Monthly Archives: June 2024
Throw away your VC93 Darth Vader figure! It’s officially obsolete! Hasbro gave longtime collectors a gift with the updated and upgraded Darth Vader figure based on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It’s an absolute must-have action figure. Check it out in our Research Droids Reviews today (more….)
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In all the excitement about the “Stranger” helmet from The Acolyte yesterday it was overlooked that IGN actually revealed Hasbro’s 2024 SDCC exclusive The Black Series set as well!
It is Darth Maul with his speeder bike! Which is the first Black Series vehicle in a long, long time, albeit a very compact and small one. The set will be $59.99. You can get it at SDCC, but you must reserve a time slot online (with a valid badge/ticket of course), then you show up at the Hasbro booth at the alotted slot to buy the set. After SDCC a limited quantity of sets will also be sold on Pulse. I would suppose etailers outside the US will as usual also get a limited number of sets.
Maul has soft goods robes, so he can actually ride the speeder, in addition to his iconic lightsaber he also comes with a probe droid (with stand) and his binoculars. So the only new thing here really is the speeder.
What is your opinion? Is this a good set? I think the speeder is a welcome addition to the line. To make it an SDCC exclusive is… typical. However, SH Figuarts released the speeder years ago as a web exclusive. Unfortunately the speeder was also a limited release and you need to hunt it down on the aftermarket and prices will be pretty high (and it comes without figure, but SHF have a soft goods Darth Maul as well). But anyone not attending SDCC and having no luck with Pulse and has to resort to the aftermarket should see if aftermarket prices for the Black Series set on ebay won’t make the SHF speeder a viable alternative (and it does look better). The SHF speeder goes for about $230 on ebay. First sellers already offer the Black Series SDCC set for $220.
Will you try to get the TBS SDCC exclusive?
SDCC exclusive
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Hasbro Pulse has the former pipelined The Black Series Rebel Trooper & Stormtrooper 2-Pack available for pre-order. Click here for the product page.
UPDATE: Also available on Amazon and Entertainment Earth.
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Pre-orders are now open for the latest The Black Series helmet release. Head to Entertainment Earth to check out The Stranger Premium Electronic Helmet.
Tags: Life-Size Helmets, Pre-Orders, The Acolyte (Disney+ Series), The Black Series [Phase IV]
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It’s another excellent re-release! Hasbro re-adds Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot) to the lineup with enhanced Photo Real and card art. The figure hasn’t looked better. We took the time to summarize all the new details for you by producing an all-new 60-image gallery complete with comparison shots and a breakdown of what separates the 2019 version from the 2024 reissue in the Collector Notes. See this essential figure, which has been updated in our RDRs now! There’s more difference here than you may realize.
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Revealed today, now you can own your very own Smilo Ren helmet. Pre-orders start tomorrow! Read the full report over at Collider.
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After last week’s “Day” we get “Night” this week. I wish this was a joke. Anyway, this week’s episode finally reveals the super obvious identity of Smilo Ren. And yes it actually is who everyone said it was from the very beginning… even if some people hoped that Leslye Headland can’t be THAT obvious. Turns out… she is!
What else… in some ways this was the best episode yet. Because it had the least amount of dialogue, half of the episode is just fighting in a dark forest. But make no mistake, the plot we get is still as nonsensical as humanly possible and it may make you question life, the universe and all the rest. I cannot believe anyone who read the scripts greenlit this. It’s even more mysterious why this was given a budget of $180 million. Or why Iger lets Kennedy do as she pleases. I am literally dumbfounded after this episode.
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It’s another impressive re-release! Hasbro FINALLY gets Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) right as an Episode IV version of the classic astromech droid. With a “clean” deco, a shinier silvery dome, corrected legs, and upgraded card art, collectors have much to be thankful for here. The figure hasn’t looked better. We took the time to summarize all the new details for you by producing an all-new 60-image gallery complete with comparison shots and a breakdown of what separates the 2019 version from the 2024 reissue in the Collector Notes. See this lovely figure updated in our RDRs now! There’s more difference here than you may realize.
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We are more than halfway through the campaign, only 14 days left for the Cantina! How are things? Click through for more!
Out of reach?
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The new Luminate Streaming Charts were released earlier today on Variety. While we still have to wait about two weeks until Nielsen will finally release their numbers for the premiere of The Acolyte, Luminate releases numbers in a much more timely fashion, these are the charts for the June 13th – June 20th period, which includes the release of last week’s episode. And how did The Acolyte do? Well…
Spoiler!
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The next round of character posters were released this week for The Acolyte. Click below to check them out, along with a bio poster for each character.
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Denuo Novo has two new helmets from Rogue One available for pre-order. Click through to check out the Death Trooper and Death Trooper Specialist helmets.
Tags: Death Trooper, Death Trooper Specialist, Life-Size Helmets, Pre-Orders, Prop Replicas
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Hot Toys just revealed their latest sixth scale figure from The Phantom Menace! Click through to check out the Droideka (MMS755) sixth scale figure!
