Monthly Archives: February 2019

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ EV-9D9 action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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We’ve had tons of reports over the past few days of the previously MIA Stormtrooper (Mimban) The Vintage Collection figure showing up in large quantities at Walmarts. Viewers have reported from Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and New York, to name a few. If you have been waiting for this to drop on shelves, now is the time to start hunting. Thanks for all the viewers who wrote in, and chime in in the comments to post your own finds to help others out. 

A lot of news surrounding Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge attraction has surfaced in the last couple days. Earlier we posted about the upcoming merchandise you may find in the streets of Batuu, but there is so much more to the land than just what you can buy. TechCrunch was able to interview Disney Portfolio Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Scott Trowbridge, and he provides us with some amazing insight into the world of Galaxy’s Edge. If you were wondering what their thought process was behind creating a new planet, you’ll want to read more.

“This place, Black Spire Outpost, is an opportunity.”

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Everyone knows how magnificently Hasbro’s The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ Dewback turned out. While we have received acceptable releases in the past, a modern version utilizing the approach and perhaps the digital files of the 6″ version would work wonderfully in The Vintage Collection. Don’t you think? We need this beast updated, and it would be a perfect time to do so in The Vintage Collection. Let us know your thoughts about this in the comments!

It was announced a while ago that visitors of Disney’s all new Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars attraction would be able to buy “in-universe” merchandise. Now an article on attractionsmagazine.com gives us a first look at this merchandise. You’ll be able to buy clothing (Jedi robes, as well as First Order and Resistance outfits), custom made lightsabers, Holocrons, Jedi and Sith artifacts, plush creatures or “artisan style” plush toys of various famous Star Wars characters plus a few other things such as musical instruments. Of special interest to JTA readers will probably be that you can also buy your own custom made BB or R-unit droid (which sounds like Disney’s build-a-droid). What seems to be missing, at least it was not mentioned or shown in the article, are Imperial outfits or more old-fashioned Rebels outfits. While the various toys and artifacts seem to span all movies and eras, most of the clothing you can buy (other than the Jedi robes) appears to be focused on the new entertainment. Check out more photos of the merchandise over on attractionsmagazine.com!

UPDATE: Please check out the new Galaxy’s Edge article on io9 for all the details you will ever need to know! Basically all the questions you still have will be answered! Including what the droids you can build will be: they will be fully radio controlled, so probably at least the size of a Sphero. And the droid, when you control it through Batuu, will even interact with various things you will encounter along the way. A Disney spokesperson also explains why Batuu (and not some established planet) was chosen and how Galaxy’s Edge can change with any new movies and shows.

Some of the merchandise you can buy at Galaxy’s Edge

The Toys R Us exclusive C-3PO and R2-D2 two-pack (that never was) is now on Amazon for $14.99 with FREE one day shipping for Prime members. Special thanks to JTA reader Craig F. for the alert! If you need a reminder at how awesome this set is, check out our full review RIGHT HERE!

Let’s finish looking at the POTF2 [FB/CT] 12 Inch Figures line. We will conclude with Chewbacca. He’s terrible! Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

If you haven’t seen Star Wars: Always, the latest fan trailer making its rounds, take a well-deserved 5-minute break and enjoy…

We’ve updated wave 3 from the red-carded The Power of the Force line with all-new Visual Guides. Click below to check out each figure from this wave. Make sure to also check out each review for this wave in our Research Droids Reviews database, where you can also join in on comments for each figure.

Many collectors wondered why there was no HasLab announcement at Toy Fair this year. But if you think about it a little, you’ll see it wasn’t that surprising at all. It’s evident now they didn’t want to take steam away from Jabba’s Sail Barge as they’re still promoting it as evidenced by the recent article at StarWars.com. (more….)

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StarWars.com posted a great article on the anticipation of Jabba’s Sail Barge and discuss a few new details. They’re the first to receive a finished sample for review! Check it out!

Today LEGO released its annual report for 2018. And while 2017 was not a good year for the Danish company, 2018 saw LEGO back on track. LEGO could buck the overall trend in the toy industry, which shrank in several key markets around the globe, and both market share and revenue grew in 2018. Much of this growth came from the Chinese Toy Market, but LEGO also grew in the USA and Western Europe. Revenue was up 4% in 2018, to 36.4 billion DKK (about 5.5 billion USD). The operating profit of 10.8 billion DKK ($1.65 billion USD) was also up 4%. It seems LEGO managed to deal much better with TRU’s demise, in contrast to Hasbro or Mattel. What is of special interest to Star Wars fans is that LEGO named these themes as their top sellers in 2018 (in no particular order): LEGO City, LEGO Technic, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends and LEGO NINJAGO. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that Star Wars grew in 2018, but it was most certainly still a top performing theme for LEGO! With these numbers LEGO easily outperformed Hasbro in 2018.

Everything is awesome!

Wow! It looks like TARGET is gearing up to start shipping their exclusive Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure. JTA reader and friend Robert F. let us know his card has been charged!

