Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,833: Carnor Jax (Kir Kanos, The Black Series 6-Inch)

CARNOR JAX Is what the box says but it's Kir Kanos
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2816
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Bladed staff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: May 2021
Appearances: Dark Horse Comics

Bio: Training himself in the ways of the dark side of the Force, Carnor Jax became one of the most formidable members of the Imperial Guard. He betrayed this brotherhood by usurping the Imperial throne. (Taken from the 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: There's a story behind Carnor Jax (Kir Kanos) which I hope gets told in full some day. With the name Carnor Jax appearing on all the documents, it was a surprise to see the revealed figure as Kir Kanos - both characters were opposing forces (and based on the art, either clones or non-distinctive faces) in the Dark Horse Crimson Empire comic book series. Presumably people doing approvals didn't have the full picture at any time - a lot of things are kept secret with code names, so someone probably saw the figure and said "Kir Kanos looks great!" and someone else saw the packaging copy and said "All of this is accurate information about Carnor Jax!" but minimal people with approval/veto power saw the assembled product. Is my guess. I have no idea, I just work here.

This figure is basically the same as the 2018 Royal Guard figure with a new cape and new deco. You have to appreciate Hasbro's foresight - I mean, it's smart to plan for this inevitability - by sculpting perfectly good Kir Kanos armor under the cloak of the Royal Guard so you can cash in on your tooling investment later. He has a swell Biker Scout pistol, a newly-tooled double-bladed staff, and a cape with surprisingly vibrant purple metallic lining. It's a little garish, but I like it - and it's unlikely to be seen in most poses anyway.

The articulation is good, but not perfect for a double-bladed staff weapon. It's good for 2018, at any rate, given its 90-degree bend elbows and rocker ankles. For fans of the old comic series, the red arms, black pants, and distinct deco on the legs will immediately remind you of the character in the comics. Sadly, the head doesn't really turn thanks to the wide base on the helmet and there's no head under the helmet. I'd have loved to see Solid Snake

Kir Kanos' head under there just to give the toy a little more personality. But still, it's business - sometimes you make the best you can with the budget you have, and this definitely seems like a B+ figure in a D- box. In addition to the name and copy errors, the Dave Dorman artwork on the front of the box is decidedly low-resolution. Perhaps they just submitted the wrong package to the printers? Heck if I know.

For fans of weird errors - and Hasbro has had surprisingly few, given their thousands of releases - you'll want this. For comic fans, this is a must-buy. And for those like me who appreciate Hasbro actually making 6-inch figures of some of the more popular Expanded Universe characters of the 20th century, it's an absolute delight to see that what we feared - the complete shunning of an entire galaxy of characters - didn't come to pass. Seeing Kir Kanos along Jaxxon and the now-canon Thrawn, it's just a delight. Nothing is ever perfect, but this is a valiant effort in the context of a line of retools and repaints. If you can get it, get it. I would not anticipate a retool with an unmasked head unless someone decides to plus it up for a future convention exclusive.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,833: June 29, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,832: Qui-Gon Jinn (50th Anniversary, The Black Series 6-Inch)

QUI-GON JINN Photoreal Second Edition
The Black Series Episode I Cardback - Best Buy Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2729
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, removable blade
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: March 2021
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: A wise and powerful Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn discovers young Anakin Skywalker, proving to be a pivotal event for the entire galaxy. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: The original release of Qui-Gon Jinn a few years ago was an evolutionary link in this line - Hasbro was trying to fix the issue of weirdly painted faces, so it tried making separately molded eyes. The 2021 release seems to town down that whole thing, giving us effectively the same exact figure with the fancy face paint. It looks a little more lively, but it might have too much color - the eyes almost look bloodshot, but everything else seems to be better. The skin tone is just a little lively, as opposed to the probably-just-died not-quite-bluish look for the original.

You're paying more for less, but it's an upgrade. Hasbro removed the second hand from the original, and charged you an extra $5. A cloth robe would have really made this feel like a good deal, but all you get is an (admittedly good) lightsaber that can pop apart and be placed on his belt. It's a good match for the 1999 Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Duel) figure from the first Midnight Madness, coming on a foil cardback that's pretty sturdy.

