The Black Series 6" The Child

As a dyed-in-the-wool 3 3/4" collector, I've largely avoided releases in Hasbro's larger-scale 6" Black Series line. There are the occasional exceptions, and my continued impatience with Hasbro's failure to release (or even announce) a Child for the 3 3/4" Vintage Collection line has driven me to dabble in the Black Series once again - recently picking up their version of The Child for $20.00AU ($21.34NZ).

Coming in at only 1.1", The Child may just be the most adorable Star Wars figure yet created by Hasbro. Despite his diminutive stature, he still manages to boast an impressive seven points-of-articulation, featuring ball-jointed feet, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel wrists, and a ball-jointed head. He also comes with three accessories: a frog, a bowl of bone broth, and the Razor Crest control lever knob he's so fond of playing with. These tiny accessories come packed in their own clear acrylic display case - an absolute necessity if you hope to avoid losing that near-microscopic lever knob. My one bone (broth) of contention is that the The Child is largely incapable of interacting with these accessories. You'll need to use some kind of adhesive if you want him to have any chance of holding either the hold either the bowl or knob in his hands.

The only other downside of this figure is the lack of additional accessories. Considering that he sells for close to the price of a full scale Vintage Collection figure ($20.00AU versus $24.99AU), Hasbro really could have included a little more plastic. The glaring omission is, of course, his pram. This needn't have been much - just a single sculpted piece of egg-shaped plastic atop a transparent stand - yet it would have added enormous play- and displayability options for little additional cost.

Despite being created for the 6" scale, this version of The Child seems entirely compatible with figures from the 3 3/4" line - as pictured above. In fact, let's consider the math. The 6" figure line is based on an assumed scale of 1:12, meaning that a 6 foot tall character will be sculpted at precisely 6 inches. Wookieepedia lists the Child's height as 16.1", meaning that an accurate 1:12 figure of the character would be around 1.3" tall. Consider instead the 3 3/4" line, with an assumed scale of 1:19.2. An accurate Child in this scale would instead be 0.8" tall. At 1.1" tall, this Child figure is actually somewhere between these two scales. He's slightly too small for a 6" figure, and slightly too big for the 3 3/4" line.

Given this, it seems that Hasbro really missed a trick here. The fudging on the scale of this version of The Child means he could easily have been marketed for both the 3 3/4" and 6" lines. Unfortunately, by labelling him as purely a Black Series figure, Hasbro may have excluded many potential 3 3/4" customers. Indeed, even I had decided to pass on this figure until my wife had a hunch about the scale and encouraged me to pick one up all the same. I now realise, however, that he is an absolutely adorable must-have for collectors of both lines.

The Hunt Is On - The Vintage Collection 3 3/4" Wave 11 Figures Found

Yes, they're finally here! Almost five months after the The Mandalorian series debut, we finally have the chance to own characters from the show in Hasbro's legacy toy scale. Wave 11 of The Vintage Collection 3 3/4" line includes VC164 Cara Dune, VC165 Remnant Stormtrooper, and VC166 The Mandalorian, and I was recently able to nab all three for $24.99AU ($26.51NZ) a piece.

Honestly, I was a little concerned as to whether I'd be able to get my hands on these. EB Games is now the only brick-and-mortar store in Australia stocking the Vintage Collection, and tends to receive only a case or two of each wave. Online purchasing had been similarly dire, with previous waves only being sold by random assortment. It's for this reason that I've been resorting more and more to the secondary market for new releases. Then EB Games went and did something wonderful: starting with wave 10, their online store began listing new releases by individual figure. I was able to preorder all three figures shortly after they were listed online, and couldn't have been happier to see them finally arrive last week.

First up is the Mandalorian himself, decked out in his early-season pre-beskar armour. He comes with everything you'd expect: his trademark pulse rifle, his sidearm, and a nicely-sculpted shoulder cape. The sidearm fits snugly into a working holster at his hip, and the rifle clips onto his back through a very nifty attachment. As you'd expect with any Vintage Collection figure, the Mandalorian is brimming with articulation - allowing you to pose him in just about any way you can imagine. The paint app is on point, with his beskar helm getting a very nice dirty metallic finish that - in this collector's opinion - rivals that of the larger (and more expensive) 6" figure.

