The Good: Cool sculpt, Good articulation, Generally good balance
The Bad: Could use more foot articulation, Collectible value
The Basics: On its own, the Black Lantern Black Flash is a powerful, creepy villain action figure!
I have been, pretty rapidly, amassing a decent collection of DC Direct action figures, most from the Blackest Night and Justice lines. As it turns out, one of the figures I had pretty happily passed by before is now one of the figures I am glad I picked up. As my Flash Year has continued, I have been getting more and more into the Flash, especially the Wally West-era Flash. As a result, I like the villain Professor Zoom (both of them!). In The Flash: Rebirth (reviewed here!), Eobard Thawne resurfaces and he has to be imprisoned in Iron Heights. That does not stop the Black Lantern version of him from popping up.
For those unfamiliar with him - or it - Black Lantern Black Flash is undead version of Professor Zoom, come back to take out the Black Lanterns during Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Volume 2 (reviewed here!). Hunting his way through Iron Heights, he is basically a specter who is preying upon the dead while getting closer and closer to his still-alive body (which is in suspended animation).
It is the black-suited Flash with an undead face that is the subject of the DC Direct figure!
Basics
The Black Lantern Black Flash figure is well-detailed, which is pretty easy given that it is essentially a recolored version of the Flash figure with a different head and slightly different painted-on symbols. The undead speedster stands 6 5/8" tall to the top of the figure's cowled head. His skin is sculpted to look rotten, so the little bit of flesh that is showing beneath the mask is pocked and horrific. The Black Lantern Black Flash figure is available only from DC Direct.
This toy is a very good sculpt, especially for a character that has only had two-dimensional references, Black Lantern Black Flash looks good in all three dimensions. DC Direct gave the figure great muscle definition throughout. The character’s hands are molded open and while they are under black gloves, they have visible veins and bones, which is pretty cool. The sculpting highlight has to be in the mouth area, though as the Black Lantern Black Flash has his mouth wide open, as if he is screaming and the teeth and tongue are flawlessly molded in! The nose is molded to look like the tip has rotted away, leaving slightly porcine upturned nostrils facing the person looking at the figure!
Black Lantern Black Flash's costume features strong monotone colors: this is a very sharp black and silver contrasting figure. The usual Flash emblem appears on a black body, accented by an inverted Black Lantern symbol coming up from the feet and down from over the character’s shoulders. The fleshtones, slightly yellowed teeth and blood red mouth cavity are exceptionally cool details.
Accessories
Black Lantern Black Flash, badass undead villain turned mysterious savior that it is, comes with only one accessory, his stand. The stand is a black and white disk with the Black 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 Black Lantern Black Flash's right foot. He is very stable on his base, even in extravagant poses.
Playability
The DC Direct figures were designed more for display than play. Black Lantern Black Flash cool for both. First, he has decent balance, though it is certainly better on his stand. Because he lacks a hinge joint on the ankle, when off the stand, Black Lantern Black Flash must be posed flatfooted or he is likely to fall over.
Black Lantern Black Flash comes with thirteen points of articulation, which is very good, even by today's standards. Black Lantern Black Flash has joints at the knees, groin socket, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists 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, which allows the villain to nod up and down as well as look left to right!
Collectibility
The Black Lantern Black Flash is part of the DC Direct Blackest Night Series 8 line which was fairly common and seemed to be populated by characters fans were not immediately drawn to. The Black Lantern Black Flash is one of three villains in the wave, but considering most of the figures in the line are obscure Lantern versions of popular DC Universe characters, Black Lantern Black Flash is largely being overlooked. Because the Black Lantern Black Flash is an obscure character in an obscure corner of the story, I suspect this figure will not appreciate, save among fans of The Flash comic books and memorabilia.
Overview
Black Lantern Black Flash could use better ankle articulation to do running poses better, but for an obscure character, DC Direct truly went out of their way to make a very neat figure! Worth the buy, even if others haven’t figured that out yet!
For other Blackest Night figures, please check out my reviews of:
Wave 8 Indigo Tribe The Atom
Wave 7 Arkillo
Wave 6 Blue Lantern The Flash
Wave 6 Star Sapphire Wonder Woman
Wave 5 Nekron
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.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment