Vintage Collection Wave 12 (2012 Wave 3)

[Jesse James]

Thing is though, the animated line's taking a backseat, at least for now.  Maybe not a wise move at the moment, but if that's the way of the future regardless (not sure entirely why, bit it could be), then I'd like realistic everything then...  it's something at least.

[Scott]

I'm just hoping for the big 5 or 6...Ani, Obi and Ahsoka they are doing...Rex, Bane and Cody are the others I was thinking of...I could also see some of the other Jedi in armor (Mace and Plo) and some of the other cooler aux characters like Wollfe, Savage, Talzin and the Death Watchers

[EpicGon]

Hope this Hoth Luke will develop a new removable hat hoth Luke
Hasbro should decide to use the removable anh Vader with Shaw head.

DST nice, looks he has a different stand from tlc

Kithaba ok, deserves a chance.

[JesseVader08]

I'm loving realistic Anakin.  I really think he looks incredible, and can't wait to add him to the Ani shelf.

I agree!  I wasn't sure how he was going to translate into a realistic style, but it looks like they've done a fantastic job.

Same vintage photo for Vader, now the figure matches it more. They could've done something different.

I was hoping they were going to use the other vintage Kenner photo, the one with him pointing.  Though I suppose the current pic is more accurate for the ANH style robe over his armour.

[Brian]

I'm really liking this wave.  The CW Anakin is surprisingly cool, and I'm in the same boat where I'd like to see the main 5-6 get the "realistic" treatment, and then maybe a few other supporting characters.  The highlight of this wave (and one of the year's highlights as well) is that Hoth Luke.  The figure looks really well done, and seeing it carded in that spiffy vintage packaging is just perfect.  Really looking forward to that one.

[Jesse James]

Site friend Jared sent in very nice pics of Carded Vin Wave 12 figures.


Clicky to check 'em out!

Love Malgus' card.  Don't know why.

Love CW Anakin in general, do know why.

Vader...  eh.

Luke...  I'm disappointed and he'll require work to be truly good.

DST...  Niiiiicccceeee...    Paul?

[P-Siddy]

Yeah, it's not like we need another Vader, but at least he's on the Star Wars card, so I'll be picking him up for that reason alone...

Luke... I wonder if we'll end up getting a bloody faced version.

DST. I love it... would be better if his tunic were gray though. 

[Jesse James]

I'm not a fan of his cardback name...  Imperial Naval Commander isn't accurate to EU, and it's not accurate to the real vintage cardback either.  I'd prefer they put it out as either "Imperial Naval Trooper" or "Death Star Commander".  Then down the road, maybe as some kind of exclusive, a slightly retooled and grey tunic/pants version as "Death Squad Commander".  Give him a rank badge, and give the head a headset (or attach it to the helmet?), and that'd be pretty slick.  I'd buy a few.

These guys though, the schmoes in black, were inc ommand of nothing but dragging dead people away on naval vessels.  They're basically just Impy Marines/Naval Troopers, and I'd have liked to have seen the card reflect that.

[darth broem 2]

My rundown goes like this...

CW Anakin - I'm personally not a fan of animated going to realistic.  But part of the reason I don't care for this particular Anakin is his outfit.  I don't like it in the CW show and it looks even worse to me as a "realistic" figure.   But that's me.  I get why they are doing these.  It's another way to sell main characters in a "new" and "fresh" manner.   There is a segment of the collecting community that always wanted the animated figures to be realistic to begin with and scrap animated figures alltogether.  This way everyone wins.   I'm not really into the look though.  It just looks off to me. 

Darth Malgus - The more I look at the figure the more I want to play the video game.  I'm not shelling out $50-$60 for the game anytime soon though.  My 7 year old just wants the figure.  I love the cardback.  I will get this mainly for my son.  I think it will be a popular character for a long time. 

Darth Vader - I will end up getting him for the Star Wars cardback. 

Luke Hoth - I hate the shoulders.  I'm not real happy with the slashed belly look.  It's not a great figure but certainly good enough.  I love the cardback.  Another buy one and keep one on the cardback for me. 

