Hasbro recently debuted their Star Wars 6-inch Black Series at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, starting first with the exclusive Boba Fett (with Han Solo in carbonite). Immediately it became one of the prized favorites of the convention. The exclusive set initially sold for $49 at the show, but quickly escalated to prices of $120-200 through auction sites like eBay. While many began to fret about a missed opportunity, Hasbro quickly took to alleviating those worries by making the cult favorite bounty hunter available at retail; and while the retail version does not include the Han Solo in carbonite piece, I find it to be a satisfactory consolation. It is my belief that convention exclusives should be just that. Exclusive. However, that is a topic or more likely, debate that would definitely raise a stir in parts of the toy collector community, but I digress...
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| Front & back of packaging |
Packaging - The packaging is simple but clean. It has a nice clear window that allows you to take a full look at the figure inside, along with the included accessories.
The top of the package shows a sort of monochromatic profile shot of Boba, while the back plays host to a screenshot from the film, along with a brief bio.
For those who are in package collectors, the small rectangular shape of the packaging makes for easy storage.
Simple in design, and collector friendly.
Packaging Score - 4 out of 5
Sculpt - The helmet of this figure looks particularly amazing, and more importantly, it is appropriately portioned to the body, avoiding the confusion between figure and bobble-head. This figure offers the sort of fine precision that doesn't overlook a simple but iconic detail such as the dent in Boba's helmet.
The majority of Boba Fett's body is covered in his traditional sandy gray suit, overlaid by sculpted pouches and pieces of armor. The chest plate is one solid sculpted piece, which comes at a loss to the articulation for the upper body, but that's really a minor sort of qualm given all things considering.
Boba's brown belt is separate from the body. It is attached to the pouches at the top of the legs. These pouches sort of a pose a problem to leg mobility, but we'll discuss that in a moment.
The added looking of wrinkling in the sleeves, suit, and leg pouches, along with the tarnished and dented look of the shoulder and knee pads really seem to elevate the realism of this figure. With this sort of added detail, it is anything but a caricature.
Sculpting Score - 4.5 out 5
Paint - Lending itself as a compliment to the sculpt-work, the paint does a remarkable job at further enhancing the overall aesthetics of the figure. The suit, as mentioned before is a composition of a light gray tone, emphasized by a gritty dirt colored wash. It brings out all the minuscule detail, while helping us draw a physical connection to the places that Boba Fett has traveled. The helmet, chest plate and arm weaponry all share a similar but varying tone of green. The nicks, scratches, dents and fading as seen along points of the helmet, armor and yellow shoulder/knee pads prove to be one of the most significants strengths to the paint application. This distressed look really helps provide a sense of age and wear to Boba Fett's armor, making all these practical pieces look used.
Paint Score - 4.5 out of 5
Articulation - The articulation is moderately hindered by some of the sculpted pieces. The top pouches, which are attached to the brown utility belt, make it difficult for the figure to bend forward or extend the legs outward. Some collectors have enjoyed a simple remedy for this by twisting the belt to the side or back. The figure might have benefited from an ab crunch joint, but I tend to dismiss this notion rather quickly, in consideration of the effects it might have on the chest plate armor. Even with an outstanding level of detail, the figure still manages to pull off a good amount of articulation. The neck is ball jointed, as are the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The waist too is ball jointed but suffers from a limited range of motion. The lower body mimics much of the articulation in the upper body with ball joints in the hips, knees, and ankles, along with a swivel at the top of each thigh.Articulation Score - 3 out of 5
Accessories - Boba Fett comes with three packaged accessories of his jetpack, rifle and small blaster. The jetpack easily snaps into the back of Boba Fett with a small peg. It is very snug, but easy to remove. Like the armor, it too has a worn and used look to it. It makes no mistake about blending seamlessly into the other portions that share the same variety of green. The rifle is dry-brushed in silver along the barrel, staying consistent with the wear and tear of the rest of Fett's armor and tools of the trade. The small blaster is surprisingly plain. It is painted a simple light brown and a touch of silver at both ends.
The novel part of the small blaster is the ability to place it inside the detachable holster along Boba Fett's hip. It stays in the holster nicely, while adding another option to the wide array of possible looks for Boba.
The guns are very easy to place in Boba's hands, and when coupled with the articulation of the figure, manage to re-create some very iconic poses from the Boba Fett character.
The cape is a small piece of cloth folded in two. It is made from a two-tone sand colored piece of fabric, with fraying along the edges. It stays out of the way and works nicely in conjunction with the jetpack.
Accessories Score - 3 out of 5
Conclusion - This figure initially caught me off guard by how amazing it turned out to be. It looks and feels every way that a Boba Fett figure should. This cult classic character is by far the most sought after figure of the second wave. If you're in the market for one, and happen to find one in a retail store you, do NOT hesitate to pick it up, because the opportunity is sure to quickly pass you by.
Overall Score - 3.8 out of 5
If you have any interest, try visiting a Toys 'R' Us location near you. For your convenience, I've included the Google map below that shows every Toys 'R' Us location in the US.
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