Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart Review

I was surprised that the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart was the first Green Lantern they released, but that is perhaps because my fandom originated in comics, and not the Animated Justice League cartoon (which I loved).

The first time I came across John Stewart on the spinner racks as a kid was this issue:

I know he existed before that point now, but back then, there were hard and fast rules in my dumb kid brain. One of those rules was that Hal Joran was Green Lantern. Heck, I am not even sure I understood there was a Lantern Corps back then. I just knew there was a Green Lantern, and he was Hal Jordan. It was an OCD point of pride with me growing up, that I knew more than anyone else in my school about comics and comic characters. Then I was presented with this issue and I had to question my own existence. All of my playground interactions had been a lie, and in my short 10 years on this planet, I had built a throne of lies that I now sat upon.

Being ten was pretty rough.

The next time I saw John was in issue 1 of Crisis, where he was part of the first wave that the Monitor recruited to help save the Multiverse. That’s a pretty high-pressure, gig, no? Following that, he had a big moment in Cosmic Oddeysy. Unfortunately for him, it was not a good moment. You see, John wasn’t a disciplined Marine when he started out in comics. That was retconned later. I’d argue that he is almost the polar opposite now. However, back in the day, he was hard-headed. By the time Cosmic Oddeysy came around, John was pretty cocky.

So it stood to reason that when he was teamed with J’onn J’onzz to go save a planet named Xanshi, John would go in like Billy Bad Ass. Yet, when it came crunch time, the bomb John needed to stop… was yellow. That isn’t so much a deal breaker now (in a post Parralax world), but back then, that was a big deal. A straight up, “Do not pass go, pay $200, go directly to jail” kinda thing.

It was what one would call a “defining moment” in his multi-decade character arc. Not long after that, Action Comics went weekly and his wife and former Green Lantern herself was murdered by Star Sapphire.

To try to capture every poignant moment in this Green Lantern’s life would be a fool’s errand. So I leave it to you to dig into his history because, like me, I think you’ll end up a fan.

For now, I am here for one reason: to see if the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure is worth having. Drop that beat.

What is in the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart box?

In the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart box, we get quite a bit. As I mentioned in my first Mezco Iron Man, I can see these accessories becoming the de facto pack-ins for their different Lanterns going forward.

We get the figure itself, wearing a Mez-Stylized version of the Green Lantern Uniform that looks pretty snazzy. Since the GL suit is a construct of the ring wearers imagination and can be just about anything, I see no issues with it being a little different from its comic counterparts various uniforms.

He comes with two unique headsculpts. One has hair and is clean-shaven. This is more in line with his comic appearance. The second sports a shaved head and a goatee reminiscent of his appearance on the JLU cartoon. It’s a fairly easy way to cover your fan’s bases. As a comic fan, I have to remember that we all didn’t come to these characters the same way, and if you came to know the teachings of John Stewart through the JLU cartoons, then that is A-OK with this nerd. The JLU head has a green tint in his eyes which is really a cool look.

He has several sets of hands to swap out. He has his fist-punchy hands, of course. He also has several other sets. His salute/taking flight hands.

Of course, he has neutral hands.

And various other hands with effects pieces. There is a hand with a smoldering ring. A smoking green ball effect, a shield, and a blasting piece. I don’t know if any of those names I’ve assigned them are the names Mezco uses. I’m hard-pressed to care.

He has a pretty spectacular Lantern to charge up his ring and a special hand just to hold it. The Lantern uses the two tiny batteries he ships with to light it up, triggered by one of his right fists.

He comes with what I assume is an extra chest Lantern. If this is for something else (fancy cat food tray?), please let me know.

Finally, he comes with the obligatory Mezco stand and staging arm.

Here are a few more detailed pictures for you to peruse.

What doesn’t work with the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure?

The Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure is very nice, but not without flaws. Nothing major, but annoying. The first thing I noticed was the gimmick hand that lights up the Lantern. The ring is black. Maybe that’s just mine. Someone should tell Mez that a Black Ring in the DC Universe means something. It’s usually worn by reanimated corpses, placing them under control of the rings “Guardian,” Nekron.

Normally I’d just hit it with some green paint, but because it triggers the light on the Lantern, I didn’t want to do anything that may interfere with that process. The only other right fist he ships with has an effect piece attached to the ring.

The green star is very stabby. It immediately breached the ‘ol Mezco parts bag it comes with and stabbed me a couple of times to boot. It’s sharp and I can imagine will end up snapped off eventually.

The ball of green flame you attach to his wrist peg is a bit of a pain. I spent a significant amount of time chasing the peg around trying to get the flame attached. My constant fear was that I was going to break off the peg. Be careful!

This figure could use some deep butterfly joints. Think of Green Lantern in the comics. How many times is he bracing his right ring hand with his left arm? A lot. Also, he comes with a Lantern that lights up when the ring is placed on the “glass” of the Lantern. However, to get his right arm in a position where it can do that while he’s holding it, you need to have him reach across his front into the Lantern. Without this range of shoulder motion, it makes it a frustrating experience.

As long as I’m feeling whiny and entitled, if there was ever a figure that needed as many light-up features as possible, it’s a Green Lantern. At the very least, his chest symbol should glow green. I know they can do this because we’ve all seen three different Iron Mans from them that have light-up chests.

Finally, again with the lack of ankle pivot, Mez? Seriously?

What works with the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure?

The Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart is a nice looking figure with solid paint apps and great accessories. The green on his costume pops.

Both heads are great and allow you to recreate a scene with your personal favorite version of John Stewart.

I suppose the lack of a green ringed punching hand is a little too myopic to complain about, especially when you consider that the only time I think of “punch” and a Green Lantern in the same sentence, it’s usually accompanied by a giant boxing glove.

We should probably be thankful a sexual deviant never received a power ring. Imagine the size of those green sex toys.

Green Lantern, whether John, Hal, Guy, Kyle, or ANY member of the corp is a great addition to my DC shelf. I love DC. I am constantly disappointed by the lack of good DC figures. This Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure is a step in the right direction.

Should you purchase the Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure?

I’m glad you asked. If you can afford it, and you enjoy both characters, then yes, get both. John is as much a part of the DC Universe as Hal. If you have a preference and John is your slow jam, get him. If not, wait for Hal. It looks like he comes with the same accessories. If you don’t care for DC, or Mezco, or both? Easy pass.

As a collector of Super Hero action figures, I see no reason why you should NOT have The Mezco Green Lantern John Stewart figure on your shelf, fam. You can get him here:

Xavier Cal Customs and Collectibles (as of this writing)
Amazon
eBay

Interested in more pictures? Here you go! Also, follow me on the ‘gram by clicking here!

“Ring, get the survivors a breathable atmosphere while we work on repairs. Open a channel to Oa. The Guardians need to hear about this.”

Speaking of Mezco, if you’re reading this before November 8th, 2019, click here and register to win a brand new Mezco James Gordon and Bat-Signal deluxe pack!