Monthly Archives: November 2021

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Paploo.

(more…)

BREAKING NEWS!

Well, it seems Hasbro DOES actually listen to fan feedback! They just announced that the Rancor Keeper Malakili will be added to the Rancor! He will come uncarded and will be added to the Rancor as no additional tier, instead he will come no matter what, as soon as the Rancor receives funding. Right now, the Rancor has 4,763 backers. It will need to almost double that number in the next six days to be successful!

So, what is your opinion? Will it change your mind and will you back the Rancor now? Or is it too little too late?

In my opinion Hasbro could have avoided much drama if they had included Malakili from the very beginning. It’s apparent Hasbro hoped to get away with as little as possible, but the fans have spoken. It’s welcome that Hasbro has listened. However, if would be even better if fans didn’t have to voice their displeasure so vehemently for Hasbro to do something! It’s pretty apparent they are quite desperate so late in the campaign.

Click through for Hasbro’s full statement!

(more…)

We are closing out our The Vintage Collection Visual Guide Updates from wave 29 with Princess Leia (Bespin Escape) (VC187). Click below to check out our full Visual Guide. You can also hop on over to our full review for additional images and details.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Hello fellow Toy Runners! It’s that time of the week again. This last week I was doing some not-spring cleaning. I decided I’d pull out all my TVC cards. They went to the highest bidder, but I gotta say, seeing them all together like this brings warm feelings to my heart. Take a look…

(more…)

Today’s Bring Home The Bounty announcements included the latest Gaming Greats figure from Gamestop: Imperial Senate Guard. Look for pre-orders to go live tomorrow at 1 PM Eastern. 

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Lumat.

(more…)

Our next The Vintage Collection Visual Guide update is The Child (VC184). Click below to check out our full guide page, and click here to read our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

On November 19th Hasbro livestreamed their final HasLab Rancor video on YouTube in which they revealed the remaining two tiers. Salacious B. Crumb and a new Luke Skywalker figure. During the livestream the YouTube chat was filled with angry or incredulous comments. First YouTube videos from disappointed collectors who said they would now cancel their Rancor were uploaded that same day, those videos were viewed by a lot of people, often vastly outperforming other videos on those channels, showing an increased level of interest in the shared disappointment. In the days following the livestream the Rancor HasLab lost about 400 backers, it went down from almost 5,150 to below 4,750. So what is the situation now? Click through for more!

Hasbro’s chief of Star Wars marketing at work

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Entertainment Earth has marked down The Black Series [Phase III] wave 3 to $82.49. Thanks, Craig for the alert!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hop on over and check out Gamestops The Vintage Collection markdowns to pick up some figures for 20% off. Thanks to JTA reader Mark for the alert!

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand character posters debut today. Click below for a detailed look! You can also check out the latest  30 second TV spot titled Message. Click through to watch!

(more…)

The Mandalorian (VC181) is our next The Vintage Collection Visual Guide update! Click below to check out the full beskar version of the character, and make sure to also check out our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

If you still need the ‘Deluxe’ The Black Series Wrecker, Gamestop has them in-stock for $29.99. Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the alert!

We have our second entry to our Fanhome: Build Your Own R2-D2 review, featuring the next 4 stages in the build. When finished, the final product will feature a fully functioning, remote-controlled, and interactive half-scale R2-D2.

Click through to jump to Stages 3–6 of our build!

Up next for our The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates is Greef Karga (VC185). Click below for our full Visual Guide, and click here to read our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Click through to check out the new 30-second The Book of Boba Fett trailer: Reign.

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Eeth Koth (#259) and Garindan (#260). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. Click here to view the entire Star Wars Living archive, including individual print runs.

