Presenting the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade action figure.I have mixed feeling about Mara Jade given the recent news about the Star Wars canon. For all we know, in the next few months/years, Mara Jade will cease to exist. Everything I've grown to love and care for this character may disappear just because some studio executive at Disney said so.
Sad.
So for the uninitiated, in the event that Mara Jade disappears from the Star Wars universe, allow us to tell us who she is. Mara Jade is a Jedi Master in the Expanded Universe; a member of the Jedi Council, former smuggler, Captain of the Jade Shadow; former Hand-of-the-Emperor (Agent of the Empire who answers solely to Palpatine) whose final mission for Emperor was a failed mission to execute Luke Skywalker on Tatooine.
Mara Jade is also known as Mara Jade-Skywalker, wife of Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker, Master to Jaina Solo; Mother to Ben Skywalker; ancestor of Cade Skywalker.
Mara Jade would eventually fall to the treachery of Jacen Solo.
The Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade's blister pack simply reads "An assassin for Emperor Palpatine, Mara's life changes when she meets and eventually marries Luke Skywalker."The figure comes with everything you see here: An unlit-clp-on lightsaber, a unique violet-hued lightsaber, a blaster pistol, holster and holster belt.
What's to like about the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade?It's Mara Jade! if I am correct this is only her third incarnation following her Power of the Force and her Heir to the Empire 2-pack incarnation. I'm actually not sure why there aren't more versions of this very important figure in the Star Wars universe.
I love this figure and I think that it's a fine improvement over her 2-pack version both in appearance and in articulation. I mean look at the shiny leather detailing that went into the construction of Mara Jade's body-suit and boots! Simply exquisite. Even her lightsaber is well detailed.
See the difference between the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade figure and the Heir to the Empire 2-pack figure in term of detailing (And height)?
While we're looking at her well sculpted posterior, we should note that the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade figure has a feature that I have never seen in a Star Wars figure before - of if I have, it doesn't come to mind - you can re position her holster on her belt. There is also, surprisingly, a hole in her back for a back-pack or other possible accessories.
The holster is rather bulky so I prefer to keep on the back.
Mara Jade's articulation is excellent and she can kneel and dual-grasp both her blaster and lightsaber with both hands.
And she kinda looks like Claudia Black more than Shannon McRandle who portrayed her in the Wizards of the Coast Card Game
What's NOT to like about the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade?
Damn that hair! I haven't seen hair like that since the 80's! It just springs out and stands up as if suspended by the Force!That's the only real problem with this figure. I tried solving it by chopping her head off and replacing it with a head from a Black-Widow, but of two Black Widow's only the one here that you see fit.
The Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade is available on Amazon for US$ 19.90 (Roughly PhP 895.50 plus shipping) I picked her up for PhP 850 in the toy Black Market of St. Francis Square here in Ortigas, Philippines.
A must have and a great buy for any serious Star Wars collector.
P.S. All lightsabers seen here have been photoshopped. Her lightsaber does not glow.
Extremely well done. The Force is strong in her hair :D
ReplyDeleteHey Racoon, actually if you read the entire review, then you would have encountered the bit that said: "Damn that hair! I haven't seen hair like that since the 80s! It just sprints out and stands up as if suspended by the Force!"
ReplyDeleteAlso we did try substituting her head with two Scarlett's and three different Black Widows, as you can see from your own pics, the head is slightly just too big for her frame, so we opted against it.
Thanks for visiting!
Even DrSyn below noted the 80s hair comment.
ReplyDeleteWe also did mention that she looks nothing like Shannon.
ReplyDeleteThere's also a picture of a replacement Black Widow head above - the one that actually fits.
ReplyDeleteI did in fact read the entire review, but couldn't tell if you were elated by, or cursing, Mara's hair based on your comments.
ReplyDeleteI don't know guys...I'm biased because they're mine, but...the pics I sent look pretty good to me. The figure parts used are both 3.75" scale, so the measurements can't be TOO terribly off. This to me looks like the girl Luke married, and even resembles my buddy Shannon, way more so than the original Mara head! I've even sold a couple on ebay and the buyers loved'em. I also sold the two Mara heads on ebay as well. Couldn't bear to keep them!
You thought it was better to leave Mara "as is?" IMO, it's an awful figure, ruined by the hair and head sculpt. It's simply ugly.
Yes, I saw that.
ReplyDeleteYep, I read that part.
ReplyDeleteOk, I get it. Mara looks like Tawny Kitaen from Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" video.
ReplyDeleteAh.... as with the rest of this blog, you'll notice that a vast majority of the reviews are clustered into two parts: "What's to like" and "What's NOT to like" The full text reads:
ReplyDelete"What's NOT to like about the Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade?
Damn that hair! I haven't seen hair like that since the
80's! It just springs out and stands up as if suspended by the Force!
That's the only real problem with this figure....."
So it's under a negative header, starts by cursing it, and ends with citing it as a problem for the figure. We're not really sure how to make that clearer.
Now with no offense meant to your buddy Shannon - one of the few real people to be commissioned to pose as Mara Jade, because she's an expanded universe character (And might sadly disappear thanks to the new movies), what Mara Jade actually looks like is fluid, unlike say Princess Leia or Queen Amidala, just look at the attached pictures to see her comic book image shift.
Even the redness of her hair isn't fixed if we are to base it on these images. We just know it's red.
Now as to whether or not Black Widow's head is too big, well just because people say it's a 3.75 figure doesn't mean they are all to scale. Check out how the POTF figures tend to be bigger, more robust for example. The biggest changer in height between toy series would be Princess Leia. Some of her figures are under 3" while she does have a 3.75" figure. If I tried substituting heads there, naturally there would be a discrepancy. Even the Vintage Mara Jade differs from the twin-pack in terms of height - and that's a significant difference.
But that's your opinion and you are entitled to it, just as we are entitled to think that it's too big.
And we again have to disagree that the twin-pack version is superior. It's inferior in terms of articulation (VERY), paint detailing (Bland purple versus textured shiny leather) and accessories (Clip on lightsaber, smaller positionable holster versus that huge monstere of a holster), Even the facial detailing is inferior unless Mara Jade is a red-headed Asian, which she isn't.
But again, you and we are entitled to our opinions.
Erik Arana, who designed the figure said the hair was changed at the last minute to look purposely 80's/90's. Who knows why.
ReplyDeleteI kinda dig the hair. I just wished it was printed smaller.