star wars the force awakens

After years of holding a number of licenses for various pop culture icons, it seems almost unbelievable that until 2015, Hot Toys didn't have a deal for Star Wars toys. It took the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the Hong Kong company to finally step into the crowded licensing world of Lucasfilm's flagship franchise. In a way, it's a good thing it took such a long time. The license arrived right in that sweet spot of Hot Toys' expertise finally reaching its apex, rather than a decade earlier when the products weren't quite as impressive. No product better serves that idea than the newly released Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rey and BB-8 set. As thrilling as it has been to see a number of iconic characters like Leia Organa, Han Solo and the numerous Stormtroopers captured with Hot Toys' impeccable eye for detail, the Rey figure is just a marvelous achievement in an action figure from head to toe. Would that all Hot Toys figures could be so great.

We may be far removed from the original days of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Darth Vader, but those stories are nonetheless timeless. If anything, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was proof enough that almost four decades later, the world is still ready to have intergalactic larger than life heroes and villains that tell a fantastic story. Perhaps most importantly, the Star Wars universe, both core and expanded, is an incredibly rich tapestry of characters that provide endless opportunity for cosplay. In celebration of the characters we are quite familiar with and those that are a little more obscure, we’ve gathered a grand array of cosplay here in one place.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

The toy-collecting world may have had its fill of Kylo Ren this past winter when the leader of the Knights of Ren and wannabe Sith Lord was one of the few characters you could find in abundance at retail, but the character is still too important a part of the new Star Wars trilogy to completely ignore. That's why this fall, he'll be returning in the latest Star Wars Black Series wave in an unmasked version that shows Ben Solo as he truly is beneath the helm. Of course, if you happened to be at Star Wars Celebration Europe or San Diego Comic-Con this year, you had an opportunity to get a hold of this new Kylo Ren early in a deluxe package. The new figure was part of Hasbro's cheeky convention exclusive plan to offer two Bens --- one being the original Jedi Knight, Ben Kenobi, and the other Han and Leia's jerkface son, Ben Solo. Though many Black Series collectors and Star Wars fans likely already have a Kylo Ren on their shelves, this one is actually the best of the bunch so far.

The first Rey figure from Hot Toys isn't even actually out yet, and already the company is lining up the next iteration of the newly beloved Star Wars hero. Though Rey spends almost the entirety of The Force Awakens in her desert scavenger couture, she opts to change into attire better suited for a Resistance fighter at the conclusion of the film. This outfit doesn't get nearly enough screen time (at least in Ep. VII), but it definitely rocks. Whether or not that means it's worth shelling out another $200+ for... ehhhh?

Marvel Comics has a great history with comic book adaptations of Star Wars films, stretching back to the very first Star Wars comic which --- according to former editor in chief Jim Shooter --- saved Marvel Comics in the late '70s. The tradition of adapting Star Wars films is now carried on, beginning next month with the launch of a brand new miniseries Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation by Chuck Wendig and Luke Ross, which brings all the excitement and joy of the film to comics.

On June 22, Marvel releases the first issue in a five-part comics version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, adapted by Chuck Wendig, with art by Luke Ross, and the publisher has released a range of variant covers by some of its biggest marquee names. Star Wars: The Force Awakens #1 has a gorgeous cover by Esad Ribic, which unlike the toy lines will leave you with no doubt who the protagonist of this story is. There's also an equally beautiful and even more Rey-centric cover by Joe Quesada, and a movie poster-esque design by Phil Noto. The press release promises a variant by John Cassaday, but that's not included in the preview, sadly. There's also a movie poster variant, and sketch versions of the Ribic and Quesada covers.

Hamilton, the musical about the rise and fall of founding father Alexander Hamilton, is a non-stop pop culture phenomenon. If you're in New York and find it's quiet uptown, it's because everyone wants to be in the room where it happens by scoring a ticket to the hottest show on Broadway. Since the show's debut, its composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda has become a household name and a staple of late night talk shows, and has even performed songs from the show for President Barack Obama at the White House. Last year Miranda composed a piece for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be used in the cantina scene, and today he performed it live for fans waiting to see Hamilton, alongside his right hand man, Star Wars director JJ Abrams.

Last year, Hasbro released an exclusive figure through Kmart featuring Kylo Ren in a snow-dusted cloak and standing in a icy base. We'd seen the scene a number of times in the trailers, and it made for a moderately interesting variant of the standard Black Series Kylo. Still, that was released last winter, and we were all left wondering if we'd ever see the second half of the planned set. At the time, many presumed the follow-up figure would be Finn from that same wintery scene. Oh how foolish we all were to believe a trailer would show us the entire movie and spoil one of the greatest moments in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. On May 4, aka Star Wars Day, the diorama will finally be complete when Starkiller Base Rey arrives.

Hasbro's Star Wars Black Series figures are among the most coveted collectibles on shelves. You've got to time your toy hunts perfectly if you hope to find the latest additions to the continually expanding line. Stores just can't keep these characters on shelves... well except for Kylo Ren. Everyone else though? Good luck. It's been a struggle for many to keep their collections current, though the recent Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw a number of figures replenished across the country. Many figures were finally widely available for the first time just a few weeks ago. Even with all that replenishment, the most recent wave, featuring the very first Star Wars Rebels 6" figures, a revamped New Hope Luke, and a mass re-release of the Snowtrooper, has been hard to get. Fortunately, we were able to secure a set of 2016's second wave (thanks to Hasbro). Are these newcomers worth the time and effort it will take to track them down? Let's take a look.