Let’s get a run of The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates going! Over the next few weeks, we are going to get caught up and fill some holes in our The Vintage Collection Visual Guide. First up we are adding the Walmart Exclusive Incinerator Trooper (VC177). Click below to check out the full Visual Guide. You can also check out our complete review of this figure right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

It’s Friday, the perfect time to have some fun! And today’s topic is: Hasbro Star Wars! To better illustrate what it is Star Wars collectors accept and pay money for, let’s take a look at how it would be if other companies did things the way Hasbro’s Star Wars team does them… Click through for more!

A typical Hasbro Star Wars toy

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

GameStop has many of their The Black Series figures marked down to $19.99. See what’s on sale after the jump.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hop on over to Entertainment Earth to check out their Black Friday deals…

From now until Monday, get 20% site-wide using promo code STARWARS at Brian’s Toys.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers, fans, and sponsors! We are thankful for each of you for taking the time to visit us daily and be a part of our community, and supporting us over the years! Everyone have a great Holiday weekend!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Get it while it’s hot! Imperial Crosshair is back in stock for $24.99 as of this post. If it’s not $24.99… you missed it!

Nov. 28 Update: It’s back in stock again….

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Amazon has sprinkled Black Friday deals in both The Vintage Collection and The Black Series lines. Scroll through to see if you need any of the marked-down items. Unfortunately, most of the Black Friday deals are from 3rd party sellers so you have to pick your deals wisely. 

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Of all places, you can pick up The Emperor, Teebo, IG-11, and Lando Calrissian at Macys.com for $10.99 each (with free shipping) as part of their Black Friday sale. A big thanks to JTA reader Robert for this alert!

Update: It looks like IG-11 has gone back to its full $13.99 price as of this time.

DIFF Eyewear has released their Star Wars collection, with subtle nods to different characters around the Star Wars Universe. Click through to browse the collection. 

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Rancor Keeper.

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Check out Hasbro’s eBay store for the latest Galaxy of Adventures wave: Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper, Boba Fett, and Darth Maul. $10.99 each with free shopping on orders over $14.99.

Hello again, friends! It’s Toy Run Tuesday once again, and I’m excited to see your weekly finds. It’s also Black Friday in the US this weekend. Are you expecting to make some Star Wars-y purchases for a good price? I already picked up a few TVC figures from Old Republic Collectibles. I have one new custom to share with you, so please click on through to take a look and share with everyone your changes to your collection!

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Walmart.com has several Black Friday and Rollback markdowns for The Vintage Collection figures, including several recent Carbonized figures. There’s also some pretty good LEGO markdowns.  Click through for the deals. Thanks to JTA reader Jon for the alert!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess AT-ST Driver.

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Queen Jamilla (#257) and Tiber Saxon (#258). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. Click here to view the entire Star Wars Living archive, including individual print runs.

Pre-production for Ahsoka (tentative release date is 2023) is on its way and according to Deadline Lucasfilm cast Australian model/actress Natasha Liu Bordizzu. She is 27 and of Chinese/Italian descent, hence the interesting name. She has appeared in a few movies and shows, most notable is certainly the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel from a few years ago. According to rumors the Ahsoka series will resolve the Rebels cliffhanger ending and explore what happened to Thrawn and Ezra. Not much else is known at the moment. What do you think of the casting choice? In my opinion Natasha absolutely looks the part and seems like a great choice for Sabine. Now the big question is, will Sabine on the show have a lovely accent from Down Under? And next up: will Hasbro give us a live action Sabine Wren action figure?

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (fashion model and actress) will be Sabine Wren

Ever since Hasbro’s stupendously tone-deaf livestream on Friday the current Star Wars HasLab has lost almost 350 backers. Maybe a small number, at the time I write this 4,811 people still want a Rancor, no matter what-  but still, the damage is done. And the number is still decreasing (actually, 4,808 now).
It should by now be obvious to Hasbro that things are not proceeding as planned. That what maybe they hoped would just be a few disgruntled fans that may cancel their order in the first few hours after the livestream has become something of a real downward trend. It is now Monday morning in the US and anyone at Hasbro who had hoped things will go back to normal will have to realize that no, things are probably not going back to normal. Maybe Hasbro still hopes that the usual boost in the last few days will save the HasLab campaign and make the Rancor a success. Which is certainly a possibility. However, it’s maybe even more likely now that the Rancor HasLab has taken on a new dynamic, a vicious cycle where potential backers see the counter decreasing hour by hour and thus discouraging them from pulling the trigger, because, after all, who wants to back a losing horse at the races?
So what can Hasbro do? What should Hasbro do? Click through to find out.

