Wonder Woman #1 (2011) |
The latest Wonder Woman #1 (volume umpteenth) didn't have me drooling for more when the issue ended. Maybe that's because there wasn't much substance to her character at this point. Or maybe because she was hardly in it. Or maybe it was the choppy childlike art.
Diana (she prefers to be called by her birth-given name over Wonder Woman) apparently lives in London now, which must be a nod to the events of Flashpoint, wherein the Amazons overtook the United Kingdom as the Atlanteans flooded the rest of Western Europe. I was hoping that with this latest version, Diana would be battling more earthly villains than gods and getting away from her "sisters" of Themyscira with five-syllable names. Unfortunately, the gods are still chasing her in this latest volume, and it makes it a bit boring for readers who aren't familiar with the hundreds of Greek gods and Amazons out there. And -- are we really going to keep the helmet and sword left over from Flashpoint, too? Diana's SO much better than that.
Wonder Woman #1 (1987) |
I think my favorite "version" of Wonder Woman will always be George Perez', circa 1987. In it, Diana comes to "Man's World" from Paradise Island/Themyscira unfamiliar with protocol, customs, behaviors, etc. She was a fish out of water. (No offense, Aquaman.) It made for some interesting situations as she tried to assimilate into modern times. It also wasn't all about warrior-like battles; there were empathy and emotional storylines. Diana connected on a personal level with people.
The best thing about this newest version of Wonder Woman? The costume. Gone are the leotards that sparked such controversy a year ago. Diana's back to wearing her short shorts. She's also lost any yellow/gold colors to her look, giving her a sleek red, white/silver, and blue look. Two enthusiastic bullet-deflecting bracelets up for the revised look!
Will I keep reading Wonder Woman? Yeah, probably. If only for moral (mortal?) support. I think sometimes I like the idea of her more than the stories that people write for her. A part of me is hoping that one day someone will come along and do her justice...