Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,642: Darth Vader (The Retro Collection)

DARTH VADER Old Is the New New
The Retro Collection Target / Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. E6255  No. E6265
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2019
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: As a Sith Lord, Darth Vader turned against his former comrades and hunted the surviving Jedi into near extinction. He became an enforcer of the Galactic Empire, who worked to crush the Alliance to Restore the Republic for opposing his Sith Master's will.  (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  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!

Commentary: And - for now - this is the end of The Retro Collection.  The classic Darth Vader brings back one of the more popular figures in the 1980s, warts and all, with some upgrades and some things that seem a little worse.  It's different.

My original Vader's lightsaber is a little pinker or oranger - the 2019 remake is a deeper red.  The cape from 2019 seems about the same thickness but with a slightly finer texture, and I would probably having a hard time telling one from another by feel and weight were it not on a marked "new" or "old" figure.  It's close.

What's particularly interesting is that Hasbro changed the figure itself a bit.  The original 1978 Darth Vader had red and white buttons and markings on the chest.  The 2019 version replaces white with silver - it's also much glossier, which is a visual improvement. Some of the sculpting seems a bit more wobbly, the ribbing on the arms is wavy in spots that were straight on previous releases.  With the changes to the lightsaber color and chest paint, this figure becomes what I want out of a reissue - something different.  I could (and indeed have!) bought these figures for years, especially back when they were cheap.   The reissue of a figure is ultimately a copy, a forgery, a pretender to toy history - so why not make it more interesting or better?   The silver chest markings look great, and it's different enough where I as an old person appreciate the change.  I don't necessarily need more of the same, so doing something new is fun and welcome.  Hasbro also tinted the cardback photo's lightsaber to a more accurate red (rather than pink) color.

I think if Hasbro takes more cue from this figure - better photographs, better colors, better color plastic - further reissues could be really exciting.   I don't need reissues of figures Kenner sold in the millions, but if you can do something interesting like correct Han Solo's carbonite block color or maybe even Hammerhead's jerkin?  I would be interested in that.  If they can keep the ribbing on the suit right, that would be fantastic, but what Hasbro ultimately delivered was good enough.

..and yes I've been nagging Hasbro for more of these guys.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,642: November 28, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,641: Luke Skywalker (Yavin, The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Yavin)
The Vintage Collection Walmart Exclusive
Item No.:   No. E6130
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #151
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Blaster, medal, lightsaber hilt
Retail: $12.96
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I buy a lot of figures online and a lot of figures in store, but the winner for worst condition arrival from an online store goes to Luke Skywalker (Yavin) here.  Mine came in a plastic bag with no packing material - it was more beat up than a lot of bad Vintage-era Kenner 1980s figures I've seen and bought for peanuts over the years.  I know "free shipping" is a race to the bottom, but maybe you'll want to make sure you get this one in stores or in an order that will require a box of some sort.  I'd be upset were I not opening it to write this very review.

The figure itself should look familiar - Hasbro took its 2007 30th Anniversary Collection body (which was also retooled in 2013 for The Black Series) and gave him new accessories, new deco, and a much-needed new head.  This means the articulation is good, but not great - back in 2007, "super articulated" wasn't yet standard.  Some figures lacked ankle joints or other points of articulation to keep down costs, which made a lot of sense. The 2007 Ceremonial Luke came with just as many accessories, plus a metal coin, all for $6.99.  While there are improvements, you're paying nearly twice as much for less stuff this time around.   18 points of articulation are no slouch, and the boots look better and are more sturdy than he would have been with joints in there.  It limits your pose options, but since most people are going to have him stand there and get a medal, that's fine.

The deco is improved a bit, but the main draw is the new head.  The "real face printing" has Luke looking off to the side and looking a whole lot less dead.  The 2007 release of this and a few other figures were oddly pale, with dark brown hair that only exaggerated the effect.  2019 Luke has more than one tone to his hair, which is a separately molded piece.  It's a pretty remarkable head for the size of a peanut.  The arms are also new and less bulky, giving him a more streamlined look.

The blaster is from the aforementioned The Black Series, the lightsaber is correct - 2007 gave Luke a Vader hilt - and the medal is from 2013 and more detailed.  Hasbro really did a nice job improving everything, even giving you a new holster and more muted colors throughout.  It's kind of weird that the 30th Anniversary Collection release was so wonky, but I guess now they're taking the time to do definitive releases since they know it's a good way to get you to pay twice as much for a figure you forgot you bought 12 (or 7) years ago.   Given how much of the figure is really old, the improvements are staggeringly great.  The lightsaber plugs in the  belt, the blaster fits in the holster, and the figure really does look like it got more than 10 years of improvements.  The 1978 white Luke looked a bit sillier than the also silly 1995 Luke, but this 2019 Luke looks like a high-end collectible when compared to the good-for-the-time 2007 Medal Ceremony release.   If you're only in for trilogy toys, you have to buy this one.  You must.  It's just that much better.  Hasbro did a good job redoing almost all Lukes this year - maybe we'll get the last few in the next few months.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.com.   I'd recommend getting it from Walmart.brickandmortar.  The packaging was not pretty.

