BOBA FETT and Bossk, Amazon Exclusive
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5562
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.99
Availability: November 2022
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back
Bio: Two of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy, Boba Fett and Bossk have crossed paths over the course of their careers as both collaborators and competitors. Both had undeniable skill, but only one became a legend, (Taken from the figure's outer packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!
Commentary: I was planning to sell
Boba Fett. From the pictures, I assumed he was the same as 2020 Walmart Exclusive
Boba Fett [FOTD #2,692] - and while the figure does seem to be made from the same tools, there are minor changes. Are they worthwhile? Well, probably not - but if you're a little too interested in all things Kenner, yeah, probably.
As stated before, it's more or less the same - you can see the old SKU, E9653, stamped in the foot next to a new "branded" mark for F5562. He stands, sits, and looks around the same as before with five joints - but there is a change, as far as I can tell, in his right hand. The fingers are barely modified to better hold the blaster. And when I say "barely" I mean "this might be my imagination," because there's a sliver of extra plastic coming out and it might just be mold flash. It gets the job done, though - intentional or not, my sample has a better grip than the previous release.
The blasters are seemingly the same, but the paint masks are barely different. This could just be a simple batch variation, or someone sneezed while painting, but the visor is painted better on my 2022 sample. There's some more red overspray on the right gauntlet. The orange color is a bit more faded. The differences are minor to the point where you wouldn't notice without a side-by-side comparison, so it's probably not enough to warrant much significance from fans other than the fact they did tweak the packaging and that's usually sufficient to say "hey, this is worth a look as a separate thing." But if you have the 2020 figures, and are happy with it, you don't also need the 2022 release.
But is he worth it? It's the cheapest way to get a Kenner-style Boba Fett right now, even if Hasbro is probably overcharging us by a buck or two for it. (There definitely seems to be a "store exclusive tax" in recent years.) If you want a Boba Fett, this is as cheap as it gets - and arguably as good as it gets. The details are softer than Kenner's original or Hasbro's rocket-firing variant, but he stands and holds his blaster and looks cool. He gets the job done. At $23.99 (or less) I would emphatically recommend this two-pack as being a great deal, at $27.99 it's still fine. But given single-carded mass-retail newly-designed Kenner figures are $10 or $12, and frequently have two accessories and not just one, let's not kid ourselves. Hasbro knows who its customer is, and that customer probably has the money to spend $28 on reliving their childhoods through plastic. And probably a lot more than that.
Collector's Notes: I got mine at Amazon. It was supposed to be released January 1, 2023, but arrived two months early.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 2,979: November 22, 2022
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