A Different Dynamic Duo - DC Direct's Latest DC Dynamics Statues

Good grief, I am really getting behind in some of my reviews. One of the pieces I'm looking at today was purchased on Free Comic Book Day! I've been talking about the backlog for awhile now and I really need to get moving on addressing it, so get ready for some two or three-in-one reviews to try to get up to date!

The DC Direct Wonder Woman DC Dynamics Statue was sitting on the shelves at my LCS pre FCBD, and while I was interested in it I was prepared to take the risk of missing out to try to get it in the Free Comic Book Day Sale (which, by the way, all self respecting comic shops have, but that's another story.) Happily, the Woman of Wonder was there in all her on-sale glory and I was able to take her home, as part of a very decent swag.

Right off the bat, this statue reveals one of my great statue pet peeves once I unbox it. There are times where the solicit and packaging photos have been taken from a slightly different angle which misrepresents the angle the statue sits at. That's annoying enough, but then there are times where it seems there has to be some photoshopping involved to get the picture, as just a different angle wouldn't achieve the effect. I can't be 100% certain, but that seems to be the case here. In statue form, Diana's face is angled much higher, in fact oddly high. Paired with a very un-Diana like face, which seems more porcelain doll than Amazon, it takes some getting used to.

From the neck down, this is a great piece. The way her lower torso and hips blend in to the base ins beautifully done, and the burst of light and smoke that forms the bottom of the base is my favourite of the three statues I've seen in person so far. This piece is great in concept - it's just a shame that the execution of the head doesn't do the rest justice. Being a Bruckner sculpt I'd say this a design choice, but it just doesn't work for me.

The Batman DC Dynamics Statue is another one of those things that I hadn't ordered but was quite taken with when I saw it in person. I was very lucky to get a good sale price on it. This is a really impressive looking piece, and I've been quite surprised to read a number of negative comments about it on various forums. For me, Bruckner has knocked this one right out of the park. I love the impressive arch of his cape at the top and the wispy tendrills at the ends. The inside of Batman's cape is painted a deep metallic blue for effective contrast. All this is topped up with a fantastic headsculpt.

The billowing smoke base may be on the bottom, but it tops off a wonderful piece. I need to find some sort of light that I can place under the bases of these to get the full illuminated effect.

As I mentioned when reviewing the Aquaman statue in this series, the price point on this series is hefty - it's in line with a Bowen Full Size Statue, and that seems rather pricey. Being the mad Aqua-fan that I am, I paid full price for Arthur, but like Wonder Woman and Batman, I can only see myself buying the rest of the series if I happen to find them on sale.

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the July AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

DC Dynamics Aquaman - King of the Seas, King of the Statues

The original DC Direct Tim Bruckner Aquaman statue is one of my collecting holy grails, and I dare say will remain so, unless something dramatic happens to the secondary market prices for that great piece. While the new Bruckner-sculpted Aquaman Statue from DC Direct's DC Dynamics Statue line isn't going to fill that void, it's the first full-sized Aquaman statue in quite some time, and it's very good looking to boot.

The idea of the DC Dynamics line is the visual provided by the detailed, colourful base which envelops the legs of the character. Unsurprisingly, Aquaman's base is a water spout, complete with foamy edges. It's a tall and thin statue but is remarkably stable. Quite often with DCD Statues and Busts the end product is a little bit less than the sketch or solicit photo, but this is one statue that actually looks better than the pictures - the paintwork on the detail of the face in the profile shot on the box doesn't hold a candle to the real thing - it's a much better job. The styling choice for Aquaman is very classic - interestingly no scales on the orange of his shirt. The sculpting here is quite beautiful, with wrinkles that match the twist in his torso.

The recent Heroes of the DC Universe Aquaman Mini- Bust had a trident that was the same as what often comes with a 6" figure, but the DC Dynamics Statue gets an upgraded version. It's still flexible, but has wider and more detailed edges and prongs. While the statue looks great from a number of angles, the length of the trident does limit the options in my display.

The only downside to this excellent statue is the cost. While the price point is on par with a full sized Bowen Statue, in DC Direct terms I think these are a bit pricey. A full sized 10 - 11" Cover Girls of the DCU Statue runs at nearly half the price of this, and a massive two-character statue like the recent Batman vs. Killer Croc is the same price as the DC Dynamics, so it's a bit hard to reconcile what could basically be a well-done mini-bust on a really fancy and tall base being priced where it is, As such, the value for money will probably keep me from picking up any of the others in the series, although the Green Lantern and Batman pieces definitely appeal visually, and I love the Silver Aged Goodness of the Supergirl Statue.

While this is likely to be my one and only full-priced DC Dynamics purchase (one never says never when it come to sales!) , it's certainly a vital part of my Aquaman collection, and I keep returning to my display to appreciate just how good looking it is. With Arthur's return at the end of BLACKEST NIGHT, it's a good time to be an Aquaman fan. Let's hope DC Direct keeps the Aquaman love coming!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post for a chance to win the April AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

The Happiest of Days for the Aquafan…..

ign.com has the breaking news about some new statues coming out from DC Direct next year. The DC Dynamics Statue line has one statue in particular that is going to interest this Aqua-fan………

It’s great to see DCD doing some of the stuff that Bowen has been nailing out of the park for years for Marvel, and I know that the collectors of bigger statue are going to be eating these up. They look fabulous. Batman bursting out of a slew of bats is pretty amazing….

The US $195 price tag (*gasp* *choke*!) means that I will certainly not be collecting this as a line, but I’m already working out which organ I can live without and hoping that the Aquaman statue is released around either Christmas, Father’s Day or my birthday, because it is SO going to be mine!

Many thanks to AFB Forum member Faithful Butler (FB) for the heads up! Between the upcoming Heroes of the DCU Aquaman Mini-bust I’m doing quite well out of DC in the Aquaman department. Now if we could just get that 6” Aquaman wave that’s been begging to be done for years underway……

You can discuss the new DC Dynamics line at this thread at the AFB Forum.