Wonder Woman 77 review

[kjn]

Lois and Selina are not sidekicks, and Steve shouldn't be one either. Also, in the case you present, Steve should be the one challenging Diana morally, and making her see things in a different way. But a lot of fans don't want her wrong or challenged - at least not by a man. I do agree that part of the appeal of the original Amazons was that they actually had found a better way, and am not fan of making them morally inferior. Or them wanting to rule men, though, because that's morally inferior, IMO.

Steve should absolutely be a badass solider and/or a badass spy. He should not be made weaker or lesser. Other love interests have been pumped up over the years and usually gained more fans for it, and he should not be diminished or made more passive. It would just make him less, and less important to the story, and that's a bad move. Especially now, with the movie Steve popularity.

Here, I was using sidekick as a shorthand for any form of established, recurring, and supporting character that is not an antagonist to the main character. But I'm not here to argue exact terminology.

The trouble with Steve is that Diana is set up as being better than Steve in every way in any form of soldier or spying business. It was true with Marston, and it's true today. It didn't matter with Marston, because Steve was the audience surrogate character, but that doesn't work today. So my take on a good modern Steve is to move him away from the badass soldier idea of masculinity, and go in a wholly different direction.

I also don't see the need for the love interest to fit into a cookie cutter mold of 'must challenge the hero' in some way.

However, if anyone feels that's an absolute necessity, then he challenges her culturally. He helps her to adapt to the outside world.

There are of course other ways to write a good superhero love interest, but challenges is a proven and effective one.

[KangMiRae]

It feels like things are being set up for Steve and Diana to eventually break up. At this point, since no writer has any good idea for what to do with him, I'm fine with it.

Maybe they'll gut BatCat and let Batman and Wonder Woman start talking about the 'unspoken thing' between them again. If none of this now, then maybe after the rumored incoming Crisis.

[SiegePerilous02]

Steve is the SIDE-KICK....
Cassie and Donna have outgrown this role already in Flashpoint and are her successors, not Side-Kicks anymore.

Steve is not the sidekick. If Cassie and Donna have outgrown the roll, that means they fit it at one time and better than Steve.
Also, they will never be her successors. Wonder Woman isn't going anywhere any time soon. She's immortal and has no need for such an heir unless she dies permanently, which she won't. At most they will become peers, but they need to spend more time in the WW book proper to warrant it.

The trouble with Steve is that Diana is set up as being better than Steve in every way in any form of soldier or spying business. It was true with Marston, and it's true today. It didn't matter with Marston, because Steve was the audience surrogate character, but that doesn't work today. So my take on a good modern Steve is to move him away from the badass soldier idea of masculinity, and go in a wholly different direction.

Diana, especially the modern one who puts more emphasis on truth, doesn't really do any spying. She failed at the Diana Prince identity pre-Flashpoint because she kind of sucked at lying. Steve can be superior to her in that field because he utilizes it more.

I don't think moving Steve away from the soldier occupation will help him at all. It gives him less reason to be involved in her adventures and will ensure that even less writers want to use him. I'd foresee even more of him hanging around the apartment not doing anything, not less.

It feels like things are being set up for Steve and Diana to eventually break up. At this point, since no writer has any good idea for what to do with him, I'm fine with it.

Maybe they'll gut BatCat and let Batman and Wonder Woman start talking about the 'unspoken thing' between them again. If none of this now, then maybe after the rumored incoming Crisis.

God, I hope no Batman romance. That's even worse than pairing her with Superman.
If not Steve, Io or Artemis please.

[KangMiRae]

God, I hope no Batman romance. That's even worse than pairing her with Superman.
If not Steve, Io or Artemis please.

Outside of Steve Trevor no one in Diana's lore is interesting at all, her mythos are so lack luster. Batman and Wonder Woman is my definitive pairing.

Being honest, I'd pick Batman over Steve if it weren't for my respect for the origins and status quo. Everyone else from her cast is actually more boring than Steve.

[WonderScott]

I enjoyed this version of Cheetah, but can't quite put my finger on why. Merino did a good job of depicting her, which says something because this character design is harder to do in a way that doesn't make Barbara look like an angry tabby cat.

Clearly, Atlantiades, Steve, and Diana are all feeling the effects of the death of love and that's put them into the position and feeling the things they feel in this issue. So, I'll allow the unrestricted-by-the-loss-of-love surfacing of Steve's jealousy and romantic mopiness - it's not like he's (or others) able to help it given the plot.

While Steve definitely needs some more things to do in the book, I reject that he has to be anything other than he is - adventurer, super-spy, humanitarian, etc. - to be successful on his own or by Diana's side. By Diana's own admission, they'll both have to dive into and sit with their "uglier," yet useful emotions too to navigate their relationship here.

The groundwork is there, I just need some more pivotal, soap opera-y, romantic epic moments for them. I don't think GWW is the creator to do that, but it doesn't mean Orlando and other creators won't do it.

[SiegePerilous02]

Outside of Steve Trevor no one in Diana's lore is interesting at all, her mythos are so lack luster. Batman and Wonder Woman is my definitive pairing.

