Review of Green Lantern - Jessica Cruz
DC Bombshells Statue

Introduction

DC Collectibles has several long running statue series, each based on various themes. One of the more popular is the DC Bombshells, designed by Ant Lucia. These statues re-imagine superheroes as 30's, 40's, and 50's pin-up art, the sort of thing you would have seen on a bomber plane in World War II.  They're so popular, the designs have been translated to other formats, including vinyl figures and standard action figures.

The latest release is Green Lantern, or more specifically, the Jessica Cruz Green Lantern. This statue just started shipping, and will run you around $100 at most online retailers and comic book shops.

Packaging - ***
Nothing too special here. The exterior box follows the recent design style for most collectibles from DCC, and the hard foam eggshell trays inside keep the statue pieces safe and sound. The base, nameplate, statue, and traffic cones are all separate pieces, so some assembly is required. I'm sure you can handle it.

There's no Certificate of Authenticity, and this one isn't a limited edition. EDIT: My mistake - this actually is a limited edition, but the only place with the numbering is the bottom of the base itself.

Sculpting - ***1/2
There's no doubt this is Green Lantern - not necessarily from the overall design of the costume (traffic cop?) but from the million little details, from the emblem on the hat, the belt buckle, the boots, the various swirling green translucent pieces, the color scheme, and most importantly, the large stoplight version of the lantern.

While the sculpting is a bit broad and undefined in some areas (the hair and teeth could use a bit more detail), the overall look is quite stunning. Even with the stretch this design takes - the 'lantern' becomes a traffic light, hence GL becomes a traffic cop - the superhero you're looking at is quite clear.  Jessica is properly proportioned and as attractive as you'd expect, but there's power and strength in the pose and stance.

If I had one nit, it's that this one isn't quite as 40's - 50's as the others. The go-go boots make me think more of the 60's...but that's a really minor nit.

She stands about 11 1/2" tall including the base.

Paint - ***
The paint work isn't quite as clean as I'd like, and I know this is a common complaint from me.

But there's some areas that aren't as sharp as they should be, particularly around the teeth and hairline. There's some soft edges on the costume too, with some colors bleeding over into the other.

You'll also notice some shine around the edge of the right eye in some of the photos. This appears to be some glue like substance that is more reflective and glossy than the rest of the paint. Not sure what happened there, but the good news is that it isn't as obvious in normal lighting and in hand.

On the plus side, I really do like the way they incorporated the key colors - gold, black, green, and white. The translucent pieces area also great, from the whistle to the stop sign to the traffic cones to the handcuffs.

Accessories - ***
Any score in this category for a statue is a positive on the overall.  Statues normally don't have extras, but Jessica comes with two traffic cones, made from the same translucent green plastic as the large stop sign. They are accessories because they are loose - you can place them anywhere you'd like, or not use them at all, your preference.

Value - **1/2
These statues started to edge up closer to $120 awhile back, but DCC has gotten them back down around $100 at most retailers. I'm very comfortable with that price point, and feel it's an average value.

Things to Watch Out For -
When I pulled mine out of the box, the lantern (stop light) was moved off to one side on the ring. I realized very quickly that you can not adjust the ring within the hand - don't even try. Instead, move the stop light on the ring, very slowly, to get it in the perfect spot.

Overall - ***1/2
Another great release in the line, and one that will stand out not only because of the pose and stance, but because of the cool character specific color scheme. Anybody that has ever read a comic will know who this is supposed to be (at least in general - they may not know dear Jessica), and collectors will find the quality to be on par with past releases.

It did raise a philosophical question though. Since the octagonal sign is green and says GO, does that make it a 'go sign', or is it still called a 'stop sign'? Hmmmm...

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***
Accessories - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $100 as well.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
The last Bombshells statue I checked out was Starfire, and before that I looked at Jessie Quick, Killer Frost, the Superman/Power Girl statue, Mera, Hawkgirl, Stargirl, Black Canary, Batgirl, Harley, Poison Ivy, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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