Happy Father's Day to all Dads out there! I thought Vader would be appropriate for the holiday today, and this one does not disappoint. He comes in a "Early Bird" style box with a backdrop and display stand similar to the ones from 1978. Within the box, Vader is on a vintage style card like the other figures from this collection. So, if you a carded collector and want to display Pops here like the rest, just open the box and pull him out. My sample came from Target and was pulled from the back stockroom before he was put on the shelf. (Thanks to the DCPI #) This version has the red eyes that was later switched to more smokey grey.
So what we get here is essentially the third Vader released in the Black Series collection. The other two being based on appearances from The Return of the Jedi, This one takes us back to where it all started with his first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope. (To us older folks, just "Star Wars") What makes him so special from other movie versions is just of couple of wardrobe decisions. First, his gloves are different from the other movies. They have a horizontal "tubing" pattern that run across the tops of his gloves. Next, his inner robe is placed over his sternum armor, as opposed to being worn under in the next two films. As is shown in this sample, he is also sporting red lenses in his helmet. I'm sure there are some coloring differences to his buttons and knobs on his control panel and belt as well, but I didn't look that up. Just go with it. We get all that sweet, sweet articulation we've come to expect from the Black Series and his range of motion on all the joints is top notch. What I've noticed on this latest version is that he has a great silhouette compared to the other Vaders. I believe the trick here is in his cape. It hangs on his form better than the last ones. We can achieve some great two-handed lightsaber wielding poses, as well as just standing around and force choking the usual subordinate.
D'ohs!
There's really not much to dislike on Darthy-Warthy here, other than a $39.99 price tag on this set. This also makes him the easiest one to find in stores, as most collectors really only want to shell out $20 or so for a 6" figure. (Remember Spider-Man Classics at $9.99 each? Ah, the goog ol' days) All the other 40th Anniversary figures don't tend to hang around on the pegs for very long, and I'm sure he'll dry up soon as well. The only other thing I can think of that was even a slightest disappointment isn't on the figure itself, but rather on the card front. I remember the photo of the Kenner Vader having a purple lightsaber, but Hasbro changed that to the correct red color. I really wished they left it alone for sentimental value. They didn't Change Obi-Wan Kenobi's card from a yellow blade to blue, (Thank you!) so why change this one?
What If...
As with most of the Black Series figures, one thing I'd like to see is more accessories. Extra hands, maybe some restraining cuffs to use on other figures, small droids like Dr. Ball or a mouse droid or even a build-a-figure part. (We really need a Probe Droid in this scale please!)
Finish Him!
I like how Lucasfilm made the Rogue One Vader design match A New Hope outfit, so I think it was a great move to get this version out sooner rather than later. If you see him out in the wild and you have the means, get him. Rumor has it that all 40th Anniversary figures will be rereleased in the box format, but I wouldn't hold my breath. We're still waiting on that Han in Carbonite from that SDCC set to show up somewhere. 40th Anniversary Darth Vader gets 5 out of 5 Father's Day Cards.
No comments:
Post a Comment