I am a Jedi, like my father before me.
The Star Wars Black Series is chugging along and we are very close to being on the brink of the release of the fifth overall series. This one is different because the packaging is getting an overhaul, the color scheme is changing to blue instead of orange, and, well, Darth Vader is finally being released! It looks like we might have about a month before they start hitting retail outlets, but, as seems to be standard practice, eBay has afforded us some advance copies of the stars of this upcoming wave. RoboKillah has already checked out Chewbacca in his review, but he and I decided to join forces on the Jedi that brought us a New Hope: Luke Skywalker.
While we have gotten two previous Luke releases in the Black Series line (in his X-Wing pilot garb and his Bespin duel outfit), the Jedi version of young Skywalker syncs perfectly with the long-anticipated release of Darth Vader. In one wave, you can recreate the iconic duel between father and son, as well as the aftermath and redemption of the most feared man in the galaxy. I really like the pattern theme that has been running through this line so far, so if you have not bought into the Black Series yet, at least you can get figures of the dueling Vader and Luke all in one shot.
I know the “farm boy” version of Luke is very iconic, but this Jedi version is probably my favorite look for him. Luke has never been my favorite Star Wars character, but by the time he shows up to Jabba’s palace to rescue Han Solo, we have followed him through a lot, and it has culminated with his journey to become a Jedi. This is the Luke that is not only suited to take on Vader, but to also lead the Rebellion and restart the Jedi Order that has laid dormant for a generation. Plus, if you want to make your central hero more serious and badass, just dress him in black and let him take on the Empire’s biggest bads.
Now, Robo does a great job of hitting all of the construction and articulation notes in his review, so I will go a little light here because I pretty much agree with everything that he says. I do want to point out that I think this is probably my favorite Luke figure we have gotten so far, despite not being 100 percent perfect. This line is troubling for the fact that, after series one, we really have not gotten many nicely painted faces and details on most of the figures, especially the humans. So, that being said, the Bespin Luke and this version cannot really touch the pilot Luke in that area. So, c’mon, Hasbro — start painting the faces again. I think we showed that it makes all the difference in the world.
But, that not withstanding, I think this is the best overall Luke thus far, and he is certainly ready to be posed in all kinds of cool Jedi lightsaber poses. The black outfit is sleek and he does not have anything in terms of costuming that inhibits any of his articulation. His belt is a separate piece and made of soft plastic, so there are no worries on that front. He does feature swappable tunic pieces so you can recreate your preferred look: buttoned up or with the flap open. It works really, really well and blends with the chest perfectly, so Hasbro did a good job there.
I think that Robo mentioned that Luke looks a little skinny, but looking at stills from the movie (especially from the duel), Hamill was pretty darned skinny then. I like that this line is going for actual scale and size, rather than “movie” scale. So, while Han and Luke don’t look all of that different in terms of height in the movies, in real life, Ford is a lot taller than Hamill. It takes some getting used to, but I think it will be great for the scope of the line once we get more and more figures.
Like several of the previous figures, you can tell that the sculpt is there, but the paint (or lack thereof) flattens it out and make Luke look very young. This is supposed to be our “older and wiser” Luke, but not having paint on the details of the face kind of brings that down. Please, please start painting more faces, Hasbro. So, if I can talk Robo into repainting his face, I think I will pretty much have the Luke I have always wanted.
He does come with his lightsaber with removable blade, so you can hang the hilt from his belt. I do wish he would have gotten the cloak or poncho, but I guess I will have to wait for someone to make one for him, I know all the rest of my Jedi figures have benefitted from those. I know a single lightsaber is kind of scant in terms of accessories for a figure that retails for north of $20, but I think most people will just have him posed dueling with Vader anyhow.
So, half of our epic duel is complete and stay tuned, we should be bringing you a Darth Vader feature soon too. I am very pleased with this Luke figure, and with a little paint on the face, and possibly a cloak, he is good to go. Series 5 of the Black Series should be hitting in the next month or so, so be on the lookout. Also, for a full video review of this figure, check out Robo’s feature on the Fwooshtube:
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