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While there has been some obvious changes to the Star Trek figure licence recently with McFarlane releasing figures from the CBS TV shows, Diamond are continuing their Trek product with figures from the Paramount Movies, the "Kelvin" Universe alternative timeline. Up to now, the Star Trek releases by Diamond Select in their Select packaging have been more akin to statues and diorama pieces - but these two new "Kelvin" figures move the range firmly into fully articulated action figure status. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are packed with a selection of Starfleet weaponry, communicators as well as alternative hands and a transporter pad base. Spock even gets a special Vulcan greeting hand... live long and prosper. The packaging is the usual Select design - an oversized blister wrapped on one side by the card back. The artwork and design is beautiful and these will certainly have some serious shelf presence when they arrive in January 2019.

Icon Heroes have shared this first behind the scenes look at an early sculpt from their upcoming Karate Kid line of action figures. The digital sculpt of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is looking good, and he is sculpted in his Karategi. This matches the original illustrated card from SDCC that announced the line. The intention is to release Daniel with a Bonsai Tree and a swap out hands with chopsticks. The figures will be 6 inch in scale, and the other figure practically confirmed will be Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai Karategi.

NECA have announced a fantastic accessory set for their IT action figures, coming in the 2nd quarter of 2019 The set includes a brilliant diorama base of Pennywise in his sewer. We then have two new figures. A 3-inch Jack In A Box and a 4-inch Pennywise Doll. Finally, to accessories your IT display is a floating red balloon, paper boat and Georgie's severed arm. "Build terrifyingly detailed scenes from the IT Movie, the 2017 movie based on Stephen King’s original novel, with this new deluxe accessory set! These incredible pieces are perfectly in scale with #NECA’s line of 7" figures and include some truly iconic items from the acclaimed horror film. The set comes in closed box packaging and includes: - Sewer Diorama Display Base - Featuring an exclusive-deco Pennywise face peeking out from the sewer grate! Measures over 6” x 6” (across and deep) and 2” tall. - #Pennywise Jack in the Box Accessory - Over 3” tall. - Pennywise Puppet (as seen in the Well House Clown Room) – 4” tall. - Georgie Severed Arm Accessory - SS Georgie Boat Accessory - Red Balloon"

Mezco will release a brand new Batman One:12 Collective 1/12 figure in 2019. The Sovereign Knight Batman is part of the Batman trilogy of figures and represents The Dark Knight at the peak of his powers. And this versions, the Onyx Edition, boosts the figure one step further than the usual grey Bat-Suit with the addition of body armour. The set comes with four head options and a selection of hands for various grips and poses. Accessories include batarangs, grappling gun and even a Bat-Drone. The figure will retail at the usual $80 with pre-orders open now for US customers. The item is due to ship between February and April 2019. "Mezco’s One:12 Collective Batman trilogy continues with Batman: Sovereign Knight. Now at the peak of his career, the Sovereign Knight is the Batman of the present day. This is Batman in his prime. The One:12 Collective Batman: Sovereign Knight – Onyx Edition features exclusively designed Bat-Suit body armor detail and a reinforced breast plate bat insignia. The Caped Crusader comes loaded with Bat-Gadgets including a Bat-Drone and Sonic Disruptor. Using the tools and knowledge he has acquired since starting his war on crime, in combination with his upgraded arsenal, the Sovereign Knight is ready to take on the most dangerous of Gotham’s criminals." THE ONE:12 COLLECTIVE BATMAN SOVEREIGN KNIGHT FIGURE FEATURES: One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation Four (4) head portraits Hand painted authentic detailing Approximately 17cm tall Nine (9) interchangeable hands One (1) pair of fists (L&R) One (1) pair of posing hands (L&R) One (1) pair of gun holding hands (L&R) One (1) pair of batarang holding hands (L&R) One (1) kryptonite knuckle duster (R) COSTUME: Cowled head Chest insignia Leather-like cape Fitted suit with body armor detail SAP gloves Utility belt with grappling gun holster Tactical boots ACCESSORIES: Ten (10) small batarangs One (1) large batarang One (1) bat-drone One (1) sonic distributor One (1) grappling gun One (1) grappling hook (inserts into gun) One (1) grappling hook with string attached (inserts into gun) Each One:12 Collective Sovereign Knight – Onyx Edition figure is packaged in a collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind.

