Sculpt:
This sculpt is on the new DC Multiverse female body type. I know a lot of action figure collectors prefer this body type to the previous DC Universe Classics standards. I think the body is slightly taller than most of those previous female figures, so you can certainly fudge her in with your DC Universe Classics collection (unless you're a scale-nazi). Cruz is about the height of the DC Universe Classics Wonder Woman (who has somewhat of an Amazonian stature compared to other female figures in the DCUC line). However, that will also make Cruz slightly taller than most of your other female and male figures. Personally, I've been mixing DC Direct and DCUC for a while now, so unless the scale difference is outrageous like NECA or McFarlane figures, I can make it work.
Overall the new sculpt looks very nice as Cruz has a nice figure with lots of curves and smooth lines. Sometimes this aides with articulation and other times will hinder it. For example the butt sculpt will prevent any backward motion of the legs.
If you've ever heard the action figure term T-crotch, this is more like the T-Butt. The hair sculpt is nice as is the face sculpt and her ring is sculpted onto her right hand. Otherwise, it's a standard well-done body sculpt, with a super-heroine in spandex. The majority of the detail after that comes from the paint applications. She also comes with Lantern energy effects to round out her appearance.
Articulation:
I count 27 points of articulation for Jessica Cruz in total. Her neck can presumably move in a 360 rotation, but the newer DC Multiverse neck pieces are scary and I'd rather not put it to the test for fear of breakage. Mostly, the fear is that the neck peg that articulates the head of these newer DC Multiverse figures will break and has happened with other Multiverse figures I've had before. The hair sculpt also makes this a more difficult proposition even without the scary neck joint. The squeeks are still there and the pegs are incredibly thin. Head moves slightly from left to right, and slightly up and a fair bit down, Arms can move up and down, as well as rotate in a circular fashion. There appears to be a common practice in the action figure industry in general, where female figures neglect to include bicep cuts that swivel. The rationale is that the joints at the elbow that can move into a 90 degree angle can also rotate as well. (This is true of many Hasbro Marvel Legends female figures as well, so it's not just a DC Univerese/Mattel thing either.) The fists can rotate and move slightly up and down as well. While she doesn't have an ab-crunch, there is upper chest rotation that moves in an approximately 10/90 ratio in the front and 30/70 in the rear. She has no waist swivel to speak of. Her legs move up and she can also almost do the splits. Her legs however cannot move backward at all because the sculpted butt-cheeks prevent that backward movement. Swivels are just above the knee. Moderate Double-Knee joints and ankle tilts for forward and backward motion complete the standard new female articulation.
Paint:
The paint applications on this figure are excellent. There are many straight lines and angles in the color break-up of this particular costume design and there is no sign of any bleed whatsoever. If these were partially employed as tampos or used computers, it is very well done regardless of the methodology. The green ring paint over the white glove, the black paint on the soles of the white boots are both examples of the exceptionally clean paint application. The skin tone used on the face is vibrant and the tiny features of the Lantern Tattoo over her right eye as well as the black eyebrows and black eyeliner over the white pupils is terrific. The dark shade of Maroon lips complements the skin tone and is employed with great precision. The hair is black, but has a nice subtle navy blue wash that brings out the sculpt and also reflects the four-color comic book aesthetic, which I greatly appreciate when done well in action figure form.
Overall:
I believe Jessica Cruz was one of the most sought after figures from this DC Multiverse wave for good reason. The new attention to articulation in the body type excited action figure collectors and the sculpt and especially the paint applications were top notch. The character is relatively new, but is popular with the fan base and has been featured in many comic books and animated features since her initial appearance. If you like the character and don't have to break the bank to get her, she's a figure worth picking up.
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