Hasbro Announces New Star Wars 'Black' Action Figures

Star Wars is often credited with creating the current phenomenon of collectable action figures but recently Hasbro's offerings have been a little lacklustre - after all, there are only so many times you can get excited about a new Storm Trooper, even if it is in different packaging. Well, Hasbro is hoping to reinvigorate the Star Wars collectable market with the introduction of the new 'Black' range of figures.

Due for release later this year, the figures are almost twice the size of traditional 3.75-inch examples and come in at almost double the size, measuring a mighty six inches. The larger size means they'll have more articulation and lots more detail, as you can see on the picture of Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing flight suit. We expect they'll be a great starting point for collectors who are bored of the less detailed toys but can't afford the more expensive Sideshow Collectibles figures.

Hasbro is planning eight figures this summer - including Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, R2 D2 and a Sand Trooper - all priced at $19.99 (the UK price has yet to be announced). Those of you who are lucky enough to be going to San Diego Comic Con can also pick up an exclusive Boba Fett. Of course, it's not the first time Hasbro has ventured into the world of six-inch action figures, as anyone who has seen the Marvel Legends series will attest but looking at the superb detail on the Luke Skywalker figure we're getting extremely excited about the upcoming figures. Will it spark a collecting frenzy like the original toys? We certainly hope so!



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