NECA have shared the packaging design for their Ultimate Gremlin figure due for release shortly. Like all Ultimate figures, the packaging replicates elements of the original movie poster with an opening flap to reveal the figure within. #MonsterMonday "Make sure to turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, and look under all the beds this December. There just might be a #Gremlin in your house"

You may be aware of some ongoing issues with our blog format and news we've had for some time now. This prompted us to commence a full site overhaul in early November to see if we can upgrade our blog to a newer stable format and take our existing content with us. The overhaul also allowed us to revisit the layout of the site. This process is ongoing, but to give you an update on where we are.... The new Blog is now integrated. After initial concerns, I think it brings more positives than negatives. You can also use it to create a profile on our site and comment on posts and follow certain topics. It is also working well with the RSS feed and Feedspot. All our blog content since 2014 has moved over - we dropped a handful which we are recovering. Each page of the site is getting overhauled to a more uniform format of text and visual guides. Some remain full archives of releases, others partial. So far we have completed this for Diamond Select - Marvel, Gotham & Ghostbusters NECA - Aliens & Terminator (more work to do on smaller categories) McFarlane Hasbro Marvel Hasbro Star Wars up to and including 2017 As our most visited archive, Star Wars Black Series will be getting some ongoing attention after this process to bring all content up to a similar level - that means the continuation of reviews for earlier releases. Finally, and sorry this took so long, I've activated Mobile sites. There is loads to do here, but over rest of 2018 and into 2019 I will do my utmost to maximise the site for use on mobile devices. All of this has had a knock on to our reviews, but it seemed best to sort the format before adding new content As always your support is appreciated, and if you do come across any broken links or odd pages then please let me know.

Review : Darth Vader Star Wars Black Series Wave/Series : Centrepiece (Statue) Collection Released : September 2017 Price : £54.99* (UK price) Pro's : Vader looks like a Black Series figure, and the addition of your own extra troopers really boosts the set's visuals. Con's : The Price of these vs what you get is restrictive here in the UK. Not sure why they've made a light up statue and NOT lit Vader's saber? When it was announced, the Centerpiece collection felt like a bit of an hybrid within the Black Series. While it was more akin to a Kotobukiya Statue, it was designed to scale with the Black Series figures, and you could even add Black Series figures to the base for a larger diorama. It also played to those fans who wanted diorama bases in the collection. My initial instinct, when you saw the UK price of well over £50, was to stay away from these. As nice as they were for that price I could get two or three figures. But as with anything, the prices fell and when these hit circa £25 each I bit. Packaging is the same design principles as the rest of the Black Series. The box is all enclosing with an illustration on the front of the diorama you are purchasing. This illustration is cut through with a bold red band, and within the band are images from the movie showing the Storm Troopers and Rebel Troopers battling in the corridors of the Tantive IV. The Black Series logo sits at the top, and the new Centerpiece logo in the centre at the bottom. The right spine is gloss red and the Centerpieces are numbered, with Darth Vader being #01. The rear of the packaging feels familiar too with a write up of Vader which goes on to be repeated in three other languages. There is another image of the diorama and next to this some inserted images showing the piece from other directions. The left spine carries the grey lined artwork of Gregory Titus, a head and shoulders shot of Lord Vader. Back round the front and you will find a silver sticker in three languages that confirms the statue has light up features. This sits under an 18+ age warning, confirming this as a very grown up piece. The box is opened via either of the side spine. The whole contents slide out with a plastic clear tray and beneath this a cardboard tray. The clear tray carries the parts for Lord Vader who arrives with shirt, cloak and saber separate. There is then the blast effect to the side of his head. The cardboard section carries the four parts of the diorama, and a neat instruction booklet for you to follow for assembly. The instruction booklet is printed in black with a red band carrying the numbering. The front cover has a wider shot of the Titus artwork. Before assembly, note that the Centerpiece items do NOT come with batteries. It is easiest to install these while the item is in parts and not later. The battery compartment is on the L shaped door frame and you will need a small screwdriver to open the panel. The kit takes two AAA batteries. Assembly is by clip in parts, starting with the two base sections which push into each other. Once these are connected there is a central channel with three pegs into which the door frame section clips. The door then lays to one side of the door, slotting into pegs to hold it in position. This was the trickiest section as you have to line this up blind to get it to lock in place. Vader arrives in pieces. First is his body which is connected in the pack, but it has a gap at the waist where the skirt needs to go, you pull the body apart to then slot the skirt into place. The torso is then reattached. Next the head needs to come off so the cloak can go over the shoulders. Once in place the head can be pushed back into place. In terms of sculpt, this is as good a Vader as the Black Series articulated figure. The helmet proportions look good and there is a good level of neatly painted detail on the chest unit and around his belt. It is not all good though, take a look at his belt buckle and this has been painted on out of line - pretty sloppy for a £50+ premium piece. Vader pegs into the diorama as though he is stepping through the door. This is not a scene we saw in A New Hope, but more a reimagining about what might have gone on before he made his appearance. His translucent red saber blade pushes into the socket on the hilt which is molded into his hand.. The cape is neatly sculpted to be flowing out behind him and around the door frame that he is walking though. The final part for the statue is the blast effect piece. This slots on the front of the door frame in the circular section. Just above this is the switch to turn on the light effects, when pressed the explosion and the orange inner frame of the door light up and stay lit for a few seconds. The images above show the parts lit, and they do work pretty well. It would have been nice to have had Vader's saber light up too - this feels like a big miss. One of the selling points of these items is the ability to add in other Black Series figures to broaden the diorama. To do this the base section has a selection of holes, a few too many in my opinion. If you flip the base upside down, the underneath are a row of small pegs that you can remove and then clip into the base to create pegs for your figures. Anyone like me with fatter fingers might struggle a little, but I do appreciate these being moveable rather than fixed in place and restricting where you can put your figures. While you can use any figure you like, the natural choice is to have Vader flanked with Stormtroopers. Two is about your limit with one in front of Vader and one following him and to his rear. The figures need careful posing, both to match the dynamic look of the statue - but also to line the feet up with the pegs and holes. Once done it does make this look like a larger more impressive piece. The Stormtroopers do not look overly out of place, and on the flip side Vader could well be a a posed Black Series figure. The diomara will take up some shelf real estate, and therefore you will need to take that into account along with the price tag. Once assembled it does make a nice central feature for a display and has more character than just your usual posed figures. For £50+ I want a statue that is perfectly painted and realised, and this doesn't quite meet those expectations although in a weird way if it did it might start to look out of place with the Black Series figures. The light up effect is well done, but why or why not a light up saber? Had I paid full price for this I would be disappointed, and I am going to grade it on its RRP here in the UK - giving it 3 out of 5 stars. If you can get this release for under £30 then it becomes a 4 out of 5 item.