UPDATE: It’s a policy change for Target which allows them to keep the Pre-Authorization active after falling off while waiting for the items to become in-stock and prepare for shipping.

Let’s look at the POTF2 [FB/CT] Obi-Wan Kenobi 12 Inch Figure in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ 8D8 action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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It’s time for a new figure addition to the Visual Guides! Check out the latest The Vintage Collection release: 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (VC145). Click below for our full Visual Guide page. Make sure to also head on over to our review for a full analysis, and while you are there join in on the discussion! You can still order this figure over at our sponsor Entertainment Earth.

If you are attending Star Wars Celebration in April and you plan on picking up a print at the Art Show, you can now pre-order your print for pick-up. There are some amazing prints to choose from (check out that amazing print from Jerry Vanderstelt!).  

Update: Thanks to DevildogDan for pointing out that pre-orders actually go live tomorrow at 3 PM EST.  

Hasbro, you’re doing the Lord’s work bringing us much-needed definitive versions of super-articulated 3.75″ in The Vintage Collection packaging. The recently released 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper is a wonderful gift. And it’s the last Episode III clone trooper we needed to receive the awesome TVC treatment. Not only did you correct the screen-inaccurate paint operations, but you also enhanced the figure with “photorealistic technology” and an updated bucket (among other great updates). But now it’s time to talk some truth. (more….)

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It’s time to take a look at The Vintage Collection 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (VC145) figure. Would you believe that Hasbro got it right this time? Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We just received two samples of the online exclusive TVC 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (VC145) action figure from our friends at Entertainment Earth, and we wanted to share what you need to know about it. This version is going to be the best The Vintage Collection 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (VC145) figure we will ever receive. Mark our words. It’s almost perfect, and it’s no way getting any better than this. But there are four major things you need to know about this release. 1. It’s in glorious TVC packaging. 2. The figure comes with enhanced “photorealistic” technology. 3. The color flashes are, for the first time after three chances, applied correctly. Even the gray color is the most screen-accurate we’ve seen on this sculpt. 4. This is the first release that comes with a “hard” bucket. Hasbro did not use the soft and squishy helmet. It’s a tad smaller, but still not correctly sized. But it looks MUCH better. This is great news. Check out our FULL AND COMPLETED REVIEW now in addition to a complete gallery with COMPARISON PICTURES! (Please leave all of your thoughts and comments on the review page. Thank you!)

If you haven’t ordered yours yet, you’d be a fool not to do this right away. Order yours HERE.

It’s time to get buff! Like, POTF2 Lando Calrissian buff! We’ve updated wave 2 of our Visual Guides from the red-carded The Power of the Force line. Click below to check out each updated Visual Guide. You can also check out reviews for all of these figures, with extended galleries and discussion, right here in our Research Droids Reviews. Now, go join POTF2 Lando and get swole!

Last night the 91st Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles. Solo – A Star Wars Story did not win its only category it was nominated for, the best FX Oscar went to First Man instead. I would have given it to either Ready Player One or Avengers Infinity War, but I am not a member of the MPAA. Adam Driver also didn’t get his golden statue, he lost to Mahershala Ali. Ben Burtt’s son, whose name is also Ben Burtt (which caused much confusion here on JTA before), also didn’t win for his sound mixing job for Black Panther. However, the composer for The Mandalorian series, Ludwig Göransson, did get an Oscar for his Black Panther score. Congratulations to him! And if you wonder where Kathleen Kennedy was: she and her husband Frank Marshall received their Irving Thalberg awards (“honorary Oscar” but the award is a golden bust of Irving Thalberg) last November already.

Mad Magazine Star Wars Parody

The Power Of The Force “2” [FlashBack/CommTech] 12 Inch Figures showed some improvement, but not all were perfect. Let’s look at Luke Skywalker [With Dianoga Tentacle] in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Up next for the POTF2 [Red] Visual Guide updates is the Han Solo With Smuggler Flight Pack Deluxe set. Click below to check out our updated Visual Guide, and make sure to also read our full review right here.

Wow! It’s a miracle. The Walmart exclusive TVC Mimban Stormtrooper figure has finally hit brick and mortar. Special thanks to the Georgia Alliance of SW Collectors Facebook Group for the news!

Hasbro truly stepped out of their comfort zone by producing The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Palace Adventure Playset. Simply put, it’s fantastic. Most of us believed the days of environmental backgrounds and playsets for our action figures was long gone, but here it is, proving us all wrong. Perhaps the most incredible fact here is that it’s not cardboard. Plus, the brilliance of including two figures we need to be carded in The Vintage Collection added as pack-in premiums are only gravy. (more….)

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The Power Of The Force “2” [Red] Deluxe sets had their moments. Let’s finish them up with the Han Solo With Smuggler Flight Pack set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We are updating our Visual Guides for another POTF2 [Red] figure, this time taking a look the Crowd Control Stormtrooper Deluxe figure. Click below for our full Visual Guide page. This was also the focus of today’s review. Make sure to stop by and check that out as well.

