Review: 76075 Wonder Woman Warrior Battle
Posted by CapnRex101,
76075 Wonder Woman Warrior Battle was revealed just over a month ago and has received considerable attention since then. Not only does it include an unusually realistic plane based on those used during the First World War but this set also marks the return of the large brick-built minifigure which was first used to represent Giant Man in 76051 Super Hero Airport Battle.
That figure proved enormously popular and I am sure that many fans will be delighted to see the template return, particularly since this set is affordably priced at £29.99 in the UK or $29.99 in the US. I have high expectations for the Wonder Woman movie and am equally hopeful that this set will impress.
Minifigures
The Wonder Woman minifigure in 76046 Heroes of Justice: Sky High Battle was brilliant but this version is even better. I love the wavy hair piece and her double-sided head looks great, with a smile on one side and a grimace on the other as well as a golden tiara. These are unchanged from the previous figure but the designs on the torso and legs have been updated with some brighter colours. Her bustier is now bright red while the skirt is blue, contrasting with the dark red and dark blue of the earlier Wonder Woman.
I think the brighter colours are a considerable improvement over the Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice design and the shiny golden details look great too, particularly on the wrists where she wears bracelets just like those seen in the film. A dark blue cape and hood are also included and this attire has appeared several times in the trailers so provides a nice alternative if Diana needs to remain incognito.
Wonder Woman also wears a brown strap across her chest and this continues onto the back of the figure. Unfortunately the legs are not dual-moulded so her boots only appear when viewed from the front or sides but the printing is crisp and there are no noticeable gaps, unlike on some of the comic book Wonder Woman minifigures.
The heroine is armed with a pearl silver gladius and a highly detailed shield which looks splendid. It is cast in dark bluish grey and includes metallic silver and gold printing, all of which is faithful to the design of the shield in the movie. I would have liked to see dual-moulded legs but otherwise this is an absolutely perfect minifigure and is worth purchasing even if you do not intend to buy the entire set!
The Wonder Woman minifigure represents the most impressive aspects of current minifigure design and in that respect Steve Trevor is comparatively dull. Nevertheless, this is a very nice figure, wearing an olive green jacket over a beige sweater for keeping warm during flight. The torso is bound to appeal to the creators of military models and is equally detailed on the back, with some fur visible around the collar.
The head is disappointingly familiar, having been previously used on Hawkeye and Captain America minifigures among others. It looks reasonable though and features cheerful and angry expressions. A dark brown hair piece is included alongside a reddish brown flight helmet which comes complete with adjustable goggles and the figure is completed by the addition of two dark bluish grey revolvers.
The Completed Model
Ares is one of Wonder Woman's most dangerous enemies and I am looking forward to seeing him in action, although we know very little about his role in the film at the moment. An action figure shown at New York Toy Fair revealed the cinematic design of the character and this giant model is closely comparable, with dark grey armour and a monstrous helmet formed from the skull of an animal.
The villain is based around the same template as Giant Man in 76051 Super Hero Airport Battle and therefore features the traditional articulation and proportions of a minifigure. In some respects I think this works very well but I wonder whether a less stylised design would have been more effective as his poseability is somewhat limited and the model looks awkward from certain angles. It made perfect sense for Giant Man to be a scaled up version of the Ant-Man minifigure but a more realistic design might have been appropriate for Ares.
Nevertheless, the figure is very striking when viewed from the front and I like it very much overall. Ares wears a grey cuirass and a dark tan belt, both of which are represented by a series of stickers. Printed elements would certainly have been preferable, although the decals are easily applied and are of high quality so should not peel over time. The torso looks considerably less impressive from behind but this could only have been improved at the cost of articulation and the rear is not visible when the model is on display.
A curved panel recreates the shape of a minifigure head and this is printed with a pair of red eyes while the designs on the helmet are formed using three more stickers. The Ares action figure gives the impression that the cheek guards should be closed in further, almost meeting in the centre. This is not possible here which is disappointing, although I am reserving final judgement until we see the character in the film as he may sometimes wear the cheek guards as they are seen here. The rest of the helmet looks marvellous, with jagged teeth lining the jaws and a pair of enormous horns at the sides.
The shoulders are protected by pearl silver pauldrons which conceal some trans-red and orange elements. These represent flames and look great, presenting an attractive contrast against the drab armour. Ares is equipped with a huge sword and a light bluish grey shield, the latter of which looks rather plain without printing so would have benefited from an accurate spoked design extending from the boss in the centre. This is my least favourite aspect of the entire set but the cost was presumably prohibitive.