Review : Luke Skywalker (Hoth) Star Wars Black Series Wave/Series : Centrepiece (Statue) Collection Released : September 2017 Price : £54.99* (UK price) Pro's : Nicely detailed Luke figure. The AT-AT foot base is well executed down to the lying snow Con's : The lightsaber does not light up despite the item have a light up option. Costly at full RRP Luke Skywalker is #02 in the new Black Series Centrepiece collection. Arriving initially on Force Friday 2 (2017) alongside the Darth Vader Centerpiece, the Luke set is packed in a closed black box with the Star Wars Black Series header and the new Circular Centerpiece logo. Across the front is an image of the figure itself set against a red band that includes images from The Empire Strikes Back consistent with the Battle of Hoth - although unlike the Vader set, these seem to be illustrated rather than be screen captured. Keeping with the same theme as the standard Black Series line, the right side spine is gloss red with a bold #02 at the top and a smaller Centerpiece logo at the base. Round the back is another image of the set, this time from a different angle and with extra figures added. To the side of this is some background red text and to the right are some close up images of the Luke figure from the set and the light up plast effects. The other side spine carries the Gregory Titus grey lined artwork - a lovely head and shoulder shot of Luke in his Snowspeeder Helmet. The set opens from either of the sie panels and inside is a cardboard sleeve and a single plastic tray containing all the parts for the diorama. There is a neat black and red instruction booklet included to aid in assembly. The set takes three AAA batteries which are not included. It is best to fit these before assembly by opening the screw on the base of the main part and flicking open the battery panel. While this can be done later, when the set is assembled it is more difficult to hold the full piece while changing batteries. We start with the largest piece, the AT-AT foot. This is shaped as though buried in sand. Into this slots the two side panels. These click into place, and when inserted are actually articulated should you wish to adjust their position within their hinge. We then have two "snow" sections, cast in a light weight plastic. For now we will use the smaller one and this pushes up against the AT-AT foot to hide the bottom section. This snow piece doesn't so much clip in place, but rather sits next to the other piece. The next thing to add is Luke himself. He comes as a single piece, sculpted and cast in a single pose as though leaping across the fallen AT-AT foot with his lightsaber brandished. Luke's forward right foot has a large peg which slots into the base. The trailing left leg goes behind the AT-AT foot with a smaller peg that slots in here to hold Luke securely in two places. While you could arguably display Luke without it, the way the piece is designed indicates Luke has a lit lightsaber as he leaps over the fallen AT-AT and therefore a blue transparent blade is included. Like the Black Series sabers, this slots into the hilt on the figure. The final addition is the blast FX. This large orange explosion goes to the left of the diorama as you look at it. It clips into place neatly covering the final exposed workings of the base. Once assembled it is time to stand back and admire the piece. Starting with Luke and the flght suit is a vibrant orange but with a subtle level of weathering to look like it has seen some action. The flight straps and vest are in place as are the padded boots. The helmet is weathered as well and comes with crisp lines and the Rebel symbol to either side of the main crest. The visor is a transparent piece, but with yellow tinting. Under this is a decent likeness to Luke. The AT-AT foot is really well done with a grey base colour, but loads of washing and panel lines. It even has patches of snow that has fallen into the various ledges and crevices. The snow piece is plain white, but has quite a bit of sculpted definition so the shadows and lights that fall on the various rises and falls do their bit to make it look realistic. The final part, the explosion, is really well done being cast in a transparent orange but then with dark paint added to the tops of the explosion. This is the piece that lights up on the statue and this is operated by a circular button to the side of Luke's foot. The explosion looks brilliant lit up, and the only shame is that the light wasn't used somehow to light the lightsaber also. Unlike the Vader statue, the Luke Centerpiece has two display options to choose from. This is achieved by making two pieces of snow available. We've seen the smaller version, which works if you are displaying the piece with Luke on his own. There is then a larger version which is sculpted with some footprints into the snow complete with a hole in each footprint. If you flip the piece over you will find a row of pegs on the other side. These clip out and go into the holes on the other side to create the pegs for Black Series figures. While any Black Series figure will fit, the most contemporary to the Battle of Hoth are the Snowtroopers (which we have used) or potentially the AT-AT driver. The base will comfortably take two figures in a coupe of differing poses. The foot pegs work well with the Troopers, but make sure you use them on both feet to stop them starting to lean over time. The scene you create with Luke leaping over the AT-AT foot to strike down the Imperials is not one we saw on screen. But like Vader it is something that could have happened off camera. While Luke is a statue and the Snowtroopers actual articulated figures, the two do not look at odds displayed this way. In fact the only issue is really how to display the set. It doesn't take up a huge amount of shelf space thankfully, but you have to decide to focus on the front of Luke - and then have the back of the Troopers to look at - or to look over Luke's shoulder to the advancing troops. Which ever way you choose the button for the light up option remains thankfully in reach unless you have this right at the back of a