Expanded Canon meets Expanded Universe as the fan favorite Republic Commando Boss gets the Clone Wars treatment in 2012 with  good sculpt, but awfully limited leg articulation. He comes with his standard commando weaponry, a zip line, and a cool storage pack to harness his hand blasters.

CW11 REPUBLIC COMMANDO BOSS
Affiliation: Galactic Republic
Appearance: The Clone Wars Season 3
Sequence: CW11
Asst. 37741/37290
Includes: 2 DC-15s Hand Blasters, DC-17m Rifle, Storage Pack, Pack Waist Harness, Zip Line, Galactic Battle Game Character Card, Stand, Die
Action Feature: Opening Pack with Zip Line!
Retail: $8.99
Released: April 2012

Bio:  Republic Commando Boss is the sergeant in Delta Squad, and elite unit of clone troopers. He receives standard clone trooper combat training on Kamino, then is put through additional training that is extremely tough, but it makes Boss an aggressively effective trooper able to survive the demanding missions given to Delta Squad. [IMAGE BANK PHOTOS]

SCULPT/PAINT: He's taller and sleeker, and from a sculpt standpoint, could arguably be the best version of this character yet, real or otherwise. The leader of Delta Squad is deco'ed in his standard orange squad markings and styled per his appearance in The Clone Wars Episode "Seasons of the Mist" from Season 3. The paint used for his night vision visor is more pearlized than the glowing blue used on his previous figures. I don't know if I like it better but it certainly looks "cleaner".

ARTICULATION: Hasbro only gave Boss 8 points of articulation, including ball joints on the shoulders and elbows. For an action packed character like this, it's a shame you can only pose him straight and upright with wedge pivot hips. The lack of wrist articulation also limits the way he can brandish his weaponry.

ACCESSORIES: Boss is armed with his standard commando DC17m Rifle and 2 hand Blasters. He also comes with a storage pack that include placements you can attach the blasters and the zip line to. The pack is definitely one  of the highlights of this action figure and balances well when attached to his back.

CARDBACK: The Clone Wars assortment shares the same card design as the Movie Heroes line featuring the striking Darth Maul graphic set against blue and white commemorating the release of The Phantom Menace in 3D.  The card back includes a character bio, affiliation, sequence number, and image of the figure and a scene shot of the character. It's always a welcome change to get a package refresh, and the 2012 Maul design looks fantastic and one I actually prefer over the Shadows of The Dark Side. Hasbro hasn't wowed me since the excellent 30th Anniversary design of 2007 (Vintage is on a different stratosphere), and this packaging's shelf life, while not yet stale, is beginning to show a little fatigue on a store display.

TOPPING THINGS OFF: Boss features good sculpt and proportionality with appropriate character deco. His backpack is a nice feature while the zip pack "action feature" more novelty and throwaway for adult collectors. The glaring deficiency in the lack of wrist and leg articulation limits how this dynamic character can be posed, and that really is a disappointment. Cargo Hold for the Boss.

RATING: CARGO HOLD (3 out of 5 Bounty Points)