Diamond Select Toys call themselves “the nexus of comics and pop-culture,” and that’s pretty apt. If there’s a nerdy property that you’re interested in, they’ve probably got it covered, across one or several of their product lines. The Justice League film is one such property, with a line of Vinimates and Gallery PVC statues covering all of the Leaguers. With anticipation building for the Aquaman film, DST provided me with a Gallery statue of the JL version of Aquaman for review. Is it any good? Should you even be interested? Watch the video above, and read on!
I dig it
So, cat’s out of the bag on this one: I really like this statue. DST does some miraculous things with plastic, and when they’re using a film with actual humans in it for inspiration, it’s quite striking. This guy really looks like Momoa, and the costume is incredibly detailed. Much of the credit goes to sculptor Rocco Tartamella, who captures the face and other proportions expertly. The pose itself is a great choice, as well, with a wide stance and ready arms. Arthur is clearly standing still, but he doesn’t seem inactive, either—as much a threat with his stern gaze as he would be if he were lunging toward you.
The paint job is close to perfect. The Atlantean armor looks just like it does in the film, though better lighting allows for a better look at some of the color variation in it. The hair has quite a bit of variety as well, just as it does in the film, with streaks of blonde mixed into the more dominant browns. There’s a little bit of sloppy application where his neck meets the collar of his suit, but it’s really hard to notice unless you’re very close up.
I also really like the paint—and sculpt—on the base. I know these diorama-style pieces aren’t necessarily for everyone, but I tend to enjoy them, and I like this particular one quite a bit. It looks enough like a breaking wave and a rock, and it adds some nice contrast to Arthur’s drab tones.
Ride ain’t over yet
As I mention in the video above, I nearly had a fit while taking pictures. As I rotated the statue, the trident caught on the shelf above, and the top half popped off. But when I picked up the “broken” piece, I could see no signs of distressed or torn plastic. There’s even a small “male end” inside Arthur’s hand that fits inside the “female end” of the trident’s top half. I don’t know if it was glued when it left the factory, and maybe I did technically break it, but I was able to slide it right back into the hand, and it displays just fine now. I guess the lesson in this is to be careful while you’re handling the statue, but maybe don’t panic if the top of the trident comes off, because it isn’t the end of the story.
A strong man is strongest alone
We all know that Justice League didn’t perform all that well—or at least not as well as a film based on these characters should have. But there were a number of elements in the film that I really liked. I didn’t love the way Aquaman was written, but there were seeds planted—including the casting of Momoa himself—that I’m very excited to see developed in the Aquaman film this December. This statue ups the hype for me, with excellent sculpting and near-perfect paint. The pose says “King of the Seven Seas” with authority, and the diorama base roars in agreement. Whatever you thought of Justice League, if you’re a fan of Jason Momoa in this role, this statue is a perfect snapshot of one of the first steps on his journey to becoming what we’ll see in the solo film. And with a suggested retail price of $45, you can have it for a fraction of what you might pay to other manufacturers.
