Sideshow ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader

[VintijDroidGutzz]

One question:

Why is this figure using one of these on top?

Looks more like the Snowtrooper's head gear actually..

 

[devilof76]

As it stands, I'd choose my ROTJ Medi over this pos all day long. Each to their own though.

It's a pretty doll. To each their own though.

 

[swsqueakquels]

I'll display medi vader proudly with ANY figures i choose to. Can't be displayed with SS or HT GTFO!

Is SSC Luke as tall/taller than Medi Vader?

 

[Glennfett]

u know ss will read the remarks on here....and hopefully fix it. the problems should be cured with futzing of the chest box and the dome..easy.cmon sideshow ol buddy dont let me down...

 

[kl241]

Is SSC Luke as tall/taller than Medi Vader?

No but his melon head is bigger.

 

[swsqueakquels]

No but his melon head is bigger.

Yeah, but I would have taken one for $50 had I been collecting 1/6 back then! Luke looks a little stoned with those SSC paint apps but it's a great sculpt. It's the undersized SSC body that seemed to create that bobble head thing you see on SSC Indy and Lando as well.

But Medi Vader must be over $250 tho too, more than the SSC one which I think is supposed to be in the $200-220 range... Even the first SSC Vader (very flawed obviously with height, dome etc...) was only about $120 vs the first Medi which I think was closer to $200.

 

[EVILFACE]

What is up with that troopers leg?

 

[shocktrooper_au]

hmm. something still feels off to me when i compare it to movie pictures. but cant put my finger on it.

First chance to really look at this...................WTF Sideshow
I won't be ordering from this shot.... looks like the Hasbro pin head version. but so many other issues are visible

 

[TotalDominAsian]

It's depressing images like this... that make me think Sideshow don't really give a damn about us 1/6 guys. The helmet is so obviously flawed! I'm betting the prototypes made by Sideshow are done much better... then they send it to China to figure out how to mass manufacture them... and the Chinese involved don't give a damn about Star Wars and make it willy nilly.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

It almost looks like the ANH Vader heads' been wonkily photoshopped onto the new body, in that pic..

 

[MaulFan]

It's hard to believe but in that shot, Vader seems less faithful to the real thing than the ANH version, as was said, even the chest/shoulder armor looks tiny compared to his helmet, and the dome is still way off.

 

[Lejuan]

It's depressing images like this... that make me think Sideshow don't really give a damn about us 1/6 guys. The helmet is so obviously flawed! I'm betting the prototypes made by Sideshow are done much better... then they send it to China to figure out how to mass manufacture them... and the Chinese involved don't give a damn about Star Wars and make it willy nilly.

Don't buy that. The Chinese would make whatever's thrown at them in the blueprint. SS are the ones who've done a piss poor job at the design stage.

 

[Mr Walker]

Today's Spooktacular Sneak Peek:

That looks like poo. Whole helmet needs to be fixed. Dome is too narrow. "Snout" is way off. Looks insanely big. Chestbox is tiny.

I'll vote with my wallet.

 

[jedijim3002]

I might get the reveal helmet to display Anakin but I already have ANH Vader so no need to upgrade unless I'm seriously wowed and so far not so much.

 

[Rzeznikk]

Meh.

If I was happy and can live with the ANH Vader, I will be just as happy with this release. I'll be happy to get this guy to pose with BD Luke!

 

[swsqueakquels]

Don't buy that. The Chinese would make whatever's thrown at them in the blueprint. SS are the ones who've done a piss poor job at the design stage.

It all comes down to SSC's sculptors doing a poor job of basic observation - looking at the reference pics or in-hand props and reproducing the shapes, details and proportions correctly. It is first year art school stuff.

I have noted time and again as I have looked over SSC figs how it would have cost no more - and been no more effort - to have gotten a certain detail or proportion right than gotten it wrong. And honestly, it's more often than not that it is wrong - usually, slightly off, but not uncommonly quite a ways off.

It has nothing to do with compromise due to materials or manufacturing, or limitations of scale. Maybe they don't have enough time to get it right - but then some of these figs are in development for years, so that's hard to believe.

I think it clearly comes down to them feeling like being 3/4's accurate is enough. And they would probably say "it's good enough for most average collectors and it's a tiny percentage that nitpick and they'll buy it anyway" but at this level and price I'm not sure that's a good mindset going forward.

While HOt Toys does get things wrong too (their Indy has many inaccuracies) in general, they are in a class above SSC. I'm not talking about quality of facial sculpt and paint apps - I'm talking about that basic, general eye for accurate reproduction of shapes, details and proportions.

I think SSC continuing to ignore this - and we talking about version 2 of the most iconic character in the Star Wars universe here - will begin to erode their business and leave them behind as this hobby evolves to be higher and higher end and the pond shrinks, led by the likes of EB and HT.

Right now SSC's figures are a decent upgrade on their old $50 figs of 3-6 years ago, but without a doubt they are lagging. They have upped their focus on PF, contracted an alliance with HT to make some profit on HT's usurping some their key licenses, but them making their own 1/6 is where a lot of the big money is and I hope they raise their game and not wave the white flag to those who lead currently due to these basic issues of accuracy.

They have been greatly improving lately but their efforts so far with this second Vader have me concerned. It doesn't look right to me in an overall sense and I'm not even a huge Vader-phile re: the size of dome etc. Yep, it looks like Vader, but that would have been fine at $120 like the last one, not at the HT price point this will be. And the idea of "they'll buy it anyway" has been eroded by the tantalizing "maybe HT will do a Vader in a year or so" - SSC can't have its cake and eat it too.

 

[koolkollectibleskhai]

^^^^ I like this

 

[TheFiend]

What's up with the pin headed Vader?
Damn it, I was really looking forward to this too.

As it stands which is better the ANH Vader or this?

Or are they about the same.

Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Customikey]

Withholding judgement for now. This is a huge release for me, and I've never yet seen a preview pic go over well.

 

[Rodan]

I'm not very nitpicky, but this vader looks....weird... It's something wrong with the body proportions?
I don't know if a little futz will help with it, but overall he looks almost identical to the ANH vader, but with his robes under the armor