shelf and loads of other figures in front. Collectors have been asking for diorama pieces for their Black Series figures for a while. I am not sure this is the answer, but it is a step in the right direction and a step up from the basic diorama bases we've seen recently on Force Awakens, Rogue One and Last Jedi pieces. One of the reasons the Centerpiece line has not quite found every Black Series collector to be an immediate fan is the price. When you consider this started at circa £55 here in the UK. For that price you get one figure, a base and a light up feature - or you could arguably buy two or three articulated figures? I got my set at £26 in an Amazon sale, and that feels about right for what you get. This is not a premium piece by any means, there are no extra paint apps or sculpted detail and the FX element is basic to say the least. I do like the options of different snow bases on this one to have Luke displayed on his own, or expanding the set to include other figures - that is a nice touch. But for over £50 I'd want some extra bells and whistles, not least a light up saber. At full price, this is a 3 out of 5 set at best If you can get this release for under £30 then it becomes a 4 out of 5 item.

Review : R5-D4 Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : 40th Anniversary, Gamestop (US) Exclusive Released : April 2017 Price : $24.99 (US price only) The mainstream 40th Anniversary series from Hasbro is based on the first 12 Star Wars figures put out by Kenner in 1978. Hasbro have added two further figures to the 40th Anniversary series (at time of writing) with the Luke X-Wing Pilot sold at Celebration, and the figure we are looking at here, R5-D4. R5-D4 is exclusive to US retailer Gamestop, although collectors can order outside of the US as Gameshop do relatively fast and efficient international shipping. Be warned that Gamestop do not calculate import tax in the same way Amazon would do - when ordering you may still have to add further import costs on when your parcel reaches your country or residence. R5 is presented on the same card design as used across all the other 40th Anniversary figures. It is not a direct scale up from the original 3.75" Kenner figure card, but is sized appropriately for the 6" scale figures. The card art and design is a direct replication of those 1978 cards with a colour image of R5 from the movie to the right hand side of the blister. Be warned that Kenner often reversed these images for the cards so when you compare you figure to the card there may be some visual variances. Around the card is the double tram-line silver trim which runs and connects to the Star Wars text and with the original Star Wars logo in the top right corner - the one with Luke holding his light saber aloft. Each figure in the range has a different colour for the name plate and for the backing colour of the figure. For R5 this is a solid bright red, which is of course appropriate. There is a silver foil 40th Anniversary logo top left and to the bottom right the original Kenner logo. The only addition on this release vs the other cards in the 40th Anniversary series is the "Only @ Gamestop" over-sticker. This is placed above the Kenner logo and is obviously placed by hand as mine wasn't straight. It can be removed if you are careful. Round the back, and the rear design is identical to the other 40th Anniversary cards. The 12 released figures are shown, each in their corresponding colour box. Under this is an image of the Legacy Box set stand . This is all enclosed in another double tram-line frame with the Star Wars logo at the top. Above this and to the right is a subtle Black Series logo. The rest of the cardback is turned over to copywrite and safety notices and it finishes with the Disney and Hasbro logo's bottom right. It is odd perhaps that R5 himself is not referenced on the card, but I assume using the same design will save printing costs. Out of the pack and R5 sits in an inner plastic tray. There are no packed in accessories. R5 stands 3.5" high (89mm) and is a direct re-use of the body and legs of the original Astromech release - R2-D2 from 2013. The body has been reused since then on the Imperial Astromech R2-Q5 and within the 2016 Toys R Us Droids 3-pack. In this 3-pack the R5 dome was introduced and has therefore made the release of R5 a possibility. The overall sculpt and design of R5 is very good. The dome is taller obviously than R2 and includes the various eyes and lenses and is then trimmed in a thin red tram-line. On the top of the dome are 8 individual panels, although unlike R2 none of these open. R5 also sports a silver aerial which sits on the top and to the left of his dome. This is quite slim and delicate, but to protect it it is a rubbery plastic and mine did come bent over slightly. Just under the main dome is a recessed ring and here there is a ring of rectangular panels which seem to be a highly reflective 3d sticker. These are lovely and capture the whole spectrum of light as you rotate the head. The head ends with a silver ring and we are then into the barrel of the body. There are both blue and red trims and panels here, a lot of which are identical to R2-D2. Around the back are three more red panels and some additional silver and blue details. All of these panels are neatly painted, all on top of a white cast body. However, the colouring is much improved to R2 as the white isn't bright and too "new". There is also some subtle weathering throughout R5 with sandy drybrusing to dirty him up and make him look like he has just rolled off that Jawa Sandcrawler. The legs are also identical to R2, but the base wires at the feet are a deeper bronze. The side pieces are a deep blue and there are silver details to both sides. Articulation is always going to be restricted on a droid and for R5 it starts with the head. This rotates a full 360 degrees. When you turn it anti-clockwise it also lowers the third leg from the dome section. Rotating it the other way and the leg will stay in the position it is in, the dome will click as you move it this way - this doesn't seem to do any damage, but just be gentle. This