Wonder Woman

This news has me beyond excited. I stopped reading Wonder Woman a while back, soon after Rucka left. But starting in November, the series will be written by G. Willow Wilson, co-creator of the wonderful Ms. Marvel over at Marvel. The best part is that she'll be building on what Rucka did on Wonder Woman Rebirth, not ignoring it all as his successors did. Now if she fixes Donna Troy in the process, especially her origin/backstory, I'll be in comic book heaven. Well done, DC!

Wonder Woman

Two Wonder Woman Covers

My non-spoilery review of "Wonder Woman." First, just to get it out there, while I started reading Wonder Woman comics in my teens, she wasn't the female character I idolized or identified with. That was Supergirl. The original Supergirl and I were of an age. We overlapped in life experiences at various times, or at least shared them at different times: high school, college, first jobs, back to college/grad school, trying to figure out what we wanted as a career. When DC killed her off in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, I was devastated and pretty much stopped reading nearly all comics for a decade. I never had that kind of relationship with Wonder Woman. I cared more for Donna Troy/Wonder Girl, actually, because she was in the Teen Titans, which I loved. So I was completely unprepared for how deeply and emotionally the Wonder Woman movie hit me. It got me in the feels, to use current vernacular. I started tearing up fairly early on with Diana's training scenes and pretty much had to force myself to not cry so I wouldn't miss seeing anything due to too much moisture in my eyes. More on this at the end of this review.

Second, this was the most fun DC movie since the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie and the best DC movie since the Nolan Batman trilogy. Disclaimer: I passed on Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, and Suicide Squad.

Third, the inevitable comparison with Marvel movies, mainly those from Marvel Studios. I love the Marvel movies. My favorites are Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and both Guardians of the Galaxy, with Ant-Man and Captain America: First Avenger, The Avengers, and the first Iron Man as runners-up. Deadpool was awesome, too. But even at their very best, they felt like comic book movies. Wonder Woman felt real, just an ordinary adventure movie set in WWI that just happened to focus on a mythical woman with superpowers. And that's due to the tight, focused script and the brilliant direction of Patty Jenkins. The story felt intimate in the middle of a war. It was a coming-of-age tale, a good vs evil story that wasn't quite about good or evil but more about love and human nature and how those two are often in conflict but not always. At its hard, it was about real people. Very believable people, and for all my love for Bucky Barnes, Scott Lang, Steve Rogers, and every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I don't believe I could meet them in real life the way I felt I could meet Diana and Steve Trevor and Etta Candy and all the rest. The humor in the film doesn't come from intentional quipping but from normal human interactions, including Diana's encounters with things in man's world she'd never encountered while growing up. The human interactions didn't feel added on or like interludes they way they do in some superhero movies. Every moment felt earned and justified.

This was a perfect origin story for Wonder Woman, a good reworking of the various versions in the comics that felt right. The casting was amazing, and the two young actresses playing younger versions of Diana were great.

The movie not only met but exceeded my high expectations. When I got teary-eyed, it wasn't just because of the emotion on screen, but more due to the iconic comic book shots Jenkins gave us. Just seeing Wonder Woman leap, shield in hand, sword held high put a lump in my throat and moisture in my eyes. The DC TV-verse has become the epitome of a filmed DCU, something the movie-'verse couldn't compete with. That will change if DC keeps giving us movies like this one.

Two More Wonder Woman Covers

Wonder Woman

The Wonder Woman movie opens on Friday and I can't wait to see it. But I won't see it opening weekend. I prefer to wait for the crowds to thin; usually midday the following week is good. I loved the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series, but a movie has been a long time coming. After all, Superman had movies starring Kirk Alyn, a TV series starring George Reeves, movies with Christopher Reeve, another TV series with Dean Cain, Smallville with Tom Welling, and another movie with Henry Cavill. Batman had a TV series and a bunch of movies, too. (I'm not counting animated versions here.)

Charlie Jane Anders, over on Tor.com, writes about her hero worship of Wonder Woman. And that made me think of my own relationship with Diana of Themyscira. I didn't start reading about Wonder Woman's adventures until I was in my teens, though I'd been reading comics since I was 7. My first real exposure to the character was in Justice League of America, which I started reading when I was 13 -- I was in junior high, so that age is approximate. I started buying her comic a short time later, maybe a year or two later as I needed a bigger allowance as I was already buying a lot of comics by then. And I loved her, but I'm an anomaly. I actually loved her more when she renounced her powers for a brief time and partnered up with the enigmatic I Ching. I loved, and still do, spy and adventure intrigue more than stories based in myths.

The character I idolized and looked to as a role model was not Diana, but Supergirl. She was the one closest to my age (until I discovered Donna Troy in Teen Titans). Kara Zor-El and I kind of grew up together. She was still in high school when I got there. We overlapped for a while in college, then grad school. We both grappled with indecision over our careers and our future. And while I doubt I'll ever see her get a movie, I'll always have the excellent TV show starring Melissa Benoist.

But on Friday, Wonder Woman comes to the big screen and that's a BIG DEAL. It's something I never thought I'd see. Marvel might be doing a Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers movie (Yay!) and maybe even a Black Widow movie someday, but DC is giving us a Wonder Woman movie, directed by a woman, NOW. And that means everything. So let's make this movie a success so we'll get more. Because in the current political climate, we need heroes, especially female ones, for all the kids -- boys as well as girls -- to see and admire, so they can all grow up to see possibilities, that girls can be heroes, too, and that's how it should be.

Weekly Reviews Part One

I've still got 2 comics to read, but figured I'd just go ahead with reviews for what I've read because the comics are awesome.

But first, apparently, Frank Cho was doing variant covers for Wonder Woman. I hadn't seen them, and after issue 6, there won't be any to see, because he quit. He was having problems with Greg Rucka, the current Wonder Woman writer, and it seems Cho got fed up with what he sees as Rucka's attempt to censor his art. Seeing the three variant covers in the article, I'm glad I didn't see them in my LCS. The first two aren't bad, except that Diana's upper half seems a bit small and out of proportion with her lower half, especially those beefy legs. But the third cover... that pose... I'll never be able to unsee it. It's a perfect candidate for a Hawkeye Initiative makeover. So, I'm on Team Rucka all the way. Sorry, Frank Cho, but not everyone other than Rucka loves your covers.

Which brings me to...