This is also up for pre-order right now.
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WHAT. DID. I. JUST. WATCH????
I don’t know what to say. Only that, in my opinion, I watched the most nonsensical 30 minutes of Star Wars EVER. And this although we had slowmo Space Vespa chases, Kenobi being too dumb to walk around a laser barrier, hiding Lil Leia under a coat with no one noticing that they are walking around in an enemy base, Boba Fett getting tired every 20 minutes and Sabine (and Reva) shrugging off full lightsaber torso penetration just like that.
We need to talk about a lot of things. I also need grief counseling. So please click through for my spoiler review of “Day”, the worst Star Wars streaming episode ever. Yet. This was even worse than The Last Jedi. And four more episodes of The Acolyte are still to come. Someone please help me.
Make it stop, please!
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Nielsen is no longer the only game in town when it comes to streaming charts. Luminate is a new player on the market and they cooperate with Variety, who post the weekly Luminate streaming charts. Luminate themselves are not posting any charts on their website, this is a paid service. They are aiming at industry pros and analysts. Anyway, so what does Luminate say about The Acolyte? Click through to find out more!
The power of…. not so many
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As promised here is the next major update for the Cantina HasLab. Day 11 is almost over, so what are the numbers now, one week later? Click through for all the relevant data!
Update with Thursday numbers in the comments!
$399.99
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New to the Star Wars high-end collectibles game, Premium Collectibles Studio introduces their first Star Wars collectible: Darth Maul 1:3 Scale Epic Series Statue. Click here for the pre-order page and a full gallery.
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That escalated quickly!
Yup! This is happening…
Discuss away… and remember, this is supposed to be fun! Please do not take any of this seriously!
UPDATE: down to 15% now… could this reach single digit territory? As a famous pop culture icon would say: “Fascinating”!
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While user scores at sites like IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic are not the be all end all and will never tell any individual viewer whether or not he or she will like something, they are still a good indicator of what the general consensus by viewers is. High or low ratings almost always have their good reasons, and that reason is not “review bombing” despite what some media outlets claim. So how do things look for The Acolyte? Click through for a closer look!
Spoiler
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Most of yesterday’s announcements are now available to pre-order. Click below for various pre-order links!
The Black Series
- Osha Aniseya (Entertainment Earth • Amazon)
- Osha Aniseya (Holocomm Collection) (Pulse)
- Ezra Bridger (Holocomm Collection) (Entertainment Earth • GameStop)
The Vintage Collection
- Osha Aniseya (Entertainment Earth • Amazon)
Retro Collection
- The Acolyte 6-Pack (Entertainment Earth • Amazon)
The Black Series Reissues
- Cal Kestis (Entertainment Earth)
- Plo-Koon (Entertainment Earth)
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I have written about surveys and polls that aim to shed light on the demographics of Star Wars fans before. The surveys I quoted all more or less agree that about 40% of the fans are women. And actual movie attendance data by the MPAA supports this, the three movies in their report: The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi were watched by approx. 40% women. However, all of these surveys and polls are US only. But now a new analysis by Parrot Analytics, via Yahoo (who repost a The Wrap article hidden behind a paywall), has surfaced that takes a look at the all time global (so not just the US) demographics of Star Wars fans. They compare Star Wars to Marvel to see where the differences are. And the findings are very interesting! Click through for more!
Star Wars fans in the wild
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I am up very early so you folks can read all about last night’s episode of The Acolyte. The offensive, lore-breaking episode that will forever ruin Star Wars, steal your girlfriend away and crash your car … In truth, none of that actually is accurate. The episode is not offensive, it’s not lore-breaking and it does not ruin Star Wars. Instead it may just waste your time, insult your intelligence and leave you wondering what the effing eff you just watched. But make no mistake: none of it is offensive. Other than offensively stupid maybe.
So yes, there are lots of things to talk about. Click here or on the banner to read my very spoilery spoiler review of “Destiny”, the Acolyte episode that does NOT ruin Star Wars forever or redefines the Force and makes it female. Some people really need to get a life. Whatever. Let’s discuss!
UPDATE: I rewatched a few scenes and found definitive proof of what is going on in this episode and that The Acolyte will indeed copy the movie Roshomon, i.e. episode 3 is not the full story and we will get a second flashback that shows us the real events / the full version, because episode 3 leaves out many key events and the new detail I found proves it. I updated the review to discuss this additional detail.
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Let’s make this quick. Hasbro revealed various new things today!
The Black Series:
- Osha (accessories are her little droid companion and a backpack)
- Shin Hati with a new hat, no with cloth cape, a Target exclusive figure
The Vintage Collection:
- Osha with her droid and backpack and some other stuff
Retro:
- Sol, Jecki, Yord, Osha, Mae, Aniseya 6-pack!
Preorders should open tomorrow at 1 pm!
Click through for some photos!
