From Wave 3 of Force Link 2.0, this Darth Vader (Solo: A Star Wars Story line look)  is a new mold. I was surprised too - they incorporated some details, like the silver cheek, that we don't normally get at this size of original Darth Vader toys.  Read on!

Also revealed today, Mace Windu!  This 6-inch The Black Series figure has that hyper-real likeness on the face so you know you're getting Samuel L. Jackson at his L. Jacksoniest.   

Particularly notable is an uncommon accessory at this size - a Jedi cloak!  We don't get a lot of these, but there have been a few fan-made ones over the last few years.  I haven't tried any myself, but I'm hopeful these will turn out better than some of the oddball 3 3/4-inch scale ones since 2006.  Even if it's not great, the rest of the figure looks phenomenal.  I'm excited.  I'm looking forward to 2019!

Apparently Hasbro is on some European tour!  Today we got word of another The Vintage Collection figure - Poe Dameron!  ...yeah, you got one of these.  But you can get another one now!  This is the figure last sold as a Walmart exclusive (some of which ended up elsewhere far after the fact.)  Check it out.

This is a favorite.  The R3-B0017 (Droid Factory Line Look) was from last year and, sadly, long gone - it tackles three favorite subjects of mine. One, it's a droid.  Two, it glows in the dark. Three, it shoehorns something goofy in as an "off-camera" figure in the existing storyline - in this case, Dathomir during The Clone Wars.  If you get a crack at this and are a fiend for glow-in-the-dark toys, you should get one.  Read on!

It only took five years for The Black Series to get its very first Padme Amidala!  This version is from Attack of the Clones, and is expected to drop in stores in 2019.   No other details - or any other upcoming AOTC costumed figures - are available at this time.

Hasbro mentioned it would be bringing back old molds - and this is an old mold! 2004's TVC Chewbacca is back with a new head as 2019's The Vintage Collection Chewbacca.  It looks cool - you may have 20 of them, but with a new head and new packaging it may warrant another look.

You'll probably find this Princess Leia Organa (Bespin Escape, The Black Series 6-Inch) at a Target near you.    This recent release is an exclusive with one of the best paint jobs we've ever seen on a Hasbro human head, thanks to their new realistic paint deco techniques.   Is she worth tracking down?  Yes.  But read on anyway!

The Scout Trooper, better known to olds as the Biker Scout, was released with a Speeder Bike a few years ago as part of an ill-fated, but awesome, $40 figure-with-vehicle/creature packs.  These Archive Collection releases will be the first time you can buy this figure sans vehicle, but you may have one already.  You can add to your squad this way without buying more bikes if you're so inclined.  It's worth noting this figure has not been sold in a traditional box yet, so who knows if or when this will ever happen.

Continuing Hasbro's Archive Collection - a series of 6-inch action figure reissues of popular (expensive/rare) older The Black Series items - is Anakin Skywalker.  He has his Darth Vader Sith-infused-anger face too, and they're amazing.  The portraits are significantly better than they were a few years ago, so if you missed the orange box version you might actually be better off.  Anakin includes 2 heads and a lightsaber, and should be in a store online or near you - but let's be honest, probably online - in 2019.

Once you go Black Series, something vaguely offensive here!   Hasbro will be slotting some redeco and reissue figures in, the first of which should be out in a few months.  They're carded instead of boxed, and some have enhanced facial paint applications.  You've already seen Boba Fett, X-Wing Luke, Bossk, and IG-88, but now you can see Yoda.

New this year! The R4-B0018 (Droid Factory Line Look)  may be at a Disney park (or an unrelated auction site) near you right now.  It has a unique claw arm and a piece of candy corn - colored incorrectly, just like the robot.  It's cute! It's charming!  And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than last year's awesome droid, which we'll look at next week.  Read on!

Hasbro continues its stretched-out series of Rebels with last year's Hera Syndulla (The Black Series 6-Inch)!   She has top-notch detailing, has articulation on par with the rest of the line, and has left retail because she's from last year.   Well, she's still worth tracking down if you can find one - Chopper and Ezra will join the crew of Ahsoka and Kanan in the coming months.  Read on!

It's not exactly on model, but R2-X2 (Red Squadron, The Black Series 6-Inch)  has some admirable parts.  It's big - and that's cool! The dirt is awesome! But the dome is the wrong color, as far as can be told when comparing it to previous releases in other sizes and formats.   Read on!

Amazon's R2-D2 (Red Squadron, The Black Series 6-Inch) is pretty good - but it lacks most of the cool extra gear from the clean, single releases.  It's still pretty cool and filthy, though.  Read on!

This Qi'ra (Corellia, The Black Series 6-Inch) may or may not be in a store near you - Han is around, but she seems to disappear.  It's a great figure with excellent sculpted detail and a pretty good portrait, so if you finally got off your butt and saw the movie maybe you're in the mood to buy some action figures now.   Read on!