The Black Series
Clone Commander
Neyo
Editor’s Note: This review has been updated with a second look…
Original Review: Chris - 2/05/2014 05:29 PM
When the “Skittles” Clones appeared in Episode II, cynicism dictated that that we rolled our eyes. Taking the exact same clone and merely adding some racing stripes seemed like it was done as much for marketing as it was for artistic reasons. With Episode III, the Clone Troopers were again distinguished by color schemes; this time denoting organizational units. Not only did the armor decoration become more elaborate and varied, but the armor itself was also varied presumably to reflect different functional uses. Commander Neyo has a unique helmet and upper torso, and is adorned with the insignia and colors of the 91st Reconnaissance Corps. This makes it feel like we are getting a somewhat new figure despite reuse of much of the tooling from the VC45 Clone Trooper. While the variety in the Clone Troopers might still be geared toward marketing, it feels much less gratuitous this time around.
I became officially cloned out at the tail end of the Vintage Collection, but because the Commander Neyo design is unique, I got a temporary reprieve from my clone fatigue. Despite an initial panning of the VC45 Clone Trooper in our reviews, which to date has not been amended, I grew to really appreciate that mold and bought quite a few. As this figure largely borrows from that mold, it’s natural that I like this figure. Not only does the figure have ball jointed articulation at all 14 points, but there is nothing inherent in the sculpt that limits that articulation. This serves as one of the most posable figures to date. The only pose I tried to achieve that I found impossible was Neyo placing his finger to his ear to receive the Order 66 command. The closest I could come to that pose looked like Commander Neyo was scratching his head, so I decided not to go with it. I didn’t want to provide that much ammunition to comment comedians.
The negatives for me come with the paint applications on the figure. On my sample the eyes are operating more independently than the good men and women of the Independent Grocers Association. The IGA. Inspiring health and wellness. The dirty wash on the figure, which would normally be a positive, is harshly uneven. It doesn’t transition evenly from areas of light and dark, but instead has hard stops at the different armor pieces. The upper arms have a pervasive dark wash and the lower arms have a light wash. The only logical explanation for this is that the members of the 91st Reconnaissance Corps went skinning dipping and their armor pieces got jumbled up when they were dressing. That theory fits so perfectly that I won’t entertain any other possibility.
The figure interacts very well with the BARC Speeder from the Treachery on Saleucami Battle Pack. Any problems I encountered seating the figure on the bike had more to do with the vehicle and it’s rubbery handle bars than it did with the figure. In a rarity for removable helmet clones, I think the helmet works well on this figure. The massive upside and minimal negatives result in a 9 out of 10 figure.
Updated Review: Bret - 11/09/2018 07:05 AM
Blah blah skinny legs blah blah. If you like the mold, and you like clones, you’re gonna like this figure. If you aren’t crazy about the mold, like me, then…you might still actually like this figure. Hasbro has now put out 11 different clones using this mold, and we’re getting an update to the 41st Elite Clone in TVC 2019. Captain Neyo is technically the first named clone to get this updated mold. However, we all know that VC54 was really Captain Fordo (wink wink, nudge nudge). Hasbro will never live this down. NEVER!
VC45 Clone Phase 1
VC54 ARC Commander
VC60 501st Phase 2
VC109 Clone Lieutenant Phase 1
VC110 Shocktrooper Phase 2
TPM3D-BARC Speeder w/Clone Phase 2
L-DF 212th Battalion Phase 2
TBS#02 Clone Sergeant Phase 1
TBS#08 Clone Pilot Phase 1
TBS#12 41st Elite Clone Phase 2
TBS#16 Commander Neyo (no link, because YOU’RE ON THE PAGE ALREADY, WEIRDO.)
TVC145 41st Elite Clone Phase 2 (updated paint apps - coming in 2019)
After all of this, I have to wave the white flag of surrender on the VC45 mold. Hasbro has won. This is what we have now for modern clones. I have more pre-VC45 clones than I know what to do with, and while I do have one of each of the updates, I’m not interested enough to replace my armies with it. Having completed so many of the galleries and reviews recently for these clones, I can’t say I’ve warmed up to the figure, but I can say I’m not as hateful of it as I was. I think it’s too skinny, and the Phase 2 helmets are generally pretty terrible. But the Phase 1 helmets, along with the posability provided by the ball jointed wrists and hips, do make it a general upgrade. I still have a bit of trouble achieving a basic neutral pose because I think the ball jointed hips are engineered a little shy of how they should be, but I’ve gotten used to this by now.
This figure suffers in one aspect of Black Series Crapness, meaning that Hasbro cut some corners when compared to TVC. The figure only comes with a blaster, and no rifle. Additionally, the blaster lacks the silver touches that made it stand out in the TVC line. That aside, however, there are several unique aspects that make this offering better than many of the other clones so far. Neyo has a unique helmet that looks WAY better than the typically oversized Phase 2 standard buckets. That was a real detractor for the phase 2 clones versus their phase 1 brothers. Another high note is the extra gear, which is the chest/shoulder bandolier equipment. And, while a bit unevenly applied, I also appreciate the dirt and weathering on the figure. Almost all of the other clone upgrades were clean (with the exception of the Utapau Trooper).
Finally, another nice touch is that this clone appears to have an all new headsculpt. Previous headsculpts seemed to go with the Bodie Taylor 20-ish year old version. This one has a distinctly Temeura Morrison look, with wavy hair, and an Aurebesh tattoo on his cheek that says CC-8826. According to his Wookieepedia page, Neyo was one of the oldest clone troopers, having graduated in the first batch on Kamino. So Hasbro did a nice job with this unique head sculpt.
And while I’m still not on Team VC45, I’ll leave Chris’s score of 9/10. It may be one of the best versions of this mold so far.
Verdict: No Action
It’s a nice figure, but no need for any changes or re-releases. Get Neyo on eBay for a bargain price. In fact, if you’re interested in catching up on some older clone figures, you might want to do so before The Clone Wars comes back and bumps the prices a bit.
Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.