But as sought-after as the Mandalorian might be, he's by no means the star of this wave. That honour goes to Cara Dune. In fact, she may be one of my favourite figures yet in the Vintage Collection line. I simply cannot convey how impressed I am by Hasbro's job in capturing this character in plastic. The sculpt and articulation work together beautifully to create a figure that is equally wonderful as both a toy and a display piece. The pièce de résistance is the Photo Real treatment of the face - what I think is the best usage of the technique yet seen in this scale. Gina Carano's likeness is captured perfectly, right down to the tiny Rebel Alliance emblem on her cheek. It's a staggeringly accurate amount of detail for a figure that's less than four inches tall.

Rounding out this wave is the Remnant Stormtrooper. For some time now, Hasbro has been telling us that the financial viability of the Vintage Collection line rests on future waves featuring a healthy number of repacks alongside new sculpts. And if Hasbro has to rerelease figures, then this is precisely the way to go about it. They've taken the utterly perfect Vintage Collection Rogue One stormtrooper mould, dirtied it up, and - hey presto - created a 'brand new' figure that we'll all lap up. Not only that, but it's precisely the kind of character that - because of its army-building potential - is likely to sell in even higher numbers than either the Mandalorian or Cara Dune.

Indeed, it seems that Hasbro still hasn't fully realised just how lucrative this approach can be. A Mandalorian-carded rerelease of the Vintage Collection Death Trooper would sell just as well, as would a dirtied up version of the Black Series Biker Scout. Heck, pack him with one of those white Legacy Collection speeder bikes, and you'll have the makings of a set that will fly off shelves - all without spending a single penny on a new mould.

Until then, this trio will have to suffice for my 3 3/4" collection of Mandalorian figures. Fingers crossed we'll see some more representation as season 2 draws closer.

Hot Wheels Commemorative Series Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike

Last Christmas, my wife surprised me with the entire first wave of the highly sought-after Hot Wheels Commemorative Series starships. The second wave is yet to turn up in brick-and-mortar stores here in Australia, but thanks to a recent Amazon order from the US I was able to get my hands on the first vehicle from that wave: a Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike.

Although he looks great straight out of the box, I gave him the same Citadel Nuln Oil treatment I gave to the first wave. It's a simple customisation, but one that makes all of the tiny little details stand out even more.

Also included is another piece of the die-cast Death Star. This time around, its the superlaser - now making my battle station fully armed and operational!

It's gratifying to have rounded out the first two trilogies in this line. Now it's time to hunt own the final three vehicles! 

Lego 75265, 75270, and 75271 Tatooine Sets

Given the dearth of new 3 3/4" figures hitting stores, I've been exploring other ways of getting my collecting fix. To that end, my wife and I have been delving more into Lego's Star Wars offerings as of late. We recently picked up a wonderful trio of new Tatooine-themed sets: 75265 T-16 Skyhopper vs Bantha Microfighters, 75270 Obi-Wan's Hut, and 75271 Luke's Skywalker's Landspeeder.

Retailing at $44.99 each, Obi-Wan's Hut and Luke's Landspeeder are designed as a particularly synergistic coupling - the combined pair providing you with the full quartet of Obi-Wan, Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2 (as well as a second ponchoed Luke for variety). Also included are a pair of native Tatooine denizens - a Tusken Raider in 75270 and a Jawa in 75271. Luke's Landspeeder gives us an incredibly detailed upgrade on previous Lego iterations of this vehicle, complete with a rifle mount and nifty opening cargo compartment.

Yet it's Obi-Wan's hut that's the real standout. The sit is brimming with hidden features and Easter Eggs (did someone say blue milk?) that make the set both a joy to build and to explore upon completion.

While not a direct companion, the simultaneous release of the T-16 Skyhopper vs Bantha Microfighters for $34.99 is fortuitous indeed. While the under-scaled Skyhopper isn't a perfect match, the set is justified on the basis of the adorable brick-built bantha alone. The addition of another Tusken Raider and a Tatooine bush pilot only sweetens the deal even more.

