Lando Calrissian/Stormtrooper - TAC - Comic Packs (Exclusive)

Walmart really seems to like the Comic Packs concept. It appears to be mainstay in their exclusive program with Hasbro and we are on a yearly rotation for getting three “Walmart only” sets at a time. The first three exclusive Comic Packs were really something quite special and fans were thrilled with the source selection and quality of action figures included in them. The second exclusive batch weren’t as exciting however. Hasbro took a few steps backwards and while there are some cool figures in them, they just don’t match the same level of “good” as the 2007 exclusive wave. The sets will definitely appeal to a niche audience and “one of everything” collectors will see them as a must-have, but they are definitely lacking some of the magic of the 2007 exclusives. One of the 2008 sets, Lando Calrissian/Stormtrooper brings collectors two more Marvel-inspired figures that were based on two very good Vintage-styled action figures (from 2004). Save for the paint applications, these figures aren’t that much different and we are quite surprised that this set was considered for release. Surprised or not, this Comic Packs set should inspire purchase for Marvel comic book fans and we would go even further and make the claim that we bet fans of The Empire Strikes Back will become interested as well. It is an exclusive that is not really essential to your collection, but it does round out the rest of the Marvel-inspired Comic Packs very nicely. Lando Calrissian does not see release that often in the Star Wars toy line. And it is particularly nice to get a version of him that is different from the rest.

Lando Calrissian is a repaint of the 2004 VOTC Lando Calrissian figure. This is a great action figure with a good likeness to Billy Dee Williams and beautiful use of soft-goods. This time around, the gold lining of his cape has been replaced with a scarlet red to better match his appearance in the comics. His eyes have been painted in a different fashion from the VOTC figure too lending a “deer in headlights” kind of expression on his face. This of course make the paint job on the head inferior, but perhaps Hasbro intended to recreate a more comic book faithful appearance by going with this style. The figure unfortunately has swivel elbow joints and by now you know we are not fans of this method of articulation. But the rest of Lando is painted very nicely and the rest of his articulation is as good as ever. Due to the way Lando’s leg articulation was assembled, he can be posed in more natural and action-oriented states than the average super-articulated action figure. You can pose him stepping forward or leaning back and he will maintain this pose with great ease. (See photo gallery for examples of these instances.) He comes with his standard blaster which of course fits perfectly into his hand. The drape of his cape is accentuated thanks to a new wire places in the lower hem and while it can work against you while trying to attain a pose, it does allow for a very striking result if you get it in the pose you want. While Lando appears to have very similar colored pants and shirt from the VOTC figure, they are indeed different this time around. In fact, we have noticed a “texturizing” wash that gives some extra character to his stylish threads.

The Stormtrooper included in this set is a repaint of the 2004 VOTC Stormtrooper figure. This time around the Stormtrooper has blue color flashes on his arms and belt to closely match the ones seen in the comic book. The joints on the figure have been tightened up quite a bit so posing his becomes a lot easier with this release. The blue looks fantastic on him and it immediately reminds us of the Stormtrooper Commander or 501st Legion Trooper. Albeit a much lighter blue, it gives the Stormtrooper the extra edge it needs to stand out from the crowd. This exclusive Comic Packs set is definitely not the most exciting pack we have seen out there, but we must admit that there is something special about seeing two characters from The Empire Strikes Back packaged together. As a result, this was the one set of the three that sold through the quickest. We do have to expect Hasbro to repaint older action figures here and there to help them “cost out” all new tooling for other sets. And it Hasbro can keep cranking out repaints like this it makes it very worthwhile for collectors. As an interesting side note, typically the exclusive Comic Packs are unnumbered. However, if you sift through the included reproduction comic book, you will see this set identified as Comic Packs #26. it makes us wonder if this was intended for mainline release. Hasbro does seem to be falling behind their schedule when it comes to Comic Packs. Hey, if releasing exclusives can guarantee that these sets keep coming, we are more than fine with it.