In case you missed this last week, swing by and check out an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming Master & Apprentice novel by Claudia Gray, due out April 16th. 

Topps has week 10 of their limited Star Wars Galactic Moments: Countdown To Episode 9 cards now available. This week, the featured cards are Chewbacca, Han and Lando Reunite, and Briefing the Bounty Hunters.

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Love them or hate them, this is the wave that revitalized Star Wars collecting. We’ve updated all 9 figures from The Power of the Force [Red] wave 1 in our Visual Guides. You can click each image below to check out the newly updated Visual Guides for each figure, and you can also check out reviews of all of these figures in our Research Droids Reviews database.

The names of several upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets for Episode IX have been leaked. And the names tell us one tiny, but perhaps quite important, tidbit about Episode IX. If you want to know more, click through. And everyone else may enjoy their Saturday morning or afternoon (depending on the time zone), knowing nothing, be the Jon Snow of Star Wars fandom!

Please check out the Update!

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The Power Of The Force “2” [Red] Deluxe sets had their moments. Let’s finish them up by beginning with the Crowd Control Stormtrooper. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

The Star Wars [Solo] line has ended, but we have a few more things to add to the Visual Guide. Tonight we are adding the Walmart exclusive Kessel Mine Escape playset. Click below to check out our detailed Visual Guide, and make sure to revisit our full review of this set right here.

Here’s the latest newsletter from our sponsor, Brian’s Toys:

Vintage or Modern?  Why not both!  Hasbro Vintage Collection items up for pre-order!  We have also added a sweet Black Series Hyperreal 8-inch figure up for pre-order by Hasbro.  Be sure to check these items out and place your order to secure your item.

Don’t forget to also take advantage of a special JTA exclusive coupon code for 10% off your order site-wide! Details after the jump!

The Star Wars comic universe is getting quite expansive. I am a fan of the few series I’ve read, especially the Darth Vader comics with Doctor Aphra, and I am looking forward to the upcoming Galaxy’s Edge series. Even though there are so many comics, it seems unlikely that Hasbro will be pushing a new comic 2-pack line any time soon. That doesn’t mean that comic characters are out of the question, of course. What would be the best way to introduce these characters? Click through for more…

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All these Black Series Mudtroopers showing up at Target have me like… (more…)

The Power Of The Force “2” [FlashBack/CommTech] 12 Inch Figures line was pretty good. Let’s look at the Princess Leia figure based on Return Of The Jedi. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

For tonight’s Visual Guide update we are posting the final Gunner Station from the POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] line. Click below to check out the TIE Fighter With Darth Vader set. You can also check out additional details and gallery images in our full review right here.

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Logray action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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The We Backed The Barge Facebook group posted an exciting image on Facebook! Jabba’s Sail Barge has arrived and is getting ready to enter homes! Remember, this ships March 4th! Exciting times!

The Power Of The Force “2” [FlashBack/CommTech] 12 Inch Figures line was great. Let’s look at the Han Solo figure based on Return Of The Jedi. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Get a complete set of the previously impossible to find set of TBS [P3] 3.75″ figures at Entertainment Earth for only $14.99. Special thanks to JTA reader Aldo for the alert!

Our next Visual Guide update features the Millennium Falcon With Han Solo Gunner Station from the POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] line. Click below for a full look at our Visual Guide page, and also stop by and check out our full review for this set.

Ouch! Have you checked the prices on various POTF”2″ stuff recently? Because Research Droids Reviews are winding down to a close, I felt obligated to add some key items that currently are missing from the database. As I don’t have a lot of the items anymore, it necessitates rebuying them…. on the eBay aftermarket no less. Believing that POTF2 stuff has always existed in a “dime a dozen” fashion since its inception, I was shocked to see the prices sellers are trying to get on this classic gold. See it for yourself! Oh man, folks, I don’t know if I am getting to that Millennium Falcon!

Star Wars News Net reports that an Obi-Wan Kenobi series will come to Disney+. According to SWNN, Obi-Wan would be a limited series with up to six episodes. However, there is no official confirmation yet, so treat this as a rumor for now.
But if there will be an Obi-Wan series, it would show that Disney and Lucasfilm do listen to fans, since many in the fandom asked for more live action Obi-Wan for quite some time now. It may well be that Disney feels that a movie might be a risk, after Solo flopped at the box office, not knowing perhaps if general audiences would like to see an Obi-Wan movie as well. By making Obi-Wan a Disney+ series the production will not only have a somewhat smaller budget, but Disney can also be certain that Star Wars fans will now have one more reason to subscribe to the service. Obi-Wan would be the third exclusive Disney+ Star Wars series on top of the all new season of The Clone Wars. What are your thoughts? Would you be happy about a limited Obi-Wan series? A series does give more time to develop characters and plot than a movie. Which is certainly one of the advantages of a tv show, whereas a movie would probably have been pretty much focused on action only. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Obi-Wan is in a good mood

The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Gunner Station sets are alright. Let’s finish it up with the TIE Fighter With Darth Vader set. It’s the best of the three, and the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Wicket W. Warrick action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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It’s time to add the POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] Gunner Stations to our Visual Guides. First up, let’s check out the Millennium Falcon With Luke Skywalker set. Click below for our full Visual Guide. Don’t forget to also check out our full review on this set right here.

