Star Wars Evolutions: The Sith Legacy Collection

Usually about once or twice a year, I like to delve back into the world of Star Wars to find something new, unique, and reasonably priced to add to my collection, which is primarily made up of the original Kenner Line release, but with the Prequel Trilogy, the abundance of new characters proves just as exciting and interesting. Also, I had just started playing KotOR II: The Sith Lords game, and one of the primary characters was Darth Nihilus, who I thought embodied everything there was about being a Sith, so I found this set in Target and picked it up. Overall, a good purchase. So let’s take this figure by figure.

Darth Maul:
The only movie-recognizable figure in the set, this particular version of Maul is shirtless, and whist I was reading a collection of comic stories (set prior to the Phantom Menace), Maul often appeared in this manner as he was training under Darth Sideous. The detailing on Maul is pretty good for such a small size figure. I can’t get over how much articulation is packed on this figure as well- damn near rivals Marvel Legends on a smaller scale. Bending Torso; elbows, knees, wrists, ankles, waist- pretty much all are bendeable as well as swivel. It reminds me of the GI Joe figures of the 80’s. Maul comes with the double bladed lightsaber, which is one permanent piece- you can’t split the sabers in two. Also, there is a kilt type apparatus that has both plastic and actual cloth pieces to it. The kilt kind of hampers hip joint movement as there doesn’t seem to be a way of removing it. One main detractor is that Maul cannot hold the lightsaber in a single hand- you must have both hands on both hilts in order for him to hold it.Standard peg bottom feet round out this version of Maul.

Darth Bane:
I admit I’m not entirely familiar with the actual character of Darth Bane outside of what Wikipedia has to say, but aside from that, he’s not a bad figure. Bane primarily differs from the other two Sith in the collection by having these "yellow fire" accessories- two wrist gauntlets and one headmask. I actually prefer him without the mask- the simple yet elegant design of the head is enough to let me know I’m dealing with a Sith here. Bane’s chest also bears the yellow fire as a frontal piece, and behind it, you can make out assorted green organs, depending on how the light hits it. Like Maul, Bane also has a kilt piece that is half cloth and half plastic and non-removable as well. Bane’s cape is totally plastic and molded into a "windy array of fabric" design with a couple of frilly collars that actually work in favor of the aesthetic of the figure in general. Pretty much the same articulation of Maul, although his left hand is pre-poised into a "force bolt" configuration, therefore, you can only put the lightsaber in the right hand. Unlike most of the Sith in recent memory, Bane’s lightsaber is colored purple, which is a nice way to set him apart from the competition.

Darth Nihilus:
I decided to save the best for last- Rounding out the collection is Darth Nihilus, I believe this character/figure to be the cream of the crop for this collection- he looks great, has all the articulation of the other two, as well as a total cloth cape (with added battle damage), a plastic hood that is removable, and a cloth/plastic kilt. I removed the plastic hood just to see what was underneath, and Nihilus’ head is damn cool on its own- He has this single black braid of hair down the middle back of his head, and the facial design is just captivating. It’s almost "pre Grievous" in element regarding the eye plates. Nihilus comes with the standard red lightsaber, but the hilt on his differs from the other two- it’s more sleek in design and the switches are very visible. Like Bane, his left hand is already molded into the force bolt configuration, which actually works better for this figure than for Bane. The only minuses are that his outfit is very constricting in terms of chest/waist movement. It’s very hard to get him in any type of seated position. Just like the cape, the kilt has battle damaged holes in both the fabric and plastic parts.

Overall, a very nice collection- and the Legacy Line in general is a good alternative to the Clone Wars animation style figures that are currently out. Of course, the question begs to be asked: How long can Lucas (and Hasbro) beat these dead horses regarding constant retreads of the same characters?

