Review of Cad Bane - Star Wars Book of Boba Fett
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

I'm a big fan of the Mandalorian. Enjoyed every season. Loved every character. Book of Boba Fett..not quite as much. When it comes to characters from this show, I'm a bit more picky. But it's no surprise I pre-ordered this latest release, considering my personal tastes.

The latest is Cad Bane, perhaps the coolest (sorry, Boba) bounty hunter in the galaxy. Of course, my predisposition for all things Western might color my perception a bit, but Bane is the perfect gunslinger. His appearance on the show may have been brief, but his look made him an immediate pre-order for me.

He has just started shipping here in the U.S., and I purchased the 'deluxe' version which includes a few extra accessories. More on that when we get there. The regular is $270, while the deluxe is $290.

Packaging - ***
Nothing special here. It's the standard Hot Toys shoe box design, with a couple plastic trays holding the figure and accessories safe. Of course it's all collector friendly - why does anyone keep these things in the box? - but you've come to expect that from every sixth scale producer. The graphics are fine, the text is acceptable, but there's nothing particularly exciting.

Sculpting - ****
Cad has not one but THREE expressions, thanks to some very well designed removable face plates. Thanks to the design of the tight fitting wrap over his head and neck, the face plates have a natural seam where they can attach, and it is completely hidden. They are also very easy to remove and replace.

All three have amazing skin texture, with glass life-like eyes. The first is serious, but stoic, with a closed mouth and a gritty expression. The second has a screaming, angry mouth, showing lots of teeth. This one has the proper wrinkling and squint to produce a very angry look. Finally, the third is somewhere in between, with a snarl that exposes some teeth, and an overall expression of disgust and disdain.

Which of these three is your favorite will definitely vary, not just at first but over time. I'm going with the third for now, which isn't too dynamic but does give him plenty of personality.

There's also plenty of well done sculpting on the outfit pieces, like the belts and cartridges, pack, and various tubes. This excellent detail work goes a long way to getting him a terrific Outfit score as well.

He stands about 13 inches tall, and looks great with the rest of the series. Tall and lanky!

Paint - ****
While most of this score is due to the excellent work on the three face plates, you don't want to overlook the detail work on the accessories, hat, and other sculpted outfit pieces.

But let's start with the obvious. All three faces look terrific, with the bluish skin and dappled texture. The teeth are very, very clean - he understands the importance of flossing! - and very realistic. The eyes are perhaps the most compelling, with some great color inside the glass-like material. They remind me of the eyes used in taxidermy...

Then there's those small details on the costume. The thin lines on the hat. The brighter colors and small bits on the gauntlets. The individual cartridges in the belts on his body and legs. It all adds up to create a very screen accurate and realistic final appearance. This is one of those figures that you can photograph, and people will mistake it for an actual person in makeup.

Articulation - ***
I was expecting some issues with the articulation, but it turns out they were minimal.

The head and neck are a bit restricted by the two tubes coming off the face and attaching to the back. They are somewhat stiff, but you can mess with them a bit (and they do detach from the face to avoid breaking), and get some twist in the neck. Forward and backward tilt works good, and you should be able to add at least a little personality to most stances.

The shoulders, elbows, and wrists all work just as you'd expect. The cloth costume is no more restrictive than usual, and the joints are tight enough to hold even the heavier accessories aloft, like the large flame effect.

The torso turns and crunches, but you will need to mess with the holsters and belts a bit to get a great look in the new pose. The hips, knees, and ankles, like the arm articulation, works as expected. Sadly, we don't get a two piece boot sculpt, but the material was soft enough to still allow a little ankle mobility.

My only real complaint in this category - and with the figure overall - is that there's no wiring in the coat. Adding some flair to the bottom in various poses would have given you the ability to create a more dynamic look on the shelf.

Accessories - ****
One area where I've been disappointed with Hot Toys recently is the Accessories. Things have been pretty light in this category, often with figures that are still pushing $300.

Thankfully, that's not the case here. We get those two additional face plates of course, and that's a huge plus in this category. They swap easily too, always key since it means you're more likely to change them over time.

There's also a small assortment of hands - fists, open, and gun grips. These six hands will manage most of the poses you're looking for, and of course, there's a couple extra posts just in case.

Speaking of weapons, he has two - his guns. These look fantastic, and fit both in the holsters and in his sculpted hands perfectly. The hands are a little tight though, so take some care when inserting them into the grips.

Technically he has another weapon, located on his gauntlet - the flame thrower. There's a large flame effect that can attach to the gauntlet quite easily.

There's also a very, very tiny antenna for the pack on his back. I'm assuming they packed this separately, rather than gluing it in place, to avoid breakage. Once you've attached it - it is quite easy - take care you don't squeeze it or put pressure on it when posing him.

For the regular release, the last item is the sand covered display base and long bendable metal support rod with grabber. You won't have to use these - he stands great on his own - but it's a nice addition. It does come in handy with the deluxe however, thanks to one more accessory, the boot rockets.

The 'deluxe' includes a couple other extras. First, there are two boot rockets with blast effects that you can attach to his ankles. You remove a small hunk of the cartridge belt on each, and these pop on. Using them is easy to do, and then that display base gets way more important.

It also comes with Todo, the small droid. This thing is really well done, and larger than I expected. He has articulated legs, feet, arms, and neck, and he can stand great on his own. But there's also a clear plastic display stand and support rod, so you can add either the little blast effects to the bottom of his feet OR you can use the two additional legs to create the look where his feet are pressed together. I took photos of him in both modes, and this really adds to the display potential.

Since the deluxe version is only $20 more than the regular, you'd be crazy not to go for it.

Outfit - ****
If you worry about costume pieces that might degrade, you're in a much better place here. Lots of cloth, lots of layers!

There's the shirt, vest, pants, jacket, boots, and hat - all look amazing. The hat is particularly nice, because the soft felted appearance works really well, and is properly scaled. That's unique - almost always, removable hats in sixth scale end up looking ridiculously over sized. Here, it's spot on.

The layers of clothing are thin, tight, and extremely well tailored. Various sculpted bits are tightly attached, and placed evenly and straight. The cartridges look great in the belts, including those around the ankles. Sculpted pieces like the gauntlets are sharp and well defined with plenty of tiny details.

You might be a bit worried about the tubes, but they are quite sturdy, and the ones attached to the face can be removed when posing the head.

My only real concern is the belt and holsters, and that's not a new issue. I'm always concerned with these thin leather pieces, and I have seen them degrade and weaken over time. This set is stronger and thicker however, and I have a much better feeling about this, especially the holsters.

Had they come up with a way to do a two piece boot sculpt, that would have been icing on the cake, but the one piece design is not a huge negative thanks to the softer material they used.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
This is a very fun figure, with plenty of posing options, some nice accessories, and three different face plates that are easy to swap around. I can't wait to get Cobb Vanth to go with this guy!

Value - **
These guys are getting awfully expensive. At almost $300, this guy is definitely on the high end. And yes, I would definitely go with the extra $20 to get the deluxe, because you're getting a second figure, but it's really the base cost that's getting there. I'm glad I got him, but I'm getting more and more particular about what figures I buy.

Things to Watch Out For -
Of course, you'll always want to take some care when swapping hands or faces, but you should have no trouble. Remember the antenna on the pack is easy to lose or break.

Overall - ****
I'm not buying many Hot Toys figures these days, although if you've been watching my recent Acquisition Report (you're watching my CIOPCC videos, right?) you might think different. All my pre-orders seem to be coming at the same time...

But this one was a fantastic purchase, although I understand if collectors who are not fans of the Book of Boba Fett might find it less appealing. It's a more - sort of - realistic interpretation of Bane, but the really knocked it out of the park. And once we get Cobb Vanth later this year to go with him, he's really going to become popular.

I also think this guy is going to be very, very high on my list of Best Male Figure of the year. There's still five months to go, but he's got an awful strong lead.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you're looking for a more cartoony Cad, check out this version from Sideshow.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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