What Do You Think of the Finchs' Run So Far?

[Dr. Poison]

It's not really an opinion. "About to die" is not comparable to "Alive and well". Two completely different situations that each set the context that characterization happens in.

Yes, the situations are different but the characterization is in sync. Why do you feel it's not ok for Wonder Woman to get stressed out and vent to her allies? She's showing her emotion and humanity. Plus, it's been a couple pages in each issue at most. I could understand the complaint if she did it for 3/4s of the issue or maybe even half.

[Dr. Poison]

What do I think of the Finchs' run, so far?

I voted 'very good', because I am intrigued by what I am reading, ..and that's something. That's what a good comic is supposed to do.

What I don't like about the run, so far, is that I don't think the Finches are building on the foundation of interesting supporting cast and backstory/setting Mr. Azzarello created for this comic. We're back on Paradise Island, and the comic seems to be about being an Amazon princess, again - not so much about being Wonder Woman. The New 52 Wonder Woman is a Doc-Savage-like adventurer, with a cadre of mismatched companions - Zola, Lord Hermes and Swee Pe-u-uuh...Zeke [?] - who bounce around the world and the universe, having adventures, ..and I don't see that happening; so, I am worried. Meredith Finch isn't even giving us a 'meanwhile, back at the Townhouse' subplot to chew on, and I think that's wasteful. Where's Diana's Army?

What's in it's place? Once more, Paradise Island, which should properly be in the background or rearview, has swallowed this title - what I have come to call a narrative implosion. The WW comic is now about where Wonder Woman comes from, u-uuh'gain, ..and that's as boring, as all the silly god-wars, we've seen in WW, over the past thirty years.

With Hera and Orion moving on, I had hoped that the Army might be picking up some new recruits in Steve Trevor and, maybe, Aleka. Now, I'm not so sure there is a 'Diana's Army', anymore.

Anyway, ..a 'very good' will have to do, until I see better.

Perhaps Diana's army doesn't fit into Meredith's story just like Donna Troy, Steve Trevor, the Cheetah, and Giganta didn't fit into Azzarello's story?

[Gaelforce]

Yes, the situations are different but the characterization is in sync. Why do you feel it's not ok for Wonder Woman to get stressed out and vent to her allies? She's showing her emotion and humanity. Plus, it's been a couple pages in each issue at most. I could understand the complaint if she did it for 3/4s of the issue or maybe even half.

Primarily, for me, because she is (a) whining about things she already solved in Azzarello's run (coming to terms with being all these different things to different people) and (b) because she's whining about things to people who take them in stride with no problems.

Whining to Aquaman about how shecan't divide your time when he's shacking up with his would-be-assassin, living the family life in New England, taking over as King in Atlantis, leading the Others and actively a part of the Justice League makes her look beyond weak, to me. Coming on the heels of the end of Azzarello's run where she was running around with the JL, juggling Steve and then Clark on the dating scene, dealing with the death of her mother, the death of Ares, her sisters being turned into snakes, merging the Amazons and the Manazons while turning enemies into allies to defeat the First Born and getting over it all by the end of the three years is just rehashing garbage that's already been settled.

Then snapping at Clark makes her sound like a brat and not a mature adult, especially since, once again, it's stuff she's already dealt with under Azzarello.

Two issues and I have yet to see a trace of the confident, level headed leader we saw in Azzarello's last issues.

There's a world of difference between lamenting at death's door and just complaining/snapping about everything. This may change, but again, the poll is about the first two issues, not about a whole run or the potential for this one.

[theOVOXO]

It's average so far. I was hoping that it would be interesting like Azz's run, but nothing is grabbing me. Can't say that I'm a fan Mr. Finch's art either.

[Dr. Poison]

Primarily, for me, because she is (a) whining about things she already solved in Azzarello's run (coming to terms with being all these different things to different people) and (b) because she's whining about things to people who take them in stride with no problems.