Character Figure Spotlight: Rex "The Doctor" Lewis and Cobra Commander

I am so stoked by the new Joe figures coming out for the movie that I felt there was a need to do them a proper review, just as I have done for various Action Figures throughout the years. G.I. Joe has always set itself apart from all other action figures inasmuch as it was the first "boy doll" to be made in response to this chick called Barbie. In essence, us toy collectors really need to come clean and admit that we are playing and displaying dolls for boys, regardless of the size. Now, along came the Star Wars mini-action figures in the 70’s, which (while not officially the first small scale figure) popularized the 3 ¾" scale. Then Hasbro revamped the meaning of articulation with Joe figures in the early 80’s. Swivel arm battle grip was the answer to the mere 5 standard points of articulation that Kenner offered with its Star Wars line. The Joes had arrived in a big way again by revolutionizing the way a standard action figure was designed, while upkeeping articulation. And one of its most celebrated examples? That beautiful loser named Cobra Commander.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Without giving away too much of the plotline to the current movie, let’s just say that the characters of Rex and CC are "inseparable". You will understand why I chose both these figures for one review once you see the movie for yourself, which I strongly urge you to do. Specifically in regards to the movie, I feel the need to point out that I was really looking forward to the Transformers sequel that came out the month prior to the Joe movie, but I was far more pleased with RoC. Director Stephen Sommers flipped CC on his backside and redesigned the character attributes doing a total 360. Remember how we always wanted to know what was under the metal faceplate? Well, Sommers took that idea, flipped and dipped it, then turned it around to the question of "Why" the need for the faceplate. Again, you need to see the movie to understand my direction here.

So, without further ado, let’s get down to business and start talking action figures.

Rex:

First off, if you haven’t picked this little gem up yet, PLEASE DO SO. Not only is this one of my favorite Joe figures in a long time, but quite possibly one of my favorite 3 ¾" figures of all time. Definitely made the top 10. Reason being? Likeness, standard Joe articulation, and ACCESSORIES! Lots and Lots! I mean, certain Joes have come with more accessories than others over the years (here’s looking at you, original Zartan), but Rex is one of the few movie line figures that differs in respect to not having a standard shoulder mounted rocket launcher. Instead, he has this contraption that I call "Starscream’s hand" because it looks exactly like the redesigned hand from the Michael Bay era. Not only this, but it has a pincher attribute where you push in the rear neon green lever, and the 4 claws extend outward to grip that troublesome Joe who just won’t take the nanites the fine Doctor Lewis has prepared. Rex also comes with a WORKING briefcase that holds 3 individual nanite cylinders and actually closes back up! (where were you with this development, 25th Anniversary Destro?) For pistols, he comes with a large uzi type rifle, and a standard hand pistol, and lastly, these really cool looking snap on mechanical hands. So what’s the problem with this stuff? Most of it won’t even stay on him! The Starscream hand is way too heavy for his body (even on the stand), the mech hands just won’t stay on due to widening during shipping as one of them arrives on his right hand in the package. I have to do some serious manipulation to get the gloves to stay on. I was really saddened that Rex couldn’t hold 1/3 of his accessories, and they basically just have to stay on the sideline.

For the figure itself, it’s likeness to the movie character is unreal. He even comes with a removable hair piece, which is cool, but it does not stay on his head well and is better left on the sidelines to avoid piece loss. Unfortunately, the mouth breather is stationary, which is a bit of a bummer since the mask on CC is not removable at all. The Black Leather coat is removable, but with a lot of strain. When you boil Rex down to his basic figure with all accessories unattached, he is pure black with one silver breather tube on his facial apparatus. Overall, I love this figure due to his large arsenal and character likeness, but he loses points for not being able to use his arsenal without a little help from me while playing, UM, displaying the figure.

