May 19th, 2013

New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 86
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 87

May 3rd, 2013

New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 85

March 31st, 2013

New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 84

February 2nd, 2013

New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 82
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 83

January 2nd, 2013

New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 77
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 78
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 79
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 80
New synopsis added to Galleries > Wonder Woman > Volume Two > Issues 51 - 100 > Issue 81

 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THIS SITE

Enough is Enough. This isn't a version of Diana I want to read about.

Around June 2010 I wrote the paragraph below, following the major changes made to Wonder Woman in issue 600:

"But I sincerely hope that in twelve months time I don't look back to this day and think to myself that this is the moment DC destroyed an icon...and turned Wonder Woman into nothing but a shadow of her former glory.

And if they do, I would need to give long hard thought as to whether this web site should continue to chronicle the adventures of a character I simply no longer recognise or consider to be the REAL Wonder Woman."

Well, here we are almost two years on and everything I feared has come to pass.

I said at the start of the "New 52" that I would give this re-launch a chance, even though I had considerable reservations about the direction the character was purportedly going to be taken in. And the omens were there right from the start. I have however read each issue, recognising Azzarello's obvious writing skills, but increasingly feeling uneasy about the way Wonder Woman - as a book and as a character - is being handled. Once upon a time I used to relish getting the latest issue and writing up the synopsis. Now I almost dread the task and feel just a little bit sadder each time I read a new installment - searching desperately for any tiny sign that the Diana I know and love is still there somewhere and will at any moment make a triumphant return. I've been patient. VERY patient.

But the simple fact is that this book hasn't been about Wonder Woman for a LONG, LONG time (I'm including the debacle that was "Odyssey") and with each passing issue it becomes ever clearer that Brian Azzarello does not really care about this character and from day one was simply looking for an angle so he could tell a tale about the misogynistic Olympian Gods. Diana is simply a prop to him -to drive the real story he wants to tell - and Wonder Woman is simply a high profile means to create cheap publicity through some controversy. Nothing more.

"Let's change her origin and completely undermine her uniqueness as a character by making her simply another bastard child of Zeus!"...

"Let's turn the Amazons - who have always been depicted as a peace loving race of women with a message of hope and love- into man-killers, rapists and child slave traders"...

And the depressing thing is that DC freely gave Azzarello complete licence to do what he liked with this respected iconic character and effectively use the "Wonder Woman" brand to help sell Azzarello's story. Shame on them for doing so.

Considering that the prime driver for the "New 52" was to encourage new readers to "jump on board" and learn about DC's established characters without having to worry about the baggage of history and canon - it seems ironic that this launch story arc fails so miserably at giving a new reader any insight whatsoever into who Wonder Woman is - aside from her being occasionally moody and her ability to swing a sword!

Diana is devoid of any personality in Azzarello's hands. She comes across as a vacant, emotionless automaton who simply reacts to events and people around her. And because of Azzarello's decision not to write what her thoughts are - and to merely rely on what she verbalises - readers still have no clue as to who she really is, what she stands for, what motivates her or even what her powers are!! In short, the focus of the story all along has been on the Gods around Diana. She is merely a bit player in her own title.

The DC New 52 has turned into everything I feared it would. DC are creating a dark and depressing universe, catering for the bloodlust of the "video gamer" generation and in doing so have no qualms in deconstructing the Wonder Woman character - a world wide icon - tearing asunder her costume, her heritage, her motivations, her belief systems and pretty much every facet that her creator endowed her with and that made her the unique character she is.

I stopped caring about this book a LONG time ago and with the recent revelations about the Amazons in Issue 7, I am now certain I want nothing more to do with this travesty - and that it has no place being documented on my site. Because it sullies Diana's history and everything this site has endeavored to chronicle over the past several years.

This interpretation of Wonder Woman does not deserve the recognition - or even be considered as a part of her long respected history. It has NOTHING to do with the real Wonder Woman. It is a travesty. Pure and simple. And the tragedy of it all is that DC seems to be fine with it.

Over her long career Diana has encountered many foes determined to destroy everything she is and everything she stands for. It seems ironic that the ones who have eventually succeeded in doing so are DC themselves.

I'm sure that some reading this will say that I am simply a "bitter fan boy" who is still living in the past...a dinosaur from another age, unwilling to accept that the world has moved on and that the "rose tinted" affection I have for this character has flawed my judgment as to what is best for Wonder Woman's continued success. And perhaps they are right to think this.

I sincerely hope that the "new Wonder Woman" will enthrall her "next generation" of readers for many years to come, just as much as she has done for me over the past few decades - and that in 2081 these legions of new fans will be celebrating her 70th anniversary with happiness and fondness. But forgive me if I remain highly skeptical that this will in fact be the case. There is a very good reason why William Moulton Marston's character has remained an icon for seven decades. He caught lightning in a bottle. I rather doubt DC will manage that same trick again.

For me, there will only ever be one true version of Wonder Woman.

This new version of Diana they have unleashed on fans was not created for me - and I realise and appreciate that fact - but equally, I cannot with good conscience continue to support a book that features a character I no longer recognise in appearance, concept or spirit. The essence of everything that made her "Wonder Woman" has gone. For me, the character left us in #600 as she was depicted turning a corner and vanishing into a blinding white light...leaving us with just fond memories of what once was...

And yes - I do get the metaphor. This was DC's way of stating she had reached a turning point.

When I came up with this web site's name I'd envisaged it a place for fans and non-fans alike to find out more about this wonderful character - and that it would be a constant, ever evolving resource. In hindsight, my choice of name could not have been more appropriate, as it will now become a true "archive" of the original and true Wonder Woman as she was envisaged and conceived by her creator. This site now only documents her history from her debut up to the end of Volume Three and will no longer feature any content from DC's "New 52".

For me, Wonder Woman as a character is something so unique in the superhero genre. And as I quote on my home page, I think Greg Rucka summed her up so beautifully. He stated that Diana embodies the best of us in every way that matters. She embodies every one of our ideals; Wisdom. Intelligence. Compassion. Determination. Strength. Beauty. Grace. Devotion. And it is these qualities that have made her so special and unique amongst comic book heroes - and which are now so glaringly absent from the "New 52" version.

I am so grateful to William Moulton Marston for creating such an enduring character - one that has uniquely transcended the sometimes "geeky" world of comics and become part of modern day as an icon in her own right. Wonder Woman has become modern day language for female empowerment and the aspiration to become something better. She has shown men that a woman can be beautiful AND strong, sexy AND compassionate, smart AND courageous. And that Wonder Woman loves us back. She is here for us and we feel comforted and inspired by her presence. Yes, she is simply pen and ink on a page. But she lives and breathes in our imaginations and hopes and dreams. And the world would be - and now is - a poorer place without her.

Sometimes she is accused of being "out of her time" - a relic from the war that has no place in modern day culture (DC clearly thinks so). But I would TOTALLY disagree. In these times of terrorism, oppression and fanaticism she is more relevant now than she ever was during the dark days of World War II. She is a beacon of hope to all - young or old - male or female - gay or straight - black or white. No other character has ever bridged those disparate groups quite so effortlessly. And that is a tribute to her creator and the greatest legacy he could have left us.

It's been one of the happiest journey's of my life - enjoying and chronicling the adventures of the lovely Amazon Princess, experiencing her life through the pages of each monthly issue and wishing that this journey of excitement and wonderment would never end.

But now it has.

So thank you William.

And I bid you a fond farewell, Diana.

You will be missed.

Chris