The official Star Wars site, PR people, and all sorts of fans saw the news that you can See the New Sith Trooper from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at SDCC 2019.  This means that the people behind the movies now know what smart, handsome toy professionals have known for years - red looks good on Stormtroopers.

Funko, Hasbro, Loungefly, Topps, Rubie's (Hi Lenny!), Hot Toys, and more - interestingly, not Mattel - will be selling some first-look Sith Trooper action figures.  For those with memory issues, Hasbro has done "sneak preview" The Black Series figures for all of the Disney-era movies except for Solo, and nearly identical figures were released with different packaging and sometimes without some accessories later.

BB-8 (Resistance line look) comes with that really cool Poe figure in a 2-pack you might see at a store near you now.  He's cleaner than usual, and this is one of the lower-priced ways to get a BB-8 these days.  Read on!

Happy 4th!  It's the first modern-era version of Chewbacca the wookiee on the original movie's cardback design, and it's a redeco of The Black Series 3 3/4-inch figure that you forgot they made.  This means it's really good, folks.  Read on!

New if you can find it, the Lando Calrissian (The Vintage Collection) is theoretically shipping now!  He has a blaster, a cape, a scarf, and a working holster - plus an even better 3 3/4-inch likeness of Donald Glover.  If you can find it, you should get one.  Read on!

This is it!  Tiny improvements over time have finally fallen to this all-new Imperial Stormtrooper based on the Rogue One redesign - the tell being the blaster.  It has more articulation and better, shinier detail than ever before.  But is it perfect?  It's certainly very very good - read on!

This is the Resistance A-Wing Pilot from The Last Jedi red A-Wing Fighter.  She has a new head!  It's not just a repaint!  Granted, you'll have to squint to discover this.  Read on!

New from Disney's Galaxy's Edge, Hondo Ohnaka (The Black Series 6-Inch)  is one of the few all-new characters in the $69.99 Hasbro figure boxed sets.   He has a blaster and a costume that's similar to - but not identicial to - those in The Clone Wars and Rebels.  Do you need it? Of course not - but you'll want one.  Read on!

This Poe Dameron (Resistance line look) is a weird gem.  If you like 1978-1985 Kenner figures, Poe is essential.  He's thinner and fits in your X-Wings without a fuss - even better than The Force Awakens movie figures.  This is an action figure made to fit in vehicles, so naturally there are no Hasbro Resistance vehicles.  Just make the most out of your movie ones.  Read on!

More than just a repack, the 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (The Vintage Collection)  adds another variant to The Black Series 3 3/4-inch figure from a few years ago. With the more realistic face paint and tons more grey markings, this is different enough to upgrade.  Read on!

Weirdly this 2019 reissue of Han Solo (Carbonite, The Vintage Collection) did not get Hasbro's fancy new face painting.  Rather, it got a playset, a vintage cardback, and a magnet in the back of the carbonite block.  All in all, still a worthy purchase.  Read on!

What has Derryl DePriest been up to?  Since exiting Hasbro, he, Rich Alot, and D. Martin Myatt have started work on a new book! The hardcover Star Wars The Vintage Collection Archive Edition Book covers the 3 3/4-inch line and if the stretch goals hit, some of its black-and-silver siblings.   I was waitint a few hours to see if it would smash its goal on the first day - and it has been a very successful Kickstarter.  In addition to the book, a really cool poster is coming too.  Click here and check it out.

Also at Target in the clothing section this week is Han Solo (Stormtrooper, The Vintage Collection) which seems to be a retooled Sandtrooper from 2009 with an all-new head.  The hair seems to be a separately molded piece, and the new-style face paint makes this an even better Harrison Ford portrait.  Read on!

At a Target near you - most likely near Menswear, possibly near golf stuff and BBQ tongs - is this pretty great Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper, The Black Series 6-Inch)  upgrade.  We first saw the head sculpt previewed at HasCon in a diorama with no real fanfare, and now we have it on the Stormtrooper Luke body complete with commlink, whiter plastic armor, and a lot of dirt.  Let's say it's dirt.  Let's not think about what brown smudges in a space station's sewer really are.  Read on!

With a new head, this Han Solo (Echo Base, The Vintage Collection)  is probably worth a look.  Harrison Ford never looked  better, is what I would like to say, but the just-released Stormtrooper one is even better.  This is still plenty good.  Read on!

While it still doesn't have ankle joints, the ship of Theseus that is the 2004 version of this figure begets the Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot (The Vintage Collection)!  Packed with a big-wing TIE Fighter, the helmet is glued to the molded-in-black head and has unique deco.  So, add one to your armies if you're so inclined.  Read on!