2022 MCM UK Comic Con Hasbro Reveals

[Dave]

A new slew of announcements were posted on Yakface, Jedi News, and Bossk's Bounty.

ROTJ Specialty Wave (Wooof, Yak Face, Nikto, Kithaba)
ROTJ Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper
Deluxe Paz Vizsla
Admiral Piett
Cad Bane (The Book of Boba Fett)
Nien Numb

[Rob]

The Paz Vizla is awesome, even if it’ll be expensive.

The Cad Bane will be great I’m sure, in a year.
Same for Jerjerod, and he probably opens the door for head swaps and more imperial officers
So I’m super good with that.

The Speeder Bike is fine, didn’t need it, the last one looks great.  But okay, sure… I know not everyone’s been around as long as I have.

And that’s it.  Other than that we learned that a bunch of Jabba’s palace figures are being redone or reissued from just the last two or three years… and they’re reissuing Nien Nunb for some inexplicable reason.

Considering there are 9 figures and a small vehicle in these announcements, it sure doesn’t seem like much by way of new offerings outside of Paz, Moff, Bane.

[Dave]

The Speeder Bike is fine, didn’t need it, the last one looks great.  But okay, sure… I know not everyone’s been around as long as I have.

I do like the different stand they are providing, taking a different approach than the spring loaded feet. 

[Rob]

Sure, the lower stand is nice, and I'm sure for people who haven't been around as long as some of us have and never had a crack at a good Speeder Bike this will be a nice option.  It's just nothing exciting to me.

[Muftak]

Same for Jerjerod, and he probably opens the door for head swaps and more imperial officers

He is actually the second Imperial Officer figure pipelined now -- they pipelined Admiral Piett in the summer. They truly do like getting two uses out of new molds right out of the gate these days.

[Rob]

He is actually the second Imperial Officer figure pipelined now -- they pipelined Admiral Piett in the summer. They truly do like getting two uses out of new molds right out of the gate these days.

It's like 80% of what they make.  And too often, when it's a unique mold it's $27.99.

[Jeff]

Considering there are 9 figures and a small vehicle in these announcements, it sure doesn’t seem like much by way of new offerings outside of Paz, Moff, Bane.

Look at this list below of what they've announced so far for the basic figure line for next year.  I get that it's the 40th of ROTJ but COME ON, Hasbro.  Where are the Andor figures?  Kenobi figures?  I'm so desperate for all-new never before made figures at this point, I'd even gladly buy the Skittle-Bike gang from TBOBF. 

2 all-new figures (Hunter, TBOBF Tusken)
7 new resculpts of stuff they've done before (ROTS Clone, Endor Han, Piett, Jerjerrod, Vader, Starkiller, Cad Bane)
10 repack/repaints


ANNOUNCED BY HASBRO:
  2023 VCxxx Hunter (Bad Batch) {pipeline revealed - 5/27, figure shown 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Starkiller (Force Unleashed) {pipeline revealed - 5/27}
  2023 VCxxx Clone Trooper (Revenge of the Sith) {pipeline revealed - 7/22}
  2023 VCxxx Han Solo (Endor) {pipeline revealed - 7/22}
  2023 VCxxx Admiral Piett {pipeline revealed - 7/22}
  2023 VCxxx Darth Vader (ROTJ) {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Weequay {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Wooof {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Yak-Face {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Nikto {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Kithaba {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Tusken Warrior (TBOBF) {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Clone Captain Howser {repack with new cardback} {pipeline revealed - 10/1}
  2023 VCxxx Moff Jerjerrod {pipeline revealed - 10/29}
  2023 VCxxx Cad Bane (TBOBF) {pipeline revealed - 10/29}
  2023 VC01 Dengar (source)
  2023 VC55 Logray (source)
  2023 VC106 Nien Nunb (source)
  2023 VC111 Leia (Bespin Gown) (source)

[Dave]

I'm with you Jeff.

I understand the repaints/repacks for profit, but I don't get the resculpts thing at all.

If they're going to go to the trouble of sculpting something new, at least give us some all new figures.

[Rob]

I think it’s two things… one is that as we keep saying it’s easy money… but also lots of collectors haven’t been at it since 1995 or 1977 or whatever and will happily buy stuff that we’re all tired of. 

[Nicklab]

I'm finally able to catch up with the reveals.  And I was pleased to see how much was revealed for The Vintage Collection at MCM London Comic Con.

The refresh wave of Jabba's goons is welcome.  The Nikto, Kithaba and Wooof help to fill out the ranks.  Saelt Marae / Yakface was a curious choice though, since that figure is still pretty easy to get on the secondary market.  The Weequay that was previously announced was curiously absent from the London presentation as well as the livestream.  I believe info came to light that the Weequay will be slotted into a mainline wave, while this wave will be a specialty / Fan Channel offering.

I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come in 2023.  There are more skiff guards that haven't been made yet.  The last guard on the prisoner skiff has yet to be made - Velken Tezeri.  I heard Emily mention during the livestream the words "prisoner skiff", which has been a term that a number of people in the community have been using in reference to the skiff that Han, Luke, Lando and Chewbacca are on in ROTJ.  But for some reason Hasbro seems to be leery of making figures of human guards.  I'm also hopeful that offering this wave of Jabba's goons might mean that tooling for various Niktos and Klaatooinians might be entering the active library for more current entertainment offerings - like Niktos and Klaatooinians from The Mandalorian.  The first episode of The Mandalorian is just rife with those guys as Mando and IG-11 fought their way to the bounty - the Child.  There was also the Kintan strider speeder bike gang (Niktos) in The Book of Boba Fett, as well as the Klaatooinian meat market where Mando unleashed the Dark Saber in combat for the first time - also in TBOBF.  Offering up some of these guys in a troop builder set might really contribute to the world building concept that they like throwing around!

