What if Leprechauns Are Actually Green Lanterns?

That would make a fun story - a small humanoid Green Lantern visits Earth, Ireland to be exact, back in the time of the Celts. He's chased a sonic powered female humanoid alien, a battle ensues, a village is razed, the GL, before leaving with his prisoner, gives the town some gold to pay for the damages and voila! - the legends of both the Leprechauns and the Banshee are born!

Yeah I know, I've grossly oversimplified (and Americanized) the mythic Irish creatures, but it's still a better story than the Green Lantern movie.

Which is where this Krona figure comes from. Specifically, Krona is part of Mattel's now defunct Action League line. I honestly don't remember how Krona played into the movie, because like many forms of abuse I have blocked the film from memory.

He actually looks a lot like a hat-less, scarf-less Orko to me. Maybe Orko was Eternia's Green Lantern!

Oh well, enough of these silly fan-fictions. Have a great St. Patrick's Day!

I've got BootLEGO bats in my belfry!

Looking at BootLEGOs on eBay the other day, I stumbled on to a brand new Bat-lot of Batmen with the new style cowl (I had yet to own any LEGO or BootLEGO Batmen with the new cowl style) and not only that, but the set included some great Batman variants. So even though I was as yet unfamiliar with the bootleg company that produces this lot (Duo Le Pin) I figured the pennies-on-the-dollar cost was worth the potential risk, so I ordered them...and man am I glad I did!

First up is Batfleck. I am pretty sure I will end up with an official LEGO set or two for the upcoming Batman v Superman movie, but BootLEGOS are so damn inexpensive and WHO CAN WAIT?!?! Also, thankfully I now know that Duo Le Pin is pretty high quality. These BootLEGOS are even closer to LEGO quality than the Sheng Yuan and Decool I have previous experience with! This set is just incredible. Don't get me wrong, they are still bootlegs and there are a couple flaws (one Batman head had the same no-emotion expression printed twice...ironic for Batman who isn't one to emote...and this Batfleck inexplicably has a scuba mask on the other side of his head) but...damn they are great. And they cost me less than 75 cents each with free shipping from China! And it only took less than a week for them to arrive! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Up next: at first I wasn't sure if this were an 'official' Batman or not, it actually took me a minute to realize that this is the Batman: Arkham Knight Batman! How cool is that?!?!

This Batman even has printing on his arms and the sides of his legs! QUALITY! Another fun detail is that Arkham Batman has a calm expression without stubble while his angry expression has stubble. Like in the game, Batman gets angrier and less fresh as he battles throughout the night!

Next: Batman Begins. Each Batman minifigure comes with a batarang, a base and a bunch of pieces to make some little Batmobile/Batdrone or something. I left those out of the shoot because they are really just filler.

Next: Batman from The Dark Knight (in grey.) Some of the Batman minifigures came with plastic extended wings, and some came with cloth capes. I actually did a little mixing/matching to suit my desires, this one may have come with the cloth cape that I gave to Batfleck. Whatever, the whole point of these buildable minifigures is mixing and matching!

Batman Beyond. HOLY MOLEY! This guy alone is worth the low low price of admission! Other BootLEGOers have made half-assed attempts at Batman Beyond, but this is the first correct and screen accurate one I've ever seen. He came with a red cloth cape (another irony, THIS is one that should have the solid wings...in red) but Batman Beyond does not have a red cape, he has red retractable wings, so I left it off the minifigure.

Batman of Zur En Arrh! This is now the third BootLEGO Batman of Zur En Arrh I own (each from a different BootLEGO company. Wow!) We do indeed live in incredible times. I will have to do a side by side by side shoot of this version of Batman soon.

All these Batmen have back printing too, BTW. MOAR QUALITY!

Green Lantern Batman! Another wonderful and surprising addition. Now that I think about it, this guy had a cloth cape, so I switched it out with Batfleck. He looks better with solid wings (although they would look better still in green. GL Batman also came with flesh colored hands...weird...so I switched them with some spare black hands (BootLEGOS always seem to come with additional hands.)

Last but...well...least...is Space Batman! I think this Batman appeared in the LEGO Batman 3 video game. He has a normal face and a space face but the 'normal' face is weird because it is printed on the white plastic head. No skin tone. He looks more like Batzarro with the other face. So I'm sticking with space face!

Man, what a set! The quality of Duo Le Pin is incredible, even the cloth capes are better than anything I've experienced from BootLEGOS to date (while still falling short of LEGO quality...but not by much.) The unique characters and the use of the new style cowl makes this set a must have for anyone who likes to dip their toes in the BootLEGO pool from time to time.

Imaginext Kilowog :: No Poozers Allowed.

I'm not a big fan of the Green Lantern universe, but I do think the franchise got the shaft in the toy department when the Ryan Reynolds movie flopped. The theme pretty much dropped out of sight after the offerings meant to capitalize on that movie's expected success warmed pegs for what seems like eons. 'Evergreen' lines like Imaginext were especially unfairly hit, since these toys weren't directly tied to the movie.

