Action Figure Review: Darth Nihilus from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   It's the last day of the year and while I'm not nearly through with reviewing all of the stuff I picked up in the last month yet I'm going to wrap things up for the year with a look at Darth Nihilus from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III. While Hasbro transitioned the Black Series into Phase IV during the second half of 2020 some exclusives were still released in the Phase III packaging. GameStop's Gaming Greats releases in 2020 turned out to be well worth checking out in 2020 and while they were mostly repaints/ retools, they did offer up some new characters. One of the most exciting releases is Darth Nihilus from 2004's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I have very fond memories of receiving the game for Christmas of 2004 and starting it the day that my friends and I went to get fitted for tuxedos for my wedding in 2005! The KOTOR games were quite impressive and I'd love the chance to play them again on a more modern console. Darth Nihilus's creepy mask was a key element of the game's packaging and advertising and Hasbro nailed it here. Let's check out another Sith Lord for the Black Series after the break...

Action Figure Review: Clone Trooper (Holiday Edition) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   For the holiday season of 2020 Hasbro released five different Star Wars: The Black Series exclusives featuring various troopers decked out in Christmas outfits. Yes, it's really quite strange but also rather charming, too. I've seen many fans comment that for some reason they connect Star Wars with the Christmas season and I have to say that I agree! This goes back beyond Disney deciding to release 4 of their 5 films so far prior to Christmas as well. This year my wife and I finally watched all of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy with our daughter so we've continued the tradition! Our Christmas tree has well over a dozen Star Wars Christmas ornaments, we have a Darth Vader in a Santa Claus hat, and there are always many Star Wars gifts for me under the tree, so is a Clone Trooper in a Christmas sweater really too much of a stretch? The Clone Trooper (Holiday Edition) is a GameStop exclusive and he turned out to be the easiest of the five figures to find. Let's take a look at this fun and festive exclusive after the break...

Action Figure Barbecue: Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   In 2020 Hasbro really failed on delivering exclusives to retailers. Or maybe retailers failed in ordering enough exclusives to satisfy demand. Heck, maybe both are to be blamed? See, in the second half of this year Walmart received an exclusive four figure series of The Black Series Phase IV figures based on the Siege of Mandalore storyline from season 7 of The Clone Wars. Did you ever actually see any of these figures in stores? Neither did I. Yes, Hasbro made a series of Black Series figures based on The Clone Wars exclusive to Walmart and the only place I've ever seen them are on Ebay. Sadly, this is another figure I had to pay a bit extra for because there was no way I was going to miss out on Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka was released in Phase III based on her Rebels appearance (which was released this year with face-printing) but this one captures her younger look during the end of The Clone Wars. 2020 has been a big year of Ahsoka and this is a great figure of her released in an infuriating way. Let's check out Ahsoka Tano after the break...

Christmas Haul 2020: Jake "The Snake" Roberts from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

 

   It's time for another item from my 2020 Christmas haul and this time it's Jake "The Snake" Roberts from Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe line! Jake "The Snake" Roberts is a fantastic wrestling legend for introducing the Snake Men into the Masters of the WWE Universe line and blending together Roberts' wrestling persona with some of the gimmick from the vintage King Hiss figure has lead to one of the best figures in the line yet. Man, series 4 of this line is just so darn good for the most part, isn't it? Let's take a look at the Evil Purveyor of Poison after the break...

Action Figure Review: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) & The Child from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Target had some of the hottest exclusives of 2020 but they were a trainwreck when it came to ensuring that they were available to collectors. While their exclusive wave of figures from the G.I. Joe Classified Series is probably the most infamous of their blunders the most egregious might just be the extremely limited availability of the Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) & The Child two-pack from Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV. Featuring two of the most popular characters out there from one of the hottest TV shows in recent memory there was no excuse for this set not to be loaded onto store shelves in time for Christmas. Unfortunately it was hard to find and seemingly released in limited numbers. And getting in on the preorder? Please. Target doesn't seem to be aware what a preorder is for, do they? Since I don't live in close proximity to a Target and had no desire to hunt this down right now I decided to bite the bullet and pay a bit more. Honestly, with the gas money for the distance I would have to drive to even get to Target plus the regular cost of shipping I probably didn't pay much above retail. Still, it's a shame there was no regular way to acquire this through Target. Enough about that, though! Let's get in and check out Din Djarin and Grogu in this brand new exclusive set after the break...