The final HasLab update was released, and it includes confirmation of the March 4th ship date as well as instructions on how to put your Jabba’s Sail Barge together! Check it out! This is getting exciting folks!

The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Gunner Station sets are alright. Let’s look at the Millennium Falcon With Han Solo set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner was a bit more muted when asked about Toys ‘R’ Us’s possible comeback.

“We haven’t met with Toys ‘R’ Us yet — we remain open-minded, but no conversations yet,” Goldner told Yahoo Finance at the company’s annual toy fair presentation. Hasbro and its rival Mattel were hit hard by the disappearance of Toys ‘R’ Us in 2018. (more….)

With the recent announcement of the Retro Collection, we thought now would be a great time to add the Visual Guide of Hasbro’s first attempt at bringing back Vintage figures. Click below to check out the 1995 Classic Edition 4-Pack from the POTF2 [Red] line, featuring Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. We also have a full review of this set, with extended galleries, commentary, and full discussion right here in our review database.

JTA reader Wade found The Black Series Wave 20 at his local Albuquerque, New Mexico Target. He found all 5 figures from the wave. Click below for details. Thanks for the update, Wade!

The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Gunner Station sets are alright. Let’s look at the Millennium Falcon With Luke Skywalker set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

There are lots of new Star Wars pre-orders at Entertainment Earth including The Vintage Collection stuff!

You can order The Vintage Collection three-pack at Hasbro Pulse right now. Thanks to JTA reader Joe G. for the alert!

HURRY! Pre-order TVC Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard)!

UPDATE: Gone!

You can also pre-order the TVC Jabba’s Skiff on Amazon right now as well! Special thanks to Sjefke for the alert!

UPDATE: Also available for pre-order at Entertainment Earth

Pre-order the all-new The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Skiff right now at Hasbro Pulse! (It has a new link this time.) Special thanks to JTA reader JVB for the alert!

Yeah, even Amazon thinks $79.99 is ridiculous for a Hasbro figure. They’ve listed the Hyper Real Darth Vader for $49.99 with Prime. Hurry! Thanks to Cybereye for the alert!

UPDATE: Hyper Real Darth Vader is now $79.99! They must have been alerted to their mistake!

Hey Hasbro! Can we be frank with you about the card back art for The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure, please?

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No new The Vintage Collection reveals. No new The Black Series 6″ reveals. No HasLab. Does all of this mean something?

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As expected, Jabba’s Sail Skiff will have widespread retail availability as confirmed by Steve Evans on Instagram. Of course, that’s what was said about the Imperial Assault Tank which I have never personally seen at retail yet. Special thanks to friend Josh M. for the alert!

We are updating another Visual Guide from the [Green/Freeze Frame] Deluxe line. Click below to check out our updated Snowtrooper set. This was also today’s featured review. Check it out right here.

Topps has week 9 of their limited Star Wars Galactic Moments: Countdown To Episode 9 cards now available. This week, the featured cards are Lando Calrissian, Meeting the Master, and Space Slug.

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The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Deluxe sets were awesome! Let’s now look at the Snowtrooper (With E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster). It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

There were a lot of new pre-orders that went live today. Some are currently sold out, but we’ve distilled them out for you all in one place so you can keep checking back: 

• TVC Gamorrean Guard (Entertainment Earth)
• Skiff Guard 3-Pack (Entertainment Earth)
• Jabba’s Skiff (Hasbro Pulse) – Currently sold out
• TBS Hyper Real Darth Vader (Hasbro Pulse)
• TBS Luke Skywalker (Death Star Escape) (Target) – Sold out
• TVC Han Solo (Stormtrooper) (Target) – Sold out
• Retro Collection Figures (Target) – Sold out

Let’s update our Visual Guide for the POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] Deluxe Hoth Rebel Soldier set. Click below to check out our newly created Visual Guide page, and make sure to also check out our recent review of this set right here.

Hasbro and Litzky PR have released official PRESS IMAGES of the new reveals today at Toy Fair. Here is The Vintage Collection gallery!

Hasbro and Litzky PR have released official PRESS IMAGES of the new reveals today at Toy Fair. Here is The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ gallery!

Hasbro and Litzky PR have released official PRESS IMAGES of the new reveals today at Toy Fair. Here is the Retro Collection gallery!

Hasbro and Litzky PR have released official PRESS IMAGES of the new reveals today at Toy Fair. Here is the Hyper Real gallery!

Courtesy of Justin from Jedi News here is a first look at the Retro Tarkin figure that will come exclusively with the Escape From Death Star board game! Click through for one more photo!

