Well, here we are.  This figure is definitely a solid indicator of the state of the line today.  It’s not bad at all, but it’s not inspiring either.  I’m a lifelong Jawa fan, as I wrote in my review last year of The Black Series Phase 2 #20 Jawas Set.  After going back to my childhood fascination with the Kenner version, I did my review of that figure, which was actually two figures in the single blister.  I enjoyed that set immensely.  Granted, articulation was lacking below the torso, but the sculpts were great, and the value was excellent.  Those things more than made up for the shortcomings, and I have the set an 8. 

Fast forward to today, and times are somewhat lean for collectors.  2019 has been a memorable year.  While the quantity of new offerings was limited when compared to the old days, we did get the Sail Barge, skiffs, and Jabba Adventure Set, along with several multipacks that contained new figures, and just enough new basic figures to keep us interested.  But we know from some past comments that Hasbro is currently going through a phase in which fewer waves will be forthcoming.  This is partially due to collector complaints about too many repacks in TVC.  With some resource restrictions thrown in, and the line competing with its 6” cousins, the future is still unsettled. 

So in the final TVC wave of 2019, we get 4 figures:  A repaint/retool (Leia), a repaint (Shadow Stormtrooper), a variant (Sith Trooper) and this “half” repack.  While many hard core collectors will rejoice that the Jawa is finally getting a TVC card, it’s coming to us without its Black Series buddy.  This is a single Jawa for the same price as the 2-pack that we got 4 years ago.  Granted, it’s the larger Jawa of the two, but still.  I don’t know, maybe fans would complain if the TVC figure came in a two pack, because it would have strayed too far from the Kenner original.  But I think a lot of us would have preferred an all new sculpt, or at minimum, a retool including a soft goods robe.  And while the TBS Jawa was the last one in Phase 2, before Walmart entered the picture and tried to murder us all with Phase 3, this TVC figure is in the last wave of 2020, and only time will tell if Hasbro is able to build on the Barge momentum going forward.

You can read the review of the Black Series figure(s) here.  It’s the same figure, minus the mate, of course.  The only difference that I see is more administrative in nature, as this TVC production run has a silver date stamp on the back of the bandolier.  You can tell the two apart that way, but otherwise, for all intents and purposes, this is a straight repack.  Basically, it’s a terrific sculpt, but you’ll have to get over three problems.  The figure can’t hold the larger ion blaster well at all, there is no place to stow the small blaster, the lower body has no meaningful articulation, and there was no attempt to include soft goods.  This last one was more excusable during the Black Series run, but as stated earlier, Hasbro should have gone for a soft goods robe for this TVC release, for nostalgia’s sake.  Chris pointed out to me that the bubble is very Kenner-like, with the “kick stand-ish” bubble.  So if you’re into that, you should appreciate this nod. 

A good choice for a repack into TVC, but collectors will question the value, as they did for VC149 R2-D2.  They will also probably lament that we may never see an attempt at a full soft goods Jawa robe.  The closest we’ll likely get is the soft goods skirt found on the Legacy Collection BD39.

We gave the Black Series pair an 8/10, but that was because of the 2 pack value.  We would have otherwise given each figure a 6.  So this figure starts with a 6, but maybe we’ll up it to a 7 because of the nostalgia, the cardback, the bubble, and the fact that this gives us an “Original 12” Kenner cardback.