Christmas Haul 2020: Alien Super Set from Alien Collection by Lanard Toys

 

 It's time to start going through my 2020 Christmas Haul and I'm kicking things off with the Alien Super Set by Lanard Toys. If you can remember back to January of this year I was really excited about Lanard's Alien Collection, a line of budget Aliens action figures exclusively sold through Walmart that offer some some pieces that are fairly compatible with Kenner's Aliens/ Predator line, AKA one of my favorite toy lines of all time. Usually around Christmas-time big retailers get some budget conscious boxed sets of toys that give folks a chance to purchase something with some wow factor. These kind of things often have some real stinkers and dollar store quality to them but Lanard's Alien Super Set is pretty nice. There aren't any new sculpts in this box but the three Xenomorphs included with the set are offered in new colors which is the big draw. Also, I was pretty excited to add another egg, facehugger, and sentry gun to my Kenner display. For the asking price of $20 bucks for this set you're getting 6 articulated figures, a Power Loader, a sentry gun, and the egg and facehugger. That's not bad! I almost skipped this due to the lack of nothing new but I ended up putting it on my list and I'm glad I did. For the price, this set is crazy awesome! I'm not going to get into each figure here as I've reviewed them all, but I will direct you to all of the previous reviews. The package is divided into three sets, one from each of the first three Alien films. Let's take a look at this massive set after the break...

Action Figure Review: "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

 

   I haven't watched WWE in over a year so I've missed the rise of Bray Wyatt as "The Fiend." It seems to be a great gimmick for him and from what I hear it's quite popular. I was quite excited to see Bray appear in the most recent series of Masters of the WWE Universe with a design that captures the look of his Fiend persona with some of the trappings of, well, Trap Jaw. Ready for a look at another figure in the fourth series of Masters of the WWE Universe? Then let's join Bray Wyatt, The Fiend and Evil Lord of Fireflies, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Imperial Death Trooper from Star Wars: The Credit Collection by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm checking out my fourth review from Star Wars: The Credit Collection and this time it's an Imperial Death Trooper. The Death Troopers first appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and this sculpt appeared in The Black Series Phase III in 2016. While the rest of the releases in The Credit Collection are based on figures from last year, this one is quite a bit older. Fortunately, the sculpt is still excellent. The Death Troopers have been nicely used in Star Wars since first appearing in Rogue One and The Mandalorian made good use of them as part of Moff Gideon's forces in the final two episodes of season 1. All of The Credit Collection figures are retailer exclusives and the Death Trooper is an Amazon exclusive (along with Mando himself). Let's take a look at The Credit Collection's dramatic repaint of the Imperial Death Trooper after the break...

Action Figure Review: Seth Rollins from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

  It's time to dive in to another series of Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe line! So far I've only found two figures from the fourth series and Seth Rollins was the first I picked up. Seth has been a dominant force with the WWE since he first appeared as part of the Shield in 2012 and has has some great feuds and story lines over the past 8 years. I haven't watched WWE for well over a year or so now (it's not as fun without being able to get together with my crew, you know?) so I'm not sure what he's up to. What I do know is that for this Masters of the Universe inspired version of Seth Rollins Mattel gave him the armor of the Cosmic Enforcers like Zodak, Zodac, and Wun-Dar. Ready to check out Seth Rollins, the Architect of Alliances and Slayer of Kings and Beasts? Then let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Cara Dune from Star Wars: The Credit Collection by Hasbro

 

   It's been over a year since I reviewed the Cara Dune figure from The Black Series: Phase III and at the time I reviewed her she hadn't even shown up in The Mandalorian yet. Now the second season has concluded, Carasynthia Dune's a fan favorite, and I'm reviewing the repainted Cara Dune from The Credit Collection based on the concept art for the character. This figure is absolutely a repaint but it's a pretty cool one. One of the things I really like about it is that while it's based on artwork you can truly use this version of Cara Dune as a simple character variant. She doesn't look out of universe or anything. This review features a lot of reused text from last year's review but it's not like my feelings over the basic sculpt or anything have changed since then. Let's take a look at Cara Dune after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 12/25/2020: Merry Christmas 2020 Edition!

 

   Merry Christmas! It's been a crazy year and a rough year but, in so many ways, it's been kind of a good year too. While the tragedies of 2020 cannot be belittled I find that we have to focus on the joys and blessings of our own lives as well and, for me, there have been quite a few joys in 2020. I've been able to spend lots of time with my family and, as you've been able to see weekly since I started doing Barbecue's Bonfire regularly again in August, I've been able to share lots of the things that are special to me with my daughter. I hope that no matter where you are or what you're family looks like that you are also able to think of some things that brought you joy this year? How about we start with the most recent chapter of The Mandalorian? Warning: There will be some spoilers for Chapter 16: The Rescue here, so be forewarned...

   To hide the spoilers after the break, I'll start with the official announcement Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett. Yes, folks, we've got a Boba Fett series to look forward to next year. With the sad news of the passing of Jeremy Bulloch last week it's nice to see the character live on through Temuera Morrison who is doing an awesome job. I wish I could go back and share this news with 13 year old Barbecue17. He would absolutely flip! 

And the big reveal after the break (again, Spoilers for Chapter 16: The Rescue!

