What's the difference between Azzarello's approach writing WW compared to Simones's or Rucka's?

[miss_terry]

I had this topic up and was looking for it, when I just saw the forums rule that the whole forum was rebooted by the owner.

I hope there are new members that can share their opinion about this. Thank you.

[brettc1]

For one thing, pace.

For another, I get the feeling if anyone tries to tell Azzarello what to do he just ignores them.

[John Ossie]

Well based on the 2 graphic novels I've got of Simone's run and the three issues I have of Rucka's run I agree with brettc1 that the pace is definitely different. Also there's the obvious different approach just by having Wonder Woman being the daughter of Zeus and a god of war now.

And yeah, although I have largely enjoyed his run, Azzarello's Wonder Woman definitely doesn't feel connected to any of the other titles in DC.

[Dr. Poison]

Another difference is that Azzarello's run is all mythology where as Rucka/Simone offered more variety by incorporating pure superhero elements and non-myth super-villains from time to time.

[borntohula]

Azzarello writes every issue with the ending of a bigger story in mind. There's talk that Azzarello and Chiang seriously considered continue to make issues, but they felt that they where heading where they intended and what they wanted to say with the story.

Brian has said that Vertigo also wanted his 100Bullets to continue after the 100 issues he'd planned for, but he also stuck to what he'd planned. No matter how much he loved writing the book.

[iramiz]

Well, when I tried to start reading Rucka's run (first two arcs)... I felt he write Diana more inhuman... Like she loves everyone and she's perfect and really good person and everything. But she's not human, she's above us. And that's kinda off-putting for me, in a way that author clearly try to show me that she's like us, all right, but it was resulted in not a living being and character I would like to care and love, but more in like living Barbie-doll impression in this embassy-dollhouse. And that's strange for me, because, say, Superman in Red Son of Kingdom Come obviously is more that human and story shows his psyche, and this feels much more organic in a way that rest of the world see him that way too (though I like humane Superman and his love for people more, which was shown in STAS). But may this is just strange side-effect of her introduction as "Everybody loves our perfect princess except this bad meanies". I don't know. And there was really weird moment when she threatens poor doctor for being afraid for his family. Man, even Batman is more merciful. I was like "what? Why? Poor guy was threatened, you could offer him some assistance or at least forgive him.". Weird.

Not about WW herself, but Rucka's gods are really petty in their affairs. I prefer "larger-than-approach" in Azzarello's run. Just a side note.

Can't say much about Azzarello's WW. I love his approach. Much more organic overall and believable in her love for everyone. But I've always was bad in analyzing why I like something, but I am better in finding out why I don't like something.
Anyway, I'll continue to read rest of the run, because I really respect Rucka (his Batwoman, Lazarus and hopefully AR-K). May be later I see improvement in what's happening.

[wagthedog]

Much more organic overall and believable in her love for everyone.

Why does she love everyone, though? There is nothing to really suggest that her upbringing on Themyscria would bring her up in this way. Just because she said the line, "I love everyone" in the hell arc doesn't make sense to me without more context.

[Nyssane]

I feel like he's writing for a more masculine audience than what Wonder Woman writers typically go for.

[iramiz]

Because she does so? She definitely try to find good in everyone (minotaur's eyes in #0, good dialog Orionon NG, felt sorry for Demetra being hurt and others) and try to help if she can. May be I-love-everyone is a too big/loud speech, but I can see that in story and I can relate to that, cause I try myself to see others point. And overall, this is positive message and I would like to see that more in media.

[Blacksun]

For one thing, pace.

For another, I get the feeling if anyone tries to tell Azzarello what to do he just ignores them.

He is right. do you think there is some editor at DC that cares and understand WW? no. Rucka did the same.

Rucka wrote a WW really full of herself, with strong loyalty to gods and her principles.

Azz and Simone write a younger WW, confident but more humble

[Bruce Wayne]

One of the major differences between Rucka's and Azarello's seems to be that their attitudes towards the Gods and Olympus. In Azzarello's own words, the Olympians are "the original crime family", the Family they represent in other words is perceived as corrupt though individual members of the gods including Hades, Ares, Hera, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysius, Hephaesteus, Cupid and even Strife are portrayed sympathetically and humanized. Rather the conclusion would be that Olympus is bad though the individuals are not. Rucka's attitude are somewhat opposite to this. The institution of Olympus is not the problem, but rather the individuals. Diana helps Athena and Ares achieve a regime change in Olympus and Hades replacing Zeus and Hades with Athena and Ares while preserving the institutions and balance of power. The moral there seems to be the problem was the older generation not having changed with the times in contrast to the younger generation.

[Carabas]

Rucka's attitude are somewhat opposite to this. The institution of Olympus is not the problem, but rather the individuals. Diana helps Athena and Ares achieve a regime change in Olympus and Hades replacing Zeus and Hades with Athena and Ares while preserving the institutions and balance of power. The moral there seems to be the problem was the older generation not having changed with the times in contrast to the younger generation.

I don't think we can assume that this is true. Rucka's run sadly was left unfinished, and he was far from done with it when he was removed. We have absolutely no idea if the new regime would have been much better than the old one.

[brettc1]

I don't think we can assume that this is true. Rucka's run sadly was left unfinished, and he was far from done with it when he was removed. We have absolutely no idea if the new regime would have been much better than the old one.

Considering Ares was left as God of War AND Ruler of the Underworld, things getting better seems unlikely.

A big problem many people had with Rucka's run was a perception that in the game between the different gods Wonder Woman was reduced to pawn status, moved around the board at the whims of different deities so serve their specific ends. Contrasting that to Azzarello, while the gods have their schemes Diana is not a willing participant in any of them.

I suspect if Rucka had gone another year or two we would have seen Ares launch his own coup on Olympus and Diana have to step up to oppose him directly. But we never got to that stage.

I wonder does anyone have an interview links with Rucka about this? Most discussions about his run focus on the issues with Max Lord but this was only a part of a much larger tapestry.

[Frank]

I've never read where Rucka planned to take the Ares storyline, but he did intend for Diana to eventually have a serious smackdown due to pride - he viewed pride/overconfidence as her weakness.

[SofNascimento]

Azzarello made Wonder Woman and her world interesting. Ares for example, from a boring god that we've seen a hundred times he manage to create a unique character, maybe Hades even more so. And with Wonder Woman he managed to create a very solid origin that works much better than the previous one and piece by piece build a Wonder Woman that is fun to read.