Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,016: New Republic Security Droid (The Black Series)

NEW REPUBLIC SECURITY DROID or N5 Sentry Droid
The Black Series 2020 Line Look The Mandalorian Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F5526
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 23 - The Mandalorian
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: The New Republic ued these security droids for protection and combat, including aboard high-security correction transports like the one Th Mandalorian boarded in an effort to rescue the prisoner Qin. (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: I sat on the New Republic Security Droid in my review pile for ages, in part because I just wasn't excited with it, but mostly, because there wasn't much cause to play with it. (Unrequested tangent: 6-inch makes a great fan format, but for weird stuff, 3 3/4-inch is probably the way to go. Without prisoners to guard, why make a droid prison guard?) Unsurprisingly to long-term readers, I opened it up and absolutely love the design. I just wish it were Vintage or Retro, and if it were Retro, I would greedily pick it up in at least one alternate color. It looks a lot like something that might menace C-3PO in the old Droids cartoon.

It's a good figure. It's not great - given the price increases, Hasbro probably could have used a better gray plastic that doesn't look quite so much like a toy, or perhaps painted it more, but it's a nice sculpt. If you have a K-2SO - which he resembles - you'll recognize the clear plastic in the elbows, wrists, ankles, and knees. He stands nicely, posing him is easy, and he holds his gun in his three-fingered hand without a fuss. It's a good sculpt - they did a nice job translating the show's design with its tiny eyes and long face into something that retains elements of Battle Droids and the K-2SO designs, but also looks new enough that you won't be too upset by what I assume were shared digital assets in spots.

The figure is arguably more interesting from the back. He's got some sort of robot spine on his lower back, a light on his butt, various access ports and switches, and a second New Republic symbol printed over there. They didn't seem to skimp back here.

Deco, again, could have been better. There are chest lights that don't exactly pop - they match the muted New Republic symbol too closely, and just look like part of the droid's painted decoration. Similarly, the eye light doesn't quite sing - it's just a yellow stripe, and lacks something vital I can't quite put my finger on. It also feels a tiny bit small, but at least it's where it should be. The torso, neck, and hips have a little paint on them but it seems this was a pretty cheap figure to make. There's not a lot of extraneous bits here, with no special features and minimal paint applications.

I like droid figures and we get very few new models - so I'm happy this exists. I would've expected a character with more dialogue from that episode first, and honestly, something in 3 3/4-inches first, but this is certainly better than nothing. We've also had so few New Republic toys of any kind (other than Trapper Wolf, really) that this faction is really unexplored territory. So in short: it's fine. Hasbro could do better, especially given the price, but it's not like there's an alternative Security Droid for you to pick up as of my writing this. The fact that it seems to be cheap on Amazon because nobody wants it is just a nice bonus.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,016: March 30, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,015: Tech M'or (Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, The Vintage Collection)

TECH MO'R (Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F6984
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 7 band members with 2 Kloo Horns, 1 Fanfar, 1 Fizzz, 1 Ommni Box with pedals and stand, 2 drum sticks, 1 drum, 1 Bandfill,
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: This 7-piece ensemble of Bith musicians was a common sight at the Mos Eisley Cantina, playing swinging instrumentals for the watering hole’s staggering patrons. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: One of the "why didn't they ever make that?" figures from the 1970s Kenner line was the Cantina Band. Hasbro Pulse got an exclusive (now less exlcusive) set of Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, with nameless band members and tons of instruments. The figures are the same, but for the sake of filling up a column, let's look at them all! Tech M'or was the name given to the Ommni Box player in the 1990s, so that's what I'm going to call this one. It's the same as the Figrin D'an carded figure last year, but with a really nice instrument.

