Okay, so yesterday's post was not entirely honest. I framed it with stuff that I actually think about retcons, but the Thomases didn't really rewrite Diana's origin to make her into a strawfeminist.
It was one of four dream sequences in Wonder Woman #300, where she makes two major life decisions: 1) She asks Steve to marry her, and 2) She fakes Diana Prince's death. Because of the Diana Prince lie and the impending wedding, plus the Sandman (Not Morpheus, Daniel, Wesley or Sandy, but that one dude in the stupid red cape that nobody likes) hanging around, she has some anxiety dreams.
There's one dream where the night before she left for Man's World her mother killed herself, and she was forced to take the crown while the runner-up went home with Steve.
In another dream, Steve Trevor doesn't crash near the island at all. Instead, Trevor Stevens does, an obnoxious black-haired man with a moustache. This guy isn't a military man, but instead someone who's stolen military tech and intends to steal from the Amazons too. It ends with him telling her he'd never loved her.
The third dream? Superman falls to the island after being hit with a kryptonite meteor. Her mother likes him so rather than mess around with secret identities, she marries Clark right away. They find that they are both too busy to spend time together, and they butt heads too often. They get a divorce and she goes home.
And the fourth and most interesting dream was the one I detailed yesterday. She rejects Steve, comes to Man's World intending to take over by force and ends up accidentally killing him. The only bit I changed was the thing about her becoming a hero at the end, she didn't. She just woke up, more horrified at this one than any of the others.
I'd like to go in-depth with this one, because I love it so much. But because it tells us so much about Diana and so much about Steve (the framing story is basically about how badly she's been screwing with him with this Diana Prince identity), it's taking me a while to dissect it. So yeah, this'll be a long one.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Reboots and Retcons
I suppose the fact that they couldn't find any letters praising the new JMS reboot for the Wonder Woman lettercol this week proves that this direction just isn't working. Really, though, I'm not that horrified. She'll be back to herself when it's over, and we'll have some nice Hester-written moments to show for it. My reaction to Wonder Woman reboots has changed from outrage to fatigue, because really this is a character that has been rebooted and reinvented so many times that this resiliency has become part of her franchise. Kanigher retooled the origin to get rid of the golem part and add some boyfriends in her teen years (for some reason, though, every commentator seems to focus on Hippolyta's makeover and losing the Holliday Girls--who did show up after a few dozen issues) and did some Golden Age revival attempts, but it really started with O'Neil. Ever since he took out both the Paradise Island and Man's World supporting casts, her powers, and her costume in one fell swoop we've seen writer after writer change the place.
I mean, we all know the Post-Crisis history of cast devastation and sporadic revival. JMS reboots the whole damned thing after Simone had to rebuild the supporting cast because Pfieffer tore up the Amazons in a crossover after Heinberg brought back the secret identity/secret agent and Rucka left the place in ruins on Infinite Crisis orders. This was of course after Jimenez took out her mother and brought back some Golden Age villains after a series of quite forgettable writers failed to do anything interesting with the elements Byrne brought back once he'd erased the entire Boston supporting cast, which had been put in post-Crisis to replace the classic military supporting cast that he shoved to the side along with the personalities of the gods and any Amazon technological advancements. No matter how good the writer, they are either responsible for or immediately followed by mass destruction of any recognizable elements.
But much as I get on about Perez (and damn it, I will still complain about Perez), this was nothing new. A sampling of Bronze Age comics easily reveals a similar addiction to soft reboots. After O'Neil, they drop the white suit and bring back the powers, go on for a bit, bring back Steve, play around on Earth-2 for several issues at a time, kill Steve, then bring back Steve and wipe Diana's memory. They move her from Washington to New York to Washington again. The UN to the Pentagon. I think this constant change is why I see Diana as an active explorer and a traveler. She doesn't put down for very long. (Simone's run was pretty good in that she incorporated travel into the plotlines, focusing on Diana rather than try to convince us to accept a brand new supporting cast as permanent fixtures.)
Thing is, hard reboots--retelling the origin completely from scratch--are few and far between. We've had Perez and JMS (which is only fleeting anyway). Anything else (Heinberg) has been a flashback retcon in the middle of the moving story. Diana's still the same Diana, just with a slightly altered past. Pre-Crisis we had Marston and Kanigher and.. well, a particularly odd one from Roy and Danette Thomas. See, back in 1983 they decided they might try a harder-edged Wonder Woman for a while. Even that far back it seems they wanted to drop the boyfriend and the motivated initially by romance thing to reflect modern sensibilities, and this seems to be the first try for this.
Umm.. yeah. I didn't photoshop that, that's really what she says when she wins. And it gets more annoying to me. See, as they fly home Diana makes her intentions very clear to Steve.
That's right, no dating, because he's a man and he sucks. At this point, and I believe it's intentional, we're meant to think she sounds pretty terrible and might be a bad guy. But JUST in case, old Roy wants to drive the point home by giving us her thoughts on killing in battle.
To be fair, she doesn't kill the guy. But clearly we're dealing with a brand new Diana here. Even more of an overhaul, I'd say, than O'Neil gave. (On the plus side, she did not give up her powers for a man!) However, as this is an origin story she's going to have to learn a valuable lesson. From, of course, a man...
Now, all of us and Steve know at this point that he has no chance in hell of actually hitting her with a bullet. He even tells his men that she can deflect them, but of course they shoot anyway and things go from bad to worse.
Turns out poor Diana really did feel something for the guy. She's horrified and upset, and flees the scene not out of fear but grief. A regretful scene later, she decides to turn over a new leaf but the damage has been done. She's been branded as criminal menace and must now seek redemption while on the run!
If this had become the regular origin, I imagine I'd be infuriated. But as it goes, this was a gutsy attempt. He has her come to the world all full of war and judgment, which causes tragedy and teaches her a lesson. And we have a Wonder Woman: Fugitive! set-up at the end. Could've worked, if they'd given it a chance. But really, it didn't last very long and before you knew it we were back to the regular setup and Mishkin took over. And I'm glad, because while heroes that start off bad and learn an important lesson are compelling, one of the things that makes Diana unique is that her origin is relatively untragic and her motives are optimistic and altruistic.
She lives an idyllic life which is disrupted by the appearance of a man--a creature she's only heard stories about. She rescues him, nurses him back to health, and wins the opportunity to accompany him back to his legendary world and fight the terrible evil that threatens it. She becomes a great hero to the universe and maps the modern world for her people. She's an explorer, a traveler, a wandering hero who takes the first opportunity to leave home and seek her destiny. She's not a reformed villainess, a woman haunted by her failures or traumatized by her losses and mistakes. She's a peacemaker and a warrior, and yes I do agree that she would kill if it was absolutely necessary but she has the wisdom to know when it's necessary and she doesn't carry the guilt of reckless destruction with her. She is isolated, caught between two cultures, and carries the heavy burden of the mythic hero who must always put aside her personal wants to serve the greater good, but she's a genuinely good person who came from a genuinely good place. She's not a dark character, and making her one simply doesn't ring true, even if you start from scratch with a reboot.
All scans from Wonder Woman #300, written by Roy and Dann Thomas, art by Keith Pollard. I advise anyone who gets a chance to pick it up and read the whole thing, because it has some very interesting ideas in it.
I mean, we all know the Post-Crisis history of cast devastation and sporadic revival. JMS reboots the whole damned thing after Simone had to rebuild the supporting cast because Pfieffer tore up the Amazons in a crossover after Heinberg brought back the secret identity/secret agent and Rucka left the place in ruins on Infinite Crisis orders. This was of course after Jimenez took out her mother and brought back some Golden Age villains after a series of quite forgettable writers failed to do anything interesting with the elements Byrne brought back once he'd erased the entire Boston supporting cast, which had been put in post-Crisis to replace the classic military supporting cast that he shoved to the side along with the personalities of the gods and any Amazon technological advancements. No matter how good the writer, they are either responsible for or immediately followed by mass destruction of any recognizable elements.
But much as I get on about Perez (and damn it, I will still complain about Perez), this was nothing new. A sampling of Bronze Age comics easily reveals a similar addiction to soft reboots. After O'Neil, they drop the white suit and bring back the powers, go on for a bit, bring back Steve, play around on Earth-2 for several issues at a time, kill Steve, then bring back Steve and wipe Diana's memory. They move her from Washington to New York to Washington again. The UN to the Pentagon. I think this constant change is why I see Diana as an active explorer and a traveler. She doesn't put down for very long. (Simone's run was pretty good in that she incorporated travel into the plotlines, focusing on Diana rather than try to convince us to accept a brand new supporting cast as permanent fixtures.)
Thing is, hard reboots--retelling the origin completely from scratch--are few and far between. We've had Perez and JMS (which is only fleeting anyway). Anything else (Heinberg) has been a flashback retcon in the middle of the moving story. Diana's still the same Diana, just with a slightly altered past. Pre-Crisis we had Marston and Kanigher and.. well, a particularly odd one from Roy and Danette Thomas. See, back in 1983 they decided they might try a harder-edged Wonder Woman for a while. Even that far back it seems they wanted to drop the boyfriend and the motivated initially by romance thing to reflect modern sensibilities, and this seems to be the first try for this.
Umm.. yeah. I didn't photoshop that, that's really what she says when she wins. And it gets more annoying to me. See, as they fly home Diana makes her intentions very clear to Steve.
That's right, no dating, because he's a man and he sucks. At this point, and I believe it's intentional, we're meant to think she sounds pretty terrible and might be a bad guy. But JUST in case, old Roy wants to drive the point home by giving us her thoughts on killing in battle.
To be fair, she doesn't kill the guy. But clearly we're dealing with a brand new Diana here. Even more of an overhaul, I'd say, than O'Neil gave. (On the plus side, she did not give up her powers for a man!) However, as this is an origin story she's going to have to learn a valuable lesson. From, of course, a man...
Now, all of us and Steve know at this point that he has no chance in hell of actually hitting her with a bullet. He even tells his men that she can deflect them, but of course they shoot anyway and things go from bad to worse.
Turns out poor Diana really did feel something for the guy. She's horrified and upset, and flees the scene not out of fear but grief. A regretful scene later, she decides to turn over a new leaf but the damage has been done. She's been branded as criminal menace and must now seek redemption while on the run!
If this had become the regular origin, I imagine I'd be infuriated. But as it goes, this was a gutsy attempt. He has her come to the world all full of war and judgment, which causes tragedy and teaches her a lesson. And we have a Wonder Woman: Fugitive! set-up at the end. Could've worked, if they'd given it a chance. But really, it didn't last very long and before you knew it we were back to the regular setup and Mishkin took over. And I'm glad, because while heroes that start off bad and learn an important lesson are compelling, one of the things that makes Diana unique is that her origin is relatively untragic and her motives are optimistic and altruistic.