third leg is the same coloured plastic as the rest of the droid and carries some blue and red detailing. There is still a large embossed CE mark on the right hand side of the leg. The legs also hold a hangover from the original R2 mold in that the two trims on the leg still pop off. These were originally designed to swap with the booster rockets on R2. The two legs are articulated where they connect to the dome. These can be rotated all the way round if you wish, but in the main will be used to position R5 in a standing or travelling pose. To aid this there is also articulation on the foot so that this can remain planted to the floor at all time. There is a similar joint on the central 3rd foot. All three feet are also on tiny rollers so R5 will actually roll when pushed. The other articulation is hidden in the two long red panels to either side of the main body. These pop open and within them are articulated arms. To the left (as you look) is a welding torch with blue tip. To the right is a manipulator arm with orange trim and silver claw. These are both hinged at the top and can then we swung up and out of the main body of the droid. Like all the Astromechs in the Black Series, there is no escaping that R5 is a little short vs his on screen counterpart. For me this is only noticeable if you look for it, I don't mind how these guys look on display with the other figures. If scale does bother you, then I would suggest the more size accurate Bandai kits might be a better choice for your display. To sum up, and R5-D4 is a great addition to the Black Series and with the Jawa incoming he will look great lined up with R2. The issue for R5 is that he is too iconic a character to be tied into an exclusive, and unless Hasbro get him out in the standard packaging at some point in the future then this will be a release that will once again frustrate fans, particularly those overseas. If we assume you can get R5 at somewhere near the RRP, then I would look at the beauty of the card and the improvements that Hasbro have made vs the original R2. There are also negatives, like being a tad too small and not having anywhere near the accessories that came with R5. Taking all that into account I will be scoring the Gamestop Exclusive R5-D4 a 3 out of 5.

Review : Kylo Ren & Throne Room Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Walmart (US) Exclusive Released : October 2017 £39.99 Pros : wonderful Kylo Ren head sculpt with battle injuries and scar Cons : the word "Premium" for the figure is not accurate. The soft good cloak has flaws. The diecast adds no real value as a feature. Force Friday II (Sep 2017) saw the largest volume of figures and exclusives announced in the Black Series since its inception in 2013. Among the exclusives were three packs that were termed Figure & Environment. These took an existing figure and packed it with a diorama themed base from the movie - a similar concept the Kmart exclusives in 2015 and 2016 for The Force Awakens and Rogue One. These 2017 packs were also going to enhance the figure with added detailing, soft goods and even metal diecast accessories. Of the three announced - Luke was a Target exclusive, Rey a Toys R Us exclusive and the one we will unpack and look at today, Kylo Ren, was a Walmart exclusive. The release mimics the usual design styling of the Back Series, but also takes inspiration from more exclusive releases to date like the 2015 unmasked Kylo Ren (Celebration) and the Obi-Wan release with FX (SDCC). The box is black in design and the whole front is turned over to the Gregory Titus artwork of Kylo, unmasked and standing on the floor panelling of the Throne Room. Kylo's helmet is superimposed and faded into the background. The Star Wars Black Series logo sits top left, while bottom left we get the character name in red text and then a red flash detailing the inclusion of the Throne Room in this set. The left hand spine remains gloss red. There is no numbering with this being an exclusive. The Kylo Ren name and Throne Room subtitle is repeated here. It is also repeated on the other spine which is black but with the words Kylo Ren very faintly visible in the background as blown up text. Unusually for the Black Series, there is an image of the figure and the diorama piece on the box reverse. This is in the place we'd usually see the Gregory Titus artwork. The bio text sits to the left hand side of this. This bio talks about a "stinging defeat by the Scavenger Rey" (we assume this is a Force Awakens reference) and how Kylo has now "refocused his efforts to destroy the Resistance". It also talks about Kylo having to prove himself to Snoke? It is good to see this is a brand new set of bio text and not a re-use of the one used on the basic release (#45). While the packaging doesn't have a window box immediately visible, the pack actually opens up by means of a front flap that is secured in place by a Velcro tab. Once open the figure and diorama is now revealed behind the usual window. The reverse of the spine shows another image of the figure with further inserts showing the head sculpt, diorama base and Kylo's helmet and saber accessories. Each of these are numbered 1-4 and text to the left confirms the enhancements on each of these such as "Premium Character Detail" against the head sculpt and "Diecast Accessories" against the helmet and saber hilt. The packaging is opened in the usual fashion by the top or bottom flap. Kylo slides out in a four side inner tray in deep red. The environment piece sits behind the main tray. The main tray then contains the figure and the accessories. There is a spacer piece sitting behind the figure to keep the cape in one position. The head sculpt is much nice that any Kylo Ren figure we've had to date - although still a way off what we know Hasbro have coming with the face print technology. He is painted to look battle damaged with the scar much more exaggerated in deep blood red and further paint around the jaw to imitate damage and bruising. There is also a reddening around the eyes, and these are then painted as normal with black outline, white eye and brown pupil. The hair is a flat