Taken together, these three sets make for a wonderful combined display - and go particularly nicely with the 75136 Droid Escape Pod I gave my wife for Christmas last year.

Medal of Bravery Replica

While my collecting focus is largely centred on 3 3/4" action figures and Micro Machines, I've always harboured a soft spot for any kind of in-universe items (particularly those beyond the usual - and repetitive - toy weapon and helmet offerings). My wife has become incredibly good at scratching this particular itch, and did so again when she surprised me with this Medal of Bravery replica for Valentine's Day this year.

Cast from solid metal and featuring a high-quality ribbon, this metal carries the exact kind of heft you would expect from the real thing. Featured prominently in the closing scene of A New Hope - and now given extra meaning by The Rise of Skywalker - this medal will make a wonderful display piece alongside the golden sabacc dice my wife gave me for my birthday last year.

The Hunt Is On - The Vintage Collection 3 3/4" Wave 10 Figures Found

I was lucky enough to find a small assortment of the Triple Force Friday wave of Vintage Collection figures at my local EB Games. Sadly - and somewhat predictably - the next wave (Wave 10) proved much harder to find. There were three figures from this wave on my hunt list: VC150 Princess Leia Organa (Yavin), VC162 Sith Trooper, and VC163 Shadow Trooper. While I finally managed to find the Sith Trooper at retail, I had to resort to the online secondary market to secure the other two.

As usual with The Vintage Collection, this wave provides us with another excellent trio of Vfigures. Leia is an upgraded of version of the (previously Walmart exclusive) Black Series figure from 2015 - now with improved articulation and that wonderful Photo Real face treatment. The Sith Trooper, on the other hand, is an entirely new figure and represents (only) the sixth 3 3/4" figure we've received from The Rise of Skywalker. Featuring phenomenal articulation and a unique pair of weapons, he'll make a great addition to my First order forces.

Rounding out the wave is the Shadow Trooper. While technically a new figure, he is in fact a clever repaint of the Rogue One stormtrooper with the addition of a pauldron. He comes as something of a surprise - being sourced from Legends gaming material - but a welcome one, to be sure. In fact, if Hasbro needs to pad waves with repacks of old sculpts to keep production costs down, then this is exactly how it should be done.

Now I've got this wave in hand, my 3 3/4" collecting is apparently going to quieten down for a while. Other than a trio of new Mandalorian figures coming in April and a handful of Photo Real upgrades towards the end of year, nothing else has yet been announced by Hasbro. It could be that they're waiting to show off a slew of new products at next month's New York Toy Fair. Ordinarily, however, such announcements are preceded by all kinds of leaks and rumours through the usual channels. But this time around, there's nothing. It's no secret that Hasbro's current Star Wars license expires this year - so I suppose we'll just have to hold our breaths to see if their twenty-year affiliation with the brand is set to continue.

Lego 75267 Mandalorian Battle Pack

Let's be honest - everyone loves The Mandalorian. Despite this (or, perhaps, for this very reason) Mandalorian merchandise has been hard to come by. The 6" Black Series Mandalorian and the Hot Wheels Razor Crest are nowhere to be found, and we won't be seeing any 3 3/4" Mandalorian figures until at least April. For that reason, I pounced on the one (also very sought-after) piece of Mandalorian merchandise I've come across - the Lego 75267 Mandalorian Battle Pack.

Retailing at $22.99AU ($23.97NZ), this set comes with four uniquely decorated Mandalorians (two male and two female) from the enclave on Nevarro. The detailing on each is phenomenal, with three of the four even featuring printed leg pieces. Also included are four fabric capes, four rangefinders, and four visors; allowing you to customise each figure according to your own preferences.

These battle packs usually come with a slightly contrived vehicle build - like the drastically undersized First Order snowspeeder in the Sith Troopers battle pack. In this pack, however, we get a perfectly scaled screen-accurate vehicle in the form of the Balutar-class swoop from the Clone Wars animated series. Previously released in a 2011 Mandalorian battle pack, this updated version of the swoop now comes with a rundown, mismatched colour scheme - no doubt the result of three decades of wear and neglect. As an added bonus, there's also a small fortification build that provides a mount for one of the four included studshooters.

