Review of Wonder Woman - Bishoujo statue

Introduction

Ah, Wonder Woman, the babe with the bullet blocking bracelets, the lovely lady with the lethal lasso, the beautiful babe with the bodacious...logo. She's been the fantasy girl for comic book fans for many decades, so it's probably no wonder that the announcement of her return to television this fall was met with much debate.

The show will star Adrianne Palicki and is being produced by David E. Kelley. I've been fascinated by all the hate thrown Kelley's way over this announcement, and how so many people think his involvement is a bad thing when I think exactly the opposite.

Why? Because the guy knows how to make successful television. He started out as a writer on L.A. Law, and went on to create shows like Doogie Howser, Allie McBeal, The Practice, Boston Legal, Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, and this season's Harry's Law. He's had a couple flops (remember Snoops? I didn't thinks so) but his overall track record is mighty impressive.

While not all his shows have been my cup of tea, I did love The Practice and Boston Legal, and I've been really enjoying Harry's Law so far this year. The key to his shows are the characters and their development - you really grow to love and enjoy the goofy oddballs on the show. That sort of well written character development is exactly what a superhero show needs, and what has hurt all previous attempts (including Smallville). I'm still not completely sold on the everything I've seen and heard about the new show, but with Kelley's involvement I'm cautiously optimistic.

And all that is somehow a lead into tonight's review of the Bishoujo Wonder Woman statue from Kotobukiya. No, this statue has nothing to do with the show, but I figured it was a good excuse to rant about Kelley. With a character as sexy as this Amazonian is, it's no real surprise that she is getting the Bishoujo treatment. This is a bit of an early review, as the statue isn't really due to hit stores for another month or so. You can expect to pay around $50 - $60 for her, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Like the others in the series, Wonder Woman comes in an attractive window box, a big plus as far as I'm concerned. It allows you to see the one you'll be getting right on the shelf, and with a lot of these selling through comic shops, that's important. It also means that no photo of the actual statue on the package is necessary, and instead they can go with the original concept art.

There's no Certificate of Authenticity, as these are not a numbered limited edition, but there is a small instruction sheet that will show you how to place the lasso and spears on the base. The package is also very collector friendly, and you can put everything back for storage later.

Sculpting - ***1/2
These statues are not polystone, but a solid plastic material. It looks just as good as any form of resin mixed PVC, but is cheaper and less likely to break.

Wonder Woman is sculpted not as a stick figure Twiggy type, but as a voluptuous, solid, strong woman. She's smokin' hot, no doubt about it.

I love the pose as well, standing with a confident, strong attitude. The stance isn't excessively dynamic or overdone, but exudes a feeling of power and control.

The sculpting on the musculature shows restraint as well. Rather than cut the muscles in any extreme way, they've given her a much more natural, realistic, non-steroid look, which works just great for me.

The face is done in the standard Bishoujo style, with the expected anime/manga influence. The hair is the most dynamic feature of the overall pose, done in a flowing, wind swept manner. I'm not a huge fan of 'action hair', but I can live with the style here.

An nice touch with the hair is the inclusion of the tiny red star earrings, which are visible since the hair is swept outward.

In fact my only real complaint with the overall sculpt is the inclusion of the belly button indent on her belt. You'll notice that it's not present in the artwork on the box, and adding it just looks off to me.

She stands just under 9 inches tall, fitting in nicely with the rest of the series in terms of scale. She's permanently attached to the base, so you don't have to worry about her toppling over.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is top notch, on par with the other statues in the series.

The soft light skin tone contrasts beautifully with the dark hair and brightly colored uniform, and has a matte finish as well. The costume is largely gloss, and the cut lines between pieces are sharp and clean. The small white stars look great, as do the white stripes on her shiny red boots.

There is a little bit of gloppiness in the gold breast plate, but it's fairly minor and only noticeable on close inspection. The eyes are straight and very clean, but there is a bit more white around the bottom of one iris, making one eye look like it's slightly more open than the other. Again, this is a very minor nit, and most folks probably won't even notice.

Articulation - Bupkis
This is not a score that will figure in to my overall, but it's worth mentioning just in case you thought there was a point or two of articulation - there isn't. These are statues, not action figures.

Accessories - ***1/2
Most statues don't get accessories, so any score here is a huge plus.

There are three spears, a lasso and a helmet that can be added to the statue - or not, if you don't want them. That's why I'm considering them accessories, rather than a necessary addition to the statue.

The lasso has small posts that fit in either side of her closed palms. I didn't think this was going to work particularly well - the rope is rather rubbery and soft - but once I pressed them in place they had no trouble staying put.

The helmet is a soft rubber material as well, but is not intended to be worn. Instead, you can place it anywhere on the base you feel looks good.

Finally, there's the three spears. These are made from a stiffer plastic, and shouldn't wilt over time. They fit in three holes hidden in the folds of the sculpted cloth, and can be put in place fairly easily.

Value - ***
This is one of those situations where the original price point was a tad high a couple years ago, but as prices rose in other areas, these stayed the same (and in some cases, dropped), making them an even better value. You can find these for around $50 with a little effort, and that's well below the current prices for most other statues in this style and size.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing, really. She comes attached to the stand, but you do have to put the spears and rope in place. The fit is a little tight, but you shouldn't have a problem. Just don't force anything and take your time.

Overall - ***1/2
While I'm not a completist on this series like I am with the DCU Cover Girls, I have to admit that the work here is outstanding. I think Wonder Woman is my personal favorite so far, and it's largely due to the strong pose and muscular but feminine body. Fans of the bishoujo style are going to be very pleased with this one, and even fans of the character that haven't been into these statues may find themselves sucked in by her beauty.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $51.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Bishoujo statue reviews include Phoenix and Rogue.

And if you're looking for other Wonder Woman collectibles, there's the Cover Girls statue, the DCUC action figure, the Red Son version from DC Direct, the animated Justice League version, another animated version but this time in maquette form, the Pocket Hero version, the Kingdom Come version, and going real old school, the JLA action figure.

And don't forget the figure that received the only Overall score of "bupkis" in the history of the site, the Wonder Woman that came packed with the Les Daniel's book.

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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