Review - Wonder Woman and Ares Collect & Connect DC Multiverse Figures by Mattel

Wonder Woman hit theaters a few weeks ago and by all accounts it's a genuine hit with critics and audiences alike. The film is full of humor, effective action, and great characters that you really end up feeling for. It's nice to finally have a true hero in the DCEU, with out all the pretentious nonsense. Hopefully DC and Warner Bros. can continue this trend into Justice League and the wider Extended Universe.

Mattel's Wonder Woman centric DC Multiverse line has been hitting for a while now, and the Toys "R" Us exclusive Wonder Woman is finally available in stores. At first I thought it was a terrible idea making Wonder Woman in her iconic red and blue outfit a store exclusive, but now I realized they did this for a reason. They needed to get this look out there in big numbers so they had to sell her by the case, but by making her a store exclusive it ensures she doesn't clog pegs for the months to come. Luckily though, she is not necessary to complete the awesome Ares Collect & Connect figure. Good work DC multiverse team.

Wonder Woman comes PACKAGED in the same style box as the rest of the figures in the wave, with a nice big photograph of Gal Gadot on the front and sides. The back of the box is slightly updated with Ares holding his shield; it's really nice that Mattel put bonus accessories in the exclusive figures making it super easy to build Ares. All of his pieces snap together easily, but his right arm is a little tricky due to the shoulder pad. Hasbro might be able to learn a thing or two from Mattel when it comes to BAFs in general. I really liked that I could build an oversized character with only buying 4 different figures (don't worry, we're going to have a long talk about Vulture's Wings as a build-a-figure).

The SCULPTING and PAINT on both figures is on point. Wonder Woman looks fantastic, and has a great new head sculpt. Some of the details in her costume look a little soft, especially on the tiara, but it's a minor nit pick. The paint is beautiful as well, nice clean lines and some great bright metalic colors. The paint on her face is great, no slop, and some nice subtle make up work. The only place it gets a little sloppy is on her boots, but it's just the back side. She also does have the same skin problem as the Diana of Themyscira figure, the tone on her chest doesn't quite match her arms. Although, it's not a noticeable here.

Ares looks bad-ass, there's no other way to put it. He is so cool. However, let's address the giant elephant in the room for a moment. He looks almost nothing like his movie counterpart.I assume the people making the film didn't settle on a final design until the very last minute, and all Mattel had to work with was some early concept art. But that's a good thing because the design is way better here, and I love the skull helmet. The sculpt is great and exaggerated, and Mattel used an amazing wash to make it look old and worn. Most of the rest of the figure is black, but they used a great dry-brush technique to make the armor look ancient and metalic. He also stands at about 7 1/2 inches tall which makes him look nice and intimidating. The only thing I'm not crazy about are his little bare feet; at least get the man some sandals.

The DC Multiverse line has what I consider to be the ideal bare minimum ARTICULATION that all modern action figures should have. You've got everything you need for a wide variety of poses, but without double-pin knees and elbows you can't get the same deep stances you can with Marvel Legends. Wonder Woman has the same problem as the Diana figure; her hips are slightly restricted by her skirt. This time it's a bit better though, she has two slits giving her a wider range of motion than the Diana figure. However, her hair is super restrictive and she has virtually no movement in her neck. Other than those two issues, the rest of her articulation works great. I would like some rockers in her ankles though.

Ares has some similar issues to Wonder Woman, but not as bad. His shoulder pads restrict his shoulders a bit. It's worse one the right arm with with big fur detail. Ares' hips work really well with all the armor because all the pieces are separate, and his head and more movement than expected with that big helmet of his. He looks better in powerful stances anyways, rather than athletic ones.

Wonder Woman comes with all the ACCESSORIES that you would expect. She's equipped with her sword, shield, and lasso. It would have been cool if she came with a long lasso so you could string up some baddies and compel them to tell the truth. She also has her bandolier so you can keep her complete with all her accessories. The one thing about the shield I want to mention is that it's really hard to get her to hold it properly. Her hands are cast in a super hard plastic so it's really hard to get her to open her hand and grasp the second shield strap.

When it comes to Ares, the more figures you buy the more accessories you get. Purchase the standard wave of 4 and hes got his sword. Pick up the exclusive Wonder Woman and now hes got a shield. Grab a Menalippe and now you've got some crazy flaming swords. Mattel has been really consumer friendly when it comes to Collect & Connect figures lately, with exclusives giving you the opportunity to build alternate versions of characters or giving you extra accessories. Ares has the same shield grasping problem as Wonder Woman, but he's got no problem holding that giant sword. The sword itself is a little plain, but the cool paint scheme makes it look pretty cool.

At the end of the day, the DC Multiverse Wonder Woman line is absolutely fantastic. At first I only intended to pick up a Steve Trevor and a Wonder Woman but they pulled me right in and I think I'm going to complete the set. Just need to get my hands on a Menalippe. Hopefully the Justice League line is this good, I'd love to be able to build multiple Parademons.