Collectible Review: Power Sword Scaled Prop Replica from Masters of the Universe by Factory Entertainment

   He-Man's Power Sword is one of the most iconic weapons of 1980's popular culture and today I'm checking out a scalped prop replica of the Power Sword from Factory Entertainment. Earlier this month I reviewed their Havoc Staff Scaled Prop Replica and while I liked it, I did find it a bit underwhelming as there just isn't a really good way to display it. I kind of feel the same way about this one, just to give you a heads up on where this review is going. This is a solid metal Power Sword that's in what I think might be in a 1/4th or 1/5th scale. It's shiny, a little sharp, and it looks like the Power Sword. I don't buy or review a lot of prop replicas so they're not my area of expertise but I do love Masters of the Universe more than almost any other property, so I've got that going for me at least. Let's prepare for fabulous secret powers and hold aloft this magic sword after the break...

Action Figure Review: Commander Pyre from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   While Hasbro has transitioned their main line to Phase IV, many of the exclusives released later in 2020 have still been part of Phase III and today I'm checking out another one of those exclusives: Commander Pyre. Commander Pyre is part of the Galaxy's Edge subset of Target exclusives and is based on the character from the animated series Star Wars Resistance, which is the only canon Star Wars series I haven't watched. It just didn't interest me that much though at some point I know I'll need to give it a go. I like the look of this guy clad in gold armor (he's one of Captain Phasma's subordinates) and I figured that it's unlikely we'll ever see him again in the Black Series. Couple that with Target's buy two, get one free sale around Cyber Monday and picking Commander Pyre up was a no-brainer. Commander Pyre was originally released in one of the boxed sets at Disney's Galaxy's Edge attraction (along with a Mountain Trooper, Kylo Ren, and a mouse droid) but this is the easiest way to get him outside of the parks. Let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Imperial Stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   

   After 6-7 years Hasbro has finally upgraded the Imperial Stormtrooper for the Black Series. The original Stormtrooper came out in early 2014 and was a rather impressive figure for the time but over the years the articulation has began to feel outdated and the mold used is showing its age. Hasbro seems to have taken the sculpt and design for the 1/18th scaled Rogue One Stormtrooper and used it as the basis for this new Stormtrooper in Phase IV. While they have attributed the figure to The Mandalorian, the version o the E-11 used here definitely gives away this trooper's ties to Rogue One. He's been a tougher figure to find but I stumbled upon one about a month ago and I'm finally getting around to checking him out. Ready for an updated Imperial Stormtrooper for your army building? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker & Yoda (Jedi Training) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   So....seen anything good on television lately? I'm not going to say anything further but if you have then you know what I'm talking about, right? *High five*

   Anyways, 2020 is the celebration year for the greatest Star Wars film of them all, The Empire Strikes Back, and while Hasbro did release a Kenner inspired 40th Anniversary Collection subset for the Black Series the deluxe figures were released as part of the standard Black Series Phase III. Luke Skywalker & Yoda (Jedi Training) are labeled as the fourth set of the deluxe releases (the Probe Droid was the third) and was essentially sold as a two-pack. I love the Dagobah scenes from TESB and watching Yoda ride around on Luke during his Jedi training really is a pretty memorable image from the saga. Kenner's Power of the Force 2 figures were the Star Wars figures I had as a kid and I vividly recall stumbling upon the series containing Luke Skywalker in his Dagobah fatigues and Yoda with my mom on a trip to Toys 'R Us. It was pretty exciting to finally be able to add Yoda to my collection and having a figure that I knew didn't appear in the vintage line was pretty exciting. Of course, that Luke was really bulky and ripped but he was still very cool. Of course, this guy's even cooler than that figure and getting him and Yoda together is convenient. This is actually a modified Yoda as the earlier release (who I've apparently never reviewed) was quite oversized and wouldn't fit on Luke's back very well. Ready to jump in for some Jedi training? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Snake Mountain from Masters of the Universe Classics by Super7

 

   

   Despite everything this year has brought Masters of the Universe fans will remember 2020 as the year that Super7 finally delivered us Snake Mountain. While Mattel is still actively releasing Masters of the Universe toys and they may revisit the scale and style of Masters of the Universe Classics, this piece is truly the end of the long running line stretching back to the first release of King Grayskull at SDCC 2008. Since then Mattel and Super7 have released well over 200 figures, multiple oversized vehicle and beasts, giants, dragons, and even massive playsets, a feat that's quite impressive in this modern age, particularly when you realize that 99% of the product never appeared on a retail shelf. When Mattel released Castle Grayskull in 2013 it seemed like it was the epitome of the MOTUC line. It seemed like mountains had to be moved to make it happen and that it would be the centerpiece of the line. But, little did we know, Snake Mountain was in the works. It didn't happen under Mattel, though, but under Super7. When Mattel lost interest in the MOTU property Super7 took over and continued to offer figures and vehicles that fit in with what we already had. We had Night Stalker but Super7 gave us Stridor. They gave us figures from the 1987 movie, something Mattel assured us over and over again was impossible. And finally, in April of 2019, Super7 began their campaign to give us Snake Mountain. 

