I've owned this figure for three years with little to no desire to open her. The majority of the female figures in the McFarlane DC Multiverse line have been great. I only consider there to be a few duds; Gotham Knights Batgirl, Punchline, and this Crime Syndicate Superwoman. In many ways I view this figure to be the most egregious because she is a very cool character who seems like and easy translation into toy form. But her uncharacteristic short haircut, bland face, and lack of her signature yellow cape just seemed like a confusing series of choices. I know this is representative of a very specific period in comics, the Infinite Frontier storyline to be exact, and that this is actually a multiverse version of Donna Troy (instead of Diana or Lois like all her previous incarnations) but the figure still seems off. Interestingly, the Donna Troy Wonder Girl figure looks more like an Earth-3 Superwoman than this one. But in its defense, this figure has a very impressive base sculpt. Let's check out Superwoman below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Wonder Girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wonder Girl. Show all posts
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Infinite Crisis - DONNA TROY!
I don't think there is a single DC character with an origin story more convoluted and confusing than Donna Troy. Originally, Wonder Girl was simply a younger version of Wonder Woman in flashback tales. But then she began appearing alongside Diana like a sidekick. And eventually in Teen Titans she was first given the name Donna Troy and given her own unique identity... which would be continually revamped and rewritten (I believe she is currently a golem made my the Amazons as a failsafe in case Wonder Woman goes rogue). Along her eventful comics journey, she has also worn a variety of costumes. My personal favorite is her red jumpsuit with yellow stars. But another look that I've found myself increasingly drawn to is this 2005 redesign which seems to incorporate the style of her classic red look with the black starfield design that became a feature of her costumes in the late 80s when she went by the name Troia. When this figure originally came out, I wasn't fond of the "new" look, but I've since become a fan.
Monday, May 1, 2023
Titans Rebirth - DONNA TROY!
Donna Troy is a very interesting character with a dynamic history. I say dynamic in the truest sense of the word as her origins are seemingly rewritten every few years. This figure exposed me to the newest incarnation from the recent Titans: Rebirth comics. The collector's card included in the packaging has a bio I never heard before. Now Donna is not even human, but rather a golem made of clay and magic as a control or safety net in case Wonder Woman would go rogue. I really like this origin, and it makes her pissed-off countenance have more resonance - like she's acknowledged that she is just a tool/weapon for the Amazons and is trying to carve out her own place in the world.. perhaps in futility. I'm totally speculating as I haven't read any recent Titans books, but I'm sticking with it. But, wow, I really like this figure. I typically ignore black-suited Donna in favor of the classic red, but this gave me a whole new appreciation for her and she'll be getting her own shelf space soon. Let's check out Donna below!
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Women of the DCU Busts - DONNA TROY!
Sometimes it takes a single collectible or piece of merchandise to make you really appreciate a character. For some reason, Donna Troy as Wonder Girl just never appealed to me. On the surface, she has all the trademarks of a character I would love: a long history, a colorful costume, and a direct familial link to an A-list hero. But it took this 2007 Women of the DC Universe bust to really make me stop and pay attention. This is especially ironic because my single favorite comic issue of my childhood was The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans team-up special. While her character was essentially drowned out by the huge roster in the issue, her image on the cover is a fixed memory for me. Of all the product lines that went away with the dissolving of DC Direct, the Women of the DCU mini bust series is one of biggest losses to me. Dedicating each series to the unique designs of a single artist made for a very cohesive aesthetic. This Wonder Girl was from the first series by Adam Hughes and John G. Mathews.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Infinite Crisis - WONDER GIRL!
This figure and I have a past. Way back in 2007, I ran to my comic shop the day of her release and picked up both her and the Donna Troy (black starfield costume). I had been waiting excitedly since their solicitation months prior. But in person, I didn't love them. I took them home, opened them up, posed, re-posed, re-re-posed... I just couldn't make them look good. They both had cocked-hip contrapposto sculpts, which isn't my favorite thing in the world, but sculptor Sam Greenwell is a pro at making it look great. The problem was the arms. They stick out at an unnatural angle and are way too long. Even the fingers are significantly longer than they should be. I blame almost all of this on the engineering and not necessarily the sculpt. I eventually sold both of them because I didn't like seeing them on my shelf. But we all know how this story goes.. ten years later I regretted the sale and began hunting her again. I'm much more accepting these days (although she still stays in the back row). Let's check her out below!
Saturday, July 25, 2020
DC Universe Classics - DONNA TROY!