Artist’s impression of the Monday morning Hasbro Star Wars team meeting

(more…)

Click through to have a complete look at Columbia’s Boba Fett Collection. 

(more…)

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Prune Face.

(more…)

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Teebo.

(more…)

While Hasbro amazed collectors with their HasLab livestream Bandai held their Tamashii Nations 2021 event in Japan on Friday. They revealed a couple of brand new figures, and two of them are for the Star Wars line, both sourced from the Mandalorian. Sometime in 2022 we will get a brand new Luke Skywalker figure and Moff Gideon. Of course Black Series options (for Luke only kind of) exist for both and Hasbro even revealed their brand new Jedi Luke figure that will see a release in the mainline no matter if the 19k Rancor stretch goal will be reached or not. So how do the brand new SHF announcements compare? Click through for more!

Luke and Gideon

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hasbro’s eBay store has quite a few markdowns, including The Vintage Collection’s Poe Dameron’s X-Wing for $84.99, and the POTF2-themed Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Han Solo available for $20.94. All with free shipping. 

Let’s all have some fun! Yes, maybe the HasLab livestream today did not get the reaction Hasbro would have hoped for. Yes, maybe quite a few collectors are either angry, sad or disappointed now. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some good old fun! So let’s all watch the HasLab Rancor backer counter fall below 5,000 tonight and let’s make bets if it will fall below 5,000 to begin with and when it may do so! At the pace the counter is falling it could be mere minutes! So place your bets! The winner gets 10 plush porgs, 200 Rose Tico 5 POA action figures and 50 banana visor X-Wing pilots from The Force Awakens 5 POA toyline!
Join in the fun in the comments section and let’s have a party!

UPDATE: Friday’s livestream may go down in history as one of the most disastrous Hasbro events ever. The Rancor HasLab has lost almost 320 backers since then and there is no end in sight.

Still counting down…

Hasbro’s Black Series HasLab livestream just ended. The team showed off the painted Rancor prototype and revealed tiers 3 and 4 for the figure, available at 16k and 19k backers. So what are those tiers? Malakili? Giran? Oola? Try again. Tier 3 is a slightly retooled repack and Tier 4 is technically speaking an all new figure, but really just a repack too. What is Hasbro thinking? Click through for more!

Tier 3…..

(more…)

Hasbro has now done their full pitch for the TBS HasLab Rancor. Along with the rancor, backers can now hope to unlock:

• Tier 1: Gammorean Guard (POTF Card Back) – 11,000
• Tier 2: Cardboard backdrop diorama with bone accessories – 13,500
• Tier 3: Salacious B. Crumb (ROTJ mini Carc Back) – 16,000
• Tier 4: Luke Skywalker (POTF Card Back) – All new figure – 19,000

So, are you backing? Five minutes before the live stream there were 5,134 backers. Let’s see how those on the fence decide now that they have all of the motivation tiers revealed. Click through for a small gallery and discussion. Let us know if you are backing this.

Click here for the HasLab Rancor Page

(more…)

Tune in today at 11 AM Eastern for the latest Hasbro Pulse Fan First Friday featuring the unveiling of the painted model Rancor and the final two stretch goals revealed. Click through and join the discussion and leave your thoughts on the latest reveals. 

