A Brief History of Green Lantern Action Figures: 6 Inch Corps

AT LAST!! I feel like we have been doing these Green Lantern features for a year...and we may have been. At any rate, the articles have been rolling out longer than the buzz on the actual Green Lantern movie, so without further delay, let's wrap this up.

Both Mattel and DC Direct had a stellar year squeezing the Green Lanterniverse for all the characters they could crank out in beautiful, shiny plastics. Being an army builder, I too caught the Lantern bug and when I couldn't get enough characters to satiate my great hunger, I created some of my own. The battle raged across my living room and in the end, Eileen succumbed to the Green hunger as well. When last we saw her, she was hitting dollar stores for those 4 inch movie figures screaming "BRING ME YOUR CONSTRUCTS!!!" She'll be fine. Next week she'll be back to hunting tiny flocked unicorns. Perfectly normal once more.

Before we begin, some notes for the uninitiated (ie; the non toy freaks) Mattel's figures tend to be more articulated and available in more locations like Toys R Us where you can just walk in and pluck your goods on a whim, though these days the pickings are slim. DC Direct offers superior sculpting detail and paints for the more hardcore collector, sacrificing some of the posability and at times, the ability to stand on their own without a stand included in the package.

Like the mighty Skittles rainbow, Lanterns come in many a color. Some have seen a great deal of love from the plastic gods. Some..not so much. Our journey into Lantern land had Team Idle scouring local comic shops and ebay to round out teams without breaking my bank account. Here's what we turned up...

(Click lead title for lots more pictures from each set!!)

THE BLACK LANTERNS

How can you not instantly love a story line where dead super heroes come back to life and rip out the hearts of other super heroes to create an army of nearly unstoppable zombies? You can't, so stop trying. Unlike Marvel and their fear of having their supers dead on the pegs to frighten children, the great and powerful Warner Brothers noted the popularity of zombies, comics, and zombies in comics and allowed DC direct to dive head first into their slimy waters. Our profile includes...

Earth 2 Superman (DC Direct) : Older, more decaying Superman
Aquaman (DC Direct) : Now he can only summon dead fish..like your x girlfriend!
Hawkman (DC Direct) : The barren wings give this one some extra points
The Black Hand (2 versions from Mattel and DC Direct, respectively)
Abin Sur (Mattel) : who eagle eye fans will point out looks more like his son, Amon Sur, due to a costume kerfuffle
Nekron (DC Direct) : Leader of the zombie hordes with an exposed heart and a twikle in his eye sockets

We are missing Batman (though we got his flaming skull in there!), Deadman, Hal Jordan, Superman & Wonder Woman (who aren't very zombie looking anyway), Firestorm, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Terra (with Scar). All are DC Direct, except Hal. At $16 a pop when new to retail, you can see why rounding up the lot would have had me eating Ramen noodles for weeks. Luckily, a lot of this stuff has since dropped in price, so you can build your zombie army for around 8 bucks a piece if you search hard enough.










THE RED LANTERNS

Feuled by rage, blinded by an unquenchable thirst for vengeance and spitting acid blood across the galaxy, the Red Lanterns make the perfect characters for a plushie kid's toy line, no? Our profile includes...

Atrocitus (DC Direct) : Leader of the team
Mera (DC Direct) : Aquaman's squeeze sporting a killer scaly sculpt you can't pass up
Dex-Starr (DC Direct and Mattel) ..you will soon realize this is a kitty of dooom
Skallox (Mattel) : Horned warrior
Nite-Lik (Mattel) : Freaky Night Breed looking alien cooked up by Mattel & named after one of their own. Skallox & Nite-Lik come as one figure with extra parts to make the other.

Since 5 wasn't enough, we conjured up some more...

Bloedbad (Mattel with a head from SOTA toys) : Blue ape looking humanoid with the cape whose savagery was well suited for the Red Lanterns. CLICK HERE for a mini bio!

Küçük ölüm (Mattel with head and hands from SOTA toys) : Monk-like humanoid with blank eyes. CLICK HERE for a mini bio!

A Red Lantern Guy Gardner was just released that will be mine. Oh, yes...











THE YELLOW LANTERNS / SINESTRO CORPS

Every hero must have an opposite. For Hal Jordan, that nemesis is Sinestro. In the beginning, Sinestro was your text book baddie who flipped on his Green Lantern brethren to embrace a power he felt was more suited for bringing order to the universe....FEAR. These days, Sinestro is painted more like Magneto, with wide gray areas in his thinking...but his palling around with killers doesn't earn him any sympathy points. Our profile includes...

Sinestro (Mattel) : Leader of his own corps, of course. We've got the silly blue and black suit and since Mattel won't do a suitable wide release, in scale Sinestro Corps version, we kit bashed one. You'll also find him in a Green Lantern Corps outfit in an exclusive Walmart 5 pack.
Romat-Ru (Mattel) : Tomar-Re's evil cousin, perhaps? Came in the "Color of Fear" 2 pack.
Karu-Sil (Mattel) : the female half of that same 2 pack
Arkillo (Mattel) : a collect and connect powerhouse
Low (Mattel) : Blue slug-like monstrosity
Maash (Mattel) : 3 faced killer whose third face is an innocent forced to watch the horror!
Despotellis (Mattel) : He looks more like a construct, but we assure you, he's a card carrying, people slaying member!
Mongul (Mattel) :Old school Superman baddie who knows power when he sees it
Cyborg Superman (Mattel) : Go look up the bio on this guy. It's pretty epic.
Manhunter Robot (Mattel) : Not really a Sinestro Corps member but they follow Cyborg Superman, so this was the best place for him.

And my original contribution to the lot...

Vaikne Raev (Mattel with SOTA toys parts) : Consciousless killer missing half his face, courtesy of Lobo! CLICK HERE to read his mini bio!

I'd like to pick up the DC Direct Sinestro Corps Sinestro at some point. His larger head makes him more alien, so he'll stand out better. The detailing is miles better as well. Mattel has also put out a Yellow Lantern Scarecrow and Batman, for those who want the WHOLE CREW even though these two were only involved for half a second, if at all. DC Direct also released a mind blowing Kryb figure! I'm still hunting this one but the prices are psycho at the moment.












THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS

Called from hundreds of planets to vanquish evil, protect the innocent and keep order in turbulent times, the Green Lantern Corps will fight to the very last soldier. A handful of humans are counted among their ranks (ya know..because we're special) providing ample opportunity to tell storied we can relate to, even if the cast is filled with crazy looking aliens. It may be those same crazy alien designs that have kept the number of action figures made to moderate numbers, but between DC Direct and Mattel (and bolstered by popular comics and a little movie) have done a fine job of filling out our ranks! Our profile includes...

The Movie Crew, whose alien designs are often so different from the comic source, you can put movie and comic versions together in the same team.

Hal Jordan (Mattel)
G-Hu (Mattel) : the dreadlocked looking alien
Rot Lop Fan (Mattel) : the sluggy, poo looking alien with the Taco Bell symbol on his chest
Naut Ke Loi (Mattel) : A brilliantly colored, bendy parts fish figure!
Tomar-Re (Mattel) : Is he a fish? A bird? It's craaaazzzyyy!!

Missing from my movie squad is Morro, Bzzd (who is actually a wasp-like accessory that comes with a maskless Hal), Green Man, Isamot Kol and Galilus Zed..mostly because stores stopped carrying them. They are currently in route to dollar stores. Normally, I'd be shocked that a company made so many aliens, but I'm positive we have Geoff Johns to thank for that! Each 6 inch figure came with a piece of Parallax, which is a complete mess. Honestly this has to be the worse build a figure in creation. Very sad..but it's not like the movie version looked much better. It is also worth mentioning that the 4 inch movie figures came with constructs that work fairly well with 6 inch comic figures! SCOOORE.

The comic figures...

