I do feel DC only keep Diana as prominent as they do because she's a social and marketing icon
I do feel DC only keep Diana as prominent as they do because she's a social and marketing icon
Historically yes that’s true. They had to always publish a monthly WW comic or the rights would’ve reverted to Marston. She’s never been treated very well by their editorial. However that’s starting to change with the success of the WW movie. They’re clearly trying, in their own incompetent way, to push her with stuff like the upcoming animated movie.
The problem with this is fans never seem to agree on the right direction for the comic. Everyone seems to think that they're way is the way to do it, but I am here to tell you it is not, lol! There is always going to be a significant portion of the fan base that will push for the opposite direction, so editorial will either put out a half-assed version of either or something that no one asked for, leaving no one satisfied in either camp.
Keep in mind that you have about as much chance of changing my mind as I do of changing yours.
Everything in this post, especially the bolded, could easily apply to Batman (especially now with King's run). DC still puts more effort into him than they do Diana or any other character for that matter. Fans not agreeing on what is the right direction for the character is not unique to Diana and blaming it on the fans is just letting DC off the hook.
Fans don’t dictate the comic’s direction, editorial and the writers do. A lot of people complained on CBR about Scott Snyder’s Batman run but that didn’t stop it from selling. Ditto Morrison’s Action Comics or Johns JL. If WW’s comic isn’t selling that’s because editorial isn’t putting the right creative team on her book, not because fans can’t agree on what direction WW’s book should go.
And really every character has this problem with fans not agreeing on what direction the book should go in. We Superman fans have been arguing with each other over what direction to take Supes in since the Byrne reboot. Batman fans have been arguing about how dark he should be, should he be more “grounded” or embrace the “comic book elements”, should he be more involved with the Batfamily, who should he date, etc. Spidey fans have been fighting with each other over his marriage since OMD. Rinse and repeat for everyone.
I might have my own opinions for where I would like Wonder Woman to go, but I don't want the Wonder Woman editor checking the message boards each day to see which way the wind is blowing, using their Ouija board, consulting their horoscope, reading the Tarot cards, checking Beyonce's twitter and changing directions every five minutes. Be an editor, make a decisive call, pick your lane and stay there. And stay there for at least two years. If that direction isn't working after two years, then maybe it's time to make an executive decision and find a new direction. But editors should lead not follow. And the publisher should have their back. The problem with Wonder Woman is that the comic is never content to stick with a creative team's vision and no sooner do I get into it, then everything is thrown out the window.
Last edited by phonogram12; 10-03-2019 at 12:45 PM.
Keep in mind that you have about as much chance of changing my mind as I do of changing yours.
Keep in mind that you have about as much chance of changing my mind as I do of changing yours.
It made sense in the TV show where it originated, as it so sharply contrasted with Stewart's relationship with Hawkgirl. However, outside that context, yeah, I agree with you.
As an aside, I still have a hard time with the John + Shayera thing, no matter how well it was done, because of my love of the Hawks as equals in a stable relationship. My pick for John would have been Wonder Woman, but even I have to admit that "Star Crossed" would have lost all of its power without the Talek-Shayera-John triangle.
I don't care how much of an artistic triumph Joker is, turning villains into protagonists without a clear, unambiguous redemption arc, is not good for us.