Last year, when I reviewed Gotham City Garage Harley Quinn, I praised the designers and talked about how much I love this line, but even though it was Harley’s review, I still couldn’t contain my excitement over this statue, Gotham City Garage Wonder Woman.
While Harley is a well-executed version of the character, Wonder Woman’s statue delivers that, plus a satisfying chunk of mythology. Her ride isn’t some Honda that she stole from the front of the local bike shop, this is a custom job from wheels-to-seat. The hubless wheels immediately give the bike a “near future” quality. The transparent fairing over the engine continues that impression (while giving a solid shout-out to Wondy’s other, invisible ride). Wonder Woman’s classic red, white, and blue as well as her more modern gold and burgundy color schemes are applied liberally, with the former being used on the seat and the later most prominently manifesting in a giant gold symbol on the cowl of the bike. Somehow, the two color schemes don’t clash, a minor miracle that speaks volumes about the talent of the creative team. Make no mistake, if you try to take this bike, there’s only one person coming after you.
Wonder Woman herself is ready to take on the task. Where Harley’s statue was dynamic and chaotic, Wonder Woman’s has a casual gravitas that fits the character. This is a Wonder Woman that would watch Harley scream by with her sidecar full of hyenas, sigh heavily, then take her time firing up her custom-made bike before she ran her down. The gorgeous sculpt by Irene Matar and Adam Ross envisions the Themyscirian Princess at the pinnacle of biker cool, with gear inspired by her traditional costume. I love that we essentially get as much skin as she usually shows on her torso, but here it’s a more practical(ish) midriff-baring short biker jacket (with golden WW symbol details). The leggings are emblazoned with her traditional stars and the same red, white, and blue motif from the bike. What I really love, though, is that instead of the traditional thigh-high boots, we get over-the-knee metallic red biker boots. They’re so intricate, so chunky, they’re practically mech armor (and now I’m envisioning a Wonder Woman/Robotech Cyclone armor mash-up). Sadly, there’s no callback to Wonder Woman’s golden lasso (that I could find), but there is a fantastic nod to her traditional bracers. Intricately-designed tattoos (once again created by Katherine Braddock) grace both her forearms. It fits in perfectly with the Gotham City Garage aesthetic as well as the history of the character. I love it.
There are more history nods as you explore the piece further. Diana’s helmet (which, if you’re paying attention, will never be able to contain that mass of hair, classic headband or not) is a direct callback to the one Lynda Carter wore on the original Wonder Woman show in the seventies. The number 41 is prominently displayed on the top–Wonder Woman’s comic debut was in 1941. Seeing as it’s a completely separate piece and doesn’t have a place to slot into the base or bike, the designers didn’t have to include it all. That they did shows their deep respect of the Wonder Woman lore.
That love of the lore even extends to the base. Instead of Harley’s generic stretch of pavement or Catwoman’s dusty road, Wonder Woman is parked between two crumbling Greek columns. The bike takes up a substantial amount of the base as well since there’s no need to leave room for extras as there was with Harley. My only gripes are minor ones. Where Harley has a great facial expression, and Catwoman has goggles hiding her eyes, Wonder Woman has a strangely vacant look on her face from some angles (especially when viewed from the front). I can’t decide if her expression is just too subtle in the sculpt or if the deco could use a bit more facial shading (especially around the eyes). I would have loved more of the “no bullsh*t” expression that Keron Grant used in his original design of the statue. It’s a bit of a letdown given how the statue is otherwise perfectly executed. I’d also prefer that Diana sport a few more muscles than her well-sculpted abs. The Wonder Woman I know would have that leather motorcycle jacket straining at the biceps.
These are minor quibbles only on a statue that deserves to be a part of every Wonder Woman fan’s collection (well, 5,200 of them at least–that’s all that were made for this edition). This limited edition, cold-cast resin statue packs in over 75 years of lore and at the same time delivers an astonishingly fresh interpretation of the character. (One that I would love to see get her own comic–let’s make that happen, DC. Call me.) Gotham City Garage Wonder Woman will set you back $350 on Amazon.com or at your LFCBS.
If you’re not into parallel universe motorcycle goddesses (in which case I have to respectfully ask… BUH WAH?), DC Collectibles has also rolled out a trio of new statues to celebrate Wonder Woman’s debut on the big screen this weekend. You can find them at the DC Entertainment shop or wherever you get your comics!
Thanks to DC Collectibles for providing samples for this review. Opinions are my own.
