2018 Hasbro 6" Star Wars Black Series
/
2017 Black Series Tusken Raider
At this point in my journey as a collector, I'm primarily only buying the Hasbro 6" Star Wars Black Series line. I think of them as the poor man's statue. They are typically well sculpted and articulated. And at around $20 a pop, they aren't cheap, but they are way more affordable than say their 12" counterparts from Sideshow Collectibles. Don't get me wrong, I'd love the 12" R2-D2 and C-3P0, but at nearly $400 for the pair, I just can't bring myself to do it. Plus I like food and electricity.
I'm also at a point where I control what I collect instead of my collection controlling me. In other words, I don't need a "complete set." I just get what I like, which is a good thing because there are a lot of Black Series figures, and while most of them are well executed, some really miss the mark. I went down that rabbit hole with Hasbro's 3 3/4" line years ago.
So... the New York Toy Fair just came to a close, and there have been several announcements around Black Series releases lately. I must say, I'm a bit underwhelmed, which is a good thing... at least for my wallet. There are a few figures I'm interested in, and at least one that I'm excited about. I'll begin with the latter.
Hell Yes!
From the moment they cut through the door of the Tantive IV, I've loved the original trilogy Stormtroopers (even if they are lousy shots). And we've seen many variations of the trooper throughout the films. I can't really explain why, but one of my favorites has always been the Sandtrooper. They're basically dirty Stormtroopers with shoulder pauldrons and really awkward backpacks. But they just look way more cool than your average Stormtrooper. And then of course, there's their ride. One thing the Special Editions got right was letting us get a better look at the Dewback, even if the CGI wasn't what it is today. So I'm really hoping this isn't a tease and that we'll actually get to see this sometime this year. I have a feeling this one won't sit on the shelves as long as Luke's Landspeeder and Rey's Speeder.
Hasbro Black Series prototype Dewback and Sandtrooper
(Credit: Jedi Insider)
Very Likely
There are many more slated for release, but as for the ones that interest me, 4-LOM and the Gamorrean Guard stand out. Not that there aren't others that are well executed – Grand Moff Tarkin, Skiff Guard Lando, and Dengar all come to mind – it's just that I'm not going to spend money on them. 4-LOM is both a droid and a bounty hunter, so obviously he's twice as cool. Honestly, had I started buying from this line earlier I would have likely picked up the six bounty hunters: Boba Fett, Bossk, IG-88, and the upcoming 4-LOM, Dengar, and Zuckuss. The Gamorrean Guard looks to have been done quite well, good sculpt, good material choices, and an assortment of accessories. He even seems to have an extra point of articulation in that his mouth appears to open and close.
Maybe
A few others on the maybe list would include the Mimban Stormtrooper and the Range Trooper, both from the upcoming "Solo, A Star Wars Story" movie due out in May. I'm not sure what the former is all about but hey, it's a Stormtrooper with a cape, just like McQuarrie meant it to be. I'm a bit on the fence with latter one. Sometimes he looks cool and at others he seems overdone.
No, Just No!
The Black Series Porg 2-pk. I won't even include a photo.
Figures I would like to see
If Hasbro asked me, which they didn't, I would like to see any of the following:
- Bantha with Tusken Raider – from A New Hope
- Aayla Secura – Jedi from Attack of the Clones/Revenge of the Sith (not the animated version)
- Guri – the human replica assassin droid from the Shadows of the Empire novel
- FX-7 – surgical droid from the Empire Strikes Back
- Shaak Ti, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee – Jedi Masters and Padawan from AotC/RotS
- Klaatu, Barada, Nikto, and Weekquay – Jabba's guards in Return of the Jedi
- Death Star Droid – Imperial droid from A New Hope
- Imperial Probe Droid – from the Empire Strikes Back
- B'omarr Monk – spider-like cyborg(?) from Return of the Jedi
What did I miss?