Hal Jordan (Mattel) : This one comes with or without the white stripe in his hair and a third version with a metallic costume. We stuck with the older looking one.
John Stewart (Mattel) : He comes single packed in his standard uniform or part of a 5 pack exclusive to Walmart, redeco'd, which is the version we focused on to keep some diversity in design.
Guy Gardner (Mattel) : Not very fond of the face sculpt of this figure you'll only find in the Walmart 5 pack
Kyle Rayner (Mattel) : Great looking figure that actually came with his own construct!
Tomar-Re (Mattel) : They just popped a new head on a standard GL body to make this figure you could only get in the Walmart exclusive 5 pack.
Sodam Yat (Mattel) : This same body is used for this human looking alien
Nautkeloi (Mattel) : Another fish alien! This one came in a Green Lantern Classics wave. Just a new head and new feet on a standard body, but we luvs him anyway.
Medphyll (Mattel) : Broccoli can be brave too! Medphyll shares a body with Nautkeloi, as each comes with parts to transform the figure into the other.
Katma Tui (Mattel) : A very underwhelming female action figure, especially when u compare her to...
Budika (DC Direct) : Killer sculpt..translucent parts..how can you say no?
Arisia (DC Direct) : Leave it to DC to take the young lady of the squad and make her slutty looking. This figure's downfall is scale. She towers over the 6 inch figures..mainly because she is 7 inches.
G'Nort (DC Direct) : He's the puppy avenger and you can bet cash money Mattel will nevvvvvver make him!
B'dg (Mattel) : Hell, if you can have a acid spitting kitty, why not a squirrel hero? B'dg comes in a 3 pack with Dex-Starr and Despotellis.
Stel (Mattel) : A collect and connect robot you can build from Green Lantern series 2 bits
Kilowog (Mattel) : Another collect and connect piece, this time from DC Universe Classics wave 11. It is the scale of these bigger guys that makes the whole team look excellent. DIVERSITY IN SCALE PEOPLE!!!
Alan Scott (Mattel) : The original Green Lantern
Star Sapphire (Mattel) : Technically, she's not a Lantern, thought the Star Sapphires carry violet power rings. They do it all with the power of LOVE!! No, they can not care bear stare.

And my creations...

Carioca of 1 (Mattel with Hasbro and McFarlane parts) : From a robotic race with a hive social structure and an urge to learn. CLICK HERE to read his mini bio!

Mandeep Mahtab (Mattel and a head from Toybiz) : Energy based life form. CLICK HERE to read his mini bio!

Ubril (Mattel and a head from Mcfarlane) : From a dragon-like race. CLICK HERE to read his mini bio!

Latvany (Mattel with robes from Toy Vault) : I found this being with the giant eye in the background of a massive shot of GL's taking off. I haven't been able to find his name anywhere, so I gave him one! He is someone else's creation, so I didn't write a bio.

I am also missing Salaak, an alien from DC Direct that is a little pricey for me at the moment, and the recent release of Arkkis Chummuck, from DC Direct as well. At some point I'll also pick up a DC Direct Guy Gardner because that Mattel version is just...ugly as sin.






















Honorable mention goes to the sole Orange Lantern member Larfleeze, whose DC Direct figure still alludes me..and costs too damn much. DC DIRECT!! RE-RELEASES PLEASE!! Hope you have as much fun pouring over these images as we did making them! Special thanks to Mattel for the movie figures and Eileen for help in hunting down some of the pieces we needed for the shoots.

CLICK HERE for an overview of the first releases from the 4 inch movie line!
CLICK HERE for our look at Green Lantern Justice League Unlimited offerings!

A Brief History of Green Lantern Figures: 4" Movie Line

Yes, we know they are 3 and 3 quarter inch..but that's too wordy in the headline.

So by now you've probably seen the movie and loved it or hated it and either way, we dig the Lanterns, so we were fated to create this massive photo shoot either way. DESTINY CALLED US!!! In the end, I shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 pics, so we thought it best to not overload your retinas with jade all at once. We'll begin with Mattel's brandie new 3 and 3 quarter scaled Green Lantern movie line!

