Today, being May The 4th, I wanted to start a somewhat new format for the site – Collections. Mainly being a single group photo of either a certain group of characters or even a bunch of the same character, just different toys of said character.
I won’t be posting these every week, just every now and then. But I thought this would be a very good photo to start with. However, I can’t take credit for the idea as I was inspired by this photohere by Jeffery Alvord.
Which, in turn, is inspired by this classic bit of Star Wars art by Ralph McQuarrie.
Han Solo is a smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falconwho ends up joining the Rebel Alliance after aiding them in their battle against the Death Star. In The Empire Strikes Back after escaping the forces of the Empire, Solo is finally captured after his friend Lando Calrissianbetrays him and is subsequently frozen in carbonite and given to the bounty hunter Boba Fett to be delivered to Jabba the Hutt after Han fails to pay off his debts to Jabba.
Name: Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) Line: The Black Series– ESB40th Anniversary collection Manufacturer: Hasbro Released: 2020 Price: $19.99 USD Scale: 6 inch Accessories: Blaster pistol
The 2018 Black Series release of Bespin Outfit Han Solo is rereleased for the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back on a Kenner style vintage card back. This particular version of Han Solo had caught my eye as it was for sale at my (at the time) local comic book shop along with Luke and Leia. Eventually I went back to buy him and later picked up Leia as well. I could not resist the Kenner vintage style packaging and larger size of the black series. (Even if, at this point I was strictly sticking to the vintage collection 3.75-inch figures and not looking to buy more Black Series after selling what I had bought earlier in the series run.) However, my intention was to just have Han and Leia from The Empire Strikes Back and maybe a choice few other figures, which so far, I’ve managed to stick to that rule.
Being May the fourth, I’m trying my best to remember to post a Star Wars review on that particular day and at least this year I have succeeded!
SCULPTING
The sculpting in hand for this figure is great. Its definitely one of the best mass market Han Solo figures in my opinion for the price that you pay. The likeness is definitely Harrison Ford as Han Solo from The Empire Strikes Back. The rest of the figure is done well the jacket, shirt, pant, holster and boots all have a good amount of detail and look realistic.
Han shot first, damn it!
PAINT
Not much paint here and that’s just how I like it. Theres a little bit for details on Han’s clothes and you also have the Photo Real printing/painting on the face which really makes it look great in person. So not too much to worry about here.
ARTICULATION
The Black Series has a kind of a hybrid of The Vintage Collection and standard modern action figure articulation. For example, the arms are definitely the type of articulation and design we would see with a normal Vintage Collection 3.75-inch figure. But we have standard double-jointed knees. (even if newer releases for the vintage Collection now mimic this type of articulation too) with that said you can get Han into a number of great poses I really had a lot of fun posing him for the photo set and it didn’t feel like chore to pose and take phots of him. He’s definitely one of those figures you want to just pick up and play with every now and then. So, I don’t think you’d have any problems posing this figure for the most part.
ACCESSORIES
Han comes with his trusty blaster pistol and that’s it. No extra hands or heads etc. which is pretty basic. But, its fine. I’m happy with that though. I would have liked some extra hands this isn’t an S.H.Figuarts figure after all.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
I really don’t think you’re going to have any problems with this figure, unless you happen to get a bad paint application on the face?
PRICE
I paid the retail price for the Australian market and supported a local business at the same time. So, I was happy with that, even if that means the price might have been a little bit higher than what I would have payed online.
OVERALL
This is a really good Han Solo figure. Is he the best? No. Is he the worst? No again. But what you do have is an affordable, well-made figure that looks good and is really fun to play with and looks good on a display shelf with other figures from the same line of toys. And I think that’s enough to make him a must buy for me. Especially for the vintage inspired packaging for you MOC Collectors out there, he will look great, as its like having an oversized version of the original Han Solo in Bespin Outfit, abet more modern looking. If you have the chance and are a Star Wars fan, he’s worth adding to your collection.
The Imperial Stormtrooper is one of the most iconic and distinctive movie soldier designs ever, which is instantly recognisable to even non-fans of Star Wars. The elite soldier us the main ground force of the Galactic Empire and an ever-present reminder of the power of Emperor Palpatine.
Name: Stormtrooper Line: Movie Masterpiece Series Product Code: MMS267 Manufacturer: Hot Toys Released: 2015 Price: $190.99 – 199.99 USD Scale: 1/6 Accessories: Various hands and weapons.