Being honest, I'd pick Batman over Steve if it weren't for my respect for the origins and status quo. Everyone else from her cast is actually more boring than Steve.

Agree to disagree on the characters not being interesting. Underdeveloped and under utilized, absolutely, but I think you're in the minority opinion on this board in thinking Steve is the most interesting one she has.

Batman is shoved into enough things, and I say that as someone who loves Batman. They have zero romantic chemistry together, he'd overtake her narrative, and she'd be nerfed so his villains would stand a chance against her. And her villains would be nerfed so he could stop them. See what happened to Cheetah and Circe. Hard pass.

I could see her hooking up with Bronze Age Batman, because that dude was awesome and likeable. Modern Batman doesn't have any personality traits she'd be naturally drawn towards

[KangMiRae]

Agree to disagree on the characters not being interesting. Underdeveloped and under utilized, absolutely, but I think you're in the minority opinion on this board in thinking Steve is the most interesting one she has.

Batman is shoved into enough things, and I say that as someone who loves Batman. They have zero romantic chemistry together, he'd overtake her narrative, and she'd be nerfed so his villains would stand a chance against her. And her villains would be nerfed so he could stop them. See what happened to Cheetah and Circe. Hard pass.

I could see her hooking up with Bronze Age Batman, because that dude was awesome and likeable. Modern Batman doesn't have any personality traits she'd be naturally drawn towards

Uhhhhhhhhhh, okay. They've shown chemistry across multiple mediums including the main comics, across multiple continuities. Even now in post-Rebirth TK already showed they'd be good together and have attraction.

But we can just agree to disagree, I'm not here to change minds. I think Batman is the single most interesting love interest Diana has ever had.

[SiegePerilous02]

Uhhhhhhhhhh, okay. They've shown chemistry across multiple mediums including the main comics, across multiple continuities. Even now in post-Rebirth TK already showed they'd be good together and have attraction.

But we can just agree to disagree, I'm not here to change minds. I think Batman is the single most interesting love interest Diana has ever had.

But chemistry between characters can be subjective to who is viewing it.
King's team up between them landed like a wet fart compared to the preceding arc with Superman and was hated by a lot of WW fans.

[lotchj]

There is no way I would pick Batman over Steve as WW love interest!! Batman would be a awful love interest for WW!! These only other love interest i've ever enjoyed with WW would be Superman!! Loved it when they were a couple in the New 52!! Not a big fan of Batman or the Bat-family! I don't get what's so great about the Bat-God??

[Natamaxxx]

Lois and Selina are not sidekicks, and Steve shouldn't be one either. Also, in the case you present, Steve should be the one challenging Diana morally, and making her see things in a different way. But a lot of fans don't want her wrong or challenged - at least not by a man. I do agree that part of the appeal of the original Amazons was that they actually had found a better way, and am not fan of making them morally inferior. Or them wanting to rule men, though, because that's morally inferior, IMO.

Steve should absolutely be a badass solider and/or a badass spy. He should not be made weaker or lesser. Other love interests have been pumped up over the years and usually gained more fans for it, and he should not be diminished or made more passive. It would just make him less, and less important to the story, and that's a bad move. Especially now, with the movie Steve popularity.

I'm happy to see someone sticking up for Steve around here because I REALLY hate what Wilson has done with him (good riddance to her!). This lovelorn sad-sack Steve just came out of nowhere! Steve was definitely more active and brave when Rucka was writing him and in that one shot with the big red centipede. Movie Steve was great because the first thing he did upon entering Diana's life was to stand and fight at her side to defend her home and sisters.

Write Steve as understanding that Diana is and always will be faster, stronger, wiser and more compassionate that he and he LOVES her for it and you're doing it right. He wouldn't ever consider whining "what about meeee" when Diana sets off to find the villain that murdered he friend in cold blood - hell, he might have even tried to help in tracking the Cheetah. He will never move mountains or fly through the air, but his own bravery and heroism, despite only being human is why SHE loves HIM. It's not that hard...

The rest of the issue was OK. I thought we were done with Grail (i wish), but I did not see that end coming, so I'm somewhat intrigued. I have not been a fan of this long and boring Wilson run, so I'm just chugging along until Orlando takes over.

[Dr. Poison]

Does anyone know who the characters were on the last page that have a proposition for Grail? They look familiar but I can't figure out who they could be.

[king81992]

Does anyone know who the characters were on the last page that have a proposition for Grail? They look familiar but I can't figure out who they could be.

I have no idea.Maybe they're a redesigned version of the Three Fates from Greek Mythology?

[Frank]

Steve was definitely more active and brave when Rucka was writing him and in that one shot with the big red centipede.

Wait - there was a one-shot of Steve fighting The Crimson Centipede, and I missed it??? Sweet Jesus! When did this come out?

[kjn]

Wait - there was a one-shot of Steve fighting The Crimson Centipede, and I missed it??? Sweet Jesus! When did this come out?

It's the Steve Trevor Special, August 2017.

[Dr. Poison]

I have no idea.Maybe they're a redesigned version of the Three Fates from Greek Mythology?

Good call! They do look like they could possibly be the Fates!