What Creative Team Could Make Wonder Woman as Big a Deal as Batman and Superman?

[Timothy Hunter]

If you asked a random joe off the street who the three most iconic DC characters are, they would probably say Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. In spite of Diana's iconicity, more often than not, her title fails to reach the attention, sales, and acclaim garnered by the Caped Crusader and the Big Blue Boy Scout.

However, there have been eras in which Diana has enjoyed great success in comics, such as the original William Moulton Marston run and George Perez's Post Crisis reboot.

It seems a great creative team who respects the character's history while at the same time is willing to go in new and interesting directions could salvage the Wonder Woman title from constant mediocrity to a fruitful renaissance that can last years arter the creators leave the comic. Examples of this include Mark Waid's Flash and Geoff Johns' Green Lantern.

[AmiMizuno]

Rucka has always done a great job. He wanted to do one. Also, the main issue is she doesn't have her own editor. I do think if she does have an editor who does know who she is would be good. We would also need more main events with her. And at least being back one of her books. Sensation comics could easily be just a comic about the myths of Wonder Woman.

[CRaymond]

Donny Cates & Fiona Staples

[Gaius]

Rucka has always done a great job. He wanted to do one. Also, the main issue is she doesn't have her own editor. I do think if she does have an editor who does know who she is would be good. We would also need more main events with her. And at least being back one of her books. Sensation comics could easily be just a comic about the myths of Wonder Woman.

Yeah, I’d say stuff like her own strong editor or a WW-focused event to get eyes on the book would probably be as necessary as a new creative team. Unless you’re a big A-list talent any creative team would have to bow to what larger DC editorial would want, even then being A-list isn’t a guarantee.

[Vordan]

I enjoyed how Tynion wrote her and Circe in JL Dark, so I’d be cool with him getting a shot at the main book. KSD also wrote a good WW over in Aquaman, I’d be cool with her getting a chance to write the main title as well.

[The I.A.D.C.]

I don't know if a "superstar" creative team could do that or not. WW just hasn't had the same kind of support and promotion over the decades like Superman and Batman have had. As far as the pop culture landscape goes, she's really only had the Lynda Carter TV show up until 2016-17. She's never had a solo animated series unlike Superman and Batman who have all had multiple shows, cartoons and movies going all the way back to the '40s. She needs a champion among the upper management of DC and WB who will fight for her. I agree that she needs a big crossover event focused on her and her world to get more eyes on the WW "family." Scott Snyder says she will play a big part in the upcoming "Death Metal" crossover, but that's really going to be more DC-centric that WW I believe. George Perez tried to give her that big event with the "War of the God" miniseries back in '91, but it got overshadowed by the "Armageddon" event. She needs a good writer with a long-term vision. Over the last few years, she's has a revolving door of writers and artists who never seem to stick around longer than five or six issues, maybe ten or twelve with the twice-monthly shipping schedule. Tom King committed to a 100-issue story on "Batman" (granted, DC cut it short, but he had the vision going in.) Bendis has been on the Superman titles for a couple of years now with no end in sight. WW really needs someone to come in a stay and build her world up and an editor who will tell the next writer not to disregard or throw out what the previous guy did.

[Riv86672]

I don't know if a "superstar" creative team could do that or not. WW just hasn't had the same kind of support and promotion over the decades like Superman and Batman have had. As far as the pop culture landscape goes, she's really only had the Lynda Carter TV show up until 2016-17. She's never had a solo animated series unlike Superman and Batman who have all had multiple shows, cartoons and movies going all the way back to the '40s. She needs a champion among the upper management of DC and WB who will fight for her. I agree that she needs a big crossover event focused on her and her world to get more eyes on the WW "family." Scott Snyder says she will play a big part in the upcoming "Death Metal" crossover, but that's really going to be more DC-centric that WW I believe. George Perez tried to give her that big event with the "War of the God" miniseries back in '91, but it got overshadowed by the "Armageddon" event. She needs a good writer with a long-term vision. Over the last few years, she's has a revolving door of writers and artists who never seem to stick around longer than five or six issues, maybe ten or twelve with the twice-monthly shipping schedule. Tom King committed to a 100-issue story on "Batman" (granted, DC cut it short, but he had the vision going in.) Bendis has been on the Superman titles for a couple of years now with no end in sight. WW really needs someone to come in a stay and build her world up and an editor who will tell the next writer not to disregard or throw out what the previous guy did.

^^^You’re pretty spot on.

Still, w. Gadot building on WW’s nostalgiac reputation, she’s more in the public eye than ever before.
She may be number three, but being number three behind Superman and Batman is nothing to sneeze at.

Now, how to translate that into actual comics sales brings us to the OP question. So...

Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons.
The persnickety, outspoken writer, reuniting w. his WATCHMEN running buddy for a revamp of, and extended run on, Diana, would get comics industry and community buzzing.

[Vordan]

^^^You’re pretty spot on.

