Commander Gree - Mini Busts

Clone Commander Gree, designation 1004, led the Elite Corps stationed on Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. Her served under General Yoda, commanding troops that employed specialized equipment for combat in the jungle environment. Gree himself wore camouflaged armor to better blend into the verdant surroundings. Though a faithful commander who carried out Yoda's orders, Gree was ultimately loyal to the Republic. When Chancellor Palpatine enacted Order 66, Gree understood it was a worst-case scenario contingency -- the Jedi had betrayed the Republic, and were therefore dangerous enemies of the state.

If there is one thing that Star Wars collectors want to see in their collectibles it’s got to be accuracy. Things didn’t go so well for Commander Gree however. Eager to release this character before the Revenge Of The Sith line ended, Hasbro hastily repainted 2005’s ROTS Clone Trooper (III 41) figure and turned it into Commander Gree (III 59). While the efforts may have been appreciated, it was technically unjust to do this to Commander Gree because his “costume” (for lack of a better term) was unique and differed in more than a few ways from the standard “all white” phase II clone trooper. To make matters worse, Hasbro gave Commander Gree incorrect helmet deco. And even with a mid-production paint operations running change, they still neglected to correct the rather glaring error on the helmet. It wasn’t until 2007 that the first Star Wars licensee recreated Commander Gree’s paint job flawlessly. Gentle Giant Ltd. did a marvelous job on the Commander Gree Mini Bust and deemed him a Star Wars Celebration IV exclusive with a limited run of only 2500 pieces. He went fast and furious and Mini Bust collectors in general were thrilled to finally have the leader of the 41st Elite Corps in their collections. With a stunningly dynamic sculpt and a gorgeous paint job, Commander Gree is a Mini Bust you’ll want to proudly display in your collection.

Unlike the modular phase II Clone Trooper Mini Busts from 2006, Commander Gree comes without any interchangeability. However, some of his parts are removable, including the head sculpt and two hands (one is holding his DC-15 blaster rifle). In our opinion, while all of the 2007 clone commander come with removable heads, it’s very fitting that Gree does since he is one of the only clones decapitated in Revenge Of The Sith. While not too much new is brought to the table with the pose, new pieces to the armor have been designed and added here, most notably the suspenders. In order to appreciate just how much work went into the deco, you really need to take some time and inspect how the colors were applied. Multiple layers of the different shades (but in the same color family) of color were utilized to bring texture and show texture in the armor. Then Gentle Giant added plenty of battle-damage including carbon scoring and scratches to give Commander Gree the believability that he’s found one too many battles in the Clone Wars. His helmet is especially done well. All of the colors are present and the patterns formed from the alternating silver and camouflage green form a precise replica of what we saw in Episode III. Commander Gree scores high marks in artistry. And we’re so thankful that Gentle Giant exhausted so many reference materials to get it all right.

As mentioned earlier, Commander Gree is part of Gentle Giant Ltd.’s 2007 World Tour. For each 2007 convention they attend they offered an exclusive clone commander Mini Bust. Celebration IV is the lucky recipient of Commander Gree. At $49.99, the Commander Gree Mini Bust has an MSRP that we feel is a bit too low. Don’t get us wrong, we’re very happy to pay less for something than more, but Commander Gree is done so well, it seems that Gentle Giant could have charged more for the piece. Commander Gree is testament to the reevaluated position Gentle Giant Ltd. has taken with the Mini Bust line. It’s evident that they are committed to a newly revitalized standard of quality. No shortcuts were taken with the 2007 clone commanders. They are done so well that they will stand the test of time and remain definitive versions of these characters in this format. We’re encouraged by the proof Commander Gree brings forth to the Mini Bust line. Just like the other clone commanders, the first 500 pieces of Commander Gree were set aside and released in a boxed set where each clone commander shared the same edition number. This was a truly collectible way to engage Premier Guild Members. The sets instantly began going for an arm and a leg on eBay and remain a hot commodity. But if you can get the clone commanders separately, we suggest that as well. You don’t want to be without them.