Wonder Woman 2
This is the first chapter in the Year One storyline that's alternating with the present-day story and which, I assume, will fill in background re: Diana and Steve's relationship in the present. These Year One chapters are being illustrated by the amazing Nicola Scott and her cover is very nice. The issue alternates between Diana's pov on Themyscira and Steve's pov as he prepares for the mission that will bring him crashing into Diana's world. So, another retelling, but an important one given how many times Diana's origin has been mucked with. Although, we don't have Diana's birth here. What we do get is how the Amazons live and interact with implied romantic relationships because, well, it's not like there are many options. It is a lovely, peaceful existence, but Diana keeps looking outward, beyond Paradise, and the end of the chapter is when everything changes. I'm glad this book is being published bimonthly; it means each story can keep the usual monthly comic book pacing. I'm so happy to get back a Wonder Woman comic I can enjoy reading.

Flash 2
The Speed Force is now in Barry's detective friend, Iris is in danger while pursuing leads on the science thieves, and Barry warms to the idea of having a new partner to teach. This is pure fun.

Nightwing Rebirth 1
Dick is back in Gotham, but apparently, not for long. He has work to do to take down the Parliament of Owls. I'm not caught up with Grayson because I'm reading it in trades, but this issue ties up loose ends from that, seemingly, and there's a lovely page with Helena Bertinelli in her old Huntress outfit that sets up her joining the upcoming Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Dick is at his best, and his scenes with Damian are delightful. Just having Dick back in the black and blue costume makes me happy. I never liked the black and red one.

Descender 13
Tim-21 might be in deadly danger, but this issue takes a step back and gives us Telsa's backstory. A good issue, but I want to get back to the action.

Further Proof that DC Just Doesn't Get It

The Twitterverse was, uh, aTwitter with news about a Superman/Wonder Woman book. Really, DC? This is the best you can do? Sure, the promo art is pretty, but, really? Wonder Woman? With Superman? And relegated to second billing, at that?

Supes belongs with Lois. Period.

To DC Comics, I say:

You want to give Diana a second book, great! Good for you! About time! More than about time! But this is not how to do it. It's so not how to do it. It's.... well, it's everything that's wrong with females in comics, especially DC comics these days. Wonder Woman has been around for decades. She was born out of mythology that dates back centuries, millennia, even. She's part of your trilogy of Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman. She's iconic. And you're reducing her to playing second fiddle to her boyfriend (something I find ridiculous, that she's second fiddle to anyone, and that she's his girlfriend)? No. Just. No. I don't have enough words for how wrong this is. 

See, I get that you want to appeal more to female readers, but this is so not how to do it. You do it by creating more female characters who headline their own books and are so interesting, males as well as females want to read about them. You do it by respecting and showing that respect for your female characters on the level that you respect your male characters (though with how you've treated a lot of male characters in recent years, perhaps you are treating the females equally, now, or at least, treating the males the way you have the females for far too long). You do it by respecting female readers the same way you respect male readers (well, at least the fanboys who are your target demographic, because I fully understand that, along with being a female comics reader decades before that was fashionable, I aged out of the target age demographic a lot of years ago).

This is why I'm glad I haven't been reading either the Superman books or Wonder Woman in the New 52. I want Wonder Woman to be a big success. I want her to finally get a movie -- a great one! -- and/or a TV show (one along the lines of the amazing Arrow). I just don't think this is the right path to achieve that. It's wrongheaded and backward thinking, and not what Diana and her fans deserve. This book sounds like the sort of thing a well-meaning but clueless man would come up with.

Another Reason I'm Not Happy with DC

Superman and Wonder Woman. Together. As in an affair. With sex. That might or might not be seen.

Seriously? This is gonna be the big storyline next up for the new 52? Or as I prefer, the DCnU.  This might excite some people, but for this middle-aged chick who grew up with Superman and Lois Lane and loved the idea that he could and did love a mere mortal woman who none the less proved herself over the decades to be a worthy role model, the marriage of Clark and Lois was the culmination of the great comics romance and when the DCnU broke up that marriage, it was the first sign I was not going to like much in DC Comics, anymore.

I could understand if this is a fling, and after, Supes realizes it'll never work and he goes back to trying to win over Lois and Diana realizes it'll never work because she doesn't need a man permanently in her life. Or something like that. But the love match had been teased even when I was a kid, so I guess it was inevitable that they do it for real.

This disturbed me, though:

"The creative team believes the heroes are right for each other. She’s a mythic Amazonian warrior; he’s a veritable demigod. Both have huge hearts for mankind, yet also feel estranged from humanity. Relationships with civilians are tricky for caped crusaders, even liabilities."

Right, sure. Never mind that Kal/Clark came to Earth as a baby and was raised by Earth humans. (That is still canon, right?) Not to mention that that's all it takes to be perfect for each other. Apparently, something horrible is going to happen in the DCnU next week that will drive them to "seek solace" with each other, because, yeah, that's how the best, strongest relationships develop. When did the DCnU become a soap opera?

And this:

"This isn’t to say that fans will understand or support the hook-up. In fact, Johns and Lee expect some outcry and certainly some debate. Actually, they’re counting on it.  'Hopefully this will raise a lot of eyebrows,' Lee says. “We welcome the watercooler chatter."

Really? That's what's driving DC now? Being controversial, getting people to talk about their comics as if they were TV shows like Dallas or Mad Men? Ok-kay. Well, I never worked with anyone who was a comics reader so water cooler talk was never an option, and I would rather have talked about how good the stories were and the art and not about how bold DC was or how much they were pissing me off. Just sayin'.

I hope this romance doesn't impact Batwoman and Nightwing and World's Finest, the main DCnU books I'm reading.

I am so not the demographic they're looking for or care about. I haven't felt this depressed about DC since they offed Lian Harper.

Y'know, I hope this works for DC. I hope this leads to lots more attention and sales and helps make them a healthy, viable component of the mothership, Warners. I'm just one reader in a decided minority, I guess, and they sure don't need me to be buying 35 or so comics a month, anymore. The 5 or 6 DCs I do buy makes me even less noticeable by them. So be it. I'm not important to them. I got that message years ago.

Now This is Depressing

A review of the current storyline in Wonder Woman that makes me really glad I stopped reading it and most other DC Comics after the New 52 launch. Women, who form half the population, still don't get equal respect to men. I'm not going to get into real-world politics here. I'm just sad that things seem to be going backward in the fictional realm, too. Based on the current events in Wonder Woman, DCnU sounds like a sad place to me.

