Review: DC Direct: Wonder Woman: Agent Diana Prince
There were many mistakes made by DC in the aftermath of 1986's Crisis on Infinite Earths, but one of the more inspired choices, at least in my opinion, was removing Diana Prince, Wonder Woman's secret identity, from continuity. Sure, Superman was raised human and needs to feel like one of us, and Batman has that whole mortal thing to consider, but Diana's an immortal princess from the island of Amazons: why should she bother with a disguise? Dropping this was a good call.
Well, apparently, DC has recently gotten around to correcting it.
Of course, rather than act as secretary (or whatever she did in the forties), Diana now serves as a secret agent. I'm not entirely sure why, but all of this is really beside the point. I guess she figured this was the best way she could experience a "normal" human life or something.
The point is that DC Direct has released action figures based on this version of the character. And, because not all of said action figures sold as well as hoped, they've slipped in price.
And I always like a deal. Actually, this was really one of my wife's picks: I suspect her mind is already scheming horrors to unleash upon Prince's plastic form. I don't know what - if anything - she has in mind, but I'm intrigued: this is a nice sculpt with some customizing potential.
Appearance: 9/10
And that's a strong nine, too. This figure is gorgeous. DC Direct has pretty much perfected the art of creating attractive female action figures.
But Diana goes above and beyond. If I had to pick out one area that really shines, it's the eyes. Or, more specifically, the eye-glasses. These are exceptionally well done, as is the paint work beneath them. The effect is stunning.
In fact, Diana's entire head is nearly perfect. The lipstick is bright and clean, and the hair is well sculpted. My only nitpick here is with the painting on the hair line around the ears: the lines aren't quite as clean as I'd like, but it's hard to notice unless you're looking for it.
Likewise, the costume is extremely well done. While I'm not a huge fan of Diana's high tech jumpsuit, DC Direct has captured the look wonderfully. I particularly like the utility belt they've outfitted her with. By sculpting this in a softer material, it provides an impressive level of depth.
Beside the painting around the hairline, my only remaining issue is another minor one: the shoulder joints are ugly in some poses. It's not an issue all the time - in fact it's barely an issue at all - but, considering how limited the articulation is to begin with, I find this worth mentioning.
Diana's a great figure, but not quite a ten. If they had fixed those issues, I think I have had to give her the extra point.
Packaging and Extras: ----
The package was fairly easy to open, while still protecting the figure - no complaints here.
I assume that DC Direct was getting tired of being outdone by Mattel, so they've put some good, relevant character info on the back. However, seeing as this was based on specific issues, I wish the writer and artist were featured here.
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In terms of accessories, you get a base and a pair of... um... I don't know; weapons, I guess. I read a few of those Wonder Woman issues, but I really don't remember anything looking like a clear baton. I'm sure they're from something, but I don't know what. If anyone recognizes these, feel free to enlighten me. |
The base is pretty much expected at this price, and the accessories really aren't anywhere near enough to justify a bonus point.
Play and Display: ----
This one's more display than play: Diana really only has a few points of articulation. You get the usual three ball joints at the neck and each shoulder, but these are limited. The shoulder joints in particular are disappointing: I'm used to limited neck joints, but arms generally work much better than this. These are better than cut joints, obviously, but not by much.
The knees and elbows are all pin joints, which is fine, although they're a little loose. Not enough to make it an issue, but still worth mentioning.
The hips are fairly basic, but the sculpt makes them very limited. Not that there's a point in having her strike extreme poses, since she's lacking ankle joints, but be aware this is for balance, nothing more.
And... that's it. At the very least, she should really have wrist joints, since the weapons would be a lot more versatile with them. But DC Direct is fairly adamant about maintaining the integrity of the sculpt at the expense of everything else.
I seriously considered hitting this with a deduction for the missing wrist joints, but the truth is she balances well enough and the pose she has is a pretty good one. She's a hair away from a statue, but she's a pretty good statue. So no change.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 9/10
I actually don't like this figure quite as much as the score implies, but that's not the fault of the sculptors, painters, or producers: I just don't care for this version of Diana Prince.
But, as a figure, the toy is technically excellent. A few added or enhanced joints, and she'd easily have gotten a ten.
Now for the big question: What's she worth?
This is kind of tough. While I have no trouble saying a Wonder Woman this nice is worth sixteen bucks or so, this figure is, well, kind of generic. At ten, she's a good deal, but, unless you're a fan of the specific comic she's from, this is really just a good-looking secret agent. Ten to twelve bucks seems reasonable; any more, and you better be a fan.
Well, I picked her up on clearance for measly six bucks, so I'm pretty happy with the deal I got. Even so, this figure was purchased for her custom potential. I've already got a "Diana Prince" on display.
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