Greetings! For your May the Fourth, we have five Star Wars Black Series figures here for your perusal. Four are new versions of previously released figures, all available on the Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Archive Series card. The fifth is part of a brand-new Disney+ show that debuts today. Let’s check ‘em out.
The Bad Batch: Hunter: Hunter is the leader of Clone Force 99, nicknamed “The Bad Batch” because each Clone member possesses an advantageous mutation. Hunter himself benefits from enhanced senses. The characters’ armor is styled after the common Clone armor, but in a stylized gray. In figure terms, Hunter comes with a number of accessories, including a removable helmet, a DC-17 hand blaster, a vibro-knife, a backpack, and a DC-17m repeating blaster rifle.
Right off, this guy looks great. The figure really captures the look from the animation, and they really tried to nail the face tattoo. The vibro-knife slides into a wrist gauntlet sheath, and the backpack fits on the figure via a t-shaped plug. The tendency today is to make two heads for a figure when you have a helmeted or unhelmeted look, but I really like that this comes with a (slightly flexible) helmet that you actually put on and take off of the figure.
I also find that Hunter is a touch more poseable than is the norm for the armored figures. Maybe that’s just my impression, but the fighter posed easily and the helmet managed the trick of both fitting snugly and coming off easily. I really like Hunter, and I’m looking forward to filling out the team.
Tusken Raider: I never had the first SWBS Tusken, so if this guy is basically the same . . . he’s new to me. I love this guy. The face is pretty exacting, the cloth robe hangs well, and the details sing everywhere. The figure includes a cycler rifle and a gaderffi stick with three interchangeable ends. When shooting the pictures, I was a little more interested in shots with the cycler rifle, probably because my original 12-back Kenner figure didn’t have one. However, I did include one triumphant gaderffi-hoisting shot. I think that this is just great overall.
Death Trooper: I’m a sucker for Stormtroopers and all their variants, so I jumped at the chance to pre-order that last three figures we’re covering this week. Up first is the Death Trooper, distinguished by its black armor. The figure comes with a pair of accessories: the SE-14r light repeating blaster, and the E-11D blaster carbine. Death Troopers were first seen in Rogue One, and have since appeared in The Mandalorian.
One of the cool things that you can tell under direct light or in the camera flash is that the figure isn’t totally black; it has gray and greenish accents at the joints. I like the Death Trooper design, and I’m glad it got a re-release for the people that didn’t get it the first time around (like me).
Shoretrooper: Like the Death Trooper and the Hover Tank Driver (coming in a minute), the Coast Defender Stormtrooper, aka Shoretrooper made its debut in Rogue One; like the other two, it’s also been seen in The Mandalorian. The Shoretrooper armor was designed for just that: operating in coastal environments. Like many Stormtroopers, the Shoretrooper carries an E-11 blaster rifle.
One distinct element of the Shoretrooper is the lack of full leg armor, and that’s reflected in the figure. Like the film character, the figure has that visor build-out on the helmet. I like the discoloration on the armor; it what armor would look like if it had to stay in a sandy, salt-heavy environment over a long period of time. It’s a good looking figure, and it can add some versatility to your displays.
Hover Tank Driver: This armor got a lot more play in Season 2 of The Mandalorian as Mando and Mayfeld. Hover Tank Drivers (aka Imperial combat assault tank pilots or tank troopers) did exactly what their name implies: they drive hover tanks and other heavy vehicles. In Rogue One, the operated hover tanks at Jedha City.
The armor bears similarities to the Shoretrooper, especially in terms of the unarmored thighs. The helmet is stylized differently, maybe evoking a heavier feel as befitting a helmet for an armored vehicle. Like the Shoretrooper and other Stormtroopers, this one comes with an E-11 blaster rifle. It might not be the most exciting divergence of the Stormtrooper armor, but I think it looks pretty cool.
All of these figures are available now in stores (if you can find them) and at various online outlets. So what do you think, collectors? Are you liking the Archive selections? How about the Bad Batch? Let’s hear it.