   With Super7 being a smaller outfit than Mattel and Snake Mountain being a much larger playset than Castle Grayskull, we knew Snake Mountain wouldn't be cheap. And it wasn't. Second only to purchasing a vintage Eternia I do believe that Snake Mountain is the most expensive collectible item I've bought. I actually started a side savings account a year or so before just for fun (the Snake Mountain fund) so that I was ready to preorder the day it arrived. Well, now Snake Mountain is here and it's massive. I've had mine for about a month now as I wanted to give myself some time to mess around with it and really get my thoughts together on it. Now, its time for my review, and I'm joined in taking pictures and setting things up by my 7-year old daughter, Adora. She was only 3 months old when Grayskull came out but now at 7 she's all about this. You'll catch glimpses of her in some of the pictures peaking through the various openings and corridors of Snake Mountain. Let's take a journey into the Dark Hemisphere and venture to Snake Mountain after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 12/18/2020: Tis the Season for Festivus and a Star Wars Marathon Edition

 

   We're only a  week out from Christmas and there are only two work days away from going on my almost 2 week Christmas vacation! Hooray! Today's the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian as well, so you know what I'll be up to this evening. My daughter's remote school schedule has been getting easier and easier as she coasts towards Christmas break as well so we've all been in a festive mood and enjoying lots of fun stuff. What you may ask? Well, let's start by talking about The Mandalorian Chapter 15: The Believer...

   While Chapter 15 didn't wow us with any big

reveals like the past two weeks, it was a very solid, tense episode. Now that Grogu is in the hands of Moff Gideon we see that Din is willing to do anything to rescue him. Between Din's struggles and Migs Mayfeld's desire to stick it to the Imperials, this episode was loaded with character development and solid action scenes. One of the best of the season.

More stuff after the break...

This is the Way: The Mandalorian from Star Wars: The Credit Collection by Hasbro

 

   

   While IG-11 was the first figure I received in hand from Hasbro newest Black Series spin-off line, The Credit Collection, the Mandalorian himself was the first one I ordered. I actually preordered him back when he first went up on Amazon (shout out to my friend The Bear for the tip) and he arrived in the mail a week or so ago. If you're not familiar with The Credit Collection it's a line of repainted figures from The Mandalorian based on the concept art shown during the end credits of the show. Packaged on vintage Kenner styled cards with the concept art shown and a plastic Imperial Credit "prop replica" the line definitely is having some fun with the word credit. It's a pun alright. Do you wonder if Din Djarin ever tells Grogu dad-jokes while they're flying around? I do. Anyways, I think the Mandalorian himself is going to be the most popular figure in this line as not only is he incredible looking on his own but he also kind of looks like Boba Fett from the Star Wars Holiday Special. That's pretty fitting since Mando's Amban rifle is based on Boba Fett's rifle from his first appearance. Anyways, this figure is a repaint but it's a darn good one. Plus, the Mandalorian released on Triple Force Friday 2019 has been a pretty tough figure to find. I didn't get mine until the end of October of this year! Let's take a look at The Mandalorian from The Credit Collection after the break...

This is the Way: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

     Hello there!

    There have been a ton of The Black Series figures released in 2020 and it feels like I've only been able to really get my hands on most of them over the past couple of months. Today I'm checking out another figure from the final full wave of The Black Series Phase III and this time it's Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight), depicting Obi-Wan in his outfit from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Attack of the Clones is the Star Wars film I'm the most conflicted on as there are some amazing scenes, interesting locations, and truly interesting characters, but there is also that cringe-worthy dialogue that we all know and loathe. One thing about the Prequels that is spot on the whole way through is Ewan McGregor. He just thrives as Obi-Wan Kenobi and seems to just love the role so darn much. I'm really excited for Kenobi! 

   Anyways, the AOTC Obi-Wan is a favorite of many fans, including many who find pictures of him and assume he's an actor representing Jesus Christ. Yeah, I've had a number of friends who have shared the picture of Obi-Wan, assuming he is Jesus. It's a thing that really happens. Since I love Jesus and lightsaber battles, I'll just leave this right here....

Anyways, let's get checking out this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure after the break. He's the only main Prequel version of Obi-Wan Hasbro hadn't released yet so it was nice to get him in the line. Like some of the other Prequel Jedi figures, though, he feels very bare bones. Let's take a look at him after the break...

