Visitors to this site will probably notice that most of my reviews are on statues and action figures, but today I’m going to take a turn and cover something I have yet to review – one of Tonner’s Character Figures. Tonner Doll’s DC Stars line has been running strong for a few years now, and while my exposure to them has been minimal I’ve always enjoyed seeing their work. As DC Direct has done with their Women of the DC Universe minibust line, Tonner offers a wide array of female characters in their 16″ line, ranging from the staples such as Wonder Woman and Supergirl, and even getting to lesser known but popular characters as Starfire and Dove, both of which are coming this year. In late 2010, the folks at Tonner did a little downsizing by introducing a new 13″ body style to the DC Stars line. To date, Artemis, Supergirl and Wonder Woman have seen release, and Black Canary and Catwoman are set to hit stores later this year. Today I’m going to be reviewing the Amazon herself, Wonder Woman.

Tonner’s packaging hasn’t really gone through any modifications over the years. It’s simple, compact and helps keep the figure secure, and to that extent it serves its purpose just fine. The figure is tucked nicely in a black box complete with DC Stars logo, secured by ribbons (no obnoxious or potentially-damaging twisty ties) and padded. This box is then concealed in a generic white box with nothing more than the figure name/style on it. These figures aren’t the kind that you’re going to keep in the box and display as “new” – they’re meant to be removed and displayed loose, so there’s no need for anything more when it comes to their packaging.

Wonder Woman stands every bit of the 13″ advertised, making an impressive and imposing display piece. I do question why a 13″ body was used rather than 12″, simply because 12″ is the norm in 1:6 scale figures (I have the same question about DC Direct’s 13″ figures) and these won’t exactly display well with 1:6 lines. However, the easy answer to Tonner’s decision simply could be that these are not meant to fall in the same grouping as Hot Toys or Sideshow’s 12″ figures – these are dolls and are advertised as such. By my count, there are 16 points of articulation on this figure – ball-socket head, torso, shoulders and hips, and swivel/hinge combo joints on the elbows, wrists and knees. This creates a lot of posability for the upper body, but the lower body is highly restricted. She is equipped with thin, nearly invisible netted stockings, which simply aren’t elastic enough to allow for any noteworthy movement. Another limitation is the lack of waist articulation – she has the upper torso movement, but the ability to rotate is minimal. You can still get some dynamic poses, but most of the action needs to be focused on the waist up.

Wonder Woman’s portrait is a good example of what has made Tonner Doll so successful – Robert Tonner and his crew create facial sculpts that are truly beautiful. The paint application does a great job of enhancing the figure’s features, with vibrant lips, lovely eyes and subtle but finely-accenting eyebrows and makeup. I’m still not quite sold on the hair job given to Wonder Woman, however. Not to say it isn’t good quality – it truly is. The hair is thick and holds its place well, but I think part of the problem is that it’s almost too thick. I’ve tried a few things to get the sides of her hair to stay down a little bit and not display quite so “puffy” around her ears, but it’s proven to be difficult.

Wonder Woman’s costume consists of the following pieces – body suit (including bodice and pants), belt, wrist gauntlets (x2), boots (x2) and tiara. A lot of fans aren’t going to be too keen on the glittery costume. Personally I think it adds an extra dimension when the figure is displayed, but it’s kind of a nuisance when handling and posing the figure. The body suit snaps in the back and fits snugly on her body. The Wonder Woman symbol on her chest is electroplated and done in a brilliant reflective gold, as is her tiara. The tiara could be a little bit smaller, as it tends to flop up and down her forehead more than I’d like. I attempted to remove and reposition it, but it appears to be secured via a black string and I didn’t want to make matters worse so I left it. Her boots are tight-fighting zip-up boots that fit very nicely on her feet, and they allow her to stand well on her own, even with the high heels. The belt is done in gold glittery fabric, and while it fits nicely around her waist I’m starting to see signs that the two points might curl up. This could probably be corrected by someone with sewing skills, but it’s an issue to consider none the less. The only true complaint I have about the outfit is the gauntlets. They’re done in a somewhat thin fabric material, but the velcro that holds them together is waaaay to thick. If you position them just right and are looking at the right angle it’s not noticeable, but I’d have much preferred to see them done in electroplated material as the other accessories were. DC Direct did this with their Deluxe 13″ Figure and pulled it off pretty well, but that figure’s hands are easily removable to switch out and to slide the gauntlets on. I can’t attest to how easy Tonner figures’ hands come off, so that could have been the reasoning for this style of gauntlet. The figure is rounded out with a really simple but nice stand, including an acrylic base and a metal support rod. I love the choice of using the acrylic base – these make a much more slick looking display than a black base.

I know a lot of male collectors will dismiss what Tonner offers because of what they are – these are dolls in every way, and the idea of owning a doll can often create an ill-found sense of emasculation in some guys. But I’ll be the first to say that anyone that feels that way is not only fooling themselves (are Hot Toys and Sideshow’s figures any different because they’re not advertised as dolls?) but they’re also missing out on some great figures. Tonner’s work is high-quality, sturdy, and in my opinion gives a collection a lot of depth, particularly when seen in the same room as action figures and dynamic statues. I think Tonner has a great thing going with the 13″ line, and more than ever I’m anxious to pick up Supergirl and see how she measures up to Wonder Woman. With any luck these will sell well enough that we’ll see the kind of expansion that we’ve seen with the 16″ figures. These dolls retail at around $140 and are currently available at the Tonner Direct Store and there are a few on eBay.