Tag Archives: The Mandalorian

#3730: IG-12 & Grogu

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

IG-12 & GROGU

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“Clever Anzellan droidsmiths refurbished IG-11’s salvaged parts into a pilotable frame for Grogu, who operates the droid body like a vehicle. Stripped to base motor functions, the droid was renamed IG-12”

Well, it hasn’t been an *exceedingly* long time since my last Black Series review, but they’re definitely getting a little more stretched thin.  I suppose the line’s just not as much of an all-in thing for me anymore, so I’ve been focusing more on punchier stuff.  I don’t believe I’ve discussed Mandalorian‘s third season at all here in the year plus since it aired, but I did actually quite like it, even if others were a bit split.  It offered more coverage of the IG line of droids, which is always something I’m okay with, especially when it also results in more toys.  And result in more toys, it has.  We got an IG-11 to coincide with the first season (albeit a rather inaccurate one), and while he’s not really coinciding with the third season, we did at least get a version of his salvaged frame, IG-12.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

IG-12 and Grogu are entry 41 in the Mandalorian sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series’s Phase IV incarnation.  It’s a deluxe-sized release, which is always sort of a hazy kind of a definition with Black Series, but it is what it is.  The figure stands just shy of 7 1/4 inches tall and he has 30 points of articulation, plus an opening torso hatch and moving control sticks.  IG-11’s figure re-used most of IG-88’s mold, which is sensible from a standpoint that the two are the same model of droid, and very similar in design, but less sensible from the standpoint that the 88 mold was rather inaccurate in the first place.  The Vintage Collection actually gave 11 an all-new mold with far improved accuracy, scaling, and articulation, and IG-12’s all-new mold here is taking a page out of the VC book.  He’s about an inch taller, and scaled to match, and also has a much better articulation set-up, most notable at the hips and ankles.  The actual sculpt proper is far more detailed and manages to match up better with what he’s supposed to look like, including the unique hand/manipulators from IG-88.  Also, the covers on the elbow joints are now just part of the sculpt, rather than being rubber sleeves, so I look forward to those not totally disintegrating the way both 88 and 11’s did.  His color work is a little more basic than 11, lacking some of the accenting, but he gets the base coloring down a bit better, and is a little more striking.  IG-12 doesn’t get any weapons (though the manipulators are articulated, so you can easily supply your own, and he’s also all set for future uses of the mold getting weapons), but he does include Grogu (who’s *technically* billed as a separate figure, but we all know the deal), as well as two different members of Babu Frik’s species.  My quick bit of research tells me they’re “Anzellans.”  Cool, he comes with two Anzellans.  All three of the smaller figures fit in the central compartment, and the joysticks can be moved to meet their hands.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve loved the IG series for a good long while, and I’m a fan of getting it in toy form.  I loved the original Black Series 88 when I got him, even if he was inaccurate, but the mold was dated, and really not right for 11.  When 11 was a quick re-work, I was admittedly a little disappointed.  I’ve been hoping for some form of updated mold, and when 12 surfaced in the show, I was kind of figuring that would be Hasbro’s ticket to get a new one out.  Of the three potential IG-11 variants, this one’s admittedly the one I wanted the least, but that doesn’t mean I *didn’t* want it, and it turned out even better than I’d expected.  I’m eager to get proper updates to 11 and 88 in the future using these molds, and I would honestly kill for a Marshall IG-11.  Okay, maybe not kill, but I’d pay good money for it.  You heard me Hasbro.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3687: R5-D4, BD-72, & Pit Droids

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

R5-D4, BD-72, & PIT DROIDS

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“Peli Motto makes quick work of refueling and repairing battered ships with the help of R5-D4, BD-72, and a team of hyperactive pit droids.”

