Darth Krayt/Sigel Dare - LC - Comic Packs (8)

Simply put, Star Wars: Legacy #22 is all about Darth Krayt reeking havoc on the entire galaxy. Darth Krayt, who actually started off as A’Sharad Hett is a Jedi turned evil. So it would be fair to say that the action figure should display some form of angst and/or bitter resentment. It does, and while we do not claim to have read all of the Legacy series, we can express that the action figure brings to the table what was orchestrated in the comics. First and foremost, Darth Krayt is indeed an imposing foe. His has heterochromia in his eyes and it is a bizarre and eerie trait of this displeased leader and add to his ominous and threatening nature. And believe it or not, Hasbro managed to add this detail to the figure very well. The Darth Krayt action figure overall is very well designed and it makes us a bit envious that the attention to detail here was spared at no expense here while some of the movie-specific action figures get a bit ignored. Regardless, we do give high marks for this Comic Packs set. Darth Krayt has been recreated in his very “spiky” armor. The silver color used is in between shiny and flat but its color is perfect. While not super-articulated, his 12 points of articulation are a perfect amount and he is able to be posed in a variety of ways very easily. He has a good center of gravity and doesn’t fall over. As you’ve probably come to learn from us, this is an important aspect for us in order to give an action figure excellent marks. One small issue, Darth Krayt does not hold his lightsabers very well. His grasp is a little bit too big for the hilts and we find this to be a mild disappoint. His helmet is removable and underneath you will find an aged A’Sharad Hett even though his tattoos look darker and thicker than ever before. As we’ve mentioned earlier, his expression is agitated and we think Hasbro perfectly nailed a likeness that makes a grand statement of total domination and conquering of the universe.

Sigel Dare is also a nicely sculpted action figure. While we think Hasbro went too buck wild with her eyeliner, we nonetheless admit that she shines everywhere else. And we mean that literally as well as figuratively. Her armor has been cast (or painted) in a metallic dark red color. If you compare her to the action figures of Antares Draco/Ganner Krieg, you will discover that Hasbro made the armor of the Imperial Knights even better with the introduction of the first female one. Antares and Ganner both has shiny armor, but not with the same “metallic” intensity of Sigel Dare. And she has an inferior quality soft-goods cape (it is too shiny) with a hood that just doesn’t look right when worn, but we would like to be clear that this is not a knock on the figure. We actually very much look forward to the additional Imperial Knights being created with this new approach. It honestly looks so much better, even if it doesn’t have a high quality cape. Interestingly, Sigel Dare’s head sculpt (including the hairstyle) is very reminiscent of Princess Leia as we saw her in her Bespin gown in Episode V. In fact, we have imagined how this portrait might fair if it was repainted and used for a Princess Leia action figure one day. Each and every time we look at the head sculpt, we can’t help but be reminded of Princess Leia. Your opinions may vary, but there is something about it that keeps confusing us. Sigel Dare comes with the trademark “clear” lightsaber blade and she looks just flawless when posed with other Imperial Knights. Sporting a fantastic 14 points, Sigel Dare is a super-articulated action figure that should be. She is also beautifully in scale and has a lean and trim body frame. Almost perfect, we would have preferred a better paint job on her face.

The Comic Packs sets have been very popular among collectors. Although they don’t seem to get released as frequently as we’d like, once they do get released they always seem to impress. They are quite various in nature since the Expanded Universe itself it too very rich and diverse. But no matter if Hasbro is looking to a Legacy source or a Marvel Comics source, they expertly craft the figures based on those series. The third quarter of 2009 has proven to be a very slow period for new Comic Packs sets and the new ones that did get released have been very hard to find. But likely distribution issues are the reason and a glut of them could make their way to retail at a later date. If you’re a Legacy fan, this is the set for you. Darth Krayt and Sigel Dare are two perfect character selections on which to base a Comic Packs set. And while Hasbro could have kit-bashed parts from them, we have been blessed with two all-new figures. Sets like these that make the repainted ones totally worthwhile. And since Hasbro has to “cost out” the new tools across the line, we are very pleased and amenable to support these efforts. We have always been of the opinion that we will support repaints as long as completely new or retooled sets make their way into the line. Clearly the method is working, and we look forward to the many more sets that will come out of this line. And if the Comic Packs do go away, we would be just as happy to get full Expanded Universe waves mixed into the basic figure line every now and again. In the meantime, enjoy this take on the Legacy comic series. Hasbro did us very good by releasing this set and we think it is one of the better sets we have received in a long time. And we hope that new sets keep coming our way that will impress us more.

UPDATE: (March 2010) The Darth Krayt/Sigel Dare Comic Packs set has shipped as a carry forward pack in the second wave of the Legacy Collection. Hasbro has given her a completely new paint job in the face giving her a very beautiful and more accurate likeness. See comparison shot in gallery. Click here for more information on this running change variant.