Han Solo (Hoth) [2010 PGM Exclusive] - Mini Busts

Newly appointed to the rank of captain, Han Solo joined the Rebel Alliance in refuge on the icy planet of Hoth. Utilizing a portable scanner, Solo located Luke Skywalker who had gone missing during a routine patrol in the outer rim of Echo Base.

One of the biggest head-scratching moments for us is the never-ending debate of the true color of Han Solo’s parka in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Many blame the 1980 vintage Kenner figure for setting this “error” permanently in our minds, but whatever your own personal assessment is on this debate, you’re wrong if you believe his coat was blue. Still, it makes for an interesting collectible. And Gentle Giant Ltd. hopped on this immediately when it came time to release the Han Solo (Hoth) Mini Bust. They created an extremely small 650 unit edition size for exclusively Premier Guild members (for the blue coat version) and it was welcomes with warm reception by collectors. Gimmicky? Yes. Cool? Also, yes. And we’ll likely encounter future collectibles that play on this faux debate for years to come. It’s just one of those, for lack of a better word, urban legends that just won’t go away despite how much proof is thrown in front of our faces.

It would have been nice if Gentle Giant Ltd. tweaked the sculpt a little bit to make it unique from the general release Han Solo (Hoth) Mini Bust. Obviously that would have been an expense (and most likely something Gentle Giant Ltd. didn’t want to incur) for something that had no guarantee of being a full fledged success or not. It’s obvious this coat is blue so at least there will be no arguing here about the true color. Its release was postponed by one year so it could be released in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. The Han Solo (Hoth) Mini Bust is obviously one of the better ways to commemorate this event. Everything from the original standard release Han Solo (Hoth) Mini Bust was brought forward so you know you are getting a quality collectible. And we would have to say that both the brown coat and the blue coat looks absolutely fantastic on Han Solo.

The details are really something incredible here. The quilted pattern on his cold weather coat is so detailed, and we’re only talking about “lines” here. The sculpting of the macrobinoculars, the scanner, the soft-goods strap, the metal-like antennae (that actually have articulation and can be lengthened) and the spectacular paint job are just some of the things to enjoy with this Mini Bust. This is core and fan-favorite outfit of Han Solo and it will be one of the most sought after Mini Busts of all time we believe because we think a combined edition size (regular and exclusive) is under 3000 pieces. They just didn’t make enough units in our own estimation, especially not for a popular iteration as Han Solo in this outfit. The Han Solo (Hoth) Mini Bust is weighty, expertly sculpted (although we’d like a slightly different expression on his face) and decorated to perfection. Don’t be left at in the cold and miss out on this collectible. It needs to be kept warm in your collection at home.