Saturday, September 23, 2017

Road the Last Jedi: Maz Kanata from Star Wars: The Black Series by Hasbro

   It's time for another review from Star Wars: The Black Series and today it's Maz Kanata, the pirate queen from Takodana who plays a pivotal role in the destinies of both Finn and Rey in The Force Awakens. I love Maz Kanata and have been anxiously awaiting Hasbro to release her in this series. I cannot believe it has taken almost two years to get to her! It sounds like Maz will play a role in The Last Jedi as well, so maybe the timing of her release is just perfect? We'll have to wait and see. What we don't have to wait and see about, however, is that Maz Kanata is hands down one of the best Black Series released ever. In the now four years and going history of this line, I'd absolutely fight a gundark to prove the point that Maz is easily one of the top 10 figures in the series. Here's an incredible look at what Hasbro can do when they give it their all. More Maz Kanata coolness after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 4 inches

Articulation:  Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, a balljointed head, and swivel goggles.

Accessories: Vest, lightsaber hilt, DH-17 blaster pistol, and a curio box.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars


 The Positives:

* Maz Kanata is not only extremely well articulated but her smaller frame features nearly every joint of a regular sized Black Series figure. She is plenty of fun to pose and looks great interacting with a wide variety of accessories.


 * Maz has some of the best sculpting in the Black Series. From the wrinkles on her face to the intricately handwoven fibers of her homemade clothing, Maz Kanata shows off what Hasbro can do in this scale. There are not that many "alien" creatures in the Black Series yet, so seeing how impressively Hasbro can work on this scale definitely makes me wish for more. The paintwork is also excellent with lots of clean lines and vibrant colors.


 * Maz's vest is removable and, since it doesn't have sculpted sleeves, it can be taken off to give the figure a different appearance.


* I love the paintwork and sculpting on Maz. Hasbro did a beautiful job capturing her wise, aged visage.


* The goggles also flip down thanks to swivels on the sides of her hat. They look incredible and work perfectly. This was one of the features I most hoped for with this figure and Hasbro definitely delivered.


* Maz apparently also knitted these socks. They're so lively and colorful! I cannot express how delightful these look in person! Great work, Hasbro.


* Check out all of the various adornments on Maz Kanata's hands. I'm repeating myself here again but the sculpt and paintwork is just fantastic. This is some of the best work I've seen from Hasbro.


* Interestingly, Maz Kanata comes with a DH-17 blaster pistol. I'm not sure why, but it's a great looking accessory with a nice paint application on the barrel tip. We've seen this accessory before, but it's not one that you can have too many of.

* The DH-17 isn't the main attraction here accessory-wise, though: It's this awesome wroshyr wood chest that includes a variety of curios Maz has assembled over the years, including the Skywalker lightsaber. The lightsaber hilt is what we've seen with many figures before but the chest is all new. It opens, can hold the hilt, and is beautifully sculpted and painted.
 The Negatives:

* I have one complaint. In the visual guide, Maz Kanata has a unique looking blaster pistol. Why didn't Hasbro include that here? The DH-17 seems like such an odd choice. The traditional 1/18th scaled figure includes the pistol, so Hasbro certainly knows of its existence. A budget issue perhaps?
There have been lots of really good Black Series figures this year but I'm not quite sure one is as good as Maz Kanata. There are definitely a few that come close, but she manages to be well articulated, highly accurate and perfectly sculpted, she stands out in a crowd, and her curio chest is a killer accessory. She's hands down one of the best of the best in this line. Having Maz really makes me hope Hasbro continues to focus on more "alien" figures in the years ahead. She is hands down an Epic figure in this line and proof of what the Black Series' 6-inch scale can offer to collectors.


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