Wonder Woman #31

Story: James Robinson
Art: Carlo Pagulayan
Inks: Sean Parsons, Jason Paz, Scott Hanna
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters: Saida Temofonte
Covers: Bryan Hitch, Alex Sinclair, Jenny Frison

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Olive Byrne.

The Wonder Woman run of writer Greg Rucka, with artists Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott, set a pretty high bar for future creators, reversing most of the controversial aspects of the New 52 version began by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, and restoring many classic elements. This new story arc by writer James Robinson (making his return to DC Comics) and artist Carlo Pagulayan is okay, I guess. But it definitely feels like a much more conventional take on the character. Moreover, the arc unfortunately dips into a bit of continuity porn. I thought the whole Rebirth initiative meant we didn’t have to worry about this any more. But here’s the the official summary of this issue from DC’s website:

Spinning out of the pages of DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH and JUSTICE LEAGUE: DARKSEID WAR, legendary writer James Robinson (JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE, STARMAN) comes on board to answer one of the biggest questions of the year: Who is Wonder Woman’s brother? Taken away from Themyscira in the dead of night, the mysterious Jason has been hidden somewhere far from the sight of gods and men…but his life and Wonder Woman’s are about to intersect in a terrifying way, bringing them face to face with a cosmic threat they never imagined!

I suppose it was too much to hope for Geoff Johns to forget about this last minute revelation from his run on the Justice League. It was simply put on the back burner while Rucka was allowed to tell a very different story. I really would have preferred that DC went back to Diana being sculpted from clay. I was even under the impression that Rucka’s run had erased the whole storyline of Diana being the love child of Zeus and Hippolyta. But I guess our Chief Creative Officer’s master plan for the DC Universe included biding his time until he could rope another writer into continuing this plot thread. And now we have Robinson.

Frankly, this development is jarring given the Wonder Woman comics that have been published in the last year. It obviously doesn’t fit with the existing material, or the direction being mapped out before Robinson took over the series. It’s very much an artifact of the New 52 era. And a noticeable effect of its insertion is that the comic moves away from Diana’s strong female cast to a more male-centered focus Johns seems to prefer. The resulting narrative where the villain plots his revenge and stages a comeback is a lot more formulaic. The cast now includes New God Darkseid, his daughter Grail, the yet unmentioned Jason and other sons of Zeus, named and unnamed. However, to anyone coming to the comic from the recent Wonder Woman film, the opening page spread is reminiscent of the climactic battle between Diana and Ares. Since her film counterpart acknowledged the god of war as her “brother,” this would appear to be a misdirection meant for them.

The comic contains a few more references aimed at the film audience. The capable Pagulayan draws a certain mysterious figure to resemble hobo Clark Kent as played by Henry Cavill from Man of Steel. That’s also another misdirection. And Diana herself is clearly meant to resemble Gal Gadot. So I’m glad he didn’t attempt to make Steve Trevor look more like Chris Pine. Otherwise, Pagulayan works in the idiom established by past Wonder Woman artists within the last twenty years.

Overall, this is a somewhat unsatisfying introduction to the new arc. Half the comic is taken up by an underwhelming fight between Grail and one of DC’s C-list characters. And there’s a lot of exposition to get through which slows down the pace. Maybe the arc will make more sense in future instalments, but so little happens in this comic past the fight. More immediately, this feels less like a Wonder Woman story than the setup for an event story which just happens to include her.

Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor Special

Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor #1
Story: Tim Seeley
Art: Christian Duce
Colors: Allen Passalaqua
Letters: Josh Reed
Covers: Paul Renaud, Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Olive Byrne.

This comic’s publication coincided to take advantage of the Wonder Woman film opening, so curious audience members could learn more about the character’s comic book incarnation. Apparently, that means reading more about Steve Trevor, who has been recently reinstated as Diana’s official beau. That will sound odd to most non-comics fans, but Steve hasn’t been romantically linked to her since the mid-eighties reboot authored by George Perez. But make no mistake, everything has now been set right by the powers that be. The comic even introduces the story within as “Wonder Woman's Boyfriend Steve Trevor” just in case there are any lingering doubts from skeptical comics fans who still remember that Superman and Wonder Woman were still an item until earlier this year. But given that in the film’s [Spoiler Alert] onscreen romance was kinda doomed, maybe DC is also hoping that film fans will be relieved to learn that the happy couple are still going strong within the pages of their own comics.