Qui-Gon's outfit is basically the same as the previous release. The color looks a little more saturated, but other than that, it's Qui-Gon. It's good - you may just be buying it for the packaging, but I opened it and I think it's clearly the superior version. I wish it cost the same as the basic figures because there's nothing special here, and Hasbro got a free second shot at selling existing tooling, but it's good enough that you'd want to buy it as part of this year of the celebration of a company that now exists as a spleen in the body of the mouse. I'm glad they gave him an upgrade, and I'm glad he can hold his lightsaber. Unless you're a completist or a packaging fiend, you may be better off keeping the $25 and putting it toward one of the many (many) new releases this year.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,832: June 28, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,831: Imperial Hovertank Pilot (The Black Series 6-Inch)

IMPERIAL HOVERTANK PILOT The first version
The Black Series The Force Awakens-Style Red Box - Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. B9612
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Fall 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Imperial combat drivers operate the Empire's arsenal of armored repulsor vehicles. Combat drivers are lightly armored, relying instead on the thick skin of their vehicles to protect them in battle.. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Originally a Toys R Us exclusive in 2016, this, Imperial Hovertank Pilot has sat unopened for five years - I figured it was time to open it, since a reissue (with minimal changes) came out in 2021. We'll get to that one - let's focus on the red and black version first. It's good! It's also basically a Scarif trooper with new paint and a new head, making it a smart and good reuse of existing tooling. Hasbro reused parts like Lucasfilm reused parts, and that's the way it should be.

Hasbro did a good job here - this was a good choice for an exclusive at the time, making use of the amply reused parts from the big screen. The light off-white color of the armor matches the on-screen counterpart, with a little bit of dirt on the boots and pretty good scuffing and wear on the armor. For the pre-hyper-real-printing era, this is a nicely fake-battered figure. It looks sufficiently different from other troopers on the market, while recalling them in various ways. In other words, it fits in with the lower-budget 20th century movie look of the Galactic Empire.

Articulation was standard fare for the day - about 27 points. The range of motion was pretty good, although the elbows could only bend 90 degrees while the double-jointed knees moved nicely. The legs swing forward well, with knees that bend at a 90-degree angle. Had Hasbro any chance of making a vehicle for these guys, I'd be impressed - it's good to be prepared! But the 3 3/4-inch version was $80, so I assume an all-new 6-inch one would be scraping $200 given today's inflation. For this reason, this figure's chief role will be to sit in a box or stand at attention with other troopers on a shelf. Thankfully it can stand well, or be posed, or hold his blaster without a fuss. There's not going to be much else for it to do.

Especially at $20 for the new version, this is a good figure. Hasbro did a great job engineering a good body that can be reused time and again, they painted it well, the helmet was designed nicely, and there's nothing I can say negative about the figure itself. Its function, however, is to be collected - this isn't going to be played with, it's not going to be a child's favorite toy. It probably will never go on any adventures. It's not going to pilot any vehicles or be attacked in a playset. Its purpose was to be collected, which is one of the things I bristled at when writing about toys in the late 90s and early 00s - I love toys, but when it comes to things like statues, they're not as endearing. While this is by no means a statue - it's a super-articulated figure! - it (and indeed, many figures) serve little purpose other than to be bought, admired, and then I would wager set aside for a few years. I absolutely feel a little spoiled saying this, but in the last year it's something that certainly started eating at me. I've got so much stuff, I can't really play with it - and the 6-inch scale doesn't really lend itself to fun times anyway. It looks good on a desk or a shelf, though, so if you like what you see, rest assured, it is an excellent collectible.

If Hasbro ever makes a Retro Collection one - and I hope they do! - I'll buy it, and throw it in my AT-AT, and have a great time. This guy's fate is on some risers on a shelf after the review goes live.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Toys R Us, a chain which ceased to be in 2018.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,831: June 24, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,830: Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice, The Black Series 6-Inch)

DARTH MAUL (Sith Apprentice)
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2814
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: May 2021
Appearances: Dark Horse Comics

Bio: Darth Sidious' apprentice and enforcer Darth Maul has cut his way through the ranks of the galactic crime syndicate Black Sun to take on the pinnacle of their organization. (Taken from the 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: Seemingly the most popular of the batch by far, Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice) is a figure that keeps getting revisited - Hasbro did a deluxe one for Power of the Jedi and a super-articulated one in its Evolutions packs. It sells! You can count on it. They should probably take the 3 3/4-inch one and slap it on a Vintage card. It'll sell. This 2021 release is nowhere near that simple - it shares a few parts with the 2013 figure, but so much of it is new!

This is one of those figures you could probably hand someone to get them started buying the line. They'd probably roll their eyes over topless Darth Maul, packaged in a quasi-hardcover book box - but the joints are incredible, the personality is strong, and the paint job is really good too. I'm not going to waste time nitpicking the body art design, because it's certainly good enough and the superior construction is worth praising until this one is one-upped some day. I would recommend buying this one, and buying extras as gifts for any collector-curious friends you may have. It's right up there with this year's Asajj Ventress as one of the very best. Do not miss it. Do not dawdle. Just go buy it if you can find it for a fair price.

