Review: NECA Exclusive Green Lantern vs. Sinestro Corps Predator Figure Set

The last of NECA‘s brief, loophole-exploiting DC superhero sets also becomes its most elaborate. The company simply never does half-measures on Predator figures, and has gone above and beyond on Green Lantern. Fans reacted ecstatically just to Hal Jordan — but you can pop his head off and make him John Stewart as well. This move also tempts completists to buy two.

Green Lantern comes with interchangeable hands as well. An alternate left holds his power battery. An alternate right features a hole in place of his power ring, into which one can plug multiple effects. A modified version of the Superman heat vision blast is one, plus a small flash and a larger power flare.

GL uses what looks like the same superhero body as Batman and Superman, though it seems scaled down just a hair. That could be an illusion, but if so, a very effective one. The muscle lines are the same, but the overall figure looks slighter. All of which is great for variety, and even more impressive if it’s actually an illusion.

‘Tis a shame NECA can’t complete their Justice League. Maybe, now that Loot Crate allows different license loopholes, there’s a slight hope, but we’re not holding our breaths. Creative paint work on these bucks could easily give us Flash, Aquaman, or J’onn J’onzz. Wonder Woman would obviously have to be different, but creating a female muscle body might be worth NECA’s time for future reuse regardless.

I presume the Sinestro Corps Predator re-uses existing parts, but it’s hard to tell which ones precisely. He does have an ankle holster that doesn’t seem intended for his weapons. The shuriken just about fits, but would stab him in the leg practically speaking. Then again, why do hard-light weapons need holsters? Sword sheaths just look too cool to skip? He also has a battle staff which may or may not be telescoping. The Predator spears are super-prone to breakage, so I’m not forcing it. Overall, though, this Predator feels less delicate than many.

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The mask looks great, but the swappable jaundice-yellow head isn’t bad either. It’s cast in semi-translucent plastic, like the “flesh” parts of NECA’s Rocky figures. (Though not like the flesh parts of the DC figures, which are painted.)

The Predator comes with multiple hands, all sporting the Sinestro Corps yellow ring. None perfectly fits the shuriken, but fingers from the open hand can get forced through the holes.

eBay prices on these former con exclusives are not too bad. Each figure individually can be had for about $80. A function perhaps, of Green Lantern (either one) having a smaller fanbase than Batman or Superman. Despite the fact that Batman and Superman have a bazillion more toys, and GL never got one this good before. As with Batman, I should note, I had to stick the figure in the freezer for a while to loosen the cut joint at the top of his inner right thigh. Don’t force it without extreme heat or cold first.

We don’t yet know whether McFarlane Toys’ DC line will be 7 inches, like most of their stuff, or six, like Game of Thrones. If the former, they should play well with these heroes. But even if not, the heroic trifecta we did get, along with respective extraterrestrial foe repaints, make fantastic display pieces. Some have sharp points and small pieces not intended for young children. But if the kids are old enough not to swallow things, yet still young enough to play, they’ll dig these too.

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