That said, the likeness is at least recognizably Harrison Ford. There are some angles where the likeness perfectly comes into focus which is why I’m not going to knock it for that. It does seem a little too young though. Ford was in his mid-30s for A New Hope and the head sculpt just strikes me as younger, almost like we’re getting a Han figure from a few years before he met up with Luke.
The paintwork on the figure is particularly sharp. Most of the figure is molded in the appropriate color, but the paint is used where and needed and Black seems to have a much appreciated high QC consistency when it comes to paint work. The red stripes are sharp as are the belts and buckles. There is a little bit of extra paint on his chest, but it’s negligible. The gloves are a bit fuzzy overall and the only real area where the paint could be considered lacking.
Articulation is another area where I think Hasbro’s ML experience has paid off. Han has a ball-jointed neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and inverted ankles, double-hinged knees, and a great “ab crunch” with fantastic range. As an example, Han can sit up nicely or slouch if you want him too (now if we just had something for him to sit in…).
Another where this Han Solo shines is accessories. Since this is essentially A New Hope Han, Hasbro covered the bases with multiple accessories to pick up a few of Han’s looks from the movies. Most notably, there are the alternate, gloved hands as well as two belts: his classic belt and a Stormtrooper belt. They swap out easy enough (though getting the leg strap on his regular belt around the foot can be tricky) and both contain a holster for the two weapons Han comes packaged with: his traditional blaster and a Stormtrooper blaster. All the pieces are well sculpted and painted where needed, the two guns also perfectly fit in Han’s right hand, right down to the index finger going over the trigger. A nice, and always welcome, touch.
Overall, I guess the simplest way to sum up is to say that Star Wars Black is still probably on pace to be a serious contender for line of the year for 2013. The sculpting, articulation, and paint going into each release has been on the high end even if there’s been a hiccup here or there. The truth of it may be that Hasbro could’ve phoned in this line and gotten some praise, but they’re keeping me hooked by doing everything but. The figures are solid (they got me to spend money on Greedo… I’m still at a loss) and when they come with as many accessories as Han, that’s just icing on the cake. I’m still itching for an ESB Han because I’m weird like that, but the ANH Han presented here will keep me happy until the line (hopefully) reaches that point.
For more Star Wars Black reviews, check out our
Star Wars Black Collector’s Guide.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Glad to see your camera’s back in (somewhat) functioning condition! 🙂
Great review and pics, as per.
Part of the problem with the head sculpt is the tendency to go all heroic, with high cheekbones and lantern jaw and all that. I might be misremembering somewhere, but I could’ve sworn Harrison Ford had a slightly puffier, almost chipmunk-cheeked face in A New Hope. And where’s his chin-scar?
Never mind about the scar. Was looking at the screen at the wrong angle, so it didn’t show up.
Man, I wish HTS would ship my set already because everybody and their brother have gotten theirs. Those accessories are sweet! An excellent hand grip and trigger finger, removable belts, and movie-accurate weapons. What more could we ask for twenty bucks? It puts most of Mattel’s similar price range offerings to shame.
Star Wars collectors are the Yin to Grouchy Smurf and Little Mikey’s Yang, so I would wager that Black will be around for a while. This line is basically it for twelfth-scale right now, with DCUC five figures short of ending and Marvel Legends looking kinda iffy at present. It doesn’t hurt that Hasbro is delivering the goods, either. OT fans such as me love collecting both characters AND versions, to say nothing of army builders and cult favorites. (I want Lando but I also want Lobot, who I’ve always viewed as Lando’s sidekick or “aide” as the ESB credits list him. He is to Lando as Chewie is to Han.) You do make a great point regarding the prequels because adult collectors who enjoyed those are now being joined by the Millennial Generation, kids who have since grown up and have the cash to spend on stuff from their own childhoods.
Harrison Ford’s likeness will always be impossible to nail down. The head sculpt here has Han’s hair parted down the middle as Han wears it in both the movie and the vintage card pic for the very first Han figure. But checking out the box back, he looks more like a Fifth Beatle in the cantina showdown with Greedo. Plus, that’s also how the vintage Big Head Han turned out! So it’s all far from being an exact science.
