Salakk By Hervé St.Louis Sep 8, 2006 - 7:40:00 AM

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Salakk is one of the older exotic Green Lanterns who debuted in 1982. One could say that Salakk’s prime function was to show that not all Green Lanterns were humanoids. Salakk’s personality also shined as he is disciplined, a sharp mind and is usually very curt. This is the first Salakk action figure ever and in a sense a risk for DC Direct. It’s the first non humanoid character that they have released and the chances of the company developing more obscure and non humanoid Green Lanterns probably depends on Salakk’s success with action figure collectors
 
Likeness

Salakk’s current appearance is based on the one the new Green Lantern Corps comic book mini-series released in 2005. His costume is different from the classic Green Lantern suit or the one he wore when he was on Earth in the late 1980s. In the new interpretation, Salakk’s snout seems shorter and he has spikes on his skull instead of on the side. The action figure which resembles more the classic head shape of the character than the new comic book appearances.

Sculpt

I bought Salakk as an afterthought when I ordered the entire second Green Lantern’s Corp. Series. Salakk just looked good in the crowd. When I received my order, Salakk remained in his package until I had time to deal with him.  That was a mistake. Salakk, along with Tiger Shark, is the treasure of this Green Lantern series. Salakk, although based on a hideous bug, is gorgeous! Salakk is the type of action figure that gives meaning to the word sculpting.

Salakk is not bulky, but the sculptor had to create thin limbs connecting to his body. These limbs are like an insect’s arm, with the small edges on the back. His torso is like a shell with outer casing on top of others. Salakk’s body is built like a fine composition and every piece fits in the greater scheme. No part looks out of context. Even the Green Lantern armour reinforce the unified design of intersecting parts.

The tibia pieces, the two abdominal belts and Salakk’s jocks recall the design of the torso plate pushing upward. Salakk’s head reminds me of Grandpa Simpson’s with the brooding look and hooks protruding out of his skull. His face has a rough texture reinforcing that he is an alien.

Paint

The Green lantern logo on the figure wasn’t painted with sufficient paints. We can see the underlying layers. It looks like it can fades easily if rubbed. There’s a little varnish on the green armour plates on Salakk’s body. For a figure with such small details, there are very few paint bleeds or spills.

Scale

Because of his head, Salakk is a little taller than the Green Lantern’s corp. Hal Jordan, although one could argue that they are the same size, overall. As an alien creature, Salakk doesn’t need to be a specific height. As long as he looks good with the other action figures. Characters like Salakk always looks good because we don’t have an exact way to compare them to actual humans.

Stability

To stabilize Salakk, you’ll have to adjust his legs until finding the right combination. Because of his head, you’ll have to counter that weight so he can stand up. His feet are flat, and his extended arms offer some balance. However, once can use the action figure stand that comes with Salakk. It’s wide enough to support the figure.

Articulation

The articulations are what will make many fall in love with Salakk. His hips, arms and neck have ball joints giving the character more mobility. Each elbow bends. The neck ball joint allows Salakk to move his head in several directions, making him look reflective, angry or defying. The one omission is wrists’ articulations, allowing the figure to twist his ring carrying hand. The ball joints in the hips look as if they were part of the sculpt.

Plastic

The PVC used on Salakk is thin and makes me worry for warmer months. I would not suggest giving this figure to a child as he would break it easily. DCDirect action figures with joints a little bigger have broken in the past. Don’t put any large figure, like Tiger Shark, who is likely to fall next to Salakk if you want to keep this figure for a long time!

Props

The Salakk comes with the same Green Lantern battery the Green Lantern’s Corp. Hal Jordan action figure came with. This battery is different from the older one used in previous Green Lantern action figures such as John Stewart and the first Guy Gardner action figure. It’s made of thinner material.  The one drawback is that none of Salakk’s six hands can carry the lantern. That’s a serious design flaw. Salakk also comes with a translucent Green Lantern action figure stand. A small Ch’pp action figure with Salakk would have been a cool bonus.

Packaging

Salakk is held in his package with wires and wrapped in a clear plastic bubble. The art work used on the card stock is the same one for every figure in this series.

Cost

Salakk cost from $12 to $20 depending on the retail store. Buying either an inner case, containing a copy of the five action figures in this wave, or a master case, containing two, will be cheaper. You can exchange extra figures in the Comic Book Bin’s Classifieds or other Web sites. When stores order but a specific action figure, it can cost them more than an entire case.

Availability

As more people discover this action figure and strange Green Lantern, it’s possible that stores who did not order sufficient quantities may lack some. This figure is one of the finest one ever produced by DC Direct and it’s non humanoid form may rebuke many collectors. Yet, serious fans of fine action figures will see the quality of this figure and obtain it. As the figure was recently released, there is still time to order it.

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