Yearly Archives: 2022

#3221: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

OBI-WAN KENOBI

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (HASBRO)

“To gain free passage through Jabba the Hutt’s shipping routes, the Republic agrees to rescue the crime lord’s kidnapped son, Rotta the Huttlet. Obi-Wan learns that Anakin and his team have found the child and are under attack by Separatist forces. Obi-Wan races to join them on the remote planet, bringing much-needed reinforcements to Anakin and his embattled team.”

When the 3D-animated Clone Wars went into production, in order to save trouble on the animation concerning the flow of the robes that were signature to the Jedi Knights, the designs for the characters were somewhat ruggedized. Calling back on Obi-Wan donning a set of Clone armor during a sequence in the 2D Clone Wars, all of the Jedi were granted far more armored appearances, with Obi-Wan himself getting a more unique set of attire, merging his armored and robed looks. He kept the look for the shows first two seasons, and it was present for all of the launch product. Today, I’m looking at the first figure he got based on the design.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the second figure in the first series of Hasbro’s Clone Wars tie-in line, which hit shortly before the movie that launched the show in 2008. The figure stands just shy of 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  Early in the line, only the Clones were getting full articulation, so Obi-Wan only gets proper movement above the waist, and even that’s slightly more limited.  Below the waist, he gets t-hips, and that’s it.  No knees or ankles.  As a result, he’s a little bit stiff.  The sculpt is at least a decent one.  Like the other early line sculpts, he’s not quite as accurate to the show model as later figures would be, but he gets the general gist of it.  The broader elements are there, with some of the edges rounded and lessened a bit, so that he comes just a little bit closer to the main line.  It’s an appealing look, and it’s at the very least quite in the spirit of the character.  The paint work on this guy is very indicative of its era; the base colors are pretty cleanly applied, and then the whole thing gets a sort of a messy wash over it.  It makes the details of the sculpt pop pretty well, but it’s also a bit heavy handed at times.  Obi-Wan was packed with his lightsaber, an alternate helmeted head, a jetpack, and a missile that can be launched from the pack.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I was a little bit skeptical about The Clone Wars when the toys first dropped.  I’d liked the 2D version a lot, but I was still pretty iffy on the prequels as a whole at the time.  Nevertheless, I did still grab a small handful of the figures when they launched, with hopes that I’d enjoy the source material.  The movie *wasn’t* what I hoped for, but the show at least picked things up pretty quickly.  Obi-Wan was one of the first four figures I grabbed, because I’ve always been an Obi-Wan guy.  He’s not a perfect figure, and there were better ones later in the line, but this one wasn’t a bad start.

#3220: Warpath

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

WARPATH

X-FORCE (TOY BIZ)

“He’s super-strong and super loyal! He’s the Native American known as Warpath! The X-Force team loves him for his rock-steady calm in even the most dangerous situations. Because he’s so big and so strong, Evil Mutants often attack him first, thinking that “the bigger they are, the harder they fall”. But in Warpath’s case, it’s the Evil Mutants who fall!”

The X-Men were really big in the ’90s, and the best way to capitalize on that is spin-offs!  Previous X-book The New Mutants was made more x-friendly with its own x-themed title, X-Force, and, with X-Force itself becoming a pretty big deal, it got its own spin-off of Toy Biz’s own X-Men toyline.  They got right to work filling in the team’s roster, in an assortment that, in a form of dramatic irony, didn’t actually feature any of the New Mutants members who had transferred over.  It did, however, feature Warpath, brother to X-Man proper Thunderbird, getting a figure years before his brother did.  How about that?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Warpath was released in the first series of Toy Biz’s X-Force toyline.  He was one of three actual team members in the set.  The X-Force line was a bit slower on getting out actual team members than the X-Men line, but then again, the actual book was far more focused on side characters most of the time too.  The figure stands a little over 5 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  Warpath lacks elbows and knees, which were still kind of phasing in and out at this point.  Presumably, the lack of them here was somehow linked to his slightly larger stature.  Not much larger, mind you; he’s actually surprisingly small for Warpath, who is classically a quite large and imposing guy, especially in the ’90s.  The sculpt is also kind of soft in terms of detailing, and sort of pre-posed, but also really stiff?  It’s an odd mix.  His muscles are also just kind of odd lumps.  I mean, aside from the very definite presence of feet, he’s not a bad match for a Liefeld drawing.  Perhaps not in terms of actual look, but certainly in terms of vibe.  The paint work on the figure is honestly not bad.  It’s bright and colorful, and the application is pretty sharp and clean.  Warpath is packed with…a red bazooka?  Not really sure why.  Not exactly true to the character, but, well, there it is.  He also featured a “Thunder Punch Action,” which just means his arms swing opposite directions when he’s twisted at the waist.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This is another one of those figures that I looked at a lot growing up, but never actually wound up buying until I was an adult.  I snagged him sealed in the summer of 2017, alongside a bunch of other ’90s Toy Biz stuff.  He’s…not a terribly impressive figure.  I mean, he’s not awful either, I guess, but that’s not exactly a lot to write home about.

