Club Jade

We were a tad worried about the latest Mara Jade figure when Hasbro cancelled the Droid Factory line, but the word out of Toy Fair today places her back among the upcoming releases – in the Black Series wave 2. It doesn’t appear she’s getting a size upgrade – the series will contain standard 3¾” figures as well as the new 6″ ones – just geared towards “collectors,” which I’m guessing means the figure will be even harder to find and cost more than it would have before. (Sigh.)

Thanks to @ASMzine and @Yakface for the heads-up and answering my not-a-collector questions, and Jedi News for their liveblog, which confirmed that the figure is the Fan’s Choice version we saw last year.

There have been rumors swirling around the collecting site last week that the Droid Factory line was canceled… And now it’s been confirmed. Why is this relevant to us? Well, the Mara Jade Skywalker figure we were sorta/kinda excited for was part of that line, which means we won’t be seeing it this spring.

Hasbro’s release says that many of the Droid Factory figures will become part of a new line for the fall – hopefully the Mara figure will be among them.

Well, this is disappointing… Hasbro revealed their new Mara Jade Skywalker figure at Celebration VI – the Jedi one we voted for in hopes she’d be wearing something other than the catsuit. Well, as expected, the figure is wearing the catsuit anyway… And sporting the wrong lightsaber to boot, so there are certainly going to be some disappointed Mara fans out there. In any case, start looking for the figure in the spring.

Thanks to Phil of ASMZine for the heads-up – check out the figure, plus further thoughts and the possibility of another – under the cut.

(more…)

Plastikitty spotted what looks like a finished version of Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo Jaina Solo on Big Bad Toy Store, and it certainly looks ready. The statue is 9 inches tall and is on pre-order for $54.99 – not all that bad a price, considering how much collector stuff usually goes for.

We first heard about the Jaina Solo Bishoujo statue at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. Still waiting on that Sideshow Mara figure, though…

UPDATE: You can see some other looks at the statue on io9.

Toy Fair is going on this weekend, and according to multiple reports, Jedi Master Mara Jade Skywalker was voted the Fan Choice figure. (You might remember the contest from last fall.) Unfortunately for those of us hoping to finally get a Mara figure without that blasted catsuit…

#StarWars Fans’ Choice tidbit: Mara Jade Skywalker will use Adam Hughes artwork as a start. #hotness

— Imperial Holcron (@ImpHolocron) February 11, 2012

Yeah. That artwork. (Again?) Sigh. I’m not hearing anything about a a prototype yet, but as always, we’ll have an eye out for updates.

The other Star Wars talker of Toy Fair? A Jar Jar in Carbonite figure will be a SDCC 2012 exclusive. Teehee.

UPDATED! StarWars.com has posted photos of Hasbro’s Toy Fair offerings, and sure enough, there’s no sign of Mara. (Though there is some nice Clone Wars stuff, if that’s your thing.) Needless to say, we’ll be watching Hasbro’s presentations through summer con season with great interest.

Hasbro and the Star Wars Insider have teamed up for yet another Fan’s Choice poll to pick a character to be added to the action figure line. The EU selections in this round includes several classic EU folks: Gilad Pellaeon, Joruus C’baoth, Guri, and Mara Jade Skywalker. Cast your vote today!

Licensee Kotobukiya will be releasing a Jaina Solo Bishoujo statue, it seems. (More proof? Heard about it from @StarWars.) While I’m happy see an Expanded Universe character get some non-Hasbro love (and George knows that’s sparing enough,) I’m not really sure what to think of the whole Bishoujo thing, other than to be grateful she’s not flashing her panties.

Speaking of non-Hasbro EU love, did anyone hear anything about that Mara figure Sideshow has said is in the pipeline? Anything? Bueller?

Toy Fair has begun in New York, and Hasbro has revealed their plans for the coming year. There’s plenty of Clone Wars stuff, including Ahsoka in her new outfit, plus a new line of lightsabers. And while the comic packs may be gone, Expanded Universe action figures are still popping up. Most notably, a Nom Anor in June (That’s him up top, plus his card) and a Bastila Shan coming in April, both in the Vintage Collection.

I suppose the Quinlan Vos/Barriss Offee Galactic Heroes twin-pack counts as well, too. Perhaps most odd, however: Two Disney Exclusive Star Tours packs. You can check them all out at StarWars.com.

Someone got stabbed with a pen in Hall H this evening; There’s a report from San Diego’s NBC affiliate and Comic Book Resources and Entertainment Weekly are on the case. (Harrison Ford is not a suspect.) The rumors have been flying over Twitter, including allegations that seat-squatting (a common practice) was a factor.

• In the wake of our first glimpse at the cover, StarWars.com has a clearer look and the blurb for John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant paperback.

• The prequels are safe from Family Guy; Indiana Jones, not so much. Their Return of the Jedi spoof is named… wait for it… “It’s a Trap!” Oh Family Guy, your creativity is boundless.
• Even putting The Clone Wars aside, there were a few EU figures in Hasbro’s presentation – more than I was expecting, anyway. The Comic Packs continue (as Entertainment Earth exclusives) with Legacy’s Deliah Blue/Darth Nihl. Knights of the Old Republic’s Jarael/Rohlan Dyre (image 50,) Jaster Mereel/Montross from Jango Fett: Open Seasons and Rogue Squadron’s Baron Fel/Ysanne Isard (51.) I suppose the Jodo Kast on 35 counts, too.
• Hungry for The Old Republic news? Here’s Pablo’s report from the MMO’s panel.
• Oh, hey, Avengers.

Nonfiction StarWars.com offers up a peek at J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. The book’s release was recently pushed back to October, but there’s little doubt that it will be worth the wait.

Street date shuffle. On that note, our book release schedule has been updated. The most notable change: A double shot of Fate of the Jedi paperbacks as Omen and Abyss are moved up to spring.

Podcastery. Star Wars Action News talked to Paul S. Kemp earlier in the month, while the ForceCast caught up with John Jackson Miller at C2E2.

The blogside. Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff on the end game and the last period.

Morsel. Sue Rostoni says that Joe Schreiber’s Black Orchid is getting a new title because some people thought it sounded like a romance novel. Personally I think old school Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean…

Toys. Rebelscum reports that the Legacy Collection’s Expanded Universe action figures (the wave that includes Jacen and Jaina) have begun showing up at Toys “R” Us stores.