So I scanned my blog and my last VC review was in March. That was the Rebel Fleet Troop Builder Pack. Which is an outstanding battle pack, so please order it, and read my review of the pack before you order! But since I'm covering Kenner era Empire Strikes Back figures I thought it would be time to cover one of the most recent new figures made from The Empire Strikes Back, Lando Calrissian's partner and friend, Lobot! At first glance you would assume Lobot is a brand new sculpt head to toe. And you'd be correct. But unlike the Kenner Lobot, POTF2 Lobot and the OTC Lobot, this figure is loaded with 17 POA. He does have the ball joint hips, but for some reason on my sample I had to give the legs a 180 degree turn to get them to work properly. But like the older versions he has the puffy pirate shirt that Jerry Seinfeld would be envious of. But this time his arms can bend, and twist thanks to ball jointed shoulders and elbows. His wrists can swivel as well. This figure does ...

  Now I come to the main characters of Kenner's Empire Strikes Back line, and I hate separating R2 & 3PO so I'll combine them for the purposes of this blog post. Both figures have new features that ended up replacing their 1978 versions entirely. So from this point on, if you bought 3PO or R2 these were the versions you got, and this is the final version of C-3PO until his 1985 Droids action figure. So, read on as I cover the new features of these 2 droids, in their mostly final look from the Original Trilogy! First up is C-3PO. Now you may remember from my Star Wars review of him that several of the 1978 versions were on Empire Strikes Back cards. However as we saw in the film, C-3PO does get taken apart due to being shot by Stormtroopers. This version has removable arms and legs, although the head cannot be removed. It can however turn around so he can be "backwards". If you ever come across an ESB carded Threepio, the way to tell if it's a 1978 release is ...

  Well another week has passed and the big topic is toxic fans. Now I enjoy Star Wars Theory's YouTube Channel. It's neat to see someone take his love of Star Wars (among other properties he likes) and can make a living doing that. I admit I'm jealous, but I'm not as creative as he is. Plus my tech skills, well ain't that good. Check out his Vader fan made video, talk about epic! Anyway, he caught heat from some fans and finally clapped back at them. SWT correctly pointed out that the ones who call other fans toxic are themselves the toxic ones. Well, they blew a gasket over that and gave him grief. But they proved him right. Props to SWT for not backing down to a rage mob. And as far as toxic fans go, take a cue from this guy named Brock. I lifted his quote: "I'm glad you liked it. I didn't like it." We could all learn from Brock. No comic run this week due to work so I'll wait until next week. Crimson Reign issue 5 came out. I am not a fan ...

  Before I get into the main figures from ESB, I almost forgot to include these 2 droids who do play a part in the movie. Both FX-7 & 2-1B play a role in treating Luke Skywalker's various injuries in the film. FX-7 administers treatment to Luke while he's in the bacta tank while 2-1B observes. 2-1B oversees Luke's bacta tank treatment, tells him to take care before going off in his Snowspeeder and installs his new artificial hand. Now, in my humble opinion these figures aren't remarkable. FX-7 easily can break his arm extensions. 2-1B however has an imagined lower body as his on set model had no legs. But they are on ESB cards. FX-7 is admittedly a neat looking droid. He's fairly tall, and his head turns. His extended arm can administer treatments to a bacta tank, but the 2000's era Bacta Tank Luke benefits the most from this, so FX-7 isn't really able to interact well with other Kenner figures. However if you watch Kenner commercials from this era you s...

  Ever since the Vintage Collection came in 2010, many collectors on collecting websites (and website owners) hoped that Hasbro would give us modern versions of all 96 Kenner figures on the classic style cards. The early waves didn't disappoint. In time new figures came and then the Prequels got in on the action. Then the 2012 Phantom Menace wave happened. It slowly trickled into retail and then clogged pegs in toy stores and retail outlets. Hasbro also made the decision to no longer make super articulated 3.75 inch figures and instead go to 5 POA because they claimed they got letters and emails about kids breaking their toys (personally I think this was a bot attack but that's my 1 cent opinion). The real reason was they wanted their upcoming 6 inch line to be the standard bearer. I won't go into the 3.75 inch Black Series but when the VC came back in 2018, the hopes of the Kenner 96 being completed began again. But I'm going to tell you why this isn't going to hap...

  Another week left before the Obi-Wan miniseries wraps up, and I'm hoping to binge watch it sometime next week. I know some little things but I'm ignoring the opinions of others about it, once I watch for myself I'll be the judge on whether it's good or bad. So the moral of the story is watch it yourself and be the judge. Don't let others influence hoe you perceive things. There is a Jedi lesson in that somewhere. Moving on. New Black Series pre-orders, like, 3! Only 1 for the VC but it's Darth Vader and according to Emily one of Hasbro's toy designers it's a brand new sculpt for Vader! Check out the Hasbro Pulse channel on YouTube for the Vader reveal. One of the Black Series reveals was Imperial Officer Tala, the 1st female officer in a uniform, not counting Captain Phasma as she wore Stormtrooper armor. Yet no officers in the VC. Just saying, Hasbro. Tala would be a good addition to the VC. So would Krennic, Piett, Veers and Ozzel. Who are also all i...

  For many years, fans were told by Kenner that the insect looking droid was named Zuckuss and the other bug looking guy with a coat was named 4-LOM. And by many years I mean 1980-1987. But in 1987 a funny thing happened. No, not just the TV show Sledge Hammer!, but West End Games did a supplement for the 10th anniversary of Star Wars and it would forever change the characters as we knew them. Hammerhead, Walrus Man, they got names. So did Snaggletooth. Jabba's Palace denizens got names too. Yakface, Squid Head, all names. Oh, and so did Zuckuss and 4-LOM. All they did was swap names. 4-LOM is more a droid name than a flesh and blood named person, right? Same with Zuckuss being more a flesh and blood person name than a droid name. I don't know how the naming controversy happened just how it was solved! Writers over the years would use these 2 as partners, so for their Kenner review here are the last 2 bounty hunter reviews: 4-LOM & Zuckuss! I'll address them by their Ke...