And yes, this is a Wonder Woman story even when Steve occupies most of its panels. Just as a Lois Lane story is actually about how Superman is seen through her eyes, or a story about James Gordon and the GCPD is ultimately about how Batman helps keeps Gotham safe from its resident lunatics. Steve is called away from Wonder Woman’s side to take part in a covert mission. But the mission itself, which involves rescuing a supernaturally enhanced individual from the clutches of nefarious forces, reminds Steve of his own complicated feelings towards Diana. Love is mixed with guilt over Steve being the person who contributed to Diana’s decision to leave her home in “paradise.” These emotions inevitably inform his actions on the mission.

This is an okay though unremarkable story drawn competently enough by Christian Duce. But the comic’s main purpose becomes apparent when Steve meets up with his usual team of crack operatives for the mission. They turn out to be the same trio of misfits from the film: The British sniper Charlie who suffers from PTSD, Moroccan aspiring actor and conman Sameer, and Native American tracker/smuggler “Chief.” Their comics appearance is remarkably quick compared to other characters introduced in other mediums making their way into the comic book pages. For now, Steve has kept his covert activities and his work with Diana far apart. But it’s safe to assume that at some point these two worlds will collide spectacularly as DC’s writers continue to flesh out this newly minted version of the Diana-Steve coupling. Corporate synergy, folks!

More NonSense: Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Edition

Image by Kazu Kibuishi. (via Mashable)

The Harry Potter franchise will be 20 years old this June 26. The publishing phenomena taught a generation of kids how to enjoy reading an increasingly hefty book series, and they would grow into one of the defining fandoms of 21st century popular culture. Pottermania helped push geek culture into the mainstream. The Harry Potter and "Lord of the Rings" film adaptations from the 2000s made it impossible to dismiss sci-fi/fantasy as mere niche entertainment.

But Harry Potter's early fame would naturally court controversy, namely with conservative Christians accusing the books for promoting occultism, paganism, devil worship. The usual stuff. Such dunderhead arguments did however touch on an important truth - Harry Potter's early appeal rested on Hogwarts. Like Starfleet or the Xavier mansion before it, the wizarding school was the kind of nerdvana misfits and outcasts could dream about. Everyone feels the desire to belong somewhere. And like its titular hero, fans would come to see Hogwarts as an ideal home for them as well. Who wouldn't want to attend a school which feels so comfortingly familiar, yet teaches subjects that are so cool, useful, and unconventional? A safe haven from the oppressive muggles who don't understand their geeky obsessions. And who now doesn't want to know which of the four houses is a natural fit for them? Go Slytherin! Or maybe it's Ravenclaw?

Tiffany Babb examines the mythological structure of superhero comics, using Marvel character Loki as a case study.

Abraham Riesman lists eight Comics You Need to Read This June.

Marta Bausells profiles Jillian Tamaki.

A short video on Trina Robbins as the first women to draw Wonder Woman.

Alex Abad-Santos on how the Wonder Woman film tackles her origin and its feminist content.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige thanks God that Wonder Woman has helped make it easier to make female-led superhero films. Alrighty then.

Cecilia D'Anastasio on the state of manga scanlators trying to go legit.

Deb Aoki on why manga industry can smile in 2017. Among them are increased variety of genres, digital first initiatives, and simultaneous English/Japanese publishing schedules.

Michael Livingston explains what "The Great Wall" gets wrong about Chinese history, and how it ends up playing into the White Saviour complex.

Derf doesn't have anything good to say about the ACHA.

Charles Pulliam-Moore asks why so many black superheroes have electricity powers? Sadly, it didn't occur to me until I read this that Jamie Fox playing Electro in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" follows in this trope.

Sean T. Collins ranks ninety three "Game of Thrones" characters in order from most good to most evil. I don't think there's any disagreement on who the bad guys are. But who is the worst of the worst? The placement might spark some debate.

Matt Furie keeps trying to save his creation Pepe the Frog from being appropriated as an alt-right token. His latest move is to launch a kickstarter for Pepe to reclaim "his status as a universal symbol for peace, love, and acceptance." I wish him luck. It must be infuriating when one of your characters is officially considered a hate symbol. But the attempt sounds pretty futile.

Is Michelle Pfeiffer in "Batman Returns" the best movie supervillain?

RIP Adam West (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), the world's most beloved Batman. More from Glen Weldon, Evan Narcisse, Keith DeCandido.

RIP Michael Bond (January 13, 1926 –  June 27, 2017), creator of the beloved character Paddington Bear.

Gallery: Amazon History Painting

Go to: Art Station, by Houston Sharp, Raffy Ochoa etc. (via Kaitlyn Booth)

Wonder Woman Annual #1

Story: Greg Rucka, Vita Ayala, Michael Moreci, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Art: Nicola Scott, Claire Roe, Stephanie Hans, David Lafuente
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jordie Bellarie, John Rauch
Letters: Jodi Wynne, Josh Reed, Dave Sharpe

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Olive Byrne.