Hasbro used 2013 Maul's legs, but even those are retooled - unlike many other figures, they show new copyright information and new SKUs or other numbers stamped on them. They still feature the same double-jointed knees as the original, and are effectively the same parts. Despite the differences, they're functionally the same and you're not going to find a lot to fawn over here as being new. The Lightsaber is also reused, but painted silver - and it's tighter. At first I wasn't sure if it was glued together or not, but it is possible to split it apart. It's a very good accessory.

The rest of him is new - and I was surprised. I'd love to know if there are plans for those new parts, because shirtless Kylo Ren seems like a great exclusive even if it is kind of a gag idea. Hasbro's new Darth Maul torso has a great ab-crunch joint, the new-style arms with superior cuts in the elbows and the extra joints in the shoulders, and great hands that have zero problems gripping the lightsaber. It absolutely could be used and reused again on other releases, and you'd like it. It's just that good. The paint job may not be as exciting, as I have heard complaints that Darth Maul's hands (on the figure) lacked the ink he seems to sport in the comics. Given that his face's marks are never really consistent from figure to figure, I assume any comic or cartoon art is also subject to artistic interpretation so I don't poo-poo the figure for not being 100% perfect to the other interpretations. There's no movie for it to perfectly match, and 2D art tends to evolve over time. It may not be exactly what you want, but it's good enough. And it's selling well.

The "skirt" pieces are new, but seem to draw inspiration from the 2013 model. Everything is different, but there's still a hole to hang the lightsaber hilt. The cloth elements are gone, with the sides being more open and the front being covered by a hanging plastic piece. The folds are also different from the 2013 figure, so it doesn't look like they just altered an existing digital sculpt - they did a lot of work here.

Of course, the real work comes in the all-new head, with much-improved head spike deco, gritty teeth, more determined eyes, and more consistent coloring in his facial markings. I am not necessarily saying it's perfect - my sample had some red on the horns - but for the asking price, it's some of the very best Hasbro has ever given us. I love the angry face, the extra neck articulation is a real bonus too. These 6-inch figures usually have wonderful sculpts, but rarely a lot of personality. Darth Maul makes up from eight years of figures that are just trying to look their best on picture day with the most determined head the line has given us so far, and Hasbro deserves credit for giving us a figure that looks like he has something to say.

At this point I'm just a broken record, but I'd say it's worth your while to snap this one up before it goes off the market. It's a good figure and the kind of thing new fans will discover down the road and go "Dang, I wish I didn't miss that." Just go get one for $25 if you can find one for sale. Or buy two, so you have one to trade later. Someone who isn't you will be glad that you did.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,830: June 22, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,829: Greedo (Kenner, The Black Series 6-Inch)

GREEDO Kenner 6-Inch Retro Style
The Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Collection
Item No.: No. F2804
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2021
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Greedo was a male Rodian bounty hunter who grew up on Tatooine in Mos Espa. He was occasionally hired by crime lord Jabba the Hutt for various mercenary jobs, including the capture of Han Solo, who killed the luckless Rodian. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Greedo-painted Greedo was a neat idea - but it's not perfect. Is anything? Hasbro took the 2013 The Black Series figure - took out the vest, and added some new paint. It's a decent update to the figure, which has been over $100 for a while - there's definitely demand for the green guy. (There wasn't for a long while, but new people coming in to a hobby can do that to a price.)

I would argue they should have gotten rid of the holster, given the original Kenner toy had no belt nor a holster of any kind. The colors of the 2021 redeco are pretty good - the eyes are bluish (rather than purple like the movie), the skin seems a little brighter, and the lime green outfit is close enough. The Black Series mold doesn't have knee-high boots like Kenner's figure did back in the day, but you do get the dark green paint around the wrists and elbows. Hasbro opted to leave out the painted white eye reflections of the Kenner original, which I was going to complain about - but the glossy finish on the eyes is so good, I think they made the right call.

The articulation is just as good as it was last time, and the coloring makes me happy. If you're not a fan of a certain age you may not care, and that's OK. You don't have to buy this. I was really excited to see what a good job they did, even if the outfit of the Kenner figure isn't really replicated precisely. The colors are, though, mostly, and that's good enough. Greedo has no problems holding or holstering his blaster, so I'd say it's a nice Rodian to add to your toy stash regardless of your feelings on Kenner colors.

