Lego Review: 76025 Green Lantern vs. Sinestro

Alrighty, RegularVince here with my first content post of 2015: my review for the new Lego DC Super heroes set: 76025 Green Lantern vs. Sinestro.

I wish I could say I've really been waiting for this set, but what I've really been waiting for is a legit Green Lantern that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I really like my arms and legs. I use them regularly.

Back to the set at hand, for the MSRP of $19.99, you get 174 pieces, including three all-new minifigures in Green Lantern, Sinestro, and Space Batman. Yes, Space Batman. He's one of my favorite super heroes, but I really don't think we needed another Batman minifigure to round out this set. I would have much rather seen another member of the Sinestro Corps, or, since this year's DC line seems to be all about full-sized figures, an Anti-Monitor figure. 

You need any more ideas, Lego? You know where to find me.

So let's start things off with the minifigures, and our titular hero: Green Lantern.

As you can see, the minifigure design is based off the more classic Hal Jordan look. Not that this is a problem, I just felt like I needed to point it out, since depending on when you were into the DC properties, he might not be the Green Lantern you're most familiar with. The design of this mini is rather clean, and far less busy than the 2011 SDCC exclusive figure, so it's definitely an improvement. And as you can see, GL comes with a double-sided head, featuring a stern look and a more playful smirk.

My one gripe is an almost non-issue, but it did bother me. The translucent green stud I have GL pictured with is supposed to be his power ring. Pretty simple, right? Well, maybe it was too simple, because Lego didn't actually include this in the set. That stud is just a left over from one of my other builds. Trivial? Yes, but it's something so simple that it's amazing it wasn't included, especially since a quick Google search for Green Lantern shows almost every image with his power ring lit up.

Next up we have Sinestro, GL's most famous villain, even though he's been known to act as the occasional anti-hero, when the mood strikes him. Sinestro also comes with a double-sided head; one stern look, the other a menacing grimace. He also comes with a yellow battle-staff contruct, The minifigure's design is based on his yellow lantern/Sinestro Corps outfit, which I think looks fantastic, but I also would've loved to see him in his classic blue and black outfit. Maybe we'll see this in a later release, since Lego does love to release different versions of the same figure.

Speaking of different versions of the same figure, here we have yet another Batman to add to our already extensive Bat-collection, this time sporting a space outfit to protect him from the harsh vacuum of space. Now why is Batman in space?

Why not?

Anyway, you can probably tell I'm not super excited to be getting another Batman minifigure, but I must say the design is pretty cool, and the amount of accessories he comes with is staggering. Bats comes with two heads: a full-on mask and a double-sided head, displaying a stern look and his trademark smirk; a helmet, two sets of wings, in the open and closed position; a jet-pack, which is actually designed to keep the wing in place, and the new super jumper. giving him the ability to leap into action at a moments notice.

Admittedly, it does have a greater range than seen above, that's just the first video I got, and I thought it was hilarious.

I do have to issue a huge warning about the super jumper: it will damage your minifigure. Not because launching it across the room can ding it, and it can, but because of the way jumper itself is designed.

Behind the pegs where you place the minifigure, the plastic juts out just enough to apply pressure to the minifigure.

As you can see, the damage in my particular case wasn't that extensive, as it simply slightly dented the back of the legs, but I have heard cases online of the legs cracking and splitting because of the super jumper.

You have been warned.

Moving on to the rest of the set, I'll start off with Sinestro's power battery Cage.

I suppose I could've listed this as an accessory for Green Lantern, but this set also comes with his power battery, which he uses to power up his power ring. And since Sinestro is the baddie in this set, of course he wants all the power. So what we have here is a construct used to house the power battery.

The build is pretty simple, but what I love the most is the dome on top of the build. Since it's on a hinge, it keeps the build closed when in the down position, and allows it to be opened up when it's not. The hinge is also loose enough to allow it to be opened with a direct hit from GL ship.

So now that you've seen that cool action feature, let's talk about Green Lantern's ship.

Here we have Green Lantern's fighter jet, what I'm assuming is supposed to be a construct of his power ring, and apart from me wishing there were more clear elements integrated into the build, or better yet, that it was completely made of clear elements, I like the design. It's simple, but honestly, it doesn't need to be anymore complicated, as it perfectly showcases what it's supposed to be.

There are a lot of great design elements built into this ship. The stud shooters are a new design, and built into the wings. I also love how the extra stud "bullets" are built into the wing design. This is something that most sets featuring these types of weapons don't do. And geniusly, the spring loaded missiles are housed within the cockpit, activated by a gear and crank system that runs through to the back of the ship.

As you can see, turning the knob on the back triggers the spring loaded missiles. And because of the way it's designed, you can fire both missiles relatively quickly and reload them without opening the ship. Brilliant.

The missiles also have pretty good range, launching between 6 and 10 feet.

Final Verdict

While I'm not thrilled with having Batman shoehorned into this set, and I'm certainly upset over inadvertently damaging my minifigures with the super jumper, I still think this is a great set to have. Green Lantern and Sinestro have pretty simple designs, but they are based on pretty simple characters, at least from a design standpoint. While I usually don't buy Lego sets for their action features, I can definitely see how this set would appeal to children, which makes the ease of this build all the better. It probably took me about 30 minutes to complete this build, and enjoyed every minute of it. 

So while it does have it's problems, the DC Super Heroes: Green Lantern vs. Sinestro is worth picking up. 

My thoughts on Batgirl 35

Batgirl 35 hit this week, and if the internet is to be believed, this is the biggest thing to be released since sliced bread. 

This book wasn't on my radar, and hasn't been since the New 52 launched and Barbara Gordon suddenly stood up out of her wheelchair and decided physically fighting crime was more exciting than doing it from behind a computer screen. But the buzz was big enough on this book to make me rethink my stance. I decided to give it a chance. And while I didn't think the book was bad, I think I'd prefer the sliced bread. 

