Barbie: Batman V Superman Wonder Woman
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Mattel is producing quite a bit of merchandise for March's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, including a surprising amount focused on Wonder Woman.
I say surprising, because - according to most rumors - she'll be playing a relatively small part in the story (though it should transition into her own movie, as well as a larger role in the upcoming Justice League film). Personally, I wish Warner Bros. had done a movie about the Trinity instead of another retread of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. Both Burton and Nolan already drew heavily from this for their Batman films, plus we've had numerous animated works inspired by the story (including a two-part direct-to-DVD movie). For a work that's supposedly edgy and modern, it feels extremely played out at this point. Also, there's quite a bit about the project that looks questionable. The colors are muted to the point that some shots almost look black & white, the casting for several characters feels a little random, and the trailers have been mixed. Still, I'm excited to see a unified DCU on the big screen, so I'll give it a chance. And, hell, even if it's awful, at least we're getting some Wonder Woman collectibles out of the deal. One of the more intriguing is a Barbified interpretation of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. It's "Black Label," for those of you versed in Mattel's terminology (adult collectible, comes with a certificate of authenticity, but not exactly a "limited release"). I picked this up at a Fred Meyer recently. They also had Batman and Superman dolls that had gone through some kind of Ken-filter. I left those on the shelf - maybe I'll circle back if they drop in price. |
Appearance and Construction: 7/10
Honestly, I'm not even sure what I'm using as a frame of reference here.
I've got other Barbies, including several DC characters. This doesn't fare especially well against my Supergirl (comparison picture at the bottom), but that's one of the best dolls I've ever seen.
In terms of likeness, this is somewhat mixed. There's definitely a resemblance to Gadot in the face, but it doesn't quite capture her jawline. That said, it's supposed to fall somewhere in the middle between Barbie and the actress, and I think it accomplishes that well enough.
Lindsay thinks the doll's head is a little large. I don't completely agree, though the pictures magnify that effect.
It's worth noting Mattel designed her suit as a sculpted part of the figure. Unlike most Barbies, you won't be able to pull it off and dress her in something different (though you could always swap out her head if you were so inclined). I don't mind this, however I do think they could have punched up the colors on her costume a bit. Maybe that's more a note for the filmmakers than the toy designers, though.
While the plastic bodice, bracers, boots, and tiara are a little weak, I love the look of the skirt, as well as the harness. In addition, I want to call out a design choice that really took me by surprise: her left hand is sculpted in a balled fist. Her hands are a little small (call it an issue or a design choice - all Barbies are like that), but I love that she's ready to slug someone. I don't believe I've ever seen this done on a Barbie before, and I can't think of a more appropriate place to start.
While she has quite a few issues, I think this is at least a solid figure when viewed at a distance. The details aren't perfect, but I can't bring myself to go lower than 7. If it weren't for the fist, I think it would be 6.
I've got other Barbies, including several DC characters. This doesn't fare especially well against my Supergirl (comparison picture at the bottom), but that's one of the best dolls I've ever seen.
In terms of likeness, this is somewhat mixed. There's definitely a resemblance to Gadot in the face, but it doesn't quite capture her jawline. That said, it's supposed to fall somewhere in the middle between Barbie and the actress, and I think it accomplishes that well enough.
Lindsay thinks the doll's head is a little large. I don't completely agree, though the pictures magnify that effect.
It's worth noting Mattel designed her suit as a sculpted part of the figure. Unlike most Barbies, you won't be able to pull it off and dress her in something different (though you could always swap out her head if you were so inclined). I don't mind this, however I do think they could have punched up the colors on her costume a bit. Maybe that's more a note for the filmmakers than the toy designers, though.
While the plastic bodice, bracers, boots, and tiara are a little weak, I love the look of the skirt, as well as the harness. In addition, I want to call out a design choice that really took me by surprise: her left hand is sculpted in a balled fist. Her hands are a little small (call it an issue or a design choice - all Barbies are like that), but I love that she's ready to slug someone. I don't believe I've ever seen this done on a Barbie before, and I can't think of a more appropriate place to start.
While she has quite a few issues, I think this is at least a solid figure when viewed at a distance. The details aren't perfect, but I can't bring myself to go lower than 7. If it weren't for the fist, I think it would be 6.
Packaging and Extras: --
The packaging is pretty standard: if you've picked up other collectible Barbies, you won't be surprised. The graphics, of course, tie in with the movie.
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I don't have any serious complaints, though Mattel should really get better writers working on their packaging. The text on both this and the Multiverse line is hilariously bad.
Also, there are a ton of elastics and ties binding Wonder Woman in place. Mattel wants these to look uniform on the shelf, and they don't care how much time it takes you to reverse that.
Also, there are a ton of elastics and ties binding Wonder Woman in place. Mattel wants these to look uniform on the shelf, and they don't care how much time it takes you to reverse that.