This is the Way: Teebo (Ewok) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

  It's taken until 2020 for Hasbro to finally offer up an Ewok in Star Wars: The Black Series and I'm quite curious to see if they're going to be pretty sparing with them (like the Cantina aliens, who they've really neglected) or if they'll go all in like they've done with Clones and Imperial Troopers. I could see the Ewoks being able to utilize more shared parts, so maybe we'll end up with an Ewok army in the next year or so? Paploo was included in the Hasbro Pulse exclusive Heroes of Endor so Teebo, who I'm checking out today, is the first Ewok you can just go to the store and pick up. That's kind of cool to me because Teebo was the first Ewok figure I had as a child. How cool to be 37 years old and still being impressed by Teebo figures, huh? Teebo's a pretty tough looking Ewok and was an influential member of the Bright Tree tribe, getting other Ewok tribes to join the battle against the Empire on Endor. Let's take a look at Teebo after the break...

Action Figure Review: Harley Quinn:Playing for Keeps Edition from One:12 Collective DC Universe by Mezco

 

   Last month I reviewed the traditional Harley Quinn figure from Mezco's One:12 Collective line and today I'm reviewing the Previews exclusive Harley Quinn: Playing for Keeps Edition figure. This version of Harley Quinn seems to be a Mezco original design that is intended as a companion piece to Mezco's Joker: Clown Prince of Crime figure. It's a much more modern look for Harley that takes into account elements of other outfits she has worn within the last decade or so, including her Arkham City outfit and her roller derby outfits from the New 52 era Harley Quinn comic series. Over the past couple years I've definitely narrowed my DC Collecting to just picking up the Mattel era stuff (DCUC, Multiverse, etc.) so now that they no longer have the license I've just picked up older figures here and there. I've also sold off most of my DC and Marvel Mezco One:12 Collective figures but Harley's a special case, so I picked up both of them. I liked the standard Harley Quinn but there were definitely some areas where I was a bit unimpressed with her. How does this version fare? Read on after the break to find out...

This is The Way: IG-11 from Star Wars: The Credit Collection by Hasbro

 

   

   Hasbro has been releasing 6 inch scaled Star Wars figures in multiple different lines this year. Besides the main Black Series Phase III and Phase IV (which include various sublines like Gaming Greats) we also have the 40th Anniversary Line for The Empire Strikes Back and now we have the Credit Collection. Inspired by the amazing artwork shown at the end of each episode of The Mandalorian during the end credits, this line of repaints uses different color palettes to merge the concept art with the Black Series figures Hasbro has already released. Since The Mandalorian revolves around a bounty hunter, we also get a galactic credit roleplay sized monetary piece. So, The Credit Collection: Based on the art shown during the end credits and including a credit. Get it? Word play! All of the figures in this series have been retailer exclusives and IG-11 here is a GameStop exclusive. GameStop is the only store where I can reliably find Black Series exclusives and I stumbled upon IG-11 during a sale. I wasn't originally planning on picking him up as the standard IG-11 was pretty a pretty average figure but in hand I really liked the color scheme. I usually like my Star Wars figures to be able to fit "in-universe" but IG-11 seemed like he could be just another IG Assassin Droid who has been eclectically painted and then worn down by the elements. Let's take a look at The Credit Collection IG-11 after the break...

Barbecue's Ramblings: 10 Star Wars: The Black Series Figures We Need From the Sequel Trilogy Era Films (so far)

 

   Since we've got cold weather right now I guess we need something to turn up the heat, huh? Yeah, when you need some good ol' fashioned flame wars it's always best to bring up the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. I'm speaking mostly in jest, though, as today I'm mainly focusing on the Star Wars: The Black Series figures we still need from the first five Disney Star wars films, which I'm calling the Sequel Trilogy era. It's crazy to think that between 2015 and 2019 we received a Star Wars film every year! With the Sequel Trilogy and the two spin-off films, Rogue One and Solo, Disney and Lucasfilm tried to capture the frenetic pace of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film releases and it....well, it didn't work so well. Oh sure, 4 of the 5 films made gobs and gobs of money, but the Sequel Trilogy ended up being divisive and incoherent. I love Rogue One and Solo, and I actually really like The Force Awakens, too, but the latter two Sequel Trilogy films, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, show the weaknesses of the Sequel Trilogy: No clear direction, no coherent plot, and a constant reactionary mentality. But we're not here to talk about the films, though. No, we're here to talk about the action figures from those five films that Hasbro still needs to make. 

