“Everything in moderation,” I always say. That’s all well and good until something gets its hooks into me and then next thing I know I’m jumping feet first into the deep end of whatever my current obsession is. When Figure Friday was dreamt up, I thought it would be easy enough to wax rhapsodic about whatever new toys were announced for preorder that week. I wouldn’t have to actually go out and buy anything.
How wrong I was.
Star Wars S.H. Figuarts Boba Fett (Return of the Jedi)
This one was kind of purchased by accident. I can explain!
Early one morning I was perusing the Big Bad Toy Store listings for the newest Star Wars S.H. Figuarts releases and saw that the coolest Mandalorian out there (at least until November 12th) had his very own Figuarts figure up for pre-order. It listed with an expected release date of October 2019 and these dates are pretty malleable. So, I hit the pre-order button secure in the knowledge that it was probably going to get pushed back and not hit my charge card until sometime next year.
Two hours later I received a shipment notification and it was delivered to my doorstep late last week.
But I ain’t even mad about it! This is perhaps the most perfect Boba Fett figure that’s ever existed. As is the custom with Figurarts, it’s got multiple points of articulation, three pairs of interchangeable hands, and a blaster rifle. It’s almost enough to make you forget that he went out like a punk in Jedi.
Due to the price point of these things, this may very well be my last Figuarts purchase of the year (famous last words, I know) but it was worth it. I haven’t been disappointed by a Figurarts offering yet. The only thing that’s really a drag about these things is that the availability of some of their more sought after figures is lacking. I’ve been waiting for the Avengers: Endgame Captain America and Iron Man figures to get a re-release since the initial ones sold out everywhere within hours.
Star Wars: The Vintage Collection: Rey and Knight of Ren
In my last entry, I wrote of the Luke Skywalker (Crait) Vintage Collection figure I snagged at my local comic shop and how much I love the vintage aesthetic of the packaging. It may very well be my Kryptonite because I wound up with two more figures from that line last week. I’m an easy mark; if you put something in a box that’s a replica of something I had as a kid, my higher brain functions cease and I’m compelled to buy it. Say what you will about the 1980s but they sure produced a legion of adults susceptible to advertising and are good consumers.
Anyways, Star Wars! This version of Rey is modeled after her appearance in the upcoming Rise of Skywalker film and comes with a TON of accessories (lightsaber, lightsaber hilt, backpack, staff). The figure is also super-poseable which is somewhat hindered by the soft-plastic robes that encircle her legs.
I was at a local supermarket chain (like a Walmart, but it’s a Michigan-based chain so it’s not completely under China’s thumb) and while in their toy department I spied some of the new Vintage Collection line. Sadly, they appeared not to have the figures I was looking for but then I looked up. There as a full case on the top shelf that had been cut open but not yet hung on the pegs. If you’re a toy hunter this felt like winning the lottery on Christmas.
While I was going through the case I compared the current Rey to the Force Awakens version that was still on the pegs and the face sculpt and paint application for the newer figure is a marked improvement.
Also purchased was a Knight of Ren figure a character I know NOTHING ABOUT, but damn if he doesn’t look cool. They got about 10 seconds of screen time in The Force Awakens and have achieved almost Boba Fett levels of coolness due to the air of mystery surrounding them. We’ve still got about a month and a half to go before we find out just how cool they are or are not.
The figure itself is…somewhat lacking. It’s got quite a bit of articulation but that’s largely hampered by the flowing soft plastic robes that go from the figure’s head all the way to its feet. My figure also suffers from some joints that are stuck together. Few things are more tense than trying to see if the figure can move or if you’re going to wind up with a detached limb in your hand. So, as it stands now my Knight of Ren figure just kind of stands there and looks cool. Which will have to be enough for now.
