VC56 - KIthaba (Skiff Guard)

(Back to Vintage Collection Basic Figures)

Reference

Skiffguards.com page on Kithaba

Major Variants
*There is a version with a red bandana.  Pics soon.

Notes
*

Roundtable Reviews!
If there are two things I love, it’s cantina denizens and Jabba’s goons.  So this has been a satisfying one two punch for me (previous review Dr. Evazan).  Kithaba is one of two Klatooinian guards at the Battle at the Pit of Carkoon.  The other was Barada who was released in the old (and mostly erroneously named) Skiff Guards cinema scene.  This is the first attempt in the modern line at a Kithaba figure, and it defintely does not fail to please.  The detailing on the figure is outstanding.  Little things, like the removable bandolier, add an extra sense of depth to the sculpt.  The head sculpt is fantastic and captures the Kaltooinian bull dog appearance. 

The articulation and range of motion is sufficient to strike most fighting poses.  The sculpt does limit the range of motion at the shoulders.  The narrow stance can make some fight stances a little challenging especially when balancing the figure to stand.  The pelvic part of the sculpt was cast in the cream color plastic of the torso and painted red.  When rotating the legs forward or backward, the cream plasitc can be seen at the hip junction.  These minor grips keep the figure from scoring a perfect score.  9 out of 10.

9/10 Bantha Skulls

Photo Archive Update - VC57 Dr. Evazan (cantina patron)

The doctor is in. Finally, after nearly a year long delay, VC57 Dr. Evazan (cantina patron) is here. Click through to check out what Hasbro has in store for you with this figure.

VC57- Dr. Evazan (cantina patron)

(Back to Vintage Collection Basic Figures)

Reference

Wookieepedia article on Cornelius Evazan

Major Variants
*There is a version with the scar on the figure’s right cheek painted pink.  Pics soon.

Notes
*

Roundtable Reviews!
Here’s a funny thing I’ve come to realize with the Vintage Collection.  I get more excited about releases that should have been in the original vintage line-up than the releases that have actual vintage analogs.  Even at age 6, I realized that Dr. Evazan, whose name I did not know, was a major omission from the original Kenner line-up (along with Garindan and Govenor Tarkin).  Then in 1997 when Usenet began to swirl with rumors of a cantina cinema scene with the long awaited Dr. Evazan, I wave overjoyed.  Then the figure was an utter disappointment.  It was comically bad, even by 1997 standards.  Then in 2004, a once cancelled Star Wars “Saga” Cantina Scene Dr. Evazan was reborn in an Original Trilogy Collection K-Mart exclusive Screen Scene.  Unfortunately it was just more of the same. The figure was a retool of the 1997 offering with new articulated legs.  It was only a marginal improvement.  Finally at Toy Fair 2011, the clouds parted.  The character who elicited the first ligthsaber combat in Star Wars cinema history was finally going to receive action figure justice that June.  When news came, via our very own Q&A, that the Dr. Evazan wave was bumped into 2012, I was simply inconsolable.  The despondency led me to hang out with the wrong crowd at work.  I started wearing a lot of black and listening to the Clash.  I hate the Clash.

Still with me?  So now nearly a year after the original due date, a 34 year-old itch has been scratched.  For me, Dr. Evazan has long been one of the two most prominent cantina patrons along with his partner in crime, Ponda Baba.  At last, we have the definitive version.  Buy this figure and know that at last, this particular portion of your cantina display can be called complete.  The head sculpt brilliantly captures the grotesque disfigured visage of “Doctor Death”.  The costume seems to be accurate to the few reference photos for the character. The SE-14C blaster is not on the lends itself to a holster in the action figure scale, yet Hasbro neatly pulls it off. The 14 points of articulation pose easily.  In short:  win. 10 our of 10.

