Wonder Woman Reviews: August 17, 2011

Two Wonder Woman specific titles were released this week. The first was DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The '90s. The second was Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies issue #03. Since I haven't previously reviewed any of the Flashpoint: Wonder Woman miniseries, I will be reviewing the entire run. But, let's start with:

DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The 90s
Written by: William Messner-Loebs (credited as Bill Messner-Loebs)
Art by: Lee Moder (interior and cover), Daniel Green (ink), Chris Beckett (interior color), Wes Hartman (cover color), Dezi Sienty (letters)
Wonder Girls
August 17, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 3.6 out of 5

Diana is put in charge of a girls club, five young girls who call themselves the Girl Blossoms. The girls normally just spend their time reading magazines, listening to music, and shopping. But Diana has different plans for them. In an attempt to show the girls what it was like for her growing up, Diana makes them run, swim, jump, and generally be a lot more active than they are accustomed. Later, when Etta Candy points out that Diana is sort of bullying the girls, Diana attempts to do what the girls want (play with dolls, read magazines). But the girls will have none of that!

When I first read this issue, I found it to be...very fluffy. It felt like 100% filler, with no real purpose. But upon reading it a second time, I realized that I really liked it. These young girls are pushed out of their comfort zone and find out of what they are truly capable. The writing was strong and the story taught a valuable lesson. My biggest complaint is that, at times, it felt very much like Wonder Woman's After-School Special. Perhaps that was the message they were going for? The art in this issue was honestly some of the best work from the DC Retroactive run. Though I haven't been exposed to any of Lee Moder's previous work, I am now really interested. The fact that he has a run on Wonder Woman certainly helps.

I really loved Diana in this issue. There are rarely times that I don't like her, but this issue featured some great moments (two of which I've included here). A lot of writers choose to make her very serious all time time. Some writers try to keep her solely as the Regal Princess and Warrior. Not a lot of writers are prepared to show her humorous side. But William Messner-Loebs isn't afraid. I wish we could see more of Diana's humor.

DC Comics Solicitations for November 2011

DC just released their official solicitations for November 2011. Let's take a look at Wonder Woman related items!

From the solicit text: "The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee continue to make history as they unleash the amazing Amazon, Wonder Woman, who joins the battle against a bizarre threat! And the not-yet World’s Greatest Heroes need all the help they can get!"

Aside from the fact that we see Wonder Woman on the cover of issue one, it seems from this text that she doesn't actually appear until issue three. Hmmm...

Judging solely from the solicitations, issue one seems focused on Batman. Issue two seems focused on Superman. Issue three seems focused on Wonder Woman. Yet in the preview for issue one that DC has circulating, we see Green Lantern. Geoff Johns has said in the past that he doesn't think Wonder Woman really belongs in DC's Trinity, and feels that Green Lantern is more appropriate for the third spot (with Batman and Superman). I'm interested to see how he handles the Justice League when starting mostly from the beginning.

I'm still not crazy about the outfit, but I honestly really like this cover. And her hair seems shorter, which is pretty cool. I'm excited to see how she is introduced into the JLA, so I am really looking forward to this particular issue.

Solicit Text: Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, has kept a secret from her daughter all her life – and when it’s revealed, Wonder Woman’s life will shatter like brittle clay. The only one more shocked than Diana by this revelation? Bloodthirsty Hera herself – so why is her sinister daughter, Strife, so eager for the truth to be told?

Interesting. Cliff Chiang's art aside (which I love), I'm not crazy about the cover. It just feels very....dull. If I were not a Wonder Woman fan, this cover would not draw my attention. Still, I'm sure the interior art will be fantastic, and I'm hoping the writing is excellent. Brian Azzarello can be pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to super hero comics.

DC also solicited a new line of action figures, called DC: Heroes and Foes. The first line features a Wonder Woman figure that I will certainly buy. It's interesting though. In the image, she's wearing pants (a la The Odyssey story arc), but she's wearing a more Dodson-esque top. Not quite the top she had in Odyssey. Still, it's a great looking figure.