There’s a lot of cool things going for Star Wars as a concept, but one of the most infinitely marketable pieces has to be the droids. There’s just so many models, and there’s a bunch of unique names thrown at the models, and when they introduce new models, we get to see them get worked into the background with other, older models, and that’s cool too. And there are so many toy possibilities, too, which works out very well for me, a toy collector. The titular character from The Mandalorian having a distrust of droids at the outset did limit the droids he interacted with initially (barring, of course, IG-11, whose just too awesome to be limited), but they’ve worked their way into the show as it’s progressed, and there’s even been enough of them to warrant a whole special pack. How about that?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

R5-D4, BD-72, and the Pit Droids are a Target-exclusive Star Wars: The Black Series offering, which started showing up mid to late summer.

First and foremost, we’ve got the one “proper” figure of the set, R5. R5’s reappearance on the show was a fun little touch, since we’d seen nothing of the little guy since his motivator blew in A New Hope. Obviously, with stuff still happening on Tatooine, it’s not the craziest thing for him to reappear, but I don’t know if anyone was expecting him to actually get to go on a full-fledged mission with Mando.  R5 got a GameStop-exclusive Black Series release back in 2017, but that was on the old, smaller Astromech body.  Since then, of course, Hasbro has totally redone the Astromech, and we actually got an updated R5 on that body last year as a single.  This one is more or less the same as that one, albeit with a few minor differences.  Regardless of release, he’s a new head on the body of R2, which is pretty typical of an R5 (you know, unless he’s the GREATEST R5 FIGURE OF ALL TIME).  It’s a pretty solid mold on its own, and the new head makes it nice and distinctly different from the prior R2.  The one structural difference between this figure and the single is that his motivator panel, removable on the single, is new glued in place.  His paint work is pretty much the same, and is likewise pretty similar to the R2, just with some adjusted colors.  Application is generally pretty clean, which is cool.  I’ll be honest, though, I kind of miss the shiny silver sticker from the GameStop one, as hokey as it might have been.  In terms of accessories, R5 gets the same five attachments as his single release (borrowed from the R2 mold), as well as brand new swappable side panels featuring the jet boosters used by R5 in The Mandalorian.  Presumably, we will at some point see these get used on some form of R2 re-release, since it was the only notable attachment missing from the last one.

Since first debuting as a pack-in figure with the original Cal Kestis figure in 2019, we’ve had our fair share of BD droids.  Most of them have actually just been BD-1, but the BD that appears in The Mandalorian is officially a different droid, BD-72, making this officially a new character.  The mold’s a straight re-use, which is fair enough, because it’s quite a nice one, being surprisingly poseable *and* surprisingly stable for a mold of its size.  It’s got a new deco, which is fairly basic, but heavier on the blues than the original.

Now we get to the real meat of the set.  Look, R5 and BD are all well and good, but the real reason anyone’s buying this $40 set isn’t for the two minor tweaks to prior releases; no it’s for the Pit Droids!  Though we’ve technically gotten a Black Series Pit Droid once before, it was in one of the Disney Parks-exclusive multipacks, which is far from the most convenient way to get a new mold.  Thankfully, this set makes up for it, with two whole Pit Droids, each in their own color scheme!  Yay!  The figures both stand 4 inches tall and they have 23 points of articulation.  They’re quite poseable, and I’m glad their smaller size doesn’t make them too spindly to allow for that.  The sculpt is a solid recreation of the design from the movies and shows, and definitely looks he part of the Pit Droid.  It’s a nice, clean visual, and it’s translated well here.  But, one of the coolest things about the Pit Droids is how they fold up when not in use.  Their smaller figures could never quite capture that, but these ones actually do!  Sure, it’s a little fiddly to get them there (and there’s no instructions like a Transformer would get), but you can get a surprisingly accurate folded up look out of these two.  In terms of coloring, we get one Pit Droid in tan, and the other in maroon.  The bulk of the coloring for both is molded, of course, with paint for the “eyes”, and a little bit of accenting for both.  On the tan guy, it’s a little more subtle, while the maroon guy gets some more obvious offsetting.  Of the two, I’m partial to maroon, but they’re both fun.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I quite like Pit Droids, but they’re frequently tricky to get as figures due to weird release schemes.  I wasn’t thrilled when the first Black Series one was stuck in a Parks set with other figures I didn’t really need, so I do like another option.  Not sure Target-exclusive set with other figures I don’t need is *ideal*, but it’s not the worst thing ever.  Since I opted not to grab the single R5 release, he’s not really a double up for me, at least with this mold, and another BD isn’t the worst thing.  Plus, I do get two whole Pit Droids, and they’re truly fantastic little figures, so I’m happy to have them.

