Ranking the Four Recent Wonder Woman Origin Stories

[WonderSpace]

1) I know, but most love it I think.

2) This (stupid) changes happen in the main canon books, it's a distraction, and it to often gives Diana inconsistent stories. I am talking about elseworld things.

Don't worry, I am not trying to force anyone to like it.

[Outside_85]

Where does Rucka's Rebirth run confirm that the Azzarello change is still definitely part of her back story? Can you name which issue number that was in?
As far as I could tell, Rucka ducked the issue and didn't either confirm it nor deny it. He just sort of passed it over without saying if that was "Truth" or part of the "Lies" (which was a bit annoying as far as I was concerned).

I would say it was still part of the story simply because Rucka does not actively replace it with anything else or make any kind of confirmation or suggestion that Zeus is out of the picture.

But he has made his part so open ended that DC could change it back to clay-birth with his origins if they wanted to... but as mentioned, it will be rather difficult after the whole thing with Jason is dealt with unless that part changes the whole thing.

[SeanT]

I liked Earth-One best. It took a lot of familiar themes from Wonder Woman and synthesized them into something new and fresh.

The True Amazon was a different take, but it was also new and fresh, and the artwork was amazing.

Rucka and DeLiz were just rehashes of stories we've already read with some extra doodads added in. Rucka was particularly disappointing. Plus, I'm not a big fan of Scott's artwork-- sometimes she made Diana look like a half-wit. At least DeLiz had beautiful art, but that story was slllloooooooowwwww and dull and Diana was a boring mope. However, I should mention i stopped reading around the time Diana was sitting around on Etta's couch and refusing to wash. I just had to bail.

[dishpan]

Wonder Woman: Earth 1 - Of the four, Marston's long awaited

Pinsir, I thought this was a great idea for a thread\poll and the format of your discussion was really well done, thanks for that.

I believe for Earth One you meant Morrison instead of Marston -- this was the only book of the four that I've read and I admit that while at first I didn't fully appreciate it (since I have not read any of her original Marston stories) it was after some interviews with Morrison where I began to get it more that I really liked it. I was all in on the art from the start though and am glad they are turning this into a trilogy with the same creative team.

From your rankings it sounds like the next one I should tackle is the True Amazon then?

Another recent release that might go along with this topic is Warbringer, has anyone read that?

https://smile.amazon.com/Wonder-Woma...s=wonder+woman

[adrikito]

Earth One WW.

[Awonder]

Hi everyone,

I am going to defend The true Amazon since everyone seem to hate it.
I don't think the story was ever intented has a conventionnal WW story, nor has how she should be done, I read it as an "elseword" or "what if" story.
I think Jill Thompson suceeded in that regard, it pushes the readers out of their comfort zone and offers a different perspective on the character.
And I think it's great, that's what I want from time to time, something fresh and outside the box, it makes me even more happy to go back to the more classical Diana.

It's sad imo that so many fans have rejected that story, look at "elseworld" stories like Superman Red Son, superman fans have embrace it, because it's an opportunity to expand the character's existence.

With that kind of stories you can explore many more facets of a character, and push the boundaries of what make them so great in the first place, I wish more Wonder Woman fans gave it at try.

I understand The True Amazon is an "Elseworld" story, and I'm fine with that. But, even in an Elseworld, I still want to like the character and enjoy the story. And it does start out very well. Diana's birth is beautiful. But, the story has problems, too.

A famous rule of writing is "show, don't tell." Thompson gives us page after page of Diana behaving badly, and all the Amazons are dumb enough to do nothing. Then, we get a line telling us that Diana has the charisma and charm to get away with it - but we aren't shown much of that charm. It's too heavy-handed, and often clumsy, in making Diana not very likable.

And the "fresh out of the box" you speak of is mostly borrowed from Spider-Man. Only Spider-Man does it better. The big twist is that Diana does something selfish that affects others negatively. Many are severely injured, and one is killed. Ok, I can work with that. But, yet again, the story has no subtlety, but instead beats the reader on the head with how horrible Diana's actions are and how nearly all the Amazons are forming at the mouth with revenge.