She lives an idyllic life which is disrupted by the appearance of a man--a creature she's only heard stories about. She rescues him, nurses him back to health, and wins the opportunity to accompany him back to his legendary world and fight the terrible evil that threatens it. She becomes a great hero to the universe and maps the modern world for her people. She's an explorer, a traveler, a wandering hero who takes the first opportunity to leave home and seek her destiny. She's not a reformed villainess, a woman haunted by her failures or traumatized by her losses and mistakes. She's a peacemaker and a warrior, and yes I do agree that she would kill if it was absolutely necessary but she has the wisdom to know when it's necessary and she doesn't carry the guilt of reckless destruction with her. She is isolated, caught between two cultures, and carries the heavy burden of the mythic hero who must always put aside her personal wants to serve the greater good, but she's a genuinely good person who came from a genuinely good place. She's not a dark character, and making her one simply doesn't ring true, even if you start from scratch with a reboot.
All scans from Wonder Woman #300, written by Roy and Dann Thomas, art by Keith Pollard. I advise anyone who gets a chance to pick it up and read the whole thing, because it has some very interesting ideas in it.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Arisia. In a movie!
Is it just me, or does Arisia sounds very much like the main character here?
The full-length animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD. The film will also be available On Demand and for Green Lantern: Emerald Knights weaves six legendary stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan mentors new recruit Arisia in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Abin Sur, Kilowog, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona.I might just love this.
Two ways to brighten my day
Two good pieces of news via the increasingly indispensable DCWKA today. First, of interest to the widest audience, set photos and spectator camera footage of the in-production Wonder Woman TV show. My favorite is this one:
Oh, they've also made some minor adjustments to the costume.
I would've been okay with the light blue but I do like this better and I do like the red boots best. Kinda wish they'd do something about that oddly textured girdle, but I'll never get a perfect Wonder Woman unless I write and direct it. It looks like it works, and maybe when the dust settles the comic Wonder Woman (that we only know for sure will still be in pants after Odyssey) will have blue pants and red boots too.
And there's longer video of her chasing that dude at the end of this post, and DCWKA's got a poll.
Second, and really only notable to me and the other two Steve Trevor fans on the internet (I love you guys!), they printed my letter in Wonder Woman this week. (I am such nerd that it makes me super-excited to be in a lettercol for the first time.) As I am still waiting on the mail every week, DCWKA was kind enough to scan the lettercol for me.
You can click to enlarge but I'll make it easier for you.
I'm bit worried by the "surprised" (I may be an optimist among Wonder Woman fans, but I'm still a Wonder Woman fan so any surprises worry me) but otherwise very happy about it.
And isn't it amusing that none of these letters seem to like the JMS storyline?
Oh, they've also made some minor adjustments to the costume.
I would've been okay with the light blue but I do like this better and I do like the red boots best. Kinda wish they'd do something about that oddly textured girdle, but I'll never get a perfect Wonder Woman unless I write and direct it. It looks like it works, and maybe when the dust settles the comic Wonder Woman (that we only know for sure will still be in pants after Odyssey) will have blue pants and red boots too.
And there's longer video of her chasing that dude at the end of this post, and DCWKA's got a poll.
Second, and really only notable to me and the other two Steve Trevor fans on the internet (I love you guys!), they printed my letter in Wonder Woman this week. (I am such nerd that it makes me super-excited to be in a lettercol for the first time.) As I am still waiting on the mail every week, DCWKA was kind enough to scan the lettercol for me.
You can click to enlarge but I'll make it easier for you.
I'm bit worried by the "surprised" (I may be an optimist among Wonder Woman fans, but I'm still a Wonder Woman fan so any surprises worry me) but otherwise very happy about it.
And isn't it amusing that none of these letters seem to like the JMS storyline?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Resurrecting Steve
Back in Wonder Woman #180 (1968) Denny O'Neil offed Steve Trevor in a way that made both him and Diana seem pathetic and ineffective. Steve got shot and beaten by Dr. Cyber's henchmen, escaped (I got the implication he was let go on purpose but I missed any confirmation) and found Diana. She sent him to the hospital, which he was kidnapped from, and then tortured to death by Dr. Cyber's henchmen. Meaning she not only failed to save him once from this bad guy, but twice. And somehow the white suit period is the best remembered of the Silver and Bronze Age runs. Chalk one up for the first major reboot in Wonder Woman history. (But more on Mr. O'Neil's mistakes later.)
When we get to Wonder Woman #223 (1976), Mark Pashtu brings him back in what's actually a pretty sweet way. Diana's memory had been wiped of his death because Hippolyta knew she'd be really upset by that. This gets revealed to Diana when Aphrodite returns him to life as part of some heroic fitness test. (As this is Wonder Woman, the superhero who most directly recalls the Great Heroes of Folklore and how they got arbitrarily tested all the time, this works for me.) Aphrodite reveals she has passed, and is about to take him away again when Diana convinces the goddess to leave him alive.
They try to settle in on Steve knowing about the Diana Prince identity, and recovering from the trauma of death and resurrection, and having to rebuild his identity from scratch. Ready-made drama, right? Well, it doesn't work for them so come Wonder Woman #248 (1978) Jack C. Harris offs him again. Also by having him tortured to death, after intense interrogation and a machine/magic combo that sucks out the lifeforce Aphrodite had granted him to give to some... thing. I only really remember that he had converted to her religion. Isn't that sweet?
By this point Steve Trevor has died in-continuity twice. (I'm starting to really think this and all the letters in the lettercol that call him things like "helpless ragdoll" are significant indicators of how people feel about a man who pairs up with a powerful woman than any real weakness with the character.) Diana's lovelife is beginning to look like Kyle Rayner's, but with just the one guy.
Then Gerry Conway comes along and wants him back and he manages it in Wonder Woman #270 (1980), which along with Wonder Woman #271 is now one of my favorite Wonder Woman story arcs. It's a giant middle finger to fans who think the franchise is better without Steve Trevor, topped off with confused Amazons and a horrified Hippolyta.
At the end of Wonder Woman #269 Diana's still depressed that her boyfriend died (again) so she goes home to sulk. She is so miserable that Hippolyta prays to Aphrodite to rid her daughter of these horrible memories. Aphrodite points out that it might not work. Still, she decides that maybe it's better to have loved and lost and forgotten about it than to have loved and lost and be so miserable about it you can't love again. So she summons the Mists of Nepenthe to wipe Diana's memory.
Diana, rid of the memory, is finally able to smile. And on the very next page...
While Diana does the hero thing for the Amazons we get a couple one-page interludes about a blonde Air Force Colonel testing an experimental jet that'll reach Mach 10. We also learn that Paradise Island is partway in another dimension, which is pretty cool. Oh, and that experimental jet crashes into the ocean right next to the boat that Diana and the Queen are standing on.
So just how does Aphrodite explain this one? "There is more than one of everything and the Fates ship Steve and Diana. Enjoy the rest of the Bronze Age."
When we get to Wonder Woman #223 (1976), Mark Pashtu brings him back in what's actually a pretty sweet way. Diana's memory had been wiped of his death because Hippolyta knew she'd be really upset by that. This gets revealed to Diana when Aphrodite returns him to life as part of some heroic fitness test. (As this is Wonder Woman, the superhero who most directly recalls the Great Heroes of Folklore and how they got arbitrarily tested all the time, this works for me.) Aphrodite reveals she has passed, and is about to take him away again when Diana convinces the goddess to leave him alive.
They try to settle in on Steve knowing about the Diana Prince identity, and recovering from the trauma of death and resurrection, and having to rebuild his identity from scratch. Ready-made drama, right? Well, it doesn't work for them so come Wonder Woman #248 (1978) Jack C. Harris offs him again. Also by having him tortured to death, after intense interrogation and a machine/magic combo that sucks out the lifeforce Aphrodite had granted him to give to some... thing. I only really remember that he had converted to her religion. Isn't that sweet?
By this point Steve Trevor has died in-continuity twice. (I'm starting to really think this and all the letters in the lettercol that call him things like "helpless ragdoll" are significant indicators of how people feel about a man who pairs up with a powerful woman than any real weakness with the character.) Diana's lovelife is beginning to look like Kyle Rayner's, but with just the one guy.
Then Gerry Conway comes along and wants him back and he manages it in Wonder Woman #270 (1980), which along with Wonder Woman #271 is now one of my favorite Wonder Woman story arcs. It's a giant middle finger to fans who think the franchise is better without Steve Trevor, topped off with confused Amazons and a horrified Hippolyta.
At the end of Wonder Woman #269 Diana's still depressed that her boyfriend died (again) so she goes home to sulk. She is so miserable that Hippolyta prays to Aphrodite to rid her daughter of these horrible memories. Aphrodite points out that it might not work. Still, she decides that maybe it's better to have loved and lost and forgotten about it than to have loved and lost and be so miserable about it you can't love again. So she summons the Mists of Nepenthe to wipe Diana's memory.
Diana, rid of the memory, is finally able to smile. And on the very next page...
While Diana does the hero thing for the Amazons we get a couple one-page interludes about a blonde Air Force Colonel testing an experimental jet that'll reach Mach 10. We also learn that Paradise Island is partway in another dimension, which is pretty cool. Oh, and that experimental jet crashes into the ocean right next to the boat that Diana and the Queen are standing on.
So just how does Aphrodite explain this one? "There is more than one of everything and the Fates ship Steve and Diana. Enjoy the rest of the Bronze Age."
Sunday, March 27, 2011
And tonight the part of Lois lane will be played by... Giselle from Enchanted?
Well, it could work. (H/T Mizzelle)
Well, it could work. (H/T Mizzelle)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
On Diana Prince
I complain a lot about Perez not so much pruning as taking a chainsaw to major branches on the Wonder Woman franchise tree, but there are some things I have to give him credit for, even some removals.
Well, one removal. The Secret Identity.
I know there's a school of thought that blames ditching the secret identity for losing Wonder Woman's relatability and that they need this so she can connect to ordinary humans in her supporting cast but I don't buy into it. Rucka, Messner-Loebs, and Perez all managed to have her connect with normal people as herself just fine without the secret identity. Simone was right not to bother with it much.
I say this as someone who did enjoy Heinberg's run when I read through it, I don't see why the hell he brought it back. Especially as a spy. Okay, I can see it being nostalgia for the show and the twirl (I bet he wanted real Steve too) and all but really... it's unnecessary. She has no personal ties that she needs to protect by hiding her identity, all of her friends and family are publicly connected as Wonder Woman already. The only justification I've heard is that it makes her easier to connect to for readers, but I don't think it does. We don't need glasses and a complex web of lies, we need first-person narration from her point of view and a steady supporting cast.
See, it just doesn't suit her character post-Crisis. Pre-Crisis there were some points made that Amazons didn't lie (especially in the TV series) and a lot of her major villains were based entirely around deception. It was a good, sensible thing for Perez to remake her as the most honest person on the planet, and the most honest person on the planet does not hide who she is. Hell, both times I've seen her establish the identity (Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth and the Heinberg run) it's been because Superman or Batman advised it. Because it is that out of character for her.
