Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,107: Cad Bane (The Black Series)

CAD BANE Live Action (released twice nearly simultaneously)
The Black Series 2023 Window Box Line Look The Book of Boba Fett Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F9982
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05 - Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett
Includes: Hat, 2 pistols
Action Feature: Holsters, removable hat
Retail: $24.99
Availability: December 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: Renowned bounty hunter Cad Bane was known for his impressive arsenal of weapons and allies. His work with the Pyke Syndicate on Tatooine led him face-to-face with Boba Fett. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Over the holidays I rewatched The Book of Boba Fett, a fantastic example of what the current creature creators can do with a bunch of excellent casting choices and enough "please clap" cameos to delight and confound fans of all ages. Camie! Fixer! Cad Bane! I liked the character on the cartoon, I liked the 6-inch figure I already had - but here was a new one, coming in similar to the 3 3/4-inch one also released a few months ago. Despite the fact he doesn't look like the other 6-inch releases, he's similar enough that I assume most fans would walk by this figure and go "I got that" or "Hey, that's the one I missed." To make matters worse, a nearly identical figure (with more fireblasts) was sold in a two-pack with Cobb Vanth as a Target exclusive last year. It would seem Hasbro continues to experiment with solid packs, exclusive variants, and other ways to get out (I assume) popular characters and make sure the market gets their needs met. Seeing his secondary market price on eBay is now below SRP, it would seem they succeeded.

I did not immediately take a shine to this figure, and it took me a minute to figure out why. It looked cheap. The face sculpt is good, and Hasbro painted the skin blue - that makes it look a lot better, and really highlights the sneer. The alien hands look great, with unusual blue fingers with wide tips and bony knuckles. Those are great! But then it hit me - it was the shine. I consider a glossy finish a real perk when it comes to retro-style figure, as some of the old ones (Ewoks, Walrus Man, and so on) had an a shiny finish in the original Kenner era. That's part of the appeal - but with 6-inch figures, you want "realistic" textures. Cloth needs to look like cloth, metal needs to look like metal, plasteel needs to look like... I don't know what. But not plastic. The figure's boots are molded in a brown with a hint of translucency, which destroys the "premium" illusion. The chest has a shirt that's almost distractingly shiny, and the choice of material doesn't make it look like a $25 figure. The 3 3/4-inch figure actually looked a little bit better.

Paint is acceptable, but I think the elements popped better on the small version too. The shirt was darker, as were the pants, contrasting from the jacket. The silver highlights on the ammo belts and actual belt seemed a bit nicer, and the painted blue gauntlets on the little version also had a more "premium" look than the molded-in-blue. I realize this may sound a bit hypocritical, as I've been impressed by Mattel's molded-in-color limbs and boots on Masters of the Universe Origins. (Seriously, Filmation Skeletor is unpainted except for the black on his eyes and mouth!) I think that sort of thing works great with toys and cartoony characters. Seeing the pains Filoni and Favreau and Rodriguez took to translate a cartoon character to a believable moving mask with the cartoon voice, the figure doesn't quite capture the presence of the character on TV. This is just due to materials, though.

The sculptor did a good job, and the engineers who put the articulation in deserve an award. The shoulders can shrug forward and backward in the coat, giving the sneering baddie additional body language that's subtle and absolutely sells the figure's "I don't care" or "I hate you" vibe. He stands well, and he's easy to pose. I love the moods he evokes just by standing there, snarling at you with his teeth showing. The eye color is superb. The prototype looked good too, so it just lost a lot in translation on the way to (from?) the factory.

With the 3 3/4-inch line the occasional bad joint, or wrong-sized holster, or other problem was something we all had to take on the chin every year or two. Sometimes Hasbro owned up to it - like that first Vintage IG-88's holster on his back couldn't hold the accessory due to a factory glitch. It happens! For $5 or $10, it's not a huge deal. But this one was $25, so seeing such a wonderful sculpt with excellent textures and one of the most striking alien faces in a decade of these big figures marred by a chest that says "I cost $2.99 at Remco in 1987" is a bit disenchanting. I'm not saying don't buy it - but if you're the kind of fan who's inclined to customize the figure, you're going to make him awesome. The boots and chest aren't everything but ultimately they do make what is a genuinely impressive design and make you ask why it's $24.99. Sure, the joints are great. Yes, the personality is good. But if you're happy with Cad Bane at home, maybe wait for a sale on this one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,107: February 13, 2024