Wonder Woman: Should I care?

See also: the first 20 or so issues of the post-Legends revamp (written & drawn by George Perez).

Could Wonder Woman be DC's very own Iron Man?

Iron Man's probably the only one of Marvel's big shots that has never had a true defining run. The closest it has ever been would probably be the Michelinie/Layton issues where he deals with his alcoholism, but that's not even close to Claremont's (or Grant's) X-Men or Waid's Captain America. And even if it was on par with that stuff, it's still too little for a character that's been around for, like, 40 years.

And the same thing happens with Wonder Woman. It seems that her standards have become so low that an average comic becomes a masterpiece. The issues drawn by Perez are OK, mostly because of the art, but it's not like it's the one story by which all other will be measured. Messner-Loebs did some interesting things, like putting her to work in a fast food store. I also did as David adviced and read most of Rucka's stuff, not that much compelling, but certainly well written. I think that's the problem with Wonder Woman, her post-crisis comics have always been competent, but not too fun.

I've have always been intrigued by her late 60's-early 70's era. I believe it's heavily influenced by women liberation movements and stuff, she ditches her traditional costume and starts looking real Emma Peel-esque, and some of her issues are written by Samuel Delany.

I kinda hope they go with the Donna Troy-as-new-Wonder Woman thing, cos it seems like a reasonable idea to just start over with another character who is at least cute!

I think finding someone talented and caring would be enough. Hey, it worked with Waid and Superman: Birthright.

But...

"The biggest problem with DC is that they have to deal with characters like Aquaman and Wonder Woman who are incredibly well
known, but no one really cares about them

Yeah, and it's not only readers, but also creators. I can't think of any one of them who gives a fuck about WW, except for Phil Jimenez, he's not really good at writing. So it's a bit of a problem.

Nevertheless, I think that All-Star Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes is gonna be something worth checking out.

Remember when they cut Donna Troy's hair? That was worse than having her killed by a Superman Robot.

All that "who is wonder girl" affair was awful.

Actually, I should admit that I have a soft spot for the Titans Hunt. It's not a masterpice, but it provided with some needed sense of closure.

Part of the problem of course is that the Wonder Woman comic book has never been about fan demand, it's been about a legal responsibility to keep the title out there or lose the rights. So she's trundled on for years producing useless continuity. Particularly depressing when you consider that she is (I think) the only female superhero with her own title from either of the Big Two.

Actually actually I meant Batgirl, not Catwoman. Though I think Catwoman has her own title now? So that's three.

Supergirl has had her own series on and off, and will again soon. Spider-Girl is still published.

She-Hulk was actually the stretch, because it's been cancelled for months and hasn't started again yet.

Wonder Woman No. 203
November-December 1972
Cover: Diana, Cathy Perkins, and attacking dogs //Dick Giordano
Story: “The Grandee Caper” (24 pages)
Editor: Denny O’Neil
Writer: Samuel L. Delaney
Artist: Dick Giordano
Feature Character: Wonder Woman (as Diana Prince; last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #102; next appears in BRAVE
AND THE BOLD #105)
Supporting Character: Cathy Perkins (last appearance in issue #194; last appearance)
GS: Jonny Double (next appearance in KOBRA #5)
Intro: Margo, Lorna (only appearance for both)
Villains: Mr. Grandee (resembles Carmine Infantino), Mike (only appearance for both)
Comments: Story title taken from cover.
The proposed follow-up to this issue, in which Diana’s “women’s lib” group deals with women made jobless by the closing of Grandee’s
Department Store, has never been published.
Shortly after this story Diana Prince helps Batman fight Senor Montoya in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #105.
Synopsis: After Cathy Perkins starts a fight with some wolfish “admirers” of Diana (and Diana ends it), the now-homeless Diana moves in
with her former assistant,whom she learns is now enrolled in a women’s liberation group and is taking karate lessons. Diana is offered a job at
Grandee’s Department Store by Mr. Grandee, its owner, who wishes to pay her big bucks for appearing in ads for his store as the symbol of the
new liberated woman. Unfortunately, Cathy’s group learns that Grandee is paying his all-female staff below minimum wage, which he can do
because he buys goods from local sweatshops, thus avoiding the legal entangements of dealing in out-of-state goods. When the group holds a
meeting about the situation, some thugs hired by Grandee attemplt to break it up but are defeated by Diana. Nonetheless, they hold Cathy
hostage and manage a retreat. Diana trails them back to Grandee’s store, defeats them and Grandee, and frees Cathy. Nonetheless, at the next
meeting of the group, a contingent of women storms in and angrily accuses them of causing the unemployment of 250 women who worked at
the now-closed Grandee’s Department Store.

So we get to see Black Catwoman sometime yes?

Earrrrrrrrrrrrrtha Kitt wasn't in the film. What are you talking about?

didn't know that. what's that about?

However, I've been reading some Silver Age WW comics and they're pretty interesting. About a third of the plot is dedicated to stupid period comic tropes (i.e., WW fights a giant monster, usually an octopus, sphinx, alien, dinosaur or some combination). However, the comic has its share of silver age wonderfulness, that with the right tweaks, would easily be the plot of a murakami novel or some magical realist story:

- Wonder girl's face is stolen by aliens. The issue ends w/ a climactic fight in the clouds where the martian space fleet is busted open by the amazonians, who puncture one flying saucer filled with faces, so Wonder Girl can get her's back. The cover says something like "Ever since Wonder Girl lost her face, she's been out of control!"

- A rich philanthropist offers Wonder Woman big lumps of cash if she can invent stories off of comic book panels he's drawn! She has a five minute time limit and at one point reveals her secret identity for the good of charity--but they don't believe anyone as lame as Diana Prince could be anyone as cool as WW!

- Wonder Woman meets a green-headed monster, who lives in a fairy tale space castle. In the spirit of feminine domesticity, the Amazonians bake him cakes and try to take care of him, but he gets huffy and knocks his castle down. Wonder Woman, inveighing against superficial judgments (ugly = evil), decides to marry him, but when a giant sphinx monster attacks, the monster saves her, turning into a genericly handsome blond pretty boy as a result. But when she catches him, he turns into a monster, leading her to realize that he becomes a monster or a pretty boy depending on how virtuous he is.

The stories occupy a weird cross-genre of romance comics (everyone's always trying to marry Wonder Woman!) and sixties monster comics. I'd be curious who actually read these comics, as I'm sure the boys would be put off by the former and the girls by the latter. I'm guessing this audience problem is a perrenial one for WW, who unlike Catwoman can't just rely on sexiness as a way to keep up reader interest.

YES!

YES!

Dude, have you seen that Jessica Abel/Dylan Horrocks thing from the first Bizarro hardcover? DUDE! This is so what you want. And there's one by Ariel Bordeaux or someone... I'll go home and check.

:(

I'm assuming it involved lots of mind control hijinks!.

I don't think there was any mind control hijinks.

So, I guess this means that the WORLD AS INTRODUCED IN WW #1 is very temporary.

Almost sexual, isn't it, Smithers?