 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,641: November 26, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,640: R4 Astromech (Color-Changing Droids, Droid Factory, Galaxy's Edge)

R4 ASTROMECH Color-Changing Droids
Star Wars Disney Droid Depot
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 droids - CZ, 3PO, R4, BB
Action Feature: Pops apart, changes from white to orange
Retail: $39.99
Availability: ca. July 2019
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.  These droids have the special ability to change color!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: More indie than indie toys, the R4 Astromech droid is a marvel.  Really!  I had it in the fridge before opening it, a few days later I took it out of the box.  When cold, the same-as-it-ever-was droid mold is black and silver like R4-I9 or similar creations.  When heated, it's green with a white body not unlike R4-J1.  Neither is an exact match, but you get the rough idea as to the flavors of the two modes.  The dome and legs all pop off, the articulation is fine as always.  You know what to expect here.

What really struck me is how the heat from my fingers made the once-black droid look like the paint was dripping off of it. Parts of it looked like it was soaked in oil or covered in sludge, too.  The gradual and random patina my hands put on this figure is positively stunning, giving fans a sort of "damage" or "worn look" that's unique every time you play with it.  I am not unimpressed here - this could've been $20 and while you would likely have turned your nose up at it, it is 100% worth it.  The contrast is so great that you can't ignore what a dramatic transition takes place between the "cold" and "hot" elements.

Either mode looks good, but that gritty in-between one if the best.  Fight me.   I still love the green trim around the bottom of the feet, the silver bands and box around the eye look great, but that transitionary state between black and silver plus green and white is just the best.   It's not based on any specific movie thing, but as toys go this is one of the more fun figures I've bought in a while.  I like futzing with it, and if you dig color-change I bet you will too.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from my pal Shannon. Thanks Shannon!  There are 2 droid 4-packs and 1 droid playset with a Gonk Droid at this time.  "Warm" colors on the droids are their movie-like state.  "Cold" colors tend to be a lot stranger.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,640: November 21, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,639: CZ Protocol Droid (Color-Changing Droids, Droid Factory, Galaxy's Edge)

CZ PROTOCOL DROID Color-Changing Droids
Star Wars Disney Droid Depot
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 droids - CZ, 3PO, R4, BB
Action Feature: Pops apart, changes from white to orange
Retail: $39.99
Availability: ca. July 2019
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.  These droids have the special ability to change color!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  I have no idea when this color-changing CZ Protocol Droid came out - I didn't see an announcement and had no idea it existed until it popped up on eBay.  I am rather amazed Disney found a way to make these interesting after so many recolors - the build-a-droid gimmick and super articulation seemed like the endgame, but no.  These guys change colors - the CZ droid is orange when it's cold, and white when it's hot. It seems to easily hold the "cold" color at room temperature, until you start to handle it - so freeze it before you display it if you want an orange droid.

The base figure has dirt on it, which is very visible in "white" mode but vanishes in the "orange" mode.  Sculpted detail is the same as it's been - good - with decent paint on top of it.  You're being charged for this extra deco, but it does give you more than you can do with the toy other than pose, display, or cram in a ship.   I really like what they've done here and I'm impressed how well the colors change.

Molded in white with color-change orange, what delighted me the most was when I handled it after it was left at room temperature for a few days.  It looked like some sort of crab coloring.   It's silly, it's non-canonical, but I think these may be my favorite (non-glow in the dark) droid figures out of the House of Mouse yet.  Kudos to them - maybe we'll get UV-reactive ones next.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from my pal Shannon. Thanks Shannon!  There are 2 droid 4-packs and 1 droid playset with a Gonk Droid at this time.  "Warm" colors on the droids are their movie-like state.  "Cold" colors tend to be a lot stranger.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,639: November 19, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,638: Wedge Antilles (The Black Series 6-Inch)

WEDGE ANTILLES Luke with New Head
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E6058
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #102
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: A talented young rebel pilot from Corellia, Wedge Antilles survived the attack on the first Death Star to become a respected veteran of Rogue Squadron.   (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: Can you believe Hasbro gave us Wedge Antilles before a second Cantina alien? I'm stunned.   The figure is a reasonably clever rehash of Luke Skywalker [FOTD #2,553] that mostly works.  Denis Lawson is actually an inch shorter than Mark Hamill, so the body reuse makes a lot of sense.  For my sake I would have loved to have seen a new jumpsuit, but I suppose a photo-realistic Wedge is better on an old body than Biggs on a short body.  What I'm saying is that this is good enough and I assume may have been made as a hint as to the next movie's casting.

