Publishing Is Near The Top Of The Things In Black Series That Make Me Jealous

My feelings towards the relationship between The Black Series and The Vintage Collection can best be summarized by paraphrasing Henry Hill's "father" speech from Goodfellas:

I'm always ticked off. I'm ticked off that we have to beg and plead to get certain figures into TVC when they seem to come effortlessly to TBS. I'm ticked off about that incredible TBS Endor Rebel Solider that I would buy by the case if it were in TVC. I'm ticked off that TBS gets definitive versions of OT core characters while we're forced to suffer with fifteen year old tooling. But after a while, I mostly get ticked off at anything TBS gets that TVC doesn't.

The thing that currently bums me out is the wealth of "publishing" figures that TBS is getting for a couple of reasons. One, I love comic books, which is the inspiration for those figures; and two, most of them can be made with minimal to no tooling dollars. I should point out that TVC is dipping a toe into publishing figures. The upcoming VC278 – Boba Fett (Comic Art Edition) is taken from the Death, Lies and Treachery trade paperback:


And the upcoming VC277 – Boba Fett (Vintage Comic Art) is taken directly from 1980's Star Wars #42:


There will be a few things in this article that are going to shock some people that have read my rants over the years. The first is that I desperately want a purple Bossk now that we have 2/3's of the figures from the cover of Star Wars #42. This is despite that fact that Purple Dengar has been my whipping boy whenever I express derision towards gratuitous repaints. Sorry. I like to complete crews. Here's the next thing, I would happily take a Jaxxon in TVC under the same parameters as it's inclusion in TBS. While I've repeatedly said I don't want a Vintage Collection Jaxxon figure, what I really meant is that I didn't want it taking up new tooling dollars and a slot in main line. If it could be done as partial retool of VC158 - Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot), and included in a sub-line that is "on top of" the main line, I would be fine with it. In fact, I'd be excited to buy it. I'd also love to see the supreme VC241 - Darth Vader (Dark Times) retooled and repainted as the white Infinities Vader under the same premise.

Finally, everyone knows of my unnatural and undying fondness for the Vintage Collection card, something for which I would enter mutual combat to defend. So my last shocking confession is that I'd love for TVC publishing to evolve beyond the single carded expression, and see the return of comic packs. While the Vintage Collection packaging is the best in the history of toys, the cover art that inspires the publishing figures is equally as iconic. There was nothing better than seeing that facsimile reprint inside the old comic packs. It certainly seems like a few of Hasbro's competitors appreciate this fact:


As a postscript, I will leave you one last confession. I bought the TBS Jaxxon.

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