Green Lantern "Early Bird" HAL JORDAN
TRU exclusive marks the debut of toys from the upcoming film...
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I’ve been a huge Green Lantern fan for as long as I can remember, and so of course I’ve got tons of GL comics and toys. While I’m reserving judgment until I see it, I think it’s pretty darn cool that my favorite superhero is getting his own big budget film this year. And so, when Mattel and Toys"R"Us put up a preorder for an "Early Bird" Green Lantern figure a couple months ago, I jumped at the chance. Oh yeah, I’m also a collector of 3 ¾ inch figures, especially Mattel’s DC Infinite Heroes line (in which I’ve reviewed more than 50 figures). While I was disheartened at the twilight of that line last year, it was great news that the Green Lantern film line will include a 3 ¾ inch segment. The early bird figure, of course, is in that scale.
Available only online, this first movie Hal Jordan figure comes to you in a plain white cardboard container decorated with the film’s logo. Inside is the figure’s proper package, another cool creation from Mattel’s design team. A tall and narrow clamshell package, the front is dominated by a huge Green Lantern symbol through which you can see the figure. At the bottom are the film’s logo, the character’s name, and a mention of the included exclusive stand. There’s also a small square window showing off the adult-sized Green Lantern ring!
The back of the package has a full panel image of Hal Jordan flying through space and the GL oath.
The whole thing swings open in the middle to reveal the figure and stand. Overall it’s a pretty cool presentation, especially if you don’t remove the figure.
If you do, though, you’ll get what appears to be the next generation of Infinite Heroes. There are some improvements and new elements here, but a lot of “more of the same.” The figure is taller than the Green Lanterns that came before him at right around 4 inches, though that does make him better scaled to some other 3 ¾ inch lines. He’s got a pretty generic body, and I imagine we’ll see these parts repeated in the Green Lantern line, probably for multiple humanoid characters in addition to Hal.
The sculpt is actually quite good, with tons of intricate lines recreating the unique film look of the uniform that combines clothing and muscle-like elements. The head sculpt is pretty great for a 3 ¾ inch figure, really resembling Ryan Reynolds. Unfortunately, the head is a tad small and the figure suffers from pin head syndrome.
Also nice is the paint job. Except for the head, the figure is all over different shades of green. The paint doesn’t really match up to the sculpt, but it isn’t supposed to. Instead, there are more gradual gradients between different colors. Dark green shows up on the upper legs and arms, while a more vivid hue appears on the figure’s chest and extremities. The Green Lantern symbol on Hal’s chest crackles with energy that spiderwebs down the right arm to a bright green fist (that’s the hand where the ring is). It’s a pretty cool look.
Articulation... well, articulation has clearly taken a backseat to other things. One of the hurdles of the Infinite Heroes line, articulation was getting pretty good at the end. Unfortunately, this Hal does not bode well for the Green Lantern line. Hal here is articulated at the neck, ball-jointed shoulders, waist, and new DCUC-style forward and side hinged hips. Yeah, that’s it. No elbows, no knees, and certainly no wrists or ankles. I’m hoping that articulation wasn’t a focus since this is an early bird display figure and that we’ll see a better showing in the main line.
One of the two exclusive elements in this set is the figure’s display stand. A translucent Green Lantern symbol, the base is decorated with “Limited Edition” and a number out of 2814 (mine is 1161). For those who don’t know, 2814 is the sector number that Hal Jordan patrols in the comics and film. The stand is kind of cool, and it works well for the figure with a post on the top that fits into his left foot.
The other unique inclusion here is the Green Lantern ring! Most previous rings that came with toys have been flimsy and/or kid sized; this one is neither. The inner ring is die-cast metal, decorated with an almost organic texture. Shading and depth give that part a nice silver and black look. The GL symbol is a translucent green plastic cap. It’s kind of hard to see in photos, but it is see through and the metal beneath it makes it look really cool. The symbol’s sculpt even has little nicks and dents, making it look like it’s been through a few battles.
I have about average fingers, and this ring is too big even for my middle finger or thumb. Hopefully yours will fit if you plan on wearing it. Note that the 3 ¾ inch figures will each come with a plastic version.
For an early bird figure, I think this Hal works to show off what the movie designs will look like from the costume to the ring itself. The figure may not be stellar with regards to articulation, but it does look cool and makes me eager for more; I’ll definitely be lining up when the toys hit store shelves soon. If you want this Hal Jordan you have to head over to the Toys"R"Us site where it’s still available for $28.14 each.
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin
