The women of the DC line finally get their due as DC unleashes an entirely different line of busts focusing just on them. Based on art by fan favorite Adam Hughes, on paper these sculpts certainly seemed impressive. Especially so as the main woman of the DCU, Wonder Woman (sculpted by John G. Mathews), would be the first entry into the series. Does the bust live up the hype and potential this line seems to have?
Statue Concept
Its not too difficult to find out what original art was used to base this sculpt on, as Adam Hughes original art work adornes the box the bust comes in. Not referencing any particular comic moment at all, instead the concept revolves around a simple classic image of Wonder Woman, in all her majesty, dignity, and sexiness. And that is the intent of the whole line, to stay true to the character but also play up the sexiness that exudes these women as well. As far as just concepts go, this one is a homer, as is the intent of the entire line.
The Sculpt
This is simply a beautiful sculpt. While staying faithful overall to the sketches Hughes submitted, it does deviate slightly from this reference. First of all, the face seems a bit more humanized than that Hughes sculpted, as there is a hint of a smile on her face. Her costume is also a bit lower, more revealing, than it shown on the reference, but that isn't a bad thing in this situation given the nature of the line. The hair is also sculpted well, and seems to flow as naturally as it should. And while the sculpt is a bit muscular, her arms, back, and stomach are not overtly so. There is still feminity to be found in this strong woman after all. The base itself is a bit inspired. It is a marble pillar that is worn away near her waist. Its almost as it Wonder Woman herself was sculpted right from the top of this pillar.
But, it is not a perfect sculpt. Let us get the obvious out of the way, this is a bit small for a bust. At only 5.5 inches tall, it is much smaller than many of the female busts produced by DST and Bowen Designs (see comparison shot). It also has a minor flaw in that the forearms are sculpted right into her side. A bit of space there could have helped the appearance quite a bit.
The Paint Job
Like most of the paint jobs from DC Direct, the paint job has a simple color scheme. Her costume could have been a bit brighter, could have used some more vibrant colors. However, I must also admit her skin tone and hair are great. And I also must comment the paint job is pretty consistent. So, while it could have been a bit better, it is still a solid paint job.
Over-All Value
Here is where it can get ugly. The sculpt, pose, inspiration, and paint job are all great. This just could have been so much better if it had been a little taller, a little broader, a little more in line withe the scale of other companies. However, it must be remembered that this is first in a series of busts. While it may not go with DST or Bowen pieces, it SHOULD go in line perfectly with Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Hawkgirl and company. But, even so, DC Direct is charging the same price as your average DST Emma bust. Therefore you may feel you aren't getting your money's worth for this piece. Finally, some may feel they want to wait and see just how good the other sculpts will be before the buy this first. This is a valid point, as it would be aweful for DC to cancel the line before a signficant amount of busts are prodcued.
Conclusion
So, is the Wonder Woman bust worth it? It highly depends. If you like the direction of the line and plan on getting the set, you probably will love it. But, even as a stand alone piece, many may pass. Any DC or Wonder Woman fan may find themselves liking it despite its smallness and relatively high MSRP. But, if you want all your busts to have the same height and width, you might want to pass on this one. After having this for a few days, I can say it definately grows on you. Due to its unique concept, beautiful sculpt (IMO) ,and solid paint job, I want to give this sculpt a high grade. However, I realize NOW that there are generally too many problems to merit that. In the first, and hopefully last time, I re-grade this bust and give it
three out of five stars. Some will hate it, but I think some will enjoy it as well.