For Clark and Bruce, Hal, Barry, most of the rest of the JLA... a secret identity makes sense. They have backgrounds, lives, families in their off-time. They were raised in this society, and later on made the conscious decision to become a superhero, they already had stuff to protect. And it makes sense for them to court their love interests in their secret identities, because those are their real identities. Clark was Clark before Superman, Bruce was Bruce before Batman...etc...
Diana is the opposite of this, though. Her superhero identity is her real self. Her background is her superhero origin. She's a mythic hero brought to the modern era. Her family is connected to her as Wonder Woman. In the Golden Age, half of her stateside supporting cast (The Holliday girls) were connected to her as Wonder Woman. She dated Steve as Wonder Woman, even as she tried to get him into Diana Prince. Diana Prince was really just a way to have a job that could get her information on where/when she's needed most, and when Steve is in over his head.
People like to make distinctions about the differences between Batman and Superman in how they regard their secret identities, but Diana Prince was truly a front in all aspects. Fake name, fake history, fake glasses, fake personality. Wonder Woman was the real person.
Originally, Diana Prince was just another woman she bought the identity off of so she could keep an eye on Steve. In the Silver Age it was blatantly created so that she could screw with Steve's head. (Seriously, Wonder Woman #99 backup story. Makes a bet with Steve that if he can find her 3 times in 3 days she'll agree to marry him. He tricks her by marking her with some radioactive dye, so on the third day she gets her revenge by taking a job as his secretary so she'll be right under his nose without him knowing.) Even Pre-Crisis, though, it was so ridiculous it had to be Aphrodite's decree that she not reveal her identity to anyone and that she not settled down and marry until she had completed her mission.
Honestly, we are better off without it now.
However... There is one aspect of the Secret Identity that is absolutely delicious pre-Crisis, and I'm not sure any writer other than Marston consciously realized it.
Everyone knows the Superman symbolism, how he's the ignored geek who is secretly hiding that he's the godlike hero the female lead truly wants. That's the pattern Diana Prince is set after, she's the meek mild doormat who is secretly the powerful and alluring woman he loves. Except... as Diana is a woman, there's a twist.
Growing up girls got (and probably still get in a lot of places) told that they had to carefully protect a guy's ego if they wanted to be attractive. That meant not outshining him in any way. According to conventional wisdom you had to downplay your intelligence, because guys didn't like smart girls. You couldn't be better than him at sports or games, even if you were. Because according to conventional wisdom, guys liked meek doormats and are turned off by successful women. (This is reinforced every time you see the trope where a guy's masculinity is threatened by the successful woman he's romantically involved with, by the way.)
Steve Trevor does not simply defy this conventional wisdom. He shoots it in the face and kicks it into the gutter before lighting it on fire.
Steve's original concept is war hero. (He's already got enough fame for his presumed death and later his recovery to be covered in the newspaper back in the Golden Age.) That's his job, to uncover espionage and save people's lives. It's instinctive for him to protect others. Most of the trouble he gets into is because he's trying to save someone who's in danger, or stop spies.
Wonder Woman protects him. And she not only protects him once or twice, she saves his butt nearly every time they meet. She defeats the bad guy he was after nearly every time. She even flies a cooler plane than he ever did. The second she arrives on the scene, he knows he's in a supporting role. She is responsible for saving the day and he is the first person to declare this when the dust settles. He is the first person to embrace it and set himself up as Iolus to her Hercules. And rather than find this unattractive or threatening, he finds it turns him on.
Steve Trevor's girlfriend is not only better than him at one thing like tennis or video games. She is better at his job in every conceivable way, and that is the hottest thing he can imagine.
And when the dust settles and Wonder Woman's disappeared, there's another girl around. A girl who is attracted to him, who constantly asks him out. A girl of normal strength and speed. A girl he never sees perform heroic feats. A girl who works for him and is pretty much a doormat for him. A girl who keeps her body covered and doesn't speak up much. A girl who pretty much fits the conventional wisdom of what men prefer in female behavior.
Even though this girl is absolutely identical to his girlfriend except for glasses and wearing more clothing (and even though General Darnell and other supporting cast members can tell she's nerd-hot), she is the least attractive woman imaginable to him. Really, she may as well be his little sister. He's nice enough to her at times, treats her like a work buddy, but when she comes on to him he makes it harshly clear he isn't interested and talks about his girlfriend.
Diana herself thought it meant that Steve was superficial, and only looking at appearances or only attracted to fame. That's why she got angry in the Kanigher run and played secret identity games. That, of course, ignores the fact that she is still freaking hot as Diana Prince. She even has the same hairstyle while Andru's drawing. She doesn't change appearance beyond putting on a pair of stylish frames and a flatteringly cut uniform. Steve is not attracted to hair and face so much as bending steel girders and saving his life. One of the few good moments O'Neil had was when she--as Diana Prince--saved him from being framed for murder. Steve thinks on this, and says to Wonder Woman that he may have been underestimating Diana and that maybe he should get to know her better. He's turned on by heroism, and prior to this Diana had always avoided that in her secret identity.
Wonder Woman's pre-Crisis secret identity served one purpose. It enforced the moral that if women hide their strengths and talents they are actually less attractive to men. That if you allow a man to treat you as a doormat, he will. But if you show yourself being excellent, and let yourself shine, he'll be the one pushing for a commitment.
It's a good moral for pre-Crisis Wonder Woman. And really, I wouldn't mind if when they get her steady love interest back they dust off the secret identity for one story, just to demonstrate that she has no chance in hell of attracting his attention if she hides her best qualities. But I don't think it's a necessary aspect to the character. She seems rootless because the writers keep dumping the supporting cast, not because she's not lying to them enough.
Well, one removal. The Secret Identity.
I know there's a school of thought that blames ditching the secret identity for losing Wonder Woman's relatability and that they need this so she can connect to ordinary humans in her supporting cast but I don't buy into it. Rucka, Messner-Loebs, and Perez all managed to have her connect with normal people as herself just fine without the secret identity. Simone was right not to bother with it much.
I say this as someone who did enjoy Heinberg's run when I read through it, I don't see why the hell he brought it back. Especially as a spy. Okay, I can see it being nostalgia for the show and the twirl (I bet he wanted real Steve too) and all but really... it's unnecessary. She has no personal ties that she needs to protect by hiding her identity, all of her friends and family are publicly connected as Wonder Woman already. The only justification I've heard is that it makes her easier to connect to for readers, but I don't think it does. We don't need glasses and a complex web of lies, we need first-person narration from her point of view and a steady supporting cast.
See, it just doesn't suit her character post-Crisis. Pre-Crisis there were some points made that Amazons didn't lie (especially in the TV series) and a lot of her major villains were based entirely around deception. It was a good, sensible thing for Perez to remake her as the most honest person on the planet, and the most honest person on the planet does not hide who she is. Hell, both times I've seen her establish the identity (Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth and the Heinberg run) it's been because Superman or Batman advised it. Because it is that out of character for her.
For Clark and Bruce, Hal, Barry, most of the rest of the JLA... a secret identity makes sense. They have backgrounds, lives, families in their off-time. They were raised in this society, and later on made the conscious decision to become a superhero, they already had stuff to protect. And it makes sense for them to court their love interests in their secret identities, because those are their real identities. Clark was Clark before Superman, Bruce was Bruce before Batman...etc...
Diana is the opposite of this, though. Her superhero identity is her real self. Her background is her superhero origin. She's a mythic hero brought to the modern era. Her family is connected to her as Wonder Woman. In the Golden Age, half of her stateside supporting cast (The Holliday girls) were connected to her as Wonder Woman. She dated Steve as Wonder Woman, even as she tried to get him into Diana Prince. Diana Prince was really just a way to have a job that could get her information on where/when she's needed most, and when Steve is in over his head.
People like to make distinctions about the differences between Batman and Superman in how they regard their secret identities, but Diana Prince was truly a front in all aspects. Fake name, fake history, fake glasses, fake personality. Wonder Woman was the real person.
Originally, Diana Prince was just another woman she bought the identity off of so she could keep an eye on Steve. In the Silver Age it was blatantly created so that she could screw with Steve's head. (Seriously, Wonder Woman #99 backup story. Makes a bet with Steve that if he can find her 3 times in 3 days she'll agree to marry him. He tricks her by marking her with some radioactive dye, so on the third day she gets her revenge by taking a job as his secretary so she'll be right under his nose without him knowing.) Even Pre-Crisis, though, it was so ridiculous it had to be Aphrodite's decree that she not reveal her identity to anyone and that she not settled down and marry until she had completed her mission.
Honestly, we are better off without it now.
However... There is one aspect of the Secret Identity that is absolutely delicious pre-Crisis, and I'm not sure any writer other than Marston consciously realized it.
Everyone knows the Superman symbolism, how he's the ignored geek who is secretly hiding that he's the godlike hero the female lead truly wants. That's the pattern Diana Prince is set after, she's the meek mild doormat who is secretly the powerful and alluring woman he loves. Except... as Diana is a woman, there's a twist.
Growing up girls got (and probably still get in a lot of places) told that they had to carefully protect a guy's ego if they wanted to be attractive. That meant not outshining him in any way. According to conventional wisdom you had to downplay your intelligence, because guys didn't like smart girls. You couldn't be better than him at sports or games, even if you were. Because according to conventional wisdom, guys liked meek doormats and are turned off by successful women. (This is reinforced every time you see the trope where a guy's masculinity is threatened by the successful woman he's romantically involved with, by the way.)
Steve Trevor does not simply defy this conventional wisdom. He shoots it in the face and kicks it into the gutter before lighting it on fire.
Steve's original concept is war hero. (He's already got enough fame for his presumed death and later his recovery to be covered in the newspaper back in the Golden Age.) That's his job, to uncover espionage and save people's lives. It's instinctive for him to protect others. Most of the trouble he gets into is because he's trying to save someone who's in danger, or stop spies.
Wonder Woman protects him. And she not only protects him once or twice, she saves his butt nearly every time they meet. She defeats the bad guy he was after nearly every time. She even flies a cooler plane than he ever did. The second she arrives on the scene, he knows he's in a supporting role. She is responsible for saving the day and he is the first person to declare this when the dust settles. He is the first person to embrace it and set himself up as Iolus to her Hercules. And rather than find this unattractive or threatening, he finds it turns him on.
Steve Trevor's girlfriend is not only better than him at one thing like tennis or video games. She is better at his job in every conceivable way, and that is the hottest thing he can imagine.
And when the dust settles and Wonder Woman's disappeared, there's another girl around. A girl who is attracted to him, who constantly asks him out. A girl of normal strength and speed. A girl he never sees perform heroic feats. A girl who works for him and is pretty much a doormat for him. A girl who keeps her body covered and doesn't speak up much. A girl who pretty much fits the conventional wisdom of what men prefer in female behavior.
Even though this girl is absolutely identical to his girlfriend except for glasses and wearing more clothing (and even though General Darnell and other supporting cast members can tell she's nerd-hot), she is the least attractive woman imaginable to him. Really, she may as well be his little sister. He's nice enough to her at times, treats her like a work buddy, but when she comes on to him he makes it harshly clear he isn't interested and talks about his girlfriend.
