Every once in awhile, time just gets away from me. I didn’t realize how long I’d had Atrocitus sitting here when a reader asked me to not skip Atrocitus last week. I was always planning on reviewing him, but somehow he snuck past my sense of urgency. Let’s check him out.
Before I get too deep into this review, I should note that I’m writing it while travelling. Ideally, you wouldn’t even notice if I didn’t tell you, but just in case. I have the figure here making the trek with me, but you might not see the usual synthesis between what I say and what I show in the pictures as a result of my putting the two halves of this review together at separate times.
Atrocitus is a relatively new character, I think he’s probably getting around to being five years old now. He represents the rage/red part of Geoff Johns’ spectrum and although he’s a recent addition, he’s been retconned pretty heavily into the Green Lantern mythos having had encounters with Krona, the Manhunters, Abin Sur, Sinestro, the Black Hand, and Hal Jordan all “before” he first appeared in the second year of Hal’s return.
As I’ve said before, I’m not the biggest fan of Geoff Johns work overall – I liken his comics to Michael Bay movies, lots of flash, but not much substance. That’s kind of Atrocitus in a nutshell. He’s a very difficult character to use because he’s typically only a bad line of dialogue away from coming off as Mystery Men’s Mr. Furious. Worse still, Peter Milligan, a writer I traditionally enjoy, wrote him abysmally in the Red Lantern comic. He was trying to add depth to the character that Geoff Johns never got around to, but it served to only make him a whiny dude that monologue at a corpse for multiple issues. Ugh. As such, I’ve lost most of my initial interest in Atrocitus, but I’m still glad we got him as a figure in the Classics line. Though it is weird that he was in Club Infinite Earths.
It’s common assumption among DC Classics Collectors that Atrocitus was pulled from the Nekron Wave, possibly because a well-selling subscription would allow for him to be given a new buck more appropriate to his size. Bill Benecke, the line’s Project Designer, even talked about Atrocitus being bigger as a selling point of the subscription. Well, good intentions and all that right? The Club Infinite Earths subscription last year went through at roughly 2/3rds of Mattel was targeting. While many of us, myself included, were still happy to get something, one side effect was figures like Atrocitus would be cut off from any new tooling and would again be regulated to the standard buck height, just like he would’ve been at retail.
Some of us got a little loud with our disappointment and proposed some solutions to getting some of Atrocitus’ height back, namely Public Enemy parts. Either someone at Mattel agreed or was thinking along the same lines, because that’s what they did. Atrocitus was given a new set of shins that does add about an eighth of an inch to his height. Inadvertently, though, this set off another controversy. To make the change, they had to sacrifice a sculpted element, the top hem of the boot. When the figure made his debut, a different set of fans were upset at the painted on boots. Sometimes, you just can’t win, right?
It’s up to each of us to decide what would’ve been better. Personally, I’ll take the extra eighth of an inch over the sculpted lines, but I don’t expect everybody to agree with that. I’d understand, it is only an eighth of inch after all. Still, I’m glad they made the change. Continue to Page 2…
Nice review as always Noisy! love the last 4 pics..
Thanks!
Wait, so I’m ATROCITUS!?
He looks OK-ish, but that Matty Logic of closed fists on accessory bearing figures needs to be fixed!
but, but… i thought I was atrocitus?
I’m still waiting on the real Atrocitus to show up. He’ll know who he is.
Agree there he-mullet though I got dexstar playing with it. The logic on not putting the other lantern leaders at.retail still bugs me. Also with some being possibly taller would benefit to me. Also I do want an Indigo-1 since my dc direct one recent went drunk and now is an extra addition to indigo atom. Flung over his shoulder with him in a battle stance holding both staffs. I still like the fig but do wondeer about matty’s logic with the misses.
The DCD Indigo makes me so mad. Her promo pic looked great and the figure, not so much. I’d be happy to get her on the line.
Thanks for reviewing RAAGE! If this were a retail line we might get an apology figure down the road, one that turned out like the dreamy W20 Sinestro. This may not bode well for Agent Orange — he might stink. I did not subscribe out of loss of interest in the line but I did want to know your take on Atrocitus to get some sense of completion for this line.
Thanks!
I think Larfleeze will be better. I’m hoping the tooling on him will be better since he was originally retail. Atrocitus isn’t so bad he needs an apology fig, he’s not Starfire!
wait, you have Prime and Red Robin already?
but yeah, this figure really didn’t need much and if I wanted the sculpted boots, I can switch legs with the retail Red Lanterns.
The lack of a grip hand for the LANTERN accessory however, I can’t overlook. It’s like making Batman and “forgetting” his cape. Mattel needs to hire Mister Obvious to run a quick QC check on everything they make to get things done halfway right.
and the last panels kill this review. LOL You could put in just about anything in that middle bubble and it would work.