If you bought Luke, you know what to expect.  The body is pretty much the same, which means some of the switches on the chest box don't quite match the color reference of the movies.  (Or at least, they don't match the photos I'm looking at from Return of the Jedi.)  Also odd, we never saw Denis Lawson with his helmet off in the original Star Wars, so here he has his ears covered by his hair.  In Return of the Jedi, he has two haircuts - you can see his ears in the briefing.  During the Endor party, his ears are slightly more covered but not completely covered.  Does that mean Disney/Hasbro/Lucasfilm had reference of Mr. Lawson that we've never seen?  Possibly!  All I can say is that this isn't authentic to any reference materials I have at my disposal - but since the helmet covered his hair in that first movie, I don't know that it's necessarily incorrect.

The helmet looks great and fits nicely, and the pistol is a tight fit in his hand.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm also fairly confident we've never seen Wedge with a blaster - but this blaster is consistent with most of his previous 3 3/4-inch releases.

When it comes to classic characters, Hasbro has had a good eye for keeping the 6-inch line's authenticity.  I am hesitant to say this is a perfect figure - I'm amazed we got it, but since it's just a new head they could just as easily have made it as an exclusive for a retailer.  The worst I can say about it is that it's good enough - the new parts are excellent, and the execution is nothing short of perfectly fine.  I would have loved to see what a new body would look like, but given the size requirements there's no reason for Hasbro to invest tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars on completely new figure molds.   Get it and push your nostalgia buttons, while also considering that this could well be a hint as to a The Rise of Skywalker cameo as has been hinted/rumored/confirmed depending on who you ask.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,638: November 14, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,637: The Mandalorian (The Black Series 6-Inch)

THE MANDALORIAN Probably 2019's Must-Have Figure
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E6959
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #94
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: Pistol, rifle, cape, bandolier
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: His body is shielded by beskar armor, his face is hidden behind a T-visored mask, and his past is wrapped in mystery. The Mandalorian is battle-worn and tight-lipped, a formidable bounty hunter in an increasingly dangerous galaxy.   (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: Premiering tonight (and as I write this, I haven't seen it yet) The Mandalorian is the first streaming-only Star Wars series.  With The Clone Wars and Rebels (and maybe the last 4 episodes of season 1 of Resistance) the serialized format seems to work well for the saga.  After all, afternoon serials were a big part of the inspiration.  From the look of things The Mandalorian TV show spared no expense to lean on all the fan nostalgia buttons while casting incredible fan-favorites alongside mega-talents to direct and create the show.  It's a supergroup of a project, spoiling us with riches.  What could possibly go wrong?

"Make another Boba Fett" seems to be a recurring theme inside Lucasfilm, with "Babe Fett" (Aurra Sing's hand-written notes), Jango Fett, and so on.  Each time we got just a little too much backstory, which tends to miss the point of what made the debut of Boba resonate for so long. For years, his origins were conflicting, contradictory, or subject to the whims of the times. Parts were true - were they all true?  We didn't know, until 2002 at which point we got the raw dump of everything.   As of now, The Mandalorian is this character's name and for all we know, we'll never find out more.   Maybe he'll just be a cool guy in the center of tons of adventures.  Or maybe we'll find out his entire story and negate a desire for a second season.  At least the figure is good.

The figure's armor says a lot - I haven't seen a full teardown of it, but there are some familiar landmarks. The helmet and chest plate look like classic Boba Fett-inspired gear.  The right shoulder armor looks like a Shoretrooper.  The figure certainly seems like it has gone through a lot, thanks to damage and bullet holes and other evidence of wear and tear.  The blaster looks nifty, fitting in the hand or the holster.  A rifle also looks awesome, containing elements from the Holiday Special prod weapon.  The rifle plugs in to a hole in the figure's back, which itself goes through another hole in the figure's bandolier.  Everything fits together nicely once you get it aligned, with the cape hanging a bit off to the side.  The only thing missing is some sort of backpack - everything else seems descended from Boba Fett's basic look and feel.

One thing you'll love is that the figure has those new shoulder joints that go forward and backward as well as the standard movements.  One thing you'll hate is the rifle's painted peg starts to scrape when stored in the back.  If you open it and want to keep it mint, don't use the storage on the back.