The only other Wonder Woman related item solicited was Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman #04 (collecting issues #157-177 of volume 01 of Wonder Woman in a cheap, black and white format). I'd be a lot more excited about this if it were in color, but I know a lot of people love the Showcase books. They're cheap, and usually the only way to read stories from those time periods.


Hopefully next month we'll get a solicit for The Odyssey, Volume 02 hardcover. The final issue comes out very soon.

The outfit

What's most important for Wonder Woman? It's not what she wears. It's that they tell good stories. Though I loved the pants, and I will always hope for that outfit to return (sans jacket), I don't honestly care what she wears. I'd rather her not be horribly objectified, but what's most important is that the writers and artists create fantastic stories about Wonder Woman, starring Wonder Woman. As long as that happens, it doesn't matter what she wears.

Perhaps people spend so much time talking about her outfits because her stories haven't been overwhelmingly great?

WW Comic Reviews: Week of Augst 03rd, 2011

Only one new Wonder Woman related comic this week.

Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The 1980's
Written by Roy Thomas
Art by Rich Buckler, Tim Smith III and Carlos Rodriguez (pencils), Joe Rubinstein, Jack Purcell, Norman Lee, and Carlos Rodriguez (pencils), Kevin Colden (colors), Travis Lanham (letters), Rich Buckler, and Kevin Colden (cover)
Double, Double...
Released August 03, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

I'm not very familiar with Roy Thomas' work on Wonder Woman in the 1980s. In fact, when I heard that the Retroactive - 1980s issue of Wonder Woman was not George Perez, I was a little hesitant. As it turns out, there was no reason to be.

A young girl is almost run over by a limo running a red light, but is saved by Wonder Woman. Or is it? The woman is especially violent and angry, and can *fly* (something Wonder Woman had never been able to do at that point). Diana Prince arrives at work at the Pentagon in time to see a news report that Wonder Woman was spotted moments ago hoisting a car above her head. Surprised that her alternate identity could be doing anything without her, Diana changes into Wonder Woman and searches for the culprit. Turns out Doctor Psycho and the Silver Swan are up to no good!

Perhaps because I have less knowledge of this era of Wonder Woman than I do of the 1970s era, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I enjoyed Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The 1970s. The story was interesting and fun to read. The dialogue felt very much like the characters. The writing certainly reflected the 80s era. I did find the ending a little...shall we say, odd. It seems like Wonder Woman is uncharacteristically nonchalant about death. Perhaps that was how she was in the 80s? I guess we'll see when I get that far into my reading. The important part is, unlike the Retroactive 1970s issue, this story is complete and actually has a conclusion!

The art...well, there were three different artists for this one issue. As such, the art tends to fluctuate. Rich Buckler's pages were very detailed and action-packed. Though there were a couple of shots of Wonder Woman that bordered on terrible, the story manages to explain it. There were some panels that I absolutely loved. Buckler's art was certainly the highlight of the issue (pages 1-14). Tim Smith III's art (pages 15, 19-26) were a bit sillier. Though pretty, they tended to take a more anime inspired approach. At times, that can be a good thing. Here, it just falls incredibly short and took me a bit out of the experience. Carlos Rodriguez's (pages 16-18) art really should have been used for the entire climax of the book, rather than just three pages. These three pages are some of the best looking in the book, and the action scenes really shine.

My comic shop owner kind of implied that he did not expect me to enjoy this issue, so I was a little surprised to find out I did. The issue was very enjoyable and certainly made me want to read more of the 1980s pre-Crisis Wonder Woman. The inclusion of a reprint of Roy Thomas' first issue of Wonder Woman (1982's issue 288 - "Swan Song," featuring the origins of the first Silver Swan) was also an enjoyable read. It's really a shame that DC doesn't make it a point to have more Wonder Woman stories from pre-Crisis released in trade format.


That's all for Wonder Woman solo books this week. We'll see if Flashpoint #4 warrants a post as soon as I have the chance to read it!

