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KotoCollectors Review: Commander Fox Star Wars ARTFX Statue Review and Photography by Mark Picirilli (PocketAces27) Editing and Image Composition by Jeffrey A. Gouse (SithLord0498) Review Date: October 13, 2009
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Wielding his dual DC-17 blasters into battle, Commander Fox (CC-1010) is the latest member in an ever-growing Crayola assortment of clone commanders. The crimson-marked leader of the Coruscant Guard made his on-screen debut in the theatrical Clone Wars movie when he and his squad rescued Senator Amidala from crimelord Ziro the Hutt, capturing the slug as well. Since Fox is not yet as noteworthy as fellow commanders Rex, Cody, and Gree, it is very logical that he be the “go-to” character for exclusive merchandise. His action figure in the Hasbro line was the Target exclusive, and now Kotobukiya used him as a highly limited addition to their ARTFX+ snap-fit Clone Wars Series 2 assortment. Limited to only 30 Pieces at KotoUS.com and 300 pieces at Action Figure Express, Commander Fox is a welcome addition to the Clonetrooper assortment.
SCULPTING: Excellent The Clone Wars ARTFX+ series marks the debut of a smaller scale in the Star Wars Kotobukiya line. Typically in the 1:6 and 1:7 scale range, these newer models fall in the 1:10 to 1:12 scale range (approximately 6 – 7 inches tall). Despite the reduced size, Kotobukiya’s sculpting prowess and attention to detail remains as strong as ever. The sculptors had only CGI models to use for reference since Fox is a purely digital creation, and all of the finer details and markings made the transition to the snap-fit model. Proportion-wise, Fox is a clone of his on-screen counterpart (yes…pun intended), and the selected action pose is natural and fluid.
PAINT APPLICATIONS: Excellent (Bordering on Above Average) A superior sculpt is nothing without an equally exceptional paint application, and many collectibles have been wrecked because the painters managed to butcher the sculptors’ work. Thankfully, the craftsmanship so prominently promoted by Kotobukiya comes through (mostly) in the painting of this model. The deep crimson of the Coruscant Guard is a spot-on match for the CGI deco, and the battle damage and weathering is well done too. There are a few sporadic places where some may think the weathering is a tad too much on the upper shoulders, but overall it’s an acceptable amount of “scraping”. As for the white armor, there is subtle “dirty” paint wash across most of the suit. Everything is crisp and clean to the naked eye. In particular the chest insignia and helmet markings are accurate and well-executed. Of course, the camera is quick to show a few areas where excessive painting has occurred, but this is hardly an issue of contention.
DISPLAY BASE: Excellent The display base comes in two pieces. One is the rectangular base with the Republic insignia engraved upon it. The other base is a connector piece with the Clone Wars logo on it. The base has a magnet spanning the entire area underneath the plastic, and magnets in Fox’s feet allow you to securely place him anywhere on the base. The connector piece allows you to string together the bases belonging to the remaining Series 2 Clonetroopers.
EASE OF ASSEMBLY and DURABILITY: Excellent Considering the model is only seven pieces, this is an easy kit to put together. Assembly takes around a minute, and collectors who have assembled a Gentle Giant Bust-Up will be quite familiar with the mechanics of these Kotobukiya statues. As far as durability is concerned, this is a very stable item once built. The pieces go together easily, but they require twice as much effort to disassemble. Most collectors, though, will not have any reason to take this model apart unless they need to store it in a compact fashion.
PACKAGING: Excellent As with the other Series 2 models, Commander Fox sports a full color window box with artwork from the series on the inner flap. The statue is shown unassembled within the package, and it is held in the plastic via several twist ties. The compact size makes for easier storage, and Kotobukiya’s sampling of Hasbro’s 2008 packaging design means this will blend in seamlessly with other Clone Wars collectibles should a collector choose to keep it “mint in box”.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent At a retail price of $59.99 at either KotoUS or Action Figure Express, the price in line with the other smaller scale Clone Wars statues. Commander Fox is also another notch in Kotobukiya’s superior craftsmanship belt. Also, its worldwide edition size of 330 makes Commander Fox the most limited Star Wars ARTFX+ statue yet, and these will likely not last very long. All other Kotobukiya Star Wars products are “limited run”, but they do not have a set edition size. They also stand a good chance at enjoying an additional production run. An excellent example of this is the C-3PO and R2-D2 combo set, which we will be reviewing next month. Commander Fox should be shipping out in the next few weeks to those who have already ordered it. For those who haven’t, this is a highly recommended collectible.
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