#3219: NED-B

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

NED-B

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Star Wars sure does have a lot of really cool droids.  And, with each successive addition to the franchise, we get a few more really cool droids.  Hey, if they sell, you gotta make more of them, right?  Kenobi had two such droids.  Lola was the one that got the early lead-in promotion for the show, but the one that really seemed to stick out in the show proper was the non-verbal NED-B, a big, lumbering droid that works with the Rebellion in its early days.  So, let’s have a look at a figure of NED-B.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

NED-B is the final figure in the six figure line-up for the Kenobi tie-in series of Hasbro’s Star Wars: Retro Collection.  He’s unique in this series as the only character who’s making his figure debut here, though he’ll be getting a Black Series release early next year.  The figure is the tallest of the figures in this assortment, standing 4 1/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  The sculpt is totally new to this release.  Of all the figures in the assortment, this guy feels the least like a proper vintage figure.  There’s just something about the exact sculpting and styling that winds up feeling just a little bit too advanced for the original run.  It’s not bad, and it’s not so drastic that he feels out of place with the rest of the line-up, but it’s notable.  If anything, he feels maybe a bit more on par with something more of the ’90s era, almost like he’s just a bit more of a progression than the other figures.  He certainly captures the spirit of the character, though, and the detailing is all pretty solid.  He’s obviously dialed back a bit from what we see on the screen, but enough of him remains to sell which character it’s supposed to be.  The paint work on this figure is similar to the sculpting in that it’s not bad, but it’s also a bit more advanced than it *should* be for the line.  It certainly does look nice, though, and I appreciate the bright colors on him, especially in comparison the the generally drab colors of the other five figures.  I also kind of dig that they’ve painted sections that wouldn’t really be painted on the vintage versions, as it just ends up making him feel a little bit more finished than he might otherwise.  NED is packed with his hammer, which is a pretty solid extra for him, given its key role in a few of his scenes.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

NED is far and away the figure I wanted the most from this series.  I just really dug his design on the show, and I wanted him in figure form.  He’s interesting, because he at once feels like he’s a natural for this style, and also just a bit too removed for a clean translation.  He’s a bit like Grogu from the first assortment, where he may not quite land the vintage feel, but he’s still a really fun version of the character, so I can’t ultimately complain.  And, like that figure, NED here just makes for a good toy.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3218: Fifth Brother

