IG-88 together with FX-7 were the two most difficult 31-back figures for me to track down during the vintage Kenner days.  I would stare at those two figures on the insert of the Darth Vader carrying case for hours.  I still have memories of my neighbor telling me that he saw “a ton” of them at Bradlees.  Bradless being the only decent thing to come out of Connecticut.  I begged my father to take me. He insisted my neighbor was pulling my leg and pranking me.  I have no recollection of what happened next.  Somehow I convinced my dad to take me.  The memory blackout leads me to only one logical conclusion:  My adult, and more persuasive, consciousness must have projected back into my seven year old idiot self and lawyered the heck out of the situation. My father relented and took me to that Caldor wannabe.  Now I know for comedy purposes I should say that my dad was right and my neighbor was indeed pranking me, and that he was waiting for me in the action figure aisle and promptly pantsed me as I turned the corner.  Unfortunately the comedy gods be denied that day.  There was no prank.  There was indeed “a ton” of each of those figures.  My childlike mind, which is given to exaggeration, recalls it being an entire wall of figures.

In addition to this figure being part of my first real action figure chase, the character’s mystique would grow even further via the Kenner toy line.  The 14” Collector Series IG-88 would become the hobby’s first true rarity.  In fact, it was considered the granddaddy of all Star Wars collectibles for a while before being usurped by the likes of blue Snaggleteeth, Yak Faces, and Vlixen.  This should serve as evidence that my appreciation of IG-88 toys has a “meta” element to them, similar to Yak Face.  I tend to think of them fondly because of their notoriety in the vintage Kenner line.  IG-88 is either the Star Wars Tin Man or the Star Wars T-800, depending on your world view.  It’s definitely the latter.  IG-88 is a menacing mechanical merchant of death.  I still remember the first time I encountered IG-88 in the Shadows of the Empire video game.  I may have accidented myself.

(Reviewer’s note: I’m well aware that blue Snaggletooth predated the Collector Series IG-88, but “wrong Snaggletooth” didn’t gain collecting prominence for some years to come.)

The figure has some obvious posing limitations, but that is as much borne out of the prop design as anything else.  You’re not going to achieve any sort of serious two-handed-weapon-grip (THWG).  Just put it out of your mind.  It might have been somewhat achievable with a forearm swivel, but the arms are so thin in that area that such a point of articulation would have been frustratingly flimsy. Even if that POA was present, IG-88’s odd three-digit claw hands probably would have still prevented the THWG.  Those claw hands are so limiting that it appears they even punted on set.  On the bridge of the Executor, IG-88 isn’t making any attempt to hold the DLT-20A rifle in any sort of realistic pose.  The crew merely has the prop holding the rifle by the stock with the weapon’s profile facing the camera.  Maybe that’s the way rowbits hold their rifles, but if they do, it’s weird, man.

Another problem with the figure is the holster on the back of the bandoleer.  It’s hard for me to say it interacts with the included E-11 blaster rifle at all.  Only the very top of the barrel fits in the holster (I think Vince Vaughn has a name for this game).  What happened here is that the sculptors designed the holster for the wrong accessory.  It is clearly designed to accommodate the smaller DH-17 accessory (i.e. the Rebel Fleet Trooper rifle).  That accessory fits in the holster like a glove.  In fact, the protruding magazine fits perfectly into the notch of the holster.  There is no doubt it was designed to interact with the wrong accessory.

Get past that, and you’re flirting with action figure brilliance.  The floating elements to the design make the figure come to life as does the light rust wash, which also brings out all the details in the sculpt.  Additional paint apps give the components a mismatched “used-universe” look.  IG-88 is a Franken-droid.  While it’s not as articulated as a humanoid figure, there is enough articulation to do IG-88 things. I don’t find myself wishing this figure could do more.  One more iffy issue is that both my VTSC sample and my re-released Saga Legends sample tend to curve toward the figure’s right a tad.  That Saga Legends release (on the right of the comparison photo above) has a darker rust patina than this Vintage Collection release.  For that reason, I prefer this release and I think it’s the definitive IG-88, but the negatives detailed prevent me from going full 10.  This is a 9 out of 10.

Verdict: No Action

This figure is the definitive IG-88, despite some very minor flaws.

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.