Review of Big Barda - DC Bomshells statue

Introduction

DC Collectibles have several long running, highly successful statue lines. One of the most popular is DC Bombshells, a series based on a simple concept - take a DC hero or villain, and redesign them in a 1940's style outfit reminiscent of the artwork often seen on bomber planes. It sounds simple enough, but it can be pretty tricky. First, you have to be able to tell who the character is instantly, and not lose their core essence. Second, you need to incorporate both unique features and a style that maintains some cohesion. And third, you need to do it all in an aesthetically interesting and pleasing way.

The latest release is Big Barda. For those unfamiliar with her, she's one of the New Gods, and has tremendous strength (think Wonder Woman) and invulnerability. She also had a weapon called the 'mega-rod' - more on that in a minute.

She just started shipping in the last couple weeks, and will run you around $100. She's also limited to 5000 pieces.

Packaging - ***
Nothing super special about the box, but the interior foam trays are sturdy, collector friendly, and high quality. There's no Certificate of Authenticity, but the edition size and number are printed on the box, the foam trays, and the underside of the statue base.

Sculpting - ***1/2
I mentioned two of the critical aspects of any Bombshell statue - does it remain true to the character? Does it incorporate the 40's design element well?

This one does both reasonably well. Big Barda isn't a particularly famous DC character, but for comic fans, she should be instantly recognizable here. They included features like a small bat labeled 'mega-rod', and her team shirt says "Female Furies", both tying directly to her comic book roots. If I didn't mention it, they went with a roller derby motif, and it allows them to give her a similar helmet to the character as well. The color scheme and suit design apply nicely to both the character and the theme as well.

The pose is a little awkward, but if you consider what she's doing - making a turn on a rink - it fits. A particularly cool feature is the use of actual cloth stockings, rather than sculpted lines, and it adds quite a bit of realism to the otherwise consistent sculpted look.

With the base, she stands about 11" tall, and should fit in nicely scale-wise with the rest of the line.

Paint - ***
The paint quality is decent, but not exceptional. The majority of the surfaces are done with a similar finish, something closer to gloss than matte, and this consistency between skin and clothing does hurt the realism a bit.

Most of the details are fairly clean and in line with what I'd expect, but there's a few blips in the edges here and there. Again, nothing major, and certainly not a deal breaker, but pretty much B work overall.

Value - ***
At $100, this is a nice release. I have to give them some props for getting good quality in a statue this large, and maintaining this price point. In fact, a few of the releases started to edge up toward $120, but recent ones have been lower, a good sign. While I had a few nits with the paint, it's certainly nothing outside of expectations at this price point.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take some care attaching her to the base. The two metal posts are a tight fit, and she seems a bit unstable even after she's attached.

Overall - ***
While I really like the design overall, I have to admit that this is one of those occasions where the sum doesn't quite add up to the potential of the parts. Something about it left me a little underwhelmed in total, although I bet big fans of the character will be pleased.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Value - ***
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $110, but includes free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Bombshells include Batman and Catwoman, the Joker's Daughter, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Starfire, Jessie Quick, Killer Frost, the Superman/Power Girl statue, Mera, Hawkgirl, Stargirl, Black Canary, Batgirl, Harley, Poison Ivy, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

And this isn't the first Big Barda collectible by a long shot. Check out the action figure from Mattel from a few years back.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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