Aurra Sing - TVC - Basic (VC73)

The opening 2012 The Vintage Collection wave wasn’t the first batch of Episode I focused action figures planned you know. We wanted to set that record straight. Way before The Phantom Menace 3D was officially given a release date, Hasbro had four figures already in development for The Vintage Collection: Aurra Sing, Mawhonic (Podracer Pilot), Naboo Pilot and the Gungan Warrior. Originally intended for a late 2011 release, the plans were shelved and these four figures were “delayed” for a future release. (That ended up becoming the final wave of The Vintage Collection.) Hasbro created a special lineup of basic figures (it’s never an ideal thing for basic figures to be exclusive really although it worked well here) exclusively for Walmart called the Discover The Force collection and it afforded the “adult” collectors all-new premium editions of Episode I characters in addition to some older action figures form previous lines. These specially packaged figures came with 3D glasses (that were actually part of the packaging), a Galactic Battle Game card, action figure stand and playing die – all of which are exclusive to the Walmart release by the way and a special 3D image that looked rather incredible through the lenses of the included glasses.

The figures were a hit, but many collectors passed on many of them so that their dollars could be well spent on the ones coming in The Vintage Collection packaging. What’s ironic here is that the Discover The Force figures are really just a pre-release of The Vintage Collection figures which themselves were intended to be the versions released first. Aurra Sing was a great figure in the Discover The Force line, but she’s never looked better than she does now in The Vintage Collection. To give you an idea how long ago the figure numbered VC71-VC74 (of which she’s part) were considered for release, all feature the original graphics of the reverse side of The Vintage Collection figures released between 2010 and 2011. The artwork shows a nice reference photo and a generic overview or description of The Vintage Collection and the purpose it serves to collectors. Aurra Sing’s white and red appearance is complemented with a green background and name plate. The combination is visually stimulating to your eyes and if you had passed on her in the Discover The Force line, you have something to really look forward to here with this release.

The actual figure of Aurra Sing is of course excellent, but she isn’t necessarily perfect. The Vintage Collection packaging however gives her an extra positive edge, something that lacked even more in the Discover The Force line. She’s super-articulated and well detailed. Her paint job is also excellent and perhaps the best part about her is all the accessories that accompany. Obviously there’s a lot here to be thankful for and we want to make it clear the appreciation we have for this action figure. But we are stuck on one glaring problem and that’s her antenna. Hasbro has successfully managed tinier accessories much better than this in the past. Granted, an antenna is very thin and hard to sculpt without any substance or weight to it. But we recall the WED Treadwell Droid from 2009’s TLC Jawa & WED Treadwell Droid (BD 33) two-pack. Why couldn’t Hasbro create a shorter version of this antenna and drill a hole in her head that would accept it? Sure, it would have been thicker than what was seen in Episode I, but the aesthetics would have been significantly improved since if they’d decide to go this route it wouldn’t have had a rectangular shape to it. Still, she looks fabulous in The Vintage Collection packaging. Just enjoy that visual perhaps instead.