#3539: The Mandalorian – Glavis Ringworld

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

THE MANDALORIAN — GLAVIS RINGWORLD

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0018:  There have been 14 versions of Din Djarin released in The Black Series, and 6 of those releases have been some variation on his fully kitted-out Beskar armor.

My investment in Star Wars: The Black Series has dwindled a bit more recently, because I’m honestly starting to get ever so slightly Star Wars-ed out at the larger scale.  So, rather than get *everything*, I’m instead focusing a bit more on primary looks of heavy hitters.  There’s a bit more revisiting there than you might think at first go, which is kind of what we hit with today’s offering.  Early into the first season of The Mandalorian, main character Din Djarin upgrades to a full set of Beskar armor, which has been more or less the consistent look of the character since.  It doesn’t make for a ton of variation with figures, I guess, but they make do, and there’s enough minor tweaks to justify it, right?  Right.  So, here’s another Din Djarin.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Mandalorian – Glavis Ringworld is figure 08 in the Book of Boba Fett sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series‘ Phase IV incarnation.  He’s based on Din’s ever so slightly tweaked look when he reappears in Book following a period going solo after handing Grogu over to Luke at the end of his own show’s second season, which is honestly a good look.  The figure stands just over 6 inches tall and he has 33 points of articulation.  We’ve had a general Beskar Din sculpt floating around in Black Series for a while, but it was kind of cobbled together and had a fair number of inaccuracies.  This figure gets an all-new sculpt to replace that, which is a really strong offering.  Of particular note, we’ve finally gotten a proper new helmet sculpt, after working with the slightly off one that went all the way back to the very first version.  The new one is pretty spot-on, getting the proper shaping down, and sporting sharp, clean detail work.  The articulation scheme is also tweaked, following the newer style; it works fine, but it does lean into the “no double joints” thing that Black Series has gotten into, which is at times reductive.  His armor construction has a bit more overlay to it, with more free floating parts.  Din’s cloak is also now a proper soft-goods piece, rather than the thicker rubber piece from the first release, which means he can finally wear the cloak and the jetpack at the same time, as he does in the shows.  That’s a definite plus.  Din’s color work is pretty solid; the paint application is all rather clean, with minimal slop and bleed over.  The silvers in particular are nice and sleek, and they’ve also added in his appropriate blue accenting, which gives him a nice degree of pop.  Din is packed with the Darksaber, his blaster pistol, and vibro-knife.  The Darksaber sports a modified hilt, which now has a loop, so it can hang from his belt, as seen in the show.  The knife is small, and he can’t really hold it…and also, there’s not really anywhere to keep it.  Still, I guess it’s cool that they included it at all.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I was pretty excited for the original Beskar Mando…and then he hit and he was kind of a let-down, honestly.  Still, I kind of pushed it off and called it a day on that look.  When this figure was announced, I was initially planning to skip this one, but the more I looked at it, the more it looked like the figure I wanted the first time around.  Simply put, that’s exactly what he is.  He’s the best Din Hasbro’s done, and just one of the line’s better figures in general.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3248: Dark Trooper

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

DARK TROOPER

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“Hulking Imperial combat droids with gleaming black armor and powerful jet boots, the Dark Troopers are a powerful design.”

