The Black Series

the_black_series_3.75_basic_figures

Merumeru

Info and Stats
Number:  
#15
Year:  
2013
MSRP:  
$9.99
Grade:  
8/10 Bantha Skulls
 
* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
Review by: Bret
Review date: 11/08/2018

Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with a second look…

Original Review:  Chris 1/28/2014 06:00 AM

When making an accounting of the pros and cons of the Merumeru figure, I can’t help mimic Olive Oyl doing the same for the merits of Captain Bluto, and lead off with “he’s large”. Now if only Shelly Duval would break out in slightly off key song, another 1980’s pop culture reference on Bantha Skull will be comb-pleat.

Let me start off by saying that I’m genuinely disappointed by the lack of at least a swivel joint at the waist.  I would have liked to pose Merumeru with his upper body kinetically twisted for the pregnant pause before ferociously striking with his massive Wookiee paw.  But alas, this figure cannot achieve that bit of dynamism.

All the other standard super articulation is present, but due to the sheer size, the lower body doesn’t move all that freely.  The ankles can barely rotate up and down.  The Kit Fisto-like braids extending down from the head sculpt likewise limit the range of motion of the ball jointed head.  But did I mention that this figure is large?  It’s a formidable hunk of plastic and I have to imagine this figure stresses the cost average of wave three.

Where the figure really shines is with the details.  The armor is ornately sculpted with decent paint applications to add accent.  The aforementioned braids are likewise adorned with silver painted rings and other accessories throughout.  The missing point of articulation gives this figure a base score of 7 according to the objective portion of my personal grading system.  Subjectively, I think the detailing and sheer mass of this figure warrant an additional point, bring it to an 8 out of 10 figure.

Updated Review:  Bret - 11/08/2018 07:05 AM

The first phase of the Black Series was all over the map.  The line had some tremendous figures, like Padmé and Anakin, and some real bombs, like the 41st Elite Clone and the Stormtrooper.  This one is definitely closer to the high end, although it’s not without some serious flaws.

Merumeru, if you don’t recall, was the Wookiee chieftain who basically started the Battle of Kashyyyk by jumping out from a protective wall, faced the Separatist Army that was preparing for an amphibious assault, raised his arms high, and let out a berzerker battle cry which rallied his troops in defiance.  It was a pretty awesome moment, especially since so many fans were looking forward to what was essentially George Lucas’s re-do of the climactic battle in Return of the Jedi.  Unfortunately, less than 60 seconds of screen time was dedicated to Battle of Kashyyyk following Merumeru’s inspiring speech.  It was later learned that while Merumeru was preparing to initiate his spirited defense of the beach, he realized he had no waist articulation, and his battle cry, roughly translated, was actually, “Khaaan!”

The good news is that the figure is massive, is well sculpted, and well articulated.  Most figures of wookiees that Hasbro has made (other than the still-circulating VOTC Chewbacca) are somewhat underarticulated.  This one has ball joints where it counts, but for whatever reason (cost?) Hasbro skipped the waist joint.  That’s fairly important to posability, so it’s a bummer it was nixed for this figure.  Also, while both the head and the ankles are ball jointed, each has a fatally restricted range of motion due to the sculpting in those area.  The ankles can barely swivel, and the head can barely move at all.  But you can still coax a few good poses out of Merumeru that are a marked improvement over other Wookiee figures.

Also a big positive, which, as mentioned elsewhere, is not common with this series, is the inclusion of some decent accessories.  Merumeru has a removable battle helmet, a removable bandolier/harness, a wookiee blaster, and a two-part battle staff.  Merumeru can wield the weapons firmly, and can be posed in some decent attack positions (which could be better if the ankles had more range of motion and if he had a waist).  The helmet is a little loose-fitting, but everything else interacts well with the figure.  The paint on the accessories is very good.  The sculpting on everything is outstanding.  One thing Hasbro could have done was added a few color variations to the fur, to give it some much needed depth.  Merumeru almost looks like he could be covered in mud, but even the 5POA Mimban Chewbacca had paint variations to add depth and realism to the figure.  Merumeru should be a little embarrassed that he compares unfavorably to his 5POA cousin in this regard.

I like it.  I almost love it.  It’s huge and it’s one of the best non-Chewbacca Wookiees available.  That about sums up the figure.  You’d want this if you like Wookiees, aliens, minor characters, prequels or any combination of those.  Or none of them.  It’s a cool figure.  It’s one of the hits in a hit-or-miss Black Series (Orange) line.  Get one, and have him show off some Wookiee Rage!

Verdict: No Action 

While some tweaks could be made to the articulation and paint applications, this Merumeru is certainly good enough for his character to be called definitive.  The figure can be had on eBay for barely any premium above MSRP.  So pick one up if you don’t have one already.  It will likely be the only Merumeru figure Hasbro ever issues.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.

* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
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