85th Anniversary of Wonder Woman

Today marks the 85th Anniversary of Wonder Woman.

Oh, gosh, I guess it was around 2000 that I picked up my first Wonder Woman comic during the Phil Jimenez run.  I'd seen positive comments online (where was I looking for comic news in 2000?) and the character, on the page, immediately clicked.  

I know I was already interested from reading Morrison's JLA, and was sampling all of the JLA at that time.  I was a real Martian Manhunter fiend for a while there.

Jimenez was pivoting away from the sexed up art that had appeared in preceding years in the pages of Wonder Woman - the 90's were an odd time for comic art with some, uh, ideas about anatomy and the general thong-i-ness of female character's costumes. His Diana was an athletic, impressive figure drawn beautifully, but without a hint of exploitation.  Her was wisdom was mistaken for naivete, her kindness mistaken for weakness, but at her core, she was made of the strongest iron.    

I loved the run on the comic and have stuck with the comics more or less since.  Until recently, it was one of the last time I felt like Wonder Woman was being written as an adult character living in an adult world, which may sound bizarre for a character wrapped up in Greek mythology and magic, but it's that the character could exist in our world that always felt the most satisfying as a reader. 

The image at the top is from the current run by Tom King on words and Daniel Sampere on art chores.  Do I like that he draws Wonder Woman like a WNBA 4 or small 5?  I am not mad about it.  The story is compelling as hell, and the 40-ish issues of the series has been the best Wonder Woman comic books have been in some time.  

At the end of this run, I did plan to move to trades instead of floppies.  But, of course, DC has announced today they'll make maybe impossible for me as they're now lining up a year of publishing events for the character.  Including teaming with Lois Lane, which...  I mean.  Take my money, etc...

And, yes, I am going to start Absolute Wonder Woman in short order.  Stop pestering me.  (It's really hard to get past the edge-lord coded art, but I'll do it.)  In the meantime, you should go read Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons.  It's an astonishing 3-issue series on who the Amazons are and how they came to be.  Words by Kellsue Deconnick, art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott.

Wondy bursts onto the scene!

I have a *lot* of Wonder Woman opinions, and they are of dubious value.  Over 85 years, she's been many things.  She started as a thesis by William Moulton Marston about the power of "loving submission", and created a bananas world of colorful villains and challenges, powering along just on the edge of what was the norm in superhero comics.  And, yes, there's some offball stuff in there that's...  interesting to 2026 eyes.

Of course to the public for four decades, Wonder Woman was Lynda Carter thanks to three seasons of what I consider highly entertaining television.  You could do way worse than to settle in for a sprint through the series, which is largely episodic, and easy to digest.  Carter's take evolves over the course of the show, from bright-eyed and new-to-the-world, to a person who has seen what man's world has to offer up, and has hope, but knows she'll see it again.  

I remain a fan of the first Wonder Woman feature film with Gal Gadot in the role - I think she and Patty Jenkins really did something there.  And I admit to getting a little misty-eyed seeing Themyscira on the big screen, better than I ever imagined.  But the follow ups with Justice League and Wonder Woman 1984 took a lot of that wind out of my sails.  I am, of course, waiting to see what DCSU will do with the character and her world.

I personally think Wonder Woman is most effective as a stranger-in-a-strange-land.  She does best when she can comment and push back against the worst things about us we take for granted.  Superman is there to be the best we could be, one of us having power and using it for good.  Wonder Woman is there to do the emotional labor, too.  Or at least not take the bullshit for granted as something we must merely be better than.

Lately, a lot of stories have revolved around Wonder Woman and Themyscira, the internal politics and mythological shenanigans there, but to me, she's strongest when she's exactly who she is, unapologetically herself no matter what the world wants to make her into.  And that is what's been so great about Tom King and Sampere's run.

 

But, she's also first to extend the hand of peace.  She's probably jostling with Superman to comfort upset children.  She just wants people to live in peace, and she will whup your ass if you are creating a problem that is preventing people from doing just that.

The mythology of the Amazons is what informs her, as much as Bruce Wayne's parents' deaths are his world.  But by constantly returning to Themyscira and *staying there*, I think people are playing with the wrong toys.  Yes, it's neat to see her dressing down a god, it's far more exciting to see her saving the day by fighting in our world, not just doing house cleaning.

And keep the sword out of her hand.  She knows how to use it, but the lasso is a dozen times more interesting.  When your tool of choice is a weapon of *truth*, you're a 100 times more interesting than someone who can poke holes in people (sorry, Wolverine).

Anyway, Happy 85th, Diana.  You're an all-timer in my book.  Here's to the next 85.

And, between when I started this post and when I finished it, my copy of Absolute Wonder Woman Historia showed up in the mail.  DC is not @#$%ing about with these books.