If you can find this figure at a fair price (or if Amazon reruns it) you should absolutely buy one. I love that they made the hips so he can sit, and he seems like the kind of figure that should be able to hang out with Jaxxon. Kenner's weird 1979 paint jobs were a hoot, and I am happy they brought them back for 2021.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,829: June 21, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,828: R1-J1 (Droid Depot Line Look)

R1-J1 Disney Parks Exclusive
Droid Depot Droid Depot Droids boxed set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $49.99
Availability: ??? 2020
Appearances: Galaxy's Edge
Bio: R1-J1 was an R1-series astromech droid with green plating and a yellow trim. It stood 1.94 meters tall and, like all R-series astromech droids, was manufactured by Industrial Automaton.[ (Taken from Wookieepedia. Box has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This is a new sculpt! Disney's R1-J1 looks a lot like R1-G4 from Hasbro, which was a big droid the Jawas had in the original Star Wars. They don't share any parts, but have similar coloring and silhouettes. You could put this in your Sandcrawler and it's good enough, but it's skinnier and missing some elements of the movie droid. It's different.

Disney's droid lacks the arms of the previous version, and it's a heck of a lot cleaner. The paint chips and damage are absent, there isn't quite as much paint, and the greeblies are all different. Disney's droid is crisper, with more easily seen rivets around the base of the dome. All of the grey painted bits are different, and the sides look a lot different from Hasbro's. Having said that, the big foot is pretty similar, the back is similar, and they both seem to be cousins.

Disney's R1-J1 droid seems a little bit brighter with cleaner paint. There's a light layer of painted grime over the figure that's incredibly subtle too - and you can't ignore the brighter silver on the eye and the antenna. It's kind of impressive to see how Disney handled the figure with cleaner lines and sharper details, but the Hasbro one is so much more ugly that it's hard to not love. One stands out in the elements at a theme park, and the other has been through goodness knows what.

What makes this new Disney droid special is that it uses build-a-droid elements. You can pop off the dome and swap in an R2 head if you want, and the foot pops off too. Popping the foot off doesn't do you much good in terms of customization, because it doesn't have another part you can put there. You do get to see some hidden gears and guts though, and that's just plain cool. The ability to take apart the robot gives kids a chance to do something with it, making it more than just a nifty robot pepper shaker. Hasbro's figure has a moving head and foot, with barely-telescoping arms. I would say the Disney one is a lot more fun to play with, but for those wanting to fill out a Sandcrawler diorama you jut gotta get the Hasbro one.

I like this set and I get a huge kick out of Disney doing a new R1 unit. There's no reason to make one. No kid is asking for this. I don't think any collector wanted this, either, but they did a good job and it's fun to futz with. Also I'll take any new spin on a droid, mostly because it's better than getting another R2 or R5 in similar-but-different colors. If you see this set at a good price, get it.

Collector's Notes: I got this from eBay for about $63 delivered. I was not happy to overpay by $13, but after tax and shipping, it wasn't too bad. It's still cheaper than paying the theme park parking rate were I still relatively local.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,828: June 17, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,827: Greef Karga (The Retro Collection)

GREEF KARGA Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F0937 No. F2025
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, vinyl cape
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster loop
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Greef Karga was a human male and former disgraced magistrate before becoming an agent of the Bounty Hunters' Guild following the collapse of the Galactic Empire. (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: I assume the fact that Greef Karga comes in his season two gear, while pretty much everybody else is dressed for season one, is a Disney issue. (The Vintage figure was also in this costume. That's why you don't remember it either.) Both make use of a simplified version of the costume and different facial hair... and it doesn't look quite as good as the 6-inch head. But do things ever?

Like Gideon, Karga has a vinyl cape - and I would say the cape looks good here. There's no cloth analog for Greef's cloth robes that would probably look great, Hasbro would have to probably develop something new and we'd complain about it. Or, they'd have to do something like The Emperor or Anakin Skywalker... and then we'd complain about that. Given how the robes hang, the goofy piece of vinyl folded over makes a lot of sense. It could stand to be longer, but authenticity is not what makes Kenner figures interesting - it's the errors that make them fun.

The quilted gloves look a bit like the Hoth Kenner figures - a little bulkier than the costume - and the boots are brown, rather than black. I'm not sure if that's how Kenner would do it, but it looks good, so I have no complaints. The buckle is painted gold, and the chest piece has a whopping five colors! That's a lot of detail, what with his shirt and vest and pants and belt and everything. His head has three colors, which seems a good choice when I look at all my old Kenner toys. There's not much to complain about here, other than you have to take the cape off to get him to sit in a vehicle.

I like the blaster. It seems like a deformed version of the TVC blaster, with some elements resized and enlarged. Also the trigger guard is gone. You know, typical Kenner stuff. They did a good job, and I was pleased to see you can shove it in the loop on the figure's holster too. Greef Karga has no problems holding the blaster either, Hasbro did a much better job with the fingers than Kenner usually did. I pulled out some of my Droids humans lately, and I forgot just how rotten Kea Moll's fingers were. Thall Joben's aren't very good either.

