Look What They're Doing to Wonder Woman!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

JMS is doing a complete timeline reboot/overhaul, as announced at The Source. There's a more in-depth interview at CBR.

I was planning to drop the book at 600, but I have to admit I'm intrigued.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Philip Portelli said:

Maybe if the sleeves of the jacket weren't so short so she doesn't look from the 80s. She does look a little young for the most high profile female super-hero. She should be classically beautiful not Maxim hot! Her beauty should be proud, strong and compassionate. In a weird way, she should be the most motherly of the JLA!

She should? Why? Please elaborate.

I don't see how being "most motherly" squares with being a warrior princess.

I'll agree that she does look a little young, but I think it's appropriate given her origin -- a young, and yes, kind of sheltered girl exploring a bigger world and a culture very different from her own. George Pérez made that clear in his revamp of the character; his Wonder Woman seemed to be only in her early 20s. In a way, Wonder Woman is similar to Captain America who, when you think about his origin, should also be only in his 20s or at most his mid-30s (considering he volunteered while in his late teens-early 20s circa 1940 and went through five years of World War II before getting flash frozen and thawed out "ten years ago").

Wonder Woman is also similar to Captain America in that they're both towering paragons of physical perfection and excellence who generate great respect, loyalty and reverence, but who command in a way that inspires others to do their best -- as we saw in "Valedictorian" in Wonder Woman #600, on sale now. (I liked it, a lot better than I did Batman #700 or Superman #600.) And as we saw in "Fuzzy Logic," she can dispense the Wisdom of Athena in a manner that is as gentle as that of an old friend.

As Captain Comics once said, Captain America is best presented not as some humorless martinet, but as your big brother, always willing to show you the ropes and guide you to do your best. Likewise, I see Wonder Woman, at heart, as your big sister.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I'm with Beechler. I like it. Besides, it's just for a storyline, much like Superman Red and Blue, and the "old" new Wonder Woman costume.

By the way, those comments on the DC site are hilarous. I remember when I was thirteen, and they had the Superman costume changed to more closely reflect his Kryptonian heritage. I wrote a strongly worded letter to DC about how they were changing history and blah blah blah. Sure, it sounds silly, but then again, I was thirteen at the time.

Evidently a lot of thirteen year olds leave comments on DC's site.

[Luke Blanchard]

I don't think it's a just-for-the-storyline thing, but a rejig. According to Comichron, the title's May Diamond sales were in the mid twenty-something thousands, so it's not surprising.

In the CBR interview Straczynski talks about WW as a character who should sell as well as Superman and Batman. My impression is he's looking for a new formula for the series/trying to adjust the character so that she'll connect more strongly with today's readers.

Actually, Superman's titles haven't been mega-sellers lately either, so my guess is there'll be another attempt to shake them up soon.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I think it's a floor wax and a desert topping.

It's certainly structured so that it can be changed back when the storyline's over. Which accomplishes two things -- it gets some reluctant fans on board, since the changes "aren't permanent," and it gives them a built in out if things crash and burn. But if the sales rise, and STAY high, then they'd be fools to change back for nostalgia's sake.

If the new direction works, more of it will stick than won't. Which isn't entirely a bad thing. If it works.

[Figserello]

I can see that's what he's saying, but this looks more like a one-story thing. It might be a great story, if they don't let themselves get too hung up on continuity, but its hard to see how a true Wonder Woman could come out of it.

The costume especially seems more suited to this one urban underground resistence fighter kinda storyline that they've come up with.

Yes an underground guerilla etc doesn't wear sandals, but I would have started with the sandals and designed her whole costume and entire schtick from them. It's not every day that 3000 year old fashions are contemporary, so they should have reached for that with both hands.

(OK, I'm obsessed with the sandals...)

Funnily enough, this has some similarities with the Wednesday Comics version of WW - a neophyte princess slowly putting her identity together from the various parts of the mythology.

We've had several reboots of the traditional superhero Wonder Woman this century already, so they are now trying to reach outside the box a bit.

Wonder Woman can be a very imposing and electrifying presence when she appears in other comics. I'm guessing her appearance in Secret Six was more awe-inspiring Amazon Princess than in her own book (I've only read Secret Six)

I think Namor has been fantastically well handled by Marvel over the last 6-7 years by just having him be a guest star. As he's portrayed he's charismatic and bloody-minded or sensible by turns, but he's someone way to domineering and self-directed to be a sympathetic star of his own book. Why should they worry about giving him his own book when he is such an asset as a guest star? Maybe DC should think about using Wonder Woman in a similar reserve role.