Cobra Commander:

As I said before in my short "ode to CC," I was completely taken aback by this new visage of our beloved Commander. Initially, it was a sort of disgust that could not be ignored, much like driving slowly by a car accident and looking to see what happened. However, after the disgust, betrayal, and sadness left, I was cleared to actually begin a love/hate relationship with CC’s new incarnation. Over time, it has turned to more love than hate. Gone is the military visage that dominated his appearance in all previous versions (including his "old Snake" appearance on the Transformers). He is now a solid combination of biotechnology and damaged human. And quite frankly, I love the new mask because you can actually see WHY he needs a mask now. Unfortunately, for this particular figure, the mask is non-removable (however, for an even better look, pick up the 12" version, which does come with a removable mask). There also seems to be a few variations on CC- front chest holes, no holes, tubes attached, etc. My version is the one with holes in the chest but no tubes. Differing from Rex, his overcoat is black on the outside, but "original 80’s blue) on the inside, and he comes with a few different accessories: an actual cobra snake (a possible slap to 80’s Serpentor?), which ties directly to Rex (see the movie!!!) a data pad, nanite nodule/injector, shoulder mounted rocket launcher, and last but not least, a slightly modified version of his original gun! YES! Without a doubt, one of my favorite weapons of all time. IMO, the only other handgun that matches the original CC blaster was the hand rifle that came with the original 1977 Kenner Stormtrooper (and a slew of other Star Wars figures). Too bad, though, that the gun doesn’t attach to his back like it used to. Perhaps a holster on the overcoat might have best served the answer of storage? Design-wise, you need to check out his back plate under the overcoat- he’s got this cool metallic vertebrae that really makes you wonder just how human he is.

CC does have a few drawbacks as well as Rex- namely, the same "accessories are too big for the figure" disease. CC has a hard time holding the shoulder mounted rocket launcher without toppling over, even when using his dog tag base. Also, two of his accessories (the data pad and nanite injector) have what look like attachment pegs, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out where they attach to on the figure. Another curiosity for both Rex and CC is that they have these holes in their backs which are very reminiscent of the original Joes so you could attach backpacks. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything that would actually fit the holes.

Despite the few flaws, I would highly recommend picking these two guys up- just for the sheer fact that they have many points of articulation without losing character likeness, they both reek of uber bad dictator coolness. Besides, it’s not like Destro has the cajonies to lead Cobra. Heh.
　

　
　
　
　

Action Figure Review: DC Direct Parallax

Action Figure Spotlight: Green Lantern Series 1 Parallax

Greetings again, fellow Lanterns. Fresh out of the bag, I just came home with Parallax- the fear entity that drove Hal Jordan mad and possessed him to destroy the entire Lantern Corps, which he did. Of course, the story didn’t stop there- Last remaining Guardian Ganthet sought out Kyle Rayner and kickstarted a new Lantern until writer Geoff Johns took the reigns on the GL mythos and made it a cornerstone of the DC Universe. Parallax was formerly believed to be just a villainous mask that Hal adopted, but when Johns came into the picture, the entity of Parallax became much more, so to save you from spoilers, here’s a hearty suggestion to pick up the Green Lantern: Rebirth trade for more info.

Onwards to the figure in question: This specific representation is straight out of the Rebirth arc, which basically took the Zero Hour story and built upon it. In many ways, this figure could be seen as the DC equivalent to Darth Vader in terms of how the figure is laid out proportionally and detail wise sans a mask. Just as Anakin was to Vader, so is Hal to Parallax. So let’s take this from the head down: the sculptors captured the "crazed Jordan" look wellwith the white sides of hair and the slight smirk on the face. True to comic form, he bears no visible eyeballs, just white eye sockets underneath the mask.