Update: the board game with the figure (and all the other Retro figures) will be a Target exclusive and be available this May!

Click for larger version!

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Check out the official promo photos of the upcoming The Phantom Menace Black Series figures Darth Maul and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi! 

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Our friends at Bantha Skull also posted a quick gallery of the showroom floor when you can get a first look at all of the new stuff shown there! Check it out! That diorama is awesome beyond words!!

Our friends at Bantha Skull are reporting that the exclusive POTF Yak Face will also come with a drinking glass. And the glass will plug into the R2-D2 (VC25) drink tray!

Pre-order the TVC Gamorrean Guard from Entertainment Earth! It’s arriving in May!

Pre-order the Skiff Guard 3-Pack!

Hasbro announced just minutes ago that the Khetanna will be made available in Europe and Australia in March 2019! For some reason, the Barge will be sold on Ebay. Nothing else is known at the moment. So we cannot say what the price will be for the Khetanna. We will have to wait for more info to explore this in more detail. Ebay sure seems like an odd choice for a retail partner for the barge.

Soon available in Europe and Australia on Ebay

Pre-order the all-new The Vintage Collection Jabba’s Skiff right now at Hasbro Pulse!

Click through for all of the announcement for the new 8″ Hyper Real Collection. Special thanks to The Fwoosh and Justin from Jedi News for the live updates.

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Click through for all of the announcement for the new 3.75″ Retro Collection. Special thanks to The Fwoosh and Justin from Jedi News for the live updates.

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Click through for all of the announcements for The Black Series. Special thanks to The Fwoosh and Justin from Jedi News for the live updates.

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Click through for all of the announcement for The Vintage Collection. Special thanks to our friends at Jedi News and The Fwoosh for the live updates. Information will be continuously updated until the presentation is over, so keep refreshing.

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Hasbro just made an official announcement that Hasbro Toy Shop is no more. It will become part of Hasbro Pulse. And so will HasLab.There will also be a loyalty program as well as international shipping! International shipping is expected to be implemented in 2020!  Special thanks to our friends at Jedi News for the update!

Oops! The TARGET exclusive TBS6 [P3] Luke Skywalker (Death Star Escape) also went up for pre-order but we totally missed it. Keep this link handy in case it returns to stock.

LEGO has announced quite a bit in their Star Wars line. There is some excellent Original Trilogy stuff coming, but they’re also celebrating 20 years of The Phantom Menace. See the full Press Gallery on our Facebook page!

You can now pre-order the latest The Vintage Collection and The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures on Hasbro Pulse. As of this post, they’re back in stock (to pre-order). Click the image below for more information!

If you pre-ordered The Vintage Collection 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper, Entertainment Earth is beginning to charge credit cards for it! It’s shipping soon!

The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Deluxe sets were awesome! Let’s finish looking at them Let’s begin with the Hoth Rebel Soldier (With Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon). It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

So. What do you think about this newly revealed vintage Kenner RETRO COLLECTION line? We’ll undoubtedly get clarity on it this weekend from Hasbro. But let’s speculate. Will Hasbro make all 92+? Is this just a short term gimmick to bring the straying collectors back into the fold? Are they “dumbing down” The Vintage Collection? What’s really going on here? When the 1995 POTF2 [R] Classic Edition 4-Pack was released so that we had action figures that actually fit inside of the re-released vehicles, the collecting community went ballistic and became unhinged. An entire line of retro figures might create more of that silly panic. Let us know in the comments how you feel about this line!

You can also pre-order The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure for $12.99. Limit two per person.

Well, this is perplexing. TARGET has put up a multiple “Retro” figures up for pre-order. Worn card back included and everything. You can pre-order Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca. It’s likely another future wave will complete the 12-Backs.

Hey Hasbro, this IS NOT how you do The Vintage Collection! Not a good sign folks! How will consumers and retail tell these figures apart?

Hasbro held a Toy Fair preview event for investors and the powerpoint presentation for the event includes a very interesting slide about Hasbro Pulse. Please check out the screenshot below:

Please click for the large version

As you can see there’s a screenshot of a “1 year membership” to collect them all. And it’s $19.99. That could prove to be a hassle free way of getting all the figures. Now, the important question is if “collect them all” also includes the retailer exclusives or not. If that were so the membership might be quite attractive, since nobody would have to deal with Walmart etc. anymore. It is not known if something similar will be available for TVC. We’ll keep you posted!

Images are starting to pour out of Toy Fair. If you come across others, feel free to post them in our comments, and we’ll put them on the front page if warranted. That Han Solo is looking beautiful!

Wow! Could this all be for the better? Site Seibertron has posted a fascinating article that Hasbro may be changing the approach to how they allow retail to order action figures. Maybe it will be possible for us to order solid cases of that Rogue One Imperial Stormtrooper, huh? Special thanks to JTA reader Forcehunter for the alert!

