The thing about Super Articulation is...

Do you think you'll not buy a pre-posed, or otherwise specific version?  Suspending disbelief on the action features for the moment, as I can't think of anyone (sane) who actually thought those were the hottest idea in Hasbro's history of not hot ideas.

To me, the SA only enhances the pre-posed figures to me.  Like VOTC Han kicks ass in every way imagineable, but there's the bonus enjoyment I now get out of the POTJ Death Star Escape Han because I have that VOTC Han that is the definitive to me.  DSE just looks kinda cool now, whereas before I really hated that figure and considered it a sheer waste.

I really love these new E3 figure images...  Proof Hasbro's learned something in the last 2 years or so...  Collection 2 figures weren't vaguely close to this level of quality in Saga's run, so I'm really excited at what is awaiting us with ROTS, and then what could be coming beyond that!  I can't friggin' wait. 

Best figures ever are coming our way now and in the future...  That's bright news.  They know how to go into a line's (supposed) ending period, and make you wish it wasn't stopping any time soon.

Pittsburgh's changing I guess, but not quickly.

VOTC's still spotty.

The ANH VOTC are ALL OVER the place at Wal-Marts.  Those things are bought, literally by the dozen at those stores.  Who ever thought buying that many cases of one wave was a good idea needs to lose his/her job because that glut's gonna kill seeing VOTC ESB/ROTJ at Wal-Mart in my area I think, short of a surge of people buying those VOTC up that aren't avid collectors.

The ANH are only sporatically seen at any other store though, so that's good. 

Most Targets haven't got more than 4 VOTC figures on the shelves total. 

OTC's pegwarming with select figures...  mostly the Luke's (all types), the repack bounty hunters, R2 (with wheels), Han Cantina (of course), Dago Wave, Bespin Wave remnants (CCP never sits, proving once again that Army builders always sell well for a longer period when they're done right), and that's about the OTC situation...

No OTC like the Stormtrooper, Scout trooper, TIE Pilot, Gam Guard, Jawas, or Tusken Raider, ever seems to sit for any ammount of time.  The Army builders, once again, move.  I've yet to see (ever) a Gam Guard,  Bib Fortuna, imperial Trooper, or the Endor wave repacks.  I'd like the Endor wave figs and Gam guards, but alas I'm hosed.   

The figure cases sold incredibly well unless they went to the back rooms of Wal-Mart, because one WM here had at least 2 dozen of 3PO and 2 dozen of Vader, and now they have 2 of each at most.  It's a big, high-traffic store, but I'm even in awe that they sold most of those through.

The little kiddie figures (Galactic Heroes or whatever) are everywhere.  I mean, tons.  I kinda wish they marketed these away from the other figures, but I digress.

TONS of OTC vehicles except the Slave I at Target.  All the rest are out in abundance.  TONS out there, none moving.  I'll wait for clearances on anything I want, but what I want's extremely limited....

Beyond that, I think VOTC are a HUGE hit.  $10 still moved figures...  A mixed blessing.  Only the ANH wave pegwarms, and it's arguably the worst wave overall AND it was also (as most 1st waves are) heavily overordered by some.  K-Mart semi-did and Wal-Mart HORRIBLY did so.  Only if ROTJ hits in that kinda mass will we all rejoice.

OTC's a mixed hit IMO.  It's selling well, but bare in mind a lot of figures aren't evenly packed in it, a lot are "rare" in the first place (Endor wave), and the ones that shouldn't have been packed that most of us called Hasbro on in the first place are sitting just as we predicted.

one WM here even has one of every repack Cantina Han on their various cards.  I **** you not, they have what is like a pseudo-retarded Darwinian evolutionary chart of that pile of **** that shouldn't have ever seen the light of day when they're releasing a vastly superior figure for $10 at the same time.  Tell me more VOTC Hans wouldn't move if he was only available for $10, ya know?

The army builders, again, are moving. T hey're all pretty solid, even if I'm not fond of the Scout Trooper personally.  It still moves.  CCP though is proof that they move when done right, and Saga Hoth Rebel's proof they don't move when they're done terrible.  I've got a Target here sporting a wall of Saga Hoth Rebels.   

And on that note...

Saga still clogs the pegs.  Some places have remnants of Star Destroyer and Yavin waves, though usually on Dodonna and Dengar, while other places have WALLS (Mostly Toys R Us stores) of the Hoth wave (R-3PO, Hoth Trooper, etc).

Not good...  Then again, Toys R Us is the one with most Saga, and they've got Preview POTJ and POTJ Duros/Bespin Guards too...  Though most BG's are gone now too, so kudos to him finally dwindling away from several Christmas's ago.

Retail isn't swift right now...  That's the short of it.    But there's empty pegs some places for some stuff, and WM's are often making OTC displays separate of the Saga repacked Jedi/Younglings they overordered, so they're sorta getting stuff in...  though most is old OTC nobody needs now.     

Tragic indeed...  Tragic that these douchebags create false-demand blips and unnecessary middle-men situations over god-damned toys.

I've watched the same types go out of business in Pittsburgh (Creature Cantina go bye bye), or they've gone strictly to Ebaying now...  There'll always be the opportunists in the world, but finding a damned Chewie figure, or R2, or something...  And finding it at the local Wal-Mart or Target...  These simple things should never be this complex.   

Can bet your life savings that I'm a happy camper here...  Articulation's been THE single most drawback to the Star Wars line.  It's nice to see Hasbro's caught on with every other toy company but McFarlane,a nd realized that articulated toys are the way to go. 

Kudos to them.

