The 6-inch Luke Skywalker in his Jedi gear may not be perfect, but it's one of my favorites.  It does not exceed its mandate, but it works - hands hold weapons. Belt fits.  Lightsaber hangs on hook.  Figure stands, sits.  It's rare that a figure can do pretty much anything you expect it to and not have severe balance issues - his joints are nice and tight.  I've been talking all day so I'm exhausted.  Read on!

Check out the Shadow Scout in today's Figure of the Day! It's similar to some 3 3/4-inch figures, but it's 6-inches tall.  The blaster, however, is basically the same size for some reason.  Read on for more!

I got this swell Shadow Stormtrooper Commander 6-inch action figure in the mail over the weekend, and it is indeed swell.  Essentially a black, backpack-free Sandtrooper, it's basically exactly what you would want in such a thing.  3 guns cast in dark grey. Pauldron.   Glossy helmet lenses.  Read on!

That was fast! If you ordered your Imperial Shadow Squadron set at Target.com on Wednesday, you might have it waiting at your front door today - mine arrived already in a nice big box (albeit with a couple of dents on the packaging).  It looks pretty slick, and if you didn't get an order in don't worry - it should be in stores very soon!

For those who missed the boat, the set includes a Scout Trooper, Sandtrooper Shadow Stormtrooper Commander, and Speeder Bike in black.

New York! I'm not there - but these figures are.  Hasbro revealed 6 new 6-inch The Black Series action figures for all of us remaining loyal Star Wars fans.  They are: Emperor Palpatine, Luke Skywalker, in Stormtrooper Disguise, Clone Commander Cody, IG-88, Princess Leia in Boushh Disguise, and the Clone Trooper Captain.

Ah, armchair reporting! It's great.  Hasbro sent along a batch of photos of new Star Wars goodness from their "Twas The Night Before Party."  In here, you'll find 3 3/4-inch Star Wars The Black Series C-3PO, Princess Leia in Boushh Disguise, Mosep Binneed, Commander Thorn, Han Solo in Carbonite, and a pair of Jawas!  What's not to love?

While my budget for travel basically covers trips to toy stores and the occasional bike ride to Wal-Mart, I'm seeing a ton of great coverage from  New York City at the Hasbro party before New York Comic Con.  New 6-inch and 3 3/4-inch Star Wars figures were shown, as are some nifty new Transformers toys.  Seeing as you can get all-new Leia Boushh figures in regular and extra-large sizes, clearly it's a great time to be alive.

UPDATED with more links to Mission Series and Saga Legends images.

UPDATE: Sold out. Note the DPCI and keep an eye on your local store!

There aren't many big exclusives left for 2014, but you can cross one off your list today! Target.com has the Star Wars The Black Series Imperial Shadow Squadron Pack in stock for $50.00 plus free shipping.  Unless you're up for playing a round of clearance chicken, you can save yourself a lot of post-holiday anguish by ordering yours now.

Steven Anne is the toy buyer for Walgreens, and on Twitter he confirms solid cases of 8 Concept Armor Boba Fetts are coming in November.  The 6-inch Black Series action figure is in circulation now, potentially mixed with other Star Wars characters like Luke, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and a redeco Sandtrooper which should be in stores elsewhere real soon.  He writes:

Ad: The new guys are up for order!  Click here to order Star Wars The Black Series Wave 6 3 3/4-inch action figure sets or cases at Entertainment Earth The case features free shipping in the USA!

Characters include Starkiller, Darth Malgus, R5-G19, Hoth Luke Wampa Attack, Episode III Darth Vader, and Yoda Jedi Training.

The Walgreens Boba Fett (Prototype Armor) 6-inch action figure is out now - most stores are getting partial cases and you won't see a variety at all locations.  In the past 72 hours I hit up about 16 locations and generally saw no more than 1-3 Star Wars figures of any kind at each location - for example, one store had 3 Boba Fetts in Glendale, AZ and nothing else.  Another had 2 Darth Vaders and nothing else.  And another had a single Sandtrooper, and that was it.  Only 3 of the stores had any 6-inch Star Wars figures yet, but this is a new-to-them line.

With three eyes, Ree-Yees has been one of the more recognizable aliens form the Star Wars saga since his 1983 action figure debut. Kenner refreshed him in 1998 and this 2014 edition is the first new one in over a decade. He's a big upgrade on almost every possible metric, minus a new ball joint in the waist popping apart easily which means he pretty much can't sit. However, he does have sculpted trigger fingers which was nothing short of amazing. Go ahead and get one. Also note cameos by Boba Fett and the previous Kenner Ree-Yees figures in Six Second Toy Talk, after the break.

Tired of video previews of action figures that take a whole minute - or worse, several minutes?  In the amount of time it would take you to think "yes" to yourself, you could already be watching this Six Second Toy Talk: The Black Series Darth Vader Action Figure video - and almost done with it.  Check it out, after the jump.

He's good!  Ree-Yees is Hasbro's finest work in the field of Gran development.  If you need a figure to stand on a Sail Barge or Jabba's Throne Room diorama, there is none better.  I assume most readers of this site are not concerned about figures sitting, because trying to make him sit will cause his torso to blow open.  (It's easily remedied, like the ball-joint head on most figure necks.) Due to how this figure is likely to perform in your life, this is probably going to have to be rounded up to acceptable as there are no real vehicles for him right now.  Is this figure the go-to Ree-Yees you've been waiting for? Yes.  But read on anyway for more pictures!

It's Jabba's Skiff Guard!  Or Brock Starsher, or Sgt. Doallyn, or whatever - the important thing is that this guy, with this helmet, is now a thing you can actually own.  He looks like his cousins from The Legacy Collection and sports 2 neat accessories.  Is he exceptional? No.  Does it matter? Also no - he's a legit new character, without question, and as such a required addition to your toy shelves.  Read on!