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A criticism of Wonder Woman that is often made by non fans as to why they do not like the character is because she is not “bad ass” enough for them. Unlike many comic heroines of the modern era, Diana does not talk tough and “kick ass” and is therefore perceived as some how weak. Messner-Loebs tackles this issue head on as he piles the pressure on Wonder Woman, forcing her to “break” and become someone who even the hardest criminals fear. This was obviously a massive departure to the peace loving, thoughtful Diana of the Perez era, who always took a calm approach to even the most serious crisis but was per pared to use her powers in anger only when the situation absolutely required it.

During the Messner-Loebs run, the letters pages were often filled with the polarised views of fans, many of whom felt that this was a Diana they could not relate to. The debate even gained its own nickname – referred to as the “Perez Complex”. The two camps of fans is eerily reminiscent of the split seen during Brian Azzarello’s run during the infamous “New 52” era. Like Messner-Loebs, his version of Diana was a vast departure from what had come before, with some fans finding this a necessary change of direction to freshen the character up and others feeling it a betrayal of her origins and lessening her as an icon.