MARVEL COMICS Action Figure Packs
30th Anniversary Collection
Retail: $9.99-$14.99
Availability: NOW
Appearances: Star Wars Comic Books

What: Hasbro takes and repurposes old molds to appear similar to the Howard Chaykin artwork seen in the original Star Wars comic books from 1977. Each set is entirely old tooling except for Han Solo, which has a resculpted torso that is not the same as the Tin Sandtrooper torso.

Image: The TV tray of Adam Pawlus. Click it, it gets bigger.

Figures: For a bunch of repaints, this may be one of the best assortments ever. Taking a cue from the popular G.I. Joe comic pack line (2004-2006), Hasbro repainted (and in some cases, retooled) a number of popular figures to resemble their comic book counterparts. There aren't a lot of surprises, but there are a few. Darth Vader has a lightsaber in his hand, and just like the original mold, there's one sculpted to his leg. This switched-off weapon is unpainted, and depending on how you position the capes, completely obscured from view. Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise is an excellent figure which combines a new head, torso, and helmet with a body very similar to the VOTC Stormtrooper from 2004. I say "very similar" because it has a 2005 copyright on the leg, just like the Shadow Stormtrooper. The original white version had a 2004 copyright on the foot.

The others are fairly by-the-book repaints, quite literally. There are a few problems with my sample, namely that Chewbacca and Grand Moff Tarkin aren't especially good at holding their weapons. The Rebel Trooper has no problems holding his gun, nor does the Stormtrooper. Obviously, this is a very quick overview, but I'm quite pleased with them for what they aspire to be, and will examine them more closely in the future.

Comics: While not exact replicas of the originals (many references to "Marvel Comics" seem removed), they're filled with ads for other Dark Horse and Hasbro Star Wars products, which is actually quite cool if you enjoy seeing such things. If you've read the comics in any of the numerous collections in which they have appeared since 1995, there's little new to see here. If you have the 1977 originals, there's less new to see here. The coloring is sharp, the printing quality is pretty excellent, and you get to see some deleted scenes and real oddities. If you have never had the fortune of seeing the original comics adaptation of Star Wars, these are a real treat.

Value: Excellent. Most stores are charging about $10.99 a pack, which is a bargain for a comic book (value of about $3) and two figures (value of $10-$14). Of course, if you already have similar items, these may not interest you quite as much.

Collector's Notes: These are just starting to show up in stores in December 2006. The case has 8 packs: 4 of Darth Vader & Rebel Trooper, 2 of Han & Chewie, and 2 of the Stormtrooper & Tarkin.

About the author: Blah blah blah Adam Pawlus blah blah blah Star Wars blah blah blah "The Faint" suck.