  Not much going on besides new episodes of Kenobi, but that will soon come to an end. I don't like dealing with rumors but there are a couple. The 1st is there will be a 2nd season. Haven't seen any episodes yet so I can't judge that. The other rumor is Reva could also get her own series. That would be interesting to see how the Inquisitors come to make the decisions they did. With the Grand Inquisitor and Trilla we got to see why they chose the path they did post Order 66. Is Reva a former Youngling? A series could show her origin and if the writing is consistent (a complaint about Kenobi I see a lot), then this show could be good. Well the new VC Kenobi Darth Vader may be a brand new sculpt for Vader! He'll come with a plug in belt lightsaber hilt, lit lightsaber and 2 swappable hands. Now put this figure quickly on a ROTS or ROTJ card, while you can Hasbro!! (Before the plastic free packaging goes into effect) The upcoming Reva figure looks amazing, especially her ...

  Fans of Jurassic Park/Jurassic World have enjoyed Mattel's take on the toys. Recently they announced a 6 inch scale series called The Amber Collection, with film characters in 6 inch scale going with some dinosaurs built to that scale to give playability and world building environments. I mean, 6 inch scale, or 1:12 is the standard, right? Well, no. At least not when it comes to dinosaur toys. Imagine the size and cost of a 1:12 T-Rex or Brachiosaurus?! Raptors and Compy's are okay. A Triceratops and Stegosaurus is really pushing it. So Mattel made a hard decision: ditching the 1:12 scale for the 1:18 (3.75 inch) figures. The biggest reason is the cost of plastic has gone up. 6 inch figures retail from $25-$30 in toy stores. Although Mattel probably doesn't pay a royalty to Universal for Jurassic Park/World like Hasbro has to pay for Star Wars and Marvel. So for the most part those Amber Collection figures were the same price and compatible with Marvel Legends and Star Wa...

  Before diving in, I'm not a fan of the sequel trilogy, often calling it the Disney Trilogy. Now while I don't enjoy it I have enjoyed some of the figures and have been hoping some VC figures get updated (Kylo Ren and the FO Stormtrooper especially!) as well as getting some figures that haven't been made yet (Episode 9 versions of Finn and Poe in his Nathan Drake outfit). But there is a sequel trilogy action figure coming out again that if it does sell well could be a ray of hope for those who want sequel trilogy figures. No it isn't the VC but the Black Series that is repacking Old Man Han Solo, this time with an updated photo real head sculpt, which I admit looks pretty good.  The last sequel era figure was Dark Side Rey which did sell through as collectors and fans really liked the figure. I did as well, but didn't like the non removable hood and cloak (although this would also make for a good Barriss Offee Black Series figure). Han being a Legacy Character shou...

When the Star Wars Retro figures hit and then vanished from Target, I had hoped to get some Stormtroopers but missed out. When the Empire Strikes Back wave hit Wally World I got lucky in getting Yoda and Boba Fett (both still on card). Nice to have, but with modern Boba Fett and Yoda figures in the VC those Kenner ones are still neat to have. But a trip to a small town Wally World I found Retro gold when the 1st Mandalorian Retro wave hit stores. I found the entire 1st wave! So I bought them (they are cheaper than VC figures and still below the ReAction Super7 figures). I had to admit I was impressed! If this show had come out in 1984 they certainly could have looked like this, although Mando and Gideon would have likely come with cloth capes instead of the vinyl capes they did. Beskar Mando will have a cloth cape, and that 2nd series is in stores and will soon ship preorders. The Return of the Jedi wave is coming in 2023, I have done a post about who could possibly be in it already. ...

  One of two droids in the infamous Bounty Hunter scene in Empire Strikes Back, IG-88 also has a distinction for being one of the tallest Kenner era figures. While he doesn't say anything, he is still a cool action figure! Again, simple 5 POA articulation and his head does turn. He comes with 2 weapons, a long rifle and Stormtrooper blaster. The paint and sculpt are excellent for 1980-81, and it should be noted this same mold was re-used for the Retro IG-11 for the Mandalorian line. So after all these years it holds up well! There are some ridiculous Legends stories about IG-88. The most obvious one is his attempt to take over the computer core of the 2nd Death Star. But if you read the Marvel Comics series of the 1980's IG-88 worked often with Bossk. Admittedly the modern Disney Canon has told some good IG-88 stories. But if you get this figure you can of course tell whatever stories with him you want to. Now is he essential for your Kenner collection? If you want multiple ...

  So I've had some time to digest the info from Celebration Anaheim and after getting in my 1st preorders of Kenobi related stuff which for VC is Obi-Wan and Reva (which is so far an outstanding action figure, her lightsaber can break down into 2 and also combine into one larger double bladed weapon). On the Black Series it's Aayla Secura, Mandalore Maul, and to battle my Kanan & Ezra figures the Grand Inquisitor & Fifth Brother. I know I was swearing off Black Series but those Inquisitors were too good to pass up! As far as the lack of VC goes it isn't a surprise, sadly. I might touch on that in a blog post either later today or next week. Hoping to get the new comics out this week: Vader issue 23 & Star Wars issue 24. I don't like the Crimson Reign crossover, but the individual CR issues are intriguing. But I still find it ridiculous that not only do the Knights of Ren succeed in stealing an item from Vader's castle, but that Vader only kills one of th...