REVIEW: DC Collectibles Wonder Woman The Art Of War Statue By David Finch

[Malevolus]

Unique Take On Iconic Amazon Superheroine...

DC Collectibles has perfected a very specific type of statue collection that they started with the Dark Knight. The Batman Black & White series has been replicating distinct versions of the character as imagined by different artists for years, and more recently they’ve started the same with both Superman and Wonder Woman. The Amazonian superhero stars in the “Art of War” series with full color 7 ¼ - 8 inch tall statues featuring character designs and interpretations by current and classic artists. The latest take on Wonder Woman is a new statue out now based on the design by superstar and current Wonder Woman comic book artist David Finch!

The new Wonder Woman Art of War statue comes in a sleek box that fits in with DC Collectibles’ current packaging aesthetic. The front panel features a close up of the statue on the left, revealed by the “peel” of the blue DC logo pulling toward the right. The name of the statue and its designer are on the bottom-right. The box’s sides have more photographs of the statue on display and additional information like the construction and the sculptor (Clayburn Moore in this case), while the back panel shows off two other figures in the series: Tony Daniel and Robert Valley/DC Nation. Lastly, the top of the box has a bright Wonder Woman logo so you’ll know exactly who’s inside if you can’t see the other panels. As always the packaging is sophisticated and really highlights the shots of the statue without a bunch of jarring graphics.

All of the Art of War statues are hand-sculpted and fully painted, made from cold-cast porcelain, and stand on Wonder Woman-themed display bases. That, though, is where their similarities end. With visions of Diana Prince from such luminaries as Jim Lee, Adam Hughes, George Perez, Cliff Chiang, and more each one is a unique presentation from the overall style to the pose, costume, weapons, etc. David Finch’s take on the character is clearly a strong warrior, striding on the battlefield with some extra armor protection and armed first and foremost with her magical lasso. Wonder Woman stands with her legs spread apart for balance and she twists slightly and looks to her left at some unseen foe. She wields the Lasso of Truth with both hands, the right held down at her side and the left defiantly up in front of her. Diana wears a unique version of her costume with an eagle-decorated breastplate, pleated skirt with stars, sandals strapped to the knees, and a great billowing cape. She also adds armor plates at the shoulders and knees with matching bracers instead of bracelets. A short sword is strapped to her left thigh and her tiara rests on her forehead.

Even at first glance you can tell that this statue has a really nice sculpt, thanks to the always awesome Clayburn Moore, and there’s a nice contrast between the smoothness of Wonder Woman’s skin and the textures and layering of her clothing. Her pose reads confident, powerful, and beautiful rather than sexy, and that does nothing to diminish the impact it has. The straps of the sandals and bracers are nice and thick, the pleats of her skirt well defined, and the eagle on her chest highly detailed. There are lots of really small accents too like the buckles and straps attaching the breastplate to the shoulder armor and the twisted strap holding the sword on her thigh. Diana’s face has a Greek look to it (at least it appears that way to me) with a narrow nose, full lips, and huge expressive eyes with thick eyelashes. Her hair is large and in charge as well, falling behind her head and wafting forward in the same breeze that ruffles her awesome cape. Of course I have to mention her sweet lasso, a twisted cord with loops and trailing end.

While the similar Batman statue series from DC Collectibles evokes the Dark Knight’s world with black and white only, Diana lives fully in the world of men and gods and is presented in living color. The full effect is red, blue, and gold with splashes of darkness from her armor and hair. Wonder Woman’s skin tone is a nice olive shade (somewhat hard to photograph) with dark red used on her breastplate and cape with a slightly lighter hue on her straps. Gold is strategically placed on her chest-mounted eagle, tiara, the pommel of her sword, and the trim on her skirt and cape. The bright blue on the aforementioned skirt is really eye-catching in the middle of the statue, especially with the added white stars. Wonder Woman’s lips are a deep, glossy red while her prominent eyes are a cool blue. Small details bring in other colors like brown on the sword handle and the near-hidden straps of her shoulder armor, and at the latter there’s a dash of silver on the buckles.

Overall the paint work is top notch and really elevates the look of the statue even more. If I were forced to find one thing to nitpick it might be that her left eye is ever so slightly turned in; at one exact angle she looks a tad cross-eyed but perfect from straight on, in profile, and at almost every other perspective.

If you’re a Wonder Woman fan you must already be aware of the Art of War line, so I don’t need to tell you that you need this new David Finch version of the Amazon on your shelf. And if you hadn’t heard of these statues, then just look at the photos. This is a really awesome version of the hero and will look great in any collection of DC characters or any other 7-8 inch scale figures. The design is great, she looks tough and cool, and there’s real movement in the tiara as well as the hair and cape. Wonder Woman Art of War statues have an MSRP of $80 (though you can often find them for a little less), and this David Finch edition is available now everywhere you get your comics and superhero toys and statues.

Review and photos by Scott Rubin

Review sample courtesy of DC Collectibles

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