Sponsor Brian’s Toys sends in their latest newsletter:

Last chance to get select Star Wars items at 60% off!  We have also received in 2 new wave sets from the Resistance Hasbro line, be sure to secure your order now as we have limited quantities. Watch OUT!  A horde of Blue Snaggletooths are trampling through our newsletter and are looking for a new home.

Don’t forget to also take advantage of a special JTA exclusive coupon code for 10% off your order site-wide! Details after the jump!

Check out the very cool Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper from the Tamashii Nations Meisho Movie Realization line, tonight’s Visual Guide Update. Click below for the full guide page, and stop by our review for extended galleries, commentary, and discussion.

Sideshow Collectibles have put up the newly announced sixth scale Commander Cody. Click here for the pre-order page!

Wow, lots of news today, and even more to come tomorrow with Hasbro’s NY Toy Fair panel. JJ Abrams tweeted today that the filming for Episode IX has come to a close. Hopefully that means we’ll get a trailer and a title soon!

The Force is strong with this one! Introducing a brand-new Star Wars Premium Silver Foil Collection of replica comic book covers from New Zealand Mint!

This first striking foil features the Star Wars #1 cover from April 1977, commemorating the first issue of the Star Wars series of comic books. The replica design is based on Howard Chaykin’s original Star Wars convention poster, which became one of the most valuable posters in the Star Wars collecting world.

Click through for complete details.

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Our friends at the We Backed The Barge Facebook page have received confirmation that a NEW TVC Skiff and ana skiff guard 3-pack are forthcoming in The Vintage Collection. This might make all of Hasbro’s past grievances erased. I didn’t hear about an “all-new” skiff, but anything is possible at this rate! Incredible news! That 3-pack MUST contain newness, or it’s going to be a major disappointment!

Found! Holy smokes! JTA reader Sam has found the TBS6 [P3] Battle Droid/Padme Amidala wave at his local TARGET in Seattle Washington. You best start checking!

[Redacted]

UPDATE: Litzky PR/Hasbro has contacted us and asked us to remove all information from this post.

You can now order the latest The Vintage Collection and The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures on Hasbro Pulse. Click the image below for more information!

Hasbro will have their Toy Fair event on Saturday. There are rumors (Skiff-sized rumors) of what we might see, but maybe there are also a few surprises in store. So… what are your hopes for tomorrow? What would you like to see? And what is it you expect to see? What we will most certainly not see is any product for Episode IX, unless Disney has changed their tune and eased up on their secrecy, which is very unlikely.

Hot Toys announced a brand new Commander Cody figure earlier today! His tentative release date is Q1 or Q2 2020, so plan ahead! This Cody comes with an unmasked head, an alternative helmeted sculpt plus various accessories. You will get the usual hands, various blasters, a jet pack which can be magnetically attached, plus the obligatory stand. You will also get light up holograms of Palpatine, Obi-Wan, Yoda and an Airborne Trooper, which Cody can hold in his hand.
Check out many more photos on the official Hot Toys website!

Commander Cody approves of his figure

Let’s do a random review today! Let’s check out the Ponda Baba 12 Inch Figure. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

As if we didn’t know already, StarWars.com officially confirms Triple Force Friday. It will include Episode IX, The Mandalorian and a video game this year.

We are starting a new category of updates for our Visual Guides featuring modern updates to our older, outdated Visual Guides into our newer, cleaner, hi-resolution format. Our standard updates will focus on items that don’t previously exist in any Visual Guide format, while these new updates will rebuild our old guides. Our first Visual Guide Rewind features the last two Expanded Universe Vehicles from 1998. Click below to check out updates for both the Airspeeder and Cloud Card. Make sure to check out the Research Droids Reviews for these as well.

Insider posted this video yesterday on the face-printing tech Hasbro uses. It’s quite fascinating. They show examples from Marvel Legends and The Black Series 6″. No mention that TVC has started using this tech, though. Take a look!

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Rose Tico (Resistance Tech) action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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Today is Valentine’s Day. But maybe instead of just subsidzing the flower industry to show you care for your loved one, why not also talk about our love for Star Wars action figures? Between Hasbro’s Q4 financial reports and somewhat thoughtful articles only a short while ago, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves why we are into this hobby in the first place: action figures we love! So what is your current or alltime favorite Star Wars action figure? Scale does not matter, Hot Toys or Funko Pop, anything goes! Click through for my pick and then let’s see what your favorite figures are!

Heaven

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We’re finishing up the wonderful 1998 Expanded Universe line. Let’s end with the Ralph McQuarrie-inspired Airspeeder (with exclusive Airspeeder Pilot). This fantastic line STILL looks great today. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

A major Star Wars rumor is circulating on Twitter right now: Rian Johnson may have left Star Wars after all the negative reaction to The Last Jedi.

Website Superbromovies has a short article about Rian Johnson’s alleged departure from Star Wars. With no official announcement at all we can only speculate and wait for confirmation. Until then consider it a rumor. It may not be true after all. All we can say is that late last year, when Bob Iger talked about upcoming Star Wars movie projects, Iger only mentioned Benioff & Weiss and no word was said about Rian Johnson.

