Koffi Arana/Bultar Swan - TAC - Comic Packs (No. 13)

Star Wars fans were eager when they heard the announcement of the Star Wars: Purge comics. After Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith was released, we all were hankering for more and desperately wanted to see Darth Vader kick some major galactic butt in his iron lung outfit. That came to pass in the Star Wars: Purge series and we saw one to one combat battle between the newly hailed Dark Lord of the Sith and the few surviving Jedi after the execution of Order 66. Hasbro developed a couple of items for us based on this source. (The 2008 TAC Tsui Choi/BARC Trooper (3 of 6) Order 66 (Series 2) set comes readily to mind.) Hasbro based a Comic Packs set also on the Star Wars: Purge comics and we have two new Jedi to add to the fold. Koffi Arana and the first time available Bultar Swan gets a chance as action figures. The set is nice, but again, like many others it isn’t perfect. But it should be enough to whet your appetite for now. Another Comic Packs set with two all-new figures, this is definitely worth the mere $9.99 price tag it commands.

Koffi Arana is probably the closest to definitive as we’re going to get from him. Although retconned in Episode III, this is the first time we see him by name and he has been outfitted in an eye-catching red outfit. He’s well accessorized and comes with a sword, blue lightsaber and the right severed arm of Darth Vader! How cool is that? Ironically, he dies by Vader’s hand later on in the comics. He’s loaded with premium articulation, but still coming with swivel elbows unfortunately, Hasbro has sculpted a figure with tons of detail and the sculptors have faithfully replicated his look from the comics. He is another bulky figure in the Comic Packs line and definitely has some weight to him. He comes without ankle joints, but he has plenty of articulation elsewhere that should make you happy. Looking quite different from his appearance in Episode III, if you didn’t know any better you’d probably think that Koffi Arana was a bounty hunter instead of a Jedi trying to protect the galaxy’s freedom from Imperial rule.

Bultar Swan is a bit of a disappointment. The most noticeable thing about her we don’t like is her face. She doesn’t look like the beautiful woman in the comics. But that has more to do with the way Hasbro decided to approach this figure. Bultar Swan has a painted-on face instead of a sculpted face enhanced with paint. When Hasbro paints figure with flesh tones, it gives the action figure a very unnatural and “plastic” look. And that’s exactly what happened here. She barely looks of Asian descent and her problems are worsened by the lack of any articulation below the hips. She is however loaded with articulation above the hips and he can swing a mean lightsaber if you so choose to have her do that. She has nicely decorated chest armor. There is a lot of dirt on it and it has been well sculpted to fit around her torso. And although we are not crazy about her prepositioned action stance legs, they suit her well by preventing her from falling over. A great set overall, this is one you’ll want to track. You may want to wait for a better Bultar Swan also.