On to the Torso area- this is where Parallax mostly resembles the Darth Vader school of design. Yes, there are many inconsistencies in that statement- Vader is purely black with an LED regulator box on the chest, and Parallax has a total of 4 colors on his costume (black, white outlines, dark green and bright green). To my eye, the way that they are similar is in the flow of things: keeping it simple. Instead of some tricked out design, the Parallax uniform is simple yet elegant, the colors aren’t splashed around all over the place . There is a basic black jumpsuit with a simple oval chest design and torso area coverage done in the bright green with white and dark green outlines. There are also some very hefty shoulder plates which do take focus off the figure, but easily flow with the whole design. Parallax’ thigh/shin/boot pieces have the bright green armor as well with the implied black jumpsuit underneath. All this bodes for a well designed costume, just like Vader’s. Lastly, the cape is great- not made of cloth or vinyl (which tend to get ripped during play) or hard plastic (which limit the figures maneuverability) the cape is a very flexible rubber that fits well on the figure. Unlike most cape bearers, this cape attaches directly to the shoulder plates instead of around the neck, leaving the head to be moved into whatever position you want.

In regards to articulation, This is one of the better GL figures out there- ankles, knees, pivoting shoulders, elbows, wrists, and head. I was comparing this to the GL Sinestro and even he lacks the same amount of articulation.

For the downside of things, there isn’t much other than the lack of accessories, no visible ring (which was the first thing I noticed since Parallax grabbed all the rings of the comrades he killed in the original tirade), and there seems to be a weight issue while the figure is standing, mainly due to the heavy cape and losely jointed ankles. I had to position him in such a way that he body was almost contorted just to make him look "non contorted". There also seemed to have been a paint application issue on the face mask-some of the green had chipped off his nose while still in the package. This is the second time I had encountered paint issues with the GL line, the first being Kilowog.

Overall scores:
Articulation: 7.5- much better than the rest of the GL lines, typical for the DC Direct figures in general, but nowhere near the realm of the same scale Marvel Legends.
Detail: 9- excellent design thanks in part to the artist/design staff at DC, and the sculpting staff for DC Direct. Parallax always had a cool design anyway, and they succeeded in bringing that to life.
Accessories: 1- only came with the standard GL base, but the cape (if it is to be considered an accessory) is very good.
Price: I paid 13 dollars for the figure, which is one of the cheaper figures in the line, but well worth it in my opinion.

Career-Minded Dictators, Part I: The comedy called Cobra Commander

Career-Minded Dictators, Part I: Cobra Commander.

Dr. Doom. Sinestro. Megatron. Darth Vader. And as always, Cobra Commander. You think I might have a semi-fascination with fictional dictators? What does that say about me? Should I tell my therapist?

So, aside from that, the world has an important date coming up shortly: August 7th, 2009- the release of the live action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And who’s going to be a part of that? You guessed it! Our most lovable Cobra Commander, henceforth referred to as CC.
In celebration of CC, I wanted to wax nostalgic on the character and my fond memories of him. I may be around the same age as you the reader (or maybe a bit older), so you will probably be familiar with my accounts, but in any event, let’s take a fun trip down memory lane.
As with most, the first time I ever saw CC was on that silly cartoon in the 80’s produced by Sunbow. And that VOICE- sweet Jesus, that rocked. From memory, I know it was Chris somebody, the same dude who voiced Starscream for the Transformers. A high pitched, perfectly pronounced screeching of fascism and outright cowardice, which made CC all the more lovable. Visually, this guy had a great gimmick- the secrecy of the face. After all, if you want to keep people coming back for more, always put the guy with a secret out there to taunt the audience into wanting to know the secret to a greater capacity, then never showing it. Of course, this would eventually be shown, but all in due time.

You know what made CC really special? Quite simple, actually. He was a Bitch. A very enjoyable, theatrical, maniacal grade A Bitch. Even the Baroness couldn’t touch him in his bitchiness. And it was a holy bitchiness, the stuff pompous upper echelon people are made of. Seriously, what is the difference between CC and Amadeus? Not much, other than one ruled a piano and the other one a worldwide criminal organization, but both were bitches. Brilliant egotistical bitches. And I love em!

