Star Wars: The Black Series Target Exclusive Ach-To Luke Skywalker (The Last Jedi)

 It sure feels like we’ve been paying a lot of attention to Star Wars figures the last few months: I have a pretty sizable backlog of Black Series figures to examine, and the list has been growing. It also feels like it’s getting close to time that we finally talk about The Last Jedi and Solo as movies, now that the climate of nuclear takes is in remission, aside from those die hards who are still infuriated by either or both. Those talks are coming, but for now, let’s get some exposure to another Black Series figure, the Target exclusive Episode VIII Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: Black Series Battle Damaged Captain Phasma (The Last Jedi)

 When Toys R Us closed, the status of multiple store exclusive figures was tossed into chaos. Almost all of them would be picked up by other venues, and some of them just ended up at online sources. Black Series Toys R Us exclusives were rescued by the Disney Store, and so were not missed. The second of three, this battle damaged Captain Phasma depicts neo-Boba Fett as she appears in her final scene in The Last Jedi, where she again is imperiled and for the time being presumed dead, because unless a filler comic miniseries is coming from Marvel to smooth over this one, it’s hard to see how she’s going to escape an exploding Star Destroyer and return for Episode IX.

But we all know that she will.

Star Wars: The Black Series Kylos Ren (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi)

 Here’s an opportunity to get another multiple figures all handled in one article, so let’s take advantage. Let’s take a look at both of the Black Series Kylo Ren figures, one from The Force Awakens, and the other from The Last Jedi.

 By now, we all should know Kylo Ren; and unless we’re just being difficult, we should also all know that he’s a pretty good antagonist for the New Trilogy. He was a whiney emo kid in Episode VII, but in Episode VIII, he’d rounded out into a pretty developed character, and seems to be the actual tortured soul in the Star Wars universe that Anakin Skywalker was meant to be in his extra poor appearances in the heinous Prequel Trilogy. The former Ben Solo, like the other members of the new cast, has gotten a new 6” figure for each movie, and they are two very different figures.

Star Wars: The Black Series Darth Vader (Rogue One)

 

Semester’s over! As of yesterday, all that remains is a bit of paper grading and it’ll officially be that wonderful break between Spring and Summer classes, a couple weeks of sleeping (relatively) late and having fun and feeling like a real human again. I am still working my way through a whole lot of figures that need to be photographed, and have almost exhausted my stockpile of pictures taken at our old apartment, so these new photo sessions are becoming more and more necessary. It occurred to me that out of the 36 articles posted to the Coffin thus far in 2018, only 6 of them (6!) have been about Star Wars figures, and there have been a number of Star Wars figures acquired since 2018 began. Gotta do something about that, man.

Star Wars: The Black Series Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer

 

It’s been mentioned in brief that The Last Jedi didn’t produce as many action figures as a Star Wars movie can be expected to produce. Even the exclusive figure sets released to coincide with the movies’ months prior Force Friday were mostly figures from other Star Wars movies. But, here’s a pair of figures that are very much The Last Jedi tie ins.

Long-serving Alliance officer and meme celebrity Admiral Ackbar and Generic First Order Officer.

Star Wars: The Black Series Finn (In First Order Disguise)

 

 This seems rather familiar, doesn’t it? A Rebel or Resistance hero, added to the Coffin’s Imperial (-style) only Black Series collection only after a figure of said hero wearing an Imperial (-style) disguise is released. At this time, the only Luke and Han in said collection are the Stormtrooper armor-clad ones, and the only other Finn is his Stormtrooper armor-clad version. Now, a second Finn joins the ranks, wearing First Order officer garb.

Grave Considerations: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Pre-Thoughts

Two years ago, we were introduced to an all-new story in the rich Star Wars universe, one that brought us new heroes and villains, and made us say goodbye to one of everyone’s heroes. It is currently Thursday afternoon, and as of this evening, the next installment of the new Star Wars trilogy, The Last Jedi, will land in theaters. The tension is mounting, and there is a real fear starting to swirl that being on the Internet is putting one in danger of encountering spoilers. Months of ignoring articles and news and ‘news’, only to have things spoiled this close to the first showing? Hell no.

We’re going to see it tonight, and I’ve begun to feel myself all aflutter. Once again, I’m worried, but this time, for some different reasons.

Star Wars: The Black Series Praetorian Guards

 November was the busiest month in the lifespan of the Coffin. Not sure if December can match it, but there are some pressing matters of The Last Jedi releasing very soon, and there being some figures from said toyline that need to be dealt with, preferably before seeing the movie.

One of these figures is the First Order Praetorian Guard, already touched on in the Elite Guards Exclusive four pack, and presented here in two additional parts, one of them an exclusive. To date, there have been three versions of the Praetorian Guard released, and only one of them has been released to mass retail. At first glance, the differences are merely found in the accessories each one carries; but upon further inspection, all three have different helmets, as well as different accessories. Beyond that, they are the same figures.

Star Wars: The Black Series Elite Guards

It was extra hard to get a decent picture of the package. This was the best one....

 

 

In August, a package arrived containing the Black Series Imperial Guard. Pretty new at that time, the objective was to get a review of it posted as soon as was possible. Then time got scarce, and that obviously never happened. At the time, it was speculated that, with a little bit of repainting, the Imperial Guard could be turned into the blue Senate Guard from the Prequel Trilogy, and even better, the Shadow Guard from “The Force Unleashed” game. If you follow the Coffin, you know that these e-tail exclusive boxed sets are completely beloved around these parts, and never is an opportunity to purchase one missed. At various points in time, ideas for future ones have been floated, from a Clone Commander set (possibly less likely now that Cody, Gree, and Rex have all been released) to an ARC Trooper set, and probably a few others. In August, when the single Imperial Guard arrived, thoughts turned to a multipack of different colored guards. Then came Force Friday, and this set was announced, and it was clear that someone had sold out ol’ Moby Richards’ great idea. Either that, or ol’ Moby’s going to be getting a royalty check in the future. Maybe.

Star Wars: The Black Series First Order Executioner

  

Force Friday was last Friday, and that means that the official kickoff of new Star Wars merchandise season is upon us. New waves of Black Series figures, new waves of 3.75” figures and vehicles, and all the marvelous The Last Jedi plot details we can glean from them.