As you've seen in the trailers and/or the movie itself, the costumes for the film are a bit more complicated than the basic, classic green and black we've come to know and love. This lends itself to the action figure format, providing for a more interesting sculpt and inadvertently forces Mattel to create new bodies for each figure, rather that use the same one continually while swapping out heads, hands or feet as has been the practice in their DC Universe Classics line. The trade off for this added detail is articulation. The single packed figures feature some extra movement in the shoulders and waist when compared to the deluxe and vehicle versions which keep only the most basic of swivel joints in a whopping 5 point configuration. This equals limited playability and for those who pose and leave be, a bit of tweaking to be done if you want those skinnier of Lanterns in the line to utilize their constructs in the display, which we know you will. SPEAKING OF CONSTRUCTS...this may be the driving force to get the die hard DCU fan to buy the line. While you may be able to skip over those deluxe models with the constructs that spring into action (even though that series boasts the best Kilowog in my opinion), with all their rocket firing features, the basic constructs may be hard to overlook once you realize some of them fit quite well with your 6 inch DCUC lanterns! Why else would you buy a figure we've been calling Disco Lantern all week? To get a translucent green buzz saw damnit!! Granted, you'll be paying 8 dollars for this awesome little accessory, so perhaps it will be something to hunt for in future ebay sales. We'll talk more about how well those constructs transfer over later.

The "deluxe" versions in your 3 and 3 quarter line I spoke about in passing earlier are called "Battle Shifters". These packs include one figure and one construct that has a sort of transforming feature that activates on a hair trigger and often projectiles of some sort. These are absolutely cute for the kiddies, but those little hands may get a little frustrated as it is a bit of a bitch to get them to stay in their locked up form while still handling them or trying to put them in the hands of their Lantern masters. The "Battle Fist" Hal Jordan was especially mind numbing, as I couldn't figure out how to get it to lock up at all. Point of fact, on the packaging, someone is holding it closed as well, suggesting there is indeed, no way to keep it closed. Never the less, the construct is amusing if you'd like to set up a Frisbee scene with Hal and Sinestro as they bond over stories of the orange and pink alien women they've banged. Good times.

We've also taken a look at two vehicles in the line; one being a translucent green light cycle that revs n gos with the pull of a rip chord and Abin Sur's Space Pod. The neat feature is that you can plug your ring into a spot on each one to activate the action. The oddness comes in trying to figure out how to fire the missile on the cycle and where to stick Abin Sur so it looks like he's activating a giant gun construct. Of course, looking at the box helps, but you are more likely to rip the thing apart, play for a bit, get frustrated and go hunting for the box once again in your trash. While not completely based on designs straight from the film, these vehicles are still happy funtimes for the younger among you and a hell of a lot better than Iron Man riding on a 4 wheeled off road vehicle (as hilarious as that may still be).

Right now I'd like to talk to you about the crown jewel of this line. It's not Blazing Hi-Five Hal Jordan or Double Sword Choppin' Sinestro. It's a big blob of ugly called Parralax (or as Eileen calls him..the Grabboid.. since he reminds her of Tremors.) Now, you will instantly say this is the most hideous thing Mattel has put out in quite some time, and you would be right, but what this creeper lacks in good looks, it more than makes up for in hysterical play. First off, after you've clipped on his tentacle extensions, you'll find that running him along on his wheels sends them flailing in the most awesome of RAAAAR!! motions. Next, grab firm of his..umm...private tentacle...and his chest bursts open while a sort of eagle talon shoots out!! If you've lined Parralax up right and provided him with a small action figure target if the slim variety, he will grab your hero and suck him into his chest. BUT WAIT!! THERE'S MORE!! Parralax is prone to indigestion from time to time, so grab his yellow demon junk once more and give a hearty pull to send the swallowed up hero figure flying from his chest with more velocity and your average rocket firing Boba Fett. Yes, friends, this toy doubles as a 3 and 3 quarter action figure launcher, instantly making it the most fun toy of the year. How can you resist?

CLICK HERE for 100 more pictures!! Check back here soon for part 2 of this series!

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights Cast Announced

February 22 sees the release of All-Star Superman, Warner Brother's newest full length direct to DVD & Blu-ray animated release, and since the drop is almost here, they've begun the mad push for all things GREEN!! Here's the latest on Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, coming this June...

Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) lead a diverse array of performers as the voices behind Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Building up to the release of the highly anticipated live action film, Green Lantern, in theatres June 17, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights arrives on Blu-Ray™, DVD, On Demand and for Download June 7 from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation.

Fillion provides the voice of the animated film’s central character Hal Jordan, the human Green Lantern assigned to Sector 2814 (which includes Earth). Fillion has starred in several primetime television series including Desperate Housewives, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has also developed a popular cult following as a pair of Joss Whedon’s heroic captains: Capt. Mal Reynolds in the space-western series Firefly and follow-up film, Serenity; and Captain Hammer in Whedon’s internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Fillion returns to the DC Universe after his successful turn as Steve Trevor in the animated film Wonder Woman, and has performed voice work on Justice League, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., and several Halo video games.

Moss gives voice to Arisia, a young recruit forced into her first mission on just her third day as a Green Lantern. Prior to starring as the ever-evolving Peggy Olson in AMC’s ground-breaking series Mad Men, Moss was featured on The West Wing, Invasion and Picket Fences. Moss has been active in voiceovers for animation with previous roles in Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, Freakazoid! and It’s Spring Training, Charlie Brown!.

The voice cast for the animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights also features actor/spoken word artist Henry Rollins (Sons of Anarchy, The Henry Rollins Show) as Kilowog, Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter films) as Sinestro, legendary professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (They Live) as Bolphunga, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Abin Sur, Kelly Hu (The Vampire Diaries) as Laira and Wade Williams (Prison Break) as Deegan. Radio Hall of Fame commentator/talk show host Michael Jackson voices the esteemed Guardian, Ganthet.

Bruce Timm is executive producer of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Directors are Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva and Christopher Berkeley.

The full-length animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights complements the Warner Bros. theatrical release of the highly anticipated live-action major motion picture, Green Lantern. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD, as well as single disc DVD. The film will also be available On Demand and for Download.

Official Green Lantern Synopsis Hits the Internets

Soooo many questions about this movie still plaguing my geek sensibilities, forcing me to dial down my excitement until I know more. What will Ryan Reynolds look like in his CG outfit?? What will Ryan Reynolds be like as the mostly serious Hal Jordan?! And on a more peronal question note; Our Wolfman buddy Spencer Wilding is on the set as we speak..playing...? Let's take a guess. The guy is HUGE and when I once slapped his chest to get his attention, I nearly broke my hand. Giant powerhouse =...Kilowog? Very likely! You may have heard it here first, though they'll probably use someone else for the voice since Spence is a Welshman. Today, we take one giant step toward the brightest day with the official synopsis from those fine folks at Warner. Read on...

Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Campbell directs “Green Lantern” from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

The film also stars Blake Lively (upcoming “The Town,” TV’s “Gossip Girl”) as the spirited Carol Ferris, a test pilot and the heir apparent to her father’s aviation company; Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education,” “Flightplan”) as scientist Dr. Hector Hammond; Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes”) as Sinestro, Jordan’s powerful mentor in the Green Lantern Corps; Jay O. Sanders (“Revolutionary Road”) as Carl Ferris, Carol’s aircraft designer dad; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars” Episodes II and III) as Abin Sur, Jordan’s alien predecessor; Taika Waititi (TV’s “The Flight of the Conchords”) as flight navigator Tom Kalmaku, Hal’s good friend and confidante; Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as enigmatic government scientist Amanda Waller; and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) as Hector’s influential father, Senator Robert Hammond.

The film is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”) and Greg Berlanti (upcoming “Life As We Know It”). Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers. Geoff Johns and Lucienne Papon are co-producing.

The film’s behind-the-scenes creative team is led by a number of Academy Award® winners, including director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), and costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), as well as Oscar®-nominated editor and longtime Campbell collaborator, Stuart Baird (“Gorillas in the Mist,” “Superman”). The film’s visual effects are being overseen by Oscar®-nominee Kent Houston (“The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen,” “Casino Royale”).

The film is currently scheduled for release in 3D and 2D on June 17, 2011. “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Oh yea..and then this happened. >

Anyone care for a Green Lantern CG TV show?