Gods and Monsters: Wonder Woman/Bekka Discussion

[MarvelMaster616]

I didn't see a thread for this topic and I think it's definitely worth discussing. Later this month, DC is releasing its Justice League: Gods and Monsters movie, which is basically a reimaging of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. It's a bold concept and one being crafted by Bruce Timm, the alpha and omega of DC animation since the 90s. He's created a bold new vision for these iconic roles and as part of the effort to promote this movie, DC released a series of short comics on Comixology that explores the origin and personality of these new characters. Batman (Kirk Langstrom) and Superman (the son of Zod) already had their series come out and I thought both were very well-done. On July 7th, Wonder Woman had her turn and so far, it's been quite a story.

For those of you who haven't kept up, this version of Wonder Woman has no ties to Paradise Island, the Amazons, or the Olympians. Instead, she's one of the New Gods from New Genesis. Her name is Bekka and she's the granddaughter of Highfather. And according to some of the previews, she was married to (or at least engaged to) Orion. And according to the first issue of her tie-in series, she fled the conflict between New Genesis and Apokalipse, ending up on Earth. Not much else has been revealed about her other than she's every bit the fighter that Diana is. She just does it with a different set of weapons and a lot more edge. She's every bit as tough as Diana, but she's already begun to set herself apart.

For one, Bekka has no sense of sisterhood and community. She's very much on her own, as the first two issues of her series has shown. However, she's not a loner like Batman. She does seek out others for companionship and community. And like Diana, she does have a strong sense of justice. However, she's a bit more prone to violence when provoked and she's willing to resort to lethal force quicker than Diana. In that sense, she's very much her own woman, which I think helps make her worthy of the title, Wonder Woman.

She's not an idealist though. Bekka doesn't see the world through a rosy bias. She sees both the good and the bad. And she's not afraid to explore either. She doesn't let one overshadow her understanding of the other, something that I think sets her apart from Diana, who is more inclined to see the good more than the bad. Bekka also puts herself among ordinary people a lot in her mini-series, something I don't think Diana did enough of at times. This allows her to make friends and enemies. In doing so, it reveals a sense of disillusionment with her homeworld of New Genesis. She seems to be jaded by the constant conflict with Apokalipse and wants to fight her own battles for once. I think that's a good trait for anyone wielding the title of Wonder Woman.

Another trait that sets Bekka apart is her sexuality. This might cause some controversy, but Bekka is not on the same level as someone like Starfire or Catwoman. She's also not as aversive to it as Diana. She is willing to put herself out there sexually and hook up with men casually. In the very first issue, she just casually hooked up with some bartender, but it didn't come off as overly crude. She didn't call it a fling or some lustful indulgence. To her, it was just basic companionship. And I think that's a more healthy way for a female character to approach sexuality. It's not on the extremes that other characters have exercised. Sexuality also doesn't completely dominate her character. But it definitely helps set her apart from Diana.

Beyond this, however, the story has yet to unfold. The movie isn't out yet and Bekka's backstory is still developing. We already know from some clips that she is a tenacious fighter, she works closely with Steve Trevor (both as a colleague and a casual lover), and she's not afraid to enforce her brand of justice. I think that so far, she's proven herself worthy of the title, Wonder Woman. And I look forward to learning more about her.

[Agent Z]

I don't know if the killing thing is that different from Diana but I haven't read her tie-in comic. I'll try and find it.

The sex thing seemed like it was the only way they bothered to differentiate Bekka from Diana in the clip. And her not being tied to the WW mythos still feels like an odd choice compared to the others.

That said I'll still see the movie.

[Prime]

Wonder what the hell is Diana doing in this universe?

[ian0delond]

Runling the Amazons and not interferring with humans I guess.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I just read the issues and I think she's a cool character. The comics did a bit of a better job of showing her range than the short did but to be fair they were going for a more lighthearted feel.

