I’ve said all I can say about this packaging while looking at the other figures in the wave. It does a fine job of straddling the fence between the familiar DCUC style and still distinguishing itself as a fresh and new subline. I’ve had my fair share of problems with the dynamic poses some of the figure’s are packaged in, but thankfully that wasn’t the case with Mongul.

First up is Mongul and if you’re getting a sense of Deja Vous, you’d be right on the money because we’ve seen this sculpt before. That doesn’t bother me, as I don’t already own it, so it’s still new to me. Still, if you’re keeping track, this Mongul sculpt was most recently released in a two-pack with Cyborg Superman and earlier than that he was part of the DC Super Heroes line back in 2005. It’s easy to see why Mattel would want to get some mileage out of this sculpt, because it’s fan-friggin-tastic. In fact, it’s easily one of my favorite sculpts released in the DCUClineup to date. Every tiny detail of Mongul’s outfit has been beautifully recreated with all the studs, belts, and wires, right down to his massive boots and of course his Sinestro Corps ring. Mongul is certainly not one of those DCUC figures that relies on paint apps over sculpted details. I think he’s decently sized, although some might argue he could have been bigger, I don’t think so.

Mongul’s paint job on the other hand may give people pause, mainly because it’s really out there. His combination of mauve and mettalic blue may seem somewhat unconventional, but I think it’s pretty striking. I guess when you’re the head hancho of War World, you can wear whatever color you want. Each of the studs on his outfit are individually painted, and while there’s a little bit of rubbing here and there on the studs and wires, overall it’s a beautifully executed paintjob.

And that brings us to Wave 1’s Collect & Connect figure, Arkillo, and holy shit he is one big bucket of awesome sauce. Measuring at almost the exact same height as the C&C Kilowog figure, he really towers over the rest of the DCUC lineup just like a C&C figure should. The overall build of the body is also extremely similar to the Kilowog body, and also like Kilowog, Arkillo relies on the paint deco, in this case black and yellow, of his outfit more than a lot of unique scupting. He does have a pair of gold sculpted bracers and a silver sculpted belt. The paint apps are immaculate, particularly the Sinestro emblem on his chest and left arm.

But where Arkillo really shines is the head sculpt. The Sinestro Corps is all about fear and if this guy’s mug doesn’t trigger a release of your bowels, I don’t know what will. It’s the mouth that’s really cool. All the teeth are nicely sculpted and he’s got these disgusting strips of flesh connecting his jaws that are stretched out on either side of his gaping maw. Arkillo is pure nightmare fuel.

So, I know it took me longer than usual to get through all of Green Lantern Classics, Wave 1, but you shouldn’t think that’s because I don’t have a lot of love for these figures. Quite the contrary. This overall assortment is probably one of my favorites to come out since the Darkseid wave in terms of overall consistancy, execution and design. There really isn’t a figure in the bunch that isn’t excellent and the C&C Arkillo figure really ties the whole package together marvelously. I realize that a lot of long time collectors may already have the Mongul sculpt, but he’s definitely worth picking up again just to net you Arkillo.