The Black Series

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Luke Skywalker
(Jedi Master)

Info and Stats
Year:  
2017
MSRP:  
$12.99
Availability:  
Walmart Exclusive
Grade:  
9/10 Bantha Skulls
 
Other releases of Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master):
Review by: Chris
Review date: 09/13/2017

I heart this figure more than Knives Chau hearts The Clash at Demonhead.  That’s not to say it’s a perfect figure overall.  It falls short of that mark for sure.  But aspects of the figure are perfection at this scale.  We will get to that momentarily, but let’s start with the figure’s presence.  In 2015 when Mark Hamill first made his appearance as Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, he was 63 years old.  In 1977 when Alec Guinness made his appearance as old Ben Kenobi he was 63 years old.  Episode IV Obi-Wan Kenobi figures always felt like you were buying a figure of someone’s grampy to a degree.  This figure is quite the opposite.  He’s not sourced from the Jedi retirement home.  It feels like it has business to take care of.  Let’s hope that holds true in The Last Jedi.

The face sculpt is unmistakably Mark Hamill.  It portrays a stillness and seriousness.  It’s one of the most expressive head sculpts I can recall at this scale.  The separately cast hair ensures a perfectly defined hairline.  I wonder if this is the co-molding process Mark Boudreaux mentioned during the HASCON Star Wars panel. The lay of the soft goods hood is as perfect as Hasbro has ever achieved in this scale.  It drapes to the sides instead of “poofing” out like we have seen in past.  I honestly don’t know how they managed this.  Clearly some sort of dark arts is at play.  The upper thigh swivel joints push the articulation count to 16 which is beyond the accepted “super articulation” level of 14 POA.  There is, however, a gripe in this aspect.  Some of those joints are not the premium articulation we’ve become accustomed to lately (read: spoiled).  The figure sports ball jointed ankles, but would have benefitted tremendously from “rocker” ankles.  Additionally, the wrists are only swivel joints.  While I’m not sure the figure needs ball jointed wrists, the post and hole swivel joint feels a tad flimsy.  Lastly the plastic lower robes limit the possible poses, but it’s hard to find too much fault here.  The material choice was the correct one for the aesthetic of the figure. 

While the hood of the cape is one of the huge positives on this figure, the way the ties are implemented is another minor nitpick.  They are much too long and give the appearance of Irish pennants in the packaging (Tim Whatley exemption). Obviously this is an easy remedy.  So long as you are not legally required to use children’s safety scissors, you have all the necessary customizing skills to make this look appropriate.  The negatives, particularly with the lack of rocker ankles, prevent me for giving this figure a perfect score, so it earns a 9 out of 10, but that doesn’t stifle my enthusiasm at all.  I love this figure largely because of the subject, which is Star Wars royalty.  Hasbro did it justice.

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