Jeffrey Catherine Jones, RIP

I was sad to read of Jeffrey Catherine Jones' death. I believe the first time I encountered her work was in the National Lampoon and on a couple of comic book covers. I know the non-powered Diana Prince era is not the favorite of most Wonder Woman fans, but I really loved the book back then because I loved the stories. Lots of intrigue and spy/suspense type stories, which I love and some fantasy in the form of guest appearances by  Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. And while the interior art was fairly average, there were some sweet covers. Two of them were by Jeff Jones, done in very different styles; one painting-like and the other very comic bookish. Never mind the bondage aspect. I have no trouble with heroes in peril if posed realistically, male or female, and I don't think anyone ever drew the female form as beautifully as Jeffrey Catherine Jones did. We've lost a great artist. And if you've never seen these covers, here they are.

Wonder Woman Day

Wonder Woman Day Benefit Art from Last Kiss Comics. Wonder Woman Day is on October 24. Proceeds from the auction go to domestic violence shelters.

Alternate Realities

As in, the multiverse. But first, a few more thoughts on the new Wonder Woman outfit (I can't bring myself to call it a costume).

As many folks have pointed out, it would work better for Donna Troy, though I prefer Donna's black starfield jumpsuit. If I were younger, I would love to wear it, actually. Now I don't think those leggings would be all that flattering on me.

I think tweaking a costume is fine. Most of the time I don't notice. So many people (and I'm really sorry for not having links but at the time I read all the posts, I didn't think I'd want to revisit the topic over here) have blogged the history of Diana's WW costume. I've never paid much attention to her belt or the symbol on her chest, how stylized the eagle design is, if her boots are flat or heels, and so on. I notice a cape. I noticed two stars on the bottom of the costume vs a great many. I even notice when her bracelets grow or shrink in length. And I don't usually care. Because the costume still says Wonder Woman.

In fact, the only tweaking I never much cared for was Power Girl's costume, when the high neck with the cutout for her cleavage was replaced with a scoop neck, making it look like any old swimsuit off the rack. The top with the oval cutout was different, eye-catching, not something you see every day. Happily, the cutout is back. And when I realized that, I realized another thing about Diana's new outfit that bugs me.

The damn thing, pretty though it is, looks like it came off a rack at the local department store, Macy's, perhaps. I get the feeling Diana's real costume was in the laundry, so she rummaged in her closet and dresser drawers and came up with a nice, red stretchy top and black leggings (or possibly very tight pants) and thought, "Heck, this will do."

It's not iconic. It doesn't scream "Wonder Woman" because, minus the accessories, anyone could wear it (well, most any woman) and might be likely to wear it or something very similar, and no one would notice. Anyone walking around in Diana's iconic outfit, or a tweaked version, would stand out. Same as if they were wearing Supergirl's costume, or even Black Canary, because even that is a stylized look, blending the old Canary costume with a more modern approach.

Which brings me to that multiverse thing. I love the multiverse, so I decided I'm reading about Earth 53. I think there are still 52 earths, so I came up with Earth 53. On Earth 53, there was no Cry For Justice (or if so, Prometheus was quickly nabbed and eliminated as a threat). So, Ollie didn't kill anyone and Star City is intact. Corrupt, but intact. Ollie and Dinah are happily married, still (I'll have to see how well this fantasy of mine meshes with BoP as things play out there), and Lian Harper is alive and well. Roy is still the happy-go-lucky, yet responsible parent, still dating heavily and looking for the right woman to be Lian's stepmother. Without the need to avenge his daughter, he has not killed and might be back in the JLA. I can envision him fighting alongside Dick/Batman and Donna Troy.

The Dibneys are alive and well on Earth 53, too. Somehow, they were restored to life after Blackest Night, but no one knows yet. Not part of the special dozen whose story is currently being chronicled in Brightest Day, they moved to a busy city where Ralph, eschewing his Elongated Man identity, has opened a PI business with Sue, the two of them happily solving mysteries.

Anyone else we should resurrent/retcon on Earth 53?

Wonder Woman 600 End of an Era

I've got so many mixed thoughts about this, but as of this moment, I'm thinking this is my last issue of Wonder Woman for the foreseeable future.

I'd had trepidations re: JMS taking over the book. While I don't think Gail Simone did her best work on Wonder Woman, she did build up the mythos and brought back Etta and Steve and generally put the Wonder back in Wonder Woman. I could believe that yes, she is one of the "big 3" as DC says. But after JMS takes over? Not so much.

This is not the time to redo Diana's backstory/origin. Maybe after 52, but not now. She's been through a lot and to screw around with her continuity now means none of that could've happened. It negates the hard work Gail put into this book. It's a slap in the face of WW fans.

It's not like Diana hasn't been messed with before. She went without powers for a while in the '70s, after all, and wore civvies and was more like Emma Peel or Modesty Blaise, and I loved those books, but I always considered that a temporary phase. The Amazons had left Earth and Wonder Woman lost her powers. I have no problem with characters entering a new phase, but I do take exception to changing or seriously altering their origins, especially if they're major players. Icons.

Superman was killed and he was also split in two (I didn't read those stories, but I have read of them) and Superman isn't the worse for wear. Bruce Wayne is reported dead, Dick Grayson takes over, but he's wearing THE Bat suit, not something new. And while there have been tweaks, they've been for the better. Clark's foster parents survived to see him grown to be Superman was a nice change. But he's still the toddler rocketed to safety just before Krypton explodes. You tamper with that at serious peril to the company's bottom line.

People claim Wonder Woman's origin is weak. And in the original version, yeah, probably, but it's also one based in mythology and that's a powerful starting point. Over the years, there have been tweaks and the mythos built up, the Amazons made stronger, more a warrior race. What JMS has proposed is not so much a tweaking, as he claims in the Behind the Scenes at the end of issue 600, but a revamping, one that is not needed. He clearly wants to write his version of Wonder Woman, not his take on DC's character. That he's being allowed to do that shows that contrary to their claims, DC does not consider her one of the Big 3. They would never do this to Bats or Supes.

To wit, from the issue, after he goes on and on about the W symbol and how men view women by their roles (sounds good, right?) and the desire for a 21st century perspective (what's wrong with her mythos in today's world?), he says:

"...But I didn't simply want to eradicate all of it and destroy the work of those who came before me."

Gee, how gracious.

"So the solution was to tweak time: at some point about 20 years ago or so, the time stream changed."

Do Rip Hunter and Booster Gold know about this?

"Paradise Island was destroyed, and Diana as an infant was smuggled out before her mother was killed along with most of the others. She was raised by guardians sent with her, and some surviving Amazons, so she has a foot in two worlds, the urban world and the world of her people, which still exists in the shadows, underground. So we keep what makes her an Amazon but mix it up with a more modern perspective."