sculpt with no paint detail or washes / dry brushing. The other "premium" addition is the soft goods cape. This looks impressive as it comes out of the box and is of a similar material and texture to the one used on Palpatine or more recently on the Imperial Royal Guard. While tailored, there is no real definition towards the shoulders and there is a knack to get it tucked in behind the hairline and let it simply sit over the shoulders. The differences are easier to see when we line up the basic Kylo with this "Premium" version. While similar, the head sculpts are different - particularly noticeable around the hair lines and the chin area. The basic release also seems to have been self-tanning and has a much more bronzed complexion vs the paler and more accurate "Premium" version. You can also see the scar is more pronounced and the hair a darker more black colour vs the darker brown of the basic figure. Soft goods vs Rubber clothing will always split collectors. And here we see one facing off against the other. When I see it like this on the same figure, it is easier to see the pro's and con's of each. The rubber cloak sits better on Kylo's shoulders, and carries much more detail like the paneling. It is however bulky and once the cloak is in place it has the effect of pushing the neck forward and giving Kylo a hunched back. The soft goods cloak is trickier to pose around the shoulders, but it does flow nicely enough - but looks quite sterile and plain. After the head and cloak, the body is the same one we get in the standard release. The look is more formal than his tattered Force Awakens robes with a textured tunic tied off with a gloss belt - the belt being glossier on this figure. The trousers are bunched and folded into the knee high boots and there is some good sculptural detail to capture the folds and creases. The boots are very shiny, again glossier than the standard release. Articulation is also identical to the basic release. The head is ball jointed and can turn full circle and when facing forward it can be leaned forward and backward. The shoulders are ball jointed and the elbows are a rotating joint that will bend beyond 90 degrees. The arm articulation finishes with the pivot wrists which allow the hands to rotate and pivot in and out. A further ball joint is placed neatly in the torso and hidden by the belt. This gives Kylo some upward body movement in terms of being able to rotate the top half of the body, and to lean the torso back or forth. The legs are a little held back by the bottom section of the tunic, but this is cast in a softer plastic so will move somewhat when the ball jointed hips are moved. The legs also have a thigh swivel, thankfully hidden by the tunic. We then get double jointed knees which allow Kylo to kneel - something I expect to see him do in Snoke's presence in the movie. The legs end with ankle rockers. These are not as stiff as I would like them, but there is no immediate issue with standing Kylo. We now get to the first of the accessories, and this is the diecast lightsaber hilt. Sculpt wise this is pretty much the same as the other unlit sabers we've had to date - but being diecast it is crisper and there is no distortion. It doesn't feel that much difference, it's not really big enough to feel the weight difference. Paint apps are good with a silver base colour, blackened ends and red highlights - particularly on that wire than runs the length of the hilt. It fits well enough into Kylo's right hand, and can be put into a two-handed pose thanks to the arm articulation. It can also be hung on Kylo's belt by slotting the rectangular piece on the saber hilt into the corresponding slot on the belt. The other saber accessory is NOT diecast. It seems that getting a diecast hilt to work with a transparent saber blade was not too easy. This is the same sculpt as the one from the single release, There may be some minor paint variations from the different production runs, and it may well have a slightly darker blade colouration. Again it fits easily into the right hand of Kylo and a number of pretty decent poses are possible so you can have Kylo fighting or perhaps just taking out his frustration on a wall or computer terminal again. The most intriguing inclusion for me when I read about this set was the diecast helmet. This is listed in the blurb as "damaged". Here you can feel the weight difference and being metal there is a crisper feel to the lines and front mask piece. The whole thing is painted gloss black and then there is silver detailing. The damaged element is simply paint application with more silver paint dappled here and there - this doesn't look particularly good or effective. The diecast head is designed to be swapped out with the regular Kylo head. In practice this is pretty tough to do - far harder than it should be for a head swap option. Initially the standard head doesn't pop off easily at all - you need excessive force, or to heat the head up. Once off the diecast piece also needs a significant amount of force to push it onto the neck peg - as the neck peg is pivoted it has a habit of pushing the joint down and out of the way. Again the best bet is to heat the neck peg first. If you get your diecast mask in place, be careful not to turn it to aggressively as it is such a tight fit it can rip the neck joint if you turn the head. If you want Kylo looking to the side you need to pop it off and reposition from scratch. All of this is far to complicated and potentially figure ruining and if Hasbro are going to put in head swap options in the sets it needs to be engineered much better. Once worn the helmet looks "ok" but you can see a lot of exposed flesh coloured neck. The metal helmet also makes the figure top heavy and prone to overbalancing. So while the helmet is a nice idea, the execution in terms of paint and its difficulty in swapping with the standard head is not up to scratch. As well as the "Premium" figure, the other added value to this set is the environment piece. With the Kylo release this is a three piece floor section which clips together to form the floor of Snoke's Throne Room. Each