Whining to Aquaman about how shecan't divide your time when he's shacking up with his would-be-assassin, living the family life in New England, taking over as King in Atlantis, leading the Others and actively a part of the Justice League makes her look beyond weak, to me. Coming on the heels of the end of Azzarello's run where she was running around with the JL, juggling Steve and then Clark on the dating scene, dealing with the death of her mother, the death of Ares, her sisters being turned into snakes, merging the Amazons and the Manazons while turning enemies into allies to defeat the First Born and getting over it all by the end of the three years is just rehashing garbage that's already been settled.

Then snapping at Clark makes her sound like a brat and not a mature adult, especially since, once again, it's stuff she's already dealt with under Azzarello.

Two issues and I have yet to see a trace of the confident, level headed leader we saw in Azzarello's last issues.

There's a world of difference between lamenting at death's door and just complaining/snapping about everything. This may change, but again, the poll is about the first two issues, not about a whole run or the potential for this one.

I don't see a lot of these things as being solved in Azzarello's run. Several of these plots received no closure in his run such as Hippolyta being reanimated but not turned back into flesh and the Amazons being resentful towards Diana's new leadership ideals and the male Amazons coming to live with them. We also have no idea when Azzarello's story took place as his story didn't so much as mention anything going on in the rest of the New 52 so we have no idea if Diana was even a member of the Justice League yet in his story let alone if she had broken up with Steve and started dating Superman.

As for why she vented to Aquaman, I think you kind of explained it yourself. He's kind of in a similar position(royalty, from a hidden civilization, & JL member) yet he seems to be managing things better at the moment. Perhaps she was looking to him for some insight on how to juggle everything going on in her world.

[Shimbo]

Perhaps Diana's army doesn't fit into Meredith's story just like Donna Troy, Steve Trevor, the Cheetah, and Giganta didn't fit into Azzarello's story?

Maybe they don't. However, the Finches would have been smart to build upon the foundation that Azzarello laid in Diana's supporting cast. Zola can be like a modern day Etta Candy, a mortal girl who likes sex and isn't ashamed of it. And her down to earth nature can keep Diana in check amongst all of her larger than life dealings with gods, aliens, and supervillains. Zeke could be used as a type of reflection of his environment and people around him. Strife can be the petulant sister that wants nothing more than to eff with her siblings and just create some chaos.

I'm not saying they should be used right now. I doubt they'd really fit into the story at this point anyway. But to make the same mistake so many Wonder Woman writers have made in the past of just ignoring Diana's supporting cast and starting all over speaks to the lack of consistency WW has been plagued with for a while.

[Gaelforce]

I don't see a lot of these things as being solved in Azzarello's run. Several of these plots received no closure in his run such as Hippolyta being reanimated but not turned back into flesh and the Amazons being resentful towards Diana's new leadership ideals and the male Amazons coming to live with them. We also have no idea when Azzarello's story took place as his story didn't so much as mention anything going on in the rest of the New 52 so we have no idea if Diana was even a member of the Justice League yet in his story let alone if she had broken up with Steve and started dating Superman.

As for why she vented to Aquaman, I think you kind of explained it yourself. He's kind of in a similar position(royalty, from a hidden civilization, & JL member) yet he seems to be managing things better at the moment. Perhaps she was looking to him for some insight on how to juggle everything going on in her world.

Had she gone to him asking for advice, I'd agree. However, she's sitting in the co-pilot chair clutching a teddy bear and just venting after having gone ballistic on Swamp Thing, a character she had treated with a great deal of mutual respect in another title. To me, she comes across as emotionally unstable, going from violence to whining to biting Superman's head off.

And though the plotline with Hippolyta is one of the weirder editorial hiccups, Diana had dealt with Hippolyta's death as well as that of Ares in the course of the book. She had also come to terms with what it meant to be the god of war, the queen of the Amazons and to be at peace with her many roles.

Then along comes Meredith and takes her back two steps, not based on anything new that she's written but based solely on the events written by Azzarello. It just seems to me like she had this idea and began writing it well before the end of Azzarello's run (which makes sense with the shattered Hippolyta statue when she was 'alive' at the end of Azz's run) and the editors didn't bother to correct anything. So now she's going back over old ground, and, imo, making Diana an emotional trainwreck.

