Every now and then an action figure comes along and reminds you of why you collect. A lot of people have their gripes about Hasbro, myself included, but the Star Wars Black Series Legends Jaina Solo comes out of nowhere to slap us in the face and say “Hey, you may not know who I am, but you will!” And that’s all because this is simply an amazing action figure.
First off though, Hasbro, you’re killing me. You’re just a “Classics” and an “Icons” and a “Select” away from using all the mainstay action figure line names. I have to say this stuff out-loud on video. I barely have a grasp on casual spoken language, quit trying to tongue-tie me.
With that out of the way, let me address those of you who are about to pull a “YOU DON’T KNOW WHO JAINA SOLO IS?? BLASPHEMY!” No, somehow she evaded my radar. I did read a lot of the EU comics back in the day. Quiz me on Outlander and I’ll chat for hours. Crimson Empire? Let’s do this. But for some reason the old Expanded Universe Star Wars future setting didn’t interest me. Until now. Good toys have that effect on my simple mind.
Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, “THIS MADE UP CRAP DOESN’T BELONG IN THIS LINE! MOVIE CHARACTERS OR NOTHING!” crowd. You’re perfectly fine to think that. No one is forcing you to buy little plastic people against your will. She’s taking a spot away from a movie character? This is the sixth non-movie figure in the line since it’s inception (if I’m counting right). There’s plenty of slots to go around. And there are others who are fans of this character and the EU, do they not deserve to see some of that side of the universe in action figure form?
Either way, whether you hate the concept or love it, or don’t care one way or another, there’s no denying that Hasbro went out of their way to make this figure great. They didn’t have to make the flight gear removable, leaving a great flight suit sculpt underneath. Could have just sculpted it on and called it a day. Pushing the envelope even more, that base figure has some innovative and imaginative (for a $20 retail figure) articulation to boot. Remember how I said the face printing tech was going to change the way we look at the Black Series? I still stand by that but I can now say that newly worked joints can also play a big part in that. I didn’t even consider that fact but Hasbro put an exclamation point on it for all to see. And it all starts with this figure.
They gave a single hinge-and-swivel elbow more range of movement than some double jointed elbows I’ve seen.
Let me repeat that. Because I’m having a hard time understanding it too.
They gave. A single hinge-and-swivel elbow. More range of movement. Than some double jointed elbows I’ve seen.
That in itself is amazing but they also upped their torso game. The mid-torso has a floating ball with an already crazy amount of movement, but they also slipped a nearly invisible hinge joint into the abs. Hell, before I pulled the chest box and leg straps I had no clue it was even under there. It’s blowing my mind still.
I do have a little issue with the right ankle and it’s heavy detents, and the lightsaber blade is loosey goosey in the hilt. It doesn’t have the Photo Real but the face is still nicely painted, or at least better than some other Black Series we’ve seen. But it’s a non-movie character, I can let that slide. All of that is just a grain of gripe in a desert of plastic joy though.
And I did talk to my brother earlier. He agrees. The head looks just like our mom in the 70s. And now he wants a Jaina. And my mom will probably need one too.
Hasbro killed it with this figure. At least in my book.
Package:
Figure:
Figure with flight gear removed:
Lightsaber:
Blaster:
Helmet:
Comparisons:
Action:
