The Black Series Carbonized Darth Vader is from the second round of Carbonized, 6" figures with a premium, shiny, metallic paint job and decoration for a little more than the standard basic figures, and a very shiny box.
Vader is the new Empire Strikes Back figure sculpt, which shares parts with the A New Hope figure, but has a newly-sculpted chest that adds extra shoulder joints and updates the chest box, and new forearms as Vader's gloves changed between films; Vader's inner robe now is assembled under the collar armor to increase accuracy to ESB.
The figure is a dark blue, the painted and molded parts that are normally black are a deep, dark, metallic blue including the lightsaber hilt accessory; the parts that are normally silver are painted silver; the colored chest box button details are painted blue, green, and red respectively; and the soft goods cloth robes are a matching dark blue fabric. The whole effect is visually striking and rich, with a wonderful depth in natural light, that almost looks like it's coming out of studio lighting which the inky black versions of Vader figures don't enjoy.
The only knocks against the decoration are the helmet lenses aren't painted black, and the collar armor silver paint sections are perhaps a bit too light-colored, but these are minor issues.
The added shoulder joints shrug forward and back giving a little more options in posing, the range of motion isn't huge but it does add more expression choices. The double-ball-joint neck seems to have been updated as well, with a bit more range on the chest. The rest of the articulation is standard for The Black Series, with both wrists that still hinge in and out instead of having either go up and down, and limited range on the lower torso ball joint.
The soft goods cape is attached around the neck joint under the helmet the same as the ANH figure, it's an ample cape and can be fitted over the shoulders smartly, or folded behind him. The cape and the inner robe go a bit longer than his feet, at this scale it takes a little adjusting to get it to lay flat around him, but it looks great when you get it looking right. The saber hilt accessory is the same as the ANH version, it hangs from a small hook on the belt, and has the removable translucent red blade.
Overall, this is a stunning figure. It's not for everyone, the dark blue is going to be controversial, but there's 2 releases of the standard version of this mold coming later this year so traditionalists will be satisfied with that. But if you are interested in a striking, eye-catching figure that celebrates ESB Darth Vader, this Black Series Carbonized version is a fantastic option.
| Model Number | E9924 |
|---|---|
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Release date | 1 August 2020 |
| Mfg Recommended age | 4 - 99 years |
| Item model number | E9924 |
| Product Dimensions | 7 x 3 x 15 cm; 80 Grams |
| ASIN | B084N63D8J |
