[TAO's Note: It's time for another entertaining review from the much beloved DrNightmare. This time he's taking a look at one of my personal favorite DC Direct toys, the Green Lantern Salaak. Does this alien rank as highly on DrNightmare's list? Read on to see for yourself.]

Name: Salaak
Line: Green Lantern, Series 2 
Manufacturer: DC Direct
Price: Online: $12+
Scale: 7.00 in.
Accessories: Green Lantern battery, Green Lantern figure stand

     Lanky, bony, and sharp describe this figure perfectly. It's a fine example of how a toy should be made, not limited by silly things like public safety. Safety, PFFT! Who needs it! Every nail and thorn is sharp as a tac, and that pointy-ness contrasts well with the more bulbous parts of the body. There aren't any wrinkles on the black to show that Salaak is wearing a costume, but the black paint is thick and silky smooth so it looks like he has one anyway. The gloves on the other hand are finely sculpted with creases and folds where expected. I love the costume's design, it reminds me of Scrooge McDuck for some reason.
    Though it's a very thin build, the body still has noticeable muscle-groups, especially on the torso. The red skin is textured with tiny bumps and stands-out against the plainness of the rest of the figure. The armor is layered and looks very bug-like. I like the stern facial expression, it fits his usually blunt and snippy character. The lantern included is a perfect little replica of a real (well, you know what I mean) GL Lantern. The handle swivels and it has a clear-green core, it would definitely look cool with a LED in there to light it up! It bugs me that the ring isn't completely sculpted, it has a flat face and the GL symbol is simply painted on top. But at least it matches the chest symbol.

Sculpt Score: 10 / 10

     A rating of 10 stars is hard to give to any mass-produced figure, but this one earned it without a doubt. There are almost no flaws present, only some minor fading/overspray at the edges of some of the white stripes. Oh, well, that's actually kind of annoying so I'm taking off a point! Yarrr! (It's really not even noticeable)     
     The entire figure is painted, and the head is so well done that it looks like it was cast in red plastic to begin with. I think the green eyes look stupid, some white eyes would have looked more in-scheme, but whatevs. Smooth, flawless, no paint is chipping anywhere, if all Salaaks are painted like this then you have something magical to look forward to.

Paint Score: 9 / 10

     You've got your standard DC Direct package here, including the lack of a waist-swivel. No swivels at the wrists or biceps either because of how thin they are, the pegs would rip off eventually just from everyday posing (like NBX and Corpse Bride toys :( ). In fact, no swivels at all! Only Hinges and Bockets articulate this figure and they work well. The Hinges aren't very noticeable (hinges in black areas aren't so visible) and the ball-sockets look non-existent, this is a very sleek figure.
     The hips are surprisingly mobile, you almost won't miss not having a thigh-swivel, but not having wrist-swivels makes some arm-poses look awkward. The head can face any direction except upwards. All the joints are sturdy, and if any of them are stuck, you can easily unstick them because of their simple construction. The knees are actually Click-Hinges for added support, I'm guessing because of the big ol' noggin. Another Bocket could have easily been implemented into a segment on the torso, without ruining the figure aesthetically, and would have made for some much more dynamic posing. same note with hinges in the ankles, but unfortunately you can't have everything with DC Direct.

Articulation Score: 7 / 10

     Creepy-cool alien creatures are always inherently fun for kids, but that's not the age-group these figures are aimed at. Luckily for DCD, geeky older toy-collectors with jobs and $15 to spend per toy are also excited by aliens, sharp pointy things, and shiny things in general. Salaak is a loveably-irritating character, like Moe or Oscar the Grouch, and who wouldn't love to play with them? (aside from nuns and hypocondriacs). The base included with the figure, also awesome in all it's tranluscent-green goodness, isn't needed because of how stable the figure is when standing, but you can pretend it's a shield or something, hah. Some appropriate light-constructs would have been more appreciated, with all the plastic used for the base, we could have gotten a dozen constructs at least! This is why DC needs to hire me as a toy-consultant, I will tell them what people really want, how big they want it, and in what flavor and/or scent.

Fun Score: 8 / 10

 

    
       This figure is still available cheaply online, even MOC! At retail price, I think the figure's almost flawless craftsmanship warrants that cost. It's a nifty character with a sexy sillohuette, but I still wouldn't pay it. This is a beautiful sliver of plastic, but its light weight and slender frame don't make this feel worth the price to a casual-collector. If that silly giant base were turned into a bunch of accessories instead, this would be a no-brainer to buy. You only get a standard GL lantern.

Value Score: 7 / 10  

 10 / 10 - Sharp details, great texture.

9 / 10 - Bold solid colors with minimal imperfections.

 7 / 10 - Decent for a DCD figure, the hips and shoulders have a lot more movement than usual.

8 / 10 - If he weren't so thorny, you'd want to just eat him up.

7 / 10 - For the cost, package could have had more construct-accessories instead of a useless base.

85 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

This figure is out of this world! Hah, take that silly TAO-puns!

-DrNightmare

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