In fact, the studshooters might be my only gripe with this set. While I understand that they provide some additional play value for kids, they do look a little cumbersome on the figures. While one or two 'heavy weapons troopers' might be able to brandish these, it would have been great to receive a wider variety of armaments for the other figures to wield. Fortunately I've got an abundance of new blasters from my Lego Star Wars advent calendar for these Mandos to pillage!

Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Premiere (December 2019)

It feels like The Rise of Skywalker (TRoS) has been a long time coming. But in other ways, it seems like only yesterday that the sequel trilogy began with The Force Awakens. However you do the math, the end of the Skywalker Saga is an historic event: the final chapter in a nine-film saga spanning over forty-two years of film-making. Fortunately, our local cinema went all-out to mark this auspicious occasion - celebrating the midnight premiere with Star Wars-themed cocktails, a costume competition, and a "cantina band" playing all of the tunes we know and love.

Of course, given the enormity of the task faced by TRoS, there was no way this film was ever going to be all things for all people. Fortunately for my wife and I... it was. Sure, it packs an enormous amount into its 2 hour 22 minute runtime - whisking us from one exotic locale to the next at almost breakneck speed. But, for me, it never feels rushed. In fact, my very first comment to my wife upon leaving the cinema was just how satisfying the pacing was. While The Last Jedi is one of my favourite films of the saga, there's no denying that there were moments when the film seemed to drag. Such is never the case in TRoS, and I was astonished at how quickly the near two-and-a-half hour film flew by.

Fast pacing seems to be par for the course in trilogy-concluding Star Wars films. TRoS, however, is burdened with the task of concluding an entire trilogy of trilogies. But boy does it do this in the most satisfying ways. TRoS not only pays homage and respect to the two preceding sequel films, but also to everything else that has come before - including the prequels, the original trilogy, and even the Expanded Universe of visual media. The film is bursting at the seams with references, head-nods, and - yes - enormous fan service. But honestly, that's the very thing I wanted out of this film. If The Force Awakens was a safe and stable liftoff and The Last Jedi was an acrobatic joyride, then The Rise of Skywalker is the smoothest, most comforting landing you could ever wish for.

That being said, this film doesn't pull any punches. While I'm still uncertain where TRoS will fall in my ranking of Star Wars films, I found it more emotionally resonant than any saga film before. TRoS is - like all of Star Wars - a story of hope and redemption. But at a deeper level, it's about growing beyond your past; be it that which you were born into, or that which you freely chose. It's a theme to which many will easily relate - particularly those in their adult years.

Visually, the film is the prettiest yet, taking us to fantastical locales the likes of which we've only ever really seen in non-filmic Star Wars media. John Williams score - while not as memorable as some of his previous entries - also provides a robust backing to this final chapter with many wonderful callbacks to previous themes. Of course, the best part about this film is that the band is finally together. After two films of disparate storylines occasionally crossing paths, our new heroes have finally come together in force (pun entirely intended). Their chemistry is electric, and brings plenty of warmth and humour to offset the moments of tragedy that this final chapter of the Star Wars saga was always bound to contain.

So what did you think of The Last Jedi? Did you attend a premiere? If so, how did it go? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Lego 75136 Droid Escape Pod

Today's post comes on behalf of my wife. A few years back, she missed out on the Lego 75136 Droid Escape Pod set and has been searching for it ever since. After a little hunting, I managed to track one down and surprise her on Christmas Day. She just completed the build, so I thought I'd take the chance to grab a few photos and share our thoughts.

All up, this is one of the nicest Star Wars builds I've seen in a long time. Lego does all it can to keep the prices of these mid-size sets down, but often this means they come out feeling a little light on parts - lacking density and seeming a little fragile as a result. Not so here, however. The construction is tightly packed and sturdy as hell. It feels like this pod really could survive a crash landing.

