Clone Commander [Red] - ROTS - Basic (III 33)

Added: April 8th 2012
Category: Revenge Of The Sith
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Clone Commander [Red]
Collection: Revenge Of The Sith
Number: III 33
Source: Expanded Universe (Star Wars Insider: Guide To The Grand Army Of The Republic/Revenge Of The Sith: The Visual Dictionary)
Availability: May 2005
License: Hasbro

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An elite officer in the clone army, the clone commander leads a squad of clone troopers into battle against the Separatist forces. He wears a special armor similar to that worn by ARC troopers.

We have to hand it to Hasbro. They obviously are proactive and diligent preparing for a new line of figures for a movie’s release. And this is a hard thing to organize when you’re not always given the full enchilada from Lucasfilm to best prepare for it. An ultimate product line (after all some things have to be kept quiet until a film’s release) usually relies on some secrecy. As a result, Hasbro sometimes is limited to what information they’re given about the film and need to defer to concepts or the reference materials given to them to prepare for that particular toy line. Unless they see the entire film in advance, it’s hard to gauge 100% what are the key characters and vehicles in a film. So we do have to give credit where credit is due. Revenge Of The Sith was probably the biggest new line look product launch there ever was to be for Star Wars fans. For the most part, Hasbro created a stellar basic figure line. They balanced well kid-friendly and collector-friendly figures for the line. They impressively managed to knock out 32 all-new figures in most target areas at the April 4, 2005 launch date (you have to admit that this is incredible) and then new figures starting coming every month after that consistently. Some action figures were wanted more than others, but one of the most anticipated waves of figures included the generically named Clone Commander [Red]. Appearing in very striking in red color flashes, the Clone Commander [Red] ended up not becoming part of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith which goes to our point that not everything can be anticipated in time for release.

Clone Commander [Red], despite having no appearance in Episode III is going to be a much-loved action figure. It isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty darn close. In a very odd move, Hasbro neglected including a waist joint (swivel or otherwise) on the Clone Commander [Red]. While most collectors in addition to ourselves would have preferred for Hasbro not to forsake this waist joint, most can forgive this transgression since the figure is adorned with a wonderful amount of articulation elsewhere (even more if you include the swivel macrobinoculars), many of which include ball-joints. The Clone Commander [Red] is only made better by the inclusion of removable accessories (like the kama, pauldron, and macrobinoculars) and the plethora of weaponry as well. He comes with two DC-17 blaster pistols, one DC-15 blaster rifle and then a grappling hook and cable which adds a tremendous dimension to the play value of this figure. The articulation in the legs is slightly inhibited by the hard plastic kama that curls around them, but this figure looks so good that you’ll probably overlook this as well. The point here is that you are still able to pose the legs in ways that give this figure some action! The figure’s paint job is slightly disappointing. Its armor is much too clean. And the red chest stripe running up his armor stops at the wrong spot and has an incorrect shape (per the reference materials seen in Revenge Of The Sith: The Visual Dictionary). You’ll still, if willing, be able to overlook this small imperfection as well because there is a lot more good here than bad…. by far!

This particular Clone Commander [Red] has been named Deviss in the Guide To The Grand Army Of The Republic by Karen Traviss (Expanded Universe extraordinaire), and Ryan Kaufman and the name is based on Ms. Traviss herself. Other than that, not too much else has been written about this Clone Commander [Red]. But you probably might be slightly more interested in knowing that Clone Commander Deviss was the original look for Commander Bly anyway. Clone Commander [Red] was intended to appear in Revenge Of The Sith as is but was changed at the eleventh hour to yellow because it better-matched the color scheme of the Felucian environment on which he was stationed. So Clone Commander Deviss was relegated to these Expanded Universe stories. We’re curious and wonder if at some point Hasbro has designed packaging for this figure that read "Commander Bly" at some point but then changed it to the more generic labeling of Clone Commander [Red]. After all, other figures have had their packaging and names changed. There are some other interesting tidbits about Clone Commander Deviss that we find fascinating. He served under Commander Bly leading the K Company, a unit of the Hawkbat Battalion, under the 327th Star Corps. (There is a lot of connecting the dots with this character. Too bad he wasn’t utilized more than he was.) Clone Commander (or Clone Commander Deviss if you prefer) is a great action figure and a lot of fun. It will be a great base figure for Hasbro to utilize multiple times. It is well-proportioned and loaded with accessories. There is no way your collection should be without him.

Collector Notes

Clone Commander [Red]

Status: Clone Commander [Red] is an all-new figure.

Articulation Count: 21 points (13 areas of articulation)

Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)

Accessory Count: 8

Accessory Details: removable macrobinoculars, 2 DC-17 blaster pistols, DC-15 blaster rifle, removable shoulder pauldron, removable kama, grappling hook, cable (with attachments)

Date Stamp: 2004

Collection: 1

Assortment Number: 85422/85173

UPC: 653569015444

Retail: $5.99 USD

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.

Clone Commander

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