I don’t have them, no, but I’m not Atrocitus. 🙂
I could’ve had them from BBTS by now, but I cancelled me Pre-Order because the height left me unsure. I’m still apt to pick them up in person though.
Great review as always, even from ‘on the road’. And you’ve got to use that image from the last four again as a go-to. Hilarious!
Thanks, Rod!
No to mention, he should also be mad they didn’t use the MOTU buck on him, either.
Thanks! I figured four was a good stopping point, but I could’ve gone on… and on.
Whats he going on about now? ha ha ha
Great work
Thanks, doc!
I could (begrudgingly) live with the boots. It’s the fact that the shade of red they use on him is so drastically different from the other three Red Lanterns they released that put me off of picking him up. It’s a shame too because he was one of the announcements from last years SDCC that really had me excited.
I skipped paint entirely! Oops! “On the road” did bite me after all.
I agree on the paint. The Green and Yellow Corps have the same problem. If only there wasn’t some system in place to guarantee that the same exact shade of paint is used from piece to piece… O.o
I hope Indigo-1 makes it through somewhere but like you, I do feel like a sub spot should not be used.
It’s really a conflict. And if they think Walker & Larfleeze are better in the sub, odds are Indigo “belongs” there too.
I still like the figure…warts and all. I DO have the DCD version, but now i have 2 separate displays, DCD and Mattel. I dont really care about his height. To me that 8th of an inch is pointless as I figure this guy is easily 7ft or taller. Not tall enough for a gigantic oversized figure..but he should tower over all the other lanterns….or at least tower over all the other Red Lanterns. Public Enemies or no Public Enemies calves….he’s still too short IMO. The lantern accessory dosent really bother me that much…since most of the characters in the comics are rarely seen holding their lanterns. Its not like its a purse…AND its not like its a lantern that needs to be recharged. Come to think of it…I’ll have to go back and go thru all my comics….cuz i dont think those guys even HAVE red lanterns. The red power comes from the blood and the rage, not from a lantern.
Speaking of lanterns, its fine that you want a handle on yer Orange Lantern Noisy…but i dont think that lantern has a handle or has ever had a handle. I know the DCD Orange Lantern Lex’s lantern had a handle….but I dont think I saw him in the comics holding his lantern either. The whole point of the Orange Lantern is that theres only one….but he’s too greedy to give others his power. Most of the pictures you see are of him holding it close to his chest in case somebody tries to steal it. Design wise, its also what sets it apart from the other lanterns
as of last month’s New Guardians, the Orange Lantern DOES have a handle. Not sure if it was artist choice to add it or he forgot it was NOT supposed to have one?
The Orange Lantern has appeared both with and without a handle multiple times since he appeared. It depends on the artist. The DCUC Luthor already gave us the handleless version, so I’m stoked this one will have a handle and properly match the others.
This is one character I got stuck with due to being a subscriber. He’s too new for me to care about him and the lack of an open hand renders most of his appeal moot. After all, he’s still supposed to be a Lantern and he can’t even hold it!
How are you feeling about the mix of the characters? Are you still going to come out “ahead” so to speak?
we need about 10 more of those “We’ve really got to get him to stop toy collecting” panels. Outstanding stuff!
LOL Thanks!
Seconded! Inspired stuff! Not being a comics follower, I clicked on this review just to find out who the Hell this Atrocitus person was. Still not much wiser, but I sure laughed a lot!
You should have Atrocitus respond to Matty’s responses in the Q&A sessions. Or perhaps a little sidebar in your figure reviews where Atrocitus vents on paint slop, swapped body parts, and warped weapons. };D
Having said that, isn’t DC one of those entertainment companies that sues 12-year-old kids for posting pictures of their characters on their non-profit fan sites? Or have their lawyers had senses of proportion surgically implanted by now?
Yes, I agree too, more need to stop collecting toys! So true. The final version of this Atrocitus isn’t too bad. Of course we can all nitpick on what could’ve been improved, but I do agree that Mattel’s screwing up big time by constantly short-changing us in the area of much needed accessories and sculpted hands to hold them. if they’re so gung-ho on keeping these figures double-fisted(yeah I know:),then provide a spare grip hand then. It shouldn’t be too expensive to do, and would help generate goodwill and happy feelings amongst the paying customers.
What is the comic accuracy of a Black Lantern?
the only Black Lantern was imbedded in Nekron’s scythe, much like the Indigo’s use their staffs instead of Lanterns.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Blackestnight4.jpg
I kind of always thought he was going to be… bigger. Like Darkseid size. Admittedly, I never read the comics he was in so I really have no basis for that presumption, I guess I just thought he was going to be huge!
An MOTUC body type would have been perfect for him. He’s bigger than the other Lantern leaders, but not DCUC Darkseid big.
its too bad they have never used the etrigan body again — that would have also provided some nice bulk —