Looking like some sort of junker theremin meets pottery wheel, the Ommni Box is a welcome addition to the line in a seated form. Y'see, we haven't exactly had a lot advancement in Cantina Band Member figures since 1997, when the Official Star Wars Fan Club had an exclusive figure with five instruments that would be the basis for all future Cantina band figures up until 2008ish. For the 30th Anniversary Collection, Disney parks had a set that came with electronic music bases, and Walmart had a set packed with a tin, and all of those versions replaced the plastic vest with a cloth one. This new one has no such vest clamshell, and he has a remarkable range of movement. The hips are the old-style 2016ish-present style, but for whatever reason they're a lot less finicky than other figures. He doesn't have rocker ankles, but I'm still getting decent poses out of him. The fingers on the hands make good use of the bend-and-swivel articulation, and the neck has just enough extra movement to be useful. His mid-torso joint makes more sense here than on some other figures, but it's still ugly - just be glad the arms and instruments block the unsightly joint.

The head sculpt is very good, complete with the mouth that makes you go "Uh... I don't know if I can display this in front of children." (But you can, they don't know what it is.) The eyes shine nicely and thanks to the generous shoulder and elbow movement, you can get him in all sorts of nifty poses. Much like the 1997 figure - which was the first 3 3/4-inch Star Wars figure to sport swivel wrists and bending elbows - this super-articulated update can easily hold just about anything you throw at him. In this case, the figure has zero problems standing, sucking on things, or sitting on the stool of his Ommni Box. Despite the head being a rubber mask, the body is incredibly expressive. You can get a lot of subtle movement out of his arms, legs, and neck, so you can almost see him thinking or otherwise feeling the music. It's funny - I felt the same way about the 1997 one, who I would sometimes hand a lightsaber or blaster because he was uniquely capable of being posed in ways other figures at the time just plain could not. The Ommni Box itself has limited paint, including some cool wires running up and down the sides that remind you of the kind of nonsense you might have seen at a Man or Astro-Man? show in the 1990s. It is an excellent accessory. I dare say that Hasbro could probably have suckered me into paying more for this set if they did a better job showcasing how well the figures worked with the instruments, and/or had a Cantina on which to display them. $90 (plus shipping) almost seems too cheap, especially given modern pricing for carded figures. I'm not sorry I bought this.

I would go as far as to say that this was the ultimate expression of this figure in this scale, and there may be no reason to ever do one again. You should buy this set! Hasbro should consider rereleasing it if they ever make a Cantina playset that's worth a damn, until then just buy the big Space Bar from Orbitdyne if he ever restocks them. Also confidential to Kenner: if you do a The Retro Collection Cantina Band member - or set, with Glyos-style alternate arms - I'm here for it and I will happily throw down a similar amount of money.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Within a week, it went up for sale at other fan outlets.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,015: March 28, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,014: The Emperor (The Retro Collection)

THE EMPEROR (Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7275
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (Stolen from the marketing copy. 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: When I heard they were going to make Return of the Jedi Kenner figures, there were a lot of figures I assumed we would get - Jedi Luke was a shoo-in, Boushh Leia seemed likely, a Biker Scout was all but guaranteed. But The Emperor I assumed we wouldn't get - surplus white-box mail-in figures were cheap 20-30 years ago, and you can get mint, complete originals now for $15-$20 delivered to your home. He's so cheap, it was probably the worst choice to reissue - if you wanted it, you could've had it already, and a packaged retro remake is a very poor substitute for the original because Hasbro uses an awful flimsy cardstock, intentionally distresses the cards, and slaps an ugly sticker, an iffy 40 Jedi graphic on it, and makes other eyesore changes for carded collectors. But at least you get the figure, and in this case, I don't think it was necessary since the originals tend to hold up really well. Kids who got one tended to not play with them much, so the paint is usually good, the joints are usually tight, and the cane is frequently present. Honestly I was expecting we'd get an Emperor's Royal Guard or Gamorrean Guard as both are good army builders and who wouldn't want more of them?

As this line goes on, it seems like Hasbro is intentionally smoothing these figures out and I'd say making them a little worse. The original 1983 and 1984 releases have a very subtle cloth texture to the robes... and this 2023 one is super smooth. The joints on the 2023 release are somehow looser than the original. The original toy's skin is much more wrinkly, to the extend where I am much more appreciative of the deeper sculpted cuts and careful attention to detail. Having said that, the robes look pretty much the same, the colors are pretty much identical, so if you put this guy on a shelf you probably won't realize it's not the original unless you get real close and squint. Still, I don't understand why Hasbro would de-detail the Kenner original, which is surprisingly wrinkly, unless it was to make the figure look intentionally worse for some reason.

