Wonder Woman # 64 review

[Koriand'r]

If it takes a while to get the character's voice, why not start with a few simpler storylines? Why not start with a few two-parters or one-and-done adventures to ease yourself into a character?

Why start with a 5-part storyline that has your main character, who you're not quite comfortable yet with their voice, begin to question their legitimacy and capabilities and raison d'etre?

If you're unfamiliar with her world, her voice, her character--why start with a story that requires that you have a solid understanding of all those things?

I don't know whether it was GWW who decided it or the editors, but it seems like setting it all up for failure with that decision. This isnt' the first time a "new writer" did this.

jBn

I thought roughly the same thing when Ares was announced as the first arc's villain.

[Dr. Poison]

A super powered woman throwing one of her magical tools on the non-powered businesswoman who owns the buildings under "attack" and forcing some truth out of her would make it look like Diana is abusing her power.

Even if the lasso's powers are documented, it's not as if the general public is going to automatically believe that this magic lasso from the Gods is all Diana says it is. For all they know, she's casting a spell on Cale to make her admit to false truths to make herself look better.

While you're probably right about that being the current viewpoint on the lasso in the DCU, that makes the lasso seem irrelevant which I am highly against. What's the point of Diana having the Lasso of Truth if only she and those close to her believe in it's abilities?

At the very least, A.R.G.U.S. and the D.E.O. should consider the lasso as a credible way to get the truth.

[AmiMizuno]

https://www.cbr.com/g-willow-wilson-...ZZ5ljCg1kNzJsc

What do you guys think?

[JackBNimble]

https://www.cbr.com/g-willow-wilson-...ZZ5ljCg1kNzJsc

What do you guys think?

I liked GWW's interview. I think her intentions are solid and she does genuinely want to do right by her stories of Wonder Woman.

I do hope that when she hits her stride, she really nails it. Right now, for me, it's hard to be enthusiastic for GWW's run so far.

My only other quibble is with modern day writers and how they all feel the need to take a hero to their breaking point to show their mettle. I get it the trope, but I question the need for each writer to want to do it.

I didn't care for it when Luke or Simonson did it to WW.

My personal biggest gripe with a writer who did something similar was Devin Grayson during her run on Nightwing. She stripped him of everything that I found fun, joyful, admirable and interesting about him. She nearly ruined him for me. I lost interest in her run and the character for a long time after.

It takes a deft hand to be able to take a character to their breaking point without losing what makes them interesting, their heroism and the capabilities that appealed to readers in the first place. Not everyone can do it.

Right now, I'm not sure GWW can do that.

[brettc1]

https://www.cbr.com/g-willow-wilson-...ZZ5ljCg1kNzJsc

What do you guys think?

G Willow Wilson: [Wonder Woman] is one of those characters who is so far removed from any sort of human experience that I think you really have to stretch your creative muscles to approach her. That's the challenge.

Okay, straight away I am seeing what the problem is here...

[starlight25]

G Willow Wilson: [Wonder Woman] is one of those characters who is so far removed from any sort of human experience that I think you really have to stretch your creative muscles to approach her. That's the challenge.

Okay, straight away I am seeing what the problem is here...

Yes. The problem of thinking that all characters are supposed to feel like a normal human being to be "interesting" and "relatable" Notice the ""? I use them on interesting and relatable, because those things are subjective. But she ain't the first to make that mistake with wondy. So far she proved she is more interested in talking about the plight of refugees and american foreign policy than telling a good Wonder Woman story.

[kjn]

G Willow Wilson: [Wonder Woman] is one of those characters who is so far removed from any sort of human experience that I think you really have to stretch your creative muscles to approach her. That's the challenge.

Okay, straight away I am seeing what the problem is here...

Or Wilson is aware of things that you aren't aware of.

It is relatively easy to imagine an adopted kid in rural Kansas that both fits in and not fits in. Likewise it is easy to imagine a rich orphan in a big city bent on revenge.

But how many people do you know who grew up in an all-female commune, made up of immortal beings that has been isolated for at least 3,000 years? That is what makes Diana so far removed from any sort of human experience. It does not imply that Diana isn't human. But her experience growing up was so different from the experiences of ourselves, or anyone we know, or the experiences that we can read about from anyone else ever in history.

Or as Wilson said in an earlier interview: "Lots of us come from Kansas. None of us come from Themyscira."

[starlight25]

Or Wilson is aware of things that you aren't aware of.

It is relatively easy to imagine an adopted kid in rural Kansas that both fits in and not fits in. Likewise it is easy to imagine a rich orphan in a big city bent on revenge.

But how many people do you know who grew up in an all-female commune, made up of immortal beings that has been isolated for at least 3,000 years? That is what makes Diana so far removed from any sort of human experience. It does not imply that Diana isn't human. But her experience growing up was so different from the experiences of ourselves, or anyone we know, or the experiences that we can read about from anyone else ever in history.

Or as Wilson said in an earlier interview: "Lots of us come from Kansas. None of us come from Themyscira."

That's not Diana's fault. She is who she is. An amazon powerhouse with amazing power, brave, intelligent, fierce but also kind. Her world is supposed to feel colorful, epic,powerful, a vision that contrasts with our own. If gww can't work with the foundations of the character, it's her problem and lack of vision as a writer as far as handleing a character like Wonder Woman goes.

[kjn]

That's not Diana's fault. She is who she is. An amazon powerhouse with amazing power, brave, intelligent, fierce but also kind. Her world is supposed to feel colorful, epic,powerful, a vision that contrasts with our own. If gww can't work with the foundations of the character, it's her problem and lack of vision as a writer as far as handleing a character like Wonder Woman goes.