Prior to the official unmasking, we did have that short little interlude where Destro walked in on CC whilst dining and was thoroughly disgusted. So really, what does that tell you? That CC is butt ugly? And then came the bane of every Joe Fan’s existence: GI Joe: The movie. Now, most people tried to block this flick out of their memories, but I for one loved it. LOVED IT. Make sure you understand that. I loved Cobrala. I loved the whole CC origin story. And I very possibly might have "once was a man" tattooed on me in some inconspicuous spot of flesh. One of the ironic things about CC with his newly found relationship to Roadblock was that, in one of the very first episodes, it was Roadblock who arrested CC and damn near pimp slapped him into a cell.

Now, call me crass, but I don’t like Serpentor. Idea was cool, execution was cool, but he was like….the bully on the playground that didn’t deserve to lead Cobra. Yeah, he got cred from all the people he was made from, i.e. Genghis Khan, Alexander, Vlad The Impaler, etc, but man CC totally deserved to have at least one crushing blow to the Joes to show up Mr. Test Tube Baby. At least CC earned his glory by being a brilliant scientist with an experiment gone wrong ala Lex Luthor without any genetic tampering. CC was born evil! YEAH! Of course, I won’t go into that whole car salesman thing from the comic. I’m sure it was great, but my allowance was limited and couldn’t afford both comics and toys.

So then we come to a turning point for CC and Joe itself: the post movie DIC series, which I recently watched all the episodes of. Quite a shadow of its former self, the DIC series lacked the seriousness (even for a cartoon) and cohesiveness that was generally found in the Sunbow series. However, if there is one thing we can take from the DIC Series, it was that awesome new battle armor that CC was upgraded with. To this day, that has remained my favorite version of CC, both visually and in toy form. Yes, most people refer back to the helmeted/hooded version, but DAMN that suit was cool. It really rocked my world! A hint of silver, hint of blue, total badass….I pity the Joe who messed with him now. And as a side bonus, we got to see Serpentor get his butt kicked off the throne as well. That’s the way, uh huh uh huh, I LIKE IT. So when the Joe 25th anniversary figure line came out, I was freaking when I found out the Battle Armor version was going to be released. From the time it officially became available to the time I got it in my hands, it was a good month and a half. Tons of gas spent on searching for him. I rivaled Batman in my detectiveness. At that point, it was my only mission in life. GET THE BATTLE ARMOR VERSION. And I did. Got two, in fact. One to open, one to save and display.

Years came and went regarding Joe lore. Quite frankly, I’ve got no idea what happened in those years. Probably the same stories being retold over and over again with the same players in different genres. I never really followed Joe after the Animated Movie, and it wasn’t until the Anniversary line came out that I rekindled any kind of interest in the Joes at all. But when I heard about the live action movie being made, my interest subsequently peaked. Of course, the question begged to be asked (considering the changes the Transformers got handed to them in the live action arena) "what was CC gonna be like?"

When I first saw the revamped CC, my jaw basically hit the floor. Was this some fanboy’s idea of a cruel joke? I happened to catch a leaked photo on the Toyark from its sister site, HissTank. This CC was….I don’t even know how to describe it other than "different". I hated it. I LOATHED it. But somehow, in all my loathing, I grew a fondness for it. I mean, the sliver mask was completely gone. They didn’t even bother with the hooded version either. WTF is this world coming to? But I studied the photo some more (fortunately, I saved the photo before Hasbro asked HissTank to take it down.) and became acquainted with it. I’ve already studied up on his role in the movie, for which I understand is going to be very short but pivotal, so I’m all spoiled for it but still can’t wait to see it on the big screen. Finally, CC made the big time, like Vader, Doom, and Megatron prior.

And thus concludes my love for CC in written form. Please enjoy my little ode to CC pictures.