I'd love to see a Season One Greef Karga in this format with the mustache and the other costume - but this one is good, too. Cara Dune from season one and Greef from season two means they're not quite a perfect match, which is a pity. And also a very Kenner thing to do. (I mean we didn't get Slave Leia in the format ever, but we had a place for her in a playset.) If you see this figure on shelves, buy it. Better yet, buy the whole case so you can just get everybody - they're all good and neat, occupying a weird place between being art pieces and also some of the better actual toys Hasbro has produced. There's really no reason to skip this one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,827: June 15, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,826: Jawa (Kenner, The Black Series 6-Inch)

JAWA Kenner 6-Inch Retro Style
The Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Collection
Item No.: No. F2808
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloth robes, blaster connected to bandolier
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2021
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Jawas were a sentient species of meter-tall humanoids native to the Outer Rim desert world of Tatooine. Jawas who migrated from Tatooine were referred to as Offworld Jawas. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: A vinyl cape version of this figure would have been welcome too! This Jawa figure is basically similar to the idea behind the Offworld Jawa [FOTD #2,654] - but it's different. The core figure is the same as the other 6-inch scale Jawas, but the cloth robe is a new design based on the late 1970s revision of the Kenner figure, and it's one blaster short. Also it costs about the same, which is pretty great considering a lot of repaints have cost more lately.

This time around, the bandoliers are outside a new cloth robe - it looks neat! You can also see the orangey brown plastic underneath - which is basically the old Kenner colors, but maybe slightly more saturated. I love the bright yellow eyes, and I can't complain that the blaster is basically impossible to lose. It's not the blaster I would have preferred, but it works. I had a bit of a problem getting the gun in his fingers because the wrist joint isn't as stiff as some other Jawa figures I've bought.

I hope Hasbro finds a good way to give us a vinyl cape Jawa too - it might not look quite as good as the cloth one, because throwing a robe over a figure covers a lot of rough spots. Also it's a great robe - the hood fits nicely, and it's not as bizarrely terrible as some of the other 3 3/4-inch and 6-inch Jedi robes. (Come to think of it, how is it that they nailed it in 1979 but kept biffing it since 2005ish?) The figure stands well, and lacks the kind of superfluous paint we saw on Amazon's Kenner Obi-Wan Kenobi - if you look at his legs, they're in plastic color. That's the way Kenner did it... minimal paint, minimal articulation, maximal mark-ups.

The Jawa was one of my favorite figures as a kid, so I'm happy to have a new one. Hasbro has done a pretty good job making so dang many variations of the same figures that I can build an army without buying the same figure twice, but I also don't really have any reason to build an army without playsets or vehicles. He'll go nicely with R5-D4 and the rest, and I hope Hasbro continues to build out this concept with other figures. You really can't go wrong with retro Kenner styling... especially if that might be C-3PO in 1985 yellow style. C'mon Hasbro. Do it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,826: June 14, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,825: Jaxxon (The Black Series 6-Inch)

JAXXON Figure Debut
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2815
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 blasters
Action Feature: Holsters work
Retail: $24.99
Availability: May 2021
Appearances: Marvel's Comics

Bio: Jaxxon is a nearly 6-foot tall, green-furred, Lepi smuggler and captain of the Rabbit's Foot. Known for his wise cracks and high kicks, Jaxxon has helped Han Solo and Chewbacca out on more than one occasion. (Taken from the box, which elected to use a gray lettering on a black background. We're getting older, Hasbro, how about some brighter letters here?)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When I found out Hasbro was doing Jaxxon, I was surprised. Very surprised. There were two characters on my "I want this but Hasbro will never make them" list - Vlix, and Jaxxon. I was expecting to pester Hasbro to get Vlix, and after I got Vlix, I'd ask for Jaxxon. (I've brought up Jaxxon, but not like Vlix.) I'm kind of amazed we got this character - best known as the butt of jokes made by fans old enough to remember Marvel's first non-movie stories from the 1970s - but he's here. He's real. And, most amazingly, he's a partial retool. The execution was excellent, and while this isn't the style I would have done, it's good.

Hasbro used Tatooine Luke's legs - note the wrapped boots - with X-Wing Luke's arms and torso. The armor is new, the head is new, and I believe the belt is new too. (I admit, I have a few The Black Series figures I haven't opened because I need to cut some lumber to make some risers.) All of the parts go together nicely, resulting in a 2021 figure that's made with the best engineering you could cobble together from 2013 and 2016. I don't mean this to knock it - while he lacks the advanced newer shoulder joints, the better elbow cuts, and the improved knees of recent figures, he's still good. The legs swing forward nicely, the figure stands well, and the range of motion on these particular elbows are good. The painted deco makes everything match, giving the figure that lanky build every interpretation of him so far has had.