TVC Osha Aniseya
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After reporting pointless day 1 numbers for the first episode of The Acolyte (because they never did so for anything before), Disney released 5-day numbers last night, just like they did for Ahsoka. And the first episode of The Acolyte had 11.1 million views worldwide, according to Disney. Which makes it the second least watched Star Wars series premiere on Disney+. Click through for more!
Fandom lovingy dubbed this guy “Order 66 Chicken McNuggets”. At least his name is not “Porkins”…
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While there is virtually zero doubt that the Cantina HasLab will get funded, it is still interesting to compare the current campaign to the Ghost and the Razor Crest HasLabs. And when you do you cannot fail but notice how the 2024 crowdfunding campaign is off to a much slower start than the either the Ghost or the Razor Crest. What does that mean? How do the numbers compare? Click through for more!
UPDATED!
Not as sexy maybe?
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… at least as far as auctions of rare toys are concerned. Until recently a Barbie doll with diamond necklace, that sold for $302,500 in 2010 in an auction, was the single most expensive toy in the world. But not anymore.
A short while ago Heritage Auctions managed to sell a rocket firing Boba Fett handpainted prototype figure from 1979 for an astounding $525,000. So, who of you was it? And you do know it belongs in a museum, right?
But this is once more proof that Star Wars can still be at the top. The pop cultural impact of the first movies and the classic Kenner toys should never be underestimated. Let’s see what a Rose Tico figure may sell for in 2060…
Here you can look at the listing on the Heritage Auctions website! Apparently the new owner is accepting offers, but you have to fork out at least $787,500. Maybe now is the time to play the lottery.
The most expensive toy in the world
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Amazon has The Vintage Collection N-1 Starfighter on sale right now for $96.49. Click here for the product page.
Other current The Vintage Collection deals:
- Moff Jerjerrod – $9.99
- Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) – $9.99
- Fennec Shand – $7.49
- Ahsoka Tano (Ahsoka) – $8.99
- Ahsoka Tano (TCW) – $7.49
- Morgan Elsbeth – $8.49
- Obi-Wan Kenobi/Darth Vader 2-pack – $35.49
- The Bad Batch 4-pack – $54.49
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And to no one’s surprise (after the leak), the next HasLab will be the Mos Eisley Cantina. You can head over and start backing now! And, it WILL include the long-awaited Tonnika Sisters!
Featuring a base version ($399.99) and a Deluxe version ($499.99).
Click through for some photos and some more details!
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Hasbro is ready to ‘officially’ reveal their next The Vintage Collection HasLab today, kicking off their live stream at 11 AM Eastern. Will you be surprised? Tune in right here, or over at the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel for today’s event!
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DisneyStore.com has the Galactic Starcruiser Legacy Lightsaber Hilt available, previously only available at Galaxy’s Edge. Click here for the product page.
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Hasbro will officially launch their latest The Vintage Collection HasLab this Friday, June 7 at 11 AM Eastern. You can check back here on Friday or tune in over at the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel at 11 AM.
The Force is calling on you, StarWars fans, to tune into the Hasbro Pulse Star Wars Fanstream for the reveal of the next Star Wars The Vintage Collection HasLab! Join the Hasbro Star Wars team on our YouTube channel this Friday, June 7th, at 11:00am ET as they give you the first look at this must-have for your collection, including all the exciting details and news you need to know to make sure you don’t miss out!
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The Acolyte… much was talked about this show before. Some delusional idiot claimed it’s not even a real project and that it will never be released… others read what showrunner Headland and various actors have to say and were somewhat suspicious of what on Earth they will make. But the wait is over and we have the first two episodes of The Acolyte. So what’s it like? I will say this: “Boring” & “Stupid”. Whereas even bad Obi-Wan Kenobi and bad The Book of Boba Fett episodes at least had some charm and likable characters. Also, if you like the Jedi you should probably watch something else. Headland was not kidding when she said her show won’t be kind to the Jedi. If you want to know more or discuss the first two episodes click here or on the banner for my review of the first two episodes.
This happens 5 minutes into the show… so not even a spoiler really
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Here’s the latest round of reissued The Black Series figures. Pre-order these at Entertainment Earth:
Tags: Entertainment Earth, The Black Series [Phase III], The Black Series [Phase IV]
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New reveal in The Black Series: Mandalorian Shriek-Hawk Trainers. This set will be available exclusively at Walmart this Fall for $44.99, likely debuting at their fall Collector Con event.
Also revealed is the single-pack Target exclusive Mandalorian Shriek-Hawk.
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We’re excited to announce the launch of our The Vintage Collection Card Collecting Resource Guide! While we’re still adding high-resolution samples, the guide is fully laid out and ready for you to explore. It’s an invaluable resource for carded collectors, especially if you’re new to the hobby. Enjoy!
In addition to our main guide, we’ve created a companion guide: The Vintage Collection Reissue Guide. This sub-guide is designed to help collectors navigate the world of modern reissues in The Vintage Collection.
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The Official Star Wars Social Media outlets dropped 5 character posters for the upcoming The Acolyte series. This time they have added a complementary short bio for each character. Click below to check them out.
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