The stories that get published in superhero annuals usually tend to be best described as “continuity lite.” For the most part, this also applies to this year’s Wonder Woman Annual. But thanks to the effects of the ongoing DC Rebirth, the character's history is presently in flux. In the New 52 timeline, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman would meet during Geoff Johns and Jim Lee’s 2011 run of the Justice League, where they would team up to thwart an invasion from Apokolips. Apparently, this is also the plot for the comic’s upcoming cinematic adaptation. More recently, Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott have been retelling WW’s origin in their Wonder Woman Year One story arc. Their efforts have pretty much undone those events, the controversial Brian Azzarello 2011 run, not to mention the squicky Supes-WW pairing (with help from Superman's scribes). Wonder Woman is no longer the God of War (seriously, how was this ever a thing?), and back to being a symbol for empowerment, peace and compassion.

Rucka and Scott cap off their Year One arc with the Annual’s headliner “And Then There Were Three....” Taking place shortly after Wonder Woman #10, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne catch Diana’s superhero debut on television, and independently conduct their own investigations. They both coincidentally (and very improbably) end up on the same patch of Nevada desert while trying to locate the secret government facility housing Diana. But while the two caped crusaders banter, WW has already snuck up on them.

At ten pages, this is hardly the grandiose occasion envisioned by Johns and Lee. This is a character driven story where Rucka channels his experience writing for all three superheroes into amusing dialogue. Clark is consistently hilarious when trolling Bruce, I mean Batman (heh heh!). With Diana around, no one’s going to engage in needless name calling, macho posturing, or any gratuitous violence. But Batman’s still the biggest dork. And Rucka leaves no doubt who he thinks is the greatest hero among the three of them.

Since 2016, Scott has established herself as one of Wonder Woman’s leading artists. There’s a sweetness to her portrayal of Diana that hasn’t been seen in almost a decade. But in this story, she’s also proving to be just as good in capturing Clark’s relaxed confidence, and Bruce’s guarded disposition.

The other stories are more typically written to be harder to pin down. "The Curse and The Honor" by writer Michael Moreci and artist Stephanie Hans is however closer to Azzarello’s Diana as stoic warrior. She has travelled to rural Japan to aid a swordsman save his village from a curse. But the swordsman has already taken on the curse, becoming a monster in the process. The story is clearly a homage to samurai tales. But the ten page limit hampers both the reveal and the ending. Everything is dependent on drawing out the mood. Instead, everything feels rushed. This feels like a lesser version of a comic written by Frank Miller starring Wolverine or Elektra.

“In Defense of Truth and Justice” by writer Vita Ayala and artist Claire Roe lands in more familiar territory with Diana rescuing the villainous King Shark from being executed by Markovian authorities for a crime he didn’t commit. Roe’s art combined with Jordie Bellarie’s muted palette makes the story look like a noir crime drama with superheroes. She draws the most buff version of Diana in this Annual.

But “The Last Kaiju” by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with artist David Lafuente, repeats the same theme, only now with a giant monster. When Diana realizes that she can communicate with a Kaiju rampaging through the Pacific coast, she decides to protect it from ARGUS and find it a suitable home. Lafuente does draw the goofiest visuals. At one point, Diana grabs the Kaiju by the nose and airlifts it to safety. That’s one way to tame a beast. The sight itself is almost whimsical.

More NonSense: The Wonder Woman Film Edition

Image via The Poster Posse, by Doaly

Did you know that Wonder Woman is finally headlining a groundbreaking, not to mention hugely profitable, film? The amazing amazon has become a genuine cultural phenomenon. For the beleaguered Time-Warner, it's the only instalment from the DC Cinematic Universe to have so far garnered critical acclaim. And director Patty Jenkins will be back to helm the sequel (maybe). But there have been a few controversies, such as leading lady Gal Gadot's Israeli background and her advocacy of the IDF leading to the Lebanese government banning the film.

This is, off course, long overdue for a character usually touted as one of DC's top three superheroes (the other two being Superman and Batman) but receives only a fraction of the attention directed at her peers. What took them so long? There are a few unfortunate consequences to being part of a cinematic universe. The film's dreary visual aesthetic had already been laid down since Man of Steel. So this is partly justified by setting the story in WW I Europe. In contrast, the sun-drenched island paradise of Themyscira is a welcome sight. The inevitable and annoying slo-mo action sequences favoured by Zach Snyder are also exploited to capture Diana's perception of fired bullets as moving through the air at a snail's pace. The film just can't quite overcome the dullness of the requisite CGI-enhanced final showdown, mainly because Ares (David Thewlis) is no more interesting a villain than Ultron or Ronan.

