(NEW YORK, NY) Are collectors ready to party like it's 1999? The Phantom Menace arrived with much hoopla and high, even unrealistic, expectations when it was released over 12 years ago and for many ushered in the era of CGI and Jar Jar hate. Will time and 3D be more forgiving towards Episode I? Hasbro made their first ever appearance in New York Comic-Con with some level of predictability given what we've seen at San Diego earlier in the summer and knowing that next year will be all about the 3D re-release of TPM . The Vintage Collection continues in 2012 and so does Clone Wars. Clone Wars and a third Movie Heroes assortment make their product launch on January 30th in the new blue Darth Maul brand packaging and will continue to be packed with a Galactic Battle Game die and figure stand.

THE VINTAGE COLLECTION

The Vintage Collection continues in 2012 with a mix of film, Expanded Universe, and Clone Wars characters. No less than 55 figures will comprise Vintage and Hasbro plans on revealing 24 more by Toy Fair.  Some figures from 2011 that were held back or were sparsely allocated like Wedge Antilles will finally hit your local pegs . If you've been waiting for Aayla Secura, Nom Anor, Kithaba, and Evazan, they'll be part of Wave 4 in April . And for you pork lovers, the Gamorrean Guard will also be re-released for Wave 5 along with Bespin Han Solo.  Variant carded hunters will be presented with the opportunity to collect Wedge and the Gamorrean in the new 12 back style cardback.

The highlights on display in the Hasbro booth include the long on the wishlist Hoth Luke Skywalker as well as a spectacular new Imperial Naval Commander. We would have preferred the original moniker of "Death Squad Commander" and a grey uniform just like the vintage version, but the figure looks excellently sculpted with super articulation. Hoth Luke is supposed to be easily mounted on a Tauntaun and comes with removable goggles and scarf, although he had the wrong lightsaber hilt displayed at the show.

The packaging for the Wave 2 deleted scene figures posed a problem for Hasbro since they couldn't source better quality character photos. The cardbacks will therefore feature character illustration composites instead. Straight out of KOTOR, Darth Malgus gets his own figure along with a newly sculpted, non-removable helmet, super-articulated Darth Vader for Wave 3 in April.  We're hoping for this Vader to be in a Star Wars card this time around. The new 12 back style cardback looks fantastic and makes the overall packaging presentation more Kenner like. You can't really improve on something that's already perfect.

Three vehicles will be repackaged Vintage style: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Starfighter, The V-19 Torrent Starfighter, and the AT-AP. This is a change in strategy for Hasbro who normally releases Vintage style packaging for vehicles as store exclusives. We're not complaining.

Curiously, Hasbro didn't mention or display the white Prototype Fett mailaway for this show.

WAVE 1 (January 30)

VC75 Qui-Gon Jinn

VC76 Obi-Wan Kenobi

VC77 Ratts Tyrell and Pit Droid

VC78 Battle Droid 

VC79 Darth Sidious

VC80 Anakin Skywalker 

VC81 Ben Quadinaros and Otoga-222

VC82 Daultay Dofine

VC83 Naboo Royal Guard

VC84 Queen Amidala

VC85 Quinlan Vos

VC86 Darth Maul

WAVE 2 (March)

VC87 Luke Skywalker 

VC88 Princess Leia 

VC89 Lando Calrissian 

VC90 Colonal Cracken 

VC91 Mon Calamari Pilot

WAVE 3 (April)

VC92 Anakin Skywalker 

VC93 Darth Vader 

VC94 Imperial Navy Commander

VC95 Luke Skywalker (Hoth)

VC96 Darth Malgus

WAVE 4 (April)

VC28 Wedge Antilles

VC56 Kithaba

VC57 Dr. Evazan

VC58 Aayla Secura

VC59 Nom Anor

VC60 501st Legion Clone Trooper

WAVE 5 (April)

VC21 Gamorrean Guard

VC50 Han Solo (Bespin Outfit)

VC51 Barriss Offee

VC52 Rebel Fleet Trooper

VC53 Bom Vimdin

VC54 ARC Trooper Commander 

VC55 Logray

MOVIE HEROES

Hasbro introduces a new assortment that somewhat takes the place of Saga Legends in the 3.75 scale triumvirate. Movie Heroes will be Episode I heavy but also include characters from other films. They didn't bring back Commtech chips but the main catch for this assortment is the inclusion of action features such as light up lightsabers for the Jedi, slashing action for General Grievous, and 32 electronic phrases for a new R2-D2 (with a non-retractable third leg). These figures are also supposed to include all new tooling with better sculpts and articulation than previous "action feature" figures of the past. Technology and design have evolved enough to accommodate these features without sacrificing aesthetics. The light up lightsabers were demonstrated at the panel and they certainly have kid play appeal, even for 30 year old kids.