You don't need to tell me that you want this figure, or that you want to see the streaming show.  This is pure fan fulfillment, giving people a heaping helping of the kind of stuff they want - so the expertly decorated and textured figure is something that you know you want already.  (Or don't.)  Even if the show is terrible, this is a wonderful figure with bend-and-swivel wrists and rocker ankles.  If you can find him, go ahead and get The Mandalorian - you won't be sorry.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,637: November 12, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,636: Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Galaxy of Adventures 5-Inch)

KYLO REN Supreme Leader
Galaxy of Adventures   5-Inch
Item No.: Asst. E3016 No. E3812
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: Force Attack
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: Kylo Ren, a Force-sensitive human male, was the Supreme Leader of the First Order and master of the Knights of Ren during the New Republic Era. Once a promising student of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, the former Ben Solo was neither Jedi nor Sith, but a product of both sides' philosophies. Though trained in the ways of the dark side by his predecessor, Supreme Leader Snoke, Ren still felt the pull to the light and consequently struggled to overcome the conflict within himself. Ren idolized his grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and aspired to become just as powerful. Driven by ambition and the desire for greater power, he believed it was his destiny to rule the galaxy.   (Stolen from Wookieepedia. 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!

Commentary: Much like Rey, this Kylo Ren from Galaxy of Adventures is a decent, 5-inch stylized figure smooths over some of the details from the film, but is a pretty good recreation of what we've seen as the movie costume so far.  It's basically a hooded cloak over The Last Jedi costume with a fixed-up helmet and a lightsaber - it's a good, recognizable figure.

Like Rey, Kylo Ren has 23 points of articulation.  His wrists are a little tilted, so they swivel but don't bend beyond their molded position.  This is pretty good for achieving nifty lightsaber duel poses, especially since the arms also have a great range of motion and the lightsaber itself is pretty striking.  The exaggerated energy crackles really look awesome on this version of the weapon, which comes complete with a chunkier-than-usual hilt.

The lightsaber is more or less perfect, with a thick  black hilt and some nice wiring painted on the grip. The cloak has a hood, not unlike 1990s Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker figures.  It's fine.  It's not fancy, it won't do much to hurt the figure standing on a shelf.  I can't say I would miss it if it were gone, but it's good to have to add some heft to the rather skinny figure.

Kylo's ankles are a little more difficult than Rey's, meaning you might have to take some care to get them just-so.   The rocker motion and general range of movement are good, but getting things to get in place just right so he doesn't fall over may take some work.  The results are striking - he looks awesome swinging his blade, and I find myself wishing this is the format we got in 1995 instead of 3 3/4-inch redux at times. Could you imagine hundreds of these guys, with vehicles and playsets?  It's a pity that will never come to pass, but at least for now we have some very good, nicely-priced toy figures.  I can't believe I'm saying "you should buy this Kylo Ren figure," but it's good enough where I can't dump on it.  Good size, good quality, good price... but if you're avoiding new scales, stay away.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Figure of the Day

Day 2,636: November 7, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,635: Rey (Galaxy of Adventures 5-Inch)

REY Now in 5-Inch Size
Galaxy of Adventures   5-Inch
Item No.: Asst. E3016 No. E3804
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, blaster
Action Feature: Force Attack
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: Rey, a Force-sensitive human female, was a scavenger who lived on the forlorn frontier world of Jakku during the New Republic Era. Toughened by the harsh environment of her homeworld, Rey lived in solitude until events drew her into the galaxy-wide conflict between the First Order and the Resistance. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. 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!

Commentary: You don't need a new scale, but these Galaxy of Adventures 5-inch action figures are pretty great.  $10 gets you a figure like Rey, which feels like a real toy.  She has 23 points of articulation, which is kind of painful when you compare her range of movement to a 3 3/4-inch figure which costs $13 or more.  And those don't necessarily have rocker ankles, either.   The more stylized figure doesn't have the level of detail as the "realistic" collector-targeted figures, but as far as how it plays?  It's just as good if not better than the other sizes.  The "Rey" likeness is there, but there's not a lot of Daisy Ridley in this otherwise spectacular toy figure.

The figure has a lot of the same movement that you see on a typical super-articulated figure - if you've got a 2003 Clone Wars Super-articulated Clone Trooper, Rey is pretty close.  There are some changes and improvements, plus the waist joint is now a spring-loaded attack mechanism.  The hands have no problems holding the oversized weapons, and the blaster tucks perfectly in the holster.  Her head is huge, and has two neck joints for optimal movement.   The ball-jointed hips have a marvelous range of movement, but what really stuns me on this series are the rocker ankles.  Wrists swivel but don't bend, but that's OK - you can pose this Rey better than most The Black Series figures.  This is not OK, given the costs.

If you are a Star Wars fan, odds are you're already invested in the other scales and don't need this one.  If you just want some cool, cheap figures that are fun to futz with you would do well to give these a shot.  They're great action figures, but they may not be the figures you want due to your collecting history.  I hope Hasbro does a decent run of these and digs into the past to give us aliens, bounty hunters, and a mishmash of more.   The sculpting and articulation is a little simplified, but it's also much cheaper with a bigger bang for the buck.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,635: November 5, 2019