DC Universe Classics was a very impactful toy line. When the line began in 2008, Marvel Legends was irritating. Most notably, their female bucks were horribly gangly and odd. However DCUC was a bright light that boasted consistent body designs with great articulation and a standardized scale. This would set it apart from both DC Direct and Marvel Legends. The DCUC line was not without its faults. The female characters in particular suffered from spindly short arms and often were sculpted with flat faces. But the overall impact and success of the line was amazing. My absolute favorite among all 30-some female DCUC figures is this Donna Troy as Wonder Girl. Her costume is simple and well-executed, her headsculpt is... intriguing (like she's actually conveying some emotion unlike the typical blank stares), and her arms strangely don't seem too short or too skinny. She is a great looking toy. (Although some runners-up are Big Barda, Dove, and Platinum). Let's check out Donna Troy below!
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Silver Age - WONDER GIRL!
One of the things I miss most about the heyday of DC Direct (circa 2000-2010) is the constant mix of genres and eras in their action figure lines. For any given A-list character, you could see a variety of representations from Golden Age to Modern (and with a healthy dose of Elseworlds re-imaginings thrown in). That kind of attention just wouldn't happen today. Of course less common characters also saw inclusion, and I think those are the real gems of the line. The Silver Age line of 2-Packs from 2001-2004 was a great way to get collectors classic designs of the Teen Titans as secondary pack-in characters. The costumes were not consistent to a specific roster, but the figures are still great in their own right. I especially love the wide-eyed good girl art style in the face sculpts. It's cheesy. But spot-on. This Wonder Girl figure is a favorite of mine. It features her second costume (her original was styled after Wonder Woman) back when she was Diana's younger sister, Donna. Let's check out Wonder Girl below!
Saturday, December 30, 2017
DC Multiverse - WONDER GIRL!
I truly thought this was one figure that would never make it to the shelves and likely only live on in photos as one of those sad Toy Fair prototypes we all fawn over but will never get. From what I remember, this figure (along with the DKIII Wonder Woman) were originally intended to be released as a comic-themed amazon-centric Walmart exclusive wave back in June to coincide with the Wonder Woman film release. The rumors were that either the production or shipment deadlines were not met and the Walmart order was cancelled. We were told that these would eventually be released, but I think we've all experienced that song and dance before. But I will gladly eat my words because luckily they showed up a mere mix months later and I couldn't be happier. Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl is a very interesting choice for this line and makes me wonder if she'll play a role in the upcoming Titans show. (Speaking of, I hope that show gets lots of figures - especially Dove!) Let's check out Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl below!
Friday, May 2, 2014
DC Collectibles WONDER GIRL!
Wonder Woman's niece makes her New52 action figure debut in this new figure from DC Collectibles. Cassandra Sandsmark was never related to Wonder Woman until her (and Diana's) history was rewritten in the New52. Before that she was a young girl who found some artifacts that gave her superpowers. In the New52 she was introduced in a very similar way with a pair of powerful bracelets giving her powers. Soon, however, it was revealed that her father was a demigod of Zeus - now officially tying her to Diana. This action figure is pretty great. There is some really creative use of plastics that really makes her pop. Cassandra's torso and legs are cast in a translucent dark red plastic with layers of gold glitter embedded in it. These layers of glitter in the translucent plastic create a very cool effect when you move her around. Her skin is cast in the semi-translucent fleshtone plastic that we saw with the Brightest Day ladies and the Arkham City Catwoman. It looks decent, but somehow creates a blurry effect and makes her features look less defined. Overall though, she's a total catch. Let's check out Cassie Below!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
DC Direct's WONDER GIRL!
I really miss the old DC Direct. As a company, they put out an impressive array of beautiful action figures every month for more than a decade. In my personal opinion, they produced the best looking superhero action figures of all time (I am not counting super high-end companies like Hot Toys). This Wonder Girl figure has an absolutely stunning sculpt by the amazing Jonathan Matthews. You would be hard-pressed to find anything like this today for under $25, but back in the heyday of DC Direct, this quality was commonplace (and honestly overlooked). The Cassandra Sandsmark version of Wonder Girl has gone through a lot of great character development since her debut in 1996. She started as a nerdy wannabe hero with powers derived from different magical objects, only to grow into a fierce, beautiful, courageous hero with self-contained powers bestowed by Zeus himself (who happens to be her father). Cassie survived the New52 reboot and still has a solid place in the Teen Titans, however her powers have backtracked and are now back to magical bracelets, a bit of a downer in my opinion. Let's check out this gorgeous figure below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)