Review of Commander Bly
Star Wars Black Series Action Figure

Introduction

I haven't seen any new Star Wars Black series action figures on my few forays out over the last two months, but you can always depend on those great online retailers. I ordered Clone Commander Bly from BBTS awhile back, and he hit my porch this last week.

Bly, aka CC-5052, is fairly well known to fans. He first appeared in Revenge of the Sith, but made several appearances in the Clone Wars cartoon. He's definitely a distinctive looking trooper, perfect for getting his own action figure.

This guy has just started shipping, and I'd expect you'll see him popping up in greater frequency. He's number 104, if you're wondering, and he'll run you around $20 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
The packaging is the usual collector friendly box affair, with great graphics. I particularly love the pencil art portrait of the character on the front, always a big plus with these packages.

Sculpting - ****
This is a terrific looking adaptation of the basic Clone Trooper design.  The helmet has sharply defined edges, and the various packs, belts, and holsters add a lot to the look of the character. He even has the cloth skirt, and going with actual cloth rather than some sort of plastic (which would be much more restrictive) was a very smart move.

He stands about 6 3/8" tall, just about what you'd expect with the line. The right hand is sculpted in a gun grip, while the left hand grip is a bit more generic, although it can also grip a gun handle.

Paint - ***
The paint work is a bit of a mixed bag this time around. They added wear and tear to the armor, and some of the sloppy paint is this wear and tear, intentionally sloppy. That's all well and good, but there are other sections, particularly cut lines on the helmet and some of the work on the smaller belts, where the edges are poorly done. It almost looks as though they figured there would be scrapes and scratches anyway, so the overall paint job really didn't have to be that perfect.

That doesn't mean it's horrendous, however. It's just a tad weaker than we've come to expect from the series over the last year or so.

Articulation - ***1/2
They've done a great job articulating the rather difficult Stormtrooper design. You can get some very natural, flowing poses and fighting stances.

The neck is the only real point of impediment, and that's due to the helmet of course. No real surprise there, but you can't get much tilt or lean out of it.

The shoulders work great, even under the armor and pauldrons, and the elbows and wrists work well together to create just about any gun holding pose. The rocker waist and hips aren't affected adversely by the holsters and belts, and the knees and ankles work great. The ankles in particular have nice side to side movement, as well as plenty of forward and backward movement.

He's wearing an attachment to the helmet - binoculars or range finders I'm assuming - and these flip up and down. You can actually flip them all the way to the back of his neck, over his head, but resting it on the top of the head or forehead looks best.

Accessories - ***
He comes with three extra blasters - the rifle and two pistols. The pistols fit neatly in the holsters on his hips, and he can hold the rifle in one or two handed poses quite easily.  That's it, but the series is not known for it's proliferation of accessories.

Fun Factor - ****
Kids are going to love this guy, and collectors will appreciate adding another clone trooper to the shelf. He has plenty of posability, and he is very sturdy and well made. He can easily hold up to normal play, and will make for a terrific leader of your kid's clone army.

Value - **1/2
At around $20, he's the normal price for a figure in this series. Across the market, this is the going rate for most 1/12 mass market figures, comparing quality and distribution.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Like I said, he's very sturdy and well made, and you (and the kids) should have no problems with him or his accessories.

Overall - ***1/2
For those looking to fill out their clone army a bit more, this guy is a welcome addition. His colorful armor and costume additions make him a stand out among the crowd, perfect for a leadership position in front of the battle lines. A great sculpt, good articulation, and some much needed blasters make him a ton of fun too.  If the paint work had been slightly better, he would have been a four star candidate.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $22.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent Star Wars Black Series reviews include Second Sister Inquisitor, Doctor Aphra, Dengar, the Gammorean Guard, 4-LOM, and Lando Calrissian.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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