Diana herself thought it meant that Steve was superficial, and only looking at appearances or only attracted to fame. That's why she got angry in the Kanigher run and played secret identity games. That, of course, ignores the fact that she is still freaking hot as Diana Prince. She even has the same hairstyle while Andru's drawing. She doesn't change appearance beyond putting on a pair of stylish frames and a flatteringly cut uniform. Steve is not attracted to hair and face so much as bending steel girders and saving his life. One of the few good moments O'Neil had was when she--as Diana Prince--saved him from being framed for murder. Steve thinks on this, and says to Wonder Woman that he may have been underestimating Diana and that maybe he should get to know her better. He's turned on by heroism, and prior to this Diana had always avoided that in her secret identity.
Wonder Woman's pre-Crisis secret identity served one purpose. It enforced the moral that if women hide their strengths and talents they are actually less attractive to men. That if you allow a man to treat you as a doormat, he will. But if you show yourself being excellent, and let yourself shine, he'll be the one pushing for a commitment.
It's a good moral for pre-Crisis Wonder Woman. And really, I wouldn't mind if when they get her steady love interest back they dust off the secret identity for one story, just to demonstrate that she has no chance in hell of attracting his attention if she hides her best qualities. But I don't think it's a necessary aspect to the character. She seems rootless because the writers keep dumping the supporting cast, not because she's not lying to them enough.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Steve Trevor WILL be on TV again.
Okay, so they have finally cast Steve Trevor and IMDB was wrong. It's actually this guy:
Justin Bruening
A simple image search reveals no nude cowboy photo shoot, so I am rather disappointed.
Still, he's pretty cute at least. I haven't seen him on All My Children or Knight Rider, but I'm getting used to his appearance. He's a bit bulkier than I'd expected. I do have some worries, though.
One is that the first picture I saw of him, on DCWKA, was this:
My second reaction was that he resembles David Boreanez. As we all know, Boreanez voiced Hal Jordan in New Frontier and I have this horrible nightmare that the 21st Century Steve Trevor concept is "Wonder Woman dates a blonde Hal Jordan."
I know it seems irrational, but... the animated movie guy was basically Hal Jordan, and it's not unheard of for writers to consider careers part of the characterization. Steve's a pilot to get him onto the island, so it's not a stretch for them to just characterize him as a pilot and use Top Gun as their reference again.
Never mind that his character concept is actually "soldier", and he's an intel officer who only ever uses his piloting skills for the purposes of the plot. (It wouldn't be farfetched if he was grounded because of his injuries when he crashed on the island, and--unlike Hal--wasn't bothered by not getitng to fly again because being in love is a hundred times greater thrill for him than flying a jet--but that's just a dream characterization.) Never mind that he'd work much better as the Anti-Hal, because there's no way in the deeper coldest chasm of Tartarus that Wonder Woman would date someone like Hal Jordan. Never mind that, personality-wise, he should be someone that it makes sense she like.
But I digress, that's just me panicking. On the bright side, many of the commenters on DCWKA have stated that he can't act so it's possible he won't be able to get "asshole" across, or they're just going for the easy combo of big, sweet and dumb from the Golden Age.
And anyway in the TV show his job isn't military pilot. It's... civilian lawyer, which brings me to my second problem and my first thought which was "He's a baby!"
Now, the rumor is that Steve in this is an Army vet who crashed on the island, had an affair with Diana, and later became a lawyer working for the Department of Justice. The assumption is that he's basically the same as we've seen, just after he got out he becomes a lawyer.
This means that he had to go through pilot's training and college in order to be an officer. THEN he had to serve out his commitment to the military. THEN he had to do law school and become a lawyer.
That's... That's a lot of years between High School and the present there. A lot more than this Justin Breuning guy looks like he has.
I can see them pulling it... maybe... if they decide he was JAG (more on why a JAG officer might actually be a suitable love interest for post-Crisis Diana later) and make up some contrived reason he was on a plane going over Themiscyra and was the only one to wash up. That gives us just law school and a service commitment that might've gotten cut short for injuries he got in combat, in the crash, or in the dangerous occupation of "Love Interest."
But... I know how old military officers tend to be, and he's pretty boyish looking for someone in the Major rank range. That's a Lt. face if I ever saw one.
This age thing might be a bit much for my suspension of disbelief.
Justin Bruening
A simple image search reveals no nude cowboy photo shoot, so I am rather disappointed.
Still, he's pretty cute at least. I haven't seen him on All My Children or Knight Rider, but I'm getting used to his appearance. He's a bit bulkier than I'd expected. I do have some worries, though.
One is that the first picture I saw of him, on DCWKA, was this:
My second reaction was that he resembles David Boreanez. As we all know, Boreanez voiced Hal Jordan in New Frontier and I have this horrible nightmare that the 21st Century Steve Trevor concept is "Wonder Woman dates a blonde Hal Jordan."
I know it seems irrational, but... the animated movie guy was basically Hal Jordan, and it's not unheard of for writers to consider careers part of the characterization. Steve's a pilot to get him onto the island, so it's not a stretch for them to just characterize him as a pilot and use Top Gun as their reference again.
Never mind that his character concept is actually "soldier", and he's an intel officer who only ever uses his piloting skills for the purposes of the plot. (It wouldn't be farfetched if he was grounded because of his injuries when he crashed on the island, and--unlike Hal--wasn't bothered by not getitng to fly again because being in love is a hundred times greater thrill for him than flying a jet--but that's just a dream characterization.) Never mind that he'd work much better as the Anti-Hal, because there's no way in the deeper coldest chasm of Tartarus that Wonder Woman would date someone like Hal Jordan. Never mind that, personality-wise, he should be someone that it makes sense she like.
But I digress, that's just me panicking. On the bright side, many of the commenters on DCWKA have stated that he can't act so it's possible he won't be able to get "asshole" across, or they're just going for the easy combo of big, sweet and dumb from the Golden Age.
And anyway in the TV show his job isn't military pilot. It's... civilian lawyer, which brings me to my second problem and my first thought which was "He's a baby!"
Now, the rumor is that Steve in this is an Army vet who crashed on the island, had an affair with Diana, and later became a lawyer working for the Department of Justice. The assumption is that he's basically the same as we've seen, just after he got out he becomes a lawyer.
This means that he had to go through pilot's training and college in order to be an officer. THEN he had to serve out his commitment to the military. THEN he had to do law school and become a lawyer.
That's... That's a lot of years between High School and the present there. A lot more than this Justin Breuning guy looks like he has.
I can see them pulling it... maybe... if they decide he was JAG (more on why a JAG officer might actually be a suitable love interest for post-Crisis Diana later) and make up some contrived reason he was on a plane going over Themiscyra and was the only one to wash up. That gives us just law school and a service commitment that might've gotten cut short for injuries he got in combat, in the crash, or in the dangerous occupation of "Love Interest."
But... I know how old military officers tend to be, and he's pretty boyish looking for someone in the Major rank range. That's a Lt. face if I ever saw one.
This age thing might be a bit much for my suspension of disbelief.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
About damned time.
DC Women Kicking Ass:
At C2E2 today DC announced Cassandra Cain will be featured in the mini-series Gates of Gotham, appearing in the first issue. This is apparently the project that prevented her from appearing in the Birds of Prey.Still sounds like a side character, but appearing in another book is an improvement at least. They'd better have a payoff for all the ignoring her.
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Costume
The new live-action costume: 
Before we get into the complaining, I'm going to let you all know I was relieved when I saw it. It is not the revised Lee costume. It is not some ultramodern non-superhero thing. After years of "No tights, no flights" on Smallville and the general shame people engage in in comic book adaptations someone's got the guts to go and say "Look, we're going to try and do a superhero here."
But, since the vast majority of fandom is complaining, I'm going to address it at one by one so you know it's pointless to try and reason me out of my good mood. (Why yes, I did get to solder a connector today. That always puts me in a sunny mood, complaining about ops tearing up the equipment included.)
It's shiny, but I prefer Wonder Woman bright so I'm not bothered by it seeming vinyl/plasticky. (Also, I don't think it'll shine so much while she's punching bad guys in a dimly lit alley set as it does under these publicity lights.) We have Clark Kent running around in all black with an S spray-painted on his T-shirt so I'm just plain glad not to see them try and pull some sort of dark serious shit like that with her.
I am not bothered by the lack of star-spangled panties. I have been whining for years for solid blue pants, and now I have them, I like them. I don't subscribe to the "making her less patriotic" conspiracy theory because well... She's of the royal family for another country. Besides, they brought back Steve Trevor (granted, as ex-military but probably still a veteran and he works for the DOJ now) so we know she loves the troops.
I also like the bright blue. I'm sorry, Wonder Woman should not wear black. And really, there's no need to darken her with Navy Blue either.
I like the boots, yes the heels. Yes, heels are impractical, but these are pretty solid heels and Diana is nigh invulnerable so she's in that list of superheroines that can pull this off. (Batgirl and Batwoman look fucking stupid in heels, but Wonder Woman and Power Girl aren't going to suffer from having them.)
Also, they contribute to the cowboy feel. So do the gold stars on the side. I think it's the lasso, but I always kinda liked a little cowboy imagery mixed in with her Greek mythology and modern knight stuff.
The bustier? Well, it's pretty much her classic costume with pants. I can live without straps, as I have for many years now.
Yay on the tiara and bracelets.
What don't I like?
The girdle, the girdle, the awkward looking girdle. I hate that they put a half-logo on the girdle, it looks weird. Also not thrilled about the little WWs topping the boots.
She's wearing quite a bit of makeup here. I think that's actually the MAC lipgloss shade I have (named Wonder Woman).
Her boobs look... unsecure.
Before we get into the complaining, I'm going to let you all know I was relieved when I saw it. It is not the revised Lee costume. It is not some ultramodern non-superhero thing. After years of "No tights, no flights" on Smallville and the general shame people engage in in comic book adaptations someone's got the guts to go and say "Look, we're going to try and do a superhero here."
But, since the vast majority of fandom is complaining, I'm going to address it at one by one so you know it's pointless to try and reason me out of my good mood. (Why yes, I did get to solder a connector today. That always puts me in a sunny mood, complaining about ops tearing up the equipment included.)
It's shiny, but I prefer Wonder Woman bright so I'm not bothered by it seeming vinyl/plasticky. (Also, I don't think it'll shine so much while she's punching bad guys in a dimly lit alley set as it does under these publicity lights.) We have Clark Kent running around in all black with an S spray-painted on his T-shirt so I'm just plain glad not to see them try and pull some sort of dark serious shit like that with her.
I am not bothered by the lack of star-spangled panties. I have been whining for years for solid blue pants, and now I have them, I like them. I don't subscribe to the "making her less patriotic" conspiracy theory because well... She's of the royal family for another country. Besides, they brought back Steve Trevor (granted, as ex-military but probably still a veteran and he works for the DOJ now) so we know she loves the troops.
