The Black Series
Padmé Amidala
Editor’s Note: This review has been updated with a second look…
Original Review: Chris 8/12/2013 06:30 AM
I don’t own a Nexu. Can you please imagine that there was a picture of this figure posed with the Nexu toy and it was breathtaking? I would describe this figure as “the return of fun”. This (not) job can turn my beloved hobby into a chore at times. Some figures fight you every step of the way while trying to pose them in such a way that engages the points of articulation, but also allows them to stand long enough for the shutter to snap. Not so with this figure of Padmé. It’s easily posed and looks good in the process.
Unfortunately, we’re saddled with another rubbery accessory. The ELG-3A blaster is soft and rubbery and mine came out of the packaged already warped in an unfortunate upward curve. Because I’m a hypocrite, I’m not going to hold that against this figure whereas it was a key negative point with the Yavin Ceremony Luke Skywalker figure. I think it doesn’t bothers me in this case because this weapon is short enough that I don’t think the soft materials will cause gravity induced warping.
The likeness of the head sculpt is dead on. The subtly sculpted testimony to Ms. Portman’s 1000’s of crunches is tastefully done. The limbs are both delicate and super articulated once again dispelling the rumor that those two things are mutually exclusive. Hasbro could have cheaped out and used the upper torso from the 2008 Evolutions Padmé Amidala figure which is essentially this figure without the torn shirt. But instead they sculpted a new upper torso to capture the slightly angled line of the fabric tear. The Nexu induced wounds on the back are vividly represented. As indicated earlier, the figure stands like a champ without out any threat of spilling over when you accidentally bump the shelf, not that I ever do that all the time.
The rubbery blaster is the only serious complaint I can come with, but it doesn’t bother me that much, So yeah, 10 out of 10.
Updated Review: Bret - 10/22/2018 07:05 AM
I own a Nexu. Maybe I wouldn’t call it “breathtaking”, but with our updated photo gallery, at least there is no longer any need to imagine the picture that Chris references.
Our look back at the first phase (orange) of the 3.75” Black Series line begins with #01 Padmé Amidala.
Gone from this line are the familiar parenthetical sub names for the figures. This figure should be Padmé Amidala (Geonosis Arena), or perhaps (Battle of Geonosis), or more arcanely, (Nexu Slash!). We also lose a lot of other things with the advent of the Black Series packaging, including the full sized and full color character shots, replaced by tiny monochromatic portraits on the front, and an unnecessarily abstract monochromatic movie still on the back. It’s bad at first glance, and even in retrospect, it didn’t age well at all. The look changed to the equally bland TIE Pilot cardback for Phase 2 (blue), and then completely phoned it in with the boxed Walmart exclusive Phase 3 (red). At that point, many collectors had either given up completely, or were just hanging on by a thread. Possibly in a nick of time (we’ll need to check back in a couple of years to know for sure), Hasbro ditched the whole experiment and returned to The Vintage Collection.
While the direction of Hasbro’s focus may have changed (for the worse) during the 3.75” Black Series run with the concurrent introduction of the 6” line, there were still some terrific figures that were released. Padmé is definitely one of them. The figure is a much needed update to the battle-scarred version of Padmé in her white Geonosis battle jumpsuit. We got a pretty good version of the pre-Nexu outfit from the Evolutions set, but this figure is a big improvement over previously released post-Nexu figures.
The sculpt it outstanding. The face is well done, although I wouldn’t exactly call it a dead ringer for Natalie Portman. The articulation is what you would expect. The ball jointed torso is particularly well executed (Get it? “Executed”? See what I did there? HAHAHAHAHA! ehhhhh), using the cut off shirt to nicely obfuscate the joint itself. The claw slashes look painful and bloody. (One of my favorite moments is when Nute Gunray goes all Peter Griffin with giddyness when the Nexu claws at Padmé). The rest of the articulation works very well, with the only thing missing being ball jointed hips and wrists. Most figures can get away with this, and maybe most people are okay with the articulation as is, but a dynamic battling figure like this one should have the full range. The jumpsuit is painted a dirty off-white, rather than the more pure white of previous figures in this outfit. I think it works well, in this case, because she has been subjected to some harsher environments by the time she is slashed.
As for accessories, Padmé comes with her Naboo blaster, which she grips well and also fits snugly in the separately sculpted belt/hip holster. The thing is, Padmé lost this blaster before she was brought into the arena and slashed, so technically, it doesn’t belong with the figure. Fortunately, Hasbro included a standard E-5 Blaster rifle, which the figure can also grip well, including performing the THWG reasonably well. Here is where ball jointed wrists would work well. Because of the slightly angled nature of the figure’s right hand, Padmé isn’t quite able to achieve one of her more recognizable poses. When she is standing in the survivor’s circle, she is holding the weapon with her right hand and with her elbow bent in a “resting/ready” position, so the blaster is pointing straight up. The figure cannot accomplish this without the ball jointed wrists. Maybe she could if the hand wasn’t angled as it is, but either way, it’s always a plus when a figure can be positioned in its most familiar and iconic pose.
This is by far the best version of Geonosis Battle Amidala to date. You will still find use for the Evolutions “clean” jumpsuit figure, unless Hasbro ever decided to re-tool this figure with an undamaged torso. Other than more modern ball joints at the hips and wrists, and possibly a chain (the one seen in the Nexu image is from an older Padmé figure), this is close to a definitive version. In fact, let’s just call it definitive. It’s too bad it wasn’t released as part of TVC, because it may have made for a striking cardback.
Verdict: No Action
The figure goes for low to moderate prices on eBay. Unless Hasbro plans on doing some kind of multipack for an Attack of the Clones-focused release, there doesn’t seem to be quite enough demand for any further action. It’s outstanding, so definitely get one if you don’t own it already.
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.