When last I reviewed a Dark Trooper figure, back in February of 2021, the concept had finally made it live action, courtesy of The Mandalorian‘s second season, which saw them serve as the muscle to Moff Gideon going into the show’s season finale.  It’s been almost two years, but I’m finally following up that review of the Expanded Universe version with a look at a proper show version.  That’s just crazy, isn’t it?  Well, at least we’re finally here.  So, without any further waiting, here’s another Dark Trooper figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Dark Trooper is the 28th figure in the Mandalorian sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series‘s Phase IV incarnation.  This figure is another deluxe-sized release, the sixth within this particular sub-set.  As with all prior deluxes, he’s shipped on his own, which is honestly pretty solid for the purposes of army building and the like.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 33 points of articulation.  The Dark Trooper sports his own unique articulation scheme, removed a bit from other Black Series figures, barring really only K-2.  It’s generally a pretty good set-up, though I did find the butterfly shoulders a little spongey on my copy, and his knees can’t get a full 90 degree bend.  Other than that, though, there’s a good movement set-up.  The Dark Trooper’s sculpt is an all-new offering, and it’s mostly really good.  The overall appearance is a good recreation of the design as seen on the show, and it works well with the articulation scheme, making it all look really slick and sleek.  The only thing I’m not crazy about is the torso; rather than a solid sculpt, he’s got a sleeve over the torso for his upper armor.  While I don’t totally hate the concept, since it allows for a little more depth, the fact that it’s a softer plastic and it’s also a free-floating piece makes the figure as a whole feel a little less solid than he should.  It does at least look the part, though, and I’m not worried that it’s going to fall apart or anything.  The figure’s color work is on one hand very basic, but on the other exactly what it needs to be.  He’s predominately molded black plastic, albeit with that super shiny finish that all the Dark Troopers sported in the show.  There are a few little spots of accenting, which give him just a little bit more pop, and the application is generally pretty cleanly handled.  The Dark Trooper is packed with two sets of hands (gripping and fists), a rifle, and two blast effects pieces.  The blast effects without any sort of flight stand do seem a bit superfluous, but they’re better than getting nothing at all, and do at least help to disarm the sting of the higher price-point on this guy.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Dark Troopers are a fun concept that combines Stormtroopers and droids, so it’s one I’ve always been able to get behind.  I was excited when the show first hinted at them, and even more so when they actually showed up in the show proper.  I knew the figures were a lock, so it was just the waiting game at that point.  Now the wait’s finally over, and the final figure’s not perfect, but he’s still really, really cool.  It’s a great starter version of the figure, but I’d love to see maybe some damaged variants or even one with the charging station at some point in the future.

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.

#3207: Cobb Vanth

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

COBB VANTH

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“The marshal of Mos Pelgo, a small town on Tatooine, Cobb Vanth has earned the trust of the townsfolk as a capable peacekeeper and leader”

While The Mandalorian’s second season was in production, we knew from an early point that Temuera Morrison was returning in some capacity.  Boba Fett was, of course, the heavy rumor, as his return had been theorized since the show’s announcement, but we didn’t know for absolute certain going into the season.  The creators certainly had a good time with that, because in the first episode, Mando goes to Tatooine looking for more of his people, and encounters someone wearing Boba’s armor…only for that person to take off the helmet and reveal himself not as Boba, but instead as Cobb Vanth, a character introduced in the Aftermath novels from right after Disney acquired the franchise.  Though he may not have been the bounty hunter most fans were looking for, Cobb was none the less a rather popular character in his own right, and even got a follow-up appearance in The Book of Boba Fett.  He *also* got an action figure, and I’m gonna be taking a look at that today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cobb Vanth is the 18th figure in the Mandalorian sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series‘s Phase IV incarnation.  He’s a deluxe-sized release, presumably on the basis that all of the figures using the new armored Fett pieces have been.  It seems to be more of a complexity of build thing, rather than a pure scale or size thing.  Cobb was *supposed* to be out back nearer the beginning of the year, but apart from a few small quantities dropping, he didn’t really seem to arrive.  Thankfully, as of the last month or so, he does seem to be hitting in a bit more force.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 31 points of articulation.  Cobb is making use of the more modern set-up for articulation in the Black Series line, so it’s got a better range than earlier offerings.  That said, amongst his contemporaries, he’s a little more on the restricted side.  He’s still able to get a lot of solid poses, though, so he’s very workable.  Cobb’s sculpt re-uses a few pieces from the recent Boba figure, which makes sense, since it’s the same armor and all.  This includes his torso armor (which has the wookie braids removed) and his gauntlets.  The rest of the sculpt is all-new, and does a solid job of recreating Cobb’s look in the show.  His likeness isn’t spot-on, but it’s a respectable enough recreation of Timothy Olyphant in the role, certainly close enough to get the idea across.  The rest of his outfit is quite well assembled, with some impressive texturing, especially on the tunic.  He’s got an extra scarf piece, which is sculpted to fit around the armor.  It’s a bit too loose and floaty, but otherwise looks the part.  Cobb’s paint work is generally pretty solid.  The advanced weathering on the armor really captures the feel, and his face, hair, and beard paint is also quite lifelike.  The base color work matches well with his palette from the show, and the insignias on the armor are quite sharply defined, as well as matched well with the RotJ Fett.  Cobb is packed with the helmet and rocket pack to match his armor, as well as a pistol and a rifle for proper armaments.  The helmet is the same as Fett’s, but just not glued to the head.  It doesn’t sit quite as well on Cobb’s head, but I’m not really looking to display him helmeted anyway.  The pack is largely the same as the prior Fett release (albeit with a more broken-in paint job), but gets the adjusted rocket at the top.  Both of the guns are new pieces, and they match well to what he’s seen carrying in the show.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As someone who’s on-record as being skeptical about Boba Fett’s role in the whole Star Wars thing, I had no pre-conceived notions about Fett’s presence in Mandalorian.  The misdirect with Cobb was fine by me, and I quite liked how his character shaped up in the show.  I was very definitely down for him getting a figure.  It’s taken a while for this one to make his way out, and he’s not 100% perfect, but he’s still quite a lot of fun.

