Editor’s Note:  A special thank you goes to Litzky PR, for sending us this SDCC exclusive set.

Well, in a move that is already stoking controversy and strong feelings around the community, Hasbro is releasing an exclusive comic 3-pack at SDCC this year.  The good news is that 3.75” collectors are back on the map after years of missing out on cool exclusives, deferring instead to them Filthy Sixers™®©!  With the return of TVC this year, and the wildly successful Sail Barge campaign, Hasbro continues to try to win back hardcore collectors with a set geared for them.

Besides being a convention exclusive, which is obviously collector-focused in and of itself, the set has an MSRP of $49.99.  That’s pricing out most casual buyers, and might even make hardcore collectors wince.  Three figures for $50 is pretty steep, but frankly, this shouldn’t really surprise anyone who has been paying attention.  Prices for collector-grade items are rising sharply, especially when they are exclusive niche items.  While we don’t know the numbers, it’s safe to assume the production levels for this set would be pretty low when compared to other similar offerings in the line’s history.

The packaging is also geared towards collectors.  The format is almost identical to the vintage multi-pack sets, which should provide nostalgic appeal.  The classic double racetrack border is presented in silver foil, evoking the look of a chase figure, appealing to the variantion hunter.  The entire package has a glossy finish, and makes for an eye-catching display piece.

The set itself is also particularly geared towards fans that are actively engaged in the online collector community.  Doctor Aphra was the winner of the TVC Fan’s Choice Poll that was launched in April of 2017, and was the reason Bantha Skull made its first news post after months of running on life support.  After Aphra was announced as the winner (in a surprise to me), it was later revealed that besides coming in the TVC basic line, Aphra would be released in this set along with two all new droids, which may never see a release in any other format.

So the acquisition difficulty, rarity, price, unique packaging, exclusive figures, and fans’ choice association all combine to make this a frustratingly tantalizing set for collectors.  Bottom line, this set includes some figures that are unlikely to be available down the road.  The MSRP is high as it is, but secondary market should push prices significantly higher.  If you want the set and can get your hands on it, consider yoursel fortunate.

Let’s look at the figures themselves.  Doctor Aphra, as stated, was the TVC Fan’s Choice winner, and will be arriving shortly in the basic TVC assortment in the near future.  We are of the understanding it will be identical to the figure reviewed here.  As such, it won’t be considered the star of this 3-pack, even though the character lends her name to the set’s title.  For full disclosure, I had never heard of Doctor Aphra at the time of the poll, and would have preferred any film character (like Tzizvit, but definitely not EV-9D9) over Aphra, but thanks to Sundays With Jimmy here at Bantha Skull, I’ve become familiar with the character thanks to the weekly comic book reviews. 

Aphra is an outstanding figure.  The sculpt is excellent.  It has all the articulation you should expect.  The only thing lacking is ball-jointed wrists, but the figure doesn’t scream for them.  It is well balanced, and can achieve a variety of advanced positions, including kneeling, leaning, and a THWG (Two-handed weapon grip).  The elbow joints are designed to flex a little more than the typical figure, so Aphra can actually put her hands behind her head in a rather natural manner, and her hands even come close to reaching her face so she could be posed to look like she is lifting the goggles off her eyes.  The “diaper crotch” is present, but well-disguised under the separately sculpted double-belt holster combo.  This is an outstanding piece that accessorizes the figure.  The holster holds the blaster a bit too loosely for my tastes, but it isn’t too bad.  Aphra grips the pistol perfectly in her right hand, and the floating index finger fits nicely into the trigger guard. The paint applications are not great, but are pretty solid.  The striping down the pant legs are a little messy, as are some of the edges elsewhere.  Aphra’s face and head sculpt are appealing, although as I am not too familiar with her various incarnations at the hands of the many comic book artists, I can’t say if the result would be a likeness that is satisfying to fans of the character.  Likeness aside, the face sculpt and paint are decent, although you do witness the recurring issue that we see where the “lipstick” is applied differently than the sculpt would seem to warrant.  The skullcap and goggles are clearly inspired by Flick and that kid who likes the Tin Man:

It’s interesting, and perhaps a bit disappointing, that Hasbro opted to sculpt the skullcap and goggles as part of the hair.  The entire shebang is executed well as a separately sculpted piece, but having a removable cap and/or goggles would be pretty cool.  Maybe it’s not important, as I don’t know if she ever removes either in the comics, or if this is pretty much her singular look.  In any case, it works for the sculpt, although the silver lenses on the goggles are a bit sloppily applied.  Overall, it’s a terrific figure.

BT-1 may end up being the actual star of the set.  First and foremost, it is a build-a-droid-based mold.  The metallic grey/gunmetal paint scheme is very nice.  You get what you expect from the body of the droid.  But the all-new head is quite unexpected.  It’s an R5-ish shaped dome, with a unique central eye.  Out of the package, the droid includes a Gatling-esque cannon on the right side of the head, and a kind of mini multiple rocket launcher on the left side.  There are head panels attached to the outside of both weapons, giving the illusion that they had popped out of the head.  Turns out that the weapons are removeable, and the separate panels can be inserted back into the head to give the appearance of a standard droid dome.  Excellent!  Finally, there is another tool/sensor/weapon that can be removed from the top of the dome.  Including the standard removable middle leg, there are several possible display options packed into this little droid.

Finally, we get Triple Zero, the Jerk of the Protocol droids.  Triple Zero is a straight repaint of the controversial VC06 C-3PO.  While the Threepio figure was strange because it tried to do a lot of things and may have ended up failing at them all, the over-ambitiousness is mitigated here because it’s not C-3PO.  So you can basically do what you want with the options, without feeling like you have to do it a certain way to satisfy screen-accurate zealots such as myself.  It’s a cool figure, especially in the dark silver paint scheme.  While it is a unique character, it is a straight repaint.  My biggest complaint is that the face plate falls off easily, as it does with C-3PO.

So, you’ve got two,ways to look at this set:
1.  You get a collector-driven, uniquely packaged retro/chase variant comic pack set including a new Fan’s Choice favorite, and a pair of unique and exclusive killer droids.
2.  You get a pre-pack of an upcoming mass release basic figure,  a standard B-A-D astromech with a retooled head, and a repaint of a strangely designed C-3PO packed in a nearly impossible to find set for a premium price.

I lean heavily towards the first choice, but I can understand the validity of the second.  Overall, I’m going to give the set a 9.  Aphra is excellent, BeeTee is delightful, and Triple Zero rounds out the set perfectly.  The packaging is striking.  The cost…is high.  The frustration level that we’ll see shortly, probably even higher.  I certainly hope Hasbro figures out a way to make this set more widely available at HTS than is anticipated, or perhaps another channel down the road, like re-issuing the droids in a standard comic pack.