With the upcoming release of an Imaginext Sinestro, as well as an all new Hal Jordan, it seems the curse may be over. The new Hal looks good and I may even track him down. I was never a fan of Imaginext's original Hal Jordan Imaginext figure. It just looked to goofy to me.

One Imaginext Green Lantern I am a fan of, however, is Kilowog!

Kilowog was originally released with a Green Lantern Oa playset, and I don't believe he was ever part of any other release. I found mine at the flea market and I am glad for it, as I was not interested in that larger playset.

Kilowog is a great figure - a bulkier sculpt to reflect his larger frame, and that alien pig-face is just wonderful. He does have his power ring molded on his hand (why didn't I take a shot of it?) but he did not come with any accessories.

Fortunately I have the Elf's sword from the Warrior Suit set and it looks like the perfect ring construct in Kilowog's hand.

"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power,
Green Lantern's light!"

More Brave and the Bold style action figures...for 2013?!?!

What the...?

This small image was just brought to my attention by a twitter friend. It's of a Target exclusive seven figure set of the Justice League called simply "Batman Legacy Justice League Figures"

This seven pack of figures appears to all be in the long ago canceled Brave and the Bold action figure style but includes a never before seen Cyborg, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, a beardless Aquaman and omg - WONDER WOMAN (in a line that Mattel stated emphatically would not include any female characters).

This news really came out of left field! The set is unavailable online as of writing this post but will retail for $49.99, so I probably won't own it until it hits clearance (which it probably will.) I will also have to see it in person to make a final judgement.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE! Apparently Target has Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern figures available as singles, and while these are clearly the Brave and the Bold style figures, you can see the much maligned hex holes are no longer a part of the figures' sculpts (a change I said would happen way back in my first B and the B toy review in 2009 - but even I never expected it to be so late in coming!)

(pic borrowed from eBay. Don't be stupid enough to buy them there now. They'll be plentiful and cheaper soon, I promise.)

Depending on the price of these, I'll probably get that Batman. Sadly it appears Wonder Woman is not part of a single figure release, and if past Target multi-pack exclusives are any indication, I doubt she ever will be.

Has anyone seen these at retail yet?

Don't B'Dg - there's a Despotellis on your Dex-Starr!

Eww, the cat is puking again!

Actually this is Dex-Star, Despotellis and B'dg, from the recent DC Universe Classics Green Lantern Wave 2.

I initially had to have this three figure set because of B'Dg. How freaking cute is this little fellow? As soon as I saw the previews for this set of three figures I knew it would have to be mine for the space rodent alone!

But upon opening the toy I quickly fell in love with Dex-Starr. Dex-Starr is actually an Earth cat who watched as his owner was murderd and was then subject to cruelty before a red lantern ring found him and harnessed his rage. That's pretty cool, and I like how he wears his ring on his tail!

Now I'm no lantern color guard expert, having read only a few of the Blackest Coffee, Brightest Student comics, but it seems red lanterns are so full of rage they constantly barf red energy. Or cherry Kool-Aid. Not sure, but Dex-Starr has a removable translucent barf-wad which is also kind of fun and in keeping with the fact that he is a cat. RAGE HAIR BALL!

And B'Dg is pretty dang cute too! What a cute widdle gween wantern! Hi gween wantern! Want a peanut, gween wantern?

'Don't make me punch your nuts, sir!'

Finally the set comes with a yellow lantern named Despotellis. He looks like a...yeah...ahem. Anyways, he's pretty silly but let's face it, they made him and he's totally off the wall, so any Green lantern comic fan should be pretty stoked to get such a nutty character in toy form.

Even if he does look like a walking marital aide.

The set does come with a large piece of the Collect and Connect figure Stel, but I don't have any intentions of getting any more of these figures.

I just wanted the cute super pets! More super pets please, Mattel!

In brightest day, in blackest night, this isn't the droid you're looking for, alright.

I wasn't planning on picking up any of the Green Lantern movie toys. They're cool enough, but I'm not yet in love with most of their designs (that may change after I see the movie though. We'll see.)

I do like the fact that there are so many funky looking aliens in the toyline (and movie.) If I were a kid I'd be all over these. But as an adult I prefer a more comic book or cartoony look for my GLs - it's like I've regressed or something. Maybe I'm actually from Ork.

There should be a Green lantern from the Ork sector. Nanoo nanoo.

Anywhoo, today I was undertaking the very adult task of buying pants when I spotted all the new Green Lantern toys. There are about fifteen thousand of them, in sixty three different scales; figures alone and in multi packs and with pets and removable pants and riding motorcycles and big green rubber fists for...playtime fun...ahem...and masks and rings and...okay I exaggerate. But only a little bit - the part about the green rubber fist is true.