section is cast in a hard glossy grey plastic and where you see the inserts these have a clear blue transparent plastic section fitted underneath to make them appear like glass. Slotting them together is easy and once connected you have a semi circle piece that measures about 11 inches across. Each section carries one or two foot pegs, so it can be used as a stand for Kylo who connects securely into the peg - and it can also be used for other figures. The set is designed so that this connects up to the exclusive Snoke's Throne (exclusive to Gamestop). While this is great forward thinking, it does mean to really realise the beauty of this floor you need to go out and pay over the odds for a further exclusive to make it complete - something the other two sets for Luke and Rey don't make you do. I have thought long and hard about how to summarise this set and how I would rate it. The first thing to consider is that while this is a Walmart exclusive, it has not got a wide UK release through Asda - instead you will need to order via an independent such as our good friends Kapow and that means paying a higher price. £25 is now the going rate for a figure, so at the average £40 price tag in UK - you are adding a further £15 for a plastic stand and two small diecast accessories - I don't subscribe to paying more for the figure in this case. This word "Premium" which I have put used sarcastically in inverted commas through the review. For me there is nothing Premium about this set - it is actually how Kylo should have come in the standard release, with the one decision being around whether the cloth or rubber cloak is better? I would have much rather seen (and this is my opinion) the same figure released twice and the collector then making the choice as to which set to buy - either standard if you aren't bothered about dioramas or the exclusive. This is how Snoke has been done and that is great, but here you are almost forced to double dip and then combine both releases for the definitive Kylo. The diecast is also not a great selling point. While slightly crisper, it does not look or feel premium and at a distance you'd be hard pressed to pick out the diecast against a standard accessory. The fact the helmet can't be swapped out without a lot of fuss (more than you should have to do) is also a bit of a kick. I will score this release an average 3 out of 5 purely on that Kylo head sculpt.

Ray on Crait is one of three sets from The Last Jedi that include Environmental features and that are spread between different retailers in the US The Ray figure is exclusive to Toys R Us and will be available later in the Autumn. She comes with a environment piece representing Crait - a location in the new movie. The packaging goes back to the hinged door type packaging we saw in 2016 in the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kylo Ren exclusive sets. With this being a Toys R Us exclusive we await to see what availability of this looks like in the UK. Most of the other TRU exclusives have hit the UK/World - but we need to remember not all of them have, with the Cantina 2-pack being restricted to US only. STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES 6-INCH REY on Crait (Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Suggested Retail Price: $34.99/Available: Fall 2017) Imagine training in the art of the Jedi with this elite set from THE BLACK SERIES! The 6-inch scale REY (Jedi Training) figure is carefully detailed to look like the young hero from STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI with impressive detail, multiple points of articulation, and premium fabric costuming. Comes with a Crait stand inspired by one of the locations in the film, allowing collectors to easily recreate their favorite STAR WARS moments. Includes figure, stand, and four accessories. Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us.

Review : Clone Commander Gree Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Toys R Us Exclusive Released : September 2017 Price : £27.99 Force Friday II, 1st September 2017, and we have had a wealth of Star Wars Black Series releases & exclusives unveiled as we build up to the release of The Last Jedi. The only exclusive on UK shelves come the 1st of September was at Toys R Us and it was the highly anticipated Clone Commander Gree from The Revenge of the Sith. Gree is exclusive to Toys R Us and is being sold Worldwide. He is priced at a higher RRP than normal Black Series due to the quantity of paint applications that Hasbro have used on the figure - we will see how impressive this is as we work through our review. Gree continues the Phase 3 packaging design which will continue for The Last Jedi. The box is a gloss black with Star Wars Black Series logo front and centre and the character name in red at the bottom alongside a grey lined image of Gree. In between is the window through which you can see Gree against that deep red background - surrounded by his weaponry and binoculars. The right spine is gloss red with the character name at the top. There is no numbering system as Gree is an exclusive. The other spine has the character name repeated in red text and a cut off larger version in a faint grey against the black of the box. Round the back of the box we find the Star Wars Black Series logo and a larger version of the front artwork. Over the top of this is a short paragraph that confirms Gree's designation and his deployment to Kashyyyk in the Clone Wars. This text is repeated in three other languages. the multilingual text continues into the various warnings across the bottom third of the box reverse. While we said earlier that Gree follows the standard phase 3 packaging, there is a further running change that has come into play for all the Force Friday releases. If you compare the Star Wars Black Series logo on the front of the box to any earlier releases you can see it is a much brighter and bolder grey, almost white. You access Gree via the top or bottom flap, both of which are sealed with a short length of tape. The entire inner red tray slides out with Gree and his accessories sitting in a clear plastic