In JL, btw, they made it very clear that the events were on the same timeline as she was dealing with her mother being turned to stone in JL.

[Blacksun]

I don't see a lot of these things as being solved in Azzarello's run. Several of these plots received no closure in his run such as Hippolyta being reanimated but not turned back into flesh and the Amazons being resentful towards Diana's new leadership ideals and the male Amazons coming to live with them. We also have no idea when Azzarello's story took place as his story didn't so much as mention anything going on in the rest of the New 52 so we have no idea if Diana was even a member of the Justice League yet in his story let alone if she had broken up with Steve and started dating Superman.

As for why she vented to Aquaman, I think you kind of explained it yourself. He's kind of in a similar position(royalty, from a hidden civilization, & JL member) yet he seems to be managing things better at the moment. Perhaps she was looking to him for some insight on how to juggle everything going on in her world.

Well everybody on JL seems to be managing their lives very well, except WW. The only woman on the group can't multitask.

A good thing could be instead of whine, WW try to do something and have an attitude. It is suddenly change and only verbalized

[Dr. Poison]

Had she gone to him asking for advice, I'd agree. However, she's sitting in the co-pilot chair clutching a teddy bear and just venting after having gone ballistic on Swamp Thing, a character she had treated with a great deal of mutual respect in another title. To me, she comes across as emotionally unstable, going from violence to whining to biting Superman's head off.

And though the plotline with Hippolyta is one of the weirder editorial hiccups, Diana had dealt with Hippolyta's death as well as that of Ares in the course of the book. She had also come to terms with what it meant to be the god of war, the queen of the Amazons and to be at peace with her many roles.

Then along comes Meredith and takes her back two steps, not based on anything new that she's written but based solely on the events written by Azzarello. It just seems to me like she had this idea and began writing it well before the end of Azzarello's run (which makes sense with the shattered Hippolyta statue when she was 'alive' at the end of Azz's run) and the editors didn't bother to correct anything. So now she's going back over old ground, and, imo, making Diana an emotional trainwreck.

In JL, btw, they made it very clear that the events were on the same timeline as she was dealing with her mother being turned to stone in JL.

I would agree that whoever was supposed to fill Meredith in about how Azzarello's story was ending probably dropped the ball as Peter Tomasi(current writer of Superman/Wonder Woman) also seems unaware of Hippolyte's fate due to Circe's conversation at the beginning of SM/WW #14. The rest, Diana seemed to still be struggling with towards the end of Azz's run and her characterization was all over the map in Azz's run as well. One minute she was doing things like proclaiming she loved everyone and hugging Siracca but then she was also doing things like sexually assaulting Orion, calling Strife a b_tch or stabbing her, and slugging Aleka. I'd say Meredith has at least downplayed Diana's emotional instability.

[Dr. Poison]

Well everybody on JL seems to be managing their lives very well, except WW. The only woman on the group can't multitask.

A good thing could be instead of whine, WW try to do something and have an attitude. It is suddenly change and only verbalized

Diana isn't the only female on the Justice League. The new Power Ring is a female and she's been a member for a few months now.

[Blacksun]

Diana isn't the only female on the Justice League. The new Power Ring is a female and she's been a member for a few months now.

It doesn't make things better for Diana, specially that jessica has some big phobia. well in the scene with JL on WW power ring is not even there.

[Gaelforce]

I would agree that whoever was supposed to fill Meredith in about how Azzarello's story was ending probably dropped the ball as Peter Tomasi(current writer of Superman/Wonder Woman) also seems unaware of Hippolyte's fate due to Circe's conversation at the beginning of SM/WW #14. The rest, Diana seemed to still be struggling with towards the end of Azz's run and her characterization was all over the map in Azz's run as well. One minute she was doing things like proclaiming she loved everyone and hugging Siracca but then she was also doing things like sexually assaulting Orion, calling Strife a b_tch or stabbing her, and slugging Aleka. I'd say Meredith has at least downplayed Diana's emotional instability.

Here's the thing.

