Mezco’s Green Arrow Figure is One Sharp-Dressed Activist
He might have a TV show and his own comic, but when it comes to action figures, Green Arrow doesn't quite get the amount of love the rest of his DC counterparts do. I can practically count on one hand the number of Green Arrow figures we've gotten in the past few years, which is fairly strange given his presence in pop culture over that same time frame. You'd think it's because there isn't a whole lot left to say about the Emerald Archer in action figure form, but then Mezco comes along and changes the game.
Since its launch, the One:12 Collective has been collector favorite, and the expansion into the rich character roster of DC Comics has only made the heart grow fonder for more. Particularly when they look as fantastic as the all-new Green Arrow. Inspired in part by the current show, the seminal Longbow Hunters and his early 2000s resurrection, the One:12 Collective Green Arrow is as gorgeous a figure as this character may ever see.
It's all about that costume design. Green Arrow is a very malleable character in that regard, as it's not outside the realm of possibilities to see him in a Robin Hood-esque uniform or in more serious urban, hooded gear. It's not like the Flash or Superman where they have a truly definitive look that you can't stray from without it looking a bit out of place. Here you've got a wonderful combination of fantasy rogue mixed with modern armor, and it gels incredibly well. The hood even has a wire in it so it can be posed better and won't look as awkward or pointy if it were just straight fabric.
The compound bow makes sense for the current climate, but Mezco hasn't foregone Ollie's past entirely. In addition to some of the requisite pointy arrows, grappling arrows and such, there's also a Kryptonite arrow included. It's a nice throwback to the alternate future of Dark Knight Returns, which in turn is a nice nod to the first figure in One:12 Collective line. Numerous posing hands included will give you the range you need to set Green Arrow up in a firing pose, but I'll admit to being a bit curious how the bow string will hold up over time. Other action figure bows that rely on a piece of standard string haven't been super-durable in the past, and it'd be a shame if that were true of this moderately expensive figure as well.
The only complaint I can even muster is that Green Arrow here doesn't come with two head sculpts like so many of other One:12 Collective figures we've seen to this point. Whatever Mezco's reasoning, we'll have to accept it, but it would have been great to see a more jovial and expressive portrait included. That gripe aside, this is a stellar figure and one that shows Mezco can do a lot of great things with the One:12 line as long as it continues.
The One:12 Collective Green Arrow is available for pre-order now for $75. It's expected to arrive between October and November 2016.