I didn't like the early pictures, and I'm not crazy about the saggy ears, but it certainly does add to the idea that Hasbro designed a toy figure head that's meant to resemble a real, wearable creature mask. Much like how The Retro Collection allows Hasbro to fudge the details of screen-used props and costumes - or to get them wrong on purpose to fit the style - Jaxxon is a weirdly realistic rabbit mask. While I would have preferred the cartoony, greener face, Hasbro's designers instead to opt for something that looks like it might not have been out of place in the cantina or in Jabba's palace. Using off-the-shelf costume elements to make the body makes it fit in with Kanan and Ezra and other non-cartoony takes on cartoony players, with proportions befitting some schmuck in a hairy dyed-green Don Post rabbit mask (that never actually existed.) This seems like it could be a costume that someone actually made for a convention or TV appearance, rather than the 1979-style Kenner sculpted head I probably would have held my breath and turned blue to get. I don't love the lighter green fur around the chin, but the subtle front teeth and lumpy fur don't look as bad in person.

Hasbro did a good job cobbling together a figure from existing parts. If you happen to find this figure for sale online - it is not expected to be in any big box stores, although your local comic shop is anybody's guess - I'd suggest buying it. Keep in mind Hasbro's velcro is stronger than Hasbro's glue on this (and many other) exclusive product, so that piece of velcro is likely to peel right off the cardboard when you open the flap. The book box is nice, but also adds waste in an era where Hasbro is gradually shifting over to greener packaging that may - and this makes me cringe - phase out plastic windows on boxes. But I digress. This Jaxxon is an excellent "realistic" interpretation of the character using existing and new pieces from the costume department, and that's praiseworthy. I would also totally buy a 3 3/4-inch Kenner-style one that looks like a sibling of the Walrus Man I have from when I was a kid, or even Greedo. Thousands of them, if necessary, to sell to the unsuspecting public. Just putting that out there. Get a Jaxxon, kids, don't wait for a sale and be sure to thank Hasbro for doing something completely crazy like this.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,825: June 10, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,824: EG-01 (Droid Depot Line Look)

EG-01 Disney Parks Exclusive
Droid Depot Droid Depot Droids boxed set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $49.99
Availability: ??? 2020
Appearances: Galaxy's Edge
Bio: EG-01 was a GNK-series power droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton[1] with green plating. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Box has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This is a new sculpt! At first glance I wasn't sure if EG-01 was a retool of previous Power Droid figures or not, but it looks like they gave us something wholly new here. There are clearly some elements which seem to share inspiration - the guts, for example, may come from a similar digital sculpt - but the exterior and legs are new for this figure. In other words, you probably want it, and you probably want the set.

I make no secret of liking droids (the robots) and Droids (the cartoon) so any time Hasbro or Disney crank out something more than a repaint, I get excited. Disney hasn't fully exploited the existing Power Droid tool, and here we are with a new one. I'm OK with that. There are numerous riffs on these walking batteries in the games and movies, with this one coming from a theme park. You can see it outside of a store, and buy it. Should you? I mean, no, but we're us. We like this kind of thing. The green is incredibly pale, almost looking bleached by a star surrounding whatever planet he was on. The exterior is covered in nifty greeblies, with all sorts of buttons, switches, symbols, vents, panels, and of course the "E"-lookin' symbols we've come to know and love. He's even got a big antenna on it. The droid seems to be one of the largest 3 3/4-inch scale Power Droid figures, and certainly the mst ornate. The top of the head has nifty indentations, a hole for a hat/crane, and all sorts of little bits that arguably make it better than the flat, bland Sandcrawler droid or his tan Hasbro inspiration. (Which I also still like. But this new one looks cooler.)

Articulation is two moving legs - they swing forward, and that's it. That's enough, really. The dome pops off to reveal vents and guts that look somewhat similar to other droids, but it's a new design with some minor differences. What surprised me is the smaller Power Droid's lid fits - it's a perfect fit. It actually lets you swap parts and customize your droids, which would be awesome if there could be more parts in a build-a-droid factory set. (Not bin parts, please. Boxed sets only.) If you somehow get stuck with a lot of extra droid parts and love to make your own robots, I think this feature is going to be a huge selling point. It's not easy to swap parts of differently sized figures.

With incredibly subtle dusty dirt deco, this is a spectacular little robot with an abundance of detail we rarely see on a Power Droid. Someone over there did a great job, and it's a pity this is relegated to theme park souvenir status. Vintage fans would probably dig it, it's a great way to build out the Star Wars toy galaxy with a non-movie (I think) design as I am admittedly lacking in complete movie reference power these days. It's bigger, it has more detail, it's covered in little painted parts... you've got no real reason to skip this one. It's in a nice boxed set, and it's a cool droid. The only way it could be better is if Disney takes the mold and painted it in Kenner 1979 Power Droid colors, giving us the "close enough" Power Droid we've all been wanting for years now.

