Sculpt--5/5
Looking at the TIE Bomber, one can only imagine what could have been--what could now exist if Hasbro/Kenner chose to do all new sculpts for the vehicles instead of retooling the vintage versions. The details are simply outstanding! Crisp lines and intricate details make this TIE stand out among all previous TIE vehicles. The TIE Bomber also sports the best TIE cockpit made thus far. There's an actual sculpted seat, so the TIE pilot can actually make use of his knee articulation. There are also nicely detailed control panels on either side of the seat complete with two control handles. A sticker makes up the main control panel. The "wings", or solar panels, are permanently attached this time and cannot be removed without prying them off. This is good because it makes the ship feel very sturdy and solid. All in all, this is one of the most detailed and well sculpted vehicles Hasbro has produced.

Features--5/5
The TIE Bomber can drop bombs and has an opening cockpit hatch. It's only two features, but that's all you need. I'm glad the solar panels don't shoot off since it would have made the ship feel flimsy. Anyway, the bombing action is, of course, the main feature of this vehicle and it works great. You load the bombs into a small hole on the side of the ordinance cylinder. A button toward the front of the ship, once pushed, releases a single bomb. It works well and doesn't feel cheaply made at all. The button sticks out, but is not too noticeable. The cockpit hatch is pretty simple and gives you easy access to put the pilot in the seat and view the intricately detailed control panels.

Accessories--4/5
You get the requisite TIE pilot and three bombs. The TIE pilot is the same one we got with the TIE Interceptor. That is to say, it's just like the old POTF2 version except that it has bendable knees. The nice thing is that this time there is good reason for him to have bendable knees since there is an actual seat in the cockpit. Anyway, it would have been nice if we could have gotten a totally new sculpt for the TIE pilot, but I guess you can't have everything.

The bombs are interesting in that they are made of clear plastic and have a fluorescent orange "core". So they look like nondescript bombs which are easy to notice because of their color.

Paint--5/5
I'm pleased with the paint job on the TIE bomber. The black solar panels are painted well as is the dark gray trim on the main fuselage. There is also a light spray of black paint on the engine turbines and two spots in that middle section between the two cylinders.

Packaging--4/5
I like the packaging. There's good graphics of the TIE bomber as seen in the movie and the box feels sturdy. The window lets you get a good view of the TIE bomber and the TIE pilot in the cockpit. While not truly "collector friendly", you can feasibly remove the TIE bomber from the box and put it back in, provided you have a lot of patience and a proficiency for twisty-tie-tying.

Overall--5/5
This is the way to make a vehicle. Good sculpting and features you expect. The TIE bomber can almost pass for a model kit--it looks that good! Definitely one of the most well made vehicles in the Star Wars line and hey--it's never been made before in this scale, so get this vehicle!

--Photos and review by Garett Yoshimura
garett@carrotnetwork.com