Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,463: DJ (Canto Bight, The Last Jedi, The Black Series 6-Inch)

DJ (Canto Bight)
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E0622
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #57
Includes: Rifle, pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: February 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio:  A thief whose tattered, threadbare clothes and lackadaisical attitude conceal a sharp mind and expert codebreaking skills, DJ believes there's no difference between sides in this new galactic war.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  The small version is good, the big DJ is better.   At this point I don't know if we'll see a super-articulated DJ, or DJ in his First Order duds, but we've got his Space Tom Waits costume and that's a good start.  He has his hat, his coat, his belt, and his beard - and one glove.  And rings.  He's an ornate fellow with some facial fuzz with a really good Benicio del Toro face sculpt.   He looks younger here than in the movie!

The face has a decent beard, which has proven difficult a feature for Hasbro.   Here, they printed it on using some new technique that results in more color and shinier gloss.  It gives him a little more life, which is good, but getting the perfect scruff is a challenge.  It's still better than the Poe figures.   The beanie looks great, with a stylized metal plate that says "Don't Join" in the most stylized - and legible - Aurebesh lettering I've ever seen.   This is the first time I've been able to look at something and know what it said without having to verify, but then again the context would also help.

Articulation is standard The Black Series fare with bend-and-swivel hands, double-jointed knees, and all that jazz.   The coat renders the hip joints a little moot, and the double knees seem like overkill - but it's nice to have them.   I'd like to see Hasbro completely eliminate the mid-torso cut joint, as it's visually ugly and functionally dubious.  You can't really move it much with the coat, and it doesn't do much as an ab crunch.  A one-piece body, or a joint only at the belt, would look and potentially function better.  It's still very good - the joints are mostly hidden thanks tot he coat and costume design.  The design seems perfect for action figures, but Hasbro had to translate it with the joints and the paint apps and the things of this nature.  The ring detail on his hand is great, as is the glossy black on the boots.  

 While it would seem little and big DJ figures were derived from a similar source, they're both great.  There are subtle differences with the 6-inch figure - complete with holstered small pistol - is the champ.  I'd love to see a super-articulated, but I also freely admit that the main reason would be for a slightly better paint job on the head, blaster, and boots.  Hasbro did it well here, and he looks like he'd be right at home in any hive of scum and/or villainy.   I've seen a few of these in stores, and given the assortment you might see some on your travels.  I like it enough to say that I'm glad I got mine, and you may wish to do so online or elsewhere.  I do not expect him to have additional runs in the future, if post-release Disney-movie figures to date have been any indication.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,463: March 14, 2018