I also like the bright blue. I'm sorry, Wonder Woman should not wear black. And really, there's no need to darken her with Navy Blue either.
I like the boots, yes the heels. Yes, heels are impractical, but these are pretty solid heels and Diana is nigh invulnerable so she's in that list of superheroines that can pull this off. (Batgirl and Batwoman look fucking stupid in heels, but Wonder Woman and Power Girl aren't going to suffer from having them.)
Also, they contribute to the cowboy feel. So do the gold stars on the side. I think it's the lasso, but I always kinda liked a little cowboy imagery mixed in with her Greek mythology and modern knight stuff.
The bustier? Well, it's pretty much her classic costume with pants. I can live without straps, as I have for many years now.
Yay on the tiara and bracelets.
What don't I like?
The girdle, the girdle, the awkward looking girdle. I hate that they put a half-logo on the girdle, it looks weird. Also not thrilled about the little WWs topping the boots.
She's wearing quite a bit of makeup here. I think that's actually the MAC lipgloss shade I have (named Wonder Woman).
Her boobs look... unsecure.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
More TV Wonder Woman thoughts.
IMDB has Brett Tucker's role named.
I'm still a bit cautious, because IMDB does make mistakes, but I'm now trying to picture that gorgeous man in service dress. I understand the character's ex-Army, working as a laywer (*sigh* No handsome hats for lawyers) but there's lots of flashbacks in the leaked script. I really wish for an adaptation where he's Navy or Marines, because those two services have such stunning male uniforms.
I really like the cast they've set up for this. A bit heaving on the masculine side for a Wonder Woman revival, but a pretty nice spread. I know it's likely to be the Smallville for Wonder Woman if it catches on, full of relationship plotlines, in-jokes and everyone not being quite like they are in the comics. Diana will probably be as not-quite-our-hero as Welling's Clark. There's going to be some complete absurdity to it, no doubt.
Still, if it catches on, it's a Wonder Woman series. It's a Wonder Woman revival. It's a chance to see these actors weekly. It's a push for maybe another movie, and possibly a second comics. It's at least getting her origin story out there, and back into the cultural consciousness. And they'll have something they can mock every week on Comic Alliance now that Smallville is going away.
I want this to succeed, and I'm cautiously optimistic about it.
In the meantime, I went ahead and checked out the commentary for the old Lynda Carter Wonder Woman pilot. (It's on the first season DVD.) It's Lynda Carter and Douglas S. Cramer reminiscing. And it has Carter ogling Lyle Waggoner, which just made my day.
Wonder Woman's voice saying "Everyone was so helpf--LOOK AT HIS MUSCLES! WOW!" has to be the best thing I've ever heard in a DVD commentary.
I'm still a bit cautious, because IMDB does make mistakes, but I'm now trying to picture that gorgeous man in service dress. I understand the character's ex-Army, working as a laywer (*sigh* No handsome hats for lawyers) but there's lots of flashbacks in the leaked script. I really wish for an adaptation where he's Navy or Marines, because those two services have such stunning male uniforms.
I really like the cast they've set up for this. A bit heaving on the masculine side for a Wonder Woman revival, but a pretty nice spread. I know it's likely to be the Smallville for Wonder Woman if it catches on, full of relationship plotlines, in-jokes and everyone not being quite like they are in the comics. Diana will probably be as not-quite-our-hero as Welling's Clark. There's going to be some complete absurdity to it, no doubt.
Still, if it catches on, it's a Wonder Woman series. It's a Wonder Woman revival. It's a chance to see these actors weekly. It's a push for maybe another movie, and possibly a second comics. It's at least getting her origin story out there, and back into the cultural consciousness. And they'll have something they can mock every week on Comic Alliance now that Smallville is going away.
I want this to succeed, and I'm cautiously optimistic about it.
In the meantime, I went ahead and checked out the commentary for the old Lynda Carter Wonder Woman pilot. (It's on the first season DVD.) It's Lynda Carter and Douglas S. Cramer reminiscing. And it has Carter ogling Lyle Waggoner, which just made my day.
Wonder Woman's voice saying "Everyone was so helpf--LOOK AT HIS MUSCLES! WOW!" has to be the best thing I've ever heard in a DVD commentary.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Anything to look forward to in June?
DC's got their June solicits up and the teasers on Flashpoint are slim. However, not sure that "FLASH FACT! If she can’t have the world – no one will!" under Wonder Woman and the Furies #1 makes me hopeful. I'll still try the first issue, but I'm kinda sick of them making Diana the overly aggressive warmonger in dystopian timelines.
On the other hand, the single most anticipated Wonder Woman issue of the year will come out the same month:
Yes, that's the light at the end of the tunnel. That is the END of the JMS plotted timefuck. I can't say what fresh hell awaits us in issue #613, but at least it won't be from the mind of the guy who did Superman: Earth One.
That cover's a variant, so I don't know if it means anything but it beats any Wonder Woman cover since the Dodsons were on art.
And there's a Showcase Presents for the old "Trial of the Flash" storyline. Carmin Infantino days.
Aside from that, I'm intrigued by this:
On the other hand, the single most anticipated Wonder Woman issue of the year will come out the same month:
WONDER WOMAN #612
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI and PHIL HESTER
Art and cover by DON KRAMER and WAYNE FAUCHER
1:10 Variant cover by ALEX GARNER
This is the one you’ve waited for! The year-long “Odyssey” storyline comes to an earth-shattering conclusion! Can Diana defeat the powerful forces that destroyed her entire reality? And even if she wins, she could still lose everything!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale JUNE 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Yes, that's the light at the end of the tunnel. That is the END of the JMS plotted timefuck. I can't say what fresh hell awaits us in issue #613, but at least it won't be from the mind of the guy who did Superman: Earth One.
That cover's a variant, so I don't know if it means anything but it beats any Wonder Woman cover since the Dodsons were on art.
And there's a Showcase Presents for the old "Trial of the Flash" storyline. Carmin Infantino days.
Aside from that, I'm intrigued by this:
STATIC SHOCK SPECIAL #1
Written by FELICIA D. HENDERSON
Art by DENYS COWAN, PRENTIS ROLLINS and others
Cover by DEREC DONOVAN
A special one-shot paying homage to Dwayne McDuffie and the world of Milestone Media, with tribute material from Milestone co-founder Denys Cowan and other Milestone alumni.
One-shot • No ads • On sale JUNE 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Having our cake and eating it too.
I've been watching the second season of the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show, and I can't help but think that Lyle Waggoner's not really a love interest in this. He's her closer friend and coworker, but really they seem to have lost their romantic chemistry from the setting change.
See, the second season is set in the 70s, when Steve Trevor Jr is on a plane that wanders into Paradise Island airspace during a hijacking attempt. Diana goes on, sees that everyone is unconscious and there's a guy on there who looks exactly like Steve Trevor. And she knows several decades have passed and this is impossible. It turns out to be his son, and her Steve has recently died of old age. As she can assess there's an obvious danger to the guy, she asks to go back.
We have a different Hippolyta, a redhead this time, and she's the best one yet. She wants to deny it, but they put it to a council vote and Diana just has to face one challenger in Bullets & Bracelets before she's off to Man's World again.
Now, from the start it looks like they want to continue the same character dynamic, but it doesn't work. They changed his character. She was in love with his father, not him. He was raised on stories about her, and of course he geeks out when he sees her. At the end of the show they even do the thing where Diana misspeaks and says "Well, I'm sure she came back for you--I mean us" when speculating about Wonder Woman's motives. (This was common in the first season. We'd see him get this modest/embarrassed look after she made those slips, because it was obvious to everyone from FDR to General Blankenship's dry cleaner that the most beautiful woman in the country had a crush on him.)
Jessica Walter (I don't know her character's name but fuck it, it's Jessica Walter) picks up on Diana Prince's looking at him and they even try using an imposter Steve against her. (Who comes onto Diana Prince and chases her across the apartment until she locks herself in the bedroom, changes to Wonder Woman, and comes around the building to
After the first episode, though, they seem to put this aside and it's just a professional relationship. I don't know if that was the actors being unable to adjust the character change, or the writers just discarding it. Either way, it didn't work and I think it's because it wasn't really her Steve. She wasn't following him around because she loved him so much as she was protective of the kid of a guy she loved. I'm only about halfway through the season, but they seem to have settled into close platonic friends. He's a pretty important part of the series as her boss, closest friend and most influential ally, (and he still admires the hell out of Wonder Woman) but I do not see these two dating even casually.
When he gets promoted to being her boss he gets moved off the frontlines, so they cool a bit further. She has solo adventures and when they want to pair her up they come up with a brand new male character for each episode. It's really close to the Rooster Roulette we've seen post-Crisis. I think this was more because they realized Lynda Carter could carry the show all by herself. (Either that or Waggoner was sick of being tied up every episode.)
Funny thing, though, I think this demonstrates a way to keep older Steve and bring back a love interest Steve. Steve Trevor will be a different character according to the period of time he was raised in, he'll default to that generation's healthiest expression masculinity combined with a progressive view (and genuine like and respect for) of women. That's different for a guy in the Army in the 40s and a guy in a spy service in the 70s even if they are played by the same actor. That's going to be different for a guy born in the 40s and a guy born in the 80s. It's not a bad shot on either version of the character, it's just natural.
So, why not go the way of the TV show and introduce a younger character of the same name? They could retcon the first couple Perez stories a little (to add that Steve was married before) or a lot (to substitute the younger Steve for the one who crashed on the island) if they like. They can write out the backstory of the mother and what happened to her. Because Diana never had romantic tension with older Steve, they'd be free to explore the younger version as a love interest. And they can go into the future with the family, because old Steve would undoubtedly have dad angst and Etta would have to deal with a stepson who is very close to her own age.
Of course, then there's always the problem of where has this guy been all these years. For that, I have a convenient plotmaking chart. Just fill in the blanks from the appropriate column:
Steve Trevor Sr's (Column A) of the same name has been (Column B) for many years due to the machinations of (Column C), who took him (Column D). Diana must fix this.
Click to enlarge
And I've also made one for any future storylines they might need. With decompression, this should last them another 600 issues.
Click to enlarge
See, the second season is set in the 70s, when Steve Trevor Jr is on a plane that wanders into Paradise Island airspace during a hijacking attempt. Diana goes on, sees that everyone is unconscious and there's a guy on there who looks exactly like Steve Trevor. And she knows several decades have passed and this is impossible. It turns out to be his son, and her Steve has recently died of old age. As she can assess there's an obvious danger to the guy, she asks to go back.
We have a different Hippolyta, a redhead this time, and she's the best one yet. She wants to deny it, but they put it to a council vote and Diana just has to face one challenger in Bullets & Bracelets before she's off to Man's World again.
