Today is the penultimate entry in Armless Stel Week! Before we get to the big man himself tomorrow, I’m taking a look at the Red Lanterns Skallox & Nite-Lik. I’ve been dreading this review somewhat. See, I lost Skallox’s right hand some time during the month I’ve been waiting on Star Sapphire. Sigh.
I specifically scheduled this review towards the end of the week so I could comb the nooks and crannies of my desk and toy shelves in search of Skallox’s left hand. That search turned up nothing. I have no idea where it is and if you know me, you know that drives me nuts. I have bins for accessories. Ziploc bags for small pieces. I’m a checklist nut who likes everything ordered and labeled. And the one time I don’t whip out a little bag for the extra hands? *BOOM* It’s gone. In the scheme of things, I’m not too upset because I will buy a second Red Lantern and that means leftover pieces. But still it bugs me. Particularly to lose it before the review. Anyway, moving on…
These two have about a dozen appearances combined – and they’re all Skallox appearances. Nite-Lik is a unique figure in DC Classics because he was created for the line and is being incorporated into the comics. The back of the box said he would appear in this January’s Green Lantern #61, but that came and went already so we’re still waiting. If you’re a fan of the 4H’s work, I think you can tell he’s one of theirs based on his look alone. It screams Four Horsemen. His name comes from DC Classics’ former/part-time/busy brand manager, Scott Neitlich. I guess it’s cool for him, but with this one having his name and a MOTU figure with his face. Well, I would’ve at least tried to space those farther apart.
Skallox first appeared during Final Crisis in the Rage of the Red Lanterns one-shot. I’m pretty sure I’ve read every GL related issue since then and I can’t tell you anything he’s specifically done other than be eye candy in giant battles. One thing to note about him is his size. In his dozen appearances, he is sometimes a normal sized chap and other times he’s the size of Arkillo & Kilowog. I don’t see it as an issue (yet) because he hasn’t appeared enough one way or the other and because his character hasn’t been fleshed out yet. He’s just one more new character created in the Lantern explosion that there’s not enough spotlight for; something I hope the upcoming Red Lantern title will rectify. Though I’m okay with his size, I should note that the back of the Skallox’s package does describe him as “a hulking presence”. Good job, Matty.
The buck body dominates here, but there are some unique pieces as well. The Sinestro Corps belt is in use as well as new forearms and calves to get the details of the Red Lantern costume just right. The belt was sloppily applied on my figure and I’ll be peeling it off and reattaching it correctly after the review.
Skallox is achieved via a unique head and hands. The hands are (were?) nice, particularly with the symbol in the ring visible, while the head takes a little getting used to. As I said earlier in the week, I don’t envy the Four Horsemen having to come up with 3D versions of characters that have little to no reference art. It’s a good sculpt, but I wish it was angled down more. I suppose that could be an articulation issue more than a sculpting one, but I find myself wishing the neutral position of the head was more vertical.
Nite-Like is the more ambitious figure of the two. His giant blue claws have a lot of sculpted details. The least of which is the long tentacles that shoot out of the palms. There’s a metallic red attachment that fits over the neck and helps give Nite-Like some more chest bulk in relation to his oversized noggin’. The head itself is a classic 4H sculpt and looks great. I wasn’t planning on being excited about this guy but he won me over when I opened him. There are a lot of little details all over his unique pieces and I love the bones entangled in the tentacles sprouting from the back of his head quite a bit. Continue to Page 2…
Great review! I pre-ordered my set from Corner Store Comics, which haven’t come in, yet. But I haven’t seen any at retail so it’s not a big deal. Hopefully Amazon will stock them soon and I can grab a couple extra Red Lanterns for customizing.
It sounds like a lot of the online retailers are getting them in now, so hopefully CSC is among them! And yeah, the idea of being able to quickly make some other new lanterns with headswaps is near overwhelming…
I don’t think they needed to go CNC size with these guys, but bigger then normal would’ve been nice (like how the DCSH Mongul and Clayface were bigger then normal), especially due to the fact that Atrocitus is also a bigger then normal character, and they will probably make him with this body as well.
You raise a great point Eric! They could’ve “cut the difference” and used a bigger buck for Skallox which, in turn, would’ve given them the base body for Atrocitus (or a buck for any other 7″ character).
I can’t get over how amazing Nautkeloi looks as a Red Lantern…There is just something perfect about the design and I fear you may have sold me on them..
I just wish he could have some appropriate hands, but even as is. If anyone from DC Comics sees it and it doesn’t pop up in a Green Lantern comic, they’re bigger fools than I thought possible.
Yes! I really loved that combination. I don’t know what it is, but something just works. In general, the color of that red body is a lot more friendly to the other heads. I think even Medphyll looks better in red.
The hands are a bummer. I mean Medphyll & Nautkeloi didn’t need them, but it would’ve been nice. Plus, Sodam already has the poppable left wrist, so the mold for that one is out there already.
And heck, I still want interchangeable hands anyway…
That Atrocitus is so ANGRY.
And helpful.
Yeah, it seems he is always willing to lend a hand.
YES!!! LOL
I found that pic personally hilarious. I “misplaced” (read: cat got hold of it) that same hand you had Atrocitus offer for about a month, then found it in the living room last week! I thought I’d find it in the litter box, first. Maybe he didn’t like the taste, or he was afraid to eat it?
(loot at him, sitting here by me, curled up all smug. …grabs plastic bag, shakes it, cat = GONE! LOL)
*look
and hilarious thought: Kilowog and …the SinCorps dude both use the body originally created for Brimstone, right? Next time you do a Red Lantern review, you should have a pic with Atrocitus trying to figure out of Brim is part of his Corps or not! LOL
Arkillo! yeah, that’s the tongue dude, right?
Brimstone… as a Red Lantern? Man, I wish I’d thought of that. Good call!
And yes Arkillo is the “tongue dude”. To help remember it just think of Geoff Johns naming capability – the Kilowog analog’s name ends in “Kilo”.
We have a dog that thankfully doesn’t see any of my toys as food/playthings. That hand was bite-sized though, so I do wonder…
I think that’s just like in the comics, right? 😉
Can they reuse the rl calves for a classic Kyle Rayner?
I agree about spacing the releases of the Guru Guard and Nite-Lik a little more, if only for appearances’ sake.
Fairly unprofessional IMO.
LOL Sometimes it feels like we’re buying “his” toy line, doens’t it?