Sneak Review: DC Universe Classics Wave 17 Star Sapphire Wonder Woman!

Most of fandom is kinda outraged at Wonder Woman's recent costume change from the classic look to the blue long johns. Well ok, mainly people dislike it, with a few fans lukewarm and even less saying it's a good look.  But I know one thing's for sure--if Wonder Woman had ditched her old costume for the one she's wearing on this figure, all of you would've approved.  Well, most of you anyway. 

Yes, Star Sapphire Wonder Woman has even less on than when she isn't championing the pink light of passion.  And while it may make some of us bleed from the nose and smoke from our ears, you can only get a good look at photos and read a review right now, because Wave 17 has another 2-3 months before it hits the stores.

But is scantily-clad-pink-Diana-Space-faring Wonder Woman worth the investment?

Let's find out!

Like: That they used the same head as classic WW but with a newly sculpted on mask.  It's a great touch, because next to regular WW, you can tell it's Diana, and then Diana in a gold mask.  There's more: this WW's hair sculpt is different from the original.  I must say I'm impressed that they didn't just reuse the sculpt for it.

Like: That the new hair sculpt has great motion to it.  It's almost the same as the classic Wonder Woman's with a litle less motion.  Just a litle.  Still, if she's just standing still it looks like there' wind in her hair.  If she punching/flying/firing her ring it looks like she's doing it with real gusto.  It's too bad her face doesn't follow suit...

Subtle but important differences. The classic's also got higlights. The SS doesn't

Dislike:  Like Blue Lantern Flash from the same wave, her facial expression is a little bland.  It's just too expressionless, maybe even a little sleepy.  Her face doesn't look quite right punching, kicking, aiming her ring, or doing anything because she has this non-committal look on her face. 

Wait, even non-committal has an expression--it's a little more committed than this? ;P  So this is just...blank?  If there's any consolation, she's slightly more determined-looking than Blue Flash.

Like: The new female buck.  It's fleshier and less sinewy than the classics Wonder Woman. While the original is not actually bigger or taller than this version, it is well-muscled, especially in the biceps and shoulders.  I don't mind the wiry look of the original and this one looks great too, providing a little variety even though it's supposed to look like she just had a costume change.

Dislike: That we lost the ab crunch and waist swivel, only to gain a chest pivot that doesn't really pivot, being reduced to mainly a swivel.  I'm not even sure that is makes the figure better looking. Bottom line is that doesn't make the figure more playable.  Bring back the old ab crunch and waist swivel!

Dislike: Shiny finish.  My first thought was that this was the reason for the "failed" QC.  But having looked at WW closer, she looks to have been intentionally done this way.  All I can say is this--plastic sculpted in a certain color works only for some surfaces and flesh is not one of them.  It may even work some of the time for skin tight costumes etc., but paint works for everything.

Bottom line?  Go with the paint for the skin, especially the face!  The older female figures from Classic WW to Power Girl, Black Canary, and all the way up till Green Lantern Wave 2 Carol Ferris are awesomely painted.  Please don't buck the trend!

Like: Her Lasso.  Granted, I'd like it better as an accessory rather than just a fixture, so it must be a good thing that mine fell off!  Right?  Lol.  At least she now has something to hold in her one open hand.

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 7/10 - Wonder Woman looks good, but not great.  The potential for great aesthetics is there.  But instead of a nice, matte finish, most of her costume is painted a weird shiny pink.  Her flesh is molded instead of painted and is also shiny.  I guess that's the thing that bother me most about her--she's a Super Shiny Star Sapphire Wonder Woman (or SSSSWW for short)!  SSSSWWW...That's the exact same sound our money makes as it leaves our pockets...

The figure is though, saved by her face sculpt, which is very nicely detailed with her mask and the star on her circlet.  The hair, like the original, is great and even her costume on her torso is sculpted.  Too bad they didn't sculpt costume on her limbs, though.  It would've made her a lot more substantial and less like a Fembot.  She'd still have a similar look to Green Lantern Wave 2's Star Sapphire Carol Ferris but wouldn't look like a cheap knockoff.

Poseability: 6.5/10 - SSSSWW's got a left open fist, but nothing to hold!  Her lasso is glued on to her right hip, as I mentioned earlier.  If not for it falling off due to my attempts to orientate it "correctly" (it was pointing every which way but down), she'd actually have nothing to hold in that open left hand.  Imagine that, a weird hand in every pose.  Thank goodness Mattel made the lasso detachab...Oh, wait!  They didn't!

And needless to say, the loss of an ab crunch is annoyingly, well, annoying.  She really loses a ton of poseability--no puffing up of the chest to stand proudly, no slight hunker to demonstrate the tension in combat readiness.  It's a big deal.

Fun: 7/10 - Goes well with Carol Ferris!  But other than that, she'd be be a whole lot more fun with more "usable" accessories.  Where's the pink construct axe and shield? ;P  That would've made up for the figure losing some PoAs and even give it a sense of continuity from the classic WW, who has both these items.  And How about making a Wonder Woman who can actually remove and uncoil her lasso?  Lots of pose value there.  C'Mon, Matty!

Value: 7/10 - At S$12 she's a steal.  Even if she came in packaging, it would be with just an Anti-Monitor part (which is too small for how huge the Anti-Monitor is) and a pink Lantern.  It would definitely not be worthwhile to pay almost 3 times the price for that!

Looking at how they packed Classic Wonder Woman an awesome axe and a star-spangled shield, couldn't they do they same with this Wonder Woman?  Even if they don't mold them in pink as constructs (which would've been the awesomest thing btw), they could've just given her the the exact same axe and shield and it would've even matched her Star Sapphire costume perfectly!

Overall: 6.9/10 - Star Sapphire Wonder Woman's just not that impressive.  Between losing the ab crunch an waist swivel, the lack of paint apps, and the shortage of accessories, I'm not sure this figure is worth getting unless your either a big fan of hers or the Anti-Monitor's.  We know that the sculpt will remain pretty much as is when Wave 17 is released in August, but here's hoping that the actual packaged version will at least have her flesh painted! (So she won;t lok like a Fembot.)