Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,719: Stormtrooper (Carbonzed Graphite, The Black Series 6-Inch)

STORMTROOPER Carbonized Graphite
The Black Series Fan Channel Shared Exclusive 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: No. E9923
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: Rifle, pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2020
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio:  Stormtroopers are elite shock troopers fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause.  (Taken from Hasbro's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!




Commentary: When I heard that a  Stormtrooper (Carbonized Graphite) was coming, I was picturing something like Walmart's exclusive and forgotten Sith Jet Trooper. (Admit it, you forgot it existed - it's the only Carbonized figure to be marked down.)   Hasbro rarely made new colored Stormtroopers that have no precedent in fiction, but this silver trooper is a surprisingly good one.  It's shiny, but not mirrored.   It seems to owe more to the likes of Captain Phasma figures than anything else, and it's a good fit - the helmet still has painted details thatm ake it look gorgeous.    The body glove is also painted, but the various dots on the belly armor were left silver on my sample and probably yours too.   Articulation is unchanged from the original release, but you're buying this for the generous slathering of paint.  You're also being charged $5 more for it.

We got a lot of special Stormtroopers lately, from games like The Force Unleashed (two of them!) as well as troopers with battle damage, shadow troopers, and some lunatic even got the red Stormtrooper from an old issue of Topps' Star Wars Galaxy Collector Magazine made.  Can you imagine?  If you've enjoyed this figure in white, black, clear blue with glitter grey, and other colors, the silver one may be the best when it comes to bringing the detailing to life.  The white absorbs some of the painted detail, and while the red looks cool it doesn't do it any favors.  The gleam on the silver makes every belt segment pop, every button or dot leaps out, and even the pegs and vents sing in ways you don't normally see on this mold.

I generally don't care for quasi-commemorative figures, but this one sizzles.  It gives you a new perspective on a popular mold that's been repainted several times - and hopefully this is the last one, now that a new mold is on the way.  If you can get it for a fair price, do - the box is gorgeous.  It reminds me of an aluminum soda can, with a mirrored foil box and some simple-but-great Stormtrooper artwork on the back.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,719: August 25, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,670: The Mandalorian (Carbonized Graphite, The Black Series 6-Inch)

THE MANDALORIAN Carbonized Graphite
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure - Target Exclusive
Item No.: No. E8437
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #94
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: Pistol, rifle, cape, bandolier
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: His body is shielded by beskar armor, his face is hidden behind a T-visored mask, and his past is wrapped in mystery. The Mandalorian is battle-worn and tight-lipped, a formidable bounty hunter in an increasingly dangerous galaxy.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When I saw the "carbonized" pictures show up, I was not sold on the idea.  The Jet Trooper, Second Sister, and Sith Trooper seemed superfluous - but The Mandalorian (Carbonized Graphite) was gorgeous.   The silver paint on the metal helmet really sings, even in dark rooms.  The brown metals sparkle a bit more,

To see how the specific elements of the original figure looked, The Mandalorian [FOTD #2,637] is where you'll want to look.  Articulation is still excellent, but the colors changed quite a bit.   While the salvaged Scarif Trooper-esque shoulder and hand armor seems the same, everything else takes on a dreamy root beer quality that looks even better in person.  The grey body suit is now a rich metallic brown.  The shoes still look undecorated and uninspired - but they're there!  Armor that was previously a dull prison grey now dazzles as a metallic blue, and the metallic armor paint looks even better with the silver  battle damage against it.  While it's not as authentic, it certainly feels like a massive improvement over the standard release.   If you're the kind of person that just collects weird variants, this may be a good sub-line for you.

Accessories are pretty much more of the same, but brighter.  The silver pops more, the brown is more of a copper, and even the cape sparkles a bit.  Due to form fit issues, Hasbro's decision to paint the peg on the rifle means you should not try to put that peg in the figure's back hole - it may scrape the paint.  It's too tight, and painted pieces should not be shoved in holes as there are rarely sufficient tolerances here.

The Black Series decided to drop the "black" from its packaging for a lot of special 2019 releases, and this is probably the very best of them.  The orangey-brown shiny finish shows fingerprints like nobody's business, but the hazy coloring really drives home the "carbonized" and "carbonite" motif.  The silver side panel is a mirrored finish that shows scuffs and grubby hand marks, but it really is a gem.  The packaging and figure really sell the idea of "premium" - and at five bucks more, it better look gorgeous! - making this the only one of these chase figures I would actually recommend chasing down, given a fair price.  It made me appreciate the regular release more with certain elements popping out that just faded in the original figure, so kudos to Team Hasbro for improving on something that was already pretty spectacular.   You should get both releases, just to see what paint can do to improve these figures - and how Hasbro can undoubtedly improve them some more.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.  It came out on Triple Force Friday (October 4, 2020) but I didn't ever see them until January 8, 2020.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,670: March 5, 2020