Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Action Figure Review: Doctor Aphra from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 


   The Marvel Star Wars comics have been pretty consistently good since 2015, adding a lot to the lore and universe. I really wish Hasbro would do a bit more with characters from the current Marvel series (we really need Sanna Starros, Magna Tolvan, Valance, and an updated Qi'ra), though they have released a few figures here and there. Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra is one of my favorite characters from the Marvel run and she's apparently one of Hasbro's, too, as this is the second Doctor Aphra figure they've released in The Black Series. The first was back in 2019 and was actually based on the 2017 Jaina Solo figure. This one is kind of a rework of that first figure, so she shares a lot with Jaina as well, but the addition of a duster and a new color scheme really helps to make her feel unique. The figure is a solid release, though the fan channel price point definitely stings on her. Let's see if you really need another figure of Doctor Aphra after the break...






The Facts:

Height: 5 3/4ths inches

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

Accessories: Blaster, jacket, scarf, and flight cap.

Non-Scalper Price: $28 dollars








Comparison: 

* This new version of Doctor Aphra shares a lot with the previous figure, though the portrait is even better than the last one (which is still really good). Instead of a vest she now has a long duster with sculpted sleeves. Everything else is repainted from the first Doctor Aphra from Phase III of the Black Series.

The Packaging:

* Here's a quick look at the packaging. Doctor Aphra is one of the fan channel direct figures that comes in a five panel box with artwork on the cover flap. There's no window to see the figure, though, so using the five panel packaging just seems kind of dumb. The earlier figures in this sublet allowed you to open the flap, kind of like opening a book, and see the figure inside. This one just opens to show a picture of the figure. Yeah...

The Positives:



* I really like Doctor Aphra and this is a very cool version of her. It's definitely not her most recognizable look, but that one has already been covered. She's sporting darker brown pants and a red shirt this time underneath a brown duster. The duster body is a separate piece that fits over the torso (a "jacket shell") but since the sleeves are sculpted pieces there's no reason to take it off. There aren't many paint applications here but the colors are all really nice and the jacket is well sculpted.






* Here's a shot of the back of the duster so you can see how it fits and the details on her sleeves. There are some code cylinders or little gadgets in a pocket on the right sleeve as well. 











* One of the things I really like about the Black Series is how Hasbro has handled the likenesses of characters from animation and comics. Rather than try to match the art style of the source material, they sculpt them in such a way as to make them realistic, like they might appear in a movie or television show. This is the same portrait as the previous Doctor Aphra but the face printing is even better this time around, especially on her eyes. Chelli Aphra is very expressive in the comics and while she's not as expressive here, it does feel like Hasbro managed to capture some of her personality. 





* I love flight caps and no one besides Snoopy rocks a flight cap quite like Doctor Aphra. She's a lot cuter in hers, too. It's the same sculpt as the previous release but the paint applications are different and now she has red lenses in the goggles. The fit is excellent.





* This scarf is a new accessory that adds a bit more of a unique look to Aphra's costume. It's a simple "collar" piece that fits over her head and rests nicely on her shoulders. It's pretty nice. 





* Most of the figure still uses the older Jaina Solo body, but I'll admit it still holds up quite well. Doctor Aphra still has excellent articulation. The coat hinders things a little bit, but it's designed to be as minimally intrusive as possible while still looking absolutely cool.



* The pistol is reused, too, though the color is slightly different. It's a standard BlasTech blaster pistol, a bit smaller than Han Solo's DL-44. 





* She's sporting the same belt and holster as well. There are lots of little pouches and buckles and the blaster fits in the holster perfectly. 
 









   I really like this figure and, even though it's mostly reused from the previous Doctor Aphra and Jaina Solo, the new coat, sleeves, and paintjob really help her to standout from her predecessors. I'm a fan of the character and she's one of the only two Black Series figures set to be released this year that I've had preordered. What does bring her down quite a bit in my eyes, though, is that Hasbro has placed her in the book-like packaging they're using for these "Fan Channel" exclusives and inflate the price. Plus, with the plastic free packaging the five panel box just seems irrelevant. This isn't a completely new sculpt with little reuse potential; it's just a regular figure with fewer new elements than your average standard release. The figure is well done, but the price just doesn't match what you're getting here. I'm giving Doctor Aphra a Good and a 1/2 rating. She's a nice figure of a character who definitely has a fanbase, but the price seems inexplicably high. A few extra accessories would have been very welcome to help pad the set (Doctor Aphra's always on the hunt for something), but Hasbro went very barebones here.


   If you're a Doctor Aphra fan also check out my review of the Back Series Phase III Doctor Aphra and the Vintage Collection Doctor Aphra.