We’ll wait to see how this pans out before we’ll accept comments from our readers. Thanks for your patience on this.

UPDATE: Rian Johnson just posted on Twitter that the rumor is false and that he is still working on his Star Wars trilogy.

Tonight we are adding another 12-inch figure Visual Guide to the Star Wars [Solo] line of figures. Click below to check out Enfys Nest. You can also revisit our full review of this figure right here.

Pre-order the next wave of The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures from site sponsor Entertainment Earth! Click through or case assortment!

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Entertainment Earth has the  Finn (First Order Disguise) vs. Captain Phasma two-pack on sale as today’s Daily Deal. Click through for the order page if this price is right for you.

We’re looking at the incredible 1998 Expanded Universe line. All of the basic figures are completed, but we never got to the “concept art” vehicles. Let’s continue with the Ralph McQuarrie-partially-inspired Cloud Car (with exclusive Cloud Car Pilot). This fantastic line STILL looks excellent today. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Pre-Orders are now live for the TBS6 Han Solo/Princess Leia Organa International exclusive. Click here to pre-order!

Our Visual Guide update for tonight takes a look back at the Expanded Universe Speeder Bike. Click below to check out the Visual Guide for this cool set, then head on over and also check out our full review.

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ AT-RT Driver action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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Diamond Select Toys is about to finalize the purchase of several Gentle Giant assets. DST will take on all the existing licensed toylines, they will also take over manufacturing and distribution for most of Gentle Giant’s lines. Gentle Giant’s collector club will continue operations. You can read more details about the deal on the official Gentle Giant Ltd. website!

Did you ever wonder what will happen to your collection when you become one with the Force? I often wonder if people deep down inside feel that they’ll have their collections with them “on the other side.” And I also wonder if the generation that needed to have them all is but a remnant of who they once were. ABBA, whining, super-articulated Star Wars action figure collecting, and dying – it’s all ahead. (more….)

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We’re switching gears once again! It’s now time to complete the 1998 Expanded Universe line. All of the basic figures are completed, but we never got to the “concept art” vehicles. Let’s begin with the Joe Johnston-inspired Speeder Bike (with exclusive Rebel Speeder Bike Pilot). This fantastic line STILL looks great today. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

The new owners of Toys “R” Us want to bring the brand back to the United States. But they can’t say when it will happen. The troubled toy company found another life last month as Tru Kids Brands, roughly half a year after Toys “R” Us closed the last of its stores in the United States. It is now owned by the company’s former creditors. More than 700 American Toys “R” US stores closed last spring. But the company kept 900 stores open in Europe, Asia and India. The new owners have plans to open another 70 stores overseas — mostly in Asia — by the end of the year. They’re also considering plans for the US market, including brick-and-mortar stores and online sales, though it’s not clear when a relaunch would happen. FOX6 has the full story.

We’re adding the latest Topps release to our Topps Index tonight, along with our box break gallery. Check out the full checklist for Star Wars Black & White: The Empire Strikes Back. You can find this hobby box on Amazon, or order directly from Topps.com.

Tonight’s Visual Guide update takes a look at the repacked Walmart exclusive BB-8 12-Inch figure from the Star Wars [Solo] line. Click below to check out the full Visual Guide. Make sure to also revisit the review for this figure right here.

If you’re interested, Hasbro Toy Shop’s eBay store has the Kessel Run Millennium Falcon for 50% of! Special thanks to JTA reader Sean C. for the alert!

Today I would like to talk about the latest Galaxy Of Adventures short that features Leia. So far, the shorts used audio snippets from the original trilogy movies and more or less faithfully recreated the scenes from the movie using animation. For the latest Leia episode Lucasfilm did something different though, and I feel we should discuss it and what it means for both official canon and the overall franchise going forward. Click through for more details!

Find the mistake in this photo collage! (Click for the much larger version so you see what’s happening in better detail)

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The Vintage Collection Gamorrean Guard (VC21) figure will be available next month in a more widespread fashion. But the figure has already hit Asian markets. We have a full look at what you can expect when you receive yours. We’ve also updated out 2010 review by adding 24 new images, including comparisons, to the original review, in addition to updating new Collector Notes. Be sure to check out the updated review, but also click through for a distilled list of how this release differs from previous versions.

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Do you remember this figure? It began as a mail-away figure (but only with a coupon) and then converted to an online exclusive. The B’omarr Monk is a great figure. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Last night, Hasbro’s Solo: A Star Wars Story line was featured on the Simpsons very briefly. While competing in a “toy store shopping spree” contest, Bart and Mulhouse crash and lose while trying to avoid the Solo toys (and Ralph wins). You have to wonder there if there is some intentional subliminal statement somewhere in this very brief scene about the state of Star Wars and collecting. I wouldn’t put it past Matt Groening. He’s a brilliant man. Special thanks to JTA reader Aldo for the alert and image.