(more…)

It looks like Dark Horse Comics will be producing all-new stories in the form of Graphic Novels, ongoing series, and one-shots. Get the full details over at the official site.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hurry! The Walmart exclusive Imperial Clone Shock Tropper is available again! Thanks to JTA reader Jon for the alert!

The Black Series [Phase IV] Wrecker is beautiful. Do you know what’s not beautiful though? The price. Hasbro once again tries to pull the wool over the eyes of the 6-inch collecting community when the whole Deluxe premise is a scam (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

What the HasLab The Black Series 6-inch Rancor needs is an “out of the box” vision like my friend Russ Turk has. A former designer for Toys R Us, Russ mocked up what he would want to see included in the Rancor HasLab campaign. Hasbro is missing the boat by not including world-building with this project. Yes, it’s much harder to world-build in the 6-inch scale, but it’s possible with a clever imagination. Cardboard backdrops and bones are insults.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

More The Black Series figures are showing up available. This time Walmart.com has Bo-Katan Kryze and Q9-0 (Zero) for $19.99. Thanks to Mike for the alert!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

ShopDisney has the latest Galaxy’s Edge The Black Series set up for pre-order. Click below for each pre-order page. Thanks to JTA reader Matt for the alert! Use SHIPMAGIC for free shipping on orders over $75.

• Droid Depot (K-7R1, CB-23, Pit Droid, Babu Frik, Battle Droid)
• The First Order (First Order AT-AT Driver, R5 Astromech Droid, Mouse Droid, General Hux)
• Galactic Creatures (Mynock, Porgs, Bogling, Kowakian Monkey Lizards)

According to trade magazine Puck News Kathleen Kennedy’s contract as Lucasfilm CEO was extended for another three years until 2024. There has been no official confirmation by Disney or Lucasfilm yet so there is a slim chance it may not be true, however rumors about Ms Kennedy’s contract renewal were making the rounds in the past weeks with various “sources” reporting that her contract extension is a done deal. Puck News lends a lot of credence to this now since Puck News is a reputable trade magazine run by actual journalists with real industry contacts, and is not a fansite run by fans with “sources”. Other trade magazines also report the story, so despite the lack of an official confirmation it seems the story is true.
Of course no one is privy to what is going on behind the scenes – but in light of yet another quasi canceled movie, Rogue Squadron (according to insiders Patty Jenkins didn’t like the script at all and decided to walk), the once more delayed Indiana Jones 5 and a completely messed up sequel trilogy that ended on a whimper, not forgetting the box office disappointment that was Solo, one has to wonder what convinced Bob Chapek to extend Kathleen Kennedy’s contract. It’s rather telling that the writer for the Puck News article, former Hollywood Reporter editor and entertainment lawyer Matthew Beloni chose this headline to break the news: It’s Time to Take ‘Star Wars’ Movies Away from Kathy Kennedy.

I have nothing to add to this. So, what is your take on things?

Source: Puck News (hidden behind a paywall you can read 1 free article if you sign up)

Piloting the ship for another three years

Hasbro is doing everything to secure a successful campaign for the HasLab The Black Series 6-inch Rancor. But is the effort futile? With lackluster stretch goals and outrageous backer landmarks before you’re entitled to them, this HasLab is souring the customer base. It’s evident Hasbro is in damage-control and panic mode. (more….)

It seems as if Hasbro may become the Rancor’s next meal.

(more…)

Gee. Do you think the Hasbro Star Wars team is starting to panic? As confirmed backers back out of backing the Rancor (numbers are going down instead of up), they’ve just announced that on Friday they will show off a painted prototype of the Rancor and reveal the last two stretch goals tiers in the hope to boost the number of supporters. Don’t expect Oola. But expect a repacked/retooled Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), probably in The Power Of The Force packaging too, and another lackluster reveal. Or will they surprise us?

Howdy, folks, we’re back again with another Toy Run Tuesday. We have a couple weeks time since our last article, so I hope to see some good finds! Please share with us in the comments how your collecting is going. Click here to continue.

