Ibtisam/Nrin Vakil - TLC - Comic Packs (Exclusive)

Ibtisam and Nrin Vakil seem destined to be enemies: Ibtisam is a Mon Calamari and Vakil is a Quarren – two species that have been foes for centuries. Yet an unlikely friendship evolves on a mission to Malrev. Ibtisam finds herself becoming attached to the stoic Nrin Vakil, while Nrin's initial animosity turns to respect for the courageous Mon Calamari, proving that the bonds of friendship can rise above the blind hostility of the past.

Because the Mon Calamari and Quarrens are natural born enemies inhabiting the same planet, it was very interesting to get a Comic Packs set including one of each fighting together for the same cause in the same X-wing fighter pilot outfits for the ultimate benefit of the Rebel Alliance. And although they initially butted heads Ibtisam and Nrin Vakil ended their animosity (and became quite close) and worked together as a team. Ibtisam and Nrin Vakil (yes, we can barely pronounce the names either) are very cool Rebels and despite their species’ history, look great together in their trademark X-wing fighter pilot uniforms. Ibtisam is a blue skinned female Mon Calamari while Nrin Vakil is a traditionally colored male Quarren. They have uniquely sculpted helmets to fit flawlessly over their uniquely shaped heads and are appropriately scaled to one another. They both are from retooled figures: one that was originally included in the Rebel Pilot Legacy Evolutions set (Ibtisam from the female X-wing pilot body) and the other from the 2006 VTSC Luke Skywalker: X-wing Fighter Pilot figure (Nrin Vakil), but only portions of Luke Skywalker have been used for Nrin Vakil. The rest of the figure is all-new. As you can imagine, these are great action figures bodies, but Ibtisam and Nrin Vakil are so much more than old figures with new heads. The body (especially on Nrin Vakil) has been retooled quite a bit to allow for the species specific characteristics and well as additional height given as needed to be in the most appropriate scale possible. You can see how the white vest and pant legs are longer than the ones featured on the vintage Luke X-wing pilot figure.

The paint application on both figures is stunning (especially on the portraits). Hasbro included quite a bit of unnecessary but welcomed additional details with these beautiful paint jobs. Hasbro has also provided collectors with consistency here. Almost every packaged sample we came across at Walmart had an equally good quality when it came to paint application. The detail is stunning and the color choices are clever and authentic. It seems Hasbro has been putting some extra time (at the factory level) to ensure that the art of the figure isn’t compromised by shoddy paint jobs. It is applied very carefully and we are extremely thankful for this because it will always be our opinion that paint can make or break the final result of the figure. Since these figures were based off of Evolutions and Vintage figures, Ibtisam and Nrin Vakil are premium and super-articulated figures that blend in beautifully with your X-wing fighter squadrons very well. And of course they look equally awesome in an X-wing fighter vehicle. With the proper amount of playing, the figures can be put in stances that will most likely last the test of time. They both stand very well and they look fantastic posed next to any Rebel vehicle and other Rebel pilot for that matter. Hasbro certainly has done their part in making these excellent action figures and we are so thankful to the attention to detail given them. These figures are also “vintage” in spirit because they are very reminiscent of two action figures we got in 1983. You know who they are! They are recognizable because we know both species and it is so great to see them in a new light.

The Mon Calmari/Quarren concept is certainly making its way through The Legacy Collection. We received both species in wave 2 of TLC as Mon Calamari Warrior and Quarren Soldier. And now we get both species again as part of a Comic Packs set. We honestly cannot get enough of them and we hope Hasbro continues to bring us more and well as update the characters from the film as well. It would be awesome to know get another Tessek and Admiral Ackbar in the basic figure line. This Comic Packs release was one of three exclusive sets only available at Walmart. This particular set is based on Star Wars: X-wing Rogue Squadron (#19). The set also comes with this comic reprint if you are into such things. (Apparently, many of you are into the comic book reprints.) They have shipped in heavy numbers and should be easy to locate for a good time after their release. This set is worth every penny and it would be erroneous to pass this set by. Rebel pilots also seem to be a focus for Hasbro these days, and likewise we are very grateful for this too. Who would have ever thought that we would ever to be able to attain such a diverse sampling of Rebel pilots? And what is more fascinating is that there is a whole list of Rebel pilots still yet to be made! So we look forward to what else Hasbro has yet to dish out to us. In summary, this is a highly recommended product, especially for X-wing fans. These figures may never ship again after this exclusive run, so we suggest you pick it up while you see it.