This week's topics: Missing Mini-Rigs now that other, unannounced items are showing up. Will we get a new Turbo Tank Gunner for the movie line? It'd be nice, wouldn't it? And will the Revenge of the Jedi Slave Leia have one set of legs or two? The answers may depress you-- but hey, that's why we're here right? Read on!

Pretend to be excited! Hasbro will likely be unveiling the B-Wing Fighter, a just-released Kmart exclusive in The Vintage Collection at Comic-Con this week. I expect lots of applause from people in the audience who weren't paying attention to store shelves-- but not you, good reader, as you are an astute person with their ear to the tracks for this kind of thing, and good for you. I appreciate that. How is this fourth release of a 1980s mold? Pretty good, actually-- it's basically a redeco of the 2008 Dagger Squad version.

As far as toy vehicles go, the B-Wing (courtesy of its packaging and how it ships) provides one of the best user experiences around for Star Wars spacecraft. Kudos to Hasbro's packaging department for a well-engineered series of inserts, but more on that later.

And wouldn't you love to know what the 1984 ship cost and if the 2011 one is a bargain adjusted for inflation? Click through for images and impressions, after the break.

Here is a quick update from http://www.bigbadtoystore.com about a few cool new listings and our latest sale:

In this weeks TOY PALACE newsletter, TVC Wave 6 from Hasbro and 12" Jumbo Gentle Giant figures and other miscellaneous Star Wars items are now IN STOCK. Pre-orders are now also being taken for the 12" Commander Gree from Sideshow.

Tons of great pre-orders this week at Brian's Toys from Sideshow and Gentle Giant!  Make sure you place your advanced order for the 12" Battle Droids and Commander Gree, or the all new Jumbo Vintage Stormtrooper and Greedo.

Your pal and mine MeisterShake tweeted me a picture of Castas' Speeder Bike so we could translate the Aurebesh on the vehicle.  What does it say?  "Dog Faced Bounty Hunter."   The more you know!  Thanks for sharing your picture, MeisterShake!

Having offered numerous exclusives and imports while being run by multiple companies over the years, the official Star Wars Shop website is closing for business next week.  This link has the details.  Orders are still being taken, so if you missed out on the great Concept General Grievous (now $10.99) or other great items, this may be the best time to get them.

If you like grey hair on your space warriors, get a look at Sinker here.  He has the same colors as most of Plo Koon's troopers from the first season, plus a unique head design and a removable helmet.  I hope you got one, as they're long gone now.  Read on!

Hasbro has increasingly referred to their vehicle-with-figure assortment as "Mini-Rigs," and for a while it seemed baffling why. These vehicles were mostly bikes and guns, not exactly tiny versions of big-screen vehicles or off-camera hardware. Well, we got a couple of samples-- Y-Wing Scout Bomber and a Republic Scout Speeder-- and we will kindly eat our words now. Each vehicle includes an exclusive Clone Trooper figure and includes play features generally unseen in Hasbro's vehicles of this size. They're small, fun, and are arguably more than worth your cash if the word "mini-rig" gets you excited.

UPDATE: Added some notes on weapons storage and compatibility with other large vehicles.

Click through for images and impressions, after the break.

A slightly different version!  This is a slightly redecorated version of Obi-Wan Kenobi as a spirit, as released in 2007.  Any good?  Sure!  Read on!

Ad: New stuff from Gentle Giant! Several new Star Wars pre-orders are up right now from Gentle Giant, including the new Tedn Dahai Cantina Band Mini Bust and a huge R2-D2 Monument! What's more, new items from Sucker Punch and a swell new line of Funko Simpsons Figures and Plush are up for pre-order. If that isn't enough, the Gentle Giant Jumbo Kenner Darth Vader and Princess Leia are in stock now! Click through for pricing, pictures, and availability.

While his articulation wasn't perfect, Hasbro did design their first Revenge of the Sith Clone Pilot to be able to sit and fit inside pretty much all the vehicles-- so it's a good toy, but didn't meet the growing standards of collectors.  I think it's great-- but will you?  Read on!

Repainted about three times inside 2 years, this Anakin Skywalker was the last and arguably best take on the mold.  With a swinging arm action and a clone buddy, he was a pretty nifty release-- but do you need him for your collection?  Read on!

This Princess Leia figure has a poncho and a display stand with a coin.  It's similar to the Speeder Bike version, but... not.  It's good, though-- so read on!

Does the Star Wars line lack internal toy compatibility? We explore! Will Hasbro make Star Trek 3 3/4-inch figures? We'll explore that too! And are big-box retailers skewering variety? It's entirely possible! At the end I ramble about my just-now-getting Force Unleashed II, so read on!