Great vintage-style figure or Greatest Vintage-style figure? You be the judge.

Bossk is one of the 6 Bounty hunters seen on the bridge of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer in "The Empire Strikes Back". While Boba Fett gets all the glory, the other Bounty Hunters get no love. That is, until Hasbro included them in their Vintage figure line.

This may be one of the greatest Star Wars action figures ever made.

Now I am no Bossk fanboy. I love the bounty hunters as much as the next guy, but Bossk never did it for me. The vintage version just looked lame. But I ended up reading Tales of the Bounty Hunters, a 1996 anthology of short stories based on the characters tasked with finding Captain Solo. It fleshed out each of the characters so much that it renewed my interest in those lesser characters, even Dengar.

So why is this figure so great?

First, the vintage card back. Hasbro included Bossk as part of it's vintage collection, a line that brought classic characters and packaging to the new era. The card back is the same as the vintage toy, but the figure is all new. It takes advantage of all of the recent advances in Hasbro figures.

The sculpt is awesome. Every scale stands out, every button on his outfit. Paint application is flawless. His outfit is molded out of several different pieces, with the breathing apparatus and parts of his flight suit being separate.

Articulation is amazing for a figure this size. I count 17 points of articulation in this little guy. He just looks amazing.

It's really too bad that Hasbro doesn't do all their figures like this. I'd gladly pay $10 a figure for improved articulation and detailing.

Cute little bounty hunters - Does it get any better?

As has been shown previously, I have an unnatural love of 4-LOM. That insectoid bounty hunter who gets only .002 second of screen time but has lasted a lifetime in my heart. You can take your C-3P0, your EV-9D9 - Give me 4-LOM.

This little bugger came out as part of Medicom's Star Wars Series 1 Kubrick Line.

4-LOM even comes with a cute little blaster rifle.

Not too much else to say about this guy - what an adorable robotic death messenger!

Sideshow Collectibles' latest release is called Luke Skywalker - Rebel Commander - Bespin, the Empire called him a Terrorist and the Rebel Alliance called him a Hero in the Battle of Yavin but I like to call him - Lefty.

Luke (as he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back) has always been my favorite version of the character. Back when I was a kid, my Kenner action figure was always in the middle of my backyard/beach side adventures no matter what the scenario was.

I’m not sure what it is about him at this stage of his Hero’s Journey that appeals so much to me. Perhaps it is his altruistic notions of good and evil and the youthful ideal he represents, then again it might be the fact that those same ideals are shattered at this stage of his journey as he recklessly rushes off to confront (unknowingly) his father.

I do know that the same revelation that shocked Luke in his confrontation with Darth Vader also shocked me as a kid, so much so my father and I debated for years whether he was telling the truth or lying. It would be three years after all before we would know for sure.

For whatever reason he appeals to me; he does - so when I heard that this version of Luke was in the pipeline at Sideshow Collectibles for their 12 inch line I was pretty excited. Sideshow Collectibles has been scoring an A+ as far as I am concerned with the quality of their previous 12 inch pose-able figures.

Sideshow Collectibles has been doing 12 inch, high-detail; highly pose-able figures from Star Wars for almost 2 years now. Each character they do comes in both a Standard version and Exclusive version. Both versions are limited, meaning when the character is gone, it’s gone (Trust me, I begged for them to reissue the Jedi version of Luke I missed. Not happening.) The Exclusive version is also limited (usually less than half the number of the Standard edition run) but will also include an exclusive accessory. In the case of Luke here it is an Auto Tourniquet for his handless limb.Exclusive versions are only available thru Sideshow Collectibles.

Luke comes in what is best described as a book style package with two window boxes that close in on each other. The flap that folds over the side of the box has magnets built in to hold it closed. A little detail that shows how much attention Sideshow puts into this line. If they are putting magnets in the box lid what could they possibly be doing to the figures?

Included in the box are :

• 4 sets of hands - 2 for gripping the Lightsaber, 1 for the pistol and 1 open/casual hand
• 2 Lightsabers - 1 ignited, 1 not
• Sideshow Exclusive Auto Tourniquet (Bacta/Wound Unit for hand)
• Hand Stump (yes a cauterized stump to put on the end of his arm)
• Pistol
• Stand

The weapons that are included in the box are as detailed as the props from the movies. Seriously, look at these.

The hands do pull off and are swappable, so yes... you can make him earn his nickname, Lefty.

Luke features over 40 points of articulation allowing for a full range of motion and pose-ability options. There are joints just about every where a real human body has including little details like a neck that can look up or down to shoulders that slide forward and back.

