Review of Wonder Woman, Catwoman statues
Cover Girls of the DC Universe

Introduction

Somehow, the release of the Cover Girls of the DC Universe statue series slipped past me last summer, and I didn't notice they were out until I picked up Black Canary in the fall. I was less than thrilled with her, due to some paint issues and some aesthetic design decisions, but she still had me intrigued. I've know got many more on pre-order, and two more just hit my door - Wonder Woman and Catwoman.

Wonder Woman was actually released several months ago, but is being re-shipped...re-released...re-something by DC Direct. The same is true for Zatanna, who should be hitting comic shops a second time any day now. I'm not quite sure how that works, since the original edition size of WW was 5000 pieces, which is still the edition size. It looks like they didn't actually ship all of the first 5000, or at least that's what I'm assuming.

Catwoman is also an edition size of 5000, which is pushing the concept of 'limited', but seems to be about the right number to meet demand.

Both of these are based on the artwork of Adam Hughes, and sculpted by Jack Mathews. This is definitely a winning combination, and as you'll see from the review, my opinion of these two is quite a bit higher than it was of Black Canary.

Packaging - ***
Both come in boxes with photos of the product, but no window. The interior foam is designed to keep them whole, and there's also a nice large Certificate of Authenticity. The COA was placed on top in such a way that it wasn't wrinkled or damaged, in contrast to my Black Canary.

Sculpting - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2
Between these two lovely ladies, there's something here for everyone.

I really, REALLY like this Catwoman. Meow doesn't even begin to explain it. The body proportions are almost perfect, and every aspect of the design shows off her curves. The tilt of the torso and head, the positioning of the arms, the pose of the legs - it all comes together to showcase her attributes.

The head sculpt is also exceptional. She's a lovely woman, but with enough edge to pass as the tough criminal type. She has that dangerous look that you know you just can't resist.

The eyebrows even had slightly sculpted edges, something that was lacking on Canary and really annoyed me. They make a huge difference to my eye, complimented by the sculpted edge of the loose hair and tight cowl.

Wonder Woman is just as beautiful and buxom, but with more of a powerful frame. Again, the pose of the body, and arms, along with the tilt of the torso and head, gives a beautiful flowing (almost S shape) line to her body. This is further highlighted by the metal lasso that wraps around her body and curls at her side.

My slight deduction her is for the blocky, thick hair, which lacks much sculpt detail. This is a similar problem to what we saw with Black Canary, and I suspect will see with all the ladies that have longer, uncovered hair.

Both of these figures stand about 9" tall, but the scale between the two is accounted for nicely. Wonder Woman is thicker, more muscled and dense, while Catwoman is strong but svelte, sleek like her namesake. That's a critical aspect to a series like this, where collectors are likely to pick up many if not all of the characters, and place them together on the shelf. Making them look good together is almost as important as making them look good on their own. Some folks might argue that Wonder Woman should be taller, but I'm happy with the scale between the two.

It's also worth noting that both statues are permanently attached to their bases, so there's no risk of them (or the base) dropping off when you're handling them.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work on both statues is extremely nice, with clean cut lines, consistent application, and bright colors.

I'm particularly happy with the high gloss black on Catwoman.  It looks outstanding in any light, and really sets the statue apart on the shelf.

She does have a couple minor issues with the silver, as well as some clumping on the red lens of her goggles, but it's minor enough to only cause a small deduction.

Wonder Woman has beautiful bright colors, with the gold and blue standing out particularly well. There's some minor blips along some of the tougher cut lines, but nothing that would cause a major deduction.

The paint work on both faces is also top notch, with no sign of the silly crooked lipstick I had on Black Canary. There are minor quibbles that only the most anal will notice (Catwoman's pupils could be a little closer in size, and WW's could be a smidge straighter), and they do nothing to hurt the overall impression the statue makes on the shelf.

Both bases are imprinted with an appropriate character logo as well.

Design/Quality - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2
These are based on actual comic cover artwork, so there's only so much they could do with the design. Still, the original design of Hughes had to be spot on for the transition to three dimensions, or other artwork should have been chosen.

With both of these, I think the choice was great. I've already dribbled on about how perfect the Catwoman pose is, accentuating her beauty and personality. The same is true for the strength of Wonder Woman, and I really love how the metal lasso wraps around her body. I'm not quite as sold on Catwoman's 'tail' (her whip is wrapped around her waist, and the handle hangs down in back very tail-like), but that's a very minor quibble on an otherwise perfect representation.

Also worth noting in this section is that the small loop on Catwoman's zipper is actually metal, reducing the risk of breakage or damage over time.

The only reason Wonder Woman scores ever so slightly lower here is the action hair. As I mentioned in the sculpting section, they are giving the ladies very thick, rough, harsh hair, and when combined with a pretty wild action pose, it ends up looking too blocky and solid. It's more helmet than hair, and the lack of the hair on Catwoman (since she has the full cowl) is probably a point in her favor.

Value - ***
At around $80 - $85, these things are a very solid value. Other similar statues cost quite a bit more, and the Batman Black and White series (which are about 30% smaller) cost around $70 at most retailers. Considering the quality, the price point is welcome.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing beyond the obvious.

Overall - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2
This is the time to get in on this series. Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Catwoman and Black Canary are all still available for retail, but wait too much longer and they'll start to dry up. And just ask anyone that got in late to the Batman Black and White series what it can cost to get caught up. If you have an interest, pick them up now. If you find it's not a series you stick with long term, I think you'll always be able to get your money back plus some.

My issues with Black Canary aren't present with these two. The paint is much better, the sculpting is great all around, and both poses work for me from an aesthetic point of view. Bring on the next Cover Girl!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Design/Quality - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - Catwoman ****; Wonder Woman ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has Wonder Woman in stock at $85, and Catwoman at $90.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've checked out Black Canary so far, but you can expect more reviews of this series going forward.

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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