Thoughts on Wonder Woman's 'Kung Fu' Period? (68-72)

[Koriand'r]

Has it ever occurred to anyone else that whatever story line Wonder Woman has, she ALWAYS goes back to square 1? I think that's what JMS meant by her being a Ferrari DC is afraid to drive. We all know she's durable, she's survived Azzarello, Flashpoint, JMS' Odyssey, Amazons Attack, Heinberg's relaunch, blindness, the loss of her title and royal station, Crisis, the loss of her powers, Kanigher, et cetera yet she's still Wonder Woman and the world's greatest superheroine

Think of the rich lore Batman writers have to draw on, that Wonder Woman writers can't touch because of all the relaunches and revamps. It would be different if she was allowed to keep some of her continuity but that's always thrown out too. Much of it is DC's fault because of their ever changing universe but some of the blame is on us, her very vocal fans. Any time someone tries something different we go to our battle stations and attack. That's not to say we're wrong, we know Wonder Woman better than the company that produces her and some of the writers who tell her stories.

All I'm saying is now that Greg Rucka has strengthened her foundation and reaffirmed her world and ideals we allow the next writer to actually go forward a few issues before we demand they take three steps back. No comic book fans like change, but we shouldn't be afraid of growth. Instead of making Wonder Woman constantly tread water we should let her take a few laps around the pool. It's evident she won't drown, but if she does happen to sink a little then we can throw her a life jacket.

[Lex Luthor]

Has it ever occurred to anyone else that whatever story line Wonder Woman has, she ALWAYS goes back to square 1? I think that's what JMS meant by her being a Ferrari DC is afraid to drive. We all know she's durable, she's survived Azzarello, Flashpoint, JMS' Odyssey, Amazons Attack, Heinberg's relaunch, blindness, the loss of her title and royal station, Crisis, the loss of her powers, Kanigher, et cetera yet she's still Wonder Woman and the world's greatest superheroine

Think of the rich lore Batman writers have to draw on, that Wonder Woman writers can't touch because of all the relaunches and revamps. It would be different if she was allowed to keep some of her continuity but that's always thrown out too. Much of it is DC's fault because of their ever changing universe but some of the blame is on us, her very vocal fans. Any time someone tries something different we go to our battle stations and attack. That's not to say we're wrong, we know Wonder Woman better than the company that produces her and some of the writers who tell her stories.

All I'm saying is now that Greg Rucka has strengthened her foundation and reaffirmed her world and ideals we allow the next writer to actually go forward a few issues before we demand they take three steps back. No comic book fans like change, but we shouldn't be afraid of growth. Instead of making Wonder Woman constantly tread water we should let her take a few laps around the pool. It's evident she won't drown, but if she does happen to sink a little then we can throw her a life jacket.

I agree with the last part, Rucka has given her a solid base to build on by reintroducing old villains and supporting cast who might as well have been kept but I really dont agree with the first part about fans being too vocal. I think her fans have saved her from those disasters if anything. Granted I'm not against change and I welcome change because I think all these heroes could use a bit of modernizing but what happened to her during most of those times weren't changes, except Heinberg's and Amazon Attack if i remember it correctly, the others just totally changed everything about her mythology for something totally different.

I think the problem is that some writers get too entitled or at least those who just aren't big fans of her and they don't look at her the same way they do other characters where they just want to put their own spin on things and hopefully tell a decent or good story but a lot of times people feel the need to "correct" her by making her world entirely different and then are shocked when fans are mad that they totally disregarded everything. This is why Perez, Rucka, Simone, and Jiminez are well liked because they didn't do that even if they might have given a mediocre story or two in their runs the fact that they didn't feel the need to bulldoze over everything is appreciated. It only gets worse because they also all gave some good things to work with but so many writers just dropped everything they were doing which wouldn't be wrong if they did want to tell a specific story that had nothing to do with what happened before but there has to be a better way besides making key parts of the character not exist anymore

[Koriand'r]

I agree with the last part, Rucka has given her a solid base to build on by reintroducing old villains and supporting cast who might as well have been kept but I really dont agree with the first part about fans being too vocal. I think her fans have saved her from those disasters if anything. Granted I'm not against change and I welcome change because I think all these heroes could use a bit of modernizing but what happened to her during most of those times weren't changes, except Heinberg's and Amazon Attack if i remember it correctly, the others just totally changed everything about her mythology for something totally different.

I think the problem is that some writers get too entitled or at least those who just aren't big fans of her and they don't look at her the same way they do other characters where they just want to put their own spin on things and hopefully tell a decent or good story but a lot of times people feel the need to "correct" her by making her world entirely different and then are shocked when fans are mad that they totally disregarded everything. This is why Perez, Rucka, Simone, and Jiminez are well liked because they didn't do that even if they might have given a mediocre story or two in their runs the fact that they didn't feel the need to bulldoze over everything is appreciated. It only gets worse because they also all gave some good things to work with but so many writers just dropped everything they were doing which wouldn't be wrong if they did want to tell a specific story that had nothing to do with what happened before but there has to be a better way besides making key parts of the character not exist anymore

You named the 4 writers who've done the most with continuity and that's all I really want.

[Pinsir]

Has it ever occurred to anyone else that whatever story line Wonder Woman has, she ALWAYS goes back to square 1? I think that's what JMS meant by her being a Ferrari DC is afraid to drive. We all know she's durable, she's survived Azzarello, Flashpoint, JMS' Odyssey, Amazons Attack, Heinberg's relaunch, blindness, the loss of her title and royal station, Crisis, the loss of her powers, Kanigher, et cetera yet she's still Wonder Woman and the world's greatest superheroine

Think of the rich lore Batman writers have to draw on, that Wonder Woman writers can't touch because of all the relaunches and revamps. It would be different if she was allowed to keep some of her continuity but that's always thrown out too. Much of it is DC's fault because of their ever changing universe but some of the blame is on us, her very vocal fans. Any time someone tries something different we go to our battle stations and attack. That's not to say we're wrong, we know Wonder Woman better than the company that produces her and some of the writers who tell her stories.

All I'm saying is now that Greg Rucka has strengthened her foundation and reaffirmed her world and ideals we allow the next writer to actually go forward a few issues before we demand they take three steps back. No comic book fans like change, but we shouldn't be afraid of growth. Instead of making Wonder Woman constantly tread water we should let her take a few laps around the pool. It's evident she won't drown, but if she does happen to sink a little then we can throw her a life jacket.

That's why I say it strikes me as being very modern. You don't even have to look at revamps; almost every run has a different cast, location, villians, aesthetic, etc.. William Messner-Loebs differs from George Perez, whom differs from John Byrne, whom differs from Jiminez, etc...I don't see any reason why Rucka's current adaptation is going to 'stick.' When DC does there next reboot you'll likely get something else.

The closest parallel to the 'Mod' run though is William Messner-Loebs' work; a Wonder Woman seperated from her home island, that works a job, whose stories often centre around the neighborhood block she resides in.

[My Two Cents]

I voted mix feelings because I was to young when the comic originally came out.
Reading them years later in back issues and than trades allowed me to have my cake,
still getting to read new comics with Wonder Woman fully powered and in costume while
also slotting in a few stories of Diana Peel
I may have felt different if I actually read them off the comic rack and so because of that
voted mixed.

[ed2962]

I have not read it, but feel that I really should.

[SteveGus]

The best thing about it was the great artists at the height of their powers. The stories are at best tolerable, and work at the level of Diana Prince's work as a secret agent for the IADC. You only wish she was Wonder Woman once in a while.