Paz Vizsla looks pretty amazing.  The colors look good, and I was happy to see how many accessories are included with him.  The heavy cannon blaster looks great.  And so does the energy shield and vibro knife.  Kudos to Hasbro for building a working scabbard into Paz's shin armor for that.

The speeder bike looks like a solid offering.  The opening engine compartment is a great feature.  And so is the removable bed roll.  I don't think Hasbro was quite able to convey the different ways to display the bike on the stand.  Maybe later product imagery can show this?  And the biker scout looks good.  But I still have to wince over this $45 price tag.

As for the new pipeline reveals?  Cad Bane is a great addition to TVC.  And I really like the look of the character from TBOBF.  Moff Jerjerrod is a pleasant surprise, too.  But not unexpected since Hasbro announced Admiral Piett earlier this year.  I expect Hasbro is going to be offering a good number of Imperial officers over the next few years now that they've got a TVC Imp officer body in the tooling library.  And it's good to get Nien Nunb back out there, too.  He was one of my favorite figures back in the Kenner days.  I still remember mailing away for that figure! 

[P-Siddy]

I expect Hasbro is going to be offering a good number of Imperial officers over the next few years now that they've got a TVC Imp officer body in the tooling library. 

I'm not sure how many "named" officers there are in the movies and shows (might make for a rainy-day project), but they could turn them all out if they wanted. Hopefully they could make an easy way to swap rank badges (at least for productions sake). Sure, we'd get a bit of officer fatigue, but we'd get several officers redone and some new ones as well.  I'd love to see an updated version of the Death Star Conference Room set from back in 2006 or some ISB types like Krennic (who is sorely needed) or Officer Evax.

[Muftak]

I expect Hasbro is going to be offering a good number of Imperial officers over the next few years now that they've got a TVC Imp officer body in the tooling library. 

I'm not sure how many "named" officers there are in the movies and shows (might make for a rainy-day project), but they could turn them all out if they wanted. Hopefully they could make an easy way to swap rank badges (at least for productions sake). Sure, we'd get a bit of officer fatigue, but we'd get several officers redone and some new ones as well.  I'd love to see an updated version of the Death Star Conference Room set from back in 2006 or some ISB types like Krennic (who is sorely needed) or Officer Evax.

I get wanting a new Imperial Officer buck, and I am glad to have an updated/promoted Admiral Piett, but I really have no gripe with the current Moff Jerjerrod figure and this wasn't needed in my opinion. I would go so far as to say that if they are picking characters from the DS II Emperor's arrival scene to make, releasing Jerjerrod next year instead of Sim Aloo is pretty tone-deaf as far as what fans have been asking for. I understand they want to use the Imperial Officer mold again to held meet their budgets or whatever their deal is, but I also feel like Sim Aloo could be wearing an Imperial Officer uniform under his big robe for all we know, so just sculpt up a head, sew him a soft goods robe, and check this guy off the list instead.

[Nicklab]

I thought the same thing about Moff Jerjerrod until I looked a little closer.  That figure came out in 2006.  By the time the new version is released it will have been 17 years since the Saga Collection Jerjerrod figure was originally offered.  I think with this, like many things, the situation is relative.  The POTF2 Piett came out in 1998.  Admiral Ozzel came out in 2003.  Veers in 2006.  And they're all in varying levels of quality when it comes to sculpting and articulation.

I'd like Hasbro to cover some new ground in terms of characters with the Imperial officers.  But they also need to bring some characters with significant roles up to date because the existing versions look awful compared to modern figures.  Hasbro will absolutely get their money's worth out of the Imperial officer sculpt.  As for Piett and Jerjerrod?  They're the two most important Imperial officers depicted in ROTJ.  I don't know if Piett will be on a TESB or a ROTJ card.  My preference would be TESB.  But they're both topical with the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi.

As for Sim Aloo?  I fully expect substantial re-use with that figure.  Hasbro re-used a number of parts from a Lando figure to make Bib Fortuna.  And it seems like Hasbro would likely do the same to make parts of a figure that are never really explored in depth on screen.

[Muftak]

Yeah, the Officer figures are a very mismatched bunch when you take the 15 years or so of sculpting techniques and line them up together. Jerjerrod is kind of the "peak" of sculpting for me, that 2006-2009 sweet spot. Much like last year's Lobot was a little too GiJoe for me, I still prefer the look of the 2004 figure there.

I don't need an Imperial Officer whose tunic has a huge split under the armpits, but I get the feeling that's what is on the way. I skipped the new Bespin Guards because the reused pieces didn't work well in my eye, and that torso cut made zero sense with the piping on the jackets. I can skip ugly Officer sculpts too.

They referred to Piett as "Admiral Piett" in the reveal so he could go either way TESB or ROTJ, but I lean towards ROTJ so they can use their snazzy 40th logo in the corner of the card.

[Dave]

Yeah, the Officer figures are a very mismatched bunch when you take the 15 years or so of sculpting techniques and line them up together.

I think this is true of a lot of our collections.  You get them all together and you can tell the era based on paint apps, sculpts, articulation, etc.  I honestly think that is some of the charm of collecting when you've got POTF2 all the way through TVC all mashed together in a scene.

I personally don't feel the need to redo all of the older sculpts and bring them up to speed.  I'd much rather have new characters to fill out the Star Wars universe and do real "world building".

I know that Hasbro is going to make this a cash grab, but if they're going to do that they should give us new characters.  There are an easy handful of new, meaningful Imperial officer characters from Andor that they could crank out by using the same arms/legs, but with different torsos and head sculpts. And honestly after a few different torsos (male thin, male fat, female) they could just reuse them and swap out insignia.

I for one will not likely be buying the new Piett and Jerjerrod figures unless they're amazingly different.