I’ve been feeling a bit of a Black Series malaise lately, so thankfully Hasbro gave the series a shot in the arm by showing off some interesting prequel Alien figures at MCM London and the 1027 online event.
Honestly, Savage Opress is a character who shouldn’t have a role. A knock-off Maul who was also his brother to some degree, but somehow managed to become one of the most compelling storylines in Clone Wars history. This figure matches his look on the show perfectly. I’m not sure if he’s actually big enough to qualify as “deluxe,” but Hasbro has been playing pretty fast and loose to qualify there. It’s nice to get his front sword weapon as it looks unique, but I wish there were some interchangeable web limbs and a head with some sliced horns. Savage launches today at Pulse and other fan retailers, and is still available to order for $33.99, with expected availability in the summer.
Luminara Unduli was one of the Jedi from Attack of the Clones for long enough that I actually missed her a bit. She also had some stories in the Clone Wars comics featuring her apprentice Barriss Offee. I see these two as one, so hopefully she’ll be here soon. I do like the combination of textiles and sculptural robes here. She will be releasing alongside the next two pieces at Pulse and Fan Channel retailers on 10/30/24 at 1pm ET.
Shaak Ti is another background character in Attack of the Clones who got more background in the Clone Wars comics. Not only 3D dramas, she also has some scenes in 2D dramas. Our first Togruta alien, with her eye-catching design, is about to hit the shelves. She has a similar textile mix to Luminara. I have the first Shaak Ti figure, so I kind of wish they would have included the explosive bolt deflection effect that the original figure had.
Finally, we have one of The Phantom Menace’s major fully CGI characters, Sebulba. The Pod Race sequence is a bit like The Phantom Menace’s version of Cantina, featuring a ton of aliens. I don’t expect to see many of these in the Black Series, but I’m glad they got the most important one in the series. I’d pick a few others, but currently I think my priority for TPM aliens would probably be Watto.
With their rich colors and unique builds, these four aliens will look great in a collection. All the colors illuminate a display that is sometimes dominated by soldiers and people in sand-colored robes.