Still, w. Gadot building on WW’s nostalgiac reputation, she’s more in the public eye than ever before.
She may be number three, but being number three behind Superman and Batman is nothing to sneeze at.

Now, how to translate that into actual comics sales brings us to the OP question. So...

Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons.
The persnickety, outspoken writer, reuniting w. his WATCHMEN running buddy for a revamp of, and extended run on, Diana, would get comics industry and community buzzing.

Moore has... some pretty terrible tropes. A lot of his works use rape as a storytelling crutch. His Promethea run was pretty close to how he would approach WW though, and I’ve heard that was good.

[SiegePerilous02]

Moore and Gibbons in their prime is great in theory, but Wonder Woman wasn't treated too well in FTMWHE. Not so much Mongul making sexist comments towards her (he's a villain and a horrible creature), but more so because the fight she loses is so one sided. If she had actually challenged Mongul a bit before losing the story would have been better for her.

Moore can write great/real female characters, but like Vordan said he also has some tendencies that creep in. On the good end of the spectrum we have Promethea and Abby from Swamp Thing, and the victims of Jack the Ripper being fleshed out in From Hell on the other end we have Neonomicon and the Invisible Man raping Pollyana in LoEG and it being played for dark laughs.

[Gaius]

I think the best use of WW in a Moore story is ironically the one he didn’t really write in the JLU adaptation of “For the Man Who Has Everything” where she was the one who trapped Mongul in the Black Mercy because Robin was off-limits.

I enjoyed how Tynion wrote her and Circe in JL Dark, so I’d be cool with him getting a shot at the main book. KSD also wrote a good WW over in Aquaman, I’d be cool with her getting a chance to write the main title as well.

It wouldn’t propel her to the top but reading where I am in JLD, I’d be down for that. His Circe is the best use of her in years, so I’d like o see him get to play with her other characters.

[Vordan]

Let’s be real: Jenkins and Gadot have done more to propel WW to the top than any comic book run ever will. Millions worldwide saw her movie while a small handful of a thousand concentrated in the US read her ongoing comic. We don’t need the comics to make WW a top tier superhero, her movies are doing that. We just need a good run from someone who loves her world and can give us good stories that can later be turned into movies or video games or whatever. So I’d take Tynion or KSD because even though they might not totally change the industry, as long as I’m entertained by what I’m reading, I don’t care.

[Largo161]

Let’s be real: Jenkins and Gadot have done more to propel WW to the top than any comic book run ever will. Millions worldwide saw her movie while a small handful of a thousand concentrated in the US read her ongoing comic. We don’t need the comics to make WW a top tier superhero, her movies are doing that. We just need a good run from someone who loves her world and can give us good stories that can later be turned into movies or video games or whatever. So I’d take Tynion or KSD because even though they might not totally change the industry, as long as I’m entertained by what I’m reading, I don’t care.

I get your point, but should you reduce the sales of a comic that averages 30,000 a month to “a small handful of a thousand”?

[mathew101281]

They need creators and editorial staff that think more in terms of franchises rather then just stories. A lot of Wonder woman's runs seem to struggle with repeatability. They might be good individually but they tend to be stuff that other creative teams don't want to follow up on once they are done. They need a creative direction that's versatile enough that new creative teams don't feel the need to throw everything out in order to tell their story.

[Riv86672]

Moore has... some pretty terrible tropes. A lot of his works use rape as a storytelling crutch. His Promethea run was pretty close to how he would approach WW though, and I’ve heard that was good.

Moore and Gibbons in their prime is great in theory, but Wonder Woman wasn't treated too well in FTMWHE. Not so much Mongul making sexist comments towards her (he's a villain and a horrible creature), but more so because the fight she loses is so one sided. If she had actually challenged Mongul a bit before losing the story would have been better for her.

Moore can write great/real female characters, but like Vordan said he also has some tendencies that creep in. On the good end of the spectrum we have Promethea and Abby from Swamp Thing, and the victims of Jack the Ripper being fleshed out in From Hell on the other end we have Neonomicon and the Invisible Man raping Pollyana in LoEG and it being played for dark laughs.

I think the best use of WW in a Moore story is ironically the one he didn’t really write in the JLU adaptation of “For the Man Who Has Everything” where she was the one who trapped Mongul in the Black Mercy because Robin was off-limits.

Thanks for the responses.

I can see a lot more conversation being generated if Moore were actually assigned to the book. He's a polarizing figure, but more importantly, capable of delivering. Fans would debate the results of his run big time.

[SiegePerilous02]

If we could get "Promethea" or "Swamp Thing" Alan Moore, I would be all over Moore on Wonder Woman. If he was on his A-game it would easily be a Top 5 run.
But much like Morrison, he is much better suited for Superman and risk is involved when it comes to Wonder Woman. His brief few issues of Glory fell short compared to his longer run on Supreme, and the best ideas ended up in Promethea.

I think of the big three "British Invasion" creators, Neil Gaiman would probably be the safest bet on doing right by her.