Interview: Greg Rucka on Queer Narrative and WONDER WOMAN

[Stormcrow]

Comicosity has an exclusive interview with Greg Rucka "about the vision he and his collaborators have for their Wonder Woman series, the act of balancing representation with the craft of storytelling, and the question of what it even means to be queer in a culture absent of heteronormativity."

Really interesting exchange well worth a read!

This bit seems to be making the news rounds, though:

Greg Rucka: [...] Now, are we saying Diana has been in love and had relationships with other women? As Nicola and I approach it, the answer is obviously yes.

[Rakzo]

Diana is *GASP* Bisexual?!

I can't believ... yeah, let's drop the act, this is the worst kept secret in the closet ever.

[Frontier]

Really interesting stuff, and appreciate getting Rucka's insight into approaching these issues and Wonder Woman .

[Br_Havoc]

This reminded me of Mark Hamil's reply when someone asked him if Luke was gay. I agree with sentiment that read into it what you want to. It makes sense to me that Diana would of been with women on the island since they had never seen another gender .

[Sacred Knight]

Hmm...maybe my feelings that there is a romantic history between Diana and Barbara Ann isn't entirely in my head. I've been seeing sexual tension between these two since the run began, and maybe it is indeed deliberate. Though it seems like if so it'll only be implied and not explored. But I would hope if it is indeed so that it will be explored.

[Br_Havoc]

Diana is *GASP* Bisexual?!

I can't believ... yeah, let's drop the act, this is the worst kept secret in the closet ever.

It's as bad a shock as when Rob Halford came out as gay :-P

[enish]

It only makes sense! Right move from DC, if they back this up with facts in the comics

[Outside_85]

While obvious and logical to us... I imagine there will still be quite a stir if/when we get a page of Diana waking up next to another woman. (It may be alluded to in Rucka/Scotts tale, but atm it's only clear other Amazons are into Diana, not the other way around save for rumors.)

It's as bad a shock as when Rob Halford came out as gay :-P

Well, that still came as a shock to some members of his audience who had bought into the leather-wearing tough guy act.

[Bosch]

I encourage anybody who thinks gay men can't be leather-wearing tough guys to visit Folsom Street sometime.

And in part one of “Year One” in particular, one of the things we really needed to do in that issue is juxtapose her life and Steve’s. We wanted to establish that there is a connection between these characters long before they see each other. That they share certain things.

I wonder if what Rucka meant by this was just that they'd both had previous relationships, or if there are plans to make Steve bisexual, too. Unlikely as that is, I think there's a case to be made that Diana would find it easier to relate to a man who was something other than a traditionally straight, red-blooded American male.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this and talking to a lot of people about this. I wonder what would happen if you are a trans woman transitioning, and you go to Themyscira? Since they’re not a heteronormative culture, I wonder if the concept of transgender life or gender confirmation process is one that they’ve ever even considered.

This is one of those instances when I wish DC had snagged Tiresias for Diana's mythos before Marvel used them for Hercules'. Maybe Rucka can find a way to use the character that's different enough from Marvel's not to feel like a retread, because they'd be a perfect bridge between the Amazons of antiquity and the progressive worldview that Rucka wants Diana to represent.

[dianafan1985]

Diana is *GASP* Bisexual?!

I can't believ... yeah, let's drop the act, this is the worst kept secret in the closet ever.

There are people on Newsarama facebook who are absolutely losing it because of this "new move."

Personally I think it makes sense given her birthplace and Greek roots.

[spirit2011]

I encourage anybody who thinks gay men can't be leather-wearing tough guys to visit Folsom Street sometime.

hehe yeah...

it was about time, but DC playing safe here.

I wonder if what Rucka meant by this was just that they'd both had previous relationships, or if there are plans to make Steve bisexual, too. Unlikely as that is, I think there's a case to be made that Diana would find it easier to relate to a man who was something other than a traditionally straight, red-blooded American male..

interesting observation here

[Vanguard-01]

Yeah, it's not exactly news to anyone with common sense that Diana should be (and indeed should ALWAYS have been) bisexual.

I really hope they can fully cement this in-continuity, rather than just leaving it up to innuendo and interviews. I'll never understand what DC thinks they're protecting by not letting Diana go in this direction. Making her bi, especially, offends the smallest number of people possible. The only people who should have a problem with that are the absolute "Anything other than heterosexuality is wrong" crowd.

[Punisher007]

Both Rucka and Gail Simone seem keen on "Bi Diana." They both hinted at it/implied it in their previous runs as well. And yeah, I wish that DC would just confirm it already. Given that many comic book readers already believe it to be so/make jokes about it constantly, might as well.

We'll see where the story goes from here.

[Starchild]

I'd be on board with it if Greg Rucka wasn't writing.

[Stormcrow]

Both Rucka and Gail Simone seem keen on "Bi Diana." They both hinted at it/implied it in their previous runs as well. And yeah, I wish that DC would just confirm it already. Given that many comic book readers already believe it to be so/make jokes about it constantly, might as well.

We'll see where the story goes from here.

The Paradise Island scenes in Year One have made it pretty clear. I don't know how much more confirmation is needed, really.

A Northstar "For I Am GAY!" moment or having Diana explicitly kissing a woman on panel like Catwoman did?