Review of Green Lantern - John Stewart
One:12 Collective Action Figure

Introduction

I review a lot of figures - a lot. I am a fan of most of the licenses, if not all the characters, but there are some here and there who I never really connected with. Such is the case with Green Lantern, a DC superhero that never tripped my trigger as a kid.

However, it's hard to be a comic nerd and not have a basic appreciation of a long running superhero like this.  The first black character in the DC Universe was John Stewart, the fourth man to take on the position in the comics. He's also one of the more popular versions, being the main one in the animated universe.

Mezco has just released their take on the classic character in their One:12 Collective series. He started shipping a couple weeks ago, and will run you around $80.

Packaging - ***1/2
Nothing too unique, but the simple design works well and looks classy. The box is made from heavy, durable cardboard, and the interior plastic trays hold the figure and accessories safe in a completely collector friendly way.  There's a brief instruction sheet on the light up feature too, and it's definitely worth having.

Sculpting - ****
As is the usual with a One:12 Collective figure, there are two heads included with this release. One of those facts that even non-fans know is that the original look of the character was based on Sydney Poitier, and you can see a bit - just a bit - in the Mezco interpretations.

The head he comes wearing is sporting short cropped hair and a stern but not extreme expression. It's important to remember that these figures are 1/12 scale, and this guy is only 6 1/2" tall. The level of detail in the hair and skin texture is really impressive, right down to the texture on the lips.

The second portrait is bald, and pissed. The gritted teeth look amazing - remember the scale - and his van dyke is nicely detailed. This is a better look for battle poses, but both of them are quite useful across a lot of looks. They swap easily as well.

Paint - ****
Once again, Mezco impresses with their production paint work on these very tiny portraits.  Both heads are extremely clean, with the hair, eyebrows, and beard all worth particular note. The skin tones are even, and the eyes are straight and in line.

The clenched teeth are really something here.  Getting straight, even, realistic looking teeth is hit and miss in sixth scale, and yet they've nailed it with this much smaller portrait.

Articulation - ***1/2
If you own any One:12 figures, you know the drill.  All the usual joints are here, but this time the stretchy suit and good boot design allows them to reach their potential.

The ball jointed neck gives him plenty of tilt and lean, and the shoulders, elbows, and wrists are just what you'd expect. These single jointed elbows still can't get the same bend and cross body movement as double jointed elbows, but you can get some great fighting poses with the various ring blasts. EDIT: An intrepid collector that stripped him down confirms there ARE double jointed elbows. Clearly, I can't get the range of movement out of these that you normally can, so you're mileage may vary.

The torso turns and crunches too, unrestricted by the suit. The hips, knees, and ankles allow for short to deep stances with no trouble, and the excellent two piece boot design gives him plenty of rocker movement in the ankles. He can keep both feet flat on the ground even in very wide poses.

Accessories - ****
It's all about the power of the ring with this character.

Of course he has the two heads I already mentioned, and they go a big way to increasing this score. They swap easily, always a plus.

There's five regular hands to go with the two fists he comes wearing - a set of flat hands, a set of clutching hands, and one tight grip left. They swap cleanly, and stayed in place while posing.

There are five energy blasts as well, and these are technically additional right hands. One has a smoke-like curl coming off the ring, while another has a long laser blast. A third has a large domed shield of energy, while a fourth has a cool star pattern.  The final blast doesn't actually have a hand attached, but is a hand itself - the round swirling ball of death.

I had no trouble swapping between these various hands, although you do want to take extra care with the thin rays on the star pattern.

This is the Green Lantern, so he better have a lantern. This one is quite large, and features a light up attribute. More on that in the next section.

Finally, there's the display stand that can be used with a simple foot peg or the larger clear plastic support rod, perfect for jumping and leaping poses. I really like the translucent base on this one, giving off that Lantern vibe.

Light Feature - ***1/2
This figure has a rather unique light up feature. Not what lights up, but rather how.

This is the Green Lantern, so of course the lantern lights up. They supply two batteries which you insert into the compartment on the bottom. You won't find any switch, however. To activate the light, you simply put the right hand fist against the lantern lens on either side!  The interior lights up nice and bright, and looks great.

On the plus side, this means you can leave the batteries in and show off the light very easily, just by putting the hand near the lantern. On the minus side, getting a pose where the hand and the lantern can be next to each other can be tricky. However, I managed it for the photo below.

Outfit - ****
They've mastered the art of applying the thin, plastic layers to the cloth costumes, creating really fantastic looking outfits. Pretty much anything is possible, and it allows them to keep the suits in scale with the smaller size.

I love the look of this particular costume, although purists may not. Mezco puts their own spin on these comic book characters, and it's not going to be to everyone's taste.

The symbol on his chest is removable - not sure why. But if it falls off, they supply you with a backup in the package.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
With good articulation, tons of excellent accessories, and a nifty light up feature, this is a very, very fun figure with a ton of posing potential!

Value - ***1/2
Most One:12 figures with a light up feature run $100 these days, so getting this guy at the current market standard of $80 is a great deal.

Things to Watch Out For -
Everything is well made, but I would take care with the thin points on the 'star' energy blast. Otherwise you should be good to go!

Overall - ****
This was a figure I never would have picked up if not for my overall love of the series in general. He's just not a character that speaks to me...but I'm so glad I did!  He's jumped way up on my list, and highlights some of the best features of the line.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ****
Light Feature - ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth also has him at $80.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent DC One:12 figures include the Clown Prince Joker, the Sovereign Knight Batman, and Darkseid.

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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