First thing's first, the art is absolutely gorgeous. Babs Tarr knocks it out of the park, doing a fantastic job of setting this title apart from the grim and gritty look that usually accompanies the members of the Bat-family. The book is filled with bright colors and dynamic set pieces that pop off the page. And while I didn't much care for Batgirl's suit redesign at first, it's growing on me. It really works with the book's color scheme, and I love that it's much more simplistic than most costumes in the New 52. 

But this a comic book, and the comic is more than just the art. And that's where this book falters. There is an interesting story here, especially in the light of recent events. It just isn't executed well.  It almost seems as if Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart are trying too hard to hammer home that Batgirl and her new friends are cool and hip. 

Batgirl has gone from being a young superhero to a "young superhero who gets drunk enough to not remember who she's made out with and wakes up hungover and has to excuse herself to throw up in between bouts of being a badass."

Her new roommate isn't just her outgoing new friend, she's the girl that "throws crazy parties and is super cool and uses hip language and cool nicknames and is supposed to be a lesbian but enjoys making out with dudes too."

Even the villain is turned up, as he's a "DJ and club owner who speaks in hashtag and has his tattoo-and-piercing game cranked to eleven."

I just feel like it's trying too hard to be relevant to a younger audience, as if it's written to appeal to a teenage audience that thinks this is what being in college is like. In that regards, it works. 

I'll be the first to admit, I'm probably not the target audience. And that's ok. As great as it looks, this book just isn't for me. 

But my girlfriend really liked it, and she IS a 21 year old college student. 

So it's got that going for it. 

Vinnie's Weekly Haul: August 1, 2014

Another week, another trip to the comic shop and beyond.

This was a pretty big week for me as far as comics go, picking up 19 different titles. Have I read anything yet? Hell no, these comics are going to be added to the pile on my desk that's at least 50 deep. I think I may have a problem...

So here's what I bought:

• All-New Ghost Rider #5
• Avengers #33
• Avengers World #10
• Batman Eternal #17
• Chew Warrior Chicken Poyo #1
• Cyclops #3
• Detective Comics Annual #3
• Guardians of the Galaxy #17
• Hawkeye #19
• The Manhattan Projects #22
• New Avengers #21
• Original Sin #3.3
• Red Sonja #0
• Secret Avengers #6
• Uncanny Avengers #22
• Uncanny X-Men #24
• The Wake #10
• X-Men #17

Goddamn that's a long list.

Since last week was Batman Week, Amazon was selling the Ultimate Dark Knight Collection for 60% off, so I picked it up. It's a pretty good set, has all three movies plus special features, an art book, a pretty nice, yet inconveniently sized hardcover that houses the blu-rays, five mini villain posters, and replica models of the tumbler, bat-pod, and bat wing. All in all it was a great deal for one of the best comic book movie trilogies to date.

I also stumbled across a 7" Boba Fett from Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series line of action figures. I haven't seen one of these in the wild, or at a reasonable price online, in months, so I snatched this bad boy up as soon as I saw it on the shelf. Haven't opened it yet but I will eventually, probably when I find space for it.

And that's it for this week. As always, I'm interested to see what the next week will bring.

The name's Grayson, Dick Grayson

After a nice, albeit short vacation, I'm back with a review of a new New 52 title focusing on Gotham's favorite son. I was hoping to have this up about a week ago, but what can I say? VACATION!

Grayson #1
Written and plotted by Tim Seeley and Tom King
Drawn by Mikel Janin

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I dropped Nightwing a couple years back because it wasn't speaking to me and avoided Forever Evil like the plague. With the ads in place, I knew they were setting Dick Grayson up for something big, and DC has never been one to shy away from changing the status quo, especially when it comes to Batman's favorite ward, and it really seems like they've delivered. Grayson #1 is a pretty big departure from the Dick we know and love but doesn't veer too far away from what makes him the character he is.

Grayson starts off very high energy and doesn't really let up, allowing for the action and setting to speak for itself. It avoids a long, drawn out explanation as to why Dick Grayson is now an international man of mystery and merely thrusts you into this world that he's found himself in, and it's much better for it. It did leave me with a few questions but I suppose that's the hook to keep me coming back. I was also surprised to see a few familiar faces, and I won't spoil who they are, but I am interested in seeing how they'll factor into the series, especially since I'm not familiar with their New 52 incarnations. 

Along with the action, Tim Seeley also injects the book with a good amount of humor that doesn't come off as forced, given the situation. It plays well with the more light-heated character that Dick is normally portrayed as. The last thing I would've wanted is a serious, brooding Dick Grayson in response to his newly acquired "deceased" status. 

Mikel Janin also does a great job on the art side of things, bringing a great sense of motion into his artwork, which works magnificently with acrobatic nature of the title character. His artwork conveys a lot of motion and seems to have a lot of weight behind it. The colorist Jeremy Cox also gives the book a good psychedelic vibe that plays into the story and adds to the spy movie feel of this issue.

For a first issue, there's a lot going on here, but it doesn't make you feel like you're missing something if you didn't read anything leading up to this book. I was worried I'd be lost, especially since DC isn't the best at catching new readers up on what's going on, but it works well here. I'm very interested in seeing where this series goes, and the ending definitely has me wondering where it will take our hero.

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Now for a little housekeeping. I should have a review of the Lego Ghostbusters Ecto-1 set up by Wednesday. Also be on the lookout for my thoughts on the X-Men vs the Sentinel and Guardians of the Galaxy Milano Spaceship Rescue Lego sets.

I'm planning of having more than just Lego and comic reviews coming up but I'm still trying to get into the swing of things.