Hmmm I dunno...

Perspective or not, $60's pretty outrageous for something being produced now with no tooling costs.  I'll wait for it to come down in price and, if nothing else, get it later than everyone else.

It's just not that good to me in the first place...  I was going to justify it by using it as a set piece for SW Minis battles games since it'd make a possible objective or something, but beyond that the RA-7 was my only desire from it.

I just can't compare it with the vintage toy...  It'd never replace it to me.  There you're getting something they're not making right now and which has real nostalgia.  But here with the modern crawler it's just a watered down, dirtied up version of the original...

That RA-7 is neat though, I like it.  

I'd like to see what Hasbro's MSRP was in ink on this beyond what the actual charge is.  I recall multiple people contradicting me (at the time) that the Shuttle was selling for its legitimate MSRP and that it was as low as Hasbro could get it...  Then we found out that wasn't so much the case.

Diamond's never been exactly cheap with their exclusives, and old SW exclusives sold for higher than their MSRP so I'm wagering it's spiked for the Crawler as well.

I think $50's even too much for this though...  It's not that big a vehicle even.

Taking a look over yonder at GH's preview, I noticed a few things...

-Leia...  I'm overall pretty happy, and while the attempt at "sheer" spacey fabric is different I'm not really disappointed with it.  The figur'es what it should be to me...  Simple, effective...  Accurate headsculpt.  A softgoods skirt with bendable knees might've been nice just so she could sit, but she's cool nonetheless.

-Lobot...  Pretty great really.  I rank him in there as being similar to a Senator figure.  No need for flashy articulation, no need for goofy gimmicks...  no need for any pose really.  Just a nice vanilla cyborg.  His implant thing coming out is weird, but I assume it's not intended to.  The accessories rock and Hasbro gets an A for creativity in designing some "just off-screen" doo-dads for him.  Nice figure, and nice apology for POTF2 version.

Now, the figure I actually had a problem with is the one I was hoping I'd love the most...

-Cloud Car Pilot...  Not that he's bad by any means, but what the hell is up with Hasbro insisting on making "leaning" action figures?  That lean doesn't totally ruin him, but it sure as **** detracts from an otherwise PERFECT action figure.

I don't get it...  Why would they do this?  Why'd they do it to Ach Med Beq, Lt. Faytonni, and the Clone Pilot as well?  Is there some odd sculptor at Hasbro who specializes in figures who lean?  Does this sculptor perhaps have a condition where he himself is constantly leaning to one side so when he sculpts figures they lean as well?

I want answers to these questions because I'm tired of leaning figures.  Hasbro's new craptacular trend!

Don't do stuff like this...    Faytonni and Beq would be ultimate Custom Fodder if they didn't lean.  CCP would be a simply amazing figure if he didn't lean.  Other figures in the past were "ruined" by a lean that kept them from being truly great!

STOP IT!  JUST STOP IT!  

There...  Said my peace.  Whoever did that sculpt's a real jag-off for doing that.    

Really nice accessories though...  Love the belt/holster thing.  The blaster and communicator are cool nods to the vintage figure too, and the helmet's see-through visor rocks as well.  

Just wish that sculpt were NOT leaning.

My god...  Just, simply...  Wow.

People are dumb.  Dumb, Dumb, Dumb...

I like both...  I think they are the true "ultimate" versions of both figures, yet while I love the Leia figure I was slightly let down by the Ben.

The Ben's lack of knee articulation is VERY disappointing.  The only good there is at least he can still be seated in the Landspeeder.  He just can't be seated in a real chair...  That's highly disappointing that Hasbro would skimp that one little area...  That one little detail.

The cloak I can deal with, but then again I'm trying to make my own less puffy one too so I'm biased.

Hasbro's work with softgoods is attrocious at times, and I'll admit Ben's OUTER robe is definitely not that hot.  Why they use that thick fabric I'll never understand.

I reviewed Total Control Mace Windu here when I started...