And this is different than an Amazon who has been living in the modern, urban world for years how?

Seriously, this would be like saying Bruce Wayne's parents were not killed by a mugger but by a drunk driver and he still became Batman. It's a change for change's sake that changes nothing and irritates longtime readers, so why bother? Why can't JMS, whose Babylon 5 TV show I loved but whose comics work I've generally thought sucked, a supposedly good writer DC was thrilled to get, work within what exists and make it his own? Gail Simone managed very nicely. I didn't like everything she did but she wrote a solid, savvy, modern Diana who was Amazon through and through. Why is that so difficult for JMS that he can't write her unless he changes her? Is that it? He doesn't really want to write Wonder Woman? He wants to write a strong woman and Wonder Woman was offered to him?

As for the new costume, when I saw it in the last story in the book, "Odyssey: Prologue -- Couture Shock" (seriously, that's the title), I thought Diana had gotten some cool new civvies. That's not a costume. It's an outfit. Skintight pants or leggings and a nice, red shirt with what looks like a W, but barely, to people passing by who might think she's a fan of Wonder Woman. When I read that it's the actual costume, my reaction was WTF?

I'd love to tell you about Amanda Connor's wonderful little story in issue 600. I'd love to tell you about the lovely full pages of Diana rendered by some of the top artists. I'd love to tell you how good Nicola Scott's rendition is. But I'm too incensed right now. And saddened. First the destruction of Roy Harper as a good, just, fair-minded hero, and now this.

I had been thrilled when DC relented and restored the numbering for WW's book, allowing it to reach issue 600. You never saw Superman or Batman or Action or Detective canceled and restarted with new number schemes. You might see it for lesser characters like Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Aquaman, but not for the Big 3. Well, not for 2 of the Big 3. Wonder Woman, for all the lip service DC has paid to her importance, has never really gotten the respect Supes and Bats get. Maybe it's the bottom line, after all. She simply isn't the wage earner the two big guns are and probably never will be. But this wholesale "tweaking" sure isn't gonna help the cause. Because I'm outta here. Let me know when JMS is off the book and who's taking over and what their plans are for revamping Diana yet again and I'll consider putting the book back on my pull list.

The To Read Stack Gets Whittled Down

And yet, I've hardly made a dent. I keep wondering if it's worth posting reviews for old books. Anyway, here goes.

Detective 864
No Batwoman; no doubt she's busy getting ready for her new book. The Batman story was just creepy, though well told. The Question story was okay. I've never been a big Vandal Savage fan.

Batgirl 10
This is getting better and better. Steph and Babs make a great team and I'd love for Gail to use Steph as a guest star in BoP. The Calculator, meanwhile, is just getting weirder and creepier, and ever more dangerous. Gotta love that! ;)

Streets of Gotham 11-12
Damian front and center in 11. That kid is a fun Robin. And in 12, the Carpenter is a cool character I'd like to see more of. The Manhunter second feature is also good and I can't wait for the conclusion. Ramsey is a cool kid, but he needs Kate to sit him down for a long talk.

Gotham City Sirens 11-12
Two concurrent storylines in each. In 11, Harley hyenas cut down the neighborhood's dog population and Ivy starts her new job. In 12, Selina's sister demonstrates how unhinged she really is and Ivy's cover ID is blown. This book has been much more than I'd dared hope for. The odd friendship of these 3 characters makes for pure fun.

Power Girl 12
Ah, the end of a delightful run was a most delightful read. I can't say how much I will miss Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner on this book. I'll give the new team a chance, but if Terra isn't a part of it, I won't likely be reading for long. PG's friendship with her has been a highlight of this book, along with the sheer goodnaturedness that infused each story. PG is no pushover here, but she gets to show her human side, something that she rarely has gotten to do elsewhere. Kudos all around.

Wonder Woman 44
A solid end to this intriguing tale that reaffirms all that the Amazons are and mean to humanity. Gail Simone spent her run on this book exploring who Diana is and what it means to be an Amazon. The thought that the next writer will be doing the same, according to the solicits, has me wondering why? Why can't we just get stories about Wonder Woman? Why do we have to keep going back to the well and redefining an iconic character? Sure, Batman's scribes and Superman's scribes have often put their touches on those heroes' origins, but not every 12-24 issues. Sheesh. All that usually happens is that each WW writer reinvents the Amazons and their history grows more and more complex and confused to the point that I don't know which end is up. Gail set up what I consider the best WW scenario in a long time, bringing back Etta and Steve in a fresh, satisfying way, and brought in other DC characters for guest roles that solidified Diana's place in the DCU. Going forward from her does not mean going back to her roots yet again. It means going forward. And I'd like that going forward to include what is currently in place.

The Rise of Arsenal 3
This book has me in a quandary. Roy Harper, for those new to this blog, is my favorite comic book character, going back to the '60s. Okay, I was a teen and had a crush on him, if you must know. There was Roy and Dick Grayson and Element Lad of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Those were my three favorite guys. And on the female side, it was the original Supergirl, Wonder Girl, and Lois Lane. I will always have a fondness for those characters, which is why I'm so happy to see the current SG back on track as the original's replacement. But, as I so often, do, I digress.

Roy Harper. I'll read pretty much anything with him in it, regardless of quality, unless he's being done a disservice. And in this book, well... I can't decide.

The book is based on events prior to its first issue: the death of his daughter and the loss of his arm. That's the reality we the readers and Roy the character have to deal with. I hate that reality, but I can't ignore it.  J.T. Krul is a competent writer who often shows a deft touch with characterization and emotion. Many of his scenes are elevated from solid if ordinary storytelling, packing a real emotional punch. And yet...

I can't put my finger on where exactly this book is failing, because it really isn't failing overall. All the right notes are being hit. Roy's grief, his anger, his lashing out, and his hiding in drugs. Yes, I would've liked Roy to be stronger than that, but I can't argue with the characterization. Roy is flawed. Roy has abandonment issues that have never been fully resolved. Roy is emotionally weak. And I'm trusting Krul enough to wait to the end of the story to see where Roy ends up before I judge the story overall.

The scene with Cheshire was a strong one. Roy might now deny he loved her, but his feelings for her in the Titans book(s) was fairly well established, even though he knew he shouldn't feel that way. Her lashing out at Roy fits with her grief, too. And the scene with Dick is powerful. The fight echoed the one after Roy got shot (and that shooting and the scars to go with it, seem as forgotten as Roy's Navaho tattoo). These two men are not so much friends as "brothers." They have a powerful emotional bond.