I initially wasn’t going to buy this particular figure, don’t get me wrong, I do love me some Stormtrooper figure goodness, but, 1/6 scale figures do take up more space than their smaller action figure counterparts.
However, as luck (or fate) would have it, I happened to be picking up some orders from a friend, who just received the two pack set among some other goodies. After watching him unbox them, I knew then and there, I must have them! They just oozed quality, it was plain for me to see even with them sitting in the box, these were lovingly made figures.
So, I went home and did just that, ordered at least one figure for myself. Self-control be damned! ( Thanks, Ev! Damn it all! Haha)
LIST OF PARTS
Inside the box you get the following items:
One Stormtrooper figure Seven interchangeable hands One blaster rifle One blaster pistol One display stand
SCULPTING
As far as sculpting goes, this figure is excellent. I would never consider myself an expert when it comes to Stormtrooper helmets but, in my eyes, this is the best version made in 1/6 scale to date, it looks like Hot Toys used the “hero version” of the helmet for their reference material too as it matches that version the best. Everything is just the right size and shape. All the armour fits nice and snug on the body, it’s really like it walked off the screen and into your hands.
PAINT
Well, we all know by now that Hot Toys do an excellent job with their paint application; and this particular figure is no exception. The paint on this figure is mainly small details on the helmet and chest armour. As per usual, it’s nice and neat. I really love the gloss finish on the armour, it makes it look and feel amazing in hand.
ARTICULATION
The Stormtrooper presumably has the standard amount of articulation that the normal True Type body would have, being: Ball jointed neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, double jointed elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed chest, swivel waist, swivel/hinge hips, double jointed knees and ball jointed ankles,
Now, the outfit can restrict this articulation a little bit, especially around the shoulders and crotch. Otherwise, you can get him into plenty of Stormtrooper type poses with little-to-no difficulty, in most cases the “standing to attention, museum pose” works best and looks so damn cool.
OUTFIT
Technically, the whole figure is the outfit, I’ve already raved about the armour, the black body suit underneath is fine, it’s stretchy, well-tailored and doesn’t restrict the joints.
ACCESSORIES
Just a small amount of accessories with this figure, something that’s really becoming the norm for Hot Toys releases as many fans and reviewers alike have made mention of.
You get a number of hands in different poses and two types of blasters, the standard one we all know and love and one only seen in promo shots, so Hot Toys attention to detail is pretty good in this instance.
I like the variety of hands they are all pretty useful to get a good variety of different poses and expressiveness out of the Stormtrooper.
Lastly, you get what I’ll call the “standard Star Wars base” with the figure, I’m not a fan of it, it’s the classic black display stand for me.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
Not really too many things to watch out for, perhaps the odd factory paint blemish? Perhaps the pleather holster tearing or deteriorating over time? The quality in this particular figure is top-notch.
PRICE
I paid about $190 USD plus shipping from Animarket, and I was happy with that. He’s a little bit more expensive on the secondary market these days, but if you can find a deal, more power to you!
OVERALL
If you want that classic Stormtrooper in 1/6 scale, then this is the figure to get, it’s simply put, the best 1/6 Stormtrooper to date and puts all other attempts to shame. I’m pretty sure if you are a Star Wars, Stormtrooper and Hot Toys fan, you already have this figure and you know what I’m talking about; if you still haven’t scratched that Stormtrooper itch then what are you waiting for? Buy this figure! It’s that simple.
The AT-AT Drivers are the pilots of the Imperial Forces AT-AT Walkers, first seen in The Empire Strikes Back during the battle of Hoth. Working in teams of two they control the AT-AT Walkers driving and firing controls. Their uniforms are designed to protect them in harsh frozen climates if they are forced to abandon the AT-AT Walkers during combat.
Name: AT-AT Driver/Pilot Line: Star Wars Black Series Manufacturer: Hasbro Released:2016 Price: $19.99 USD Scale: 6 inches in height Accessories: E-11 Blaster Pistol
This is pretty much my first and only Star Wars Black Series purchase so far, I did dip my toe in ever so slightly a few years back and picked up Greedo which I had for a little while, before selling off, but I never took him out of the box and had a good look at him properly. So when Hasbro finally announced the AT-AT Driver I was looking forward to owning the figure and promptly placed my pre-order with BBTS.
The figure was released late December last year and I had my pile-of-loot shipped in January so he didn’t make the cut in my “best of” list. This was still one of the figures I was hoping that Hasbro would include in their Black Series of 6″ toys and I’m glad to have finally got my hands on him.