Now, from the start it looks like they want to continue the same character dynamic, but it doesn't work. They changed his character. She was in love with his father, not him. He was raised on stories about her, and of course he geeks out when he sees her. At the end of the show they even do the thing where Diana misspeaks and says "Well, I'm sure she came back for you--I mean us" when speculating about Wonder Woman's motives. (This was common in the first season. We'd see him get this modest/embarrassed look after she made those slips, because it was obvious to everyone from FDR to General Blankenship's dry cleaner that the most beautiful woman in the country had a crush on him.)
Jessica Walter (I don't know her character's name but fuck it, it's Jessica Walter) picks up on Diana Prince's looking at him and they even try using an imposter Steve against her. (Who comes onto Diana Prince and chases her across the apartment until she locks herself in the bedroom, changes to Wonder Woman, and comes around the building to
After the first episode, though, they seem to put this aside and it's just a professional relationship. I don't know if that was the actors being unable to adjust the character change, or the writers just discarding it. Either way, it didn't work and I think it's because it wasn't really her Steve. She wasn't following him around because she loved him so much as she was protective of the kid of a guy she loved. I'm only about halfway through the season, but they seem to have settled into close platonic friends. He's a pretty important part of the series as her boss, closest friend and most influential ally, (and he still admires the hell out of Wonder Woman) but I do not see these two dating even casually.
When he gets promoted to being her boss he gets moved off the frontlines, so they cool a bit further. She has solo adventures and when they want to pair her up they come up with a brand new male character for each episode. It's really close to the Rooster Roulette we've seen post-Crisis. I think this was more because they realized Lynda Carter could carry the show all by herself. (Either that or Waggoner was sick of being tied up every episode.)
Funny thing, though, I think this demonstrates a way to keep older Steve and bring back a love interest Steve. Steve Trevor will be a different character according to the period of time he was raised in, he'll default to that generation's healthiest expression masculinity combined with a progressive view (and genuine like and respect for) of women. That's different for a guy in the Army in the 40s and a guy in a spy service in the 70s even if they are played by the same actor. That's going to be different for a guy born in the 40s and a guy born in the 80s. It's not a bad shot on either version of the character, it's just natural.
So, why not go the way of the TV show and introduce a younger character of the same name? They could retcon the first couple Perez stories a little (to add that Steve was married before) or a lot (to substitute the younger Steve for the one who crashed on the island) if they like. They can write out the backstory of the mother and what happened to her. Because Diana never had romantic tension with older Steve, they'd be free to explore the younger version as a love interest. And they can go into the future with the family, because old Steve would undoubtedly have dad angst and Etta would have to deal with a stepson who is very close to her own age.
Of course, then there's always the problem of where has this guy been all these years. For that, I have a convenient plotmaking chart. Just fill in the blanks from the appropriate column:
Steve Trevor Sr's (Column A) of the same name has been (Column B) for many years due to the machinations of (Column C), who took him (Column D). Diana must fix this.
And I've also made one for any future storylines they might need. With decompression, this should last them another 600 issues.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wonder Woman Casting: Now With Extra Blondes
They cast another actor in Wonder Woman, Brett Tucker. The initial announcement doesn't name the character.
However DCWKA points out that the actor looks very much like one of the major parts.
How much? Well, let's put Brett Tucker next to a similarly angled drawing by Andru and Esposito from Wonder Woman #129:
What do you think, guys, a face worth leaving Paradise for?
(Via DCWKA, and here's the profile Mizzelle dug up.)
P.S. A Google Image search of this actor's name reveals him lying naked in an outdoor bathtub, wearing a cowboy hat. I will be devastated if he doesn't turn out to be Steve Trevor.
However DCWKA points out that the actor looks very much like one of the major parts.
How much? Well, let's put Brett Tucker next to a similarly angled drawing by Andru and Esposito from Wonder Woman #129:
What do you think, guys, a face worth leaving Paradise for?
(Via DCWKA, and here's the profile Mizzelle dug up.)
P.S. A Google Image search of this actor's name reveals him lying naked in an outdoor bathtub, wearing a cowboy hat. I will be devastated if he doesn't turn out to be Steve Trevor.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Thoughts on the old Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show.
Well, I broke my blogging streak this week but since I've been spending a decent amount of time on class and an even greater amount of time on work, I figured I was entitled to devoting my leisure time to some nostalgia.
By that I mean rewatching the entire first season of The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, which I had sitting around on DVD but hadn't really seen since I was a kid. I'd been worried that it wouldn't live up to my memories. I mean, this is one of those shows they ran late at night in reruns, and in the afternoon on the early Sci-Fi channel schedule. For a while, it was right at 3 PM and I'd get off the bus only to ever catch Lynda Carter for the last half hour. (Batman, however, was on for an hour at 5 so I could easily catch all of the Adam West cheesiness I wanted.) I looked so forward to that, and I ran when I got off the bus to see it for a while.
I really shouldn't have been worried.
Yes, it is terribly cheesy. The effects are nonexistent, the acting is quite mockable, and the plots are riddled with holes. But hey, I knew this as a kid and I never forgot it. I had forgotten a few things, though:
1) There were two Hippolytas in the first season, and when it came down to it I preferred the edgy sexist Hippolyta ("I named this place Paradise Island... because there were no men on it") who had a closed mind Diana would have to open over the amusingly absent-minded, gentle and innocent Hippolyta ("Daughter... Can't you reason with your Nazis?") that showed in the Druscilla episodes. She wasn't a horrible stereotype in the pilot, after all she ran a very peaceful society and never once considered any other option than sending Steve home once he'd recovered. She was sarcastic and sexist, though, and considered Diana the naive one. They later decided to recast her and just make the entire family naive, and the Diana the only one who could conceive of how malicious the outside world could be. This didn't really make sense because... why would the Queen not realize why they decided to LEAVE?
2) Druscilla was annoying, but kind of fun because she could make stupid statements Diana couldn't get away with. I am glad as hell she only showed up in 3 episodes, though, because she made the thought of any Amazon-centered stuff a major pain.
3) Etta Candy was even more annoying than Druscilla. I'd COMPLETELY forgotten how horrible this character was. "Oh, I wish I was pretty" all the fucking time. Golden Age Etta Candy kicked ass because she was the head of a gang of really wild college girls, she never fretted about her looks, she told off military men and never hesitated to punch out bad guys. This was a girl who could sit in a room with General Darnell and Major Trevor and tell them exactly what's going on confidently and between bites of chocolate, and was trusted enough that Steve regularly called (and ARMED) her and her entire kooky sorority for help without prompting from Diana. Post-Crisis Etta is like this, but with body issues (which I hate) and without the gang of kooky sorority girls. TV Etta is... I don't know what the fuck she is, but she's annoying and she shouldn't be muddying up my Wonder Woman. I'll take Druscilla AND Donna Troy in a story over TV-Etta.
4) I greatly prefer Gen. Darnell from the comics to Gen. Blankenship on the TV show. Blankenship was a nice old man, but Darnell was much more on the ball.
5) Diana Prince reads the Dictionary of American Slang on her break. I love that.
6) Diana Prince reads the Dictionary of American Slang on her lunch, misses most of the pop culture references, doesn't know who Thomas Jefferson is, replaces a woman who was a spy, and somehow arouses ZERO suspicion from Steve Trevor, a man employed to find and capture foreign spies during wartime.
7) Steve Trevor, despite his secretary-shaped blind spot, actually comes off as fairly sharp and good at his job.
8) Lyle Waggoner is probably why I like the Steve Trevor character. They managed to get him perfect in the first season. There are so many ways to get this character wrong: you can overmacho him and make him a jerk (making us wonder why she likes him), you can dedicate a storyline to how she teaches him to be a better person (neglecting that a, there should be a reason she likes him and b, this is not his story, this is her story and he's supposed to be the catalyst for her life change so he'd better be fucking worth leaving Paradise for in the first place), or you can dedicate a storyline to how his masculinity is threatened by her success (which goes counter to the very concept of this character).
They avoided all three here. He's a decent human being on all fronts (though not without his jerky moments like all people), a bit sexist but it manifests in the well-meaning chivalry side (like when he tries to shield her from an explosion) rather than kneejerk chauvinism (hell, in the beauty contest episode he has the same reaction as her to first seeing all the women in a secure area). They even do away with his Loisesque dismissal of Diana Prince's abilities, and he genuinely listens to her as a colleague and a friend. He starts out the series as a war hero, and as the season goes on you get to see him do heroic things in between being kidnapped, tied up and knocked unconscious. Basically, you watch this guy and understand why Wonder Woman has a crush on him.
Because he's already a stand-up human being to begin with, he doesn't need Wonder Woman to show him the error of his ways and the character development can focus on Diana and her effect on the world at large rather than just her effect on one person through love. He does get to be fleshed out, and they do try to examine his morality and honor as a military person at some points but ultimately the people who change and grow are the side characters and the bad guys in this series. I like that for Wonder Woman, because we have plenty of great stories out there about the transformative power of a woman's love on a good man so we really don't need to go to that well when the point of the franchise is to focus on the transformative power of a woman's idealism, optimism, and ability on the whole world.
And while he's embarrassed that he needs her help so often (and doesn't really get to save her that I can recall, which is different from Golden Age Steve who got a chance to save the day every fourth or fifth story) he's not testy with her or seeing her as a threat to his supremacy. Instead, he adores her and wants to help her any chance he gets.
I don't know if we'll get that sort of relationship in a modern series, though. This series was very plot-driven. Steve's role was to show Wonder Woman which asses needed to be kicked. He had a job of pivotal importance that he needed backup on, and she could always count on him walking into the biggest trouble-spot if she hung around him long enough. In this way, he was the best love interest and sidekick for him. A modern series will focus more on inter-character conflict, though, and come up with some way to manufacture drama between the two.
Hopefully, they avoid the 3 pitfalls I listed above and come up with something sensible for them to clash over. The alien visitors episode was a good setup for character conflict, actually, because it pitted his military pragmatism against her peaceful philosophy. I don't know if we'd get something that relevant of David E. Kelley, though.
9) Lynda Carter was, is, and probably forever will be one of the most likable actresses in television history. Her Diana was so sweet and innocent without being foolish. It was a perfect Year One portrayal. They played a little with the fish out of water gags through the whole series ("There's a place where they make money?" "Tom who?") but they also established early on that she knew how to read people very well. That she was so smart about people made it all the more effective that she chose trust and compassion whenever possible.
I feel like I should give her more words, but really... what more can you say? She shows up on screen and you start smiling. She radiates goodness and light. She makes you lose yourself in that cheesy old TV show. It worked because of her.
By that I mean rewatching the entire first season of The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, which I had sitting around on DVD but hadn't really seen since I was a kid. I'd been worried that it wouldn't live up to my memories. I mean, this is one of those shows they ran late at night in reruns, and in the afternoon on the early Sci-Fi channel schedule. For a while, it was right at 3 PM and I'd get off the bus only to ever catch Lynda Carter for the last half hour. (Batman, however, was on for an hour at 5 so I could easily catch all of the Adam West cheesiness I wanted.) I looked so forward to that, and I ran when I got off the bus to see it for a while.
I really shouldn't have been worried.