She does love everyone, and she made a friend of her enemy, embracing her as her sister (Siracca)

In thirty six issues, she got angry at the god who was rubbing salt in the wounds, quite calmly tried to set Orion straight (like or hate the scene, she didn't do it in anger), and hitting the woman who had tried to kill her. Getting angry a few times over three years given the circumstances made perfect sense to me.

In two issues, Diana blindly attacked a known ally, hugged a teddy bear while she whined to Aquaman, stood meekly by while the council declared their judgement on their queen, and bit Superman's head off with an hysterical outburst.

Two issues. Four major scenes on the emotional rollercoaster, none of which are the results of anything new but all based on what Azzarello wrote.

And again, like his run or not, at the end, Diana stood on her own two feet and came to terms with her multi-faceted nature in a really nice speech. Meredith isn't creating anything new, just having Diana all over the place in the wake of what Azzarello wrote. You named four examples over three years versus four in two issues.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this, I guess. I disliked a lot about Azzarello's run, but Diana's personality was sound. She's all over the place in Meredith's first two issues.

And Power Ring isn't a full-fledged member of the JL - she's a scared woman with a deadly weapon who they've taken under their wing to try to teach and mentor. Diana is the only full time member of the JL who is a woman.

[numberthirty]

In two issues, Diana blindly attacked a known ally, hugged a teddy bear while she whined to Aquaman, stood meekly by while the council declared their judgement on their queen, and bit Superman's head off with an hysterical outburst.

Two issues. Four major scenes on the emotional rollercoaster, none of which are the results of anything new but all based on what Azzarello wrote.

And again, like his run or not, at the end, Diana stood on her own two feet and came to terms with her multi-faceted nature in a really nice speech. Meredith isn't creating anything new, just having Diana all over the place in the wake of what Azzarello wrote. You named four examples over three years versus four in two issues.

This seems pretty close to the way I feel. While I can chalk it up to editorial fumble/rough start, it's tough to just completely dismiss it.

One more quick example from the previous run and then I'll zip it -

The way Diana embraced Siracca lines up perfectly with that she hoped time to reflect would wind up giving The First Born a chance at some sort of inner peace.

[Sacred Knight]

STILL don't get the big deal with the teddy bear. Its a symbol of a little girl's life lost. I thought it was touching. Neither will I understand why, in the case of the Aquaman scene, if a woman accepts the invitation to open up to a friend, its whining. That sets an odd precedent to me. Like to be strong, you have to keep your trap shut even when a branch is extended by a friend. For the record I'm not trying to put words in anyone's mouth, I know that's not what anyone said, but to me its how it seems considering in my book that's all she did; vent to a friend who lent his ear in friendship. Attacking Swamp Thing was dumb though, I'm with everyone on that.

And the Power Ring thing is just splitting hairs. She's in the book, she's with the team, so she counts. The semantics of why she's there means just as little as it does to Luthor.

[Gaelforce]

STILL don't get the big deal with the teddy bear. Its a symbol of a little girl's life lost. I thought it was touching.

And the Power Ring thing is just splitting hairs. She's in the book, she's with the team, so she counts. Not sure what Jessica's status has to do with Wonder Woman in the first place, but she's a part of the team nonetheless.

Well, it doesn't help that Diana *looks* like a little girl, but it doesn't have the context of a little girl's life lost.

Aquaman asks why she did the punch first, talk later thing with swamp thing, and the next panel is 12 year old Diana closing her eyes and cuddling the teddy bear before a very wordy whine about her life and how she doesn't know what to do now.

If the topic had been the disaster that had just occurred or the deaths that had resulted, I could have gone with it - poignant moment of grief would have been beautiful. But with the placement of that panel in the discussion? The little girl had nothing to do with the conversation, and the teddy bear only served to show Diana as immature and insecure.

And no, it's not splitting hairs at all. So far as I know and have seen, Power Ring has no authority, no free access to the Watchtower or any JL benefits and is there solely for the team to help get her settled.

However, if she *were* part of the team, that sort of makes things worse in my eyes. The way Meredith is writing Diana, the JL consists of a bunch of very confident, well adjusted men and two emotionally unstable women.

Fortunately, Geoff Johns is writing her far more intelligently, compassionately and emotionally level-headed over in JL.