Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wonder Woman #32 & #33
There's been a lot of talk about Wonder Woman lately and how she is not quite as good a character as other superheroes. A good deal of it came after that noted Rhodes Scholar and comic book expert Megan Fox noted that "Wonder Woman is a lame superhero".
Other authorities on the blogosphere, some of whom appear to have read a Wonder Woman comic published sometime after 1987 at some point, have agreed with Ms. Fox. They have listed reasons why Wonder Woman sucks or given reasons why the character has failed to capture an audience outside of comic books.
However, in all of this - nobody has asked the Wonder Woman herself what she thinks about all of this.
Oh Diana? Is there anything you would like to say to Megan Fox in response?
Bra-vo.
Seriously, if you can honestly say that Wonder Woman is a lame hero, then you obviously haven't been reading this book anytime in the last year.
I don't really have the words to fully explain just how utterly awesome Wonder Woman - and indeed, all the Amazons in DC Comics are. Suffice it to say that the damage done by Amazons Attack has been mercifully undone by Gail Simone and that the recent story in which Diana faced off against a mad new villain named Genocide ranks among the best tales ever to start Wonder Woman.
They say that words are cheap and that pictures are worth more a thousand words. With that in mind, here's a few pictures along with some brief summaries of what is going on.
*****
This is Hippolyta's reaction to learning that hordes of Cthulhuian monsters are storming Paradise Island en mass.
These are Hippolyta's thoughts, as she watches her fellow Amazons fight to defend their home - and then notices the injured Diana fighting alongside them.
This is what Diana does once she finds Ares - who is responsible for the monster attacks - on the field of battle.
And this is what Diana does when Zeus shows himself and announces his plans to allow the Amazons to retire, with an army of his sons taking up their role as protectors of the Earth and the Amazons themselves being allowed to take up the role of mothers and wives to "whatever man has the honor to have you."
Now, if you can look at all that and still tell me that Wonder Woman is a lame hero with a lame comic, then you need to go back and read it again or go see a doctor. Because either you weren't paying attention the first time or you just got blinded by the sheer awesomeness conveyed by the artwork of Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say there are only two words that can be used to describe you if you can look at the above images and still insist that Wonder Woman - the book or the character - is lame. And since I try and keep my language on this blog at a certain level of cleanliness, let me say that those words rhyme with the phrase "ducking boron".
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Oh gods, I just foudnd this book recently, and it makes me happy on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteAnd that Gail's going to be writing Diana and Dinah together next month? JOY.
*nods* It is greatness. Which is why I have so little patience for the rash of bloggers who seem hell-bent on proving that Diana is stupid/pointless/a bad feminist icon.
ReplyDeleteEspecially the ones mocking the invisible jet & the lasso (which Diana rarely uses anymore), the twirl to change into costume (which I don't think Diana has done anytime in the current series) and anyone who quotes anything from the Jodi Picoult series as being atypical of Wonder Woman as a character or the title.
Think the last time and only time in recent memory the twirl was done was when Phil Jimenez was finishing up his run on the series. It made me vomit a little in my mouth. But damn After reading those Polly panels I was about ready to start hunting down a comic shop. Soooo soooo soooo happy. That's my girl. Btw speaking of Diana not being a lame hero did you see the animated movie they made recently. Some of the best Diana Amazon Hippolyta stuff.. its written by Gail of course but it showed Diana being the awesome warrior she is subtly.. well okay so Diana doesn't fight subtle, but it rocked. Trust me.
ReplyDeleteI thought I told you elsewhere?
ReplyDeleteYes, I did see it. Yes, it was awesome.
Speaking of which, check out my Secret Six review. Artemis is in it. Being awesome.
uh, the twirl is a regular part of the comic. It's how she changes into her costume from civvies or her work uniform. The invisible jet was used regularly before the reboot and she brought it back in the teens of this series to crash it into a demon by mental control. I think I remember an invisible copter appearing once or twice. It was a Wayne Enterprises duplication of the tech.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I don't remember seeing her twirl to change into costume once during the Simone run.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I know the invisible jet is still around, I believe it was retconned to be shape-shifting alien technology Diana was gifted rather than an Amazon creation.
My favorite is the woman from LBW response:
ReplyDelete"Oh yeah Megan fox? What color is YOUR jet?"