Star Wars The Fett Legacy Review

Action Figure Spotlight: Star Wars The Fett Legacy Collection
One of the latest additions to my Star Wars collection was the Fett Legacy Collection, featuring 2 of the coolest characters in science fiction history that had quite possibly the dumbest deaths on screen. When first introduced in 1978 and subsequently touted to be a "major character" in the next Star Wars movie (which would be The Empire Strikes Back), Boba Fett started off with the most prolific introduction that would become steeped in shadows- he was as mysterious as the shadow, not much dialogue or interaction, but he was damn cool. Fans embraced him wholeheartedly, but it wasn’t till almost 20 years after his introduction that we started getting a little backstory on who exactly this silent bounty hunter was and where his origins started…

Mandalore The Indomitable
The only original figure in the collection, Mandalore is part of the expanded universe in Star Wars mythology- he was one of the first leaders of the Mandalorian Soldiers- a group of soldiers who have gone toe to toe with just about everyone in the galaxy, Sith and Jedi included. Upon first examination, Mandalore has an almost Tusken Raider quality to him, especially in the actual suit- there are no apparent armor plates as we see on Jango or Boba, aside from the shoulder armor, which is connected to the mask via breathing tubes. Pretty much the only connecting trait to the present day Mandalorian is the faceplate- the T-shaped visor that has so singularly defined the very visage of the Mandalorian himself. Of course, being thousands of years old, Mandalore is not adorned with blaster rifles or state of the art equipment; he bears 3 accessories- a hand axe, a staff, and a shield. He also bears a completely cloth cape, which does not appear to be removable. The axe and staff feature molded straps for carrying purposes; only problem is that you can only put these on the left arm as the shoulder plate attaches to the figure via a strap under the right arm, which prohibits a bit of movement and the inclusion of any weapons. The kilt isn’t removable, either, which limits positioning. One neat little trick I found with Mandalore is that, if you want to use both the axe and staff at the same time, you can adhere the shield to the back of his shoulder plate, which bears a hole big enough to fit the handle of the shield in. Lasting thoughts: a very cool figure; nice to see the expanded universe getting some love from Hasbro, which they have been consistently doing since ROTS.

Jango Fett
And here comes Papa Fett in as much detail and articulation that you can possibly imagine for a 3 ¾" Figure. Although I don’t remember Jango having such a purple suit underneath the armor plates (for some reason, I thought it was more bluish) the detail on every part of his body is amazing. First off, you get a removable helmet, which you can then replace with the headset apparatus (goes double for Boba). Arms and legs are completely articulate, holsters and belt are non-removable, but that’s not a bad thing- they don’t hamper leg or hip movement as the kilts on some of the other figures do. One cool little oddity I noticed is that both the gauntlets have 2 wires running from the underside onto a ring right above the elbow joints. They do impede a bit on arm movement, but it’s very little. The downside on this guy is that his jetpack just won’t stay on- very loose fitting.

Boba Fett
Now, I may be totally wrong on this, but I’m fairly certain this is the first Boba figure that has ever come out with a removable helmet, and just on that detail alone, I rate him the best of the lot, so let’s take the downside first- like Papa, his jetpack does not stay on- you really have to jam it in there to keep it attached. The upside? Just about everything. Boba’s armor has the distinct "battle damage" to it in the way of the helmet dent, scratched off paint, and an overall "grungyness" flavor to just about everything, including the rear cloth piece that is attached to his shoulder. The wookie pelt braid is very distinct, as is the belt with pouches that also features a holster for a hand pistol. He comes with his trademark sawed-off that has a bit of detail unto itself- it captures that "used" feeling for a guy who has seen lots of action across the galaxy. The sawed off also has a molded strap that can be fitted underneath either shoulder plate if you just want to use the hand pistol. When the helmet is removed, you see a scarred face in white bandages (possibly a nod to his return from the Sarlacc in the Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy when Dengar nursed him back to health?) Also like Dad is the tube running from the gauntlet to a ring around his elbow, only Boba has this on his right arm. The paint detail is also incredible- they managed to get the symbol on the upper right corner of the chest plate as well as the red Mandalorian symbol on the left shoulder plate. Truly a great figure.