Ares' articulation is fairly limited, with a rotating head, ball jointed shoulders, swiveling wrists and hinges at the hips. However, careful balancing can yield some impressive poses and the exposed studs on the shield are helpful as they allow you to place a minifigure on top, perhaps about to deal a decisive blow. The model might have been improved with the restrictions of minifigure geometry removed but I still think it looks excellent as a whole and I am pleased to see this type of figure appear in a relatively inexpensive set.
LEGO has rarely entered the realm of the First World War so this plane is very appealing on that basis alone and I imagine it will draw military collectors to the set. Steve Trevor is seen flying a German Fokker E.III in the trailer and presumably that has formed the basis for the model, although it incorporates features of several early monoplanes. I like the dark tan colour scheme and the tapered fuselage looks splendid, as do the curved wing tips.
Aircraft were equipped with two-bladed propellers during World War One so this three-bladed element is not ideal. However, no better alternatives are available in LEGO's current parts palette and I like the radial engines which are represented by a sticker just behind the rotating propeller. The grey housing is faithful to the design of the real Fokker E.III and a pair of stud shooters are fitted on top, representing machine guns.
There is room to seat a single minifigure in the cockpit and a printed control console is included. I like the dark blue roundels on the wings but it would have been even better to see the authentic cross pattée rather than this generic star. I welcome the extra splash of colour though and a matching insignia appears on the vertical stabiliser at the back of the plane.
The aircraft registrations on each side include the initials of the set designers, Justin Ramsden and Adam Grabowski, which is a lovely touch. These large curved slopes look great and I like the tapered design towards the rear, although it does not replicate the shape of the real Fokker E.III very well. A sliver of the black core structure can still be seen which is slightly irritating, although this is hardly visible most of the time.
The tailplane is curved to match the wings and the rudder in the centre can be oriented to either side on a hinge. I was initially sceptical about the white of the vertical stabiliser but it actually looks very good in person and the dark blue stripe complements the roundels on the wings. Once again, the shape is not very reminiscent of a Fokker E.III but as a generic First World War aircraft I think it looks excellent.
The underside is a little less detailed but no unsightly Technic or colourful elements are left exposed. I love the forward landing gear which makes excellent use of the spoked wheels introduced in 2016's 60134 Fun in the Park: City People Pack and it is nice to see a small wheel at the rear too. The black inverted slopes which support the landing gear are not ideal but I suspect a spindlier and more realistic design was not possible at this scale.
A pair of flick-fire missiles are hidden beneath the wings. These serve a structural purpose by strengthening a joint between plates and do not look too intrusive so I intend to leave them as they are, although you could remove the missiles without compromising the structure if you prefer. This may not be a particularly authentic model of a Fokker E.III but it is easily recognisable as belonging to the World War One era, includes a few fun features and is very sturdy so will not come apart during play.
Overall
The quality of the Super Heroes range seems to fluctuate wildly but this set certainly falls towards the positive end of that spectrum. All three characters look splendid and I like the monoplane very much, especially since it is rare to see an aircraft of this kind in LEGO. Furthermore, the balance of forces is evenly matched so the set is ideally suited to exciting play as well as display.
The lack of decoration on Ares' shield is disappointing and the plane could have been a little more detailed but these are very minor issues and do little to detract from a brilliant set. I think the price of £29.99 or $29.99 is quite reasonable so would certainly recommend 76075 Wonder Woman Warrior Battle to Super Heroes fans.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
95 likes
35 comments on this article
Wow, this is amazing value for $30.
I'm rather upset at the apparent lack of an exchange rate for dollars to pounds in the pricing. They really want to rip us off with the licence fee, it seems.
I definitely like the new WW figure - now the question is buy her alone or but the set and sell the rest.
^^ That's par for the course for licensed sets, I'm afraid...
This si indeed amazing, imagine a line of the likes of both Ares and Giant Man…
Out of curiosity, are the stars on the wings stickers or printed? I'm assuming stickers, but hoping for prints.
@Nth_Brick - Stickers, unfortunately.
@CapnRex101 - Sort of figured. Disappointing, but thanks for the information.
"The quality of the Super Heroes range seems to fluctuate wildly". Truer words have rarely been spoken.
Very nice review. I'll be getting it mostly for the plane and Steve Trevor, but it's a bit strange it's not a biplane - as far as I know monoplanes were rarely seen during WWI. I guess it will make more sense if the Wonder Woman movie takes place during the end of the war.
