions.  Considering it was previously available with a tough-to-get Vintage 2012 Stormtrooper, odds are you'll want to get one of these just for the gun.  His other new gizmo is a new communicator that clips to his belt.  It's one of the smallest Star Wars accessories ever made by Hasbro and I have no doubt it will be frequently lost.  It easily fits in his hand or on his belt, but I can tell you I'm already terrified that it's going to get lost in the carpet.  It is the most swallowable piece I've ever seen with an action figure.  You wouldn't even know you ate it, that's how small it is.  We're talking sesame seed small.

His belt has been retooled slightly and no longer features a grenade canister on the back.   Instead, there's a beige panel with what seems to be a grappling line off to the other side, not unlike the one Luke used.  I don't believe I've ever seen this belt on a Stormtrooper before and I'm comfortable calling it new for this release - one of you will scream at me if I misremembered.  This figure is part of a set with a new-headed Imperial Technician and the top half of the Scanning Equipment you bought back in 2009, so it's a no-brainer - you want this set.  TK-421?  New troopers?  New accessories?  For $16, you could do a lot worse - and worse is called The Black Series 3 3/4-inch.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro didn't go out of their way to tell you how awesome this set was - which is for the best, given Kmarts are closing left and right.   Both figures are worthwhile and in my one sighting to date, this set was in the shortest supply - no surprise there, as it's easily the more desirable of the two.  If last year's Ewoks and AT-ST is any indication, there were probably a large amount of these made and they will continue to trickle out through the season.  Don't overpay just yet, unless you don't live near a Kmart.  In which case, go ahead and overpay.   $20-$25 feels totally fair, $30 feels like what we'll be paying anyway in four years.  Go ahead and get this set, you'll be glad you did.  Oh, and it's worth noting that the packaging is mostly air - Hasbro could have made this half the size, easily.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,035: October 15, 2013