Although her name might sound more like an onomatopeia for a sneeze than a proper noun, Katma Tui is an important part of the history of the Green Lantern Corps, and one of the best female figures in the DC Universe Classics line to date. Keep reading and let me know if you disagree!
Name: Katma Tui
Line: DC Universe Classics Wave 11, Figure 1
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: November 2009
Price: Retail: $15.00-$18.00, Online: $16.00-$24.00
Scale: 6.00 in.
Collect & Connect Piece: Kilowog's upper and middle torso
Accessories: Construct sword and construct shield
Sponsor Listings: Mike's Comics N' Stuff-$16.99, Past Generation Toys-$19.95
Although I usually loathe the absurd proportions offered up with every female figure in this line, for Katma Tui it's not so unbearable. She's an alien, so the long legs and ridiculously thin waist don't seem as bad as usual for me. Her hands are both fists (so no battery for Katma), and the right one is new with a Green Lantern ring sculpted on (you can make out the correct shape on the ring face). She doesn't have a lot of details worked into the costume, but how many can there really be anyway? Typical wrinkles at the ankles, defined fingers, and shapely breasts are the extent of her details. Her face isn't as good as I had expected, due to the odd curls/sideburns and some odd wrinkling around her nose. The expression is also just a little too dull, and I'm not sure what her mouth is supposed to be doing exactly. And as thrilled as I am that they're giving Green Lanterns constructs finally, the two that come with Katma are disappointing. The sword looks fine, but attaches at an odd angle to her arm, and never seems quite natural in any pose except straight down. The shield is a cool idea, but again, it's lacking in functionality. Shields generally attach parallel to the forearm, not perpendicular, so it looks strange from any angle except straight on. It's also far from a smooth oval, warped around the edges and scarred on one side.
Sculpt Score: 6 / 10
Katma's paint is actually very well done, aside from a few costly mistakes. The applications are near-perfect, with crisp lines, sharp points in the costume colors, a fantastic emblem, and a clean face. Unfortunately she has a decent size black mark on her green calf, and her right forearm is far from white. It's a dirty tinged brown that matches neither the glove nor opposite forearm. I cleaned it off and it helped some, but that just makes me wonder where these toys have been before they land in my hands. *Puts Down Cheeto* The colors are strong as well, matching the other Green Lanterns as well as possible I'd say, and her skin is an appropriate rich pink. She even features a subtly darker shade of lips, as well as beautiful light blue eyes. The accessories are both just cast in a translucent green which sadly isn't as nice as the green John Stewart's accessory came in. This one is more muted and cloudy, where as John's were darker and clearer.
Paint Score: 7 / 10
The figure's articulation is detailed in the image above, and there's really only one surprise. Her neck (like every other recent DCUC release) is limited to a swivel. You might be able to get just a little bit of tilt or up-and-down movement, but not much at all. Other than that spot, everything else moves to its full expected range. A nice improvement with Katma is that all her joints are tight, whereas I've faced many weak-jointed DCUC females in the past. She feels much more sturdily constructed and holds positions a lot more easily too. If her elbows could bend upwards a little more, this would be a top-noth articulation model.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
Katma Tui has two big advantages on her side her. First off are the construct accessories. But then again, those aren't that great. She's got one other thing, Kilowog's Torso, an important part of a healthy Collect & Connect figure. Kilowog is one of the most satisfying C&C figures to date, so having pieces needed to assemble him is actually a good bonus in the fun department, especially since Katma Tui is so related to the big poozer. Her articulation make her enjoyable for posing with the other Green Lanterns, and despite their weaknesses, kids will have tons of fun playing with the sword and shield constructs (giving her medieval weapons was a fun idea). There's nothing overly frustrating or inherently boring about Katma Tui either, so although she may not be the most recognizable or visually engaging figure around, the simple fact that her powers are based on one's imagination makes her a pretty entertaining toy.
Fun Score: 8 / 10
Value, where DCUC figures come to die. With the newly imposed $15 price tag, Katma Tui and all her fellow DC Universe Classics figures are quite simply too expensive. Although she's certainly well made and does include accessories and a C&C piece, there's still not enough in the package to warrant the cost. If small things like a full range of motion in the neck, more unique tooling, and a Green Lantern battery were included then I could start to make an argument for the cost. When those extra steps aren't taken, I can't make an argument for the cost. She's not as bad as many figures in the line thanks to all she includes, yet she's still not good.
Value Score: 6 / 10
73 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
Katma Tui isn't perfect when it comes to sculpt or paint, so it's hard for her to overcome the debilitating value score. Don't get me wrong, she's fun and looks okay, so if you're willing to pay for her, she won't disappoint (something a ...friend told me once).
-The Articulated One
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!
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