But these films live or die on the casting of their heroic leads. Gadot is a compelling presence, which was first evident when she was the one bright spot in the abysmal Snyder showcase that was Batman V Superman. Her bemusement at the great metropolis that is jolly old London made the small moments of pleasure she found all the more endearing. Chris Pine, playing Steve Trevor, proves to be an excellent second banana. A suitably cynical foil to Diana's moral absolutism. His attempted seduction of Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya) while speaking with a German accent is an amusing highlight, and convinced me that Pine should play the honey trap more often. It takes a while before Diana reaches the front line and joins the fray. But the moment she throws aside her disguise and crosses No Man's Land under a hale of machine gun fire might be the best coming out party for a cinematic superhero in the present era (and definitely in all of the DC Cinematic Universe).

Though Hera help me, I'm still not pleased with the decision to utilise elements from the controversial New 52 reboot for Diana's origin story. The choices made have the cumulative effect of closing off her connection to the larger world of Greek mythology (and dilute the attendant feminist overtones found in the comics) which I wished remained open for future instalments. I hope the gods aren't as extinct as Diana was led to believe. And the Amazons were so badass I wouldn't mind seeing them make a return appearance. And bring back the invisible jet!

After a series of misfires, DC's cinematic universe finally has a hero worthy of their efforts. Maybe they'll even learn to build on her success and make her the heart of future instalments.

Germain Lussier has a rundown of directors who made their debut with a smaller independent film, then were signed on to direct an expensive studio blockbuster. Patty Jenkins makes the list as one of the few, and now the most successful, women offered the opportunity.

Vincent Schilling lavishes praise on Eugene Brave Rock's portrayal of supporting character Chief. In their first meeting spoken entirely in Blackfoot, he introduces himself to Diana as the trickster Napi. That would explain his easy acceptance of her as an immortal being.

Nate Jones compares the film's fictional and real German general Erich Ludendorff.

Charlie Jane Anders speaks up for Wonder Woman as hero and role model.

James Whitbrook gives his recommendations for Wonder Woman comics.

Keith DeCandido speaks in favour for Wonder Woman's last great onscreen incarnation played by Lynda Carter, and critiques the mediocre animated feature from 2009.

Hunter Harris on the David E. Kelley Wonder Woman pilot that never aired.

Willa Paskin muses on how to better review superhero movies. Needless to say, this is already a controversial point in comics.

Emily Asher-Perrin examines the evolution of Robin Wright as a heroine by comparing her role of Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride, and General Antiope from Wonder Woman.

Gal Gadot on auditioning for the role.

Angelica Jade Bastién on Wonder Woman's convoluted history and the tendency (especially by DC) to underestimate the character's enormous appeal.

Image via Hollywood Reporter

Maggie Umber on the break up of her marriage with Raighne Hogan due to the financial stress caused by both partners running the publishing house 2dcloud.

Asher Elbein analyses the causes for Marvel's weak print sales. The Direct Market has generally done a poor job cultivating new readers. But Marvel deserves special recognition for going out of its way to alienate them:

The past decade has been a parade of singularly embarrassing behavior by Marvel writers and editors in public. The former editor Stephen Wacker has a reputation for picking fights with fans; so does the Spider-Man writer Dan Slott. The writer Peter David went on a bizarre anti-Romani rant at convention (he later apologized); the writer Mark Waid recently mused about punching a critic in the face before abandoning Twitter. The writer of Secret Empire, Nick Spencer, has managed to become a swirl of social media sturm all by himself, partially for his fascist Captain America storyline and partially for his tone-deaf handling of race and general unwillingness to deal with criticism.

And the publisher's lack of faith in its new titles is now well known:

Marvel’s marketing and PR must bear a hefty share of the blame as well. The company habitually places the onus for minority books’ survival on the readership, instead of promoting their product effectively. Tom Brevoort, the executive editor at Marvel, publicly urged readers to buy issues of the novelist Chelsea Cain’s canceled (and very witty) Mockingbird after the author was subjected to coordinated sexist harassment. 

The problem, however, is that the decision to cancel Mockingbird was necessarily made months in advance, due to preorder sales to retailers on the direct market. The book itself launched with only a few announcements on comics fan sites; no real attempt to reach out to a new audience was made. Marvel’s unexpected success stories, like Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel, are largely built on the tireless efforts of the creators themselves. (In Deconnick’s case, she paid for postcards, dog tags, and fliers for fan engagement out of her own pocket, for a character she didn’t own or have a real expectation of royalties from.)

Ben Judkins recommends his top five comics/animated works for the martial artist. I myself have reviewed Boxers & Saints and commented frequently on the Avatar the Last Airbender franchise.

