Welcome to our review Han Solo, Bespin. Han is one of three new figures in Wave 18 of the Black Series along with Tobias Beckett and the Rebel Fleet Trooper. Join us as we take a look at the release from its packaging to the sculpt, paint and articulation.
Packaging 4/5
Han arrives in the standard Black Series phase 3 packaging with its black box and red spine and card back. Han is number 70 in this 3rd phase of packaging and this number sits on both side spines and round the back.
The Titus artwork front and back is a good likeness to Harrison Ford but perhaps doesn't quite catch his facial mannerisms - I'd have liked that trademark smile / smirk.
"Smuggler, Scoundrel, Hero. Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, was one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. He and his co-pilot Chewbacca came to believe in the cause of galactic freedom, joining Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa in the fight against the Empire."
Sculpt & Paint 4/5
Straight out of the box you can see the huge leap forward this figure has taken in the likeness of Ford from the previous releases of Han Solo. The face print technology has been used to give some depth to the eyes and brow section and shade around the jaw. Its not quite perfect as the lips look a little fat to me but you can't deny this is everyones favourite scoundrel.
Han is wearing his Bespin outfit and despite some potential re-use from other Han figures (old and new) the entire body appears to be a complete new sculpt. The undershirt is cast in white and goes unpainted. On top of this is the blue jacket and this too is cast in a single colour with no paint apps at all.
Under the shirt is a belt and below this the larger gunslingers belt - again a new piece and not a reuse as far as I can see from any other Han Solo. The paint apps start to increase here with a wash on the gun belt and silver detailing on the buckles and fastenings. Han is wearing brown trousers with the yellow piping down each leg and we finish with black boots.
While the outfit is quite plain with only a handful of paint applications, where it is added the paint is neat and well applied. When you compare Han to himself (previous releases) you can see how far the Black Series has come since 2013/4 and the Bespin Han is up to the standard seen on the young Han Solo figure from earlier this year. He also looks pretty good with the Original Trilogy Chewbacca.
Articulation 5/5
Han arrives with the standard 16 points of articulation. We start with a ball jointed head and a second ball joint in the chest - this second one is quite tight but will allow the torso to bend and rotate once you free it up a little. Arms are ball jointed at shoulders and then we have single jointed rotated elbows - these bend to 90 degrees, which is OK and I guess holds the look of the costume vs how these would look with Marvel Legend type elbow joints.
The legs are also ball jointed at the hips with a thigh split underneath. The knees are double jointed and then Han is supported in his stances with ankle rockers. There are plenty of poses you can obtain out of these joints - including some iconic Solo poses. All the joints are tight (too tight with the chest) and Han stands really nicely on his own.
Accessories 2/5
This standard release of Bespin Han Solo comes with just one accessory, his DL-44 blaster. The weapon is cast in softer plastic but it does hold a lot of detail. It is cast in grey plastic, with paint apps of brown on the handle. Like the rest of the figure the gun seems to be a new piece.
The weapon fits neatly into either hand, with the right having the flexible trigger finger. WHen not in use it will slip into the holster on the belt with a strap that slides across the top and clips in place to hold it in position.
The issue I have with accessories is more the bits we don't get. This Han was also released as an SDCC 2018 exclusive set for circa £50. That set included an alternative hand for Han (the pointing finger) as well as the breathing mask from the Falcon and a Mynock. It is a shame that some of these are being held as exclusive and not allowing fans to have a couple of extra looks with this figure...
Summary
This is a much needed update to one of the main characters from the Original Trilogy and I hope that with new Leia figures coming soon we won't be far off a Luke to go with them. The face print is a big step on and the outfit is well executed, even if it is quite basic in paint colouring. The accessory is ok, but feels a bit flat when there are other accessories made for this figure that would have really enhanced this release significantly - but then I guess that is what exclusives are all about.
I score Bespin Han Solo a 4 out of 5.
RANKING