Imperial Naval Commander - Horrible, horrible name on the cardback.  However, this is probably the closest I will get to a Death Squad Commander type of SW cardback.  I don't think they are going to release a grey version unless it's a convention exclusive.  I'm getting at least one for the cardback.  Hopefully a few others for display purposes.    It makes that 30th annivesary version look really poor now.  I kind of hope they do another variant though. They can call that one Imperial Naval Trooper 

[Jesse James]

Almost forgot to post in the forums but a gallery of Realistic Clone Wars Anakin loose was posted to the front page!

He's actually one of my favorites I've seen so far, and though I'm partially biased because I was really desperate to add CW figures to my collection (since I don't buy animated), I'm pretty pleased with the basics on this guy.


Clicky to check it out!

First the sculpt...  It's sharp, and very accurate to what I think a realistic translation of the character would look like.  In particular is the headscupt which, ironically, might be the best (or at least 2nd best) sculpt of Christansen they've ever done.

The Deco looks sharp, for a deco these days anyway, and that's always a plus.  I could gripe that the scar's not painted.  They've never not painted till now.  Weird.

I love the stern face though.  Very appropriate for most of his time in the toon, and they should try for this on a future ROTS and AOTC figure.

The articulation, spot on...

Accessories...  they're ok.  Would've liked to see a CW specific item though, considering what figures cost.  Not sure what would work with Anakin in his later look there though.  A holocron maybe?  To me, Hasbro needs to make up for the price spikes with at least a relatively cheap accessory/extra if they can.  Nothing big or anything, but the small stuff like a holocron would go a long way to make this a billion times more appealing to me.  As it stands though, saber and saber hilt are pretty appropriate.

Pretty slick all around to me...  but this one boils down, largely, two camps that were either looking forward to realistic CW or those that aren't.

There's a 3rd camp that wouldn't care either way of course, and can't blame them there either, since anything after the OT basically would blow regardless.

I'd like to add to this post...

These are NOT really "out" yet.  They're out elsewhere, but are not at regular retail in the U.S., yet.  Soon.  I was asked that about 20 times yesterday though, and yeah, they're technically not out yet.

[CHEWIE]

Too bad the tunic on him isn't a blend of soft goods with plastic - the all soft goods really detracts from an otherwise pretty good looking figure.  I'll be passing on it because of this.

[Jesse James]

I'm happy with the all softgoods, as the skirt bit is so long...  all pieces of it.  That would hurt articulation, and would basically negate this figure's ability to sit.  His ability to sit, ultimately, is pretty important since he's a good one for vehicles then.  So I'm cool with the route they took, and I think they picked ultimately very well suited fabric too.  That's not always something they can do, but here they got it right.

On Tarkin, I'm much more a fan of them doing a flexible, slit at the sides, skirt made of plastic.  Fabric probably won't be a deal breaker, but it's not their best option there.  On this one, the character and the length of the robe parts kind of limits their choices, if they want him to still be poseable and function with ships and whatnot.

[CHEWIE]

If they had found a way to blend it better, somewhat similar to THIS, I would have been happy.

I guess for around $10, I think it's more than doable to blend this with a small plastic tunic as well... that's all I'm saying... this, along with Tarkin, appears lazy on Hasbro's part.  And if this is the direction Hasbro is going to start leaning, I'll be spending less $$ on figures moving forward.

[Jesse James]

Blending's not the point I was making though...  Anakin's hybrid robe works well enough, but he's not easy to sit down in vehicles with it.  And the CW Ani's robe's are even longer, down past his knees.

I'm all for the blend, but when you're trying to maintain the "action" the figure's based on, plus his need to function with vehicles and things, I see why they didn't go that route.

The irony is the softgoods treatment usually costs more.  It's more labor intensive.  Price wouldn't have much to do with it really.  At least that was always the reason why softgoods were used sparingly, in the past.

[CHEWIE]

I get what you're saying; I just think Hasbro has more than proven they are capable of it because they've blended soft goods and plastic tunics together very well in the past.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's them cutting corners, but who knows.  I don't think we get truly honest responses from Hasbro as much as we'd like.