2011
14.02

ToyfairStarbuck4

There was a promotional Minimate commemorating Toyfair a couple of years ago, but this one really caught the community off guard. Instead of being a blank, like most “show” promos, this was an actual character. In the same way the DC Minimates got John Stewart as a precursor to the actual line, the Battlestar Galactica Minimates have had a couple of exclusives to hype the line. First was the Cylon Elf, which was a retailer exclusive over the holiday season, and now for Toyfair (and other industry shows), we have Starbuck.

Packaging

The packaging is the usual promo blank packaging, a clear baggie with a sticker on the back.

StarbuckBaggie2 StarbuckBaggie1


 

The Figure

Starbuck

ToyfairStarbuck1

OK, best get my editorial rant out of the way first. There was an understandable amount of dismay at the fact that this Toyfair exclusive Starbuck was a totally unique version to either of the two Starbucks due to appear in the first 3 waves of the Battlestar Galactica Minimates. I’m still not totally sure about having an exclusive be a real character, it seems to me that if this was just a blank with the Battlestar Galactica logo on then that would have sufficed, but then maybe that wouldn’t have created the kind of buzz that this Starbuck (and the DC John Stewart promo) did. Limited releases of main characters is a key line to walk along – sure, you build up hype, but you risk alienating the people that are interested in the product in the first place. As this is “just” a variant, not the only way to get a Starbuck figure, then this might not be too bad, but fans of Battlestar Galactica will know it is a main look for her in the show. Certainly we see her in this outfit more than her flight suit or her dress uniform, which are the versions of Starbuck coming out in the regular waves. 

ToyfairStarbuck2

As a taster for the line proper, and because you can’t really create Starbuck without using any extra pieces, this Starbuck has an all-new hair sculpt which looks great. The facial detailing doesn’t scream Starbuck to me, if I’m honest, she looks too content here. Maybe because she has another all-new molded piece; a cigar hand. The cigar is attached to a new hand which doesn’t have the usual ability to grip anything, instead the cigar is molded to appear that it is being grasped. This is a very cool new piece.

Her outfit is represented with a look very close to the show with an undershirt and her dogtags on her chest. The pouches on her flight trousers are nicely detailed and are a bit shiny to boot. She has a separate belt piece, sadly here the detail is only on the front and not the sides.

ToyfairStarbuck3

Interestingly this promotional Minimate doesn’t have any of the usual 2005 blanks construction, the leg joints and torso peg are the same as normal waves. Just like nearly all the other promo blanks, Starbuck has no accessories.

Overall, this is a fantastic figure that really shows how good the Battlestar Galactica Minimates line could be. Its exclusive status will be an irritant to some, given that it is a signature look to the character, but it’s still well worth tracking down.

ToyfairStarbuck5 


Review and pictures by Danny Mills

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