Toy Review: Total Heroes: Green Lantern (Mattel)

Since it’s Total Heroes line was announced back in 2013, Mattel has been taking a ton of crap over the line.  A bit of misguided ton of crap, I’d say.  Most of the rancor could probably be chalked up to two things:  a) that’s just the way it is here in Internetsland and b) fans mostly pissed about Mattel cancelling it’s long running DC Universe Classics line.  As they say, though, all good things must come to an end.

Truth be told, when I saw the production pictures of the Total Heroes line (which I keep referring to as Total Justice, which was another terrible line altogether), I wasn’t real sure of them either, mostly because of the Superman figure.  The figures are pretty much just repaints of each other, and the oversized gauntlet forearms don’t work on Superman.  But, that’s not the only thing wrong.  The whole figure is just…off.

However, after getting some up close and personal time with the figures at Toy Fair 2014, your friendly neighborhood jman has changed his mind a bit.  Not about the Superman figure.  God, no.  That figure looked just as off in person as it did in the production pictures.  The rest of the line, though?  They really did not look bad at all.

And when I finally found them at my local Toys R Us?  I gotta tell you, these figures are totally not bad.  In fact, I really like them!  I picked up Lantern and Flash (spoiler alert!).  Bet you can’t guess which figure I left on the pegs?!?!  Wrong!  Superman AND Batman.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the Batman figure, per se.  Quite the opposite, actually.   But, I’ve got more than enough Batman figures at the moment.  So, I figured I was ok leaving this one for someone else to buy.

Yea.  I know.  I’m totally gonna regret that decision.

So…how about this Green Lantern figure, then?  He’s a fairly decent figure.  He (and the rest of the line) measures 6 inches and he’s surprisingly articulate, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound bend and twist at all the important points (and more).  He’s also packed with a translucent green axe type construct.  Which, I’m pretty “meh” about.  I think Mattel could’ve tried a bit harder on the accessory front.  Something a bit more creative?  Something more worthy of a Green Lantern.  An oversized fist, perhaps?!?!  But, for $9.99 $12.99 $14.99 what do you want?

Actually, let’s take a moment and address that price point.  What’s with Toy R Us, anymore?  I got Flash for $9.99, which isn’t a bad price for the figure.  I got Green Lantern shortly thereafter for $12.99.  And now? In a month’s time, this line has gone up in price twice, settling on $14.99?!?!?  Uhhh…what gives?  I had Sinestro in my hand the other day, but after I saw he was $14.99?  I put him back.  Does Toys R Us not want us to buy these figures or what?!?!

But, I digress…

Some might say the Total Heroes are too “cartoony”.  I think those people would probably like them a whole lot more if they thought of them more as “stylized”.  The DC Universe Classics are gone folks.  The sooner we accept it, embrace this new line, the sooner we’ll get better figures.

Just don’t get them at Toys R Us.