For more Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV reviews check out the following:

6 comments:

  1. Well, i can't comment about this character, as i never heard nothing about her. I am not familiar with the Star Wars Legends lore, as i am one of that guys who only likes the original 6 films and the 2003 Tartakowski Clone Wars. But, this figure seems nice, and the equipment seems nice as well. Maybe she can be paired with Classified's Dusty, as the equipment can also feel like it works for desert operations.

    Funnily enough i don't tend to like heroes but i like the villains like the Stormtroopers, Darth Vader or Boba Fett. I think it happens to me as villains seem to be easier to identify, and as they are faceless, it helps you to get identified with them even more.

    I remember seeing on forums that most of the people liked more faceless characters as, unlike most of the franchises heroes and villains, their faces are not seen and thus kids can identify as if them were the character in question. And i see it normal. A kid couldn't identify as Duke or Skeletor unless they were blonde and muscular or blue and having an horrible accident in the face, but you can identify as Cobra Commander, Snake Eyes, the Power Rangers Magna Defender or even Roboto or Richie Rich Dr N-R-Gee as you can think "Hey, i don't see his face, what if this guy is me?".

    Only exception for me to that rule are the Metal Slug Rebel Soldiers, but actually they are so generic, and actually the actual good guys (i explained it time ago, i think) that you could identify as one without issues.

    As a last paragraph (i know, my comments are even longer than Fidel Castro's speeches), when will Hasbro release a Security B1 Droid, a Geonosis B1 Droid or even OOM-9? Come on, OOM-9 deserves some love apart of being in LEGO Star Wars as a playable character! They only release idiotical game B1 droids but they can't add OOM-9?! Oh, let me think, "HasLab money waste, OOM-9 as a Tier IV reward for the HasLab AAT/MTT pack for 400€!". Let's get a new hope (ba dum tss) and wait if they manage to release him alone.

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    1. Doctor Aphra is from the Marvel Comics in the New Canon, so releases from 2015 and after. She's an archaeologist who's a bit of a rogue. Definitely looks out for herself most of the time and has worked with the Empire, though she's also worked against it, too. I've really enjoyed the series.

      Aphra definitely has enough of a real world aesthetic that she could definitely team up with G.I.Joe or Action Force, especially in this outfit. She definitely looks like she could be a suitable companion for Dusty.

      That's interesting about the faceless characters, I do remember really liking figures like Peter Venkman, Tim from Jurassic Park, and General Hawk v2 as a kid because they had brown hair, like me. I still felt connected to my other figures, though, even if they didn't look like me. I do see the idea of helmeted figures being cool because they could be anyone.

      I haven't had any interest in any of the future Battle Droid repaints as the pricing on those repaints is getting out of hand, but I definitely want an OOM-9. I have a lot of nostalgia for the Phantom Menace and I loved his figure back in 1999. Roger, Roger!

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    2. It's funny, in the LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars 2 PS2 games you have the B1 Droid, the B2 SuperDroid, the Droideka, the Geonosian B1, Security B1 and OOM-9 (Actually called Combat Droid Commander in that game, but for me it will always be OOM-9 as everytime you press the circle button he gets a Walkie in his hand and says "Roger, Roger!") and the only Black Series we got was the B1, the Gaming Garbages B1 paint variants and the cool Heavy B1 variant.When playing as OOM-9 I always imagined the AI controlled character alongside me (almost always a security droid or a B2 droid) saying "It's not Roger, it's Patrick!!" and laughing a lot about it.

      That were good times. What i hate is that Hasbro rises the Star Wars prices for the license. F*** off, George Lucas. Ah true, it's Diarrhesney the one who holds the franchise license now (don't mind me wrong, i only hate Disney for semi-ruining Star Wars IMO, the rest of other Disney products and brands are fine for me). A Hasbro Power Rangers Magna Defender goes by 26€ and it comes with tons of accesories and two pairs of hands, but Obi Wan Kenobi's Darth Vader comes with only the lightsaber and goes for 30€?? Sorry Darth, but now you have been resurrected as a Super Sentai ally.

      Still, as much i can hate Hasbro's prices and decissions and Disney's exagerated license prices, i like your reviews. After all, you are not Action Hasbro Priceriser 17, ha, ha, ha!

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    3. Yup, I have nothing to do with the price increases.

      I still do want OOM-9, a Super Battle Droid, and a Destroyer. I'd be content with prequel era droids with those three on my shelf.

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  2. I'd also like an Ochi of Bestoon figure. He's just got such a cool look.

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    1. He definitely does. I'd pick up an Ochi figure for sure.

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