Collector's Notes: I got this from eBay for about $63 delivered. I was not happy to overpay by $13, but after tax and shipping, it wasn't too bad. It's still cheaper than paying the theme park parking rate were I still relatively local.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,824: June 8, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,823: L4-R6 (Droid Depot Line Look)

L4-R6 Disney Parks Exclusive
Droid Depot Droid Depot Droids boxed set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $49.99
Availability: ??? 2020
Appearances: Galaxy's Edge
Bio: L4-R6 was an R-series astromech droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton who functioned as a repair droid. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Box has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: With a body that follows the pattern template of R4-M9 [FOTD #2,199], L4-R6 is a confusingly named droid that would be, by the old standards, an R4 unit - hence the cone-shaped head. The chest and outer limbs are painted like R4-M9 from the 2015 Disney set, but in blue, with added paint dirt. The central leg has dirt and silver. The dome is a completely new template, I believe, unless I forgot one some place. Look, I got a lot of droids here.

Making use of the Disney versions of the build-a-droid parts we've been getting for nearly a decade, there's not a lot new beyond color. The dome has a white box around a black eye, with nifty blue panels in an all-new pattern to match a set of robots outside of a store. So you go to a store, and sold nearby, is the stuff directly outside the store - there's not much to the robot beyond that. I like the colors. Blue and white look good on these guys. Disney applied a wonderfully weird pattern of dirt here that pops nicely on the body, while being a lot more subtle on the dome. There are, of course, other blue and white astromech R4 units, but this one can be had in a fancy box with more neat robots.

Articulation is nothing new, so this is best bought as a souvenir, or a fix for the hapless droid junkie. As I do not expect to be near a theme park this year, I/you may be best served ordering online. I can say it's good and durable, with nice deco that changes it up just a bit so it isn't yet another pallet swap. It's also bright enough to fit in with your cartoon figures, if you had any. Should this set come across your desk for a fair price, I'd suggest that you buy one.

Collector's Notes: I got this from eBay for about $63 delivered. I was not happy to overpay by $13, but after tax and shipping, it wasn't too bad. It's still cheaper than paying the theme park parking rate were I still relatively local.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,823: June 7, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,822: B-R72 (Droid Depot Line Look)

B-R72 Disney Parks Exclusive
Droid Depot Droid Depot Droids boxed set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $49.99
Availability: ??? 2020
Appearances: Galaxy's Edge
Bio: B-R72 was a heavy loader droid with yellow and red plating. The droid belonged to the Droid Depot in Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Box has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: As a kid, I loved Star Wars toys because of the variety in its selection of aliens and droids. Even though there were eight Ewoks, it never felt like overkill - compared to the last decade, where a lot of what we get is similar to what we already have. But sometimes we get something totally different, like B-R72. This entire figure's purpose is that it stands outside a theme park with four other droids, and now you can buy it. Is this good reason to make a figure? No. But is it cool and different? Oh yes. I like it, it seems like it could be something that hangs out with my Mini-Rigs or was off-camera on Ingo or something.

This loader droid can be dismantled - the head, uni-leg, and arms are all removable. The neck doesn't really move, and the legs are a single piece double-pegged into the torso. So really, all you can do is dismember it or pose its arms. Given my love of old-school Kenner figures, I'm OK with that - it's not like it could fit in a vehicle anyway with those most bellish of bell bottoms. The sculpting seems to match the prop quite nicely, mostly being smooth with minimal specialized surfaces other than some air conditioning ducs for arms and wrenches for hands. It's a gleefully weird mix of specialized parts and what seem to be found objects, with a head that mashes up inspirations from - unless I miss my guess - R2-D2 and Darth Vader's chest. From a fan perspective, it also seems to owe a lot to the G.I. Joe Cobra S.N.A.K.E. armor as well as Monsters Inc.'s own C.D.A. agents... with a hint of DHL's branding.

The 4-inch figure has a surprising amount of paint, which is true of the entire set - there's a light dusting of grit and grim that I don't necessarily think is obvious. You can see some spots where it's absent - and that really stands out - but on the whole it just looks like they used a darker yellow at first glance. I love the red stripes with worn-off spots, and they did a nice job with the weathering. Except on the face, they just skipped that spot entirely. It matches the photos of the prop quite nicely.

This is a neat toy that is one of those figures that both makes me cringe that it took a slot from another potential figure, but also delighted in that it's weird and exists only in a corner of the galaxy where collectors probably aren't paying attention, particularly over the last couple of years. My old-school droid loving self loves this, but my "but why not give me something I might recognize" self thinks it's a waste. That said, I'll take a weird robot over another R2-D2 redeco any day, and I assume we'll probably not see many more toys based on this design. If you see the set, get it.