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.

#3150: Fennec Shand

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

FENNEC SHAND

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“An assassin and elite mercenary, Fennec Shand has worked for all the top syndicates. Clever, capable, and cunning, she is not to be underestimated and is full of surprises”

Though seemingly killed halfway through her debut appearance in The Mandalorian‘s first season, Ming-Na Wen’s charismatic bounty hunter Fennec Shand proved far too good a character for a throwaway role. A cryptic end of the episode teaser hinted at a possible return, and the second season would reveal that Fennec had been saved by none other than Boba Fett. After a few more episodes of The Mandalorian, she returned once more as a main character in The Book of Boba Fett, which was as good a spot as any for her to get some toy coverage.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Fennec Shand is the first figure in the Book of Boba Fett sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series. She was part of the first assortment of 2022, alongside a bunch of non-Book figures. Thus far, she and the deluxe Boba are the only figures under the branding. The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and she has 30 points of articulation. The articulation is standard for modern era Black Series. Her sculpt is all-new. It’s a pretty solid offering. The head sculpt has a respectable likeness of Ming-Na Wen, as well as matching pretty well with the design for the character. The body sculpt is a nice, clean recreation of her show design, with respectable proportions and sharp detailing. The paint work on Fennec is a good offering. The base work is all fairly cleanly applied, and her face makes alright use of the face printing. It seems a touch offset on all of the copies I’ve seen, but not so bad as to look too wonky. Fennec is packed with her helmet and her sniper rifle, which features a removable strap. The helmet fits well on the head, and she can hold the rifle nicely and securely.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I liked Fennec from her first appearance, and I was very glad when she returned on the show, as well as with her follow-up on Book. Her figure took its time getting here, but I feel she was worth the wait. Not everything is perfect, but she’s very cool, and another great addition to the growing Mando cast.

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.

#3141: Boba Fett – Morak

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

BOBA FETT — MORAK

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

“Once regarded as one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the galaxy, Boba Fett seemingly met his demise in the Sarlacc pit.  A survivor to his core, Fett lived to fight another day”