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon

By Jill Thompson
Letters: Jason Arthur

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Olive Byrne.

Wonder Woman’s origin story went through considerable modifications with the New 52 era. Changes that were so controversial among her fans that the story has again been altered to coincide with this year’s Rebirth event. To make things even more complicated, DC has released a few comics that don’t operate within the publisher’s main continuity. There’s the ongoing Wonder Woman ‘77, an adaptation that continues the campy 70s television series. Digital first comic The Legend of Wonder Woman. And the version found in DC Comics Bombshells. There’s also a pair of standalone graphic novels retelling her origin: Wonder Woman: Earth One by Grant Morrison. And most recently, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, by Jill Thompson. If someone had to choose, Thompson’s comic might be the most accessible to newer and younger readers.

While technically still a comic, The True Amazon feels like it could have been easily converted into an illustrated children’s book. Thompson brings to the table her signature watercolors, which makes The True Amazon visually unlike any of DC’s other current offerings. It looks and feels more like traditional literary fare. Thompson’s narrative panels are plentiful and rather text-heavy for a modern comic. The third person narration contained within tells the story often in parallel with the art, a rather old-fashioned comics device by today’s standard. Thompson even uses the occasional thought balloon to capture the young Princess Diana’s inner monologue. Nevertheless, what emerges is a vividly colorful portrayal of Amazon society. One that feels ancient and rustic, but still alive.

That classical aesthetic is central to Thompson’s peculiar interpretation. She’s chosen not to retell WW’s origin as a superhero story, but as a tragic fairy tale. The comic begins familiarly enough with the Amazon nation of the Bronze Age finding itself in conflict with the rest of a chauvinistic ancient Greece. The King of Mycenae entreats the hero Herakles to steal the Golden Girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. But the Amazons escape with the help of Hera, Queen of the gods, and god of the sea Poseidon. They settle on the magical island of Themyscira, where Hippolyta fashions a statue of a baby girl. The statue is brought to life by the gods and grows into Princess Diana. So far, so mostly in keeping with the narrative promoted by creator William Moulton Marston.

Thompson however chooses to dispense with all the fantasy elements that would contradict the Bronze Age milieu. There are no giant kangas, no Purple Ray, Invisible Jet, the Bullets and Bracelets test, or bondage of any sort. In short, none of the cool ideas concocted by Marston and company. Actually, once the Amazons settle on Themyscira, the march of history simply doesn’t affect them. There’s no World War II, Nazi’s, or even a Steve Trevor in sight. And forget about Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls. There’s one throwaway line which admits that the Amazons can still observe the outside world through a magic scrying pool. But no one actually talks about it. As a result, the immortal Amazons live inside a proverbial time warp. An eternal, unchanging present. As far as the reader is concerned, the story may as well still be taking place in the Bronze Age.

The one disruptive force found in this idyllic setting is Diana. Blessed by the gods with abilities that surpass her fellow Amazons and the only daughter to the Queen, Diana is doted upon by almost everyone. Both Thompson and Morrison both portray her as growing up spoiled by her sheltered existence. But whereas Morrison’s Diana retains an incipient curiosity of the outside world which is suddenly jumpstarted by her unexpected encounter with Steve, Thompson’s Diana remains perfectly happy to continue living within her bubble. She develops into the very image of the selfish, vain, entitled, princess. And in place of her love for Steve, Diana develops a grudging friendship with the one Amazon on the island who isn’t impressed at all with her. But apropos of the comic’s fairy tale approach, the relationship is doomed from the start to end in a most unhappy manner.

This bratty version of Diana is someone who many younger readers will likely be able to find very relatable. She’s confident, headstrong, tough, brave, loyal, not to mention an extremely powerful kid who gets her way, most of the time. The built-in morale that growing up involves learning to be more considerate to the needs of others is a message that will meet the approval of most parents. And Thompson’s luminous watercolors are an obvious draw. Those seeking a more typical superhero story should look at the other comics mentioned at the top of this post. And The True Amazon won’t quite satisfy every WW fan, since the disappearance of Marston’s weirder elements means that his feminine utopian agenda gets lost by the end of the book. But a tale of a young Diana forming a close relationship with another woman is a not insignificant way to update her origin.

More Nonsense: Ms. Marvel Will Save You Now

Three Marvel interpretations of Kamala Khan surround fan Meevers Desu as Ms. Marvel at the Denver Comic Con.

Mallika Rao on why Ms. Marvel Will Save You Now.

Barbara Calderón interviews Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez.

Sean T. Collins lists the greatest graphic novels of all time.

Heidi MacDonald on the contradiction that is Wonder Woman as a U.N. Honorary Ambassador.