So, all should be good, right? Not really. Because underneath all this emotion is something flat. Krul clearly wants to write an emotional journey for Roy, and unlike Wonder Woman, whose psyche gets explored with each new writer on her book, Roy has not gotten this treatment for a while. I'm happy to have him front and center of a book that bears his name, even if he's Arsenal again instead of Red Arrow (which connected him too much to Green Arrow and made him seem less independent, anyway), and even if it's because his daughter was killed (ruthlessly by the PTB). And I am feeling the emotion of the tale.

But I can't shake the feeling that Krul read a book on grief, swallowed it whole, and is regurgitating it on the page. It fits, but perhaps too well. It isn't messy. It isn't surprising. Yes, that's what's missing here. The element of surprise. I'm not reading and getting the sense of wonder, of being bowled over by brilliance. I wanted brilliance. I craved the unexpected. I longed for an emotional wringer that came from more than the starting point of an unbelievably sad situation, the death of a child. Damn it, J.T. Krul. I wanted more. I hope I might still get it.

Finally, the art. I can appreciate the phone book list of artists was to make a deadline, which I can appreciate and I'm happy to get the book on time. But the art of the last pages was not up to the quality of the first and middle, and that was disappointing.

Blackest Night Wonder Woman

Blackest Night Wonder Woman

I wasn't going to get any of the Blackest Night figures. I've got a lot of action figures, including those from DC Direct, and I really didn't feel I needed these. Until I saw the Wonder Woman one today. She's a fine addition to my collection and one day soon, I'll do a pic with all my Wonder Women figures and variations. Meanwhile, zombies never looked so good!

Short and Sweet

The stack of comics waiting to be read is now a mountain. Actually, two of them. *sigh* Here's what I read recently.

Titans 14
I skimmed this. It focused on Vic. He ended up deciding a social life would be nice and went on a date. For some reason, I feel as if we've been through this before. Plus, it was boring.

Trinity 51-52
Nice end to this weekly series that cut to the heart of what makes Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman tick, and why they're the mind, heart, and soul of the DCU.

Greem Arrow and Black Canary 20
GA and BC see a marriage counselor, Dinah flashes back to discovering her Canary cry when she was a teen, Ollie's crazy stalker is back, and some other stuff happened. I must still be reading this for Ollie and Dinah; it can't be for the stories.

Justice League of America 33
Some nice moments for Dr. Light don't make up for the complete mess this book became. I appreciate the frustrations McDuffie had on this book re: editorial issues, but I'm hoping the next writer finds a way to make this work, because really, when the main characters become a sidenote in their own team book, something's wrong. And when the best part of a book is a preview for another book, well, that's the end right there.

Supergirl 41
Now here's a turnaround that worked. Rather than try to fix the mess left by his predecessors and risk making something murky murkier, Sterling Gates started writing a superior version of Kara, gave her a whole new outlook, a supporting cast that makes sense, and worked her into the overall Superman storyline to give SG a cohesive storyline and solid place in the DCU. His characterizations, pacing, dialogue, and plotting are first rate. After the big reveal of last issue re: Superwoman, he didn't stop with the surprises, and gave Kara a real jolt that will no doubt resonate for the next story arc and beyond. Kara matters again, and I couldn't be happier.

Wonder Woman 32
Gail Simone has really put Diana through the wringer since taking over this book and Diana is the better for it. She's stronger than she's ever been, physically and emotionally. She's a survivor, tough but fair, caring and determined, confident and capable, and when she's at her lowest, she claws her way back up, yet she never compromises her principles, no matter how frustrated, angry, or desperate she gets. As for where she and Tom might end up, who knows, but there's nothing simple or cliched about their relationship.

Batman and Robin 1
I haven't read an actual Batman book, other than the crossovers (notably The Search for Oracle and the gangwar storyline when Stephanie Brown was supposedly killed). I read the peripheral titles, mainly Nightwing, Catwoman, and Birds of Prey. I was getting tired of Bruce and as with Superman, decided, when I returned to comics in the mid-'90s, to not read the main Batman and Sueprman titles to help keep things manageable (yeah, that coulda worked out better). But I knew Dick won the cowl, so I picked this up, trusting Morrison and loving Quitely's art, and I was far from disappointed. This was fun. Creepy villains, strong dialogue, perfect characterization, and a sense of wonder put this title on my pull list. I don't know Damian well, and I don't really like him, but he's a good counterpoint to Dick. Personality-wise, Dick and Bruce were very different, and that holds for Dick and Damian. Dick and Tim would've lacked that byplay, as they have felt more like brothers when they've teamed up in the past. Dick and Damian have the feel of the old Bruce and Dick team, with a difference, a role reversal when their personalities are considered. Quitely's art is the perfect complement, catching nuances in expressions and filling in details in the backgrounds. The book is a perfect jumping on point and it's a great example of the sort of thing that made me fall in love with comics in the first place.

Zorro 13
This continues to excel, getting better and better with each issue, with its new spin on an old, beloved character. Solid writing and art keep this book on my list of favorites.

One Good, One Bleh

I got two comics read on the way home today. Well, three, actually, but I don't see the point in continuing to review Trinity. I liked it, same as all the other issues. It's one damn, long story, with no real surprises, just nice moments, decent art, and it's nearing its end. Nuff said.

Okay, so that leaves the two comics I actually am reviewing. One was oh so good and one was WTF? One was Wonder Woman 30 and one was Justice League of America 31. Wanna guess which was good and which was decidedly not good?

I'll start with the good, then end with the rant.

Wonder Woman 30 was probably Gail's best WW issue to date. It had emotion, drama, passion, fury, action, joy, love, and intrigue. It had Diana's ire and loyalty to friends. It had Diana's determination to save Etta. It had Steve Trevor (!). A likeable Steve Trevor who is Diana's friend as well as Etta's worried husband. It had Etta's bravery. It also had Cheetah's lunacy and Morrow's cowardice and... well, the man can waffle with the best of 'em. Good, bad, whatever, he sure isn't indifferent. We got Achilles! We saw the return of Amazons and Hippolyta embracing the returning Bana-Mighdall sisters. I was breathless by the end of this installment. I can't remember when I found Wonder Woman this entertaining and emotionally satisfying.

Which makes Justice League of America 31, and pretty much all of McDuffie's run, so perplexing. The book has Wonder Woman in it. It has some of DC's best, strongest characters, and yet, it's being run into the ground, both as a comic and the group in its pages. I really miss writers who get the characters and can show conflict without compromising the principles of those characters, or even their essence. And the annoying thing is, McDuffie is close to getting them right. They're just enough off to serve the story, which makes every bit of character development come across as plot-driven. The needs of the story dictate the characters' actions, rather than the characters moving the story.