SCULPTING
I’m no Star Wars expert when it comes to Imperial armour and the tiny nuances when comparing what’s on the screen to toys and figures. But to me, this looks like a pretty good effort from Hasbro and looks quite good when compared to say the 3.65 AT-At Driver with the removable helmet. (That figure’s helmet looks horrible FYI) I think the proportions look about right and there’s plenty of nice details all over the figure. Plenty of creases on the clothes and nice smooth surfaces for the armour.
The Helmet itself is definitely the standout and that life support chest piece is a close second. (Seeing these are the main components of the AT-AT Driver armour in my opinion, I’m glad they’ve nailed them.) The only thing I don’t like is where the chest armour meets the hips as it cinches in and makes the AT-AT Driver look like he’s got some voluptuous proportions and once you notice it, it can’t be unseen, that’s for sure.
PAINT
There’s not too much paint on the AT-AT Driver. It’s mainly used for little details like the life support system on the chest or on the helmet. Overall I’d say it’s generally nice and neat, however, there are some stray spots on other parts of the figure. I really think the paint does a nice job of bringing out the details on that chest piece. I’d say the paint application is up to Hasbro’s usual standard (say when compared with the Marvel Legends I have for example.)
ARTICULATION
The AT-AT Driver has the following articulation: Ball-joint/swivel head, hinge/swivel shoulders, hinge/swivel elbows, hinge/swivel wrists, ball-joint waist, hinge/swivel hips, swivel thighs, double-jointed knees and hinge/swivel ankles which can pivot as well.
All in all, it’s a good amount of articulation and one of the highlights of the Black Series from the beginning. You can get the AT-AT Driver into plenty of poses without too much trouble, even if the hoses that are attached to the helmet and chest armour make the head a bit hard to move around too much and the strap/loop things on his legs affect the articulation there too.
I enjoyed playing with him while taking the photos this is a pretty fun figure to play with and to pose.
ACCESSORIES
The AT-AT Driver comes with the ever present E-11 Blaster Pistol that almost every Imperial trooper and pilot tends to come with. Just like the smaller 3.65 Inch figures, the blaster is a bit warped right out of the package. Besides this common issue, it looks good and fits into the AT-AT Driver gun holding hand with little-to-no difficulty and is a snug fit.
Child Birthing Hips You Say?!?!?
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
None I can think of, besides the minor nitpicks mentioned above.
PRICE
I paid $19.99 USD for the figure from BBTS and I’m quite happy with that. I’m assuming that’s around the normal retail price and for the quality of the figure not too cheap, but not too expensive either. I don’t tend to buy many figures in person these days after all when the Internet is so convenient.
OVERALL
I’m not going to be buying every figure released in the Black Series, I’m going to be very selective with what characters I buy, so my collection at the moment is very small (just the AT-AT Driver right now). Much like my Marvel Legends purchases, it will just be my favorite characters. With that said, I’m very impressed with this figure, it’s a very strong effort from Hasbro and the price point is great too. I’m assuming you’d have to be an Imperial Forces completist to pick this guy up, but he does look quite nice next to the Snowtrooper. I’m very happy with him and if you end up buying one for yourself, I’d like to think you’d be too.
I collect G1 Transformers and Dino-Riders as well as random toys from my childhood. I collect Hot Toys 1/6 scale figures and I also like Japanese soft Vinyl toys (Sofubi) as well.
I am a very big fan of 1980's toys, As most toys released during this period are in one word: Awesome.
I have been collecting for a number of years and have been collecting Hot toys from their very first movie masterpiece figure.
I have experienced almost every aspect of being a toy collector, from being a customer, to seller, to wholesaler, to even working as a distributor for 1/6 scale brands. I have a fair amount of experience with 1/6 scale products, some of my colleagues even call me a Hot Toys guru.
I also do a fair amount of kit-bashing of figures, custom clothing, scratch built figures, customized figures etc.
I enjoy toy collecting very much and toys in general is something I have a great passion for.
Blog Mission
What I intend to bring you are reviews on current released figures, retro reviews and articles on various details and facts to do with toys.
My main goal is to make this blog interesting, entertaining and informative.
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All articles and photos are copyright Mike's Toy Blog.
Any text or photos can not be used on another site without permission or a link back to my site.
Any photos used after permission is granted must not be edited in anyway and appear exactly as they appear on this site, including any watermarks.