   While Star Wars: The Black Series seems to be doing really, really well, continually producing exceptional figures, there definitely were some rough patches between 2015 and 2019 where products from those films were over-ordered and languished at retail (just last week a local Walgreens still had the TLJ Poe Dameron and Cassian Andor. Not all of the figures warmed pegs, but enough that Hasbro seems to have moved on from producing much product from the films. That's probably for the best right now but, as someone who loves collecting Star Wars figures, particularly the Black Series, there are some characters I hope Hasbro does eventually release. Maybe they'll merge them into the main line over time, one or two per year, or maybe they'll be some sort of special offers on Hasbro Pulse, but they're figures I think we need yo copmplete collections and rosters. With The Mandalorian being an absolute hit, I really think we've reached a nice point to divide up the Disney era (even though it premiered before ROTS, The Mandalorian feels like the beginning of a new era for Star Wars). While it seems like figures from The Mandalorian, the Original Trilogy, and the Prequel era are always going to be on the table, this list is about the figures from the last era of Star Wars that we could possibly miss out on if they're not made soon. (Maybe not Rogue One, as that seems to be pretty well received and the least divisive of the Sequel Trilogy era films). Anyways, after the break let's see the 10 Black Series figures Hasbro still needs to deliver to collectors from the Sequel Trilogy era...

Barbecue's Bonfire 12/11/2020: Bounty Hunting for a Turbo Man Edition

 

   Ho Ho Ho! It's the holiday season and, for some reason, Christmastime always gets me in the mood to watch Star Wars movies. I've associated Star Wars with Christmas for years, long before Disney released The Force Awakens in December of 2015, so this is nothing new for me. It's probably a nostalgia thing. We've been watching lots of Christmas movies and Star Wars stuff at my house. What about you? What weird things do you associated with the holidays? This year I feel like The Mandalorian keeps giving me a present every week as this show is hot fire and I love it.

   Remember last week when I said Chapter 13 may have been the best installment of The Mandalorian yet? Yeah... That's up for debate now as Boba Fett has now made his way directly into the path of Din Djarin and Grogu. Joined by Fennec Shand, whom we thought was killed in Chapter 5: The Gungslinger, we now have a pretty tough team going up against Moff Gideon and the Dark Troopers. Holy smokes! Boba Fett was amazing in this episode, right? The Mandalorian is just delivering on every level. 

This is the Way: Electrostaff Purge Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   

   Hasbro has released a few troop builders from last year's Jedi: Fallen Order game in the GameStop exclusive Gaming Greats subset of the Black Series Phase III and today I'm taking a very brief look at another recent release: The Electrostaff Purge Trooper. Trained and equipped to hunt down any surviving Jedi, the Purge Troopers wear lightsaber resistant armor and carry weaponry designed for combat against a lightsaber. The Electrostaff Purge Troopers will absolutely test your melee combat skills in Jedi: Fallen Order as they strive to hunt down and destroy Cal Kestis. This figure is just a repaint of last year's Purge Stormtrooper (which was actually the Purge Trooper Commander) with a new weapon, so there's not a ton of new stuff to be said. Still, we'll give him a once over after the break...

Action Figure Review: Rattlesnake Mountain Ring from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

 

   

  It's been almost one year since I reviewed the Grayskull Mania set from Mattel's Masters of the Universe and WWE mash-up toyline, Masters of the WWE Universe, and it's pretty impressive what the line has managed to do. Presumably a Walmart exclusive through the end of this year (as some e-tailers are starting to put up preorders for the product for release in 2021) this line seems to have done quite well and it keeps going with more new releases. It seems to be a steady seller and you'll rarely find these figures warming pegs. I've recently found a few of the series 4 figures (reviews coming soon!) but I wanted to kick thing off with the Rattlesnake Mountain Ring set which includes a Snake Mountain themed wrestling ring and two of the biggest stars the WWF/WWE has ever produced: Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. That's a heck of a selling point for this set, isn't it? I promise you that a review of the Masters of the Universe Snake Mountain is coming (consider it the main event of 2020) but, for now, let's say our prayers, take our vitamins, and get ready for the Rattlesnake Mountain Ring. (What?!)

After the break.... (What?!)

This is the Way: Darth Vader from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Earlier this year Hasbro released an updated version of Darth Vader in their 40th Anniversary collectors' line for The Empire Strikes Back. It was a swift seller and recently Hasbro re-released it in The Black Series Phase IV. We received a Return of the Jedi Darth Vader first, way back in 2014 as part of the Phase II line followed by an A New Hope Darth Vader in 2017 in the 40th Anniversary Collection, so now we have a collection of Original Trilogy Darth Vaders! While at a glance this might seem like just a rerelease, Hasbro really did put a lot of effort into this version of the Dark Lord of the Sith in order to give us the best Vader yet. Consider this review as a tribute to David Prowse, the body of Darth Vader, who passed away just a little over a week ago. Ready to check out a new version of one of the most menacing villains of all time? Then join me...after the break...