The figure's cane is less detailed than the original, which I appreciate from a "which one is the old one?" perspective. The color and shape perfectly match the old one, but with fewer cuts and grooves. Just like the figure, it would make a fine replacement for the original that you might not realize was under-detailed without really giving it a hard look.

Due to the massive amount of detail on Lando that was washed out, he's probably a worse reissue, but due to his design, a better figure. The Emperor was never a fun figure, and the smoothed-out detail really doesn't hurt it much. The color matching is excellent, and Hasbro did a great job wasting a slot on what could have been a more in-demand figure here. I assume Lando (who, for the record, I love) and the Emperor (not so much) will probably glut up a warehouse somewhere unless they deliberately underproduced the duo. It's a perfectly acceptable remake here, but given this line will most likely be online-only, and you can get an unlimited supply of legit vintage Kenner The Emperor figures online, it's ultimately a pointless endeavor. I know they wouldn't have made Yak Face in the first wave, but Wicket or Admiral Ackbar would probably have been more welcome for filling a market need... or our need for meme figures. The Emperor comes recommended only for those too lazy to open an eBay account to get the genuine article for roughly the same price, if not exactly the same price after shipping is involved.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,014: March 23, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,013: Doctor Aphra (The Black Series)

DOCTOR APHRA Now with coat!
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F7002
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, hat, scarf
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster, hat fits on head
Retail: $27.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Marvel Comics

Bio: Unpredictable rogue archaeologist Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra is one of the galaxy's most daring treasure hunters. Despite questionable morals and equally bad judgment, her luck hasn't run out yet! (Taken from the box flap.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This Doctor Aphra figure is a retool of the 2019 Doctor Aphra [FOTD #2,848], herself a retool of Jaina Solo. As such, it stands to reason that this figure is pretty good and manages to deliver fans a new figure, that's a lot like the old figure. The arms, coat, and scarf are new - everything else is reused and in some cases, recolored.

While the same tooling was also used for a new Mara Jade (where it looked fine), it's more appropriate here. She still has her fingerless gloves, the holster is the same as before, the removable hat with goggles has for-some-reason red goggles and while that does look goofy, at least they're goggles. The new arms and coat plug in the body just fine, but also restrict movement a bit - obviously, she won't be doing as much sitting now. The elbows bend nicely, the hands have no problems gripping the blaster, and most important of all, her mid-torso joint and ab-crunch actually aren't obtrusive. A lot of recent releases just look awkward, but thanks to the coat and colors used it isn't nearly as ugly as these joints are on some wider human male figures.

Everything works well here - I'd love to know how far in advance they planned to reuse this body. Thanks to continued demand for the character, I assume this figure will do well. I don't know that it's worth the $3 "exclusive tax," but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the original figure on the secondary market. It is, very much so, better than nothing - so I'd recommend her. She looks like herself, the outfit is nice, and her cool red shirt and brown coat stand out as looking different than your many other hundreds of Star Wars action figures. At retail price, I doubt you'll be disappointed if you're a fan of the character or just want a perfectly nice new figure. (Also she's way more interesting than some of the troopers and nonsense from the comics that are getting toys.) It's a figure you might actually care about, rather than buy and toss on a shelf or in a box.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,013: March 21, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,012: Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina, The Vintage Collection)

