One of the more fascinating ideas (with a closed execution) is back with the Force Link 2.0 Starter Set.  (Completists have 3 of version 1.0 by now.)   The new hotness includes younger Han Solo, a blaster, and.. well, you read it.  It is  backward compatible (I asked) and there may be other surprises baked in - but we'll have to wait and see what the final toy can do.  Check out the Millennium Falcon-inspried detailing.

STAR WARS FORCE LINK 2.0 STARTER SET
(Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Spring 2018)
Bring STAR WARS adventures to life with the newly designed FORCE LINK 2.0 STARTER SET including FORCE LINK wearable technology, which allows fans to activate movie sound effects and phrases in more than 30 compatible STAR WARS toys! Use the Force with an exclusive 3.75-inch HAN SOLO figure only available in the FORCE LINK 2.0 STARTER SET, featuring unique sounds and expressions from SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.

Solo: A Star Wars Story wouldn't be a toy line without 3 3/4-inch action figures.   From the photos, these may be Hasbro's finest sculpts and decorations yet - get a gander at the human likenesses.  Ths is a preview of them - more are coming, so there will still be things to reveal between now and... well, I can't divulge that just yet.  At least two figures may be just different enough to make you mad.   Hasbro says:

STAR WARS 3.75-INCH FIGURE Assortment
(Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $7.99/Available: Spring 2018)
Enter the world of STAR WARS and launch into action and adventure! Each 3.75-inch figure features five points of articulation and comes with unique battle accessories. Characters include classic heroes and villains, as well as favorite characters from SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, and ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY such as CHEWBACCA, LUKE SKYWALKER, QI’RA, K-2SO, MAZ KANATA, and more.

I should be packing, but Hasbro sent along a shot of the most excellent flagship... ship.   Let's let them talk about it while I upload photos and listen to The Ramones albums.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY 3.75-INCH KESSEL RUN MILLENNIUM FALCON VEHICLE
 (Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $99.99/Available: Spring 2018)
Make the KESSEL RUN in less than 12 parsecs with the MILLENNIUM FALCON! Relive the adventure and imagine flying through every obstacle like ace pilot HAN SOLO with speed and action. Fans will experience flashing lights and sounds as they pretend to race along KESSEL RUN.

It's the fuzz!  The Canto Bight Police figure comes with a vehicle that's.... well, it's kind of spare.  The figure looks like something out of 1980, and is generally pretty neat for a generic trooper pilot.  Read on!

It's Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi, The Black Series 6-Inch)!  This figure came out last September and has one of the better Adam Driver heads in the line so far.  Read on!

This week in Q&A - The Last Jedi figures - it's over, but is it really over? Should we expect the next TV show at Toy Fair? I wouldn't. And pre-Toy Fair guesswork.

And send in your questions for next week. Read on!

The 182 closing Toys R Us stores started their sales today.  The sign out front of mine boasted "Up to 30% Off!"  Another, "Nothing Held Back!" was a little less precise - it's worth noting that most action figures are 10% off but NECA toys were excluded.  Also excluded: select video games and books.

At Walmart now, the First Order TIE Fighter Pilot (The Last Jedi Line Look)  comes with a slightly modified version of his craft.  Sound chips and a blue symbol set these apart.  Do you need more?  Read on!

Add another one to the list! StarWars.com posted Game of Thrones Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Write and Produce a New Series of Star Wars Films.  The two TV creators are set to work on a new strain of story separate from the side-story films, Rian Johnson's trilogy, and most likely the original numbered saga.   More here.   No dates or specifics were given, but for those keeping track at home this means Lucasfilm has somewhere around 7 - if not more - feature-length movies between today and the indefinite future.

If you're looking to build an army, the First Order Stormtrooper Executioner (The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch) is pretty good.  Walmart has a super-articulated version of the figure, and Toys R Us has one with a Force Link pack at a higher price.  If you can find this one, get it.  Read on!

This week in Q&A When is a success a failure? Apparently when people don't love the story. Classic Star Wars Vehicles - when will we see more of them? And Classic Toys at Toy Fair - don't get your hopes up, cheese.

And send in your questions for next week. Read on!

Newish! The Rey (The Last Jedi Line Look) comes with a poncho, lightsaber, and blaster - but under it all, she's a lot like the Resistance Rey from 2016, albeit with a new sculpt and fancy sound chip.  Read on!

Ad: Catch up on Star Wars from Gentle Giant at Entertainment Earth! New statues and jumbo action figures are among the items added from Gentle Giant. While you're there, check out newness from Hasbro, too.