Hasbro has retooled the 1999 Naboo Fighter to include an open droid compartment to insert your preferred astromech in along with some updates in the cockpit, an opening hatch, and landing gear. We don't know if there's any retooling from the 2007 version of the Sith Infiltrator, but this is a welcome re-release, especially for those who may have missed it the first time around for the 30th Anniversary Collection.The new AAT comes with refreshed deco and can now fit 3 Battle Droids. Anakin and Sebulba's podracers look to have some deco updates but will not include their correlating podracer figure. For now, it looks like the only way to get a new Sebulba figure is through the upcoming Mos Espa Arena pack from Wal-Mart.

Coming to you from 1999, Class I Fleet vehicles to be released include the Sith Speeder and Darth Maul and STAP with Battle Droid.

WAVE 1 (January 30)

Darth Maul

Super Battle Droid

Battle Droid

R2-D2

Qui-Gon Jinn

Clone Trooper (ROTS)

Destroyer Droid

Obi-Wan Kenobi 

General Grievous

Darth Vader

Clone Trooper (ROTS)

Yoda

WAVE 2 (February)

Qui-Gon Jinn 

Jar Jar Binks

Anakin Skywalker 

Darth Maul

Obi-Wan Kenobi 

Padme Amidala 

THE CLONE WARS

Clone Wars will be featured in the new Maul card and continue with the Galactic Battle Game concept that now has an updated design for the character card and die, and a tan colored figure stand. Some 2011 figures will be refreshed in the new card including Cad Bane, Mace Windu, Chewbacca, and Yoda for Wave 1. A new Commander Cody and Phase II CloneTrooper as well as a Season 4 Anakin is slated for release in the January 30th launch. Phase II Captain Rex and Republic Commando Boss is scheduled for Wave 2 in April. Hasbro announced only 19 figures for 2012 in Saturday's panel that will be heavy on Season 4 characters.

WAVE 1 (January 30)

Savage Oppres 

Mace Windu

Cad Bane

Chewbacca

Yoda

Anakin Skywalker

Aqua Droid

Plo Koon 

Clone Trooper (Phase II)

Clone Command Cody (Phase II)

WAVE 2 (April)

Republic Commando Boss

Captain Rex Phase II

Aayla Secura

Obi-Wan Kenobi

WALMART - DISCOVER THE FORCE

Walmart is  promoting a Discover The Force campaign on the January 30th launch that includes 12 Episode I figures in exclusive packaging with 3D glasses. They feature new sculpts of Aurra Sing, Ric Olie, and Mawhonic. Four of the figures, like Aurra and Mawhonic, will be re-released and re-carded later in the year for The Vintage Collection. The Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan figures in this wave will also be part of the Movie Heroes assortment.

Two multi-packs for this assortment include a Mos Espa Arena set (with Anakin, Sebulba, C-3PO, and 2 Pit Droids) and the Royal Starship Droid set. Does this mean a revamped Queen's Royal Starship in the future? We'll find out if or when Hasbro reveals their big vehicle at Toy Fair.

The campaign will also include a re-issued Dewback from 2009 and the Vulture Droid.

EXCLUSIVES

Unlike in recent years, Target and ToysRUs are lighter with their exclusives in 2012, at least for this launch.  Target will offer an Evolutions "lite" 2 pack of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader ("Rise of Darth Vader") and "Emergence of the Sith" with Darth Sidious and Darth Maul. A Darth Vader electronic helmet and lightsaber set will also be available at Target for the 1/30 launch.

Keeping with the Episode I theme, ToysRUs will offer a Pod Racer Pilot pack for launch featuring re-issued and slightly redecoed figures of Dud Bolt, Mars Guo, Teemto Pagalies, Clegg Holdfast, and Gasgano. 

FIGHTER PODS

Hasbro develops a new game and collectible micro-figure assortment and dubs them Fighter Pods. Enclose the figure into a clear sphere and spin, roll, and launch away. The assortment even includes micro scale versions of your favorite Star Wars vehicles like the AT-AT. There will be 130 figures released in 2012 and they're made of a rubbery, bouncy soft material to be more child safe.

- STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SULLENGER