IMPERIAL STORMTROOPER (Nevarro Cantina)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Walmart Shared Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5575
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, cable, cannon, 3 legs, harness, ammo/power source
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $20.97
Availability: May 2022?
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Elite shock troops fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause. They wear imposing white armor, which allows them to survive in almost any environment. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: Do you remember when most of the new action figures we got were exciting and fresh instead of more expensive versions of something you already purchased? A lot of 2022 exclusives shipped late - or not at all - to pre-orders. Walmart dragged their feet months before sending my order for the Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina) and it's probably pretty telling that I didn't miss it. The figure is the same Stormtrooper we've seen in regular, battle-damaged, army builder, and other configurations - so it's the latest and greatest mold, with the now-outdated hip joints that I can't really appreciate anymore. The elbows bend nicely and all the limbs have an acceptable range of movement, but due to the bulky leg joints he looks kind of funny when you pose him with the cannon. If you are only after figures, and not accessory completism, you may already have multiples of him laying around from other releases. He's neat, he's well-made, but it's not a figure that's going to excite you at the time of its release. Or its delayed rollout.

Vintage figures were about $15 when this was released - and this Deluxe set was $20. They removed the basic Stormtrooper blaster pistol, but instead you got a nice big E-Web Cannon, or a Tri-Pod Laser Cannon if you're my age. It seems to be a new mold with a rubbery plastic power cord connecting cannon to its power generator. You get three snap-in legs and the whole thing assembles pretty easily. It's a little on the shorter side, so your figure will need to lean or crouch down to grab the somewhat small looking handles. It seems to be about the right in-universe size, but due to the figure's arm poses and such it comes off as weird. The original Kenner incarnation of the toy looked more sensible, and the Mission Fleet one today also looks like a better toy - even if this one may be more properly sized. You'll appreciate the sculpted detail, and I like that it has a laser blast effect to plug in the barrel. It doesn't shoot or anything, it's just a special effect.

Is it worth the asking price? Well, it's moot because Walmart probably under-ordered. I never saw them in stores and other online shops carried them later - so at about $21, it doesn't seem like the big blaster is worth the $6 upcharge given it's unpainted and has no action features. But that's how deluxe toys work now - they want a higher price point, and by gum, they're going to charge it. I rather liked the pre-posed, spring-loaded Snowtrooper with cannon from 1997, mostly because it was a lot easier and less awkward to enjoy. I think I would have liked this figure much more as part of a "Force Friday" before The Mandalorian aired, because it would have been fun to build it all out before the show aired and exciting to see on screen. They made us wait over two years for this - and by then it was more than a bit of a shrug. It's important to note that it's not bad. Hasbro made a good new accessory, and took the best on-hand Stormtrooper they could sell us. But in an era plagued by repaints, rereleases, variants, and more of the same, this figure is less a must-have than a don't-have-so-may-as-well release. The box art is great. The idea is solid. But Star Wars is feeding us a steady, increasingly bland diet of troopers and main characters that effectively removed the weird imagination we enjoyed in its first few decades.

The funny thing is I think I would've enjoyed this concept much more as part of a big kid's line. If they had a simpler, easier-to-pose trooper figure and a rocket-launching cannon for $15 instead of the pretense that this is a serious collectible for adults, Hasbro may have sold many more units and I'd be gushing about how much fun it is. For example, This gift set was $20 with all this and much more - and while it was 20 years ago, a typical figure then was $6 and it was still an incredible value in its day. If Hasbro could make a better value proposition - maybe add a second trooper at a slightly higher price, or throw something to occupy the copious empty space in the packaging - I think it would be easier to swallow.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,012: March 16, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,011: Mara Jade (The Black Series)

MARA JADE So is she coming to Disney+ now?
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F7001
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, lightsaber
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster, lightsaber hangs on belt
Retail: $27.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Dark Horse Comics

Bio: Mara Jade was once Emperor Palpatine's hand, his most trusted assassin. Five years later and now a successful smuggler, the last thing Mara expected was to stumble on her former arch-eneemy, Luke Skywalker.. (Taken from the box flap.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Pretty good, but there were some shortcuts taken here. When Hasbro put out Jaina Solo and a previous version of Doctor Aphra, I said to a friend of mine "they're totally going to make a Mara Jade from this eventually." It took a few years, but here we are! You can see the molded SKU for Jaina on Mara's foot, and she's basically the same figure with a new head and different arms. (And those lower arms are probably the same as the original Doctor Aphra.) While the higher price tag on the figure is insulting - being charged a $3 premium for a retool is increasingly insulting - the decision to make this figure in this manner makes all the sense in the world.

