Green Lantern Series 2

By: John Denning
Review Date: Saturday, August 12, 2006

Series Two of the Green Lantern figures is here, and the Corp just keeps expanding. Continuing the trend of a balance between good guys/bad guys in Series One, the new series includes Guy Gardner, Manhunter Robot, Salaak, Shark, and Sinestro. Adding in the older Green Lantern Corps series, that evens the odds at 7 to 7 (the double Guy Gardners don't count and the two pack of Guardians from series one only count for a single person because they're short). DC Direct gave this selection a good amount of thought, with each figure offering something a little different while remaining within the cannon of Green Lantern friends and foes. Even the redone Guy Gardner is a welcome addition, since this time around he's gotten a makeover to free him from the embarrassment of his old bowl cut.

The Manhunter's removable face is a recurring theme at DC Direct, with a Superman Robot and Metallo that do the same. It takes me back to the early days of He-Man, and that's rarely a bad feeling. Salaak, while not the most likeable character in the comics, redeems himself as a toy. The multiple arms and head on ball joints make him the most poseable Green Lantern yet. Shark is rather stiff on the other hand, but as one of the only half-man/half-shark toys on the market, he's arguably the coolest looking toy since Hellboy's Kreigaffe and you don't have to be a Green Lantern fan to enjoy him. Sinestro is the only no-frills figure in the set, but as probably the most well-known Green Lantern villain, he stands for himself.

While the figures have fewer articulation points than you might want, they make up for it in appearance, each one with a quality mold and paint job. With Batman and Superman so often hogging the spotlight in DC toys, it's nice to see another fan favorite get its own line that keeps on growing. Here's looking forward to the perfect addition to series 3: Mogo the Living Planet Beachball.