10/10 Bantha Skulls

Photo Archive Update - VC92 Anakin Skywalker

The third wave of 2012 brings us another first. It contains the first realistic figure based on a character from the Cartoon Network Clone Wars Series. With that we have added the Clone Wars version of Anakin Skywalker to our archive. Check him out.

VC92 - Anakin Skywalker

(Back to Vintage Collection Basic Figures)

Reference

Wookieepedia article on Anakin Skywalker

Major Variants
*None Reported

Notes
*

Roundtable Reviews!
Here we are again with another standard super articulated figure.  If that sounds negative, that’s unintentional.  That’s a good thing.  Unlike some other up coming figure (COUGH Grand Moff Tarkin), the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker neatly incorporates soft goods into its design.  However my big problem with the figure is the head.  It doesn’t look like Hayden Christensen.  It doesn’t look like the CGI Anakin Skywalker.  The second issue I have with the figure is the lack of a saber peg hole to clip the unlit hilt to the figure’s belt.  Those two negative take it down a point (from the 8 I give all super articulated figures).  7 out of 10.

7/10 Bantha Skulls

Photo Archive Update - VC96 Darth Malgus

And now we add the inaugural figure from the Massively Multiplayer Online game, The Old Republic. Click through to check out some photos of the much anticipated Sith, Darth Malgus.

VC96 - Darth Malgus

(Back to Vintage Collection Basic Figures)

Reference

Wookieepedia article on Darth Malgus

Major Variants
*None Reported

Notes
*

Roundtable Reviews!
Aside from the video game I’ve never played and the book I own, but have not yet read, I don’t know a lot about Darth Malgus except that the cut scenes from the Old Republic Video game are better than anything from the prequel trilogy, but that’s another story.  He’s got Darth in his title, he carries a red saber and wears a black cloak.  I’m buying this figure regardless.  There are aspects of the character design that I’m not a fan of.  The saber hilt looks like a futurist tuning fork.  The costume design lacks subtlety.  The figure itself is the now standard super articulated.  The figure is bulky.  That bulkiness limits the range of motion on the articulation which is a tad problematic.  On the other hand, the detailing is amazing.  Taken all together this is a very good, but not ground breaking figure.  8 out of 10.

8/10 Bantha Skulls

Photo Archive Update - VC93 Darth Vader

With the 93rd figure of the 2012 Vintage Collection, the Pawtucket Hasbros select Darth Vader in Episode IV armor. And with that, we finally get a Vintage Collection Darth Vader on a "Star Wars" card. Click through to check it out.

VC93 - Darth Vader

(Back to Vintage Collection Basic Figures)

Reference

501st Legion Episode IV Darth Vader Costume Reference

Major Variants
*None Reported

Notes
*

Roundtable Reviews!
This is the first time in any Vintage Collection that we’ve had a Darth Vader on an Episode IV card despite the fact that Darth Vader was obviously one of the actual vintage 12-backs.  But there was good reason for this.  To date, none of the Darth Vader figures released in the various Vintage Collections have depicted Vader’s Episode IV armor.  There are differences.  Two easy ones to spot: 

1.  The quilted lines on Vader’s gloves in Ep 4 are perpendicular to the forearm.  In Ep 5 and 6, the lines are parallel.
2.  The inner robe goes over Vader’s chest armor in Ep 4. In Ep 5 and 6, it goes under the chest armor.

Having said that, how is this figure.  Well, it’s pretty awesome.  It’s super articulated with ball joints at the hips.  Sure, ball jointed wrists would have made this figure unbelievable, but we can make due swivel forearms. I want to call this figure Vader unleashed because the figure can strike more dynamic fighting poses than what David Prowse did in the film.  The only negative I can give this is that it lacks a saber hilt.  It would have been a nice addition.  So it loses a point for that.  9 out of 10. 

9/10 Bantha Skulls

Photo Archive Update - VC94 Imperial Navy Commander

Is the third time a charm for the Imperial Navy Commander (also know as Death Star Trooper)? You'll have to click through to find out.