The only bit that makes sense is no Batman because he's (currently) dead. When Diana and Kal talk about Bruce, it was the most honest emotion in the book. The second and only other honest emotion was Dinah and Roy, and even that had a false note because I got the sense that Roy was quitting the JLA not because of what happened with Kendra (which now looks like it was planned all along to give Roy a reason to quit, rather than because they really liked each other, only to have her call him by Carter's name during sex, which makes that doubly obvious a plot device), but because McDuffie is breaking up the JLA (for whatever reason) and Roy was an easy character to get rid of.

Dinah's scene with Ollie and Hal just sucked. Dinah annoyed because Ollie embarrassed her?! Give me a break. The talk she had after with Babs about sexism was fine, and the points made in that conversation were valid, but Dinah was acting like a woman who'd lost control of the group and was looking for scapegoats. Hal and Ollie weren't even in the JLA (John is supposed to be the GL of record). The sniping in the last scene, leading up to Dinah disbanding that 'branch" (WTF? Branch?) of the JLA, felt so wrong. All the cheap shots showed a group in disarray, not worth saving. Is it really possible that without the big 3, there can never be a JLA because no one else can get along?

Dinah is one of the strongest female characters DC has. She doesn't need to punch her husband because she felt embarrassed by him to prove it. She's not only physically capable, she's emotionally tough. The entire scene was unnecessary. A quick page to recap, show her feelings, mention the other group Hal is forming that Ollie's joining would've been enough. Instead, we get 10 pages (!), followed by another page with Dinah talking to Babs about it. That's nearly half the issue. For what? I have no idea why McDuffie dragged this out like this, but whatever his reason, it didn't work.

This was one long talking heads issue. Nothing really happened, other than to break up the team. Given that nothing much has happened of consequence since Brad Meltzer left the book, I'm wondering if there really was a team to break up. If McDuffie has great plans here, I'm not seeing the clues. What I am seeing is that the one reason I've been sticking with this book just walked out on the group. Yup, Roy.

And if he's really off for good, and Titans is the only place I get to see him monthly, I will be one very unhappy Roy Harper fan, because, let's face it, Titans makes Justice League of America look like Shakespeare, and I've been thinking of dropping it. Now I'm thinking of dropping Justice League, too.

I did like the cover. The interior art by Davis and Hope was nice, but some large panels (3 per page in too many instances) made it obvious that there wasn't much substance to this installment.

And I'm hoping the rest of this week's comics make up for this mess.

More Quickies

It's tough. I can either write long reviews and not read as many comics. Or write short reviews and have time to read more. I chose reading. Here's what I read last night, after the baseball game hubby and I were supposed to go to was rained out.

Green Lantern 31
I'm really enjoying the Secret Origin storyline. Johns is filling in Hal's origin with lots of neat bits, including his training at Oa, and the art by Reis and Albert is lovely.

Huntress 3-4
The theme of Madison, Richards, and Thibert is filling in Huntress' origin via this 6-part series, and it's been wonderful. I've never been a fan of mobsters and mob-related stories (never watched The Sopranos), but this has been great, really showing Helena's frustrations and anger and how she found empowerment. Her first attempt at a costume brought to mind Catwoman's current suit. When this is done, Ivory Madison needs more writing assignments at DC.

Rann-Thanagar Holy War 2
This is far more entertaining than the last Rann-Thanagar War which went on far too long. We've got Comet and the Weird, along with Kory and Buddy, as well as Adam Strange and Hawkman, making for an interesting cast. Kory, Buddy, and Adam continue to be an entertaining trio. And the art by Lim and Hunter is stunningly detailed.

Booster Gold 10
Aw, it had to be. I knew it, but yet, I'd dared hope.... but Michael really needs to face reality. I can't remember when any comic has used time paradoxes as well as this book.

Wonder Woman 21
I guess it's probably just me, but I've been somewhat disappointed by Gail's run so far. It's better than what came before, especially Jodi Picoult's brief run, but after a boffo opening arc, the current story is falling oddly flat for me. Diana is off in another realm or some such, there's some intrigue back at the Dept. of Metahuman Affairs, and I don't really care. And I should. Much as I love Gail's writing, I'm starting to think she does better with quirky characters. Welcome to Tranquility was populated by quirky folks. Birds of Prey had plenty of characters who while not completely odd, had enough quirks to make for nice banter and interesting plot side threads. And of course, there was the supremely quirky band of criminals in The Secret Six. She even gave the new Atom a sufficiently quirky supporting cast that let her showcase her strengths. But Wonder Woman is reading like just another comic, something I never thought I'd say a year ago when I was anticipating Gail bringing Diana back to greatness.

Titans 3
Yet another Titans not acting like themselves storyline, but it was quickly noted, not dragged out for a couple of issues, so that was good. I'm thinking Donna's revised costume, with the red stars, was done to make things easier on the artist, but I miss the starfield. The art is mostly nice, but everyone looks too tall and lanky. And what's with Gar's pointy ears? He channeling Mr. Spock now? A decent read, and it helps me get in my Roy fix.

Simon Dark 9
I'm loving this book. Simon is a wonderful character and we see that the dark side of Gotham is very dark, indeed. Some grim scenes in this book, but the art by Hampton keeps it horrific without being gory.

Green Arrow and Black Canary 9
Probably the book Winick was meant to write. Aside from his love of twist issue endings, and this one was less out of the blue than usual, he's got the story moving along at a brisk pace and the banter comes nearly non-stop. There's good character interaction and despite the banter, the seriousness of the situation is never forgotten. Norton and Faucher did a nice job on the art, but I want Chiang back on interiors. His cover rocked.

Final Crisis 1 of 7
Awesome cover by Jones. That's got some serious GL mojo going for it. And it's nice to see what he can do with interior art. There's a lot of bits and characters thrown into this first chapter and it all hasn't quite gelled yet, but I'm willing to give this its full 7 issues, because the bits were entertaining on their own.

Reinventing Females in the DCU

First, a disclaimer. This is a somewhat rambling, unedited essay I threw together over a week or so, with thoughts I've been having about Wonder Woman and her place in the DCU, in light of the new weekly series, Trinity, scheduled to start in June that will focus on her, Batman, and Superman. And when I think of Wonder Woman, I can't help but think of that other iconic female DC character, Supergirl.

