4” Epic Hero Series Figure Line

[Ryan]

It is odd, I've now seen several people praising these (& 5-POA in general) on Reddit, and the posts were getting a decent amount of engagement. Not that, that is a very scientific barometer of people's interest in these in general but I did think it was interesting. I'm curious how many people (kids vs adults) actually LIKE these and what value they have that Retro or TVC does not. As an adult collector, there is nothing here that remotely interests me that I can't already get in TVC, Retro, or older lines. Even as a little kid I feel like I would have greatly preferred TVC, any would have been fine with the Retro figures over the Epic Hero series.

If Epic Hero was a return to ForceLink style 5-POA w/ good sculpts and paint I could see a place for it, but as is, I just can't get on board with this line and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts...

[Rob]

Yeah I'm not sure it's that, although maybe it's a gateway to that?  For example, here's a pair of previous 5-POA Jedi Lukes from a few years ago next to this new one... the new one is definitely over-sized (despite all the talk about these 4" figures being 3.75" scale, they do seem big).  The detail is less, the sculpt is clunkier, and they're definitely cast with a firmer plastic that has basically no bend in it.   Like, look at his feet compared to the others, they're huge.  And only a small bit of that is an effect of the lensing, the new one is definitely significantly bigger. 

Articulation aside, these definitely are super generic, almost cartoony / childish sculpts compared to what we've grown to expect.  As a collect-'em-all guy, now that I have a few of them in-hand, I'm hoping the line is short lived.

[Jeff]

Articulation aside, these definitely are super generic, almost cartoony / childish sculpts compared to what we've grown to expect. 

Thanks Rob for the comparison.  I think I'll be passing on all of these unless they make something truly new and interesting.

Holding out hope that maybe the supporting vehicle or speeder line Jayson rumored for these will offer something useful/exciting and not also be dumbed down, out-of-scale type things.

[Jedi Idej]

Holding out hope that maybe the supporting vehicle or speeder line Jayson rumored for these will offer something useful/exciting and not also be dumbed down, out-of-scale type things.

I expect the vehicles will have some kind of play feature like oversized missile or pullback motor and simplified paint deco. No biggie to me; it is billed as a kid toy-line. If it looks fun and, as you say, properly scaled, I'll pick it up. But, yeah, that comparison pic...

[GrandMoffNick]

Yes thanks Rob. I canceled my Stormtrooper pre order and any thoughts of it being army building worthy.

[Rob]

No problem guys.  Since there aren't 5-POA examples, here are comparisons to TVC versions for the other three I have... I feel like Ahsoka is the least offensive, but also really not a necessary figure on any level.

[Jeff]

Thanks for reminding me how bad that TVC Sabine removable helmet is... 

[Dave]

I was really hoping that 4" really meant 3.75", but it does look like these are all truly a little bigger.   Very, very stupid.  I am all in favor of a 3.75" 5POA offering, but a 4" 5POA line is beyond stupid.

[Rob]

Thanks for reminding me how bad that TVC Sabine removable helmet is... 

Lol, it's hideous.

I was really hoping that 4" really meant 3.75", but it does look like these are all truly a little bigger.   Very, very stupid.  I am all in favor of a 3.75" 5POA offering, but a 4" 5POA line is beyond stupid.

I'm really stuck on this line... on one hand, it's basically the same, on the other hand it does seem slightly off.  I'm just erring on the side of collecting them for now, I can always get rid of them later I guess.

[Muftak]

I saw figures from this line at WalMart today...if they had Luke I would have bought him.

They had 4 pegs, 2 for the Basic figures and 2 for the Deluxe. But the thing is, each peg was earmarked for a different individual figure.

That's not so bad for Sabine and Paz, they worked out just fine. The basic pegs were for Mando and Vader, and each figure was loaded enough that these must be shipping in solid freaking cases. Why have an assortment if you don't sell them by assortment?

This is where I think Hasbro is shooting their lines in the foot, with the widget mentality. This line will only survive as a kids line if the kids can find the figures. Mando and Sabine vs Vader and Paz is not going to be anybody's play pattern.

[Nicklab]

Today was the first time that I've seen these in a store.  And while I might have been optimistic about this line when it was first announced, the comparison images on social media were enough to help me make up my mind before even seeing these firsthand.  I glanced at them, but it didn't seem to be worth my time to even take them off the pegs, which was kind of sad.

As for the possible vehicles?  Having seen some of the Marvel ones in their Epic Heroes Series line, I'm not feeling terribly optimistic.

[Jeff]

Hasbro finally sent out a press release for this line today.  Nothing new in there, so not bothering to post them here.  Only interesting thing to note is that Hasbro PR says these will be Walmart exclusive (even though we've already seen Amazon and EE taking pre-orders for them).  I guess maybe Walmart is the only brick and mortar retailer for them?

[Muftak]

Which makes the 4 pegs/1 figure each layout even more perplexing for an 8 figure lineup. How do Luke, Grogu, Ahsoka, and the Stormtrooper get to retail?

I saw the same 4 peg layout at a second WalMart today and have seen pics verifying it elsewhere. This will be a weird one to watch play out.

[Jeff]

How do Luke, Grogu, Ahsoka, and the Stormtrooper get to retail?

Walmart loves those aisle-blocking shippers.  Maybe they'll have those with the rest of the figures.  Or, Walmart is just a cluster and those 4 pegs will be over in the auto-motive section or something.  Walmart gonna Walmart.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Cripes.  It's like the took all the worst parts of the 2002 era figures and mashed them up with the5-POA era stuff and ran them through a factory that churns bootlegs.  "Lets take all the things that piss off the diehards and put them in one product."