The main sculpt is based around four large curved panels that carry most of the graphic detailing. Sadly these pieces are stickered, not printed - but again, this is about Lego doing its best to maximise the affordability of its sets. The necessity of the stickers also becomes apparent once you realise that several of the panels are decorated both inside and out - with the internal walls featuring a display screen and an adorable window with a view of the underside of the Devastator. Utilising these four large panels to fill out most of the build also allows for the remaining piece count to be used in providing an insane level of detail elsewhere. The exterior of the pod features eight separately gimbaled thrusters, a printed cockpit window, and even two tiny manoeuvring jets on the nose. The fantastic detailing continues on the interior, where a novel building technique changes the orientation of the studs. C-3PO and R2-D2 each receive their own mount, with handlebars for the pilot. A (stickered) control panel can also be removed to reveal the (printed) stolen Death Star plans.

This set should make a great companion to the just-released Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder and Obi-Wan's Hut sets - both of which my wife and I already have our eyes on!

The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary

As has become tradition, the week following the release of a new Star Wars film means one thing: poring over the details contained of a brand new Visual Dictionary. I managed to pick up my copy of this essential Rise of Skywalker companion via MightyApe for just $25.00AU (NZ).

Those of you familiar with these wonderful tomes will already know what to expect: endless details, trivia, and minutiae from the film - all accompanied by author Pablo Hidalgo's acerbic wit. This entry is no different. Countless threads are drawn between TRoS and what has come before - including more references to the Legends Expanded Universe than ever before.

My only real disappointment is that this volume wasn't released side-by-side with the usual Incredible Cross-Sections accompaniment (as was the case with The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi). Instead, the Visual Dictionary has assumed the role of both books by including a limited selection of six cross-sections. This is the same approach that was taken with the guides to both Rogue One and Solo. It was understandable in those cases, however - since the non-saga nature of the films meant that accompanying media releases were minimal. This time around, the decision is a puzzling one. It certainly wasn't for lack of source material, as there are all kinds of vehicles from the final saga film just screaming for the cross-section treatment. I can't help but be slightly frustrated by the fact that my bookshop will contain an Incredible Cross-Sections volume for every episode in the saga except the final film.

Nevertheless, this gripe is entirely unrelated to the quality of the Visual Dictionary itself - which is, as always, superb. As something of a bonus (and, perhaps, a consolation) this Visual dictionary follows in the footsteps of the Rogue One and Solo visual guides by also providing a behind-the-scenes section - something that was entirely absent in previous saga volumes.

Hot Wheels Commemorative Series Wave 1 Vehicles

My completionist nature means I'm loath to start collecting entirely new lines of Star Wars collectibles. That's why - despite my obsession with miniature Star Wars vehicles - I've largely avoided delving into the new Hot Wheels starship line. My wife knows my strange collecting idiosyncrasies better than anyone, however, so surprised me this Christmas with the first wave of the Hot Wheels Commemorative Series - a limited line that's very satisfyingly capped at only nine vehicles.

The Commemorative Series features one iconic vehicle from each of the films in the Skywalker Saga. This first wave covers episodes I through V, and includes a Naboo Starfighter from The Phantom Menace, a Republic Attack Gunship from Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi's ETA-2 Jedi Starfighter from Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader's TIE Fighter from A New Hope, and Boba Fett's Slave I from The Empire Strikes Back. Each vehicle is painted in a gorgeous uniform silver, and comes atop a sturdy transparent display stand that bears the symbol of the ship's main affiliation.

While I loved the metallic finish, I couldn't help but think that a quick wash (a la Micro Machine's Collectors Edition line from the 90s) would really help the details pop. With that in mind, I went ahead and hit each vehicle with some Citadel Nuln Oil. You can compare the before and after below:

To unify the series, each vehicles also comes with a single piece of the Death Star that - when combined with the rest of the vehicles in this line - allows you to build a surprisingly hefty model of this technological terror. With the first wave in hand, my battle station is now 5/9ths of the way complete.

The inclusion of this bonus Death Star provides additional impetus to collect the full line of these vehicles - and that's what I'll be trying to do over the coming weeks (and months). Wave 1 was really only available via limited online retailers here in Australia, and Wave 2 (covering episodes VI through IX) is proving even scarcer. I do love the challenge of the hunt however, so stay tuned for updates!