Not quite retconning, revamping tired characters is nothing new. Akin to putting a fresh coat of paint on an old house, it's the sort of thing every new creative team engages in when they take over a book, whether the ideas are theirs or dictated by the editor(s). Sometimes, it involves characters that headline many books. The decree will be that Batman stories in Detective will focus on his detecting skills while his stories in Batman will focus on his going head to head or fist to face with larger than life villains.

Other times, things are more drastic. The reworking of the Golden Age characters of DC to the Silver Age, for example, along with creating new versions of old characters (Flash, Green Lantern), dusted off and polished up others (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman). And then there's the outright retconning, changing origins, revamping the universe after such events as Crisis on Infinite Earths, and so on.

There's been a lot of blogging recently about the old which is better, Marvel or DC? And much discussion of how DC treats females and minorities in its comics. And in general, I think DC has done a decent job, once the inequities have been pointed out to them, oft-times with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but still, they do seem to try. While infrequently creating new minority or female characters that stand alone, when it comes to legacy characters, more and more, a female or a minority group has a fair chance of being included. So, after a white male replaced a white male Atom, we now have an Asian in that role. Along with the white Green Lanterns, we also have a black male. And of course, there are GLs of all alien colors and cultures. Other planets have been better represented for years in comics than the diversity here on Earth.

There is, however, still room for improvement. While DC has many strong, female characters, they seem to have a spotty record when it comes to creating a solid identity for them. And it's two of the iconic female characters who seem to have been revamped more than any other, female or male. They're Wonder Woman and Supergirl.

I understand that there was a time that female characters were treated less seriously than the males. Growing up, I wasn't all that bothered by Wonder Woman or Supergirl facing less than all-powerful enemies or worrying about their hairdos and outfits or whether the guy of their dreams will notice them. Those were things I was worrying or wondering about, too, so it seemed perfectly normal. And meanwhile, they were kicking butt. Even Lois Lane got to shine, especially in her own book, and she didn't have powers. But looking back, I can see that no one could ever decide what the essence of these characters are. It isn't so much as focusing on one aspect of a character, the way Batman's detective skills might be emphasized or Superman's inner goodness. At least with them, the rest of their traits were included, if not in a given story, than in others. And they headlined more than one book, so they could have a different focus in each. Batman had Batman and Detective. Superman had Superman and Action. And for a long while, they shared World's Finest. Supergirl got stories in other books, before finally getting her own. And Wonder Woman had just the one title.

Let's look at some of the revamping by character.

CAREER of Secret Identity

Superman: Newspaper reporter. For a while, tv reporting was part of the mix. With all the changes in his life over the years, the Clark Kent identity has been very stable, other than his adopted parents being brought back from the dead during one of the reboots (the time period I wasn't reading comics, so I'm fuzzy on the details).

Batman: Rich person, philanthropist, runs Wayne Enterprises. For a time, the business end was featured, with Lucius Fox (a character I really liked, and a minority, at that) introduced. He ran the everyday operations. While Batman has had his darker, brooding side emphasized some years and his lighter, detective side emphasized in others, Bruce has remained essentially a rich ladies man.

Wonder Woman: She's been in the military, lost her powers and became an adventurer (with I Ching and Patrick McGuire as her helpers; I think of this as her Modesty Blaise phase), and somewhere along the line got her powers back and the focus at times has been on Diana the Amazon Princess and ambassador from Paradise Island to "Man's World." I missed some versions of her during my boycott of comics in the '80s. And now, Diana Prince works for the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Her love life has been a mess, not that Batman's has been much better, but at least, his affairs have the feel of reality while hers barely rise over schoolgirl crushes in tone and treatment.

Supergirl: High school student, college student (a nice, natural progression I liked), reporter (upon graduation, also nice because she was actually growing up), then back to college as an advisor because it was decided she worked better in an academic setting. Then she got killed off. And we've had varied versions of a Supergirl til Kara was brought back a few years ago and she has no secret identity to speak of and every writer on the book has been emphasizing a different aspect of her to the point she's undergone personality transplants. She's younger than she's been since the original graduated high school. And while I don't expect her to be the sweet, innocent character she was way back when, I would like some consistency. Today, Kara has been a different character depending on who's writing her.

Note that there has been far more changed about the 2 best known female characters than the 2 best known males.

And then I got to thinking about some major plot developments for the two main males during my comics boycott/hiatus. Batman had his back broken and was replaced for a while. And Superman died, but he came back and after some nonsense, he was still Superman. The major change in his life was marrying Lois and it was about time. That was such a natural progression for his character that I would have been disappointed if they hadn't gotten married.

But the thing that stands out for me, the impression I get, is that when things are written to shake up Superman and Batman, it's out of a writing perspective, the thrill and challenge of doing something interesting with them, the chance to have circumstances screw up their lives and with them in character, act upon whatever, cope, even die as the hero they are if need be.

I don't get that sense from the changes in Wonder Woman's various iterations and especially not with Supergirl. With them, I sense a bit of desperation beneath the chance to do something new. And the something new doesn't seem a natural outgrowth of the characters. Even when Diana renounced her powers and became human, I still got the sense back then that it was a plot device and Diana was coping as best she could. The only male character I read regularly who'd had circumstances thrust on him for editorial reasons that changed his very nature was Oliver Queen. But since the new Green Arrow was so much more interesting and sexier than the old version, I quickly forgave the powers that be and would never want to go back to the old, boring Ollie.

I even forgive the silliness of the '60s. The male characters weren't immune to it, but it was the females and their silly pursuits of the male of the species (or sometimes, humanoid aliens), in stories full of stereotypes, that suffered more indignity and faced a greater risk of becoming irrelevant.

Killing Supergirl and keeping Power Girl after Crisis on Infinite Earths made some sort of sense, I guess, because PG had her own look and a strong personality, a good female role model for the '80s and '90s. Bringing in a new version of the old Supergirl would've cheapened the original's sacrifice and would have complicated things unnecessarily. And when the need to keep the Supergirl name active, I suppose, a new character was created. I read a few of those issues and couldn't get into them. I couldn't see why she had to be Supergirl. She could have had her own name and identity. And when Kara finally came back, in the previous Supergirl book, she retained enough of the original's sweetness to bring cheer to my heart. And then, she's taken away, a new version shows up, and things just get ugly.

It could have been great. The potential was there. I was ready to love her. But the writing wasn't up to the challenge and Kara came across like a spoiled brat. As her youth on Krypton came to light, things just got uglier. And every writer since then has tried to "fix" her and has done little more than confuse and complicate what should be one of the most basic characters to write. A super-powered teen who shares a bloodline with the greatest hero in the galaxy: Superman.