It's Official

It's official. Wonder Woman is, once again, pantless. The "final" covers for August's Justice League #1 were posted on DC's The Source blog. The only difference? Wonder Woman is no longer wearing pants.

Also released today was this image, David Finch's variant for Justice League #1.


The original release of the image, which also adorned bags at Comic-Con was:

My only question: If they were going to change her back to the swimsuit, why did they even bother drawing up the pants versions of Justice League #1 and Wonder Woman #1? It seems like a huge waste of time.

This whole past year and two months of her new costume (which I loved) was just a minor blip in her life. The issues 600-614 Wonder Woman outfit will probably never be seen again in continuity. And I mourn the loss.

Wonder Woman #600 statue!

Look what I got today!





(Sorry the pictures aren't great. The camera I was using was on an old iPhone. I'll get better ones eventually. But believe me, the statue is beautiful!)

WW Comic Reviews: Week of July 27th, 2011

Wonder Woman #613
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester
Art by Don Kramer and Travis Moore (pencils), Wayne Faucher, Walden Wong, and Drew Geraci (inks), Pete Pantazis (colors), Travis Lanham (letters), Lee Garbett, Dave Meikis, and Paul Mounts (cover)
The Odyssey, Part Thirteen: Nemesis
Released July 27, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 3 out of 5

In this issue, we finally discover how this "new" Wonder Woman has come into existence and why some people seem to remember the original Wonder Woman. Nemesis (the Goddess of Revenge) wanted to destroy the world's greatest warriors. She would have destroyed Wonder Woman, if only a portion of Diana's soul had not been recast in a new life, in a new history in Man's World. This was meant to leave Diana alone amongst the mortals, which would (in theory) turn her bitter and angry. It accomplished the opposite, and made her feel at home with the humans (a feeling that has long since eluded Diana, who never felt in the place in Man's World). If there is one thing that I hope writers hold on to after this story arc is over (other than the pants), it's this Diana's closeness with the mortal world. Making her feel a part of "Man's World" will go a long way to fixing some of the major problems that turn people away from Wonder Woman.

The penultimate issue of J. Michael Straczynski's The Odyssey story-arc was certainly action packed, featuring Wonder Woman against, well, Wonder Woman. The writing for this story arc has gotten better as it has gone along, and this issue was no exception (which I feel is more a credit to Phil Hester becoming comfortable with the character than anything else). The explanations of what had happened were clear enough that I wasn't left completely confused (though I don't feel that everything has been completely explained) and the action didn't feel drawn out or dull. The artwork for the battle scenes was pretty great. The area where the fight took place was dark, haunting and everything it should have been. The flashback scenes were not as great. I felt that there was too much focus on Wonder Woman's ass in the flashback scenes. It was so often and so prominent that it frequently took me out of the experience of the story.

Overall, this was an interesting chapter in Diana's life. I am looking forward to re-reading this entire story arc once it is complete.

Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The 1970's
Written by Dennis O'Neil
Art by J. Bone (interior and cover pencils and inks), Kevin Colden and Matthew Petz (colors), Dezi Sienty (letters), Carrie Strachan (cover colors)
Savage Ritual
Released July 20th, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 3 out of 5

As a huge fan of the Diana Prince: Wonder Woman era of Wonder Woman comics, I had been anxiously awaiting this issue since it was announced at WonderCon '11. For the most part, I feel like I am still waiting.

Wonder Woman comes to Paradise Island, only to find it sinking beneath the sea. She swims down to find out what happened and discovers an alien looking craft, beckoning her to enter. Inside, she discovers an object that claims to be The Voice of the Most High. Wonder Woman has sinned, gravely, by making herself less than she is (presumably by renouncing her powers during the Diana Prince: Wonder Woman years). She must redeem herself by completing three ordeals, lest Paradise Island be destroyed.

The writing is certainly evocative of the era it is styled after. It's comedic and quick, yet very little is explained. Most of the adventure seems relatively arbitrary, and there is very little resolution to the story (much like the original Diana Prince: Wonder Woman run). I can understand why J. Bone was chosen for this issue. His style is a more modernized version of the art used in the 70s. Though, I did feel at times that it would have been more suited to a children's line of comics, rather than this story. The issue was enjoyable if you can get past the rushed feeling of the ending and the fact that very little is explained.