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hurry, the Amazon Exclusive Artillery Stormtrooper is back. Thanks to those readers that let us know!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Walmart Plus is touting benefits to members including early access to Black Friday deals. If this interests you, sign up here! It’s too early to tell if this will help you secure any Star Wars deals before they sell out. This is Walmart’s answer to Amazon Prime, giving members free shipping and deals, among other things. Might be worth at least checking out the trial during the holiday shopping season.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Walmart.com currently has The Black Series Archive Princess Leia Organa available to order for $22.99. Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the alert!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Amazon.com has some of their The Black Series figures marked down as low as $13.99 as part of their Early Black Friday sale. Click through for the TBS listing, and scroll through to find them. 

UPDATE: Be sure to check out The Vintage Collection too. Lando Calrissian, IG-11, and Zutton for $9.79 each, and the Tantive IV Hallway Playset marked down to $33.97. 

JTA has just received intel of the next two Tiers: Tier 3 for 15,500 backers, and Tier 4 for 20,000 backers. Click the image below for the reveal! These next two tiers are bound to reduce the number of current backers further to a much lower number, as evidenced by what Tier 2 did to the backer count today!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hasbro’s eBay store has the POTF2-themed Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Han Solo available for $22.52 plus free shipping. Click here to grab one!

*drumroll please* For the second stretch goal (13,500 backers) you can get (what appears to be) a cardboard backdrop and some bones. How is that for motivation? I don’t know, I’m just spitballing here, but shouldn’t a cardboard backdrop already be a part of the packaging diorama? So, does this motivate you any? Let us know if this changes your mind in our comments!

Exciting news, StarWars fans! It’s time to reveal the second stretch goal for the Star Wars The Black Series The Rancor HasLab. When this project reaches 13,500 backers, it unlocks movie-inspired bone accessories and a detailed world-building backdrop to create your very own movie-inspired display!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Han Solo (In Trench Coat).

(more…)

JTA reader Norman S. eagerly anticipated the delivery of The Vintage Collection The Emperor (VC200) figure from Amazon. But when he opened up his perfectly undamaged box, he couldn’t believe the contents inside. Click the images below for a clearer view.

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Klaatu (In Skiff Guard Outfit).

(more…)

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess B-Wing Pilot.

(more…)

A picture says more than a thousand words they say. Well, here is the picture. Click through for a discussion.

(more…)

Not everyone is into repainted action figures, but The Black Series “Credit Collection” is a sub-line too gorgeous to pass up. Hasbro released The Mandalorian (in Beskar armor) is an Amazon exclusive. But why didn’t they call this one Din Djarin? Is yours arriving soon? (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess The Emperor.

(more…)

Excited about what we might see tomorrow for Kenobi? Here’s something to get your anticipation up. Concept Art is making its way around social media from the highly anticipated series. Click through to check out some of the shots! A sizzle reel also popped up for short time but was quickly taken down. Will we get a trailer tomorrow? Or just a sizzle reel? Kenobi is set to drop Fall of 2022!

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Hurry! The Walmart Exclusive Captain Rex is CURRENTLY in stock as of this post for $29.99. If it’s not $29.99, then you missed it. A big thanks to JTA reader Daniel for the alert!

Update: Of course it is now out of stock. Keep checking though, I’ve now seen it out, then back in at least 3 times now. 

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Walmart.com currently has the 2021 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar for $31.99. It’s in stock and ready to ship. This year’s calendar has a The Mandalorian theme.

Yawn. Vice Admiral Rampart is boring. But that’s probably not anyone’s fault. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Poster collectors can now redeem 400 points to acquire the latest Star Wars poster from The Book of Boba Fett. Click here for the redemption page. Don’t forget, if you need points you can pick some up on eBay! 