I'm sure a lot of you guys never bought him, but he was a surprisingly fun figure...  Irregardless though, he had THE BEST type of fabric on a figure in this scale that I have ever seen/felt in person.  It's woven tightly, it doesn't require stitching at the edges, it is THIN, it hangs well and even folds up some...

It's simply great.  Hasbro should be using it exclusively for sftgoods in this scale, yet they've never used it since.    Really pisses me off, honestly.  They've acheived "perfection" but refuse to repeat it.

So Ben's not bad but could be better...  Leia, to me, is as good as it's gonna get.  

They're skimping on articulation still, which sucks, but they're still making some pretty good figures.

To me the Leia's one of the most needed because I don't think an ANH Leia (arguably one of her most iconic outfits) hasn't got a "good" figure yet.  That looks perfect to me.  Still I see how a softgoods hood would really have done great!

I'm anxious to see all the others.

I was just gonna say, actually, about that I'm not really jonesin' for a non-spirit version of this figure.  

I wouldn't turn it aside...  I'd put it in my Cantina perhaps since he wasn't sitting most of the time there, but I just don't really WANT this figure now that the Vintage OTC one is coming up.  To me, "old" ben is really done now if that figure's as good as I'm assuming it will be.

I'd rather they went with redoing E1 and E2 Kenobi's so THOSE two have a decent version of themselves.  As many exist, you'd think they'd have had one good vanilla one by now.

Like I said though, i'd not pass him up only because he's appropriate for a few of my collection shelves, and likely would find a home in the Cantina or Tatooine shelf somewhere...  Where he wouldn't, the VOTC would go, though that passenger seat in the Speeder's crying out for him to hop in and ride shotgun...

FINALLY!!!!  

Since I like to keep this updated as much as possible...

Spitfires and P-40 Warhawks are across the country, and many are sold through already.  Wal-Mart sucks is all I can say.  These never hit here in Pittsburgh as near as I can tell or I'd have had a Spitfire no doubt.  That's a fine plane.

With that said...

The Battle of the Bulge figures are supposedly on their way, both U.S. and Germans.  They're shipping soon to E-Tailers like Bad Cat Toys but over at GP's there a couple options to getting them!  I'm just not sure who all.

Bad Cat has a case assortment of them for $6.25 per figure before shipping.  Gotta buy by the case though right now.

They are ALSO shipping with Patton figures though.

The assortment I saw at Bad Cat was like 12 figures, and sported 2 of each German, 1 of each Patton figure, and then the rest were U.S. figures (I guess since they'd already seen some limited release to TRU before the deal ended).

Beyond that, little of note figure-wise.  I wish 21st would get their asses in gear on figures.  They really  need to have a steady release of NEW figures throughout the year before pissing with all these planes.  I like planes sometimes, but due to space and cost I can't buy them all.  Figures though, I'd buy at least one of each, and likely multiples of the most "generic" guys too.

Gimme some leathernecks and japs to duke it out please!  Some Russians, Brits, French Reisstance, and some resculpts of U.S. and German infantry wouldn't hurt either, know what I mean?

I actually cut Woodchuck Luke's teeth out when I got the POTJ figure ages ago...  I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought to do that.  Just wish Hasbro had tried fixing it back in the day rather than letting it go to production that way.

I'm debating his height anymore, but all in all he's not a bad figure.

These are still ones I won't be buying...  THe Hoth Vader's not enough for me to buy it.  The Luke Bespin is one I'm on the fence on....  

The Gamorrean does look a bit crisper.  That's neat, in a way.  Shows how good a sculpt that was.



Anyone think Bossk's sporting POTF2 legs on Saga body?  Hmmm

I may  nab him if that's the case.  Much more "ESB-ish" than his Saga counterpart if that's the case.  The Saga one's almost an EU version of Bossk sorta running.

Hmmm

I'm miffed at the inaccurate shirt still...  I may hold off a long time, just to see what comes of this set as far as clearances.  I'd rather wait on Hasbro to either make an accurate carded figure or to do it myself eventually than to pay the $20 for it if it's still inaccurate.

At least it's not as bad as those online images implied though.  Yikes that was an oogly figure.