I would say she's a bit closer to a regular person than WW tends to be. She does carry herself a bit different than most people so there s a bit of WW's regalness or straightforwardness in her. I do wish her "love powers" were established a bit more but I dug the take on her and Dr Psycho.

I dont know if I want Bruce Wayne or Diana to actually appear but i wouldnt mind if the amazons did.

[richalex]

I just watched the movie, it was pretty good.

[MarvelMaster616]

I just watched the movie, it was pretty good.

Thanks for the spoiler-free teaser! I haven't seen it yet, but it's high on my list of movies I must see. It seems Timm is already trying to plant the seeds of a new world, just like he did with Batman and Justice League. I'd like to see this world grow, if not in a movie than in a comic or more shorts. I think Machinima has already announced they're doing more animated shorts of Gods and Monsters. I hope that leads to other movies, comics, etc.

[Darius]

I just watched the movie, it was pretty good.

Me too ... I was a little surprised at the direction it took give all the teasers

[DochaDocha]

I was really unimpressed by the WW animated short. However, I would agree with those who liked her in the movie. She had a nice story and didn't feel so one-note. It's a legitimate complaint that Bekka has such little connection to the real WW, but for what the movie is, the character and the movie itself is easy to enjoy.

[MarvelMaster616]

Well I finally managed to get Justice League: Gods and Monsters yesterday and it was so worth the wait. I loved it. The story was strong, the themes were well-developed, and the world it created was very compelling. But I think Bekka is the one that really stole the show. She was, by far, the best part of the movie. Her story is a lot more dramatic and a lot more compelling than the story of Batman and Superman, as shown in the movie. Her story is built on a mix of tragedy, betrayal, and heartbreak. Without spoiling too much, I'll just say that she tried to do the right thing when there was only so much of it to be done. But it wasn't enough and the end result haunts her. She shows the most emotion of any character in this movie, but she also proves time and again that she's tough enough to be Wonder Woman. And the ending really left me wanting more, which is really the only flaw in the movie if you can call it that. I know there's another Machinima season on the docket for 2016, but it's Bekka's story that I'm most interested in. And that story can't come fast enough. So if you're a Wonder Woman fan, I think you'll be satisfied with Bekka's story in this movie. I also think it makes her worthy of the title of Wonder Woman in so many ways.

[enish]

Oh really?


Power-wise, I found her to be quite weaker than the original WW, even in this universe, Superman has to be to big gun. See how much she struggled against that android at the end!

It doesn't work for me.

[MarvelMaster616]

Oh really?


Power-wise, I found her to be quite weaker than the original WW, even in this universe, Superman has to be to big gun. See how much she struggled against that android at the end!

It doesn't work for me.

I don't see that in the movie. She shows on multiple occasions that she's capable of holding her own. That android was like a version of Amazo and that's not a lightweight by any standard. She took her share of shots, dished out her share of punishment, and never got too injured. I think Superman bled more in this movie than she did. She can fly, fight, and endure. That's Wonder Woman's primary skill set. I don't see why that doesn't work.

[Tayswift]

Oh really?


Power-wise, I found her to be quite weaker than the original WW, even in this universe, Superman has to be to big gun. See how much she struggled against that android at the end!

It doesn't work for me.

that is the normal thing. superman is the big gun

I liked this version of ownder woman, she is fun, bold, some humor sense and a big tragedy on her past

[Agent Z]

I had a mixed or average reaction to Bekka when I saw her short. The movie did give her more character development but not much to interest me. It wasn't bad, just not something that I was blown away by.

[MarvelMaster616]

I had a mixed or average reaction to Bekka when I saw her short. The movie did give her more character development but not much to interest me. It wasn't bad, just not something that I was blown away by.

That's a perfectly fair and reasonable assessment. And how often does someone get to say that on the internet these days?

I agree that the movie did give her character a lot more development. I would contend that Bekka is the most well-rounded character in the movie. I hope some of the things they explored in this movie get explored in the Machinima series. She's still a somewhat tragic character, but one who isn't defined by tragedy. I think that makes her a character worth developing.