The head sculpt is a dead on likeness of Mark Hamill and dosen't look too big or too small.

The outfit Luke wears is made completely of cloth and even appears to be made of the same material used in the creation of the costume making for a very sharp looking figure. I have found in the past with other manufacturers this outfit in the 12 inch scale has looked ill fitted. That is not the case here with Sideshow Collectibles version and has nailed the fitted look just right.

Luke’s outfit comes with the following:

• Pants
• Boots
• Tank Top
• Jacket
• Utility belt with Lightsaber hook and holster

Only the boots and utility belt are made of plastic with the Lightsaber hook on the belt being made of metal.

The holster is made of a leather looking material and features a magnet built in so the strap sticks to the holster. Which brings me to my one complaint. The material is so fragile that I ripped the strap right off of the holster trying to put the pistol in the holster the first time. It's easily fixable with some crazy glue or a hot glue gun. So note to future buyers be careful with that holster when putting the pistol in it.

In case you can't tell yet I do really like this figure. Sideshow Collectibles continues the fine tradition they have set for themselves in keeping that Quality bar set real high. If you are a fan of Star Wars and have a favorite "iconic" character from the Saga, you owe it to yourself to pick one up. It will look real sharp added to your collection, I promise.

Now if they could just hurry up and do a Darth Vader and a Yoda, I would be one happy fan boy.

The Luke in this review is the sold-out limited version with the Bacta Unit for his arm (limited to 1980 pcs - get it?)But you can still get your hands on the regular edition.

I have also included a quick video review as I think it's best to see these guys in motion.

Here’s another one of my favorite childhood characters done right in modern toy form.

Here’s another one of my favorite childhood characters done right in modern toy form.

I won’t go into how great of a movie the Empire Strikes Back is, but I will talk a bit about the Bounty Hunters. How is it possible that these creatures who only get seconds of screen time can captivate me for over TWENTY YEARS?

Toys, that’s how. Although Boba Fett, Dengar, Zuckuss, IG-88, Bossk and 4-LOM only appeared briefly in the movie, they have had numerous toys made over the years, and have even been given fleshed-out backstories. That all makes it cool now, but as a kid, I was mesmerized by some of the best designs in the trilogy. (Aside from Dengar – what is with that guy?)

Zuckuss instantly became my favorite character in the movie. That grey metal body with the insectoid head and that gun, oh that glorious large gun! What was his story? Well, come to find out, his name isn’t Zuckuss at all, it’s 4-LOM. Apparently Hasbro made a mistake on the packaging and got these two mixed up. It’s still tough to think of this guy as 4-LOM. To me, 4-LOM is the bounty hunter that you had to mail away for, the one that Ricky Michaud stole from me and gave to some other kids near his house. Of course, I think I stole it from someone else, but I digress….

Hasbro is actually now Rockin’ the star wars line with great representations of their classic figures. This guy is articulated like crazy – a far cry from the vintage figure, or any of the subsequent releases. As far as I am concerned, there is the vintage version and this one. That’s it. The only 2 you need.

4-LOM is very articulated for a droid, with joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles. The only thing lacking is some kind of side motion on the hips to allow the figure to spread his legs out a bit.

Included is his signature gun, which actually has paint detail. Unfortunately, 4-LOM has a hard time holding the gun in any position except for how he holds it in the movie.

Also included is a collector’s coin. You know, for the collectors. They like to collect things, so why not give them a coin?

Luke Skywalker in Echo Base Bacta Tank - While the set seems kind of lame on its own, the cool part of it is that it is designed to work with the FX-7 figure (sold separately).

For some reason I was always fascinated by the scene in Empire Strikes Back when Luke recovers in the Bacta tank. Something about a tube full of organisms that could heal your injuries… It’s one of the many ways that Star Wars really expanded my imagination as a child. George Lucas crafted a world that seemed so real to me as a child and continues to inspire me to this day.

While the set seems kind of lame on its own, the cool part of it is that it is designed to work with the FX-7 figure (sold separately). There is a circular groove in the base that fits the medical droid perfectly.

The set itself is interesting. It comes with the Bacta Tank, Luke and a control panel. The lid can be removed from the tank and Luke can be removed from the lid. Luke actually has moveable arms!

There is a black rubber hose that comes from inside the tank. According to the package, you are actually supposed to fill the tank with water, and then blow into the hose to produce bubbles like in the movie.

The control panel is made out of hard rubber, and features no moving parts.

This is a very cool set, and a toy that I never thought they would make. Good job Hasbro.

One of my favorite Star Wars toys growing up was the FX-7 Medical Droid. Hasbro does an amazing update with this 2001 version.