Collectible Review: Havoc Staff Scaled Prop Replica from Masters of the Universe by Factory Entertainment

     While I review lots of Masters of the Universe items and an almost equally large amount of specifically Skeletor based collectibles, today I'm checking out something a bit different. It's the Havoc Staff Scaled Prop Replica from Factory Entertainment. Coming in at about 8 inches and made of solid metal this is an interesting and more cost efficient way to get a version of Skeletor's signature weapon in your collection. Factory Entertainment has a 6 3/4 foot 1:1 scale replica coming out but I just couldn't bite on that release for $600 dollars. This one is available for around $30 and does offer up something we haven't seen much in MOTU collectibles. Yeah, there have been kids roleplay items in the past and the Icon Heroes letter openers but so far as I can recall we haven't received any items billed as prop replicas. That definitely is an interesting term to use here as this version of the Havoc Staff isn't based on the 1987 film's Havoc Staff; it's based on the vintage toy. Is it still a prop replica if it's not based on a live-action prop? Pushing semantics aside it's very cool to see the MOTU license diversify more by offering more "higher end" items. I received both the Power Sword and the Havoc Staff a week or two ago but I'm going to start with the Havoc Staff. Let's take a look at Skeletor's evil tool of destruction after the break...

This is the Way: Princess Leia Organa (Endor) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Today's the third review in this trifecta of reviews looking at the heroes of the Rebellion during their mission to the forest moon of Endor and today I'm checking out Princess Leia Organa in her combat poncho. Hasbro really did some impressive work with Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in their Endor gear but Princess Leia might be the best figure of the group. Like her two companions, Leia was part of the Heroes of the Endor set sold through Hasbro Pulse earlier this fall (it was originally intended to be the SDCC 2020 exclusive) but Hasbro repacked her in the newest lineup of the Black Series Phase IV figures as well. I remember ordering my vintage Princess Leia in combat poncho figure over the telephone back in early 1996 through an add in the back of a copy of Lee's Action Figure News and Toy review. She was quite inexpensive but listed as loose with no accessories. I was quite young and assumed that meant she wouldn't come with her blaster but I was a bit surprised when she didn't come with her combat poncho, either. Still, I was glad to have her as the POTF2 version (with a Speeder Bike) didn't come out until the middle of 1997. It's amazing how Star Wars action figures have improved over the years, isn't it? I wasn't around for the true vintage line but I'm still amazed by the difference in what we're getting today compared to the POTF2 figures I had growing up. Let's take a look at and see progress in action with this amazing Princess Leia figure after the break...

This is the Way: Luke Skywalker (Endor) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

   Yesterday I reviewed Han Solo in the gear he wears leading the Rebel strike team to the forest moon of Endor and today I'm following that review up with a look at Luke Skywalker (Endor) from the most recent set of Star Wars: The Black Series action figures. While 2020 was the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, Hasbro has really gone pretty heavy on figures from Return of the Jedi lately. The planned SDCC 2020 exclusive set was the Heroes of Endor set which included the most recent Luke, Han, and Leia figures along with Paploo and a Speeder Bike but if you missed that when it was sold on Hasbro Pulse the three main heroes are still rather easy to find. Luke Skywalker in his combat poncho was originally released in this outfit in the vintage Power of the Force line but since I was only 1 or 2 years old at the time I didn't get a version of Luke in this outfit until the POTF2 version that came with a Speeder Bike. Remember how crazy it was that the Endor version of Luke came with knees? It seemed almost miraculous at the time! Anyways, this version of Luke is heavily based on the Phase II Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) figure which makes perfect sense, and yet it's an older base figure that needs updated to meet the high bar of the modern line. Let's take a look at Luke Skywalker (Endor) after the break and see how Hasbro crafted another solid version of Luke...

This is the Way: Han Solo (Endor) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   

   This weekend prepare yourselves for a mini review series looking at the heroes of the Rebellion during their mission to the forest moon of Endor! The most recent series of figures from The Black Series includes Han, Luke, and Leia in their Endor gear, all three of which were repacked from the exclusive Heroes of Endor set which was intended as an SDCC 2020 exclusive (the set also came with Paploo and a Speeder Bike). I waited for the single released, though, and wow! This is an impressive set of figures! Today I'm starting off with General Han Solo decked out in his cool camouflaged trench coat from Return of the Jedi. While his lower body is reused from Han Solo in ESB black coat the rest of the figure is new, giving you the option to create quite a few different looks for Han. Ready to take a look at this one? Then join me after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 12/6/2020: Games and Grogu Edition

 

   The Christmas/ Advent Season is in full swing and I'm spending it decorating trees, singing carols, and watching every version of A Christmas Carol I can get my hands on. How about you? How are you celebrating the holiday season this year? This past week we've played a lot of games at my house, so this installment of Barbecue's Bonfire is loaded with lots of games. Of course, I've just got to talk about last week's episode of The Mandalorian, right? Yup.