Of course Diana is who she is, and I can't see how you can posit that Wilson blames Diana for anything in what she has said in any interview.

But here is the thing about storytelling: there must be something that builds the relation between the reader and the character, and the storyteller and the character. It is telling that real-world mythology often work hard to "humanise" their gods: they make mistakes, they fall in love, they become angry, are jealous, suffer losses, act kindly, take actions that we wish we could take, and so on. Meanwhile there are hardly any stories about the Jewish God, or the Father of the Christian trinity, or about the cosmic ur-gods like Kronos or Ymer in Greek and Norse mythology.

As for the worlds that Diana inhabits, that's something that Wilson brought up in the earlier interview I linked to: she knows that Diana inhabits the mundane world and the world of high fantasy and mythology, and instead of having them be separate as most every other writer has done so far, she wanted to smash them together. That's a pure storytelling decision, and can only be judged on its execution. Tynion had her talking about riding a pegasus: Wilson showed us Diana on a pegasus.

[starlight25]

Of course Diana is who she is, and I can't see how you can posit that Wilson blames Diana for anything in what she has said in any interview.

But here is the thing about storytelling: there must be something that builds the relation between the reader and the character, and the storyteller and the character. It is telling that real-world mythology often work hard to "humanise" their gods: they make mistakes, they fall in love, they become angry, are jealous, suffer losses, act kindly, take actions that we wish we could take, and so on. Meanwhile there are hardly any stories about the Jewish God, or the Father of the Christian trinity, or about the cosmic ur-gods like Kronos or Ymer in Greek and Norse mythology.

As for the worlds that Diana inhabits, that's something that Wilson brought up in the earlier interview I linked to: she knows that Diana inhabits the mundane world and the world of high fantasy and mythology, and instead of having them be separate as most every other writer has done so far, she wanted to smash them together. That's a pure storytelling decision, and can only be judged on its execution. Tynion had her talking about riding a pegasus: Wilson showed us Diana on a pegasus.

So far she proved she is more interested in talking about the plight of refugees and american foreign policy than telling a good Wonder Woman story. Her WW feels weak, insecure and with lack of personality.

[AmiMizuno]

Diana has always been about international and domestic issues. Marston did it and many other writers have done things about I.S policies and Diana going to places.

[Konja7]

Of course Diana is who she is, and I can't see how you can posit that Wilson blames Diana for anything in what she has said in any interview.

But here is the thing about storytelling: there must be something that builds the relation between the reader and the character, and the storyteller and the character. It is telling that real-world mythology often work hard to "humanise" their gods: they make mistakes, they fall in love, they become angry, are jealous, suffer losses, act kindly, take actions that we wish we could take, and so on. Meanwhile there are hardly any stories about the Jewish God, or the Father of the Christian trinity, or about the cosmic ur-gods like Kronos or Ymer in Greek and Norse mythology.

As for the worlds that Diana inhabits, that's something that Wilson brought up in the earlier interview I linked to: she knows that Diana inhabits the mundane world and the world of high fantasy and mythology, and instead of having them be separate as most every other writer has done so far, she wanted to smash them together. That's a pure storytelling decision, and can only be judged on its execution. Tynion had her talking about riding a pegasus: Wilson showed us Diana on a pegasus.

I think the problem is Wilson seems pretty interested is smash the worlds of Wonder Woman. However, Wilson doesn't seem so interested on Wonder Woman as a character.

Wilson tries to make Wonder Woman vulnerable and "human", but the execution feels superficial.

[starlight25]

I think the problem is Wilson seems pretty interested is smash the worlds of Wonder Woman. However, Wilson doesn't seem so interested on Wonder Woman as a character.

Wilson tries to make Wonder Woman vulnerable and "human", but it feels superficial.

How can gww be interested in the story, if the character that is supposed to be the central pillar is the least major part in her run? WW is just there reacting as an insecure baby at all things happening around her, she rarely does anything. She is too passive.

[starlight25]

Diana has always been about international and domestic issues. Marston did it and many other writers have done things about I.S policies and Diana going to places.

True. It's just that Marston and others did it better than gww. Her run is not really focused on Diana as a character.

[brettc1]

Or Wilson is aware of things that you aren't aware of.

It is relatively easy to imagine an adopted kid in rural Kansas that both fits in and not fits in. Likewise it is easy to imagine a rich orphan in a big city bent on revenge.

But how many people do you know who grew up in an all-female commune, made up of immortal beings that has been isolated for at least 3,000 years? That is what makes Diana so far removed from any sort of human experience. It does not imply that Diana isn't human. But her experience growing up was so different from the experiences of ourselves, or anyone we know, or the experiences that we can read about from anyone else ever in history.

Or as Wilson said in an earlier interview: "Lots of us come from Kansas. None of us come from Themyscira."

And what exactly is Themyscira?

It's a place full of humans. It's a community of people living together.

Let's be clear about this. Themyscira is not Vulcan or the Klingon homeworld. They are not aliens. Yes, they encounter things that are not normal in our reality but their reactions to those things will be those of people, not strange unknowable beings.

The problem here is created in the mind of the person who sees Diana's experience as entirely outside that of a human being. But I am sure that at some point that Diana skinned her knee and had to be potty trained. One only has to watch the first fifteen minutes of the 2017 movie to see how Jenkins and her creative team gave us a very real, very relatable young Diana - curious, capricious, enamored of her aunt and often defiant of her mother. That is a very human experience, IMO.

So perhaps what GWW thinks she knows just isn't so, but rather is an image she has created for herself and is acting as a stumbling block for her to write more freely. By all accounts she did a great job on Ms Marvel.