DC Collectibles Infinite Crisis: Atomic Wonder Woman (December 2013) - $124.95
Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios
Measure approximately 11.25" tall
Both DC Comics and Marvel both have ways of expanding on their characters, be it either outfits, origin stories, or even complete reboots. For Marvel it tends to be time travel, for DC Comics it's the notion of alternate dimensions. From one of these alternate dimensions is where we find this recent addition to the DC Collectibles range, Atomic Wonder Woman.
Based on the soon to be released video game Infinite Crisis, DC Collectibles brings us a Wonder Woman piece from a dimension that could only be described as desolate, harsh, and probably highly radio active. What strikes you first when seeing the Atomic Wonder Woman piece is that the dimension which she hails from is radically different from our own, on Earth One Dianna is a princess from Amazon, adorned with precious metals and meticulously cared for, while Atomic Wonder Woman seems more like a character from Mad Max 3.
The sculpt is quite interesting with plenty of little details. How often do you see a piece, especially Wonder Woman, where her bra is made of used footballs, her dress is just a few ties bound around her waist, and her armor is just old vehicle number plates beaten together. I really like how this piece was thought out from top to bottom, giving it a very rough and ragged feel while still leaving the impression that Atomic Wonder Woman is a powerful character. Not only does the chainsaw on a pole illustrate this nicely, but the back muscles on this piece are also beautifully sculpted and quite well defined, even the mid section receiving the same amount of care. In fact muscle definition on this piece in general is expertly done and really shows the power of a character which had to survive in harsh conditions. Just to prove how extreme the world is where she comes from, Wonder Woman doesn't sport a "lasso of truth", she wears a "thick heavy chains of badassery" on her!
I'm not entirely sure what to make of the base though, it looks like some old parts of machine with a slight steam-punk feel to them, but being quite symmetrical it's hard to accurately describe what it is supposed to look like. While not being particularly bad it doesn't really add anything to the piece and in my opinion could have been done better to show off the place which she comes from.
The paint application is a slightly hit and miss affair with this piece, much like most of DC Collectibles in recent memory. Her skin tone is flawless and extremely well done, while apparel such as her belt seem sloppy by comparison. The dress of ties if wonderfully painted with no two ties being identically painted. The chainsaw and pole paint application is straight forward, with the blades name being a nice touch, however some parts of it being rushed by the looks of things. The face is painted wonderfully, while the vehicle number plate armor is again a hit and miss affair with slight blotches and run over in areas. Overall the paint application is great with only a few minor areas of nitpicking.
Overall I think that this statue will either be loved or hated. If you're a fan of Wonder Woman regardless of form, this piece is a great addition to the collection as something which stands out from the norm and shows great creativity from the side of DC Collectibles. If you prefer your Wonder Woman a bit more traditional in corset and bracelets, you will probably walk away disappointed as this isn't the Dianna you know. Once all is said and done, I feel that this piece is a great addition to the DC Collectibles line and much more interesting to anything Wonder Woman that they have recently brought out, be it either Cover Girl or Bombshell.
Sculpt – Great attention to detail, solid build, quite a unique take on the character
Paint application – Great with blotches and run over in some places but not enough to take away from the overall good quality.
Base – A strange brown base which doesn't really look like anything, a bit of a wasted opportunity to add something really special to this piece.
Value for money - A fair price for a fair piece. A much better purchase than any of the recent Cover Girls statues!
Overall score - 8/10
Like I said earlier this piece will have a love/hate relationship with many collectors. If I had to choose between Atomic Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman Bombshell, or New 52 Wonder Woman Cover Girls, this piece would be a quick and easy choice to make. The creativity put into it is fantastic with all the minor details all over, and stands out from the crowd in a great way.