DC Direct Arisia review
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 10:29AM 
DC Direct finally got around to making a female Green Lantern this week, and they picked one of my all time favorites Arisia to get this honor so I couldn’t be happier. DC Direct keeps getting better and better at producing beautiful female sculpts and this one certainly fits the bill and is a great likeness. There is a slight scale issue which we will look at later in photos (this is DC Direct we are talking about after all) but I’m really happy with this figure overall. She came packaged in a wave with Black Lantern Aquaman, Star Sapphire, and breakout superstar Orange Lantern Larfleeze with his pack in Glomulus. Money is tight right now, and I wasn’t very interested in ‘This is an EX-Aquaman” and in fact all the Black Lanterns that DC Direct has been churning out bore me and are flashes the pan figures. I realize I am in the minority here since they keep selling; whatever makes you all happy is fine with me and saves me money. Star Sapphire was a re-run that I already have so I passed. The only one that tempted me was Larfleeze, I’ve grown attached to the goofball like everyone else but I still said no. I’ve passed on all of the members of the new Rainbow Coalition and didn’t plan on making an exception here though the figure looked nice in store. So lets take a look my girl Arisia, shall we?
I must say though she have been drawn in this uniform for awhile now, seeing it in the third dimension it is a bit.... ahem how shall I put this racy. Will power from the ring must be holding up that top or else we’d have seen a wardrobe malfunction by now. The skirt is quite short too but that’s the way it is the comic. This character sure is scantily clad for supposing to be a biologically a teenager but I think she supposedly thirteen years on her home planet Graxos IV were like two-hundred and forty on Earth. Grandma never looked this good that’s for sure. Her race is supposed to be golden yellow skinned and is often portrayed that way in the comics but she’s not very golden here. This a minor miscue that probably bothers purists but not me. Hairstyle and necklace are correct along with her trademark pointed ears. I was concerned about the facial sculpt when the figure debuted since I’d seen some many wonderful customs of her but I’ve changed my mind on it. It really holds up and gives you a very decent likeness of the character. The mega cool GL stand is included so points for that.
One of my recent bugaboos about DC Direct lately has been producing Green Lanterns and adding the additional mini power battery then forgetting to have a hand that can hold it (The recent John Stewart comes to mind). I was afraid at first look that this was the case again but as you can see in the photos if you are careful the battery can be balanced in her open hand. It takes some maneuvering but it can be done. Would have been nice if she could firmly grip it like some of her fellow Lanterns but DC direct seems to be willing to cut corners and costs here.
Now we get to the sticky part as always with DCD that of Arisia’s scale. She seems to fit with some of the Lanterns great but others well you might want to put her somewhere away from them in your display. I tried to shoot her with every possible Hal Jordan I could except for the Silver Age one which I don’t own. I don’t have the recent Benes JLA Hal since I didn’t like the head sculpt on that one but I’m reconsidering it since I’m not to keen on Man-orexic Hal they just showed in the Blackest Night Wave. Jordan is way too buff in the body on that one for me. Superman can have abs and pecs of steel but I like my Hal Jordan a little less chiseled. Anyway enough about that, let’s get to the photos.
First up the Hard Traveling Heroes Hal and Arisia
Looks okay here if you are still clinging to this one as your main Hal Jordan. Hard to believe how much I was in love with this Hal Jordan when I got it. Still perfect for my satellite display but DCD despite our complaining has come a long way since this figure. What’s up with the elongated head there? Never noticed that on him before. Arisia is of course a little taller since scale keeps climbing as the years go by.
Next up we’ll go with Ross Jordan.
Perfect fit scale-wise here. The Ross Jordan is nice if you ignore the pre-posed fist. The Lanterns are mismatched, since Ross has a teeny tiny one but nothing else wrong here.
Over to Green Lantern Series one Hal Jordan.
Here’s a problem. This is the Hal Jordan I use for my Green Lantern shelf. He is a dynamite figure except he fits more with the Silver Age Scale than his modern compatriots that he is supposed to go with. That’s why he isn’t in a JLA display and kept where he is. Arisia seems a little larger next to him and seems to dwarf him a little. These will not be directly next to each on the GL shelf.
Next up Guy Gardner from the newer Lantern series
Similar problem but not as bad as Hal, and I think this one is passable. These two might be hanging out together on the shelf.
Over to Kyle Rayner
I chose the crab mask version because that is my favorite uniform for Kyle and we’ve got the same problem as Hal. Arisia doesn’t jive with him scale wise but happily she doesn’t have to since he is in my Morrison JLA display. I have the Jim Lee Kyle version but I’m not as fond of that looks so I didn’t photograph them together. The scale is better there but he will soon be replaced in the GL shelf with the Blackest Night one coming up since that’s his current look and returns to the Crab mask.
Here’s a train wreck Mattel’s Hal Jordan
Mattel has done a lot of great figures since they got the license, and this ain’t one of them. Some Mattel figure can be mixed with DCD and some like this can’t. Yuck. This one is currently in my huge Crisis display but I’m thinking of canning him because I just don’t like this version of Hal Jordan. They hit it out of the park on Wonder Woman and Black Canary but who okayed this Green Lantern. Apology figure anyone?
Getting close to wrapping this up with the Van Scriver Jordan
Now that’s a badass combo. Scale is perfect here. Too bad these won’t be dating or anything Hal is my Meltzer display JLA. That green fist accessory is the bomb.
We’ll wrap up with Blackest night John Stewart
DC Direct seems to be telling us to update our figures since scale is perfect here. This one is in the Meltzer display also since Hal bailed on the League to fight Sinestro quickly. I have the boxed set Stewart and it’s about the same scale as Gardner so it is passable there. So in closing another dynamite figure from DC Direct with the usual scale problems. It a must have as the first female Green Lantern from DCD. I’d love to show you a pic with Mattel’s Katma Tui. IF I COUULD FIND HER IN STORE that is. Sorry, that slipped out. Two thumbs way up on this figure.
Reader Comments (4)
You really think the DCUC Hal is a train wreck? Weird, I don't even like Hal and I dig that figure.
Also, what the hell is up the musculature of the Van Sciver Hal?
That's some great pics dude! Loved this review!
Talon
LOD
Great review. I was almost tempted buy this figure, but money is tighter than usual right now. Plus I'm hoping Mattel will eventually make a version of her that's more compatable scale wise with Katma Tui. Also you're not the only one who's "MEH" about the flash in the pan Black Lanterns.
Psst ... she's not the first female Green Lantern from DCD. Boodikka was in Series 1 (which pre-dates Katma).