Mezco’s One:12 Collective has quickly become one of my favorite toy lines on the market. Unlike most of the merch I review here at Batman News, I buy these figures myself, and I’m happy to do it, because they’re amazing. I took a chance on a few last year, and fell in love when my first figure arrived: the Sovereign Knight Batman: Onyx Edition. But the first order I placed was for the John Stewart Green Lantern, and much to my delight, he has finally arrived.
Unboxing
As you can see, for a character that doesn’t carry gadgets or other do-dads, Johnny comes with quite a few accessories. There are a number of hand options, including that sweet “live ring” right hand, with the trail of energy rising. I do wish that the direction of the trail was adjustable, because it would open up the posing options when using that hand, but it’s not too big a deal.
The energy fist and ring blast are okay, but if I’m picking favorites, it comes down to two: the “energy star” and the plain old ring fist. The energy star speaks for itself, but if you aren’t familiar with this figure, you might be scratching your head at the plain ring fist. Well, here’s the reason:
No, your eyes do not deceive you. Neither have I done some fancy photo editing. The reason I love that plain ring fist is that when it is held close enough John’s power battery, the battery actually lights up. And if that isn’t one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen in a toy, then I don’t know what to tell you. My memory is a little hazy, but I’m pretty sure I said the oath the first time I saw this thing in action.
As you no doubt noticed, there’s also an alternate head, this one without any hair. I suppose they were aiming for something akin to the Justice League cartoon, but honestly I’d have much rather had two identical heads, but for different facial expressions. I like the plain expression on the hairy head just fine, but it would be nice to give that same John a more intense look.
Lantern Stewart also comes with a handsome, translucent base, as well as an adjustable display arm for getting Johnny airborne:
Sculpt and clothing
Generally, I love the way they’ve designed this one, and I think the pictures speak for themselves:
I do have some complaints, though. The crotch is almost awkwardly prominent, if only because its proportional width is not consistent with its…reach. So from certain angles, it just looks strange, like he’s got something other than human male anatomy in there. Now, I’m not super interested in whether or not a 6-inch figure has accurate junk—that’s definitely not my point here. My point is that said junk calls attention to itself from certain angles, and once you see it, it burrows into your brain like some crude monument to virility.
Beyond that, there’s the matter of the seam and stitching on the back of Johnny’s suit. Have a look:
On a figure that captures an amazing amount of detail—and with such high quality—this crude joint on the back of the jumpsuit sticks out like an oddly-proportioned man-parcel. I’m not suggesting that there’s a better way to do it, or even that it makes me like the figure any less; but, when your whole thing is meticulous detail and, at times, uncanny realism, such a break in the illusion is far more prominent than it would be on a lesser figure.
Overall
Seams and luggage aside, this is an outstanding figure. The sculpt and costume are excellent, the hand and theatrical accessories are a hoot, and the ring-activated power battery is an absolute delight. If you’re a big John Stewart fan—as I am—then you should track this thing down wherever you can find it and add it to your collection. You can currently preorder it on Amazon for $80.
Fun Jug Media, LLC (operating Batman-News.com) has affiliate partnerships with various companies. These do not at any time have any influence on the editorial content of Batman News. Fun Jug Media LLC may earn a commission from these links.