While I am not actively buying Star Wars figures for myself anymore, every once in a while I pick one up for nostalgia sake. This is especially true when it is a new toy of a character I really loved as a kid.

Take FX-7 for instance. I LOVED this toy when I was little, even though it had almost no screen time.  The original Kenner toy was quite advanced at the time. All of the arms extended, the center arm moved, and the head rotated and for some reason went up and down!

This new version from Hasbro is a nice modern representation of the character. In every way it is a better figure, but I still found myself trying to lift up the head and move the center arm (neither move in this version). This version of the toy is much more accurate and detailed. Each of the arms is articulated in TWO places! Hasbro outdid themselves on this one.

Not only is FX-7 cool in his own right, but he can also be used with the Bacta Chamber set!

Zuckuss is one of those star wars characters that people love, even though he only had seconds of screen time. He appears briefly as one of the bounty hunters on the bridge of Darth Vader’s star destroyer in Empire Strikes back, but he has been given a full back story in the expanded universe.

Zuckuss is one of those star wars characters that people love, even though he only had seconds of screen time. He appears briefly as one of the bounty hunters on the bridge of Darth Vader’s star destroyer in Empire Strikes back, but he has been given a full back story in the expanded universe.

Some of you may be looking at this figure and think – that’s not Zuckuss, that’s 4-LOM! Well, you are wrong. When Kenner made the original action figures, they messed up the names on the packaging, and swapped the names of the figures. I too had grown up thinking one was the other, until the new Star Wars figures came out in the 90s when the error was corrected. All these years, my favorite figure (Zuckuss) was actually a droid named 4-LOM.

In the expanded universe, Zuckuss is an insectiod alien bounty hunter from the planet Gand. He was paired up with the droid 4-LOM by Jabba the Hutt (perhaps in a nod to the action figure mix-up). The two made a formidable pair of bounty hunters.

There have been several toys of Zuckuss made over the years, but this one is probably my favorite.

Zuckuss comes packaged in the standard window box for the Star Wars Saga 12” line. The body is a regular male body, but you really don’t see any of it. The hands, boots, head and outfit are all unique to this figure.

The cape is made out of a cloth backed vinyl, that looks and feels like leather. It has a nice texture and fits the figure well. Over the cape is a rubber harness that attaches around the back. The head is soft vinyl and expertly detailed. It features 2 breathing hoses that wrap around and attach to the back of the figure.

The only accessory included with this figure is a Blaster Rifle. Zuckuss can hold the rifle in one or both hands.

I really love this figure. It was on my desk at work for years, only to be retired when I moved to another space. My only complaint about this figure would be that it is top heavy and prone to falling over. If you have a stand for a 1/6 scale figure, this toy could use it.

Hasbro has stopped making the 12” figures and turned the reins over to Sideshow Collectables. Let’s hope they include Zuckuss in their line up.

In addition to the Removeable helmet, Vader features a plastic lightsaber and cloth cape and clothing. This adds a real nice touch to the figure.

When Hasbro first introduced their Titanium line of die cast vehicles, I thought it was a very cool idea. But then when they decided to branch out into figures… well, I was a little cautious. However Fate landed a few figures on my desk, and they are actually not too bad. They have their plusses and minuses. Let’s go over them.

Packaging

Titanium Darth Vader comes in a large plastic bubble with a cardboard backer. Once removed, Darth Vader is encased in a plastic display container. The base of the container has the figure’s name on it, and the clear cover also has the logo embossed on the top. You can remove the clear dome by unscrewing two screws on the bottom with a small Phillips head screwdriver. Once this clear dome is removed, you have access to Darth Vader, however he is still attached to the base. You must remove an additional two screws from the bottom to free his feet.

Darth Vader’s helmet is made of metal, but his head is made of plastic. Between the two is a small black plastic cap, molded to the shape of Darth Vader’s head. This cap prevents the helmet from scratching up the face, and it also servers another purpose – SO DON’T LOSE IT.

Vader also features a plastic lightsaber and cloth cape and clothing. This adds a real nice touch to the figure.

The figure has a surprising amount of articulation – It has joints in the neck, elbows, wrists and waist. The legs are fixed pose. The vintage finish is interesting, although not what I would have chosen if I were buying it. It brings out the detail in the sculpt nicely. All in all, it’s a decent sculpt, and a nice figure.

What’s not to like?

There are a few things that disappointed me about Vader. For one, all those screws are a real pain in the ass. I know Hasbro needs to close everything securely, but it would be nice if things snapped into place instead.

