Who Wears Short Shorts?

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...

Birds of Prey: the team that never was?

Third time's the charm?  After reading DC Comics' newest Birds of Prey #1 (volume three), I'm not so sure.  Was there never a Birds of Prey team before in the new DC Universe?  Apparently not.  And this time, they're made up of a bunch of bad-ass chicks.  Think Secret Six with only women.

In this first issue, we meet Black Canary and a new character by the name of Starling.  They're both on the run from the law.  Black Canary killed someone?  Hmmm...a mystery to be discovered.  And the tattooed Starling sounds like she's just a crazy bitch.  

Black Canary is trying to form a new team called the Birds of Prey.  She enlists Starling and pays a visit to Barbara Gordon, the old/new Batgirl.  At least they still have some sort of a past in the new DCU.  Dinah tries to enlist Babs, but Babs shoots her down, suggesting Katana (from the previous Outsiders) instead.  Black Canary isn't too keen on that suggestion (another mystery), but she must eventually invite her since Katana appears on the cover (although never in the issue itself).  Poison Ivy also appears on the cover, but never in the book (she doesn't even get a mention like Katana does).   I guess after the cancellation of her Gotham City Sirens, Harley Quinn going to the new Suicide Squad, and Catwoman getting her own series, DC wanted to give Poison Ivy some prevalence in a new series, too. 

I'm not totally sold on this newest incarnation of Birds of Prey, but I'll stick around a few issues to see if I like it any better.  I may just end up flying the coop.

Say Hello to the Newest Supergirl

I like the idea of Supergirl.  Besides her cousin Kal-El (better known as Superman), she's a stranger to Earth.  However, unlike Superman, she doesn't come to Earth as an infant.  She comes as a teenager/young adult, so her reception is a bit more jarring.  But, seriously, how many different versions do we need or can we handle for Kara Zor-El?  She's died and been brought back to life more often than a soap opera personality.

I wasn't crazy about the Matrix version of Supergirl or the most recent version of her before the Flashpoint event (but I was getting used to it).   Now we have DC Comics' latest version of her in the New 52, post-Flashpoint.  Rather than crash-landing in Smallville or Metropolis (how convenient), this latest incarnation of Supergirl lands in Siberia, fully clothed in her "S" regalia.  She's unsure where she is and why the sun looks different.  Russia's army of robots comes after her and she's sure that she'll be killed.  That's when she begins to realize that she has some strange powers.  

The comic held my interest throughout, so that's a good sign.  I look forward to seeing where DC takes her.  

As for her new costume, it's not bad, but it's definitely an older version than the previous teenager's bare midriff one.  I miss the playful skirt, though, and I'm not sure about the above-the-thigh one-piece that the latest version wears.  I think that part could be a bit lower on the sides and that maybe she could lose the big red "V" in the front that basically screams, "Here's my Vagina!"

Nightwing Swings Back Into Action

In reading the new Nightwing #1, I was pleased to see that there was basically no change to Nightwing/Dick Grayson's history and personality.  He's the same ol' Nightwing in the new DC Universe.  Whew.   

He's just coming off his gig as Batman and returning to the Nightwing persona.  The spiffy new black and red costume suits him well, better than most of the costume changes in DC's New 52.  His doesn't look like a 1990s redux.

In this issue, Dick mentions that he has "a thing for redheads," which, of course, is a wink-wink-nod-nod to the decades-long flirtation between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle).  I hope there's something in store for the two of them in the near future, after all these years.  Babs deserves some happiness.  She probably hasn't "gotten any" in years!

I like that Dick is living in Gotham City again and that, in this first issue, Haley's Circus is back in town.  Dick visits some old friends/co-workers of his and, fortunately, a gloomy cloud doesn't follow his visit.  People are more focused on Dick's life than his parents' death many years ago.

The characterization, plot, and writing weren't overwhelmingly wonderful, but they didn't suck either.  The story is better when Dick is in his street clothes than his Nightwing costume.  There's a real human aspect to him which, unfortunately, we don't see too often in comic books. 

I look forward to what's in store for one of my favorite characters in the DCU.

The Bat Does the Cat

Well, I guess we know now that in DC Comics' New 52, Batman and Catwoman are still pretty good fuck buddies.  (Maybe even moreso than before.)  

ME-OW.

From the new Catwoman #1