For those just wanting the very best Mara Jade figure, this is a lateral move. Hasbro can reuse Expanded Universe bodies even when it's not a perfect fit, because there's plenty of wiggle-room in artistic interpretation of a lot of these costumes. The dark blue suit, the tall black boots, the sleeveless top, the holster... they're all here. The ribbing on the thighs of the pants are gone, as are frequent depictions of unique knee pads, but this is a figure where Hasbro threw in a newly-tooled harness and a scarf/goggle combo platter and said "close enough?" and starved fans that haven't seen a new Mara Jade figure in nearly ten years will unite with one voice and shrug, saying "Sure, why not." The dated double-jointed knees are showing their age and the spindly legs don't help keeping her upright terribly easily, but they certainly look close enough. The reused Doctor Aphra gloved hands work fine. The reused holster is arguably more Mara-y than expected, so that's good too. Her costume is a perfectly acceptable interpretation of what we've seen before in Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising and other Zahn-derived works.

The head seems to be new - I think. The hairstyle is a massive improvement over Hasbro's last attempt, with decent face paint and a look on her face that isn't goofy. I think Hasbro did a really nice job here. The hair may be a little too dynamic, a little too perfectly flowing, but they're basing her on comics and not a real person. So why not? It's striking, at least.

Ms. Jade's accessories are phoned in - the lightsaber hilt is reused from Jaina Solo, and so is the blaster. Previous releases of 3 3/4-inch Mara figures tended to have more specific blasters and some had more distinctive lightsaber hilts. If this were a 3 3/4-inch figure in a repaint/retool wave for under $10, I wouldn't be complaining - but Hasbro used to make a big fuss over how The Black Series were premium, collector-grade, definitive takes on these guys so shortcuts like these are upsetting. Especially at $28. Hasbro can (and does!) make 100% new figures for $28 so better weapons aren't exactly a lot to ask for here.

Having said that, this is the best/only Mara Jade you can buy, and $28 isn't that much more than you've been spending on basic figures. Heck, repaints of figures you already have as exclusives cost this much, so from that perspective this is one of the better overpriced repaints/retools on the market today for Star Wars fans to buy. If you don't compare her to reference materials, she's great - she looks like you remember, her articulation is good, the colors feel right, the head is nice, and the accessories aren't bad. But is she the best Hasbro can make with current technologies? Are her accessories perfect? No. If this is the only one Hasbro ever makes, I'd say grab it and be happy. If a better version comes along, I hope at least they really knock it out of the park because the only thing worse than a $3 premium for a retool is asking us to buy a complete second upgraded figure again later.

In terms of "wild speculation," I also assumed this meant (or may mean) Mara Jade will show up on a TV show this year. I heard about Krrsantan early and went "hunh what an odd choice" before he showed up on The Book of Boba Fett. The Disney era of Star Wars seems to rely on using existing tools and existing characters a lot, deploying a "retro" version of a beloved character around the time a new one hits your screens so they can capitalize on existing demand while creating more for a newer, more accurate version. And for full disclosure I am present unaware of any confirmed appearances or rumors of Mara showing up on cartoons or live action series.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,011: March 14, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,010: Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard, The Retro Collection)

LANDO CALRISSIAN (Skiff Guard, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7277
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, staff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (Stolen from the marketing copy. 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: Adjusted for inflation, Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard) is pretty expensive compared to one of my favorite childhood action figures' 1983 release. Back then, he was about $2.99 - today, he's $11.99. Adjusted for inflation he'd probably be around $8.99. The figure is just as simple as the original with five points of articulation, a removable helmet, and the classic pike weapon - but the detail isn't as sharp, and the colors are barely different. Unless you had an original to compare side by side, you probably wouldn't notice.  But you would notice that the eyes are painted a little off, that the armor is a lot smoother, and that the figure's sculpt (and flimsy cardback) are just bad enough that I am now assuming this has to be a directive from Lucasfilm or Disney.   If a bootlegger on Etsy can make a more authentic looking product, surely a billion dollar toy company can - and has - so why is this one just off enough to make you go "that ain't right?"