Meh. If you want four discoloring Stormtrooper action figures, the Hasbro Pulse/Shop Disney exclusive Stormtroopers set is for you. The price is right, but there aren’t enough accessories, and it would be better to see the Imperial Stormtrooper reissued on a card, than stuck in a cardboard box. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Echo (#255) and Omega (#256). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. Click here to view the entire Star Wars Living archive, including individual print runs.

The history of troubled Lucasfilm Star Wars productions just got another entry! The Hollywood Reporter has learned (and rumors were making the rounds before that) that the Rogue Squadron movie which is supposed to be directed by Patty Jenkins will be delayed, for several years at least, maybe even indefinitely. Click through for more!

Screenshot from the Rogue Squadron teaser

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Poster collectors can look forward to picking up the double-sided one sheet for The Book of Boba Fett on Disney Movie Insiders this Wednesday starting at 12 PM Eastern. It’s only 400 points which is great for a poster. If you don’t have 400 points, get them easily and cheaply on eBay! 

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out King Sanjay Rash (#253) and Numa (#254). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. Click here to view the entire Star Wars Living archive, including individual print runs.

This sounds like an excellent setup for a fantastic joke, doesn’t it? Well, it is. File under “you can’t make this crap up if you tried.” JTA reader and dear friend Jim. H. was going wild looking for the new Target exclusive TVC Rogue One Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing Fighter at his local Target. No luck anywhere, whatsoever, just like most of us. But in the same shopping center that has his local Target is another discount store called B2. In B2, Jim found the Target exclusive  The Vintage Collection Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing Fighter on CLEARANCE. It’s hilarious. Receipts below. The Hasbro Star Wars brand is a mockery of itself.

Hasbro completely ignores Star Wars Visions, the anthology series showcasing different takes on the Star Wars universe by Japanese anime studios. Whether you liked the shorts or not, you certainly won’t deny the fact that various character designs or even smaller things like the different lightsabers that more resemble traditional katana are visually striking and would make for excellent (action) figures. But this is a world where Marvel’s “What If” animated series can get a dedicated figure line in Marvel Legends (by the very same company that also has the Star Wars license), but Star Wars Visions gets nothing and things like The Bad Batch and even The Mandalorian get the bare minimum. Japanese toy company Banpresto is now the first to offer at least something for fans of the Visions aesthetics. You can buy three vinyl statues, the main characters from the short “The Twins” and Ronin from the episode of the same title. Why is the support of new Star Wars entertainment by Hasbro so lackluster and seriously lacking in almost any respect? Check out the Visions statues after the jump and let’s also discuss the appaling lack of support for new Star Wars series and movies by Hasbro.

Ronin vinyl statue from Banpresto

(more…)

The not quite cheap Ghostbusters proton pack was fully funded on Friday, the campaign crossed the 7,000 backers threshold and that means Ghostbusters fans can look forward to a really good locking, though quite expensive, proton pack replica. Meanwhile the Rancor crossed the 50% mark on Friday. If the Hasbro livestream was meant to convince people to back the Rancor it had little effect, not all that many people gave the Rancor their support today. The GI Joe Skystriker HasLab also crossed the 50% threshold just now, but both it and the Rancor have slowed down a lot and it will take quite some time before both are fully funded. Now why a $400 Ghostbusters proton pack is fully funded after one week while the $350 Rancor is gaining backers at a snail’s pace and won’t be fully funded for another few weeks is anyone’s guess. There are apparently lots more Ghostbusters fans out there than one might guess. Or maybe people are afraid of ghosts and need something to protect themselves from supernatural apparitions… if you want something to fight ghosts with you can of course still back the proton pack on HasLab.

The Ghostbusters Proton Pack

The Hasbro HasLab Rancor livestream just ended and not much was actually revealed. Hasbro showed photos of a very first prototype, not the actual prototype itself though. And they revealed the very first tier that becomes available once 11,000 people back the Rancor. And what is that tier? A repacked Gamorrean Guard on a Power of the Force card with coin… Click through for a few photos!

