Thursday, May 10, 2018

Road to Solo: Han Solo from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  We're just a few weeks away from the impending release of Solo: A Star Wars Story and it's time to check out one of the big guns: Han Solo himself! I think one of the things many Star Wars fans never really prepared themselves for was to see one of the Original Trilogy's big three recast. Other than technically seeing Luke and Leia as babies in Revenge of the Sith, Alden Ehrenreich is the first of the main three to truly be portrayed by a different actor. While Solo seems to have had a troubled production history, everything we've seen over the past 4 months has me very, very optimistic about the film. I'm hoping for a slick, fast-paced caper film set in a galaxy far, far away and, hopefully, Ehrenreich is able to pull off leading it up. Only one figure of this younger version of Han has been announced for the Black Series and this is it. Let's check out this new version of Han Solo after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

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

Accessories: DL-44 Heavy Blaster pistol

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 The Positives:

* I really like the costuming for Solo from everything we've seen so far and Han's outfit offers up something new while still feeling like a Han Solo outfit. The brown jacket is pretty cool and has a timeless fashion to it, which seems to be a quality we see in Han's wardrobe. The jacket isn't really intended to be removable as the sleeves are sculpted, but the design of using a jacket "shell" does allow for a more three-dimensional, layered look so you can see Han's black shirt underneath. If you feel compelled and just can't handle someone else playing Han Solo, you could definitely throw a standard Harrison Ford Han head on this and have your own Han Solo Adventures version of the character, I imagine.

* The articulation is pretty darn near perfect on this one. Hasbro has a great articulation model for the Black Series and it feels like just the right mixture of form and function to make these figures fun to pose while looking great on display. The double balljointed heads Hasbro has been using lately are just fantastic, too.

* Does this figure look like Alden Ehrenreich? Yes! Does this figure kind of look like Han Solo, only a few years younger? Definitely. While Ehrenreich isn't the spitting image of Han, I think the figure's portrait does a great job of looking like Ehrenreich and a younger Han Solo. The face printing is excellent here, as is the hair. Great detail work on the hair.


* The jacket itself has a cool little doodad or something on the front, some nicely sculpted wrinkles and such, and a nice light wash to add some depth to it.


* Han comes with his signature DL-44 heavy blaster pistol. It has some great detail (notice the little holes in the muzzle of the barrel) and nice coloring and paintwork.


* Han is also sporting his signature holster complete with all of the little extra items on it and a working holster that fits the DL-44 perfectly.


* Han has an affinity for these pants with stripes on the sides, doesn't he? Here Han is wearing the blue pants with red strips up the legs that look mighty similar to the ones he wore in Episode IV.
 The Negatives:

* My only complaint here is that there are some odd, errant paint marks on my Han's right knee. Did he kneel down in blood? Was he eating some spicy space Cheetos and he rubbed his hands on his pants?
   Han Solo is a quality figure and another incredible release in the Black Series. Hasbro is doing an excellent job with this line and, at this point, my only problems with the line are distribution and character selection (Hasbro needs to be cranking out way more figures than they are; Marvel Legends shows what they're capable of). Yeah, Han could have used another accessory or two (you can always, always give a figure another blaster) but in the end he's still a Great and a 1/2 figure and another fine addition to Phase III of this ever growing line.


If you're looking for more Han Solo reviews I've also reviewed the POP! Hoth Han Solo with Tauntaun #125, the Black Series Han Solo & Tauntaun, the Ice Planet Hoth Micro Machines playset with a Han Solo on a Tauntaun microfigure, and the vintage Han Solo in Hoth Gear, as well as plenty more toys of Han: The Galoob Classic Characters microfigure, the Micro Machines C-3PO Cantina w/ a Han Solo microfigure, the Black Series basic Han Solo, Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise), and The Force Awakens Han Solo, the Hero Mashers Han Solo Vs. Boba Fett two-pack, the Micro Force series 1 Han Solo, the Disney Infinity Han Solo, and the POTF2 Kellogg's Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise.

If you're looking for more Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III 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
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Baze Malbus
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
Captain Poe Dameron
C-3PO
C-3PO (Resistance Base)
Captain Phasma
Chewbacca
Chirrut Imwe 
Clone Captain Rex (HasCon Exclusive)
Clone Commander Gree
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Death Star Trooper
Dewback/ Sandtrooper
Director Krennic 
DJ (Canto Bight)
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
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 Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
General Leia Organa
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
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 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Kylo Ren (Throne Room)
Lando Calrissian
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)- Ahch-To Island
Maz Kanata 
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit)
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
Porgs
Princess Leia Organa 
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Range Trooper
Resistance Tech Rose
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Island Journey)
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait
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 
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tusken Raider 
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty 

2 comments:

  1. This looks amazing.But then,I think Solo:A Star Wars Story is kind of pointless.Han’s backstory can easily be explored in comics or on TV.No matter what happens in Solo,we know Han Solo will survive the events of this movie right up to the point his son stabs him with a crossguard lightsabre on Starkiller base.

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    1. Frankly, I'm just hoping for a fun, entertaining film. From early reviews it sounds like it's going to be entertaining and enjoyable which is all I really want. Lots of new and old character and creature designs, more toys, and a fun film that I can rewatch over and over.

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