R.I.P. Jack Chick (April 13, 1924-October 23, 2016). Tributes by Benito Cereno, Sean Kleefeld, Heidi MacDonald, Joe McCulloch,

Just a reminder: Scott Adams is nuts.

Charles Russo deciphers Bruce Lee vs. Wong Jack Man.

Lucasfilm sues New York Jedi over trademark infringement. I've been wandering when Lucas/Disney would go after any of the numerous lightsaber academies.

Wonder Woman: Earth One

Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Yanick Paquette
Colors: Nathan Fairbairn
Letters: Todd Klein

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter.

[this review contains spoilers]

Among comic book fans, Wonder Woman continues to be strongly linked to her original creators William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter. After almost 80 years, their version of the character is still considered definitive, which is sort of an issue. Since Marston’s death in 1947, DC Comics has been steadily moving away from their peculiar vision to make WW a little more compatible to an entertainment industry not always friendly to modern feminism, let alone a female supremacist social order prominently featuring female bondage and a veiled form of lesbianism.

Wonder Woman: Earth One is an ostensible return and update to her classic origin story. The writer chosen for this task, Grant Morrison, has a reputation for revitalizing iconic characters like Superman and Batman while retaining their core ideals. So it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’d eventually turn his attention to the last and reputedly most problematic member of the DC “Trinity.” To assuage any concerns, Morrison’s given interviews where he’s stated his admiration for the work of Marston and Peter, as well gone through the canon of feminist literature. So is that why the creative team for this book is all-male? Is it some kind of faithful imitation of the 40s workplace?

At any rate, Morrison and artist Yanick Paquette get many of the details right. The kangas, Purple Ray, Holliday Girls, Festival of Diana, a voluptuous Etta Candy and her “Woo woo!” catch phrase, and the numerous scenes of bondage, both voluntary (“loving submission”) and involuntary. Even Paquette’s ornate cover image of a regal-looking Diana wrapped in chains promises something different from the usual warrior woman interpretation. And yet, there’s something off about the story. A harshness that fails to capture the compassion at the heart of Marston’s vision of femininity (which was strongly informed by his polyamorous relationship with Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne).

Part of the problem is that the politics tend to get a bit reductive. The comic opens with a triumphant Hercules standing over a chained and kneeling Queen Hippolyta. He refers to her by the b-word, then spends several pages insulting her before she finally breaks free and kills the Demi-God, liberates her fellow Amazons, so they can slaughter his invading army. The deed accomplished, Hippolyta swears to live in a world without men. The story then skips 3,000 years ahead to reveal Paradise Island, a glittering utopia without a single male presence. The story itself is faithful to Marston’s original tale, but rendered more shocking by the explicit language and more detailed art. And with it, an uncompromising black-and-white view of gender relations begins to form in Hippolyta’s mind.

Paradise Island, as drawn by Paquette and colored by Nathan Fairbairn, is a gorgeous, pastel-colored wonderland that mixes gleaming classical architecture with curvaceous futuristic technology. The floral designs found on the flying motorcycles, invisible planes, and some of the fashions are suggestively vaginal. The Amazons, unsurprisingly, are all perfect specimens imbued with a casual sensuality found in fashion models and pin ups as they cavort on the pristine beaches and verdant forests. Morrison and Paquette underline this sultriness with much more open portrayals of lesbianism than found in Marston and Peter.

But perfection has a habit of quickly turning oppressive. Unlike Marston's creation, Hippolyta is dead set on maintaining her kingdom’s splendid isolation. There’s no outside threat (e.g. the Nazis of Marston's era) she feels deserves her attention, let alone requiring intervention by sending a champion. When she looks into her magic mirror and spies on the rest of the world, all she sees is a “wasteland beyond our perfect shores. The dreadful din is man’s nightmare of unending conflict… Their ’masculinity’ is a sad, broken aberration of nature. Genetically incomplete man. Always yearning for what he cannot be or own.” It’s no wonder that when the plane piloted by Captain Steve Trevor crash lands on the island, Diana is forced to hide him and concoct a plan to smuggle him out, lest he face summary execution. What’s Hippolyta's response to her daughter’s unexpected disobedience? She sends the gorgon Medusa after them both.

Her contemptuous attitude is shared by the rest of the Amazons. They react similarly to Diana’s actions with anger and aggression. And their view of the rest of humankind is equally unforgiving. Instead of treating the women in man’s world as worthy of their respect, they’re seen as being almost as debased as the men. When Diana’s jilted lover Mala first sets her eyes on the Holliday Girls, she remarks with obvious disgust “These are women of man’s world? Deformed, shrunken, bloated — domesticated cattle.” After listening to Elizabeth “Beth” Candy, the updated version of Etta, passionately defend Diana’s actions to Hippolyta, the physician Althea dismisses her testimony with “This is absurd. This girl is sick — her body mass grotesquely distorted.” That’s right, the Amazons are a bunch of pampered, body shaming mean girls.