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

FIFTH BROTHER

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Originally introduced in the second season of Rebels, the Fifth Brother is a character that’s never been all that deeply explored, despite now having been in two different shows.  Like, I’ve watched all of his canon appearances, and I couldn’t really tell you much about the guy beyond that’s he’s got that fancy hat thing going on.  I suppose that’s a pretty respectable thing in Star Wars, though, since distinctive looks tend to be a character’s biggest selling point.  Did wonders for Boba Fett.  Anyway, let’s look at this guy and his fancy hat.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Fifth Brother is the fifth figure in the Kenobi-inspired series of Hasbro’s Star Wars: Retro Collection.  He’s the third of the three Inquisitors included in this assortment, and marks the Fifth Brother’s third figure, following up on a small-scale figure from Rebels and a Black Series figure from Kenobi.  The figure stands about 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  His sculpt is all-new, though it certainly has its share of similarities with the Grand Inquisitor.  That makes sense, of course, since they’re kind of in the same profession and all.  That said, they’re totally unique from each other when it comes to the actual parts break down.  He’s a little bulkier than the Grand Inquisitor, which makes sense, and allows for the uniform to sit just a little bit differently.  His head, and his face in particular, gets quite a bit of sculpted detail, moreso than the others in the set.  It gives him quite a distinguished look.  The Fifth Brother’s paint work is pretty much on par with the other Inquisitors in the set.  Still feels like a bit too much for a proper vintage paint scheme, but honestly, it still works out pretty well, and I do appreciate the internal consistency.  The Fifth Brother is packed with his Inquisitor Saber, which is the same one included with the Grand Inquisitor.  It makes sense, since they have more or less the same weapon in the show, and it’s definitely the way Kenner would have handled things on a proper vintage figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I don’t have much attachment to this guy.  I mean, honestly, does anybody?  Well, somebody does somewhere, I’m sure.  Like, just statistically, right?  Anyway, I wasn’t invested enough to get the Black Series figure, but since I was planning to pick up the rest of the series, this guy was along for the ride.  He’s not a bad figure.  Not my favorite or anything, but I can see the appeal.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

 

#3217: Grand Inquisitor

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GRAND INQUISITOR

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

While some of Kenobi‘s returning characters were picking up from where they’d left off earlier in the timeline, there were also a few that were *technically* making their earliest appearances within the timeline.  Today’s focus, the Grand Inquisitor leans heavily on the “technically,” since, via retcon, he was actually present in one scene in Clone Wars, but as far as proper appearances go, the Grand Inquisitor truly hails from Rebels, where he serves as the primary antagonist for the first season, and ultimately closes off his story.  For Kenobi, he’s more of a background character, sidelined for most of the story, but he’s still present enough to justify some toy coverage!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Grand Inquisitor is the fourth figure in the Kenobi-series of Star Wars: Retro Collection, the fifth overall series of the line, and the third at mass retail.  Thus far, this is his first figure from the show, since his Black Series offering is still pending.  The figure stands about 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  He’s sporting an all-new sculpt, obviously meant to be based on his live-action design, though thanks to the styling of the line, he serves as a nice mid-point between live action and animation.  The sculpt on this guy is pretty decent.  Obviously, lighter on the detail side, but all the key stuff is there, and his outfit is actually quite well detailed.  It’s cleanly handled, and the details are well rendered.  He’s got another vinyl cape; this one’s got a far more unique cut to it, which fits the design from the show pretty well.  It does make it a little trickier to get it on and off, but it’s certainly not impossible.  His paint work is again probably a touch too involved for proper vintage coverage, but it’s consistent with that of Reva, so they go well together.  It also still dials things back just a little bit, so it won’t look too out of place with actual vintage offerings.  The Grand Inquisitor is packed with his lightsaber, which is similar to Reva’s, but has a guard that goes all around, accurate to his personal weapon.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I enjoyed the Grand Inquisitor well enough in Rebels, but given how his story wrapped up in that show, I wasn’t really sure there was much more to do with him in Kenobi.  I actually kind of liked the misdirect within the show, and I don’t mind the opportunity to get him in figure form.  This one’s actually a lot of fun, more than I was expecting, even.  He honestly makes me kind of want the proper Rebels cast in this style, just because that seems like it would be pretty nifty.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3216: The Creature From the Black Lagoon – Glow-in-the-Dark

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON — GLOW-IN-THE-DARK

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS (JADA TOYS)

