Bandai has officially announced the next Star Wars figure model kit after Yoda. And while it’s delicious looking, it’s not the most exciting of reveals.
I have so many wants from the model kit line. So many. And that’s only picking armored and droid type characters. But I understand this release. It saves some tooling money, since it’s just the original Darth Vader kit in translucent blue. And it’s looks like a gummy. Not enough to make me absolutely need it but it’s a start. Kind of.
The model will cost about $23 and is set to release in May.
I’d be afraid of the clear plastic, it seems to really snap a lot more than the normally colored plastic. I wouldn’t wanna build a whole model of him. Also it’s a model, youc an see the shit inside like all the joints.
The quality of these model kits is for the most part, incredible, but I’m a little concerned with the direction they took last year with the release of, what I call, the “mini vehicles” line, or what they refer to as “Vehicle Model”.
My concern lies in the fact that they are simply releasing the same vehicles already available in a smaller scale but the 1/144 and the 1/72 scale ship models feel like they are stagnating a little bit. I wish they would add a TIE Bomber, Lambda class shuttle, Republic gunship, Jabba’s sail barge, Luke’s landspeeder, and Jedi starfighters, to name a few, instead of rehashing old releases in a smaller scale.
And don’t get me started on the character line. Not counting the previously released 1/6 stormtrooper, this release, and the upcoming Yoda (which is mainly focused on the prequels), we haven’t received a brand new character model kit from the Original Trilogy in almost two years. Off the top of my head, Death Star gunner, TIE Fighter pilot, snowtrooper, AT-AT driver, Zuckuss, 4-LOM, IG-88, Viper probe droid, 2-1B, Emperor’s Royal Guard. So many characters to choose from and Bandai re-releases Darth Vader?
Force Awakens. A year now and we haven’t gotten a First Order snowtrooper, TIE fighter pilot or flametrooper, but we get BB-8 again, albeit in a different scale?
I want Bandai’s model kit line to thrive and continue for a long time, but the end customers are going to get tired real quick if they keep releasing the same things in different scales.
I’m hoping there’s gum inside.
I’d recommend the Figuarts Vader. Picked one up about a year ago and I still think it’s a stunning figure. It’s a bit smaller than the standard 1/12 scale figures, but it looks great.
The original kit is not available here in Melbourne, and I was just suggesting ways you can toy around with the kit itself. I was considering ordering off ebay but because the new Black Series version is coming out, I’ll see if that one is worth my money before deciding whether to get that or the Figuarts or the Model Kit.
As mentioned: It’s a model kit, not a normal pre-made action figure. You could get creative with it. If you already have a Vader figure/kit you’re happy with then this is an easy pass.
the original bandai vader kit is still readily and easily available-so there really wouldn’t be a need to get this one to repaint to his normal look. also, this blue look is based on vader appearing as a hologram in empire strikes back-not phasing or beaming-thats star trek lol.
The good news is this is a Model kit, so you have some flexibility with how you want to put it up. Some of us who have never been able to get the original Vader kit simply need to buy this and paint it. Other people might do creative things with it, like a fading-in effect (Part of the kit painted like normal Vader ‘phasing’ into the transluscent blue)…lot of possibilities…
Meh. I’ve been building bandai kits both vehicles and figures. Yoda is cool, i can dig it. This vader, reminds me of the 2007 Hasbro version. That was a sucky figure. Id rather just have a statue version.
What flavor would it be? I’m thinking blue-raspberry.
I’m afraid if I get this I’ll eat it within two seconds.