After some similarly muddy attempts to revive Wonder Woman's iconic status, Gail Simone has taken over and in her first story arc has done what I was starting to think was impossible, though I had faith she could do it. After all, she elevated Birds of Prey to a must-read. Gail writes Wonder Woman and Diana as capable women, each with a role to play. She's deepened the character's background without negating anything, has made everything she's written come naturally and out of Diana's personality and place in the DCU. Nothing seems forced or imposed on the character for plot purposes. Finally, Wonder Woman is being treated as a true member of the Trinity and not as a character who needs to be fixed.

I'm still waiting for someone to do that with Supergirl. Someone who won't keep trying to reinvent her and will simply enrich her background and character (without resorting to silly implanted crystals and himbo would-be boyfriends). Oddly enough, the most endearing scenes in the book have been between Kara and Boomer. One thing the book needs is a set of supporting characters who would have a natural place in Kara's life who are not Superman or Batman or characters who live in other books. Diana has her Department of Meta Human Affairs colleagues and the Amazons. Who does Kara have? In the old version, it was her adopted family and school friends (well, mainly Dick Malverne), plus Streaky and Comet. They chose to not go the adoption route, but she's not working, either. She has no other identity. And that has hurt the character and the book because it forces everything to be about the powers and not the person. And that identity doesn't have to be a traditional secret ID. It can simply be a life out of the spotlight that isn't about sitting home and moping about what happens every time she goes out. Yes, we've seen how Kara is dealing with those powers and the responsibility that comes with them, but still, everything seems to start with the powers.

Let me repeat that.

Kara has no other identity. And that has hurt the character and the book because it forces everything to be about the powers and not the person.

When was the last time -- and has there ever really been a time? -- when we said that about Superman?

Falling Behind Again

Just as it seems I've caught up and can get to the stack of graphic novels and full runs of mini-series, I fall behind again. Here's what I've managed to read since last time.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 10
Nice Buffy/Willow scenes and the Dawn/Xander scenes were fun and emotional. This is the sort of thing the show did so well, so it's nice seeing it here. A nice, self-contained, relationships issue.

Justice League of America 17
Instead of epics, we're getting two stories per issue now. One, tying in with Salvation Run, by Alan Burnett, was pretty good, with Roy's concern over Cheshire ringing true and Lian acting like the little girl she is. And I was glad to see Benes back. I do like his art. The second story, featuring Vixen, was by McDuffie and I thought it was better than his previous issues here, maybe because it was a smaller story. The art by Meyers and LaPointe, was a bit odd, but nice enough. I liked Vixen better than the guys, though. And I disliked the cover. The whole layout seemed off to me, and relegating the title of the book to small letters across the top annoyed me. If not for this already on my pull list and waiting for me, I likely would have missed buying it because I never noticed it on the New Comics shelves.

Countdown to Final Crisis 15
Ray's involvement in the coming crisis is becoming known and it isn't disappointing, so far. Donna kicked ass and was as confident as I've seen her. And shockingly, Jason's starting to actually grow on me. His scenes with Earth 51's Batman were very moving.

Simon Dark 4
I love this book. I love its oddity and its quirky characters. There's such sadness as well as innocence and goodness in Simon. I really want to know more about him.

Sheena 4
This finally came out. I'd forgotten the earlier installments, but caught up quickly enough in reading it. Despite some strong woman in the jungle cliches, this has been surprisingly entertaining.

The Spirit 12
I never really read the original Spirit by Eisner, so I'm not all that familiar with how Eisner wrote these characters and therefore can only say what I think of this and not compare the two. Darwyn Cooke goes out on top with this story of Sand Serif, The Spirit's first love. My only complaint is that it was too short. I felt there were some time gaps begging to be filled in, but perhaps it's best this way. I hope the new team can keep this book on top.

---o0o---

And if you want to know what I think of the Wonder Woman on Playboy flap, you can read this excellent post by Kalinara, because I really doubt I could say it better. I even thought it was one of Playboy's more tasteful covers. The magazine exists to promote sex and titillation

Wondrous Women

I got myself a Chanukah present. Well, 3 of them.

First Four Read

Spoilers, Probably

Titans East Special 1
I got this because it leads into the new Titans book. There was nothing special about it, but am I the only one who ... uh, cheered when Power Boy got impaled on the tree and uh, burned, it looked like? I'm not really heartless. He is/was after all, a comic book character, but still, a rather annoying one.

Nightwing 138
Crossover with the other Bat books and since I don't read the other Bat books, this was kinda wasted on me. Looks like next issue is the same. I liked the art, though, by Kramer and Faucher. Dick looked like, well, himself. Which was nice. And he looked tough. Which was nice, too. And he even sounded good. Now if only it was a story I could follow, but I'm not buying all the Bat books for this.

Green Arrow and Black Canary 2
At some point, I'm hoping someone explains which takes place when re: the isle formerly known as Paradise Island. In this book, we've got a new crop of Amazons, but over in Wonder Woman, the island is practically deserted. Ah well. The game's afoot, as Dinah and Mia keep the Amazons distracted, or so they hope, so Connor can rescue Ollie. The real fun was seeing how many ways artist Cliff Chiang can block or obscure a naked Ollie's equipment. Not that Ollie's body was exploited or anything, but he was the only one running around in his birthday suit, so maybe this will tip the scales balancing the sexes back toward the middle just a bit. The byplay between Ollie and Connor was fun and the art was nice. I'm liking this book. I wish the story was stronger, but it's fun and really, that's a good thing to be able to say about a comic.

Wonder Woman 14
This would feel like an issue 1, except that Gail Simone is keeping the plot threads and characters from before. Oh well, can't have everything and I do like Diana Prince working for the Department of Metahuman Affairs. I even like Nemesis. Gail jumped into things with everything except the kitchen sink, which will probably show up next issue. Unfortunately, with so much going on, nothing, except for the gorillas, got much play, so things feel a bit superficial for now. But Gail's a pro and a talented one and if her run on BoP is any indication, she'll pull this all off just fine. I liked the reappearance of Etta Candy, who in this version is one tough Lt. Colonel. So, Diana will have problems in both her identities.

I would like Gail to find a way to restore Diana's powers when she's in her Diana Prince self. After all, Superman doesn't lose his powers when he's Clark Kent, so why saddle Diana with such a weakness? I do like the way she introduced the mystery of Diana's origin, and Capt. Nazi makes for a formidable villain. Overall, a nice start, certainly nicer than the last two. At least, this story feels like it might actually matter.