What a great set, great value, great parts. It's because of this review that I'm more interested in buying it.
Just curious, why would you expect to see German markings given an American pilot & the star markings were used by the US.
Good review which for me has highlighted how many stickers there are ( too many for me)
The new? WW minifig looks worth getting so I may have to BL that
I think Ares in particular could easily be improved, and at minimal parts cost. The mix of flat/curved tiles on his torso looks a little odd, so I would have replaced the flat tiles with of the curved 2x2 pieces and I think that would have helped the front look a bit more impressive (but may mean smaller stickers or ones over two bricks), and the back definitely needs some work. I appreciate they're trying to keep it roughly mini-figure style, but that doesn't mean they can't try and replicate the torso with some matching pieces (especially the angled plates) and/or pieces such as "Left Shell 2X6W/Bow/Angle,Inv 4161281", which would just help round it out a little bit more and take away from the really sudden 'end' to the model.
A pretty awesome set! Both minifgs look fabulous, Ares is freaking awesome, and the plane is something that we haven't gotten for a long time. A must buy for me.
@Toc13 - Steve Trevor is seen flying a German Fokker E.III in a couple of the film trailers so this model is probably intended to represent that, in which case it would feature the cross pattée.
I did consider that it might be an American aircraft that we have not seen in any promotional material but the Americans made very little use of monoplanes during the First World War, only deploying the Loening M-8 and borrowing the Morane-Saulnier AI from the French to my knowledge. Neither of those look anything like this model so I think the Fokker E.III is the most probable candidate.
I'd just assumed it was a captured one that got repainted. No point wasting a good aircraft.
Hmm a nice looking set but I'm not really into superhero sets but I might buy the plane separately if I find it at a good price,also does anyone else think the stud shooters work really effectively here?
@AD 2003 Here, Here! Normally stud shooters don't work that well as guns, but here the bulkiness and placement allows a perfect representation of machine guns, which Lego normally avoids! So all in all... 10/10 IGN rating!
Regarding Steve's plane, I poked around online and looked at various WWI fighters. The general design of the plane looks like a Nieuport derivative. I did not find an exact match, but they had the right shape and design.
This is a pretty cool set and a good value!
These big minifigs are much more fun and better value than the Brickheadz. It's unusual with a Super Heroes set where contents apart from the minifigs are desirable. This will be on my wanted-list.
I'm going to be completely honest, this set is a complete rip off.
Great review. I agree, his is one of the more positive sets this year. I'm really considering getting this set, as it is one of the best at the moment for a cheap price.
Will pick that up, nice value but the only flaw is the back of Ares which is not really appealing to me. I'm certainly not the only guy which think that the stud shooters behind the proppeler make no sens.
Just for the record, I can still tell it's Wonder Woman when she's trying to "remain incognito".
I wasn't gonna buy this, but now I feel like I have to because it's gorgeous. I love that big-fig of Ares. That's just cool.
Great plane, shame about the back of the figure - it needs something!
Perhaps controversially, I would have preferred if Ares had been moulded, not brick built. A giant-sized minifigure that is system compatible is way overdue. Not only could a minifigure-shaped bigfig mould be used for super-hero sets, I'm sure LEGO could make use of it in other ranges such as Ninjago.
@Brainslugged, That's because you're smarter than the rest of us. We were all fooled.
Thanks to CapnRex for the great review and pictures.
Cool set! Thanks for the review!
What a great set. I was going to buy one to compliment my Giant-Man figure but it comes with a really cool airplane as well. Awesome!
I hope they make an advanced model of the Fokker E.III. It would make a fine display alongside the Sopwith Camel. In the meantime, this set will do.
Everything looks great except for Steve Trevor. I think he could have benefited from a new face. I completely understand it saves LEGO money to reuse faceprints, but considering the hair style is the ALSO shared with Captain America, it has an odd implication, plus the eyebrows don't match.
Plus a proper Chris Pine minifig could lend well to a custom Captain James T. Kirk :)
I see JANGBRiCKS posted a review on YouTube. I saw the part where he reviewed Ares. I went to a LEGO brand store this past weekend and they hadn't put out this set yet.
I have zero interest in the theme, but I will surely buy this set for the parts.
Super impressed! The movie looks to be great and my kiddo will definitely want this set!
@LuvLegos_Cool_J It won't be stocked at Lego Stores; it's a Toys 'R' Us exclusive. Can probably get it from the online store though.