Happy Halloween, readers!  In honor of the day, I’m erring slightly on the spookier side, as I like to do, settling in for another Universal Monsters review.  In something of a change for the site, my last Universal Monsters reviews were actually not last Halloween, but in fact were in February of this year, when I took a look at Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride from Jada’s own Universal Monsters line.  Today, I’m taking a look at another figure from the line, in the form of Gill-Man from The Creature From the Black Lagoon.  Let’s see how he turned out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Creature From the Black Lagoon is the first follow-up to the first four figure series of Jada’s Universal Monsters line.  He takes the standard Gill-Man from the first series and makes him Glow-in-the-Dark.  He was released as an Entertainment Earth-exclusive.  The figure stands just shy of 6 3/4 inches tall and he has 29 points of articulation.  As I touched on when I reviewed Frankenstein back in February, the articulation scheme on these figures is actually pretty impressive for a company of Jada’s standing; it’s on par with some of Hasbro’s best offerings, albeit perhaps a year removed from where they are now.  2022 was a good year for Hasbro on the articulation front.  That doesn’t undermine what Jada’s got going on here, though, and Gill-Man’s articulation is even better than the Monster’s, due to his slightly less bulked-up build.  The figure’s sculpt is another strong offering.  He does quite a nice job of capturing the film design for the character, right down to getting all of the texturing and everything down with quite sharp detail.  Additionally, all of the articulation is worked in pretty nicely to the aesthetics of the overall sculpt, and they don’t require his sculpt to be broken up too badly when he’s posed either.  For the purposes of this release, in order facilitate the glowing feature, he’s molded in glow-in-the-dark plastic, with the rest of the paint built on top of that.  The plastic takes a fair bit of time to charge up for a proper glow, but it does at least hold it for a while.  The accent paint works out pretty nicely, though, and offsets the general look of the plastic rather nicely.  Gill-Man is packed with an alternate head with the mouth closed, an extra left hand for gripping, a harpoon gun, a net, and the decayed creature hand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Creature has never been one of my favorites of the Universal slate.  It just always felt like the red-headed step-child of the group, and it’s really just never clicked with me the same way.  That being said, it’s hard to deny that Gill-Man has a killer visual, and one that makes for some cool toys.  This one in particular, in all of its glow-y glory, was one I definitely wanted to mess with, if perhaps not one I was dead set on owning.  One got traded into All Time a few weeks back, and they were kind enough to let me borrow it for the purposes of this review.  He’s honestly a ton of fun, and I look forward to the upcoming figures from the line.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

Matty’s Corner #0004: In Space Blue Ranger with Galaxy Glider

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Matty's Corner and tagged with , , , , ,

IN SPACE BLUE RANGER & GALAXY GLIDER

POWER RANGERS: THE LIGHTNING COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Hi, Ethan here!  Welcome to Matthew’s Corner, where I’m collecting the mad ramblings of my 6 year old Matthew, who also likes to talk about action figures.  What can I say, I’m sympathetic to his need to ramble about action figures.  So, I’m just gonna let him take it away…though, for what it’s worth, I’m still transcribing for him.

Presenting the Blue Space Power Ranger!  *Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech*  [Yes, he actually screeched–E]  Okay, I don’t mean that screeching anymore.  If you saw, that step at the end of the screech was actually my father writing a note.  Don’t write another note.  I am going to review the Space Blue Power Ranger.  If you heard that, in the starting, with the screech.  Is that the end of the preview?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Blue Power Ranger is in the Lightning Collection toyline.  This Blue Power Ranger is a deluxe figure.  Apparently, my dad cannot remember when this figure was out.  *Farting noise*  The figure has 34 joints.  This figure’s height is 6 inches and 1/4.  The sculpt is, well, I feel like the knee pads are a little too straight.  Other than that, it’s probably good.  I really like head of the figure.  Both heads.  He can move well, a little bit on the arms is a little hard and a little bit on the right knee is hard to get, but otherwise it’s okay.  Okay, reviewing all of the colors in one.  Starting off with the head, which has blue on the chin and over the mouth of the hat.  The eye strip has a little bit of black and white on the outside, but not all white.  There is a little tiny gold strip, if you look in.  A bit on the top of his head is black.  The mouth strip is grey.  And the rest is all blue.  Okay, the rest of the figure. That does not include the head.  The neck is white, with a little gold strip around.  The top of his body is blue with white strips on the arm and a little in the middle.  Now, what’s in the middle that does not include some white is on the color strip in the middle of the body.  There is black, yellow, red, pink, and blue.  Then below all that is just a lot of blue and a belt that includes white and gold, legs with a blue strip and the boots, white.  The arms start blue and then there are some white gloves.  Back to review of the normal figure.  No more color scale.  My favorite accessory is the gun and the blast.  The sculpting of the blast looks really hard to make.  He also comes with hands and an axe, and he comes with another head.  And!  He comes with a galaxy glider.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got this figure because I really, really, really like Space Power Rangers and Blue is my favorite color.  My dad came home with a Blue Space Power Ranger because every Monday we watch Space Power Rangers.  I love, love, love, love, love, love, loooooooooooooooooooove the figure.  I will see you next time with Venom!  Good night, folks!