tray. There are no fiddly ties or bands - but the inner tray is tight fitting so if you do remove the figure and want to return him later for display be careful not to crease or crack the plastic. In hand Gree stands dead on 6" tall and the variety of paint and colouring is impressive from the off - we will look at that later. Be careful as you handle Gree coming out of the pack as he has an aerial in his backpack which comes fitted, but is actually a loose piece. It doesn't stay in too well so there is a danger it can be lost if you're not careful It is worth noting that Gree is not a direct use of the existing Clone Trooper sculpt we have seen in previous releases - there are a couple of significant changes. The helmet arms and groin area are all re-uses of the standard Mark 2 Clone figure. Both legs are essentially reuses also, although the left leg has had an extra holster and strap sculpted on the thigh. The belt remains a separate piece, but is identical to all previous releases. The chest piece is brand new. This incorporates strapping that run down like braces. To the back there is a small backpack into which the aerial sits. There is also a second cylindrical canister that sits above the belt and that is attached to the back of the figure. The sculpt of the Mk2 clone trooper is pretty spot on and it is nice to see Hasbro re-using this with additional parts and colouring to boost collectors Clone collections. Everything on Gree is smooth and rounded like armour should be. As you inspect the figure you can now see the various layers and applications of paint that has caused the figure to have a higher RRP than normal. The helmet boasts a silver face plate with gloss green visor. There is then a lighter shade of green on the cheek panels and a darker stripe on the dome, trimmed again in silver. There is white around the ears and black trims on these, the nose and round the forehead. All in all that's about 7 different colour on the helmet alone. From the helmet the paint gets even more insane. The upper arms, shoulders and chest are a relatively plain dark green with dark grey and black details. The edges are "weathered" in silver with some green splashing on top. The belt is another shade of darker green with brown splodges applied in places to represent mud. The forearms, groin and upper thigh armour has a very detailed camouflage pattern incorporating two shades of green and one of brown. There is then a further application of green and brown on this to represent mud and weathering. The boots are the plainest part of the figure in a gloss grey. Articulation is standard fare for an armoured Black Series trooper. The head rotates, but despite being on a ball joint it has very limited forward or backward movement. The arms can't raise much as the shoulder panels physically block the upward movement. They do rotate though and are helped with a bicep swivel and the retention of a double jointed elbow. The hands are pegged at the wrist, so these rotate and pivot. A torso joint sits under the chest and allows the torso to swivel independently of the legs. The legs themselves are ball jointed hips, but again these are held in place with the thigh armour. You can get wider stances and a degree of crouching but not much else. The knees are double jointed and feel ratcheted so are pretty stiff. Sadly the ankle rockers are not as robust and these are a weak spot and can prove troublesome for getting Gree standing up. Accessory number one is the DC-15S blaster. This uses the existing sculpt from all previous Clone releases but is now cast in a grey plastic not the original black. There are no paint applications on the blaster. The gun fits into the right hand of Gree naturally and the trigger finger slots into the trigger of the fun. If you want the left hand can hold the blaster as well. The DC-15S can also be held in a two handed cradle thanks to those double jointed elbows and the bicep swivel. Gree can also hold the weapon out straight in a pretty decent shooting position. Gree is also armed with the larger DC-15A blaster rifle. Again this is an identical cast to the other troopers, and again is cast in grey plastic with no paint applications. Being longer this weapon suits a two-handed pose and Gree holds this pose really well Gree is also armed with the larger DC-15A blaster rifle. Again this is an identical cast to the other troopers, and again is cast in grey plastic with no paint applications. Being longer this weapon suits a two-handed pose and Gree holds this pose really well Gree's third accessory is the Electrobinoculars. These are the ones he is using on Kashyyyk in Revenge of the Sith as he surveys the battlefield with Master Yoda. This is a new accessory for the 6" range as these differ to the ones that came with the Tatooine Luke Skywalker. The Electrobinoculars are a little softer in sculpt than other accessories, cast in a cream plastic. They do hold some detail and are painted with the same dark green and a black visor. While the articulation doesn't quite let Gree hold these against his helmet visor, it gets pretty close and gives Gree a bit more variation in terms of posing him with your other clones. As an exclusive release, Gree fits the bill perfectly in that he takes an existing sculpt - tweaks it slightly and gives us a more niche figure than perhaps the main range could sustain under usual RRP. While the price is higher, you have to say value for money is provided with the paint applications alone. But you also get three accessories, two more than most Black Series figures currently. I can't really fault Gree as a figure. He is well articulated thanks to the older style arms and those double jointed elbows. He is well painted ad there were no paint errors or bleeds on the figure I reviewed. If you were being picky you'd ask for some weathering on the guns - but I can live without that (or add it myself). With no immediate negatives to speak of, my only concern with Gree is those ankle joints which may present an issue in the future. This is a minor issue though and not enough to stop me awarding Clone Commander Gree a 5 out of 5 score.