They say the third time’s the charm, and that’s definitely true for Sideshow Collectibles when it comes to the Green Lantern franchise. Their latest Green Lantern Premium Format Figure marks the third time the company has tackled iconic DC hero Hal Jordan, and it’s undoubtedly their best attempt yet.
Sideshow kindly provided IGN with a review sample of the Green Lantern Premium Format Figure so we could get up close and personal with this massive and eye-catching collectible. Read on to see images of the piece and learn why it’s easily Sideshow’s best Green Lantern yet.
As mentioned, this is the third time Sideshow has included Hal Jordan in its Premium Format Figure line. This particular piece, however, is the first to be sculpted by Daniel Bel, one of the most popular artists in Sideshow’s stable right now. This statue is designed in 1:4 scale. Because of the pose Bel went with, where Hal has one arm outstretched to the skies, the result is that he measures in at a towering 33.5 inches. That’s definitely something to keep in mind, as you’ll need plenty of vertical space when placing this statue in your collection. Fortunately, he doesn’t take up an excessive amount of horizontal space, with a base diameter of around 12 inches.
Bel is well-known for sculpting superheroes that are incredibly powerful and muscular and locked in dynamic poses. This statue captures those qualities well. This is anything but a grounded, realistic take on Hal Jordan. You can pinpoint practically every muscle on Hal’s body as he reaches for the stars. It’s a very exaggerated sculpt, but one that certainly has plenty of shelf presence. And one of the strengths of Bel’s work is that his figures retain a certain sleek, lithe quality despite the exaggerated musculature. Hal’s is well-toned, for sure, but he still has a certain leanness to his physique. He’s sculpted more like a gymnast than a linebacker. That’s a major point in this statue’s favor compared to the original Green Lantern Premium Format Figure, where Hal’s physique was too bulky and his pose lacked the simple elegance of this sculpt.
The display base also contributes to the statue’s shelf presence. It depicts a Green Lantern logo construct rising out of the ground, while the ground itself is basically exploding upward underneath Hal. Sideshow tends to get flak for releasing so many statues of characters standing atop rocky bases, but this one is dynamic and visually interesting enough to rise above the pack. It’s certainly an improvement over the lackluster energy construct base on the second Hal Jordan Premium Format Figure.
In addition to the dynamic sculpting, this statue soars on the strength of its paint (based on prototype work by Casey Love). The combination of the deep black, stark white, and metallic green on Hal’s uniform makes for a visually compelling contrast. There’s also a liberal amount of shading to further highlight Hal’s musculature. The only complaint in this area is that Hal’s skin tone is unnaturally dark, as if he picked up a deep tan on some alien world. That’s a pretty common issue with Sideshow’s statues, in my experience.
With a powerful, dynamic sculpt and colorful paint job, there’s no denying that this Green Lantern statue has the potential to become a standout piece in anyone’s collection. It’s still not perfect, however, with a few niggles beyond the aforementioned skin tone complaint.
One is that the light-up feature is sadly underwhelming. The Green Lantern logo on the base and Hal’s ring both light up when the statue is plugged into its accompanying charger. However, the light-up effect is far from uniform, losing its potency the higher up the base you look. It’s also unfortunate that the statue doesn’t come with any alternate, swap-out pieces or accessories. It’s practically screaming for a swappable left hand holding a lantern or a right hand with another energy construct (though, to be fair, that would increase the height of an already extremely tall statue).
Overall, though, this is an extremely impressive statue, and undoubtedly Sideshow’s best effort with the character to date. I have to assume it won’t be their last, though. The previous versions are long since sold out on Sideshow’s website, and even this one is now waitlisted. Fans still hoping to add Hal to their collection will either have to jump on the waitlist and cross their fingers or hunt around on eBay or third-party sites. But it’s certainly worth the trouble for anyone looking for a statement piece in their collection.
For more collectibles fun, check out our impressions of Sideshow’s Ahsoka Tano Premium Format figure and Hasbro’s Chatter-Back Chopper figure.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
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