I personally think the continuous treadmill of monthly publication is a wheel that breaks good characters eventually! Iconic characters in monthly comics have to grow, but they also have to stay the same. Get out of that one, Wonder Woman!

Evidently a lot of thirteen year olds leave comments on DC's site.

I don't think our regurgitating friend is that young. I've looked at their 3 comments again and think (s)he's being serious!

[Philip Portelli]

Exactly. She should be the one the other super-heroes turn to for help with their personal problems. She should be the comforter, the nurturer. She may be a warrior princess but she is also a champion of love and wisdom. She should be the one who settles and solves any friction among the League. She should be Counsellor Troi albeit capable of taking down a tank!

Plus, is THIS Wonder Woman the same as George Perez's? Is her backstory the same? Is she or is not a founding member of the JLA? Is her mother still a JSA member? Was she a super-hero before Wonder Girl? Too many reboots and alterations make my head hurt! Ow!

ClarkKent_DC said:

Philip Portelli said:

Maybe if the sleeves of the jacket weren't so short so she doesn't look from the 80s. She does look a little young for the most high profile female super-hero. She should be classically beautiful not Maxim hot! Her beauty should be proud, strong and compassionate. In a weird way, she should be the most motherly of the JLA!

She should? Why? Please elaborate.

I don't see how being "most motherly" squares with being a warrior princess.

I'll agree that she does look a little young, but I think it's appropriate given her origin -- a young, and yes, kind of sheltered girl exploring a bigger world and a culture very different from her own. George Pérez made that clear in his revamp of the character; his Wonder Woman seemed to be only in her early 20s. In a way, Wonder Woman is similar to Captain America who, when you think about his origin, should also be only in his 20s or at most his mid-30s (considering he volunteered while in his late teens-early 20s circa 1940 and went through five years of World War II before getting flash frozen and thawed out "ten years ago").

Wonder Woman is also similar to Captain America in that they're both towering paragons of physical perfection and excellence who generate great respect, loyalty and reverence, but who command in a way that inspires others to do their best -- as we saw in "Valedictorian" in Wonder Woman #600, on sale now. (I liked it, a lot better than I did Batman #700 or Superman #600.) And as we saw in "Fuzzy Logic," she can dispense the Wisdom of Athena in a manner that is as gentle as that of an old friend.

As Captain Comics once said, Captain America is best presented not as some humorless martinet, but as your big brother, always willing to show you the ropes and guide you to do your best. Likewise, I see Wonder Woman, at heart, as your big sister.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Philip Portelli said:

Plus, is THIS Wonder Woman the same as George Perez's? Is her backstory the same? Is she or is not a founding member of the JLA? Is her mother still a JSA member? Was she a super-hero before Wonder Girl? Too many reboots and alterations make my head hurt! Ow!

I'm pretty sure the answers are no to all of that. The gods have changed the timeline so her backstory isn't the same as George's version, and she was never in the JLA. I'd bet her mom wasn't in the JSA, also. (Are things still structured that she went back in time from the present (well, the 90s) to do that? If so, the definitely not, since she's been dead for 18 years.) As for Wonder Girl, who knows? She's been a continuity glitch since day one, so I don't see why things should be any different now. Maybe she no longer exists in this timeline. Which would be a relief, because she's what makes *my* head hurt!

[The Baron]

Meh.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I don't think our regurgitating friend is that young. I've looked at their 3 comments again and think (s)he's being serious!

Serious or not, if/when this story is ever collected, I think his comments would make a great blurb for the back cover! :P

[ClarkKent_DC]

Here's a post from the Womens Media Center, very much against the new look: "Wonder Woman in Pants Is Not a Feminist Win".

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

ClarkKent_DC said:

Here's a post from the Womens Media Center, very much against the new look: "Wonder Woman in Pants Is Not a Feminist Win".

Very interesting take on the whole thing. Still strikes me as overreaction, though, like most of the other criticism I've seen. I don't see the costume change as being that big a deal by itself. It's more a question of how the character is portrayed, which the article does touch on. Her back story may be murky, but if you take too much of the Greek mythology out of it you rob the character of much of the magic. But I like the new costume pretty well, anyway.

[Luke Blanchard]

According to Carmine Infantino, in this interview, it's not the case that DC restored Wonder Woman's powers because of Gloria Steinhem's advocacy.