June 2005

To start off June, we have Clone Roundup, covering all the variations of the Episode 3 Clone Trooper currently on the market. While none of the writeups are as thorough as a full review, there's enough common ground that the existing full review applies to at least some part of each figure.

I'd say the much-touted Super-Articulated Clone #41 wins Best in Show as expected, but not by as much of a margin as expected- while it's definitely the most poseable of the lot, the Clone Commander's unique appearance and decent array of equipment makes him a standout in this group, even without the benefit of a waist joint. Worst in Show is a lot easier- the Deluxe Clone with Jetpack is unquestionably awful, and would be so even if it weren't a costlier Deluxe figure.

One thing I do have to give Hasbro here- each of the current crop of Basic Clones has its own merits- even #6, with its swappable shoulder armor and unobtrusive action feature. If you find yourself with a compulsion to "catch `em all," as it were, they're all different enough that you won't particularly feel like you're buying mere color variations. At the same time, if you only want a particular favorite, there are enough similarities that you probably won't miss the others. Strange that it seems to work both ways, but in my opinion it does- it all depends on your approach to having a number of similar figures.

Of course, we haven't heard the last of the Clone Troopers. There are a few others planned for the Revenge of the Sith line this year, and I intend to present them to you here as soon as I can acquire them. They'll be added to the existing article when the time comes- call it a Special Edition. And naturally, we're continuing with our coverage of other lines as well, so keep watching this space for more reviews.