Imperial Navy Commander - TVC - Basic (VC94)

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The vintage Kenner Death Squad Commander/Star Destroyer Commander has been the center of many debates in the collecting community (for years). Has this figure been updated in the modern lineup yet? This is the one question that is most asked! That answer is both yes and no depending upon who exactly you ask. On the "yes" side of the debate stands Hasbro. With The Vintage Collection release of Imperial Navy Commander, it is their opinion that the 1979 vintage Kenner figure gets checked off for a modern/neo-classic update in the basic figure line. And judging from this figure’s card back artwork, it’s evident that they truly stand by what they say. On the other side of the debate stands most of the collecting community.(Why are so many hot topics Hasbro versus the collecting community?) Where is the gray officer with the communications cords hanging down from the helmet? Where is his ranking badge? Well, it certainly didn't arrive for this figure, yet interestingly Hasbro still admits (when questioned) that an release of the gray outfitted Imperial officer would be great for the line. We just want to know when. Hasbro still remains adamant about always returning to the Death Star Trooper figures that wear the "all black" costumes. But to be clear, Hasbro has stated through a Q&A session that 2012’s TVC Imperial Navy Commander is intended to be the modern replacement for the vintage Kenner Death Squad Commander. But all isn't lost because the Imperial Navy Commander is indeed an excellent action figure and a tremendous update to 2007’s TAC Death Star Trooper (No. 13) figure. (That figure unfairly gets a bad rap – it's not as terrible as everyone makes it seem). Hasbro shrunk down the sheer size of this character (the 2007 figure was a giant) and paid attention to more details than ever before that renders a gorgeous figure for even the most discriminating collector.

Imperial Navy Commander comes with the standard 14 points of articulation. Nothing remarkable has been brought forward in terms how much movement you can get out of him, but one area in particular has been remedied when compared to the very good 2007 TAC figure. Both the too tall height issue gone, the 2012 flavor has a significantly improved stance. The wonky “upside down V” shape of the legs that we saw in the 30 (77-07) has been improved significantly and Imperial Navy Commander can stand easily thanks to a firm center of gravity all due to the natural stance of his legs. When you remove his helmet, you might be surprised to see platinum blonde hair. (If you’ve been collecting a while, we’ve essentially been programmed to see any other hair color besides brown or black as startling. Blondes just aren't that common.) Still, it’s a breath of fresh air and certainly adds some diversity in your Imperial ranks. (We suppose we should just be thankful that Hasbro didn’t include facial hair here like they’ve been known to squeeze in on other action figures.) The head sculpt design is superb. Imperial Navy Commander has a lot of character in his face and the expression captured in his eyes makes him seem as if he is concerned with something somewhere else, more elusive. Again, it’s an excellent head sculpt and we’re thoroughly impressed. The helmet fits like a glove over his head and stays perfectly in place. What is there really to complain about here?This is a greatly designed action figure. You’ll be hard pressed to find complaints with its design. Well, there is one glaring error and we'll get to that in a moment. Imperial Navy Commander looks fantastic standing next to 2012’s TVC Darth Vader (VC93) as well as 2011’s TVC Stormtrooper (VC41) figures. He is in perfect proportion with them and they all have that latest technology look about them.

There isn’t much Hasbro could have screwed up with the figure’s paint job, but they did. Instead of the Galactic Empire insignia on his left shoulder, Hasbro accidentally added the Republic insignia by mistake. Also, we think the hair could have benefitted from some darker streaks throughout it. And his skin color is a smidgen pale for our tastes. But his jet black uniform is enhanced with small silver and white details like buckles and the like. Aside from the removable helmet, Imperial Navy Commander also comes with a blaster rifle. But we think his best attribute is the packaging that comes along with this great action figure. Come one, what is better than a modern update to one of the original 12 Back figures?! It is truly heart-warming to see this figure with the original card back art available again. It remains to be seen if Hasbro will indeed give us that yet-to-be-made version of the Death Squad Commander, but we have our fingers crossed that he will indeed see the light of day someday. After all, they have a great base sculpt to work from to give us a modern update to that classic figure. Now would also be a perfect time to start developing extra portraits that will also be compatible with the Imperial Navy Commander. This is a figure that collectors are going to want to army build and develop troops of since they are so prevalent in the Original Trilogy. We’re not asking for running changes because Hasbro can’t seem to keep on top of that anymore, but perhaps they should consider these variations for upcoming multipacks and store exclusives. All said, the Imperial Navy Commander is a most exciting action figure to own. It took a while before we got this figure perfected, but this one passes with flying colors. It is our hope Hasbro just keeps knocking out awesome update to the original Kenner figures, especially the earliest ones on Star Wars card backs. So let it be known. Keep wishing for them!