2022 in Review

[Gaius]

Thought I'd get some others thoughts on what they of the Wonder Woman-related stuff we got in 2022. Got to be honest, didn’t think it was that good overall and 2023 isn’t shaping up much better atm with what DC’s chosen to reveal but interested to hear what others thought

For me;

Good:
-Both issues of Historia #2 and #3. Hopefully the remaining books get approved
-Artemis in the Red Hood Outlaws webtoon
-Parts of Cloonan and Conrad’s run
-Jurassic League, at least up to the final issue

Bad:
-Trial of the Amazons mostly being a dud.
-Regressing WW by retconning back in her discarded JSA history
-Artemis’ retconned origin
-WW3 getting cancelled and more movie division shenanigans
-Yara still being mostly a bore
-WW in more crappy Elseworlds

Ugly
-George Perez's passing.

[Vordan]

Yeah her push last year didn’t go the way I was hoping. Historia ruled and it seems like we might get more, that’s the big win for her in comics. Outside of comics the Monolith video game is the big WW product that I’m excited for. Otherwise it looks like it will be slim pickings for a while.

Overall I’d give the year a C regarding Diana.

[bardkeep]

Yeah, this year was especially disappointing because it had a lot promise but totally fell apart in execution. Trial of the Amazons was especially disappointing because on paper I think it was exactly the kind of thing a lot of us wanted but they just completely bungled the execution.

And obviously Perez's passing was a terrible loss.

Good:
- Historia, obviously. Capping the year off with a near-perfect conclusion to the best WW story of all time was just *chef's kiss*
- Both Nubia series
- The Young Diana backups
- The ambiguous return of the clay origin

Bad: Pretty much what Gaius mentioned (Trial of the Amazons, lousy Elseworlds books like DKOS, dumb retcons), but I'll add 2 more:

- No news on the video game. Pretty standard for AAA games to get announced and go dark for 1-2 years but was hoping to at least get another teaser.
- Cloonan/Conrad run floundering and losing focus

I'm not ready to call the movie cancelation a bad thing just yet though.

TBD:
- Killing Hippolyta (really depends on what they plan to do with her now that she's a goddess)
- The 3rd Jenkins movie being canceled and the DCEU most likely being reset (not making a call here until we get more info about the reboot)

And I'll add one more category -

Hopes for 2023:

- Announcement of more Historia books (book 4 coming out is a stretch but hope to at least get a release date)
- Some info about the rebooted movie - would love to at least get a timeline/title and a writer/director announcement
- More news on the game
- Another ongoing, mini, and/or Black Label series
- Lazarus Planet actually being decent
- Something special for issue #800 and an exciting new creative team (I think the Cloonan/Conrad run ending is pretty much a given)
- Good showing in the Suicide Squad game
- If we're going for pipe dreams, animated series announcement

[Gaius]

Video game is also pretty much the only thing outside of WW comics I'm looking forward to when it comes to media stuff. Interest in DC animation has pretty much dried up and don't expect to hear any stuff on the movies for years now.

Would like to be excited for a new creative team but eh leadup up to it with a Yara/Billy event penned by Wilson doesn't fill me with much hope. Especially with this whole initiative being helmed by Waid, Johns, and co.

[Primal Slayer]

It was definitely a "good" year for WW for the most part. It started strong and kind of ended weak though in terms of her main series.

Historia was definitely the highlight.

Her big event was a let down which is a shame since we hadnt had one since Amazons Attack and that was abymsal.

While I enjoy the Cloonads run, it's been disappointing how they just outright ignore Donna/Cassie.

Yara/Nubia have been welcomed additions and it was definitely the year of Nubia who I would say had the best year out of any of the WW fam in the main line.