Collector's Notes: I got this from eBay for about $63 delivered. I was not happy to overpay by $13, but after tax and shipping, it wasn't too bad. It's still cheaper than paying the theme park parking rate were I still relatively local.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,822: June 3, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,821: Moff Gideon (The Retro Collection)

MOFF GIDEON Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F0937 No. F2024
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darksaber, blaster, vinyl cape
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Gideon was a human male who served as an officer in the Imperial Security Bureau, a law enforcement and intelligence agency of the Galactic Empire. (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: If you're old - and I'm old - Moff Gideon makes for a curious design case. When I first heard The Mandalorian would get retro figures, I assumed they would take design cues from The Power of the Force, Ewoks, and Droids lines - that is to say, cloth capes. Kenner replaced the Jawa's vinyl cape with cloth before the end of the 1970s, and new figures after 1981 were all cloth all the time until the line's first demise. Seeing a figure like Moff Gideon - with a vinyl cape and a Bespin/Jedi/Snowspeeder Luke-style lightsaber, it's a weird trippy choice. Of course, it would make little sense to give him the telescoping lightsaber, because you would be unable to give it to Mando. And you will no doubt want to do that at some point.

Seemingly a demake of the surprisingly good Moff Gideon (The Vintage Collection) [FOTD #2,773], you can see that it seemed they just took that design and rolled it back. (But not a lot.) The original Kenner Darth Vader was almost completely unpainted except for his chest panel buttons, whereas Gideon sports red stripes on his belt and sleeves too. He has grey and black paint on his face - the mustache is a nice touch - which is unusual, but not unheard-of. For example, some releases of Lando had both black and white paint on his face - but most humans had their facial details all painted in one color. I appreciate the extra pennies spent on paint, and while the silver buttons and belt buckle also look nice - are they too nice? Darth Vader's were usually a cruddy white paint, and that sounds truer to what was truly vintage/retro/what we had when Star Wars was still new.

Sculpted detail is a little soft, which is odd because some of those old Kenner figures have incredibly sharp sculpting. It may not have the authentic detail of today, but there are some superbly crisp lines and ridges on those 1978-1985 releases. Hasbro's new "retro" guys are a bit duller, which gets the point across but isn't necessarily true to what was real. Maybe it's intentional. Maybe it isn't. At least Gideon can still stand, sit, and hold his gear. His head has a decent likeness too, even if the head does have a little paint slop. I don't like the paint slop. But whatever.

In addition to the removable cape, he also has a blaster and a Darksaber. The Darksaber is the 1980s-style Luke lightsaber, now cast in a barely-translucent grey plastic to simulate the weird dark blade you've seen on the streaming screen. This is exactly the kind of thing Kenner would have done in the 1980s - they use the same weapon design over and over, rarely (or barely) every changing it. They could have done an all-new design that's truer to the show, but phoning it in a bit is appropriate. Meanwhile, they gave Gideon an all-new blaster pistol. Good for them. I would have happily accepted them just throwing in whatever blaster they had handy, because Kenner was also fond of handing out "Bespin" blasters, Han's blaster, or a Stormtrooper blaster to dang near everybody. You could've got Jedi Luke's blaster here and you'd be fine with it. What I really wish is that we got a cloth cape like Lando Calrissian (General Pilot), but the Darth Vader-esque vinyl cape works well here. I still don't think it clicks with Mando, but Gideon and Greef Karga can rock a slab of vinyl like nobody else.

The good thing - or bad thing - about this kind of figure is it might cause some fans to revisit what they collect, and why. I've certainly become disillusioned with completism after decades thanks to things like carbonized figures, credit collection, gold figures, and holiday figures making me shrug once I open them... or skip them, as the case has been lately. (Yeah, you're not going to see reviews of everything here anymore. The repaint exclusives in the 6-inch line and gold figures broke me.) The Kenner-style figures have proven to be lots of fun for me - I assume younger fans will love displaying them on their cards, while I ran back to pick up the AST-5, CAP-2, INT-4, Imperial Sniper, and other Mini-Rigs and had myself a fun little time playing with all of these guys. Sure, the foot pegs don't quite fit, but at least most vehicles don't require them. If Hasbro expanded its Kenner offering, I could see reconsidering what I buy going forward. I opened up the Best Buy Black Series Qui-Gon Jinn the other day (review a-coming) and while it is better than the last release, it brings me absolutely no joy. Retro Fake Kenner Gideon is a delight - he can hang out with Uncle Gundy and Jann Tosh and everybody, it'll be a good time. Just you see. And it's OK if you don't agree. You can buy 6-inch or 3 3/4-inch super-articulated Gideons if you prefer. I like this one best.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,821: June 1, 2021