(more…)

Get ready for the next live stream from Hasbro. Starting at 11 AM Eastern. Use this article for comments and discussion! What are you hoping to see? Will this focus solely on The Black Series? The Rancor HasLab only? Might we see all of the TBS leaks from earlier this week officially revealed? Will TVC be lost in the shuffle this time? We’ll post a follow-up after the event breaking down any news. 

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Sideshow Collectibles has posted the pre-order pages for today’s Hot Toys The Clone Wars announcements. Click below for direct links to Captain Vaughn and Clone Trooper Jesse.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Walmart.com has the Walmart exclusive TBS Imperial Clone Shock Trooper available. Click here to order! Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the heads up!

Update: Vice Admiral Rampart is also available

Hot Toys reveals another The Clone Wars release this morning. Click through to check out the full details and gallery for Captain Vaughn (TMS065).

(more…)

Check out the latest Hot Toys release from The Clone Wars: Clone Trooper Jesse (MS064). Click through for complete details and gallery images!

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

Holy smokes! Check out the AWESOME VINTAGE KENNER 2022 CALENDAR on Amazon. It looks like someone who designed this got inspiration from our Vintage Kenner Research Droids Reviews! Aside from an awful Disney logo, the calendar set is gorgeous. Check it out. I just ordered mine. Special thanks to friend Alientek for the alert!

Target has put up pre-orders again for The Black Series 6-inch Galen Erso and Antoc Merrick if you still need them. Many collectors’ orders were canceled when they first went up. Plus, they’re running a Buy One Get One 50% sale too! Special thanks to JTA reader 11Eleven11 for the alert!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Wicket W. Warrick.

(more…)

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Princess Leia Organa (In Combat Poncho).

(more…)

Yawn. Crosshair (Imperial) is a little boring. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Hasbro is having another Fan First Friday event this Friday at 11 AM where the topic will The Black Series Haslab Rancor. Click here for the event page.

Good afternoon, toy runners! I have a few exciting photos for you to feast your eyes upon today. I was able to attend not one, but TWO toy shows in the Phoenix area this weekend. I also received my exclusive Emperor deluxe set. What did you get this week? Leave a comment here.

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

As of this post, ARC Trooper Echo (VC176) is available on Amazon for $12.99. Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the alert!

Update: Sold out

Week 4 of Bring Home the Bounty showcases the already sold out Walmart exclusive The Black Series Clone Wars figures. But wait… they were available again! But sold out. Maybe they will go back up? Keep checking! I didn’t see the other two in stock, but General Grievous was available for a short time when I checked. Also revealed is the Clone Wars packaging for this set.

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess 8D8.

(more…)

It’s another exclusive version of a 6-inch Clone Captain Rex. And this one sold out the moment you blinked your eyes. How does it look? (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Giancarlo Esposito who portrays Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian attended a Fan Expo in Denver over the weekend. He gave an hour-long Q&A and close to the end of the panel one young Mandalorian fan wanted to know of Giancarlo which of his Mandalorian co-stars is his favorite to work with. Giancarlo hesitates for a split second but then goes ahead and gives his honest answer… so who is his favorite co-star? Click through to find out! You can also click on the image below to watch the clip with the question and answer on YouTube!

Click the image to watch the relevant segment of the Q&A

(more…)

Hasbro Pulse has dropped the pre-order for the Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Princess Leia Organa (Yavin-4), featured on the commemorative The Power of the Force [Green] Card Back. Click here for the pre-order page!

The Book of Boba Fett trailer just dropped… What do you think? Let us know in the comments! Click through to watch!

UPDATE: Screenshots added!

(more…)

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

ShopDisney has also added this year’s Holiday Edition figure: R5-D33R. Click here to order!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

ShopDisney has an all-new Holiday-themed Droid Factory 4-Pack available. Click here for the order page. Thanks to JTA reader Mark for the alert!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Nikto.

(more…)