The figure itself looks and feels very close to the original, with painted hands, painted hair, silver armor, and a good amount of sculpted detail. For whatever reason, Hasbro watered it down for this release so the pockmarked chestplate is a little smoother, the wrinkles are a little pushed out and the figure almost looks like it's the tiniest bit skinnier - like someone barely squished it in a bit. It could be my imagination. His colors aren't a perfect match, but it's close enough - and if you've seen enough of these guys over the years, you've seen subtle color variation from different factories or sun damage, too.

 His accessories are pretty good. The helmet is a much tighter fit than an original, and seems to be cast in a slightly darker brown. Meanwhile the pike is a lighter gray and is a little more translucent in parts - an original looks and works better, in either case. I assume a lot of play will result in scraping hair and maybe paint rubbing off the gripping hand's fingers, but most likely fans will buy him, sit him down, and that'll be that.

As one of my favorite Return of the Jedi figures, I'd suggest getting him if you see him - preferably a 1983 original, but hey, this is cheap! Most versions of this character in this costume are good, but you can't go wrong with the original. I hope Hasbro makes a few more Jabba's Palace-specific Kenner figures for the masses, particularly Gamorrean Guards, as we could all use a few more - but this is an excellent figure that's hard to get in really good shape. The genuine article looks even better, but for $12 or so the reissue will do in a pinch for most fans who never owned the original and therefore won't know any better.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,010: March 9, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,009: Stormtrooper Commander (Gaming Greats, The Vintage Collection)

STORMTROOPER COMMANDER Re-redux
The Vintage Collection Gaming Greats 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5559
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #254
Includes: Pistol, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: August 2022
Appearances: The Force Unleashed
Bio: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed follows Darth Vader's secret apprentice, trained to hunt down Jedi, while Stormtrooper Commanders lead Imperial troops into battle. (Stolen from Amazon. There is 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: Remember 20 years ago when we kept complaining Hasbro wasn't making Clone Trooper and Stormtrooper repaints, droid repaints, and other low-hanging fruit? From the ironic punishment division comes this fan channels shared exclusive Stormtrooper Commander, one of my favorite repaints of that armor as seen in The Force Unleashed game. Getting previous 3 3/4-inch versions of it were a hassle - one was a hoarded/stolen pre-order bonus at GameStop (that resulted in some fans never buying games there again), and the other was a Comic-Con exclusive. This one has more articulation and better paint, and all you have to do to get it is order it online. In the past few years Hasbro got repaint religion for Star Wars, which has resulted in a line that probably would've been more exciting in an era where the repaints didn't make up such a big part of the entire collection. A repaint of a figure you've got repainted a few times - and already potentially own - is a little less exciting.

Hasbro deployed the no-longer-new but newest Imperial Stormtrooper mold here, which didn't have the Walmart exclusive holster but has exceptionally good arm joints. The hip joints were state-of-the-art for the time, but we got much improved ball-and-socket hips last year that move much more smoothly. The wrists bend and swivel nicely, but the ankles are a little stiff so getting him in a good, stable pose may take a little work. The proportions are great, and the blue stripes have some nice scuffing to them. It shows battle damage, but that this particular trooper didn't bother to repaint his armor between missions. Hasbro's artists did a good job with the canvas they were given and the task they were assigned.

It includes two blasters - a Rogue One/Disney-era Stormtrooper blaster with the extra greeble on the side, and a smaller rifle. I like the silver brushing on the rifle, and the blaster pistol has a nice little silver mark on the sides. They're perfectly good accessories for this figure, but when compared to what other figures got for the same price you might feel a little ripped off. I personally don't know if there's anything else that would've been acceptable to make it more exciting, but a $16.99 price point is a little high for a repaint of a mold that has made its tooling investment back more than a few times.

