I always felt bad for John Stewart. While Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner are just referred to as "Green Lantern", this poor fellow has always (as far as I can remember) just gone by his name. He's still a Green Lantern as much as any other, and one of the best to ever carry the name. But is this action figure as good a toy as John Stewart is a bearer of the green flame? Read on to find out!
Name: John Stewart
Line: DC Universe Classics, Figure 6
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: 4th Quarter 2009
Price: Retail: $13.00-$15.00, Online: $15.00+
Scale: 6.00 in.
Accessories: Green gun construct & green fist construct
Collect & Connect Piece: Kilowog's left arm
Sponsor Listings: Dinosaur Toy Vault-$17.98, Ka-Razy Kings of Toys-$18.89(sale price), Mike's Comics N' Stuff-$16.99
Once again you're looking at the basic DC Universe Classics male buck, and the same ups and downs that have always applied still apply. On the good side: it's proportionate, features detailed musculature, has cloth wrinkles subtly worked in, and the peg hole in the back is smoothed over and beautiful. For the negatives: the crotch is absurdly flat and awkard looking and his feet are a little weird. Overall it's a great sculpt that does multiple characters justice, and looks particularly swell on John Stewart. His wrists have a little extra sculpting from the raised wristbands, a nice touch, while his ring is sculpted quite crisply onto his right hand. Both his fists are closed, so don't expect him to borrow any of the lanterns other figures have included, and unfortunately both of his constructs are really only designed for the right arm. The gun attachment will fit onto his left arm, but the glowing energy extending from his finger doesn't make much sense over there without the ring. Both accessories do fit securely and look good on his right arm though, so that's a relief. The fist construct has a great flowing design that really seems to be jumping from out of the ring and gaining momentum along the way. The gun isn't quite so fantastic, instead coming off as a small and generic futuristic weapon. His face is in a perfect stern expression, loaded down with tiny facial details that make him look life-like alongside his nicely textured hair. There is one small spot of marred plastic on the right side of his face detracting from this otherwise outstanding head sculpt.
Sculpt Score: 8 / 10
Stewart is mostly cast in matte black plastic, with (as you'd expect) various spots of green added in. The green costume elements at his boots and torso are a simple darker shade that stays pretty close to the green previous releases have had. In a cool touch, his wristbands are actually painted with a siny metallic green, representing the way he's looked from time to time and more recently. John is the first and only Green Lantern in the line so far that hasn't been wearing white gloves, clarifying this costume as a more modern one. And while I'd appreciate some more temporal consistency across the line, I wish the other releases had more modern variations such as this fellow's. The paint is all applied very straightly and crisply, even the more delicate spots like his eyes and ring. There's some grimey looking brown paint on one of his shoulders, but it's not a big deal. The real big deal is his flimsy lantern symbol, which is actually rubbing off from minor contact. You'll have to be rather careful around the emblem, because it could be gone before long if you aren't. The black airbrush effect applied to the green isn't spectacular in any way, nor is it problematic, so take that as you will. I think the most important thing here is that John Stewart looks good as a whole despite any smaller imperfections or mistakes.
Paint Score: 8 / 10
And you wonder why I have to write some of these reviews as abbreviated versions; this articulation is exactly the same we've been seeing for two years. The only difference is his neck joint, which instead of the full ball it's designed to be is limited to a swivel thanks to some odd engineering choices. That does limit his potential to add personality, but there's just enough tilt that you can cock the head to the side a smidge, which is really all I need. The rest of his joints are totally free to spin and bend as their hearts desire. None are cursed with weak spots, none are stuck together, and none are too loose. It's a suitable and problem-free articulation model that provides for lots of posing and fun on the carpet or the shelf, almost everything you could ask for.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
This is the first Green Lantern figure in the DCUC line to get the accessories it deserves, constructs! A green lantern without fun creations of light to mess around with is useless, and while previous figures came with a simple lantern, John Stewart comes with two battle-inspired constructs that make him a lot more fun. The fist is a load of joy to behold, while the gun gives him a long range weapon too. These are great pieces if you pose your figures in battle scenes, and if you're a player, they're even better. John himself is fun as well, with frustation-free and fun-filled articulation that enables an active imagination. He helps fill out the very empty Green Lantern ranks in the line and is one of DC Comics more important characters thanks to the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. There are lots of John Stewart fans, and I imagine this toy will fulfill their needs. But even for those more casual fans, he's packing enough punch (and a fun Collect & Connect piece) to make him enjoyable for them as well.
Fun Score: 9 / 10
At anywhere from $13-$18 depending on where and when you buy this figure, this is as much as you'll spend on a standard figure in this scale. Even the meatier figures from NECA and Mezco are usually around $15, and in comparison, this one seems a tad small and meager. He's not big (even within the line), he only includes two accessories, and there is very little new tooling here. I'll admit he's a well made toy that feels durable (except for the paint scratching off) and should remain fun for quite a while, and yet he's still not worth $15. He's definitely closer than other releases in the line thanks to the accessories, C&C piece, and big name, just not exactly safely inside the cheap category yet. Prices on toys are increasing across the market, and I may be ready to swallow this price point more easily in the near future, but for now, John Stewart is still a bit too expensive.
Value Score: 7 / 10
81 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
There's nothing disastrously wrong with this figure, and in the long run that's what makes him great. The sharp sculpting, good paint, and enjoyable articulation make him another solid release for Mattel in the DC Universe Classics line. If you're a big John Stewart fan, this figure will probably satisfy you, and even if you aren't, taking a risk might be rewarding. He's a pretty simple looking figure, but the fun green light constructs and C&C Kilowog piece make him stand out more clearly from the crowd.
-The Articulated One
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