Not just BBI, but 21st...  They've got a bit coming out including a Stug.  NEW ARMOR!  YES!



And those Marines and "Army Builder" sets just kick ass.

Here's the 21st page of images from Figures.com:

http://69.93.119.2/photo/1/showgallery.php?cat=1823&page=1&sort=1&perpage=15&=

Here's BBI's, which if you ask me BBI had the best showing.  I love 21st, but it's gonna take a while to see that Stug, the truck, the Marines, or anything...  BBI actually releases stuff, ya know?  So here we go!:

http://69.93.119.2/photo/1/showgallery.php?cat=1817

Both companies coming out swinging, but BBI just threw a 1-2 Punch that 21st's lost some teeth on.  They need to get their **** together to get back in the game on any competitive level.  I LOVE their figures, but they gotta RELEASE figures for me to support them...  Armor's a step forward, but I can only buy planes so much before I'm sick of it.

I need tanks, jeeps, trucks, Kubel's, artillery, and most of all I need figures... 

BBI's figures look great, but I'm not sure on those sci-fi kitbashes with SW figures.  They're weird, and I'm hoping they're just rough prototypes (real rough) and not figures or an off-shoot line they're trying out.  I dunno.

And BBI comes outta left field again with their often rumored P-51 Mustang...  Yes, they have their own version, and have debuted it, and it's a doozey.  Judging by the pic, it's everything 21st's have been and then some.

On their Sherman, people have noted it's a different type as the barrel is bigger.  It's a larger gunned Sherman, so that's enticing people who already own the 21st Sherman to pick this one up that has more firepower as well.    Make a neat little column then I guess.

I'll get one if it's as good or better than 21st's winter BotB Sherman.

I'd say the Thrawn Trilogy is the single novel set that sets a bar that's difficult for any EU to attain or surpass.

Even what some don't like, I actually enjoyed pretty much...  The ending was a tad anti-climactic for me in the aspect of C'Boath and Luuke, but the battle was great...

Zahn set up incredible characters, species, and utilized ALL original characters with a skill that made you envision them like they were right there on the silver screen.  I could really visualize Chewie talking to Han even...  Again, Zahn's been the ONLY author with any skill enough to utilize Chewbacca in text as well as Lucas utilized him on film.  That's a credit to Zahn considering the rest of the hack writers couldn't manage it so they offed the character. 

Chewie's highlight is his defense of Leia against the NOghri assassination attempt, I believe.  Very good.

That said, Zahn actually put his mind to work, created a military genius as the legitimate threat to the fragile New Republic, and he explained away 14 years of warfare's wearing on the once mighty Empire...  He used a lot of military strategy along with his story, and no super weapons, super aliens, or cosmic mysteries...

You can't beat storytelling like that.  The military stories often are the most "believable" then, in my opinion... 

From the accompanying story to Force Commander, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, XW: Alliance, or Dark Forces/JK (with its more centralized story)...  to the X-Wing series of novels and comics...  They're some of the superior writing overall in any EU.

In my opinion, poor EU outweighs the good more often than not...  The good thing about EU is it's a free-for-all as to what you pick and choose as "Real Star Wars" for your enjoyment.  No forced canon of this stuff, it's all debateable if it isn't in the films.

I personally pick through things then...  With the NJO I like select aspects, such as the re-establishment of the Jedi Order under Luke's command...  and I like how it isn't in line iwth the prequals really.  Luke's trying new rules and things (even if it's only because the prequals are only being made now).

At the same time, while I like things in NJO I truly despise others...  hack writing tricks like offing a "main" character for the sake of new readership, outright copying (not even masking it well) aspects of Star Trek villains that are popular, etc... 

So I pick through things I like when I'm thinking about EU, or thinking of inspiration for something I want to work on in customizing or something along those lines...  It's all ok then once I pick it apart.

That said, here's my top EU hates:

-Super weapons...  There's too many biological, chemcial, scientific, military weapon, doomsday devices...  The World Devastators in Dark Empire 2 (I think) were the start... 

-Super beings/villains...  The Vong are up there, but Xixor comes in there too.  I HATE that someone would even CONSIDER Xixor as plausible given the storyline of Vader and the Emperor...  I just hate the thoughts that the EMperor woudl drop Vader for anyone but Luke.  There's other crappy villains too, but Xixor really is up there.

-Everyone must tie to everyone else...  I hate this.

Every character in the Cantina's a violent felon, or after someone, or doing something they shouldn't...  Nobody was just there for a drink on their way elsewhere.

Or, for instance, everyone knows everyone...  Dengar's out for Han because Han wrecked him in a race or some **** like that...  STUPID!  Could it be that Dengar's just a GOOD hunter who is trying to capture a hefty bounty!?  Does it have to tie together?

OR......  Just outright blatant stupidity...  IG-88 in the DS2 anyone? 

-Films Contradicted...  Fett lives on (And god knows his further stories are horrid...  Dengar's his best man?  Where's my F'n gun!?), guys on the Sailbarge all seem to live, Ponda Baba and Evazan live, etc...

Just silliness for the sake of making a sale.  No integrity in the story writing, no attempt at legitimately writing something new and interesting... 

Just stupid to me.  And unfortunately all these problems are plagues in the EU overall...  Really, C'Boath and Luuke were veiled "Super villains" too.  I didn't mind them...  I tried viewing them as actually minor threats compared to how they were written...  That, compared to Vader or Palpay, neither of these was a real challenge for Luke.  At the same time, I can see it wasn't Zahn's shining moment.

I want Stormtripper SW figures now.