The Good: Great-looking sculpt, Generally good balance, Collectible value, Decent-enough accessory.
The Bad: Could use a lot more articulation.
The Basics: Despite a problem with the head articulation, the Green Lantern Boodikka figure is pretty incredible and well worth picking up!
Because I am a reviewer and I display and play with my toys, I frequently enjoy when the toy market shifts. Whenever there is an adjustment in the toy market, I am usually able to get some pretty cool toys in for my personal collection and for review. Sure, it does stink when the very few toys I have ever invested in (f-you Playmates and your “Tapestry” Picard!) have tanked because of changes to the market, but by and large I’ve stopped investing on the hopes that any toys I buy will be something more and I’ve learned to enjoy what I have. In the case of the Blackest Night Boodikka figure, a recent downturn in the figure market for Blackest Night figures meant that this toy, which used to sell in the $50 range, was obtainable by me for a measly $15.99! Yea, rocky economy!
For those unfamiliar with her, Green Lantern Boodikka is one of the Alpha Lanterns. Honestly, her part in the Blackest Night Saga is entirely unmemorable. However, she is one of the principle characters in the Brightest Day follow-up, Revolt Of The Alpha Lanterns (reviewed here!)! Having enjoyed that story, as well as discovering the full arc from when Hal Jordan cut through the ranks of Green Lanterns and left Boodikka without an arm and for dead, Boodikka was one of the figures on my want list for quite some time.
Fortunately, she completely lived up!
It is the green-suited Boodikka with her mechanized Alpha Lantern face and internalized Lantern that is the subject of the DC Direct figure!
Basics
The Green Lantern Boodikka figure is well-detailed and one of the few female figures in the Blackest Night line, making her quite the commodity! The militant Green Lantern who is responsible for policing the Corps stands 6 15/16" tall to the top of the wings on her mask. She has no skin visible and her chest and right arm include translucent green plastic to represent constructs from her internalized Green Lantern battery! The Green Lantern Boodikka figure is available only from DC Direct.
This toy is an impressive sculpt, especially for a character that has only had two-dimensional references, Green Lantern Boodikka looks good in all three dimensions. DC Direct gave the figure comic book heroine breasts, but included more impressive and realistic details, like the spines on her knuckles. The character’s hands are molded open for the right hand and in a fist for the left. Embedded in her chest is what appears to be her Green Lantern battery. The sculpted details are impressive enough in that the right arm is textured to look like it is a construct of green energy that is clinging to pieces of Boodikka’s remaining limb! As cool, on the face, there are what appear to be power cords that connect the eyes and mouth, which are colored to look as if they are lit from within. The figure’s hair is brushed back and to one side, as if there is a strong force blowing upon her hair.
Green Lantern Boodikka's costume features strong monotone colors: the metallic green and flat black costume covers all but Boodikka’s face where her mechanized parts are exposed. The hair is monotonal black, but is textured so the light hits it in ways that make it look more colorful than it actually is. The translucent green sections are pretty snazzy.
Accessories
Green Lantern Boodikka, most willful and precise Green Lantern in the galaxy, comes with only her alternate face in addition to her stand. The stand is a green and white disk with the Green Lantern logo. It is 3 3/4" in diameter and 1/4” tall and it has a single peg which plugs into the hole in Green Lantern Boodikka's right foot. She is very stable on his base, even in extravagant poses.
The alternate face represents Boodikka before she was transformed into an Alpha Lantern. With peach skintones and bright sliver eyes, she is clearly an alien. The alternate face essentially acts as a mask and it easily slides onto the figure’s head and remains securely there. Mine has pink lips that were painted a little off-kilter, which is disappointing. Still, in a line-up of DC Direct action figures, even with the alternate face on, this Boodikka looks pretty great!
Playability
The DC Direct figures were designed more for display than play. Green Lantern Boodikka is cool for both. She has excellent balance, though it is always better on her stand. Because she lacks a hinge joint on the ankle, when off the stand, Green Lantern Boodikka must be posed flatfooted or she is likely to fall over.
Green Lantern Boodikka comes with only nine points of articulation, which is mediocre, even by today's standards. Green Lantern Boodikka has joints at the knees, groin socket, shoulders, elbows, and head. The shoulders are proper ball and socket joints, while the elbows and knees are both hinge joints. The head is on a ball joint, but the solid hair of the figure prevents it from moving more than a few degrees up and down!
Collectibility
The Green Lantern Boodikka is part of the DC Direct Blackest Night Series 1 line which was fairly uncommon and was populated by characters fans were not immediately drawn to, but have since grown on many. The Green Lantern Boodikka is the second most popular character in the wave, right behind the Red Lantern leader Atrocitus. Green Lantern Boodikka continues to be in demand, though about two months ago, her value plummeted without warning or reason. Despite the fact that Green Lantern Boodikka is an obscure character in an obscure corner of the Blackest Night story, she is still worth picking up and I suspect that her value will increase, making now the best possible time for investors to pick her up (right before her price rebounds and starts going up!). Most of the DC Direct female character figures tend to appreciate and it looks like the Green Lantern Boodikka should head back in that direction, despite the issues her character’s relative obscurity.
Overview
The Green Lantern Boodikka was a pleasant surprise to me. I had never managed to find one in real life at a toy shop before I finally snagged one online for a real deal. It was well worth it and has quickly become one of the coolest pieces in my collection.
For other Blackest Night figures, please check out my reviews of:
Wave 8 Black Lantern Black Flash
Wave 8 Indigo Tribe The Atom
Wave 8 Orange Lantern Lex Luthor
Wave 7 Arkillo
Wave 7 Red Lantern Mera
Wave 6 Blue Lantern The Flash
Wave 6 Star Sapphire Wonder Woman
Wave 5 Black Lantern Deadman
Wave 5 Nekron
Wave 2 Indigo-1
Wave 1 Saint Walker
8.5/10
For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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