#3215: Batman Beyond

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

BATMAN BEYOND

BATMAN: ANIMATED (DC COLLECTIBLES)

Before their demise, DC Collectibles had quite a run with their Batman: Animated line, dedicated to specifically the Batman side of the DCAU.  The stuff was mostly based purely on Batman: The Animated Series and The New Adventures of Batman, but towards the end of things, they tried expanding their reach a little bit more.  Keeping things within the Bat-family, there was one single boxed set based on Batman Beyond.  I’m gonna let you know upfront, I’m not doing the whole set.  But I do have the BB, so, you know, there’s that!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman Beyond is one-third of the “Batman Beyond” three-pack from DCC’s Batman: Animated line, which was released in early 2017.  The figure stands about 5 3/4 inches tall and he has 24 points of articulation.  The articulation schemes for these figures were always spotty, up until the last assortment, and BB is more of that.  He’s not terrible.  The head and the ankles do okay on the range of motion, but the elbows and knees are, on the flip side, kind of restricted.  He also has the issue of no lateral movement below the hips, which plagued so many of the line’s figures.  The ankles do at least work out a bit better in conjunction with everything, so he’s not quite as pigeon-toed.  The quality of the sculpt is at least pretty good.  Honestly, this is probably the closest to an animation-accurate Batman Beyond we’ve ever gotten.  Yeah, that was the aim of the line, but they also tended to miss the mark, so them getting it so close here was definitely an accomplishment.  BB’s paint work is pretty basic, but it’s checks all the right boxes.  The colors match the cartoon, and the application is actually pretty clean.  It’s again a pretty nice change of pace, given how fuzzy the work on other figures in the line tended to be.  BB was packed with four sets of hands (in fists, gripping, and two different styles of open gesture), a removable set of wings, two batarangs, and a display stand.  My figure is without the batarangs and stand, but he’s got everything else.  The wings being removable is nice, since, you know, not everybody does that.  I’m not super keen on the way they get broken up by the joints, but I suppose it’s kind of a catch-22.  It could be worse, though, and when posed properly, they honestly look better than I’d expected.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I kept up with this line pretty closely when it first launched, by the time this set came along, I had kind of gotten burned out.  With just about everything eventually going on serious mark down, I opted to hold out on this one.  Unfortunately, it wound up being short-printed, since just about everyone else was seemingly burning out around the same time.  It wound up picking up quite a hefty price on the aftermarket, and that was all she wrote.  Well, until a Batman Beyond got traded into All Time all by himself.  I’m still looking for the best possible version of the character, and, honestly, this one’s better than I’d expected.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3214: Reva – Third Sister