Yes, it is terribly cheesy. The effects are nonexistent, the acting is quite mockable, and the plots are riddled with holes. But hey, I knew this as a kid and I never forgot it. I had forgotten a few things, though:
1) There were two Hippolytas in the first season, and when it came down to it I preferred the edgy sexist Hippolyta ("I named this place Paradise Island... because there were no men on it") who had a closed mind Diana would have to open over the amusingly absent-minded, gentle and innocent Hippolyta ("Daughter... Can't you reason with your Nazis?") that showed in the Druscilla episodes. She wasn't a horrible stereotype in the pilot, after all she ran a very peaceful society and never once considered any other option than sending Steve home once he'd recovered. She was sarcastic and sexist, though, and considered Diana the naive one. They later decided to recast her and just make the entire family naive, and the Diana the only one who could conceive of how malicious the outside world could be. This didn't really make sense because... why would the Queen not realize why they decided to LEAVE?
2) Druscilla was annoying, but kind of fun because she could make stupid statements Diana couldn't get away with. I am glad as hell she only showed up in 3 episodes, though, because she made the thought of any Amazon-centered stuff a major pain.
3) Etta Candy was even more annoying than Druscilla. I'd COMPLETELY forgotten how horrible this character was. "Oh, I wish I was pretty" all the fucking time. Golden Age Etta Candy kicked ass because she was the head of a gang of really wild college girls, she never fretted about her looks, she told off military men and never hesitated to punch out bad guys. This was a girl who could sit in a room with General Darnell and Major Trevor and tell them exactly what's going on confidently and between bites of chocolate, and was trusted enough that Steve regularly called (and ARMED) her and her entire kooky sorority for help without prompting from Diana. Post-Crisis Etta is like this, but with body issues (which I hate) and without the gang of kooky sorority girls. TV Etta is... I don't know what the fuck she is, but she's annoying and she shouldn't be muddying up my Wonder Woman. I'll take Druscilla AND Donna Troy in a story over TV-Etta.
4) I greatly prefer Gen. Darnell from the comics to Gen. Blankenship on the TV show. Blankenship was a nice old man, but Darnell was much more on the ball.
5) Diana Prince reads the Dictionary of American Slang on her break. I love that.
6) Diana Prince reads the Dictionary of American Slang on her lunch, misses most of the pop culture references, doesn't know who Thomas Jefferson is, replaces a woman who was a spy, and somehow arouses ZERO suspicion from Steve Trevor, a man employed to find and capture foreign spies during wartime.
7) Steve Trevor, despite his secretary-shaped blind spot, actually comes off as fairly sharp and good at his job.
8) Lyle Waggoner is probably why I like the Steve Trevor character. They managed to get him perfect in the first season. There are so many ways to get this character wrong: you can overmacho him and make him a jerk (making us wonder why she likes him), you can dedicate a storyline to how she teaches him to be a better person (neglecting that a, there should be a reason she likes him and b, this is not his story, this is her story and he's supposed to be the catalyst for her life change so he'd better be fucking worth leaving Paradise for in the first place), or you can dedicate a storyline to how his masculinity is threatened by her success (which goes counter to the very concept of this character).
They avoided all three here. He's a decent human being on all fronts (though not without his jerky moments like all people), a bit sexist but it manifests in the well-meaning chivalry side (like when he tries to shield her from an explosion) rather than kneejerk chauvinism (hell, in the beauty contest episode he has the same reaction as her to first seeing all the women in a secure area). They even do away with his Loisesque dismissal of Diana Prince's abilities, and he genuinely listens to her as a colleague and a friend. He starts out the series as a war hero, and as the season goes on you get to see him do heroic things in between being kidnapped, tied up and knocked unconscious. Basically, you watch this guy and understand why Wonder Woman has a crush on him.
Because he's already a stand-up human being to begin with, he doesn't need Wonder Woman to show him the error of his ways and the character development can focus on Diana and her effect on the world at large rather than just her effect on one person through love. He does get to be fleshed out, and they do try to examine his morality and honor as a military person at some points but ultimately the people who change and grow are the side characters and the bad guys in this series. I like that for Wonder Woman, because we have plenty of great stories out there about the transformative power of a woman's love on a good man so we really don't need to go to that well when the point of the franchise is to focus on the transformative power of a woman's idealism, optimism, and ability on the whole world.
And while he's embarrassed that he needs her help so often (and doesn't really get to save her that I can recall, which is different from Golden Age Steve who got a chance to save the day every fourth or fifth story) he's not testy with her or seeing her as a threat to his supremacy. Instead, he adores her and wants to help her any chance he gets.
I don't know if we'll get that sort of relationship in a modern series, though. This series was very plot-driven. Steve's role was to show Wonder Woman which asses needed to be kicked. He had a job of pivotal importance that he needed backup on, and she could always count on him walking into the biggest trouble-spot if she hung around him long enough. In this way, he was the best love interest and sidekick for him. A modern series will focus more on inter-character conflict, though, and come up with some way to manufacture drama between the two.
Hopefully, they avoid the 3 pitfalls I listed above and come up with something sensible for them to clash over. The alien visitors episode was a good setup for character conflict, actually, because it pitted his military pragmatism against her peaceful philosophy. I don't know if we'd get something that relevant of David E. Kelley, though.
9) Lynda Carter was, is, and probably forever will be one of the most likable actresses in television history. Her Diana was so sweet and innocent without being foolish. It was a perfect Year One portrayal. They played a little with the fish out of water gags through the whole series ("There's a place where they make money?" "Tom who?") but they also established early on that she knew how to read people very well. That she was so smart about people made it all the more effective that she chose trust and compassion whenever possible.
I feel like I should give her more words, but really... what more can you say? She shows up on screen and you start smiling. She radiates goodness and light. She makes you lose yourself in that cheesy old TV show. It worked because of her.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Yes, I miss the Invisible Jet
I've realized something else from reading pre-Crisis Wonder Woman. I'm actually really fond of the Invisible Jet. It was really prominent in the Golden Age stories, and they didn't get rid of it until the Perez reboot when she got flight. To this day, it is still one of the most recognizable elements of her franchise. I've gotten guys from the office across the hall coming over to ask me to explain the Invisible Jet.
It was a really neat addition. It allowed her to do aerial rescues hanging from a rope ladder and she basically used it like Batman uses the batplane. It gave her a communications and tech base where-ever in the world she went. It let her easily transport large groups of people without looking silly. (Yeah, she and Superman can carry a bus, but it looks odd.) And it was something that Steve, Etta, and Hippolyta could all fly in case she needed help.
It served a really good purpose in the origin story as a way to transport Steve back from the island. (In fact, questions about the Invisible Jet are my excuse to recount Wonder Woman's origin story.) I think I've written before about how I cringe at the idea of someone with multiple injuries being carried from the Bermuda Triangle to Boston in someone's arms, after all. Diana's an expert carrier, and I love that she carts Steve all over the place in some of these stories but I really think a long trip would be better with him strapped into a stretcher.
But it had to go, because the Perez reboot got rid of the idea that the Amazons were a technologically advanced civilization. Instead, they spent 3000 years with no technological breakthroughs, despite never having had a Dark Ages, being inclined to academic pursuits and having the uninterrupted wisdom of the Ancient World at their fingertips. Oh, and being followers of Athena.
Still, that's being dumped slowly but surely. Byrne gave us kind of the Invisible Jet, only to have someone later take it away. And the Purple Ray has been referenced. The Amazon Library, when it shows, is freaking amazing and I think Harbinger set up that tech but it's there. Really, we need some equivalent of Paula and Tonia back on the island, researching science day in and day out for the Amazons.
We might get that. (Probably with Greek names.) As much as fans are clinging to the Perez reboot as the definitive origin still, a revision is coming. Infinite Crisis changed the timeline already. Odyssey and Flashpoint will give them any excuses they want. I think, with the news of the TV show and his inclusion in the last animated movie, it's not a stretch to suspect we're getting Steve back (fingers crossed we'll be keeping old Steve as a father or uncle to him.) I have my doubts about the jet, though.
But man, I liked it. And I think they could get away with it. It'd establish the Amazons as technologically advanced again. They could explain her using it by having her flight power develop more slowly, even just having it be a gift from her accomplishments in the first story. I am annoyed/enraged with the JMS story arc, but I don't think a revised origin story where she starts off with the basic strength/speed/invulnerability and slowly gains her other gifts through a trial by fire in Man's World would be a terrible thing.
I'm sure that the current talent at DC is more than capable of turning it into a terrible thing, but I wouldn't say it's inherently a bad idea.
It was a really neat addition. It allowed her to do aerial rescues hanging from a rope ladder and she basically used it like Batman uses the batplane. It gave her a communications and tech base where-ever in the world she went. It let her easily transport large groups of people without looking silly. (Yeah, she and Superman can carry a bus, but it looks odd.) And it was something that Steve, Etta, and Hippolyta could all fly in case she needed help.
It served a really good purpose in the origin story as a way to transport Steve back from the island. (In fact, questions about the Invisible Jet are my excuse to recount Wonder Woman's origin story.) I think I've written before about how I cringe at the idea of someone with multiple injuries being carried from the Bermuda Triangle to Boston in someone's arms, after all. Diana's an expert carrier, and I love that she carts Steve all over the place in some of these stories but I really think a long trip would be better with him strapped into a stretcher.
But it had to go, because the Perez reboot got rid of the idea that the Amazons were a technologically advanced civilization. Instead, they spent 3000 years with no technological breakthroughs, despite never having had a Dark Ages, being inclined to academic pursuits and having the uninterrupted wisdom of the Ancient World at their fingertips. Oh, and being followers of Athena.
Still, that's being dumped slowly but surely. Byrne gave us kind of the Invisible Jet, only to have someone later take it away. And the Purple Ray has been referenced. The Amazon Library, when it shows, is freaking amazing and I think Harbinger set up that tech but it's there. Really, we need some equivalent of Paula and Tonia back on the island, researching science day in and day out for the Amazons.
We might get that. (Probably with Greek names.) As much as fans are clinging to the Perez reboot as the definitive origin still, a revision is coming. Infinite Crisis changed the timeline already. Odyssey and Flashpoint will give them any excuses they want. I think, with the news of the TV show and his inclusion in the last animated movie, it's not a stretch to suspect we're getting Steve back (fingers crossed we'll be keeping old Steve as a father or uncle to him.) I have my doubts about the jet, though.
But man, I liked it. And I think they could get away with it. It'd establish the Amazons as technologically advanced again. They could explain her using it by having her flight power develop more slowly, even just having it be a gift from her accomplishments in the first story. I am annoyed/enraged with the JMS story arc, but I don't think a revised origin story where she starts off with the basic strength/speed/invulnerability and slowly gains her other gifts through a trial by fire in Man's World would be a terrible thing.
I'm sure that the current talent at DC is more than capable of turning it into a terrible thing, but I wouldn't say it's inherently a bad idea.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
They should play up the princess angle in Wonder Woman more often.