Not that Diana does much better upon arriving in America. Her first contact with the U.S. military results in her tossing a hummer and questioning the masculinity of the soldiers, just because of their clean-shaven faces. She’s haughty and belligerent, demanding that “This broken man’s world must submit to the merciful authority of the wonder women of Amazonia. Then all will be well. Trust me.” It’s only due of the influence of Beth and Steve that she learns to moderate her views. “It’s not just man’s world out there… Sure, the patriarchy sucks, but we ain’t shy about telling ’em!” declares an always upbeat Beth. And Steve, who’s been recast as African American, admits to not entirely trusting his military commanders and points out that “My ancestors were enslaved by men with too much power.” His speech is a little on the nose, but both supporting characters come across as truly sympathetic, which is more than can be said for the supposably superior immortals who populate this book. When the Amazons insult Beth for being overweight, they become a metaphor for the kind of economic privilege needed to meet society’s unrealistic beauty standards. That doesn’t seem right for a Wonder Woman story.

This makes for a intertextually complicated read. On one hand, it’s impressive how eagerly Morrison uses so many of Marston’s classic elements. But the end results are as much a deconstruction as a homage. Instead of being paragons of empowerment, the Amazons express so many militant ideas they practically become the kind of man-hating straw feminists whose objections will be overcome by the understated nobility of Steve and the infectious optimism of Beth. Their perfection is an ideological conservatism to be surpassed by the wealth of experiences found in the outside world. And their Queen Hippolyta a 3,000 year old tyrant and overbearing parent any child would want to escape from, eventually.

Diana is a child of that isolated civilization. She’s spoiled and clueless. But she’s willfully looking for any pretext to rebel. In what is a complete reversal of the spirit of Marston's Amazons, Diana learns towards the end that she's a weapon created by Hippolyta to conquer man’s world, should the need ever arise. So Morrison’s Wonder Woman isn’t a saviour sent during a time of need, but a byproduct of Diana's rebellion against a narrowly defined role, and a self-conscious attempt to bridge the gap between the exceptionalism of the Amazons and the inclusiveness of Beth and Steve. But as with many rebellious kids, Diana still has a lot to learn.

More NonSense: Dawn of the Civil War

Critics and fans have observed that a common theme connecting the much-derided  Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice ( leading to a corporate reshuffling) and the more well-recieved Captain America: Civil War is how both comment on the current political climate in the U.S., namely the issue of America's descent into authoritarianism. Some have noted, with some dismay, that the titular hero Steve Rogers has now become an un-American douchey libertarian/unilateralist. It's also a 180 degree turn from the days when Tony Stark was the jerk telling Congress and the military to kiss his @$$, but is now willing to work with more government oversight because he once unintentionally created a genocidal AI called ULTRON who almost destroyed the world. On the other hand, unwieldy bureaucracies (the U.S. army, World Security Council, S.H.I.E.L.D.) have consistently let Steve down, and the government tossing his pals into a maximum security prison located in the middle of the ocean without due process isn't helping him change his mind. Good or bad, it's not entirely out-of-character for Captain America's cinematic incarnation. For all the hype, the filmmakers doesn't necessarily side with him on this.

Superheroes may not be real. The Manichaean world view the genre espouses doesn't quite fit the real world. But their central themes of authority and violence seem to have struck a familiar chord with film viewers. Or maybe it's the cool special effects that only the studios can afford.

Some have noted that with the release of X-Men: Apocalypse, the X-Men film franchise has not kept up with superhero movie trends. With Civil War's reveal of a dorky, bright spandex-wearing Spider-Man and the unexpected success of fourth wall breaking Deadpool, there's greater pressure on filmmakers to be faithful to the source material. Alas, Superman's red trunks will probably not be making a comeback given that they've been banished from the comics.

One of the more noteworthy features of Civil War was the number of Black superheroes on screen. Particularly important was the introduction of Black Panther. Unlike the Falcon and War Machine, he's clearly a hero who goes through his own character arc, and not just a sidekick. This primes the audience for the upcoming Black Panther movie, which reportedly has now cast Michael B. Jordan and possibly Lupita Nyong'o. That's a pretty strong cast. There's also an article on how Nate Moore, the lone African-American producer in Marvel Studios' film division, helped bring these characters to the screen.