Hey there, I’m looking at these here Retro Collection figures, and there’s still one left, so, you know, I’m gonna review it now, I guess.  Returning in all his fully armored glory after being presumed dead for almost 30 years (though not in-universe, of course), Boba Fett takes an important role in The Mandalorian‘s second season’s conclusion, before taking the central role in his own show, The Book of Boba Fett.  Yay, Boba Fett actually doing things!  That’s great!  Everyone should be thrilled!  And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.  Now I’m gonna say some stuff about the figure.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Boba Fett (Morak) is the final figure in the six-figure line-up for the second mass release assortment of Star Wars: Retro Collection.  He caps off the second season-inspired looks with his fully kitted-out and restored look from the last couple of episodes of the show (which also doubles as his Book appearance).  The figure stands about 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  He’s clearly inspired by the original Kenner Fett, but is almost totally reworked to match the new look.  Like Bo-Katan, the range finder on the head has been moved to its upright positioning, though the rest of the helmet remains effectively the same.  The rest of the sculpt is a great half-step between the original figure and the updated look we saw on-screen.  I particularly like that they’ve kept his not-actually-firing-rocket set-up for his jet-pack.  It feels very appropriate to the vibe.  Boba’s paint work is pretty decent.  It’s more accurate than the original Boba, but still dialed back a bit to fit in with the style.  The colors are a little brighter and more vibrant, and the application, while perhaps a little bit thick, is fairly clean.  Boba is packed with two blasters.  While the vintage figure just made do with a re-purposed Stormtrooper blaster, this Fett actually gets a version of his classic rifle, as well as a smaller pistol, which can sort of be holstered, like how Karga could holster his gun.  It’s not quite as well implemented, but it’s still cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As much as I rag on Boba, the vintage figure is one of my favorites, and I was excited about the prospect of an update to it with the new look.  This figure was probably the one I was most looking forward to in the set.  He’s pretty basic, but certainly still a lot of fun.  Ultimately, I think the Armorer remains my favorite from this set, with Boba as a close second.  It’s not a bad space to be, all things considered.

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.

#3140: Bo-Katan Kryze

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

BO-KATAN KRYZE

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

“Bo-Katan Kryze has been fighting for the future of Mandalore since the Clone Wars. The last of her line, she leads a team of Clan Kryze Mandalorians striking back at the Imperial remnant”

Remember back in 2021, when Bo-Katan was a prominent character with no toy coverage?  Man, that really turned around fast, huh?  Now getting a Bo-Katan figure feels all blasé.  As I mentioned the last time I reviewed her, much like sand, she’s coarse and she gets everywhere.  And that includes the Retro Collection.  Though, to be fair, she hasn’t had one of those, and with it being so Mando-focused, it’s hard to blame them.  So, I guess we’ll dive into that.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Bo-Katan Kryze is the second to last of the six figures in the second mass-release assortment of the Star Wars: Retro Collection line.  She’s also the third of the four Mandalorians included in the line-up, and the fourth Bo-Katan figure from Hasbro.  The figure stands a little under 3 3/4 inches tall and she has 5 points of articulation. She’s another all-new sculpt, inspired specifically by her appearance in the second season of The Mandalorian, but there’s enough vagueness there that she can work for other looks too, should they ever gay around to working any of the other animation characters into this style. Her sculpt has her helmet as a permanent fixture for the figure. The vintage line didn’t really do removable headgear, so it tracks. That said, there’s a part of me that wonders if maybe they should have gone unmasked for her, just to at the very least mix up the look for the assortment just a little bit. But who knows how exactly Kenner would have handled it. Whatever the case, it’s still a pretty cool look, and the sculpt handles it well, hitting that midpoint between her on-screen look and the vintage Fett sculpt that’s inspired all of this line’s Mandos.  Unlike the original Fett, her range finder is all the way up, rather than the partial bend.  It’s still really short, but more in line with how Power of the Force II handled it.  The paint work on Bo-Katan is probably one of the most tweaked, for that vintage set-up.  Since the vintage line was dealing with much more limited applications, so is this figure.  So, she doesn’t get much detailing on her mid-section.  The most impressive work is definitely on the helmet, which gets the full assortment of detailing for her unique markings.  Bo-Katan is packed with a pair of blaster pistols, which are kind of comedically sized, just as they should be.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Bo-Katan is a somewhat frustrating character, I suppose, but she does make for a good toy.  And, given how far reaching she is, I suppose the toy treatment makes sense.  With the heavier Mando-focus of this assortment, she’s a natural fit.  The figure does alright with the vintage style, and, even just as a generic Mando, she’s still pretty fun.  I’d love to see a Koska and Axe to go with her.

