By Chris Troy
I genuinely feel bad for all of you who have stuck with Brightest Day. I dropped the latest Geoff John’s Retcon-Murderporn mini-series 5 issues in, when I realized the only characters I cared about in the story were having their stories told in separate and much better books (Justice League: Generation Lost and Birds of Prey), but man, the events that went down in in issues #23 had to be a kick in the teeth for most of you, let alone those of you who are big Vertigo fans. I’m a big believer of keeping the Vertigo universe separate from Earth-1/New Earth/Whatever the hell earth things go down on, so expect me to take my rage out on some message boards if Hellblazer’s John Constantine ends up as a Rainbow Lantern/Planeteer over the next few months.
Slight rant aside, let’s look at the latest line of Green Lantern figures released this week by Mattel. The first series did me right by including my favorite Green Lantern/DC Universe Kyle Rayner, as well as having a great variety of different Corps getting some representation. This time around, this are kind of….green and red. Like Christmas. Oh and there’s Star Sapphire too. This line’s build-a-figure is robotic Green Lantern Stel, who had a big push recently in the Alpha Lantern arc over in Green Lantern Corp. Also worth nothing that this line has the first entry from the upcoming Green Lantern film with creepy ass hell Green Lantern G’Hu, whoever that is. There’s like 1600 freakin Green Lanterns, I can’t be expected to know them all. Especially when they’re made of nightmare fuel.
Let’s look at the boys in green first. Sodom Yat, is the biggest “name ” of all the Lanterns in this wave. The former Ion bearer looks pretty sweet, despite the fact he has the same repainted body that John Stewart and Kyle Rayner had. Then there’s Lanterns Fish Bowel and Broccoli Head, er, Nautkeiloi and Medphyll, who are packaged together, with changeable heads, much like the Sinstero Corps members in wave one. I actually think this is kind of a neat gimmick, although you’re stuck buying 2 copies of the figure if you want to display them at the same time.
Star Sapphire Carol Ferris is probably the most iconic figure in the series, as she’s been Hal Jordan’s on again, off again girlfriend/boss/love interest/arch nemesis since the 60s. I’ll give credit where it’s due, as she has to be one of the better female figures released by Mattel to date, as she’s well sculpted and rocks a solid amount of articulation. This is probably the only Star Sapphire we’re getting, unless Wonder Woman or Fatality end up getting Star Sapphire figures in the future. I wouldn’t hold my breath though….wait what was that? DCUC Wave 17? Star Sapphire Wonder Woman? I see. I’ll shut up now…
Representing the Red Lanterns is another 2 for 1 figure, Skallox and Night-like (a new Red Lantern who will debut soon in the comics, but premiered in this line of toys first!) Skallox and Night-like are kind of like the Fishbowl and Broccoli Head duo, only there’s more limb-changing involved when it comes to keeping the identities separate.
OH CRAP, IT’S RAGE LOL CAT! HE’S IN UR TOYLINE, PUKIN’ HIS BLUDS! Possibly the greatest 3 pack released so far is the animal one. You get a well articulated Green Lantern Squirrel B’dg, Rage-kitty/internet meme factory Dex-Starr and the sole representative of the Sinstero Corp, killer virus Desportellis. A shame that B’dg is the only Lantern with any articulation, but hey, Dex-Starr has snap on rage-blood-vomit. That’s…..something right? Either way, these little critters are all in scale with their taller Lantern brethren so that’s cool too.
G’hu creeps the hell out of me. That’s all I saying about that….thing. Anywho, these figures all go for $20 a pop, and you have to buy them all if you want to build Stel. So swing by and start with G’hu, because, that is a creepy-ass alien and I do not wish to see it’s soulless face haunt me.