In the 4-5 inch scale figure collection I found Stel and decided I had to have him. First of all, this scale is on sale at K-Mart for $5.99. A fair price for a toy this size. Second, Stel here is a figure based on early production art. The character as he will be seen in the movie is vastly different. Making this guy the Blue Snaggletooth of the Green Lantern movie.

If the movie and toyline is a hit and there is a sequel, I am sure Stel will be re-released to better reflect his on-screen design, which means this might be the only release this version ever sees. Not that he'll be of any value ever, but as a conversation piece that makes him pretty neat-o.

Stel comes with a green construct (in fact all the figures in this scale do) that is specific to his character. Stel's construct is a mechanical armature/blade. Fun times.

He looks like he's flipping the bird in this picture. "Number Five is alive, you f*&(ers!"

Stel is a pretty simple toy. Four points of articulation and simple paint applications. Still, he looks like a neat robot that might mosey into the Star Wars Cantina at some point. If they allowed his kind, that is.

Each figure in this scale comes with a Green Lantern ring. It's pretty nice and solid, a little on the small side (yeah, I know I know, these are for kids) but flexible enough to fit if you force it. I'll probably wear it to the movie and embarrass my girlfriend. Or use it to propose to her or something. Just kidding, if I were to propose to my girlfriend with a nerdy ring, I'd use a Legion ring. Sillies.

nananananananana no evil shall escape my sight!

From the episode of The Brave and the Bold entitled The Eyes of Despero! When the Green Lantern Corps needed Batman's help against the intergalactic despot Despero, Sinestro (he's still a GL here,) Guy Gardner and G'Nort work a little power ring magic in order to give Bats equal footing:



Cool is right. And you know what's cooler? This:

Yeah, they actually made an action figure of Batman as a Green Lantern!

Actually called "Sky Shot Batman" because the people who work at toy companies are so out of touch with what they produce and the people that buy it, it's mind boggling, this figure is an amazing addition to the Batman: The Brave and the Bold action figure line-up.

In addition to looking like this figure stepped straight off the screen, Bat Lantern comes with a power ring constructed jet pack and helmet that both look Bat-inspired, and not like things thrown in to weigh down the toy and justify the price. Yes, you heard me, a cool accessory for a change! It even fires a missile which is also made of translucent green plastic. Seriously, this is how you do a toy right! If I taught classes on how to create variants of a character, I would hold this S.O.B. up for an hour and then say "class dismissed."

The "handles" are a pliable plastic, and they attach to the helmet to give a space-suit type feel to it. Of course he needs to breath! And of course Batman would construct a jet pack with the power of the ring. Propulsion envy.

Finally, all that stuff can be removed giving you a Green Lantern Batman exactly as depicted in the cartoon. I absolutely love how the Bat symbol and GL symbol have been integrated into the costume.

My only quibble is a minor one and has more to do with the plot of the cartoon than the figure itself. Since Batman's GL suit is powered by other GL rings (not one worn by him) he does not have one of his own, and the figure also does not have a GL ring. I may have to paint a green dot onto one of his fingers to "fix" that. Otherwise this is an outstanding figure for any fan of the cartoon, or of Green Lantern, or of Batman... hell, if you don't love this toy you have no soul.

SCORE!

Went out of my way to hit up Target tonight, just to see if I could find some of the Imaginext single packs a few folks have been whispering about in toy forum circles.

Well, Booyah boys and goils:



I snagged Mr. Freeze (who I have been eying ever since he popped up in his original pack with some sort of refrigeration unit,) Batman in black and grey, and Two-Face!

The only other single pack figures that were there was the Penguin, whom I left for another day and the Joker, whom I already own.

They are $3.99 each. I think a better value would be $2.99, but not a bad deal for a figure and an accessory. You get more plastic from these than with DCIH, so there's a better value already!

So now I'm officially collecting Batman themed Imaginext toys. Tune in soon when I have these bad boys opened up and set up with my old school Fisher-Price circus train!

Oh yeah, and then there's this coming soon which I just heard about today (picture stolen from eBay:)



I'm screwed.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that "3-8" means "38," which gives me a few more years to enjoy these before I'm too old ;)

It's Not Easy, Being Green.

An unexpected trip to Target today brought me my first figure from DC Universe Classics Series 3: Green Lantern!



DC Universe Classics and the Four Horsemen Studios hit another one out of the park! Green Lantern aka Hal Jordan is as cool as any DCUC figure. He even comes with a lantern battery to recharge his ring - and he's poseable enough to actually use it! Neato!


"In brightest day
in blackest night,
no evil shall escape my sight!
Let those who worship evil's might,
beware my power -- Green Lantern's light!"





The ring is sculpted on - not just a green dot painted to his finger. Great sculpted wrinkle details on the glove as well!


Batman doesn't quite trust Hal Jordan after that whole Parallax fiasco.


Also included with Hal Jordan is the Collect and Connect piece for Solomon Grundy. Get a load of how big he'll be!



The League is coming together quite nicely.