Overall, I’m finding that the Legacy line is really worth the money. I believe I spent somewhere in the area of $20 for this set, and it’s cool for those collectors who like to zero in on one particular character such as Boba Fett and company. As much as I can’t stand re-treads in any toy line, I reserve that judgement in this case simply because of the amount of effort Hasbro put into designing and updating this particular set.

Overall Scores:
Articulation: 10- Both Jango and Boba have a swivel on the lower torso area that rivals GI Joe. And that is just ONE feature in addition to most of the joints, which not only bend, but swivel as well (feet, hands, head, knees, elbows, and thighs).
Detail: 9- Mandalore is very pedestrian in a Tusken sort of way, but he still gets points as well as his descendents. Boba and Jango’s costumes are as real as a toy can get in comparison to what we saw on screen. Also, Mandalore’s cape fits him well- gives him a very regal look that contrasts to the Tusken clothing.
Price: About $20, given the single new figure and updates of established figures, I say it’s worth it just to see the face under Boba’s helmet.
Accessories: Each figure came with at least 3, including helmets, headgear, and classic battle gear.

ACTION FIGURE SPOTLIGHT: DC Direct Kilowog

"I want each and every one of these Spooky Kids accounted for."- Kilowog, the Sinestro Corps War, in response to the Children of the White Lobe bombing Mogo.
Well, let’s get it on, POOZERS! Up next for the spotlight is Kilowog from Series One of the Green Lantern Series by DC Direct. Standing approximately 8 inches tall, the chief training officer of the GL Corps just screams "action". For a little backstory on the character, Kilowog was slain during the reign of Parallax, but was resurrected by Ganthet and Kyle Rayner during the Rebirth Series. Having been orphaned by a destroyed home world, he found comfort among his compatriots in the Corps, especially the planet size GL, Mogo. At the end of the Sinestro Corps War, Kilowog can be seen celebrating with the family he once had that Mogo recreated for him.
This particular figure has more articulation than normal- wrists, elbows, swivel ball shoulders, and ankles, the last of which most of the other figures don’t have. Again, the sculpting artists hit the nail right on the head with the Van Sciver/Rollins likeness, right down to the tendrils under his nose and skin color. He is (at this time) the biggest DC Direct figure I have in my collection (sans the build-a-figures from DC Universe). He even trumps Mongul, who is no shorty in his own right.
The paint job on the figure I got was generally good, however, it looks like some of the green paint accidentally made it onto his pink neck during production. Easy enough to hide with a quick turn of the head, though. The green on the uniform and boots has a very gloss finish versus a very matte black. For accessories, Kilowog comes with a GL Base and Lantern- the lantern being bigger than the lanterns shipped with other figures. He stands very well on his own without the assistance of the base, having the proportions of his body correct.
Aside from the green paint blotch, my only other gripe is that his left hand is permanently clenched in a fist, something most of the other GL figures suffer from as well.
For comparative purposes, I took a few pics of him next to some of the bigger Marvel Legends. I specifically chose Ben Grimm, as I think Kilowog is his equal in the DC Universe regarding personality and spirit. I also pitted him next to another Green Goliath, the Hulk. As you can see, he stands taller than Ben, but is still dwarfed by Bruce. There is also another pic of him with his Mattel JLU counterpart.

Scoring:
Articulation- 8: Better than the average DC Direct thanks to the ankles.
Playability- 9.5: As tough as a trainer he is, he will survive kids as well.
Price: 7.0- I paid about 20 bucks for him at a collector’s shop. It was a little steep, but overall worth it.
Detail: 6- the only real detailing on the figure is on the head sculpt. Musculature is average, but on target given the figure’s size.
Overall: 8- Very cool figure. I would recommend it, however, get your other GL favorites first.

