HOBAN WASHBURNE

FIREFLY REACTION

Back in January, I took a look at the first entry in the ReAction Figures line, produced jointly by Funko and Super 7. Those first figures were based on the unreleased prototypes from Kenner’s ALIEN line. When Funko stepped in to handle distribution of Super 7’s line, they also brought with them their vast catalogue of movie and TV licenses. Together, Funko and Super 7 have launched a wide variety of figures under the ReAction banner, spanning several decades of properties, all in the vintage style. One of the properties I was most excited for was Joss Whedon’s Firefly, a show that, up until now, has been mostly lacking in action figures. The Firefly figures from the ReAction line have just been released, and I picked up my personal favorite character, Hoban Washburne, better known as Wash!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wash is part of the first series of Firefly ReAction Figures. Wash is 3 ¾ inches in height and features the standard 5 points of articulation. Wash sported many looks over the course of the series, so there’s a lot to choose from. He’s depicted here in a brown jumpsuit with a blue and green Hawaiian over it. I don’t know exactly which episode he wears this combo in, but it suits the character perfectly. This is exactly what comes to mind when I think of the character. Unlike the ALIEN figures, which were previously existing sculpts, the Firefly figures are brand-new sculpts from Super 7 and Funko. Wash’s sculpt appears to be unique to him. It’s a pretty good sculpt, given the style they were going for. I was surprised by how well they captured Alan Tudyk’s likeness, given the figure’s more simple nature. The sculpt’s weak point is the figure’s torso, which just seems far too flat and devoid of any actual body shape. It’s not horrible, but it’s a bit distracting. Overall, the sculpt actually reminds me of Fisher Price’s Adventure People line, rather than the vintage Star Wars look they were going for. The lines are from the same time period and they are fairly similar, but there are some discerning details. Wash’s paint is in keeping with the simplistic look that Funko and Super 7 are going for, without being too simple. Everything looks rather clean, and he’s got some pretty great detailing on the Hawaiian shirt. The eyes being the same color as the eyebrows caught me off guard, but it’s actually in keeping with the Kenner style. Wash includes two small dinosaurs: a T-Rex and a stegosaurs. I can’t think of a better set of accessories for the character, and they fit perfectly in his hands. His is an evil laugh!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As I mentioned above, Wash was my favorite character from the show, by far. I was always quite bummed that he wasn’t amongst the small selection of characters to receive a figure in the Serenity line. I was overjoyed to hear he would be amongst the first set of figures Funko would be releasing. When my local comicbook store, Cosmic Comix, received the first series of figures, Wash was the one I had to get. The figure is really quite cool in person, and I can’t wait to get the rest of the crew. I know that this style isn’t for everyone, but I really hope that Funko sees fit to release a second series with Simon, River, Book, and Inara!