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

REVA — THIRD SISTER

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Obi-Wan Kenobi was definitely populated with a lot of characters we’ve seen elsewhere in the saga, but it wasn’t without its standouts in the new character department.  Amongst those new characters was Reva, an antagonistic force throughout the story, whose own journey was run parallel to that of Obi-Wan and Anakin.  After years of exploration of the increasing number of Jedi padawans that made it out of Order 66, her story was a dark reflection of many of them, showing the unfortunate and destructive path that such trauma can impose upon a person.  Oh, and she was also the latest addition to the growing list of “worst characters in Star Wars,” according to a vocal minority of the “fandom.”  She’s just absolutely ruining the franchise, really.  And she’s doing in three separate styles of toy, no less.  The nerve!  Well, I guess this site’s about the be ruined, too.  Just kidding; we already passed that mark years ago!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Reva (Third Sister) is the third figure in the Kenobi-series of Star Wars: Retro Collection, which is the fifth overall series of the line, and the third to get a proper mass release.  This marks Reva’s third figure, following the Black Series and Vintage Collection offerings, though it’s worth noting that they did all hit pretty close together.  Kudos to Hasbro on ruining all of their lines more or less simultaneously!  The figure stands a little under 3 3/4 inches tall and she has 5 points of articulation.  The sculpt is totally unique, with no basis on any earlier offerings.  It’s a pretty nice one, honestly.  The likeness is obviously not meant to be an exact recreation of Moses Ingram, but it’s a good approximation of her look viewed through the lens of the original line.  The body sculpt captures all of the main details from her costume design, and it’s generally nice and sharp in its detailing.  Her cloak goes back to the vinyl construction, which somewhat clashes with the prior two figures, but also feels more appropriate for this particular design.  Kenner did mix cloth and vinyl during ESB, so it’s not entirely without precedent.  As has been the trend up to this point, the paint work is perhaps a little bit too involved for a true Kenner release, but it’s kind of fun to get that slightly idealized set-up.  The two-toned coloring on the outfit actually looks really solid.  Not sure why she’s lacking eyebrows, but, you know, it’s a choice.  Reva is packed with her Inquisitor-style saber, which is a new piece modeled somewhat on the Bespin Luke saber, but with the two blades and Reva’s distinctive single hand guard.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Despite her supposed ruining of the franchise, I didn’t mind Reva.  You might even say I, like, actually liked her and the role she played on the show.  That said, I’m finding myself not needing every single character in Black Series form.  Something about this release in particular just really spoke to me, and really sold me on the full Retro line-up.  She’s actually a lot of fun, despite perhaps not being the most outwardly thrilling design.  Definitely a nifty addition to the line-up.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3213: Darth Vader – The Dark Times

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

DARTH VADER — THE DARK TIMES

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Though he may have died at the end of Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader, as perhaps one of best villains of all time, has still remained a fixture of the Star Wars universe.  After Jedi, the character tended to have some of his menace removed from him in subsequent appearances, but starting with Rogue One, there was a very definite attempt at returning him that menace.  Obi-Wan Kenobi takes that even further, giving us quite possibly the most imposing, powerful, and generally terrifying version of the character yet.  There’s a rawness to how he’s portrayed, and it really works, again with the themes of merging the stylings of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy.  And, as per usual, it gives us another go at basic Darth Vader figures, so that’s pretty cool.  Let’s look at one of those today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Darth Vader (The Dark Times) is the second figure in the Kenobi themed series of Hasbro’s Star Wars: Retro Collection, which is the line’s fifth assortment overall.  He’s the third version of Vader in the line, following the straight re-issue of the vintage Vader, and the Target-exclusive “prototype” Vader.  The figure stands closer to 4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  In contrast to the other two Retro Collection Vaders, this one is a new sculpt.  The head is pretty consistent stylistically with the original Vader sculpt, though it does appear to actually be a unique piece, with a slightly different shaping, and a little bit more detailing.  Below the neck, he’s totally new, updating Vader to the later film stylings.  His right arm is no longer has the extending saber built-in, and both hands are now designed for gripping accessories.  He also gains the inner robes that original figure lacked, albeit worked in as the usual split-leg set-up like the others from the vintage line.  Instead of the vintage vinyl cape, this one gets a cloth one, which sits more properly on the shoulders.  It’s a rather thin piece of cloth, but otherwise works out pretty well.  Vader’s paint work is again a little more involved than perhaps a true vintage release might have been, with full detailing on his chest panel, and extra silver details on his belt, as well as red lenses for the eyes.  Again, more of an idealized set-up, but one that still feels pretty true to the original feel.  Vader is packed with a recoloring of the Bespin Luke saber, but in red this time.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Vader is one of those characters whose lack of major changes in design makes for less need for updates.  In the vintage line, that translated to only the one single figure.  It’s a distinctive figure, sure, but it’s also a kind of limiting one, compared to how the rest of the figures evolved over the course of the line.  Going back and doing an update is something that I’ve kind of wanted to see since this line launched.  This one’s pretty fun.  He’s similar to the original, but with enough changes to make him feel worthwhile.  I’d love to maybe see an unmasked Vader come out of this mold as well, but until then, this one’s certainly not bad.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.