This issue also reprints one of my favorite issues of Wonder Woman, volume 01 issue 201, The Fist of Flame. Diana and I-Ching are ambushed and are required to go to Tibet to seek out The Fist of Flame. There, Diana comes face to face with a master thief, The Catwoman! Written by Denny O'Neil with art by Dick Giordano and originally published in July 1972, this story is one of the highlights of the Diana Prince: Wonder Woman era.


To see my reviews of non-Wonder Woman comics for this week, check out my Comic Blog!

DC Comics' commitment to diversity.

DC Comics has been getting a lot of bad press lately. Mostly because of things like this:

A female fan told Didio that she counted and out of the twenty-eight solo character titles only six were women and only two were not connected to older male superheroes. “How do you justify calling that diversity?” the fan asked as the audience cheered. Didio told her it was an industry problem and then dodged the question, calling on the next fan.

DiDio then asked, "what would we have to do to change your mind?" The suggestion "Hire women!" got loud applause. When the fan asked why the rate of women in credits had gone from 12% to 1%, DiDio pressed him for names of who DC should hire. The fan's suggestion was "Valentine" writer Alex De Campi, and other suggested Nicola Scott.

A fan dressed as Batgirl who had been at every DC panel over the weekend asked whether the publisher was committed to hiring more women. Didio said that they were working to put the best talent possible on the books. Morrison asked, "Do more women want to write DC superheroes?" and when many female fans responded "Yes!" he simply added "Then send your stuff in."

Items like these have prompted DC to post this response on their official blog.

I understand that people want to see more female creators in the comic industry, especially the big publishers (Marvel and DC). And I think it's great that DC actually seems interested in trying to get more female creators in their ranks. The big, burning question I have is: Why is no one demanding the same of Marvel? Marvel has way fewer female creators in their regular ranks than DC does, yet no one is making a big deal about that fact.

Why? Is it because Marvel has fewer recognizable female characters? Is it because Marvel's female characters tend to be parts of groups, and very rarely have their own running series? How many Marvel heroines have their own running series at the moment? Judging from Marvel's August 2011 solicitations, the answer is ZERO (unless you count Generation Hope; I don't, because it's a team book). How many DC heroines have their own series? From DC's pre-New 52 August 2011 solicitations, I counted five female solo starring titles, the shortest of which has already passed the one-year mark. After the reset? Six solo titles for female characters, not counting female-centric teams like the Birds of Prey.

I'm all for female equality in every form. I truly believe that there should be more focus on female characters, and I believe that there should be more female creators in the industry. What I don't understand is why no one has confronted Marvel about their "commitment to diversity." Marvel has some truly great female characters (Storm, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Nico Minoru), yet none of them have their own solo books at the moment.

And while we're at it, where are all the gay characters? DC's doing an okay job in that respect (Batwoman, Midnighter, Apollo).

The final quote above, from Grant Morrison ("Do more women want to write DC Superheroes? Then send your stuff in.") is a little unfair, considering "DC Comics does not accept unsolicited artwork or writing submissions." (Link)

Wonder Woman Action Figure! SDCC 2011

Every year at San Diego Comic-Con, we are treated to a ton of announcements. Comics, movies, TV shows, and memorabilia. This year, one thing stuck out to me.


(Both images from ToyNewsI.com)

Jim Lee redesign of Wonder Woman figure. Considering this will be only the third piece of merchandise featuring the pants costume, I will definitely be purchasing this (the other two items were the Wonder Woman #600 statue and a Heroclix figurine).

Very excited.

Preview Art from Wonder Woman (vol. 04) Issue 01!

A couple of preview pages for the first issue of the New 52 Wonder Woman have started making the rounds. Check them out.

I know a lot of people were worried about artist Cliff Chiang. But, I liked his work. And these preview pages reassure me that the art on the new-new-new-Wonder Woman will be fantastic.