We’re adding the final Complete Galaxy Visual Guide update tonight. Click below to check out Endor With Ewok. You can also check out this set in our review database right here.

We’re finishing up Complete Galaxy line! Let’s end with the Endor With Ewok set. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Our next Complete Galaxy Visual Guide update features Tatooine With Luke Skywalker. Click below to check out the full guide page. Make sure to also stop by and check out our full review on this set.

Topps has week 8 of their limited Star Wars Galactic Moments: Countdown To Episode 9 cards now available. This week, the featured cards are Boba Fett, Storming Echo Base, and Aboard the Millennium Falcon.

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A few hours ago British tabloid Express ran a story on their website, leaking the very first look at some of the upcoming character, alien and droid designs for Episode IX. Including a first look at Rey, Lando, Kylo and various other actors in costumes. So, if you want to know more, click through. If you want to remain ignorant, well, then please move along and enjoy your Saturday afternoon!

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We’re continuing to look at products from The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] line and we’re looking at the Complete Galaxy line! Next up is Tatooine With Luke Skywalker. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We continue our Complete Galaxy Visual Guide updates with the addition of the Dagobah With Yoda set. Click below to check out this updated POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] Visual Guide. We also added this to our review database today, and you can check it out right here.

JTA Sponsor sends in their latest weekly newsletter…

Looking for unique loose AFA Star Wars figures?  Well we got them for you this week! Check out our newly added POTF, Ewoks, and RARE loose AFA graded figures. Very good selection for those hard to get figures to complete your loose AFA collection.

Don’t forget to also take advantage of a special JTA exclusive coupon code. Details after the jump!

JTA reported on Kiri Hart’s sudden absence from the Lucasfilm website a short while ago. Now it’s been confirmed that Kiri Hart is no longer with Lucasfilm and will merely be a consultant to them going forward, whereas her main job will be to work for a brand new company, Rideback TV Incubator, that aims at helping experienced TV drama writers with diverse backgrounds to come up with successful TV show pitches. Kiri Hart will act as the creative advisor, helping the writers polish their potential series. Read the full story on the Variety website!

Kiri Hart

The 12-dozen Roses 6″ figures sold out in moments. Now Entertainment Earth is offering the same deal for 3.75″ super-articulated collectors. Get them before they disappear too!

The official Star Wars website revealed a brand new wave of Galaxy of Adventures figures!
The wave includes Rey, Kylo Ren, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ep III), Darth Maul, General Grievous and Boba Fett. Each figure comes with a comic book. Also, each figure is a repack. It should be noted that the tube art and comic for Rey are for Jakku Rey in The Force Awakens, but for some strange reason Hasbro decided to put a The Last Jedi Rey in the tube.

Find the mistake in this photo!

Earlier today Hasbro released their numbers for Q4/2018 and the full year 2018. The results are not great. Hasbro faced some serious headwind in the past year. Click through for all the relevant numbers and results!

Rose has just read Hasbro’s 2018 financial report

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We’re continuing to look at products from The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] line. It’s time for Complete Galaxy! Next up is Dagobah With Yoda. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We continue our Visual Guide updates with another visit to one of the neo-classic sub-lines from the POTF2 [Green/Freeze Frame] line: Complete Galaxy. Click below to check out Death Star With Darth Vader. Make sure to also check out our full review of this creative set right here.

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Barriss Offee action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

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You can order Jarek Yeager and Bucket on Amazon once again. Special thanks to JTA reader JAGUIDI1313 for the alert!

Keeping Star Wars movie titles secret has a long tradition. But the master of keeping things close to his vest is maybe J.J. Abrams, who doesn’t want to spoil anything before the release of a movie. He sometimes resorts to outright lying even when asked about potential spoilers. He did deny until the last minute that Khan would make an appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness, for example. Though he regretted that misdirection later and said it was wrong. Anyway, Star Wars fans ask themselves when we’ll get the Episode IX title reveal. And if there already is a title one thing is sure: not even some of the more important – or at least visible – members at Lucasfilm know about it, as this tweet by Pablo Hidalgo proves:

Expect no early title leaks for Episode IX, not in the source code of the Star Wars website or from some actor or member of Lucasfilm accidentally spilling the beans. We’ll know the title in time. Until then… patience!

We’re returning to The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] line. It’s time for Complete Galaxy! First up with Death Star With Darth Vader. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We finished up Kenner’s Shadows Of The Empire in our RDRs yesterday. Thank you for going back to the recent past with us to relive some of the happiest collecting memories we experienced of all time. If you missed anything, check out the full archive HERE.

Tonight’s Visual Guide update takes a look at one of the all-new vehicles featured in the Shadows of the Empire line: Dash Rendar’s Outrider. Click below to access our full Visual Guide. Stop by and also check out our full review.

JTA reader ExarKun777 is from Mexico. And his local store is getting invaded by the TVC Rey (Island Journey) figure. They’re also on clearance. Click through for his report. (It’s unbelievable how this figure never made it to Walmart.)

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