[Guy_McNichts]

GOOD:
- Cloonrad's run remains consistent
- Historia
- Nubia continues to shine

BAD:
- though I appreciate the stability, Cloonrad's run has lacked somewhat in grandeur and scope
- Trial of the Amazons wound up a dud
- Wonder Woman 3 cancelled
- zero faith in Gunn/Safron's regime
- existing in a shared universe continues to be a stone around Diana's neck; Dark Crisis was a waste of time, Lazarus Planet looks like crap, nothing good in general ever seems to happen when Diana steps outside her own comic
- related to this, we've seen some pretty bad Elseworlds in the form of DC vs. Vampires and Dark Knights of Steel, and even though she's long dead in it, DCeased persists
- Artemis's retconned backstory
- putting Diana back in World War II and the JSA
- George Perez passing

NEUTRAL:
- as of now, the video game is still a go, but we've had no news on it
- Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League is going to happen and it's going to suck, but we've known this pretty much from the start
- Yara...exists


Overall, not a great year IMO.

[WonderLight789]

2022 was a huge flop for WW. Outside of Historia. Nubia got more exposure, but the quality of the writing wasn't good IMO.

[Dr. Poison]

The Good

Villany Inc. Returned w/Dr. Poison
Some great art from Marguerite Sauvage.
Cheetah's new look.
Several great Nubia books/stories.
Trial of the Amazons.
Diana back in the JSA.


The Bad

Hippolyta dying again.
Yara getting more focus in the main WW book than Donna or Cassie.
The public domain Olympians starting to hog up the main book.
Constant rotating artists on the main book.
Wonder Woman 3 getting axed.
George Perez passing.

[PopQuezy]

Overall, I would grade this year a C.

Good:
1. The expansion of the Wonderverse - the Nubia minis, the various one-shots, Trial of the Amazons
2. Actual movement, change and progress - Yara becoming Wonder Girl, Nubia becoming queen, Hippolyta becoming a Goddess, the Amazons uniting tribes
3. The main comic is stable
4. I really liked the use of Dr. Psycho, and I was happy to see Dr. Poison as part of Villiany Inc
5. I really like Siggy as part of the Wonderverse
6. Cloonrad have done a really good job with Diana's relationship with Steve and Etta

Bad:
1. The main comic - while stable - feels underwhelming
2. Trial of the Amazons was lackluster
3. Atuum the Survivor was not the new villain behind Trial I imagined him to be and the Atuum story ended with a whimper

Catastrophic"
1. Wonder Woman III being canceled.
I know people lost faith in Jenkins after 84, but I genuinely believe she loved and adored the character. I'm concerned that Gunn does not. I'm also saddened that there's no telling when we'll get another Wonder Woman film, so there's nothing to even look forward to or discuss. It feels like we have a temporary halt on the Wonderverse in larger media for an indefinite amount of time.

[Stanlos]

Wait, didn't 2022 see the publication of not one, not two, but three WW centric events? I thought there was one that started with her and Superman racing; then Trial s; then Historia?

And she returned this year no? And she was in that JLA LAST RIDE?

We're those lackluster or not memorable?

[Gaius]

Wait, didn't 2022 see the publication of not one, not two, but three WW centric events? I thought there was one that started with her and Superman racing; then Trial s; then Historia?

And she returned this year no? And she was in that JLA LAST RIDE?

We're those lackluster or not memorable?

I assume you're referring to Wonder Woman: Evolution with the Superman racing bit? Eh, didn't finish it and wasn't overtly impressed.

JLA: Last Ride was in 2021. Was another forgettable Justice League story from what I recall.

ToA was a dud.

Historia was great, pretty much everyone says that.

[Stanlos]

Last Ride was 2021?! Zoinks, Scoob! I was uberlate to that party then!

[DABellWrites]

WW3 getting canceled was the bad. Patty Jenkins, despite her creative decision, at least kept true to Diana. It took me a while to realize that, mostly because I haven't seen 1984 since I watched it in the theaters. Just rein in that creative control, but let her keep true to her vision for WW.

Despite what y'all may feel, it's been a good two years for the Wonder Woman franchise. I just wish DC did for the others in what they're doing for a character with little history in the franchise. Give Yara back Wonder Girl with Cassie and Donna as side-characters. Some may not like it, but it can work to really establish their relationships and the world of WW with characters who don't get to be there that much. Yara, Cassie, and Donna going against Villainy Inc? Oh yeah.