"Wonder Woman's" Meredith & David Finch Discuss Donna Troy's New 52 Introduction

[Blacksun]

If you look at the reviews on Comic Book Roundup, the majority of the reviews are above 5 on the 10 point scale.

above 5 is good?

[Factor]

I had no idea Donna was a greek name.

Right? I think it would work much better if that's the name she chooses when she joins WW's side.

[MTroy]

It's a comic run that happened thirty years ago. Morrison's JLA was a bigger loss to continuity.



Well, if you read the comic you'd have known. I mean, I don't blame you if you didn't want to read it, but still.



Oh, come on "the best friend that everyone wanted" "had the bigest heart and always gave hope, but she could also do some real butt kicking." can be said about so many other superheroes. It's like when people say the Martian Manhunter is the heart of the Justice League or something.

I did read the comic book and it was unclear exactly what the spell included. The baby, the clay of Hippolyta, and the sacrifice of the amazon woman. All seemed like they were ingredients for the spell to work. I was thinking that the baby was aged to be a young woman and the clay from Hippolyta was to link her to Diana. I didn't think that Donna was just made of clay.

[Silvanus]

above 5 is good?

Not really. Not very many books listed on that site, last time I checked, get rated below 5, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't get negative comments. It looked to me like most of the reviews that rated Wonder Woman 37 between 5 and 7 were more negative than positive in the comments that they made, especially on the writing.

[Semicyon]

The other universe versions were much more average American in perspective and attitude than the Paradise Island/Themyscira-raised Diana, so I will miss the all-American, girl-next-door aspect of Donna Troy. She might have a story arc that makes her more heroic in the end but I did like having her as having a inverse relationship to American and Themysciran culture than her sister (i.e. she's the American rep to Paradise Island politics). On the other hand, I do like the opportunity for her to have an intentional origin this time around, rather than having her be a character that hangs out for a few years before people realize they know nothing about her origins; this time around, there's no need for a retroactive type of flashback story of "Who is Donna Troy?"

[Silvanus]

Where in the interview does it say that Donna was made from clay. I read it twice and didn't see that.

Sorry if I made you look for it in the Newsarama interview. It's in the CBR interview; David Finch says this:

Meredith referred to Donna as a blank slate, which is really what she is, coming out of the caldron. She is a canvas for Derinoe and the other Amazons to write upon. In these first few appearances, I've really tried to emphasize that. She isn't really attached or bonded to anything or anyone yet and she has been created from clay much like Wonder Woman's original origin. I'm really trying to present Donna right now as an echo. Essentially she's Wonder Woman, without the heart.

[WhineHaus]

The problem is in their presentation. The point of interviews should be to get people excited and want to read their stories. When they take a character that is most known for her character traits of being the heart of a team, the compassionate hero and all they talk about is her being the villain, the opposite of Wonder Woman and heartless...there's not a lot of reason for people to get excited about a character they cared about to want to pick up the book.

I found the first two issues to be less barely average in story and all over the place in art (especially in the first issue.) Wonder Woman is my favorite comics character second to none and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my doubt grows more with every issue and just took a major leap with both of these interviews. Meredith said she only read what David worked on or what looked cool in his comp boxes (which didn't DC discontinue that some time back) so it seems like it's very possible she hasn't read much to none of Wonder Woman and absolutely nothing of Donna Troy (yes she said she researched her various origins...but you can do that in one-stop-shop Wikipedia these days.) I had hopes of them doing at least an interesting run on the title, even thought that them sticking around post Convergence would be potentially good. Now Im hoping they are done with the annual in April. Hopefully we will get an Editor who has some kind of interest in Wonder Woman as well. Idelson certainly doesn't seem to have much.

I'm so glad you mentioned this. That line stood out to me more than anything else in the interview. I find Meredith's writing lacks depth, something that could be chalked up to her limited knowledge of characters, history, and comics in general. Unfortunately, the fault lies with editor. I'd love to see someone with more passion on the editorial board.

[DragonPiece]

Donna will probably join the teen titans after the first arc, I don't understand how people can't grasp this is only her origin story.

[Agent Z]

Donna will probably join the teen titans after the first arc, I don't understand how people can't grasp this is only her origin story.

Considering this a new continuity (something supporters of the New 52 constantly remind people of) it is very likely she won't even have any interaction with them. Especially with Cassie as the new Wonder Girl.

[Blacksun]

Not really. Not very many books listed on that site, last time I checked, get rated below 5, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't get negative comments. It looked to me like most of the reviews that rated Wonder Woman 37 between 5 and 7 were more negative than positive in the comments that they made, especially on the writing.

yeah, the grades on finch issues are most awful.

when asked if she would stay after convergence, she said she is in talk with editors. so nothing confirmed.

[Gaelforce]

Donna will probably join the teen titans after the first arc, I don't understand how people can't grasp this is only her origin story.

Well, after seeing Diana's origin trashed and replaced with her sidekick's origin, her sidekick (Cassie) completely disassociated from her in her origin (over three years and I don't think they've even met yet), her mother now an adulteress who was turned to stone/animated stone/broken stone, and her first major villain (Ares) turned into her mentor/friend, I can't say I have a lot of faith in Donna being made a hero again. Do I hope it happens? Of course! However, I think this is a terrible new origin for her, and I sadly lack to optimism needed believe that all will be well.

[Blacksun]

Well, after seeing Diana's origin trashed and replaced with her sidekick's origin, her sidekick (Cassie) completely disassociated from her in her origin (over three years and I don't think they've even met yet), her mother now an adulteress who was turned to stone/animated stone/broken stone, and her first major villain (Ares) turned into her mentor/friend, I can't say I have a lot of faith in Donna being made a hero again. Do I hope it happens? Of course! However, I think this is a terrible new origin for her, and I sadly lack to optimism needed believe that all will be well.

maybe after Finches go someone will clear this mess or retcon a ala bart allen from lobdell teen titans

[wagthedog]

maybe after Finches go someone will clear this mess or retcon a ala bart allen from lobdell teen titans

Alot of what Gaelforce mentioned happened in the Azz run which I know you liked tremendously. So, if they retcon this 'mess', it would mean to retcon the Azz run as well. I am pretty sure you don't mean that.

[Badou]

Shame about the villain thing. It just seems cheap. Instead of giving Donna a new origin where her most notable traits are on display, like her heart and her ability to care, she is made to be an adversary right off the bat because that is the easiest thing to do. Sure the villain thing won't last, but it is a shame that all these legacy characters have to be at odds with their mentors instead of building their relationship around them caring and supporting each other.

[numberthirty]

Wow, are people seriously expecting the villain thing to last?

While I'm not expecting it, it would probably be the most interesting thing they could do.

Antagonist, you mean, and not necessarily villain.

Actually, villain is exactly what I mean. Factoring in the new back story, I think that making Donna into a compelling villain(or Amazon hard-liner, if you prefer) seems like the most interesting thing that can come of this.