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It's always tricky counting up Barbie's accessories, since they generally overlap with her costume. The bracers, boots, armband, and tiara all seem to be removable, as is her holster. Whether you consider these accessories or part of the doll is a matter of opinion.
The sword and shield are more obvious extras, though. I'm pleased with the overall appearance of both - there's quite a bit of detail sculpted in each. The shield is held in place by elastic straps in back, which fit securely around her arm. The sword can either be held or sheathed into the other side of Wonder Woman's holster, opposite the lasso. While you probably could cut the lasso free, I'm not sure you'd want to. It's just a coiled string; I doubt it would look all that impressive in her hands, and I'm not sure it would easy to reattach. There are two other extras: her stand and a certificate of authenticity. The certificate is more or less worthless, but the stand is pretty good. Or, in my case, it WAS pretty good: I managed to break it after about ten minutes. I'm not going to hit this with a penalty over the snapped stand, because - honestly - I wasn't being as careful as I should have been. |
It's a pity, because it was a nice shape, designed to work well with the doll. I've got other stands (not quite the same shape), so I'm not heartbroken. Still, take care when posing: the stand is there to hold up the doll, not to be used when changing her position.
It's a decent enough assortment of accessories, but nothing above and beyond what I expect for the price point. All told, this category is a wash.
It's a decent enough assortment of accessories, but nothing above and beyond what I expect for the price point. All told, this category is a wash.
Play and Display: +1
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Easily the "most improved" category, Barbie's creators have seriously re-evaluated their stance on articulation in the past year. This figure has double-jointed elbows, double-pin wrists, cut forearms, and hinged knees, in addition to the usual ball-jointed head, shoulders, and limited ball-jointed thighs.
It's not exactly up to the standards of highly articulated six-scale figures, but it's more or less halfway there. Of those joints, the elbows offer the most options, allowing a fairly natural range (though they're not quite strong enough to handle the shield's weight in some poses). The knees were a good try, but either the boots are too restricting or there's not much give: you really don't get much more there than with older models. We still don't have ankle joints on these (though some new Barbies have that joint), and some sort of hinge in the abs would have been a nice touch. Still, this is a huge step up, particularly in the arms and wrists. As I said before, the shield fits nicely on her arm, though I don't see anything included to fit it on her back. She can hold her sword in her right hand, even with the elastic removed, though it's a little loose. If you definitely want her holding it all the time, you might consider leaving the elastic in place - I've got it on in some of my pictures and not others: if you can't tell the difference, it's a good sign you won't notice it on the shelf. The included stand clips to her leg, which is a great design for the figure. The only issue is that it's easy to forget that's how it's attached. If you try turning the figure, you risk snapping off the clip, rendering the stand useless. Don't make my mistake - be very careful posing this. I'm giving her a bonus point for the added articulation - this is much better than what we're used to. |
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Price Tag and Final Analysis: 8/10
While there's a lot that could have been better, this is a good sixth-scale version of the Amazon princess. Even if the movie doesn't deliver, the design is close enough to Wonder Woman's iconic look to pass as a generic version of the character.
These aren't exactly cheap - I paid $40 for her, which seems to be the going retail price. I'm not sure how many are being produced - there's a chance these will wind up dropping in price after the movie hits. That said, there's also a chance these will sell out and get marked up to exorbitant prices on Ebay.
If you really want one, it may be worth dropping the cash, rather than taking the risk.
In my case, I really wanted a Wonder Woman which could go on my shelf of twelve/thirteen inch DC figures. I'm still holding out for the perfect Diana in that scale, but this seems like a good stand-in for the meantime.
These aren't exactly cheap - I paid $40 for her, which seems to be the going retail price. I'm not sure how many are being produced - there's a chance these will wind up dropping in price after the movie hits. That said, there's also a chance these will sell out and get marked up to exorbitant prices on Ebay.
If you really want one, it may be worth dropping the cash, rather than taking the risk.
In my case, I really wanted a Wonder Woman which could go on my shelf of twelve/thirteen inch DC figures. I'm still holding out for the perfect Diana in that scale, but this seems like a good stand-in for the meantime.
Here she is alongside my 13 inch DC Direct Batman and Superman. This actually isn't bad, though she's admittedly a little short for the Trinity. I'm going to find something to prop her up an inch or so - I think that will look pretty good.
And here's Wonder Woman alongside her fellow Barbied DC hero, Supergirl. I wish they'd delivered the same kind of vibrant colors that we got on Supergirl's outfit. The sooner they cut this dark and gritty nonsense, the better.
Lastly, here's a comparison between the 12 inch Barbie and the six-inch Multiverse Wonder Woman. I find it interesting their shields are almost the same size, yet neither looks off. Based on screen shots, I think the correct scale would be somewhere in the middle.