DC Comics released a statement regarding their sexual harassment policies. While not addressing specific incidents, this is clearly an attempt to address regarding the allegations against Eddie Berganza and the firing of Shelley Bond. Honestly, the banal wording feels like an attempt to downplay/bury the controversy over DC's less than ideal workplace culture. It's the kind of culture which finds it acceptable that Berganza can be the editor for Wonder Woman: Earth One, a book about a feminist icon created by an all-male team.

R.I.P. Darwyn Cooke (1962-2016), who lost his battle to cancer. His family has indicated that donations can be made in Cooke's name to the Canadian Cancer Society and Hero Initiative. Cooke's distinctive style didn't ape trends toward more complex and murkier art, but often evoked a more classic age, making him one of the most recognisable artists working in mainstream comics. He's perhaps best known for DC: The New Frontier. and his adaptations to the Parker book series.

R.I.P. Maurice Sinet, a.k.a. Siné (1928-2016), French political cartoonist and activist known in his home country for his anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist, anarchist views. He founded the short-lived journal, Siné Massacre, in 1962, and L’Enragé in1968. He worked for a time at Charlie Hebdo until he was controversially sacked after being accused of anti-semitism (Siné was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause). Siné died after undergoing surgery at a hospital in Paris on May 5th.

There's an article on why Kate Beaton recently decided to return to her hometown of Mabou, on Cape Breton island, and how the move has changed her perspective. This piqued my curiosity about her planned book about Fort McMurray.

Here are some photos and panel recordings from the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF), which took place from May 13 – 15.

Unexpected Answer to an Age-Old Question

Go to: Go to: May Contain Content by Kerry Callen

The real question is why are the two just standing there like dorks when they can move at super speed? Is there like a kid behind them whom they're shielding?

And yes, henchmen need to grow up.

Wonder Woman '77 Special #1

Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artist: Drew Johnson, Matt Haley, Jason Badower, Richard Ortiz, Nicola Scott, Annette Kwock
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Wes Abbott

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston and drawn by Harry G. Peter

Wonder Woman ’77 is an attempt to capitalize on the nostalgic appeal of the only adaptation of William Moulton Marston’s comics heroine to have gained widespread fame, let alone universal acclaim. While fans debate the merits of Adam West vs. Michael Keaton, as far as the general public is concerned Lynda Carter is Wonder Woman. That's the central appeal and crucial limitation of this series. Every panel or page is suffused by her iconic presence. The other protagonist is, of course, the 70s itself. For anyone drawn to such cultural signifiers such as the Cold War, polyester shirts, hot pants, bell bottoms, roller skates, disco and Studio 54, this comic has them covered.

As such, the art team assembled for this series is tasked with capturing Carter's and Lyle Wagonner's appearance. There's inevitably some variation in how well they succeed in their task which might be distracting to some of the more attentive readers. Nicola Scott and Annette Kwock supply a pinup for the cover to this collection which is such an archetypical representation of Carter's Wonder Woman that nothing inside quite matches it, though Jason Badower draws several panels of Diana Prince that are near perfect in their photorealism. While Matt Haley and Richard Ortiz can portray a passable action sequence, the interior art leans heavily towards illustrative detail than to efficient comic book style storytelling. Drew Johnson doesn't make the characters particularly close in resemblance to the television cast, but he's the best in reproducing the "mod" sensibilities of the era. Diana's white pantsuit may well be also be a nod to the Denny O'Neil era Wonder Woman. Uniting all these artistic efforts is colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., who bathes everyone in a warm rose-tinted glow that imbues every page with a faded quality.

The WW'77 Special collects two stories which mimic the episodic structure of the TV series. But writer Marc Andreyko isn't all that faithful to the source material, as the series itself played fast and loose with the original comic book. Andreyko adds those missing comic book elements which a late 70s show would not have been able to include due to budgetary constraints or the limitations of special effects. The most obvious insertion is WW's rogues gallery. Sonic-powered villain Silver Swan is reimagined as a nightclub diva with a hypnotic voice and accompanied by two backup singers who are also capable fighters called the Starlings. As drawn by Johnson she reminds me of a more fabulous version of Marvel's Dazzler. Cheesy but appropriate to the spirit of the show. By contrast Doctor Psycho is disappointingly generic as a short, elderly, white haired man sporting a lab coat and an elaborate salad bowl shaped helmet that seems to be the source of his powers. But I suppose the look is meant to recall a cheap television studio prop, so I'll give it a pass.

But the most notable villain of the comic is another Wonder Woman who's a not so subtle reference the mostly forgotten Cathy Lee Crosby version. For a time, she even has Diana confused about her own identity. But she eventually rallies and defeats her nemesis because there can only be one true WW. The book isn't very shy about hammering in that message.