These figurines tie in with the characters appearance in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movies, such as Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. They are from the Anglo-German company Schleich who also make animals, dinosaurs, and Smurfs, among others – as well as DC Superheroes.
These are small figures, about 4 inches or 10 cm high, roughly the height of a Star Wars figure – but these are figurines, so they have no articulation.
The body sculpts are good, with lots of fine details on the outfits especially. The paint jobs are ok – a few liberties have been taken with the colours, and some details look a little rough in places. These are cheaper than their equivalent action figures though, so perhaps that’s to be expected.
Unlike the other DC Superhero figurines Schleich make, these movie tie-in ones also attempt bear the likeness of the actors playing the characters. Some are more successful than others.
Batman looks close enough to Ben Affleck’s caped crusader, which is also reminiscent the iconic 1980’s The Dark Knight Returns look. Superman looks a lot like Henry Cavill, which is a strike against it in my books (I’m not a fan of his interpretation of Superman). It also has an unfortunate paint job which makes him look rather perplexed – as well as having a pretty pasty complexion (compared to Wonder Woman especially). The Superman figure also appears to be leaning back a lot, seemingly weighed down by his flowing cape.
It could be argued that the Wonder Woman figure is the least successful likeness-wise. However, I really like the way this figure looks – it has a less skinny and stronger looking frame than Gal Gadot (especially compared to the packaging artwork), and her face has more classically Mediterranean in look, in keeping with Wonder Woman’s greek origins.
The Wonder Woman figurine seems to be based very specifically on the first promo image of Gal Gadot as the character.
Perhaps because it’s based on this early image, where the outfit’s colours were unclear, some license has been taken with the figurine’s colours. It is a shame that the vibrant blue and red colours of the Superman figure are not repeated in the Wonder Woman paint job, where those colours become pale blue and pink!
Batman V Superman – Dawn of Wonder Woman merchandise
I love the amount of Wonder Woman products we are finally seeing in the shops. For so many years, she has been an obvious omission from the shelves among all the Batman and Superman toys.
I am yet to be convinced about Wonder Woman’s movie outfit, but I am still to see it fully in action. I miss the vibrant primary colours of her classic costume, here looking more like a less earthy Xena Warrior Princess. But seeing Wonder Woman portrayed as a strong, proud, and athletic character is great.
My daughter likes the figures. I was worried the lack of articulation would mean her interest would wane quickly, but she is enjoying lots of imaginative role play with them. Coupled with her other sets of this trio (such as this one and this one), it is firmly established in her head that Wonder Woman is as important a part of this team as Batman and Superman.
Perhaps even more so – as far as she’s concerned Wonder Woman is stronger, cleverer, and has greater leadership skills than either Batman or Superman. Who am I to argue with that?
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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice ©2016 WARNER BROS. ENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Disclaimer: We were provided with these figurines free of charge for the purposes of this review.
