Reacting To Yesterday’s Vintage Collection Reveals

There was a surprising amount of Vintage Collection reveals during yesterday's Fan First Wednesday livestream. I honestly had low expectations heading into the event because of the upcoming Pulse Con at the end of October. Let's dig into the talking points.





Okay, so technically none of these are true reveals. Both Bib Fortuna and Lobot were previously pipeline reveals, and the main line Emperor was confirmed when the Pulse Con exclusive Emperor with throne was announced. Bib is the highlight of the presentation for me. It looks amazing, and I'm going to buy more than I need out of compulsion. I'm not going to lie about Lobot. It looks a little wonky to me. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it might be a case of over-articulation. I don't want to start down this slippery slope, but I would have been fine if Lobot's lower body used TVC 1 type of articulation. The production version will probably look better, so I will hold off final judgement until then.

Finally, there's the long awaited Emperor. It was a pleasant surprise that we're getting a different head sculpt for this release, but I have to echo the many comments that it would have been better for the main line release to have the neutral expression, and save the grimacing expression for the Pulse Con exclusive. The more accessible release, main line, should have the more generic head sculpt. The version which I have a realistic shot at getting multiples of should not be "scene locked." But I understand what I assume is the thinking here: Palpatine wasn't grimacing during the throne scenes. Regardless, getting a second head sculpt is a huge win.





Holy Cow! Figrin D'an was a "pinch me" moment. The existing Cantina musician figure is frustrating on many levels, and the "Cantina Band Member" could be considered one of the Kenner misses. All we had were the painted versions on the backdrop of the Creature Cantina. The Deathwatch Mandalorian is another great figure to add to TVC. The 501st Clonetrooper has been a frequent repack request, and I hope retailers are ready for the collectors who are going to order solid cases. Lastly, finally getting a proper OT Yoda in the numbered Vintage Collection is long overdue (the Canadian version of VC20 notwithstanding).





This was another holy cow moment. How long have we been asking for trooper multipacks? Hasbro should facilitate army building as much as possible, and getting four Stormtroopers for $42 is a great start. I also absolutely love the line art packaging (which probable means I'll be getting one to keep sealed, like a putz). Perhaps the best part is the potential for this platform. Some of my Star Wars armies are pretty anemic. I could use a bunch more Rebel Fleet Troopers to go with my Tantive IV hallway.





(extended nasal exhale)

These are not for me, and that's okay. This will be the first TVC 2.0 product that I plan on skipping. Yes, I bought the first wave of Carbonized figures, but that's because we were product starved at the time. Now, we're getting a lot better options on which to spend our money. I'm done with shiny figures, but please remember that these aren't in place of other things. So if, like me, you don't want these, don't buy them. Simple as that.

I know a lot of people have spitballed better "repaint" candidates such as the 332nd Clone Trooper and the Mortar Trooper, but those are better suited for main line releases. A lot of people and other retailers would be upset if those two figures became Walmart exclusives like these Carbonized figures. Unfortunately, main line releases can't "skip the line" the way these retailer exclusives can, so those type of figures will have to wait their turn until the appropriate slot comes open.

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