Review > Giganta (DC Universe Classics)

How do you solve a problem like Giganta? For Mattel, the answer was to split her into a number of smaller parts and package her with the rest of DCUC Wave 8.

Giganta is this wave’s Build-a-Figure, or as Mattel calls it, “Collect and Connect” figure. However you want to phrase it, it means she’s a big toy.

Part of me wishes Mattel and the Horsemen had decided to go with Giganta’s cool modern outfit, but maybe we’ll get that down the line.

Since she doesn’t come in her own package, Giganta doesn’t get a little bio for me to transcribe here. But for consistency’s sake, I’m going to take a shot at writing my own. Although the look of this character definitely seems to be the classic pre-Crisis look, I’m going to use the post-Crisis biography. I think it’s what DC and Mattel would probably do.

Dying of a terminal illness, Dr. Doris Zuel tried to transfer her mind into the body of Wonder Woman. After the experiment was thwarted, she tried again, this time on a circus strong-woman. Soon after, Zuel discovered she could also increase her size to enormous proportions. Taking the name Giganta, Zuel has made it her life’s mission to destroy her arch-nemesis, Wonder Woman!

Packaging: None–she comes in parts!

Sculpt: Giganta’s sculpt is relatively simple–she’s just a woman in leopard skins. But she’s probably the hottest woman the Horsemen have sculpted so far. Except for her narrow arms–an ongoing issue with DCUC female figures–Giganta has a nice, toned figure.

There’s some great texture work on the leopard print clothing, and the facial sculpt is, well, beautiful.

Plastic & Paint: Giganta’s interesting in that she feels as if she’s made from a slightly more rubbery plastic than we’ve seen on other figures. I suspect that’s because she’s mostly flesh-colored, and let’s face it, Mattel knows how to make flesh-colored, 9″ female figures. That’s why the look and feel of Giganta reminds me nothing so much of a Barbie doll, particularly the legs. The clothing is pliable and doesn’t detract from her posing at all.

The paint work is often good on the BAFs, and Giganta is no exception. Credit is due for the complicated but clean work on the leopard spots. The facial paint applications are also some of the best we’ve seen on a female figure (partially due to the larger canvas, no doubt). She even has nail polish on her toes.

Articulation: Giganta has ball jointed head, shoulders, and hips; swivel joints at the biceps, wrists, thighs, and upper torso (beneath the bikini, in place of an abdominal hinge); and hinges at the elbows, knees and ankles.

I do wish the ankles had good “rocker” articulation–i.e., side-to-side movement for wider stances–but I have a hunch that was avoided to keep the ankles stiff and help the figure stand better. Being so tall, it’s already top-heavy. (Ahem.)

Accessories: None–she is an accessory, technically.

Quality Control: Like many figures in this wave, Giganta has some loose joints. In her case, it’s the hips. However, I haven’t had any problems getting her to stand consistently.

She also has a few odd bumps underneath the lower part of her jawline, which may be some sort of QC error.

Overall:
[raven 4]

While she doesn’t have a complicated aesthetic design, Giganta is still one of the standout figures in DCUC so far.