I want a Bespin Han too. He is very popular with fans given that it’s his iconic look throughout most of the much-loved ESB. I can see Hoth Han being made thanks to the blue/brown/ jacket color controversy. For ROJ, Endor Han is basically ANH Han with a soft goods trench coat and some color variations. Carbonite Han is Bespin Han without the jacket, but he would be a good choice for another two-pack so more folks have a chance of getting the elusive SDCC carbonite block.
I say nice shots all around. I have to wait to Christmas to open mine. The wait will be eager indeed. I bought myself another member of this wave (was only these two left) and easily have a, whats the star wars what if title Galaxies?, display idea plannd.
Bring on Chewie, C-3PO, and any troopers. I gotta back track cause I recalled the toyfare trooper gang from TFT and like to get that crew. If the ESB Han jacket is removable can pull off the scout’s look.
Ah! The TFT Trooper Gang! That’s a great subline! Now I will have to do this.
Something about this guy didn’t do it for me, and I’m still not sure what it is. Now that you mentioned his neck being slightly too tall, that’s all I can see, but I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s the headsculpt. It’s so close, but not quite there. I don’t really fault Hasbro for that. I guess I blame Harrison Ford :-).
I almost bought this guy for the accessories alone. he is packed with them! Greedo, on the other hand, only comes with a pistol. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any more for a character with only 2 or so minutes of screentime, but I was a bit disappointed with his accessories, especially as Greedo’s sculpt looks amazing.
I might buy Han if I find him on sale somewhere. Rest assured, if I do buy him, it will only be to set up some sort of diorama where he’s constantly shooting Greedo (first).
The face isn’t perfect but it’s the long neck that really spoils the figure for me.
I’d say it’s a tie between the neck and the lighter painted eyebrows for me.
he looks vaguely southeast asian from some angles… weird.
So true.
Been looking forward to this guy for a while, and it seems I might have to turn to BBTS or other e-tailer to get him, as I’ve already mentioned my only source for 6″ black is Target, which stalled out on sales and now has a dozen figures collecting dust.
Ford apparently has one of those faces where it’s hard to nail down a good likeness, despite all the films and previous figures he’s had to draw from. I can see this guy being ‘hot’ from people wanting to custom a 6″ Indy, too, but if he’s going to get some obvious variants, I’d wait for pick of the litter on them. Can we presume this head is as swappable with others? that would be a great start to X-wing/Trooper army building. StromTrooper Han & Luke are canon, anyway.
(I know Biggs had a mustache, but no reason X-Wing Han can’t be someone else.)
I mainly want Han for a custom 6″ Joe, which I hope you can check with Greedo before/during his review to see if you can swap his hands for Han’s spare set?
The neck bothered me as well. Also, I think my biggest problem with his head sculpt is that he has too bland of an expression. If you look at pictures of Han Solo, he almost always has a smirk on his face, and I wish they had sculpted him to have something like that.
The long neck doesn’t bother me enough to NOT buy this figure, so I’m getting him once my local stores have him in stock, although I am a bit worried with the amount of Pilot Lukes and R2’s on the shelves…
Great review and pics too!
A bonus smirking head woulda been nice. Maybe if get another Han he will have that mug and can swap heads.
Okay, this came to mind dealing with the gloved hands, well the trooper rifle but did he don gloves the falcons guns?
To use them that is.
he was wearing the gloves in the scene where they board the falcon at Mos Eisly…and I believe he wears them when he mans the guns on the falcon as well.
The one picture had me checking IMDB – The Phantom Menace is only 20 years old if Han rounds up. Way up. From 14.
Or, In Han’s world:
This review is nearly 6 years old.
In that last pic–is that a grammar error or a joke?
Silly Noisy.
I said you would buy every figure in this line. So far, with the exception of the hard-to-find SDCC exclusive, I’ve been right. Not worried about Series 3, either.
Like William Shatner and Bruce Campbell, Ford’s handsomeness is too generic to be easily captured in a tiny sculpt. Actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger have features like big cheekbones and a really strong jaw than can be exaggerated or caricatured in a small figure sculpt to make it appear more like the actor. Shatner, Campbell and Ford don’t really have that, and it’s why their head sculpts are so tough to nail. A good enough sculptor can pull it off, though – NECA finally got Campbell with their Evil Dead II line. I’ve never seen a really good Shatner, however, and even Hot Toys’s Arnie Kim struggled with Ford’s face.