If money is no object, this is a very nice figure with exciting paint on the front and the back. You'll love the scuffing, and the articulation is better than the post-30th Anniversary Collection-era releases. You may even want extras! As I write this they can be had for about retail price, and I wouldn't recommend going much higher because I'm cheap and after 3,000 figures I think building any more armies just isn't going to work for me. But if you focus on troopers, this is a great one for your squadron. (And if they made Kenner versions of this guy, OK, I'd buy two.) Here's hoping they put this armor into service on The Mandalorian or one of those new shows!

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,009: March 7, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,008: Vel Sartha (The Vintage Collection)

VEL SARTHA Figure Debut!
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F5624
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #262
Includes: Blaster with removable back
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Andor
Bio: In an era filled with danger, deception, and intrigue, Cassian Andor embarks on a path that will turn him into the rebel hero who will challenge the evil Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Amazon. There is no bio for Vel - this is the same copy used for both figures.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Have you ever picked up a figure and had to look at it and go "I don't know if this is good or not?" That's where I am with Vel Sartha, a figure that was clearly developed in a time between Hasbro keeping to a $14.99 price point and the new $16.99 price point. Generally we've been seeing some "collector" figures come out missing a few paint applications for budget reasons during these transition phases, and Vel certainly seems to be one of them. Also she's a little weird in other ways - not bad, certainly not terrible, but disappointing relative to other women recently made by Hasbro.

With Bo-Katan Kryze and Fennec Shand, hasbro loaded up the figures with painted detail, at least two accessories, alternate heads, and even slightly more articulation for about the same price. Vel has only swivel wrists, so she was designed to hold the blaster like in her cardback photo - and that's it. Her hip joints are great, the bends in her elbows are better than average, her proportions look more "human" than "toy,"and the sculptors did a bang-up job with the garments and her face. She's just a little tiny, and there's not a lot in the package for the money. This would be a very good $8-$9 figure from another manufacturer. At Hasbro's 2023 pricing, especially since she's not part of a bigger line, it's hard to be enthusiastic. I also hate the mid-torso joint, especially at this scale. Vel has two places around her belt where you could put a joint and it wouldn't be an eyesore - so why put it smack dab in the middle of her chest? What's the benefit?

I love how they sculpted and painter her hair - her face was printed nicely, and the parts of her they elected to paint turned out well. You can see a little paint under her jacket collar, but her boots are all the same brown. Multiple shades of brown are on her coat in the show, but all they painted were rings around the cuffs of her sleeves. I assume Hasbro cut corners for budget reasons and assumed we wouldn't notice - and are probably, on the whole, right if that's the case. If you just display her on the package and call it a day, you won't notice, nor will you care - but the general engineering of the figure also teeters between "excellent" and "meh," so it's hard to know for sure what their intent was. Her hip joints let her sit in vehicles well, with a great range of leg movement - I couldn't ask for it to be better. And yet, her arms seem designed mostly just to point a blaster down. She's mostly excellent, but it's weird to see the tiny, specific wrists combined with the perfectly good leg joints.

As the only Vel Sartha in this size, and generally a good figure, I'd recommend her - but at $17 I would assume Hasbro is probably just dealing with a feedback loop of this scale's sales slowing a bit, so they drop features and raise prices, which cause sales to slow, and so on and so forth. Her blaster has extra silver deco hits which really pop and look gorgeous - also the butt of it pops off, so be careful. If the figure had those extra couple of paint jobs like her gun, I'd be praising it, but the all-the-same-brown coat looks pretty blah on a $17 figure. On the other hand, if Vel was a $10 Retro figure I'd say "perfect, don't change a thing." These competing expectations probably sound hypocritical, but I've got a lower barrier to "success" when it comes to cheaper, simpler figures. The Vintage Collection are premium priced and really should be premium quality - I should be impressed, and while Hasbro comes close I'm not amazed by what we got. Also she's tiny, and it's a little painful to know that if we get little guys like Yoda or a Jawa or R2-D2, there's a good chance they too will be expensive and underaccessorized.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,008: March 2, 2023