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.

#3139: Ahsoka Tano

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

AHSOKA TANO

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

“A Clone Wars veteran and now wandering Jedi, Ahsoka Tano forges her own path in the galaxy, righting injustices that she discovers”

Though not particularly well-received when she first debuted in The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano has become one of the franchise’s most consistent through lines, and a definite fan-favorite. Season 2 of The Mandalorian finally brought the character to live action, and that led to a follow-up in The Book of Boba Fett as well as her on spin-off show, which is currently in the works. She’s currently kind of rolling in the toy coverage, and today I’m taking a look at her Retro Collection figure.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

 Ahsoka is another of the six figures in the second mass-release assortment of the Star Wars: Retro Collection line. She’s notably the only non-helmeted figure in this assortment, which is a fun little side note. The figure stands just shy of 3 3/4 inches tall and she has 5 points of articulation. The motion on the neck is a little bit restricted, but otherwise the mobility is the same as the rest of the line. The sculpt is all-new, and does a very nice job of dialing in on her appearance as it would be in the vintage line. The broadest of the details are all still present, but dumbed down a bit, as they would have been back in the day.  It works out pretty well overall.  The paint work is likewise pulled back a bit, compared to, say, the Black Series release.  The grey becomes a bit more present, and the blue detailing on the head tails is simpler.  Even the gloves are full, instead of being fingerless like in the show.  Ahsoka is packed with her two lightsabers, reworked to look like the ESB and RotJ Luke sabers, albeit with her distinctive curved handles.  They’re also all white, as well as being two different lengths, as they should be.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Ahsoka’s a pretty important character these days, and I’ve enjoyed her OT-adjacent role as of late.  Getting an OT-adjacent figure seems pretty appropriate for the direction the character is headed.  This one’s a pretty good one.  It hits the right notes, and it, like the rest of the series, is just pretty fun.  And, really, what more can you ask for from a Star Wars 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.

#3138: The Armorer

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

THE ARMORER

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

“The Armorer plays a vital role in keeping the culture of the Mandalorians alive. She forges beskar armor in the ancient tradition of her people”

The first series of Mandalorian-themed Retro Collection figures was very much focused on getting a diverse selection of rather distinct figures released.  As such, some of the more memorable looks, even from Season 1, were omitted, on the basis of presumably not wanting a bunch of similarly themed figures.  Series 2, which is more based around the show’s second season, is a bit more comfortable with having, for instance, no less than four figures wearing some form of Mando helmet.  For the first non-Din of those figures, I’m actually looking at our one truly Season 1 figure from the set, the Armorer.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Armorer is part of the six-figure second Mando-themed series of Star Wars: Retro Collection.  Much like Greef Karga was the first assortment’s only Season 2 figure, she’s the only Season 1 figure present here.  While she’s of course shown back up since, she hadn’t when the figure was announced.  The figure stands just over 3 1/2 inches tall and she has 5 points of articulation.  As a later addition to an earlier set, the Armorer seems to follow the late-run Kenner styling, a la Stormtrooper Luke.  She’s a more detailed and refined looking figure, which feels more appropriate for this particular design.  This is aided by the presence of a soft-goods “cape” piece, which straps over the figure’s shoulders.  I really like it.  It adds a lot to the figure’s overall presence and design.  Her coloring takes the show’s design and filters it through that vintage lens a bit, making it brighter, and just a bit more basic.  It works well, and it’s unique and eye-catching.  The stuff that’s there is well applied and clean, and what’s overlooked is consistent with how vintage Kenner figures would have been handled.  The Armorer is packed with both her tongs and her large hammer, both of which she can hold with relative ease.  They’re oversized, and slightly tweaked in terms of shaping, making them accurately inaccurate, if that makes any sense.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Armorer’s design is one of the first season’s coolest looks.  Of all the season 1 characters I wanted to see them circle back around to after the initial assortment, she was definitely the highest on the list.  There’s definitely something very classic about this look, and it translates exceptionally well to this style.  She’s probably the best figure in this assortment, honestly.

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.