 We're all pretty convinced that Chapter 13: The Jedi is the best episode of The Mandalorian yet, right? Wow. This episode was better, more cinematic, and more meaningful to me than both TLJ and ROTS combined. This is the kind of stuff I wanted to see in the prequels and Dave Filoni delivered. We get a name for baby Yoda (Grogu), the promise of more Jedi, some amazing fight scenes, references to Knights of the Old Republic, and Rosario Dawn absolutely delivering as Ahsoka Tano. Seriously, she did an amazing job. I had always hoped that Ashley Eckstein would one day get to play Ahsoka in live action but Rosario Dawson was amazing and nailed the role of an older Ahsoka. Fantastic casting! So, who do you think the Jedi will be that Din Djarin brings Grogu to? Could it be Luke Skywalker, maybe de-aged a bit? Some other options could be Cal Kestis, Ezra Bridger, Cere Junda, or Mace Windu. Yeah, Mace Windu. C'mon, how could would it be to bring him back? He could have survived the Darth Sidious' attack and could still be out there in hiding somewhere. Who do you think we'll see? 

More stuff, mostly about games and such, after the break...

This is the Way: Incinerator Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   It's Friday which means we've got a new episode of The Mandalorian! To celebrate, let's check out another review of a figure from the show! The Incinerator Stormtroopers first appeared in The Force Unleashed and since then we've seen quite a few different Stormtroopers, Clones, and First Order Stormtroopers wielding flamethrowers. The Imperial Incinerator Troopers really made a splash, though, during their first canon appearance in Chapter Eight of The Mandalorian when, under the command of Moff Gideon, they attempted to burn Din Djarin, Grogu, and the rest of the crew out of the cantina on Nevarro. These guys might be hot stuff but they were no match for Baby Yoda (it's going to be really tough to stop calling Grogu that, isn't it?)! Hasbro seems to be trying to get quite a bit of Mandalorian product in The Black Series and this guy is part of the newest Phase IV series which also includes The Armorer. Furthermore, the Incinerator Trooper uses the new Stormtrooper design that was released for Phase IV. The articulation is much nicer and the way the armor covers the body is far more realistic. Ready to light things up with the Incinerator Trooper? Then join me after the break...

Toy Review: Spikor from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

   

   Today I'm checking out the final offering of Funko's five Masters of the Universe NYCC 2020 exclusives (which were sold online) and it's the untouchable master of evil combat: Spikor! Yes, good old Spikor has shown up in the Vinyl SODA line, and quite early, too. Remember how Spikor was one of the first figures in the POP! MOTU line? Considering he's a figure who didn't show up until the fourth series of the vintage line, only showed up three times in the Filmation series, and never appeared in the 200x line, I'm guessing Spikor keeps getting chosen because he's someone at Funko's personal favorite figure. That's A-OK, though, as he has a great design and it's always nice to have some of the more unusual MOTU characters represented. Let's take a look at Spikor after the break...

This is the Way: Plo Koon from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   Since I just took a look at the Episode II version of Anakin Skywalker a couple days ago let's now take a look at another figure from the Episode II themed last full series of Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III figures. Today I'm checking out Plo Koon, the Jedi Master who had a pretty significant role in The Clone Wars but who didn't have a single line of dialogue in the Prequels despite appearing in all three films. Plo Koon is a Kel Dor (but not Keldor!) from the planet Dorin who fought in many battles during the Clone Wars, though he might be most well known to fans for being the Jedi who discovered a young Ahsoka Tano and brought her back to the Jedi Temple to train. Considering that the Black Series has been going for over 7 years now (I received my first series figures around the week that my daughter was born) it's surprising that Hasbro is just now getting around to so many Jedi figures. In years past Hasbro released as many Jedi as they could but for quite a few years they've largely avoided Prequel based figures. It's nice to see things loosening up, though, as we've received some great stuff from the Prequels and The Clone Wars lately. Let's take a look at Master Plo Koon after the break...

This is the Way: Anakin Skywalker (Padawan) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   Just before transitioning into The Black Series: Phase IV, Hasbro released a final series of Phase III figures mostly based on Attack of the Clones. I'm just now getting around to checking most of these out as it took me awhile to find some of them and, frankly, some of them were a bit dull and I might have passed on them until I found a good deal. Today I'm checking out Anakin Skywalker (Padawan) which depicts Anakin in his Jedi tunic that he wears throughout most of Episode II. I don't think it's entirely off-base to say that Hayden's performance in Episode II might be the weakest of any of the films and yet he really turned things around and did a pretty good job in Episode III. I'm still chalking Hayden's performance up to George Lucas' directing efforts and I find myself really liking Hayden and always hoping that he gets worked into another Star Wars project. I really, really wanted to see him appear as a Force spirit and talk with Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker (the original script for Episode IX was so much better than what we got!). Anyways, let's take a look at this version of Anakin Skywalker after the break...