Sunday, September 17, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Captain Poe Dameron from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   What makes a Star Wars costume iconic? That's tough to say. It's easy to point to incredibly well designed costumes like Darth Vader and Boba Fett and point out how incredible they are, but why is there so much love for a simpler outfit. Say, something like Han Solo's simple outfit with a dark jacket from The Empire Strikes Back? It's tough to quantify, really. Today I'm looking at the new Black Series Captain Poe Dameron figure from Hasbro and I'm still trying to decide what I think of Poe's new outfit. If you remember from Episode VII that Finn took Poe's jacket after he thought Poe was killed in the crash on Jakku, then you know that Poe just had to find something new to wear. Plus, new costumes sell more toys, right? Poe has a very simple, very basic outfit here, but there's something very classic about it too. Let's check this new Black Series release out after the break...



 The Facts:

Height:5 7/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed stomach, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, a hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Glie-44 blaster pistol.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 Comparison:

* Here's a a quick comparison of the new The Last Jedi version of Poe (left) with the Episode VII version (right). As you can see, both figures are completely different with no shared parts. Oddly enough, the The Force Awakens version of Poe is a bit taller.
 The Positives:

* I really think Hasbro has improved the articulation on these figures. The articulation scheme is the same but the range and quality of the joints is so much better. Once you give him his blaster, Poe is a really fun figure to pose and play around with.


* I've seen quite a few comments from collectors who initially thought Poe was wearing Han Solo's Episode VII outfit. That's not true, although they do have a very similar sense of style due to the brown pants and brown leather jacket. Poe's shirt also looks very Han Solo-ish. It kind of reminds me of his shirt after being released from Carbonite in Return of the Jedi. 


* On the left shoulder of Poe's jacket you can spot this really cool Resistance symbol. I love the weathering effect on both the patch and on Poe's jacket.


* Poe's Glie-44 blaster pistol is much improved from the model included with the Episode VII single packed pilot Poe. The sculpt and paintwork on this piece is quite impressive.


* To store his pistol you can make use of Poe's holster. The belt is a separate piece and it is flexible, allowing you to pose the figure without  the holster interfering.


 * I'm torn on this sculpt. Poe's headsculpts have only ranged from decent to unrecognizable, so almost anything should be an improvement. From the side, particularly the hair and face, look very much like Oscar Isaac.
 The Negatives:

* Head on, however, I think Poe just looks too young. The shape of the face ceases to look like Oscar Isaac to me.


 * One of my pet peeves with this line is whenever I can see the hinged neck peeking out from underneath the figure's head. Poe suffers from that unfortunate condition here, unfortunately.


   While he's not one of the most exciting figures released in the most recent Black Series offerings, Poe Dameron isn't by any means a bad figure. He just feels kind of subdued compared to other releases, maybe due to the limited accessories, somewhat off headsculpt, and a somewhat less "fresh" feeling outfit.  This is a Good and a 1/2 figure with plenty of good points, but it's not going to ignite a fire under everyone to get out and snap him up.









If you're looking for more of Poe Dameron I've reviewed Hasbro's Black Series Poe Dameron in his flight suit and Poe Dameron in his jacket and a micro Poe Dameron from a Micro Machines playset.


If you're looking for more Black Series figures, check out the following:

442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Baze Malbus
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
C-3PO
C-3PO (Resistance Base)
Captain Phasma
Chewbacca
Chirrut Imwe 
Clone Commander Gree
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Director Krennic
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo 
Hera Syndulla
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard
Jango Fett
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Lando Calrissian
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (SDCC 2016)
Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order ---Stormtrooper Officer four pack
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron and First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper
Princess Leia Organa 
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Starkiller Base) 
Rey's Speeder (Jakku)
Sabine Wren
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
Scarif Stormtrooper
Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader 
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Snowtrooper 
Tusken Raider 
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty 


2 comments:

  1. I have to say, Poe's head sculpt looks suspiciously like Justin Ripley from the BBC show Luther (google it, you won't regret it)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely right! Haha! I've never seen Luther but I wonder how many folks have taken this Poe and their Gunslinger figure from the Dark Tower movie to make Luther customs?

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