September 30th, 2016 was #RogueFriday, the official product launch day for the new toys for Rogue One, A Star Wars Story.
Only somebody forgot to tell whoever runs the toy department at the WalMart store I visited…they had no Rogue One product on their shelves at all. But I did end up with a nice consolation prize that unintentionally fit the theme: I finally found a Marvel Legends Rogue figure to finish off as much of the Juggernaut Build-A-Figure series as I intend to complete.
I had better luck at Target… they had their displays up, filled with three or four cases of individually-carded 3.75″ action figures, maybe two cases of 6″ Black Series action figures, a handful of Pops, and other assorted odds and ends.
I passed on the new version of Kylo Ren, but picked up one of each of the other six new 3.75″ figures. Because Target had a “$10 off of your $50 Star Wars purchase” coupon, I also bought their exclusive Jyn Erso Pop.
But Target didn’t get any of the 3.75″ action figure two-packs, so I was still searching for those. My friend Greg helped me track down the more popular ones at Amazon, but Poe Dameron vs. First Order Snowtrooper Officer eluded me still.
I gave Toys ‘R’ Us a shot, even though I’d guessed that their supplies would be pretty well picked over after their midnight opening. If I’d been looking for any of the new 6″ figures, I’d have been out of luck – they had nothing but Finn’s, Zuvio’s. and other leftovers from The Force Awakens.
But they still had a pretty good stock of 3.75″ figures left, including the two-pack I was missing. I picked the Poe with the best paint job & intended to call it a day, but I spotted a Dagobah Yoda Pop on my way up to the registers. I’d been resisting, but he really fits better with my Original Trilogy display than the original lightsaber-wielding Pop.
So, here’s a better look at my in-hand purchases:
K2-SO is one of my favorites from this series. He’s got a unique look, and better than average articulation for the 5-point range with swivel joints at his neck, shoulders and hips. If they’d only added elbow joints, he’d be perfect. Jyn Erso was a disappointment. My figure is poorly balanced and incapable of standing without assistance. (In the photo above, she’s leaning on K2-SO. The non-removable breathing apparatus also prevents her left arm from going down at her side. Here’s hoping we get a better version of Jyn soon.
The Imperials are both awesome. With the possible exception of the Vintage Collection one I have, this could be my favorite version of the iconic Imperial soldier. I feel like the Imperial Ground Crew member would have had more play value with a blaster, but otherwise, I don’t have any complaints.
Kanan in his Stormtrooper disguise is the best figure in this series. I love his facial expression, and while his pose fits the neutral aesthetic Hasbro has been going for in the five-point articulation line for the past few years, it still allows him to look cool when holding his lightsaber and blaster. Second season Sabine features a removable helmet, so that’s a nice upgrade over the original version. Her left arm is posed to hold her helmet, which makes her look a bit awkward without it.
Oscar Issac is just never going to get a good action figure, is he? But the Snowtrooper is a nice complement to a First Order army.
The only Rogue One character I feel any kind of connection with as a result of the trailers is Jyn Erso, and I’ve always enjoyed “disguise” figures. With Target’s coupon, she was pretty much free, so how could I lose? I’m gonna try really hard to wait until after I see Rogue One to pick up any non-exclusive Pops, though.
If I didn’t already have two other Yoda Pops, I would have gotten Dagobah Yoda when I first saw him this summer. He’s all you could ask for in a diminutive Jedi Master. If Funko had made a bigger commitment to producing Clone Wars-era Jedi, lightsaber Yoda would have been a better fit, but Dagobah Yoda works a lot better with the other figures they have made.
Greg also tracked down the 3.75″ Black Series WalMart exclusives for me, so I should have some more figures to show off in a few days.
How did your Rogue Friday go? Which are your favorite and least favorite figures?
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