As long as I'm on about the supporting cast of Wonder Woman, there's one female character I really wish they'd add to it.
Ystina from Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight.
Can you imagine the effect Diana would have on someone like her? She's a young woman from an ancient Celtic society who hid her gender in order to become a warrior. (I believe the Queen's shown in armor in a flashback, but with Ystina's actions I think that's a strangeness.) Diana is female warrior of incredible prowess from a society of female warriors.
Not only that, Diana is an honest-to-gods Princess (with really impressive gold armor) and Ystina's a knight without a liege. There's no reason someone of Arthurian values and virtues wouldn't imprint on Wonder Woman and pledge their sword to her forever. Can you imagine Ystina exclaiming that she sees the light of Camelot in Diana's words and actions, then dramatically kneeling and holding her sword up to Diana to offer it in her service? This is a scene just waiting to happen.
On Diana's side, she would certainly understand coming from a warrior culture and finding yourself adjusting to the 21st Century USA. She's experienced this sort of culture shock before. As a warrior from an idealistic monarchy she'd understand many of Ystina's expectations. (But not so many that we wouldn't have some interesting confusion and disagreement between the two.) She'd be a fine mentor in addition to a liegelady, and she'd be that much needed emotional support for Ystina.
Of course, that might just be my fixation on Arthurian legends imprinting on Wonder Woman. Hippolyta, to me, seems very much a King Arthur figure. She's a great warrior in a leadership position, and she varies in her morality and alignment according to whatever point the writer wants to make. Phillipus is clearly Sir Kay the Seneschal, but the badass one of the early Welsh stories rather than the guy who got unhorsed by everyone in the Mallory books. Diana's our questing prince/princess/knight. She's out righting wrongs and spreading the Queen's justice in the wild lawless lands.
Really, the pre-Crisis adventures read a bit like those old romances. (And not just with the strange attitude towards characterization and logic.) You have the Knight and the lady who needs his help in those. They travel for a while and he solves her problem, having adventures along the way. Steve Trevor's like the lady who starts the quest. His career in military intelligence makes him the center of all sorts of problems, especially during the war when he was in constant danger of spies seeking information, and he will either seek out help from the Princess of the Amazons or by lucky coincidence be found and rescued by her. He's not just someone who tags along to be protected, he's either the initiator or the object of the quest. Just like the damsel in the old stories, who often accompanied the questing knight like Steve accompanies Diana.
Hell, the Amazons actually had a tournament to decide who would get the honor to escort him home. And that's the one time I absolutely want them to establish he's awake on the island (I wasn't too happy with movie-Steve being so active on Themiscyra, it seemed off to me), during the Tournament. I want someone to do that scene with Steve sitting in a little chair (with his feet on that gold rug they used Pre-Crisis to avoid activating the curse) by Hippolyta's side, anxiously watching the tournament.
That's right, just like Guinevere.
Not only that, I want him to give Diana a scrap of parachute material or his tie to carry during the tournament like ladies gave knights their scarves or sleeves. Any writer who did this I would love forever.
Since they aged and put Steve aside, Diana's been kind of like Gawain. She often has an opposite-sex companion on her quests, and it's a different person every writer. The Knight errant impression is still very strong to me post-Crisis. That's probably the nature of superheroes, though. They're a modern continuation of the same idea as the old Arthurian romances.
Except I think it's a bit stronger with Diana than fully modern-world heroes, because she's a traveling princess from an enchanted land over the sea. A traveling princess who rescues dudes in distress. From an enchanted land where they have tournaments over who can escort a man home.
Yeah. Ystina could be comfortable in this franchise.
Ystina from Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight.
Can you imagine the effect Diana would have on someone like her? She's a young woman from an ancient Celtic society who hid her gender in order to become a warrior. (I believe the Queen's shown in armor in a flashback, but with Ystina's actions I think that's a strangeness.) Diana is female warrior of incredible prowess from a society of female warriors.
Not only that, Diana is an honest-to-gods Princess (with really impressive gold armor) and Ystina's a knight without a liege. There's no reason someone of Arthurian values and virtues wouldn't imprint on Wonder Woman and pledge their sword to her forever. Can you imagine Ystina exclaiming that she sees the light of Camelot in Diana's words and actions, then dramatically kneeling and holding her sword up to Diana to offer it in her service? This is a scene just waiting to happen.
On Diana's side, she would certainly understand coming from a warrior culture and finding yourself adjusting to the 21st Century USA. She's experienced this sort of culture shock before. As a warrior from an idealistic monarchy she'd understand many of Ystina's expectations. (But not so many that we wouldn't have some interesting confusion and disagreement between the two.) She'd be a fine mentor in addition to a liegelady, and she'd be that much needed emotional support for Ystina.
Of course, that might just be my fixation on Arthurian legends imprinting on Wonder Woman. Hippolyta, to me, seems very much a King Arthur figure. She's a great warrior in a leadership position, and she varies in her morality and alignment according to whatever point the writer wants to make. Phillipus is clearly Sir Kay the Seneschal, but the badass one of the early Welsh stories rather than the guy who got unhorsed by everyone in the Mallory books. Diana's our questing prince/princess/knight. She's out righting wrongs and spreading the Queen's justice in the wild lawless lands.
Really, the pre-Crisis adventures read a bit like those old romances. (And not just with the strange attitude towards characterization and logic.) You have the Knight and the lady who needs his help in those. They travel for a while and he solves her problem, having adventures along the way. Steve Trevor's like the lady who starts the quest. His career in military intelligence makes him the center of all sorts of problems, especially during the war when he was in constant danger of spies seeking information, and he will either seek out help from the Princess of the Amazons or by lucky coincidence be found and rescued by her. He's not just someone who tags along to be protected, he's either the initiator or the object of the quest. Just like the damsel in the old stories, who often accompanied the questing knight like Steve accompanies Diana.
Hell, the Amazons actually had a tournament to decide who would get the honor to escort him home. And that's the one time I absolutely want them to establish he's awake on the island (I wasn't too happy with movie-Steve being so active on Themiscyra, it seemed off to me), during the Tournament. I want someone to do that scene with Steve sitting in a little chair (with his feet on that gold rug they used Pre-Crisis to avoid activating the curse) by Hippolyta's side, anxiously watching the tournament.
That's right, just like Guinevere.
Not only that, I want him to give Diana a scrap of parachute material or his tie to carry during the tournament like ladies gave knights their scarves or sleeves. Any writer who did this I would love forever.
Since they aged and put Steve aside, Diana's been kind of like Gawain. She often has an opposite-sex companion on her quests, and it's a different person every writer. The Knight errant impression is still very strong to me post-Crisis. That's probably the nature of superheroes, though. They're a modern continuation of the same idea as the old Arthurian romances.
Except I think it's a bit stronger with Diana than fully modern-world heroes, because she's a traveling princess from an enchanted land over the sea. A traveling princess who rescues dudes in distress. From an enchanted land where they have tournaments over who can escort a man home.
Yeah. Ystina could be comfortable in this franchise.
Friday, March 04, 2011
The casting continues
They went ahead and cast the first male, Pedro Pascal as Ed Indelicato. So far, I don't know ANY of these actors but I like the characters they've chosen.
I'm always glad to see more Ed, actually. We don't get to see him too often because the Wonder Woman franchise has Rooster Syndrome. You have a lot of female characters usually only get one male character that's notable and active. And that character will be pushed to the side when they bring in another male character. Since they took Steve (still my all-time favorite rooster) off the board as the main love interest we've had a rotating Rooster chair. A lot of these guys (Mike Schorr, Trevor Barnes) didn't work for me. Others like older Steve, Micah, and Nemesis were pretty enjoyable. (Achilles I thought had the most potential, but they erased his timeline.)
So far my favorite post-Crisis rooster has been Ed. He's cynical, cranky, macho, and nurses a crush on Diana that will never develop into anything substantial between them. As a foil for Diana, he's got a lot of potential and I think he's been underused so that writers can focus on their own pet roosters. When Byrne moved them out of Boston, Ed got put on the shelf.
I actually saw him the the Ghost Annual (Annual #7) before I ever saw him in the Perez run. He was the viewpoint character. I liked his voice, it was that hardboiled down-on-his-luck cop stereotype. The narration underscored the effect she has on people, to hear this sort of guy go on about her idealism and energy. There was a moment when he gave her good news so she picked him up and twirled him around.
It freaks him out. I've kind of loved Ed ever since.
ETA: This show won't have rooster syndrome. They just cast a familiar face as another of the male characters. Still waiting on the Steve pick, though.
I'm always glad to see more Ed, actually. We don't get to see him too often because the Wonder Woman franchise has Rooster Syndrome. You have a lot of female characters usually only get one male character that's notable and active. And that character will be pushed to the side when they bring in another male character. Since they took Steve (still my all-time favorite rooster) off the board as the main love interest we've had a rotating Rooster chair. A lot of these guys (Mike Schorr, Trevor Barnes) didn't work for me. Others like older Steve, Micah, and Nemesis were pretty enjoyable. (Achilles I thought had the most potential, but they erased his timeline.)
So far my favorite post-Crisis rooster has been Ed. He's cynical, cranky, macho, and nurses a crush on Diana that will never develop into anything substantial between them. As a foil for Diana, he's got a lot of potential and I think he's been underused so that writers can focus on their own pet roosters. When Byrne moved them out of Boston, Ed got put on the shelf.
I actually saw him the the Ghost Annual (Annual #7) before I ever saw him in the Perez run. He was the viewpoint character. I liked his voice, it was that hardboiled down-on-his-luck cop stereotype. The narration underscored the effect she has on people, to hear this sort of guy go on about her idealism and energy. There was a moment when he gave her good news so she picked him up and twirled him around.
It freaks him out. I've kind of loved Ed ever since.
ETA: This show won't have rooster syndrome. They just cast a familiar face as another of the male characters. Still waiting on the Steve pick, though.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
More Wonder Woman Casting
And we have a Veronica Cale. This is really happening.
ETA: And an Etta Candy. Watch the Steve casting choice leak while I'm asleep tonight.
ETA: And an Etta Candy. Watch the Steve casting choice leak while I'm asleep tonight.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
You can always go home, but you can never go back.
My current obsession with Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman hasn't shifted my buying habits back to DC it seems. I have Avengers Academy, Heroes for Hire, and Captain America and the Falcon on my order this week.
That's pretty much the problem with DC's supposed Silver Age nostalgia. As much as they attempt to bring back the past setting, they're missing the spark. Here I am, a genuine Silver Age lover in the middle of a full-blown Silver Age Wonder Woman obsession and I have all Marvel on my list. For all their resurrections and realignments... I'm reading the reprints.
That's pretty much the problem with DC's supposed Silver Age nostalgia. As much as they attempt to bring back the past setting, they're missing the spark. Here I am, a genuine Silver Age lover in the middle of a full-blown Silver Age Wonder Woman obsession and I have all Marvel on my list. For all their resurrections and realignments... I'm reading the reprints.
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