Although the majority of us have likely not found the entire VOTC line quite yet, it does appear they are starting to make their way through the retail system. This was probably one of the more anticipated and talked about Star Wars lines in quite some time, and from what I have read it seems to have brought a lot of casual or old collectors back into the game. Of what you have (or have seen pics of, in person, etc.), what are your impressions of this line? Did the figures meet your expectations? Are they the "best ever" incarnations of these figures, in these particular outfits? Which were hits, and which were misses. Also, if you don't think the VOTC versions were the best of what we've seen...which previous versions top them?
A New Hope Wave Found: 4 of 4
Luke Skywalker - not too bad, but probably not one of the stronger figures. The cloth cloak seemed unnecessary, but at least it was a different take on the farmboy Luke. The articulation was nice. I wouldn't say it was worlds better than previous farmboy Lukes overall though, but parts did seem pretty good. Maybe a wee bit too short.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - again, not terrible, but not particularly impressive either. I think I've gotten mine into a position where the bulky cloak at least looks decent, and the additional articulation is nice (no knees though?), but I wouldn't say that it is that huge of an improvement over the POTJ or recent Spirit version from the OTC. Also, the fact that he has the "old style" lightsaber with no "flame effect" at the base kind of bothers me. Minor quibble though. Average figure, probably not worth $10.
Princess Leia - Pretty good figure. Sure, the face sculpt isn't 100% accurate, but its probably as good as any past ones have been. Better articulation than all previous versions. Otherwise, not a huge difference between this one and the Commtech versions. That said though, this is probably my favorite version of the New Hope Leia, pretty easily. A solid figure, not spectacular, but solid.
Han Solo - Wow. My favorite figure of all time I think. Han and Chewie are my favorite characters, so that might have something to do with it too, but this figure to me is pretty much perfect. The vest isn't a seperate piece, but that is really the only minor quibble with this figure to me. I think this is easily the best Han Solo figure we've seen, and makes a solid Commtech Han Solo look quite dated. A template for the future of well articulated figures.
Empire Strikes Back Wave Found: 4 of 4
Yoda - Another favorite character of mine, so I was really looking forward to the figure. It is a nice figure, and I really like the vintage "nods" of the soft goods cloak and snake, but the soft goods doesn't sit quite right on mine. Plus, as has been pointed out by Jesse I believe, the belt isn't on the outside of the cloak, like the vintage figure. I do like the VOTC Yoda overall, but I almost think the OTC version is a better overall likeness. My VOTC Yoda just looks a little....chubby or something. Good figure though...$10? Not sure.
C-3PO - Although I can appreciate the vac-metallized work on this, I was fairly unimpressed with this figure when I found it. As with all of the VOTC, I am happy to have it, but it definitely isn't worth $10. I think the part that bothers me the most about this figure is the face sculpt (at least on mine). He almost has a "puckery" look to his face/mouth, if that makes sense. I guess I was more impressed when I finally found the repack of the MMC version this year, I thought that figure was a more impressive 3PO. Plus, the obvious flaw of more articulation too. Again, some of the other areas of sculpting, as well as paint/metallize work, are impressive...but this figure could have been much better I think.
Lando Calrissian - I was happily surprised with this figure. I guess it wasn't one I was really psyched and thinking about a lot, but when I found it I thought it ended up being one of the best of the line that I have seen. The cape is a little better detailed, the articulation is very well done, and overall it is a solid figure. Some minor complaints would be the head sculpt (POTJ one seems a little more accurate), and the lack of ball joints on the elbows (which is a running theme in this line). They did it with Han, and it worked great, would have liked to see it here. Otherwise, this is a very good version of the "other" smuggler, and capable of more than one pose (like the POTJ version)
Darth Vader - Another favorite of mine, and a great figure. I like how it turned out. The only problem I really have with it is again the ball jointed elbows, but I guess it doesn't hurt this figure too badly. The sculpt is nice, the soft goods worked pretty well (at least on mine), and the fact that we got a lit and unlit saber was a nice bonus. I would say this is the best Vader we've seen so far, but it could probably still be improved upon a little bit. A terrific figure though I think.
Return of the Jedi Wave Found: 2 of 4 (Missing Chewbacca, Boba Fett)
R2-D2 - A nice little figure, and Hasbro did a little extra with things like the pop-up sensorscope, removable third leg, and the "gadgets" panel to make it something different. The "chrome" dome might not technically be accurate, but it looks nice, and is another nice nod to the vintage figure. We've seen quite a few nice R2s over the years, and this is another nice take. The recent Jabba's Sail Barge figure might be a better R2 overall, but I don't have any complaints about this one personally.
Stormtrooper - One of the best of the line. It took the very popular and well liked Commtech version, and improved upon it. Finally, a super articulated version of the best army builder in the Star Wars saga. Ball sockets everywhere you look, the stormie blaster, and a good sculpt. Best version ever. Only drawback (as with the whole line), $10 a pop. Tough to justify army building with that pricepoint.
Chewbacca - I haven't found this figure yet, but outside of Han it is my most anticipated of the line. From the pictures that have come online within the past week or two, it looks amazing. Likely the best Chewie ever. The Cloud City version is also nice, but this one looks like it will be even a little better. Although it seems to be missing peg holes in the feet, i do like how they gave him the "sasquatch" feet. I don't have it yet, but judging from pictures, it is second only to Han with me. Really hope I can find one (and that everyone else can too).
Boba Fett - Haven't found Fett either, but from the pictures it looks to be a great figure as well. We've been wanting a "super articulated" version of this character for quite some time, and it looks like Hasbro has delivered on that. From the pics, the color of the jumpsuit seems a little bit off, and overall the accuracy of the figure might be beaten by the great 300th Edition Fett. But, that figure is pretty much stuck in one pose. In some pics online, the head looks a little big, but I have seen that people who have found him say that isn't the case. He'll probably be a bugger to find int he stores though.
Sorry for the excessively long post, I was just curious to see what everyone thought of this line overall. Do you think they were worth the $10 a piece? I'm not so sure. Although I think the line is great, and I really like the vintage packaging, I think we've seen somewhat comparable figures at the $5 price point, and in some cases better figures at that price. The packaging (star case) was neat too, but I would have gladly given it up to get these figures for $5-$7. Overall though, this is definitely the most excited I have been about a Star Wars figure set in quite some time, and overall Hasbro seems to have delivered. The $10 price point really hit me though, and it did seem like a lot to pay for the figures. That said, I'd like to see more figures done in this style (well sculpted, well articulated, at least close-to-definitive versions), and hopefully we'll see more of this in the future. It does seem like these could be done (minus the spiffy packaging) for a lower pricepoint though. I really like being able to have definitive versions of the main characters, who can be posed either neutrally, or in action poses, determined by us...not by the sculpt. Figures that either are, or come close to, being the best versions ever of the characters to me are: Han Solo, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, and Boba Fett. The latter part of the list could still be improved upon a little, but they seem pretty close. Anyways, what are your thoughts? Did the VOTC live up to expectations?