Review of Wonder Woman ArtFX Statue

Introduction

For some reason, Wonder Woman is really popular right now. I can't quite figure it out, but it might have something to do with a little film that came out last month. It's been years since DC got a movie right, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile, and for them, the new Wonder Woman movie is a huge nut. We won't have to wait years to see if they can keep the magic alive, with the Justice League movie right around the corner. I suspect Diana will have a pretty major role...just a wild guess.

There's a lot of merchandise hitting based on the film as well, with a high end sixth scale figure from Hot Toys, a high end twelfth scale figure from Mezco, and several statues from large to small from companies like Sideshow and Kotobukiya. Tonight I'm checking out said Kotobukiya release, which is part of their ArtFX series, and is sorta kinda almost sixth scale.

Diana should start shipping widely very shortly. She will run you $130 - $140, depending on the retailer, and has been selling out on pre-order at many online stores.

Packaging - ***
The exterior box artwork is based on the film, but does also use shots of the statue itself. The large window allows you to inspect the actual statue you're buying, and the interlocking interior plastic trays keep the statue safe. They also managed to do this nifty thing where the arm holding the shield in back looks like it's attached to the statue - but it's not. Both shields are in another back tray, safe and sound, but the positioning gets the concept across clearly.

Sculpting - ****
I'm going to assume you're a loyal, card carrying DC nerd, and you've seen this movie at least, oh, four or five times by now. You should certainly know what the talented Gal Gadot looks like in her WW attire, but in case you've forgotten, or just want another reminder, there's this close up, this close up, and this close up. More interested in the costume? Here you go.

This portrait is very, very close...in hand, you recognize Gadot immediately. In macro photos, you can find a few nits in terms of proportion and scale, very small things that are slightly off. From some angles the nose seems a little long, from others the face is a little too narrow. But overall it's a beautiful sculpt, made better by the level of detail they've included in other areas.

There's the hair, always an issue for statue makers. We still aren't seeing the sort of fine strands we'd see with a sixth scale figure, but this is an improvement over something like the recent Yamato release. The style and flow of the hair over the shoulders and around the face is extremely well done, and it's more realistic than most.

The head band looks terrific, and the texturing on the material of the costume is outstanding. Each piece has it's own design, it's own pattern, and this lends a tremendous amount of subtle realism to the overall appearance.

It also contrasts nicely with the super smooth, soft looking skin. One of the advantages that Kotobukiya gets from working in the softer ABS and PVC materials (over the resin based polymers) is better sculpt detail and better paint absorption. The materials they use might be considered 'lesser' by some statue collectors, but they actually allow them to produce a much nicer looking product.

There is some assembly with this release. She has two shields and two swords - more on that in a bit - and the left arm swaps at the elbow.  The right arm also comes off (it's attached in the box, and I'm not sure why they didn't glue it in place), and the fingers on the right hand are removable. By popping the fingers out, you can easily put either sword in place, and then snap the fingers back in around the hilt.

As I mentioned earlier, she's called 'sixth scale', but stands just under 12" including the base. The base is pretty thin, but even so, Diana is only about 11 1/2" tall, making her slightly undersized. I included a shot with the Sideshow comic Batman at the end for reference, but you can also always use the LifeSizer feature above to get a good idea of scale.

Paint - ****
The sculpt is matched with an exceptional paint job from head to toe.

The material provides a slightly translucent look to the skin, particularly on the face, and the glossy eyes and lips add realism. There's even a very slight, soft, variation in the eyebrows that creates a more feathered look, and the subtle make up around each eye is clean and well done.

The costume is a cacophony of color, with the red, blue, silver, and gold all bright, sharp and clean. These colors aren't cartoony however, and their vibrancy matches the on screen appearance. I particularly like the work on the boots, where the paint adds to the impression of hardened battle armor.

Accessories - ***
Statues usually don't have accessories, so ANY score in this category is a positive for the Overall.

Wonder Woman comes with her shield and sword from the new movie, as well as the shield and sword she used in Batman V Superman. I don't expect a lot of people to prefer that look, but not because the new movie is such an improvement in film, but because the actual designs of both items is so much more interesting. The bright star pattern on the shield looks terrific, and the special sword is a key prop in the new film.

The shields swap pretty easily - the lower left arm pops off at the elbow, and the new arm/shield combo pops on. I mentioned how the fingers come off the right hand, making the sword swap easier as well.

Value - **
Most statues in this scale are currently in the $100 - $120 range. Of course, most also don't have this level of quality. Kotobukiya really went all out with the sculpt and paint, and it shows. I'm still docking them slightly down from average, but just slightly. The addition of the second shield and sword help them as well.

Things to Watch Out For -
The fingers on the right hand can pop off pretty easily, so pay attention when moving or handling the statue. If the sword isn't in her hand, the fingers could fall off without your noticing, and be tough to find later.

Overall - ****
The might be the first decent on screen Wonder Woman in history (and no, the television show was NOT good, not even for the mid 70's), but it's not the first great collectible. She's been lucky in that department, with plenty of excellent statues and figures.

But this is the best movie version I've seen so far, and while I don't have her in hand yet, from the photos I'm thinking this one is better than the Hot Toys release as well. Clearly the Hot Toys figure will have all those sixth scale advantages in costuming and hair, but the surprised expression on their portrait isn't working for me.  We get a serious, tough expression here, and it befits the character.

I'm betting this is one of those Kotobukiya statues that disappears quick, so don't delay if you're considering it. While they do release second editions at times, depending on it isn't a great strategy.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Accessories - ***
Value - **
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the pre-order price at $140.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I just recently reviewed the Yamato Wonder Woman statue, although it's not movie based.

Other Wonder Woman goodies based on the new film include the Multiverse figures, like Wonder Woman, Queen Hippolyta, and Ares, as well as cloaked Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Mattel also did a Multiverse (and regular) figure of Wonder Woman from BvS.

If you're a fan of the character in general, you should check out the previous ArtFX version, as well as the DC Bombshells version, the first Cover Girls release, the second Cover Girls version, the Bishoujo release, and the Armored Cover Girls version.

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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