DC Direct Cyborg Superman

Get your plastic on and enjoy the ride, fellow GL’s- we got another winner here with Hank Henshaw, one of the most unlucky bastards in the DC Universe. Emerging out of the "Reign of the Supermen" arc from years ago, Henshaw was a Reed Richards voyage to space gone really bad with some rather Villainous results. For his specific role in the GL mythos, Henshaw, along with Mongul, destroyed Hal Jordan’s home town of Coast City, which drove Hal mad and allowed the Parallax entity to leech onto Hal’s soul. After Rebirth, Henshaw was found leading a group of the Manhunters (the original police force for the Guardians) in sector 666, and later became part of the Sinestro Corps.

For this figure, the very first thing that struck me as being cool was the multiple yellow rings on the right cyborg arm- they are translucent yellow, and when held up to a light bulb, really seem to sparkle. On the detail side of things, the cyborg anatomy was captured in great detail, especially on the arm where you can see all kinds of servos and mechanisms that make up the machine part of the man. For the uniform part, the "S" was replaced with the Sinestro Corps insignia, which tends to work well- it meshes in quite nicely with the mechanical details. Articulation is standard, but one feature that Henshaw has is an upper torso bend, something I have not found on any other GL figures to date. This upper torso bend is on a swivel- left, right, up, down, wherever you want him to be. Another detial that impressed me was the teeth area of the jaw- it is completely open and three-dimensional, instead of just being a two dimensional carve on the head piece as a whole. Although not quite as long as the DC Universe version of Hank, the cape is quite similar in respect to being made of rubber and pre-shaped into a "wind sway" state with creases and folds. The cape itself has three main attachment points- one on either side of the neck, and a main point on the back, which I’m not entirely crazy about. They could have let that one go, just as they did on Parallax’ cape, and kept the two main points to the shoulder area.

The minuses are few, but important to note in any event- namely, the right ring hand cannot be swiveled, so the hand is always in the palm-up direction. I really wanted to pose the figure for pictures with a "kiss my ring" extension of the hand. The left hand is pre-molded into a fist, which seems to be a similar feature on most GL figures, and one I’m not entirely crazy about to begin with. Henshaw comes with no accessories aside from the standard GL base in green (a feature I wish would be addressed- aside from Black Hand, every figure comes with the same base, and I don’t mind that; I just wish they would keep them color coordinated with the figures, i.e. a yellow base for Sinestro Corps members, violet base for the Star Sapphires, etc). I also noticed that, due to the pre-scult of the legs, the figure seems to be in a constant left side slump. I tried placing the legs in different poses, but I just couldn’t escape the slump.

The one last thing I question about Hensahw is the color of his costume- I understand that he is the Manhunter GrandMaster, and they tried to coordinate the costume to being in tune with the Manhunters’ general color scheme, but it would have been nice to see a yellow version of this since he wields the yellow rings of fear in the first place. Now that the Red Lanterns have been introduced into the mythos, I can’t begrudge a novice for thinking that Henshaw might be a Red Lantern.

Sadly, all this guy ever wanted was death; to be free of the pain he called life. Unfortunately, he never quite got it, but his pathos makes for a great character and story in general, which was adeptly brought to life via DC Direct.

Overall Scores:
Articulation: 7- aside from the unique torso bend, it is standard, which is to say (with DC Direct) minimal at best.
Detail: 8- the cyborg elements really make the figure, and the translucent yellow rings bring it to life.
Price: $14.99- I’ve paid more and I’ve paid less for other GL figures, so he basically falls comfortably in the middle.
Accessories: 2- basically non-existent with the exception of the base and cape, if you even want to consider the cape an accessory.
Playability: he’s tough, the cape is tough, so he will stand up to the very worst the GL’s can dish out in punishment.
Overall Coolness Factor: I was after this guy for months, so I wasn’t disappointed when I got him. Standing him next to a Manhunter just breeds coolness. Definite thumbs up.