Her becoming a "hero" is a punishment. It strips the character of her own agency, because it isn't her choice. At least when Peter lets the criminal go that will go on to kill Uncle Ben, it is Peter that chooses to be Spider-Man. It's not Aunt May making him wear the costume out of shame and penance. Letting Diana learn the lesson and make her own choice to become a hero would have made the story much better, at least, for me.

[Sacred Knight]

I haven't read the first two, so I can't in good conscience vote. But between the latter two, Earth-One is better.

[Awonder]

I would say it was still part of the story simply because Rucka does not actively replace it with anything else or make any kind of confirmation or suggestion that Zeus is out of the picture.

But he has made his part so open ended that DC could change it back to clay-birth with his origins if they wanted to... but as mentioned, it will be rather difficult after the whole thing with Jason is dealt with unless that part changes the whole thing.

In a way, I quite like that Rucka didn't mention Zeus. Sure, I don't want Zeus as part of Diana's origin, but, too many retcons waste too much time telling you want isn't "real" anymore. As does the rest of Rucka's Rebirth. But, with Year One, I can just enjoy that story, as it is, for years to come, in part, because Zeus wasn't even important enough to mention.

I know it won't last. But, in my own little bubble, I have Year One. And it's wonderful.

[SiegePerilous02]

It is VERY close between Earth One and Year One. It all depends on if I'm in a Marston or Perez mood, because they are both the respective revamps of those ers. Earth One has the advantage of Amazon tech and a better Etta Candy, while Year One has the better Steve, Barbara as a main character, and was a breath of fresh air for the Amazons after the New 52. The artwork is great in both.

Legend comes in third. Still great, just not as good as the other two.

[Pinsir]

Hi everyone,

I am going to defend The true Amazon since everyone seem to hate it.
I don't think the story was ever intented has a conventionnal WW story, nor has how she should be done, I read it as an "elseword" or "what if" story.
I think Jill Thompson suceeded in that regard, it pushes the readers out of their comfort zone and offers a different perspective on the character.
And I think it's great, that's what I want from time to time, something fresh and outside the box, it makes me even more happy to go back to the more classical Diana.

It's sad imo that so many fans have rejected that story, look at "elseworld" stories like Superman Red Son, superman fans have embrace it, because it's an opportunity to expand the character's existence.

With that kind of stories you can explore many more facets of a character, and push the boundaries of what make them so great in the first place, I wish more Wonder Woman fans gave it at try.

The thing with The True Amazon is that it does have fans, though, they aren't a part of the traditional Wonder Woman fandom (so its a lot like the Azzarello run).

[CRaymond]

The thing with The True Amazon is that it does have fans, though, they aren't a part of the traditional Wonder Woman fandom (so its a lot like the Azzarello run).

What is the "traditional Wonder Woman fandom"?

[Pinsir]

What is the "traditional Wonder Woman fandom"?

People that have been reading WW consistently for years and tend favour stories written by the likes of Perez, Jimenez and Rucka.

[MajorHoy]

Haven't read Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, and not sure if I'll ever get around to buying that. (Maybe if I stumble across a copy in the library and the mood strikes me I'll try it.)
Haven't read Morrison's Wonder Woman: Earth One, and don't know if I even have any real interest in doing so. Then again, I haven't really had a desire to go out and buy any of the ________ Earth One vanity graphic novels.
Did buy the Rebirth run by Rucka and, in general, liked that. And I read a copy of Renae de Liz's The Legend of Wonder Woman I got from a library and enjoyed that, especially when it was dealing with Wonder Woman in "man's world" during the WWII era.

[Bound4olympus]

The thing with The True Amazon is that it does have fans, though, they aren't a part of the traditional Wonder Woman fandom (so its a lot like the Azzarello run).

Traditional? What tradition? I hated Perez, was bored to tears by both Rucka runs, and loved