BOBA FETT AND HAN SOLO IN CARBONITE

The Black Series (6 inch)

Appearance: The Empire Strikes Back
Asst. A4915
Includes: Blastech EE-3 Blaster Rifle, Sakros K-11 Disintegration Pistol,  Modified Z-6 Jetpack, 3 Part Stand
Retail: $44.99
Released: July 2013

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VERDICT: Hasbro launches their new Black Series 6 inch assortment with arguably the most popular secondary character in the Saga. Boba Fett is loaded with articulation and paint detail that would allow some great poses and display value. The Han Carbonite is the logical companion piece and exclusive to the show, while Fett will eventually see general release. The new Black Series packaging has its share of love and hate, but it presents really well for this exclusive, and gives that premium look Hasbro is aiming for.

WHERE TO BUY: This set will be available to purchase at Hasbro's booth (#3229) at San Diego Comic-Con International from July 17-21. A limited number will be available at HasbroToyShop.com after the show.

Bio: The notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett prepares to deliver the carbon-frozen Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt. "He's no good to me dead."

 

SCULPT
This new six inch scale allows a larger pallet to work with for Hasbro's designers and sculptors and they sure took advantage of it for this figure. The sculpted folds and creases on his arms, the proportion and dent of the helmet, and even small details like his jet pack harness add fantastic dimensionality and realism that are many times difficult to capture in a smaller scale. One small gripe is although they loaded him with articulation (16 points!), they decided not to articulate the range finder. The soft goods cape also works well on this figure and lays adequately behind his left shoulder.

Hasbro wisely decided not give give Fett a removable helmet, a trend which I hope continues for this character in toys and in film.

The Han Solo Carbonite piece looks pretty spot on, with nice sculpt details for the circuitry on the side panels

DECO
The paint application is superb and true to The Empire Strikes Back version of the character.  There's wear and damage details and the famous emblems are where they should be. Since there's a larger area to work with, you'll find less splotchiness and a cleaner application of the deco.  

ACCESSORIES

Fett's weapons of choice are all here, including his famous Blastech rifle and disintegration pistol. The blaster rifle's plastic is fairly pliable to allow for various poses, including the iconic ones, and has good paint detail applied. His removable jetpack plugs in snugly on his back and fits better than his some of the smaller scale iterations.

CONTEXT

The past two convention exclusives were large and an awkward fit for the overhead bin for those having to fly home, and while they did have a nifty factor, there were only one or two figures exclusive to the set. This exclusive is certainly more travel friendly, and there's a good argument to be made that Han Solo is more appealing in a Carbonite Block than a Jar Jar Binks. It's a great looking set to launch a new scale and new direction for Hasbro.

PLAY VALUE
There's more display and pose value than play here, and that's where the four inch scale excels because of its compatibility with playsets and ships, and while Hasbro is certainly more than welcome to try, a 6 inch scale Bespin playset or Slave 1 just won't be in the cards. With 16 points of articulation, including added thigh articulation on the legs, BS Fett poses realistically well, and looks stunning displayed next to Han Carbonite.

The Han Carbonite comes with a 3 piece display stand that allows you to display it standing vertically or "floating" horizontally, so hurry up with those 6 inch Stormtroopers, Hasbro!

PACKAGING

The new Black Series look is supposed to evoke a premium exclusive feel to channel its adult collector oriented mission.  The packaging is entirely black with dark grey accents and silhouettes along with some added green details. The two part box has a design of Fett's visor on one side and the Bespin scene on the other. The inner part of the packaging has "Black Series" and Boba Fett stenciled inside, along with a description on how to assemble the Carbonite stand.

The Boba Fett, Han Carbonite, and his weapons and accessories are packed inside a tray, with descriptions of each weapon labeled in the appropriate space.

Overall, it's a great presentation, and while I'm not a big fan of the Black Series packaging (especially with the carded 3.75 inch figures…more on that later), it works well for this exclusive

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE SULLENGER
REVIEW SAMPLE PROVIDED BY HASBRO