I also think that Hasbro could have gone a little further and made the legs articulated. This would have been a really cool toy to play with, and really durable, but it’s fixed pose makes it more of a statue.

Still, the figure is cool enough. I like it despite its flaws.

Boba Fett was a young clone of Jango Fett, a bounty hunter whose DNA was used to make an army of Clones for the Republic. Eventually, the Republic would become the Empire, and the Clone Troopers would become Stormtroopers. Now that we knew Jango, Boba, and all the troopers looked the same and sounded the same. We could make assumptions about what Boba Fett looked like under his helmet, but we never knew for sure'¦ Until now.

When Hasbro first introduced their Titanium line of die cast vehicles, I thought it was a very cool idea. But then when they decided to branch out into figures… well, I was a little cautious. However Fate landed a few figures on my desk, and they are actually not too bad. They have their plusses and minuses. Let’s go over them.

Titanium Boba Fett

Boba Fett

We all know he is one of the coolest characters in the Star Wars universe. Boba Fett has always been shrouded in mystery, and it wasn’t until the prequel trilogy that we began to find out a little about the man who would become the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. Boba Fett was a young clone of Jango Fett, a bounty hunter whose DNA was used to make an army of Clones for the Republic. Eventually, the Republic would become the Empire, and the Clone Troopers would become Stormtroopers. Now that we knew Jango, Boba, and all the troopers looked the same and sounded the same. We could make assumptions about what Boba Fett looked like under his helmet, but we never knew for sure… Until now.

Boba Fett Unmasked

The Titanium Boba Fett’s most interesting feature is not the metal construction, but that his helmet is removable, making it the first time we get to see Boba Fett’s face. It should come as no surprise that he looks just like Jango Fett, only with a little more scarring. I always thought Boba Fett was a severely scarred monstrosity (as alluded to in some of the novels and comics), so I found this a little disappointing.

However, this is still a very cool toy, and a neat concept.

Packaging

Titanium Boba Fett comes in a large plastic bubble with a cardboard backer. Once removed, Boba Fett is encased in a plastic display container. The base of the container has the figure’s name on it, and the clear cover also has the logo embossed on the top. You can remove the clear dome by unscrewing two screws on the bottom with a small Phillips head screwdriver. Once this clear dome is removed, you have access to Boba Fett, however he is still attached to the base. You must remove an additional two screws from the bottom to free his feet.

Boba Fett

Boba Fett comes with a rifle that is held in his hands with clear rubber bands. The Rifle is also made of metal. Removing these rubber bands may not be the best idea, but I will tell you why later.

Boba’s helmet is made of metal, but his head is made of plastic. Between the two is a small black plastic cap, molded to the shape of Boba’s head. This cap prevents the helmet from scratching up the face, and it also servers another purpose – SO DON’T LOSE IT.

The figure has a surprising amount of articulation – It has joints in the neck, elbows, wrists and waist. The legs are fixed pose. The paint is not bad, but I think it is a bit washed out – maybe a more opaque paint would have been better. All in all, it’s a decent sculpt, and a nice figure.

What’s not to like?

There are a few things that disappointed me about Boba Fett. For one, all those screws are a real pain in the ass. I know Hasbro needs to close everything securely, but it would be nice if things snapped into place instead.

If you remove the rubber bands holding the gun, the gun falls out of his hands easily. The same goes for the helmet – if you lose that black cap, the helmet falls off. Then you go to re-screw everything back together, and parts fall off, only to rattle around the base of the figure.

I also think that Hasbro could have gone a little further and made the legs articulated. This would have been a really cool toy to play with, and really durable, but it’s fixed pose makes it more of a statue.

Still, the figure is cool enough. I like it despite its flaws.

It's very cool, but definitely not a toy. It's more like a plastic statue. The detailing and sculpt of this is excellent, but it has absolutely no play value.

Believe it or not, this is actually a game piece for one of those Star Wars miniature games. There’s not a single point of articulation on it.

For my birthday, my wife took my kids out to buy me presents… They stumbled into a Newbury Comics store, and as soon as Nathan saw this AT-AT, he grabbed it and said “I want to buy THIS for Daddy!”

It’s very cool, but definitely not a toy. It’s more like a plastic statue. The detailing and sculpt of this is excellent, but it has absolutely no play value. Well, let me clarify – If you play miniature games, then the AT-AT is an important piece. The set comes with a terrain map and a bunch of cards… I really have no idea how the game is played at all. All I know is that this thing looks very cool.

Fans looking for an actual TOY of an AT-AT will be better off getting one of the Hasbro AT-AT reissues.