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DC Direct Kilowog

By Hervé St-Louis
June 18, 2005 - 23:37

Kilowog, the bulky Green Lantern from planet Bolovar appeared in Green Lantern Green Lantern #201, in June 1986. Kilowog is a geneticist and a mechanical genius. When the 16 billions inhabitants of his planet died after the Crisis, he and a team of Green Lanterns set up on Earth. Kilowog trained Green Lantern Hal Jordan and was later murdered by his student. Kyle Rayner and Guardian Ganthet revived him again.

Likeness

The action figure looks like Kilowog, although in some versions, his ankles are wider than represented here. His nostrils are longer in some illustrations. Yet, Kilowog is a still larger than most humans with big hands. The figure depicts his skin as been cracked and leather-like. Carlos Pacheco designed his current costume. There’s a v-shaped front and v-shaped gloves and boots. Gone is the traditional Green Lantern trunk.

Sculpt

This sculpt is sweet. Putting it in your hands makes me feel why I love action figures. Kilowog is like a heavyweight boxer ready to fight. This figure is very different from the slender types usually sculpted by DC Direct sculptors. His right hand is ready to punch, while his left hand holds a Green Lantern battery. Kilowog looks like he’s about to train one of his poozers, hum, I mean recruits, to death. Great details on the face.

Paint

The paint job is not perfect. DC Direct decided to put metallic finish on the Green Lantern’s costumes, boots and gloves. It makes the figure look cheap. The finish will fade out if one handles the figures too often. Matte paint is better. There are lots of green paint spills on Kilowog’s face and neck.

Scale

Kilowog is taller the average man. He topples all Green Lantern Figures from this wave. Put next to earlier Green Lantern like Kyle or John Stewart, he looks fine. Kilowog’s impressive size also allows him to look all right next to some of his Justice league buddies, like the Martian Manhunter and Blue Beetle.

Stability

Kilowog is stable. His top heavy chest and thick feet help his stability. He will not fall easily. Even when posing his arms, he will remain solid. He comes with the new Green Lantern-styled action figure stand, but he doesn’t need it.

Articulation

Kilowog has thirteen articulations at the neck, the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, the hips, the knees, and the ankles. His articulation is stiff, which is a good thing. His shoulders have ball-joints. For such a bulky action figure, Kilowog has many articulations. This is rare for a DC Direct action figure. The articulations do not impede on the looks of the sculpt so that’s a great thing.

Plastic

Kilowog seems to be composed of heavy PVC similar to the stock DC Direct used to use for its figures. The figure is very heavy.

Props

Besides the action figure stand, Kilowog has a giant Green Lantern battery to recharge his ring. I like that they didn’t simply give him the regular power battery and made him a custom one fit for his size. Its plastic is very light, which is perfect for such a heavy action figure. The only problem is that the edge of the battery keeps banging on Kilowog’s left calf. Eventually, it could scratch the figure.

Packaging

Kilowog came in card with a big bubble. Sota tied most of his limbs with metallic cords. The card is the same one used for all Green Lantern from this DC Direct wave. It’s a goog move to cut down costs.

Cost

Usually, DC Direct would have made a figure the size of Kilowog a deluxe set and charged for more. Kilowog is bigger than Gorilla Grodd and as imposing as Solomon Grundy. Yet, his price was the same as the other Green Lanterns action figures from this wave. Prices vary depending on whether the retailer bought several inner cases, master cases, or individual figures.

Availability

This figure will become a classic very soon. It depicts a popular secondary character. Kilowog was popular enough to make it on the Justice League cartoon and has been a member of the Justice League. Therefore, more than Green Lantern fans will be interested in this figure. Kilowog’s sculpt is also very original and a great base for large characters like the Hulk. Don’t wait too long. Green Lantern action figures usually sell out quickly.

Last Updated: July 21, 2024 - 13:40