Review of Han Solo & Greedo - Star Wars Black action figures

Introduction

The second series of the new Star Wars Black Collection is now shipping, with Greedo, Han Solo (both reviewed tonight), Slave Leia, and Boba Fett. While the first wave was a good start, this is the wave that many collectors are really waiting for to determine their commitment to the series overall.

These are the real Black series, the 6" figures. They are also labeling some of the 4" figures with the 'black' designation, but I'm ignoring those.

I'm breaking this wave up into two reviews to give each unique character enough coverage. There's no way you can talk about Greedo without talking about Han - he is the man that ended him, after all.

I'll cover the other two - Slave Leia and Boba Fett - very soon. I suppose that it makes sense putting them together as well, since they were in the same place when Fett met his demise. And yes, I prefer to believe he's dead.

These cost around $20 each, depending on the retailer, and are available both on line and in stores. However, I haven't seen these four at any local stores as of yet. I received mine from Entertainment Earth, where you can pick up the set of four for $80.

Packaging - ****
I really like the simple but elegant look of the packages. They are also very collector friendly, with no reason to damage the packaging in any real way when you extract the figures and accessories. Even though these sit on retailer shelves, there's no twisty ties - bravo!

I did have a minor issue with the barrel on Solo's blaster getting a little bent by the shape of the tray. You can fix it with a hot water/cold water bath, but be careful when removing it from the package.

Sculpting - Greedo ****; Han ***
One of the expectations with this series is a higher level of quality when it comes to the sculpts. They are larger figures, so the natural assumption is that getting lots of detail and accurate portraits should be easier.

On this pair, they are one for two. I love Greedo, but Han suffers a bit.

That's not to say his portrait is awful, but it's not quite Harrison Ford either. Part of the problem is a rather long neck (even when you force the head down as far as you can on the post), and we all know that getting Ford's likeness right is almost impossible no matter what the scale - just ask Hot Toys and Sideshow.

But this portrait is close enough for most collectors, and the detail work on the outfit and accessories helps make up for some of the shortcomings of the face.

Greedo is a home run in this category. Of course, he has an advantage - as a creature, you don't have to match an actor's minute facial trademarks. But they still did an outstanding job capturing both his look, and an exceptional level of detail on the skin texture.

The costume is good as well, with just the right wrinkling and folding in the clothing. The hands are designed to work with the accessories on both figures, and both figures come in at just about 6" tall.

Paint - ***1/2
So far, the paint ops on the Black series has been very, very clean. Both of these figures continue that new standard.

There's not a ton of operations here, but those that are done are done well. I particularly like the clean work on Greedo's eyes, as well as the perfect combination of matte and gloss finishes on the pants and boots of Han.

There is a bit of a weird semi-gloss look to the entire outfit of Greedo, which isn't too over done, but looks odd to me nonetheless.

Still, my overall impression with the paint is quite good, and makes the higher price point on these a bit easier to take.

Articulation - ****
The more I work with these figures, the more I'm loving this articulation. Hasbro has managed to match Mattel's work with lines like DCUC and MOTUC.

The neck isn't quite the ball I'd like - while it does tilt forward and back, the side to side movement is a little restricted - but it's reasonable.

The ball shoulders and hips work great, as do the ball elbows and wrists. The rocker torso finishes off the upper body, and you can easily get some great poses with these joints.

The lower body has the aforementioned ball hips, plus cut thighs, double joint knees, and rocker ankles. The ankles work great - their importance can't be over emphasized. They allow the feet to remain flat on the ground no matter how deep the stance, and make every pose more realistic looking.

The design and engineering of the joints allows the figure to take flowing, smooth, lifelike poses, something all too rare in this scale.

Accessories - Han ****; Greedo ***
This line has had a solid offering of extras so far, which makes Greedo a bit of a disappointment.

He has only one extra - his small blaster. It's a nice sculpt, and it fits well in his hand and holster, but that's a bit light considering the price point. An extra set of hands would have been nice.

Han does much better. He has an extra set of hands - gloved - and swapping them is very easy.

He also has his regular blaster, with a rig to store it. The belt opens and closes at the buckle, and actually works pretty good. Getting the blaster into the holster can be a little tricky, but it is doable. The holster also hands a little low on his left hip, but it's a minor nit.

He has a second belt and holster rig that he stole from a Stormtrooper. The Trooper's blaster is included as well, and can fit nicely in his hands or in the holster. This belt doesn't work quite as well though, and I had a tough time keeping it closed once you opened it the first time.

Fun Factor - ****
These are excellent toys - great articulation, solid sculpting and paint, and usable accessories designed for conflict play. While they are a bit too large to get many vehicles or playsets, the bigger scale is much appreciated with kids and adults who have been hoping for something like this for years.

Value - **
These run around $20 at most retailers, even over the common price for collectible figures at Toys R Us these days. Thankfully, they have excellent articulation and accessories, and Hasbro has said they don't intend on flooding us with characters. That should help collectors, or at least their wallets.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
When I picked up the first wave, I was still a bit unsure on this line. I really liked R2 and the Sandtrooper, but the softer rubber plastic made me a little nervous, and I wasn't sure this was a line I needed to be a completist on.

However, after getting these four, I think I might stick it out. I've given up collecting the 4" scale (and in fact plan on getting rid of all my Star Wars figures and vehicles in that scale), but these might make a terrific replacement.

While you really need both of these, it's Greedo that really shines. He would have grabbed four stars from me and ended up my favorite so far, if not for the lack of accessories.

I'll be covering Slave Leia and Fett very soon, but suffice to say that dear Boba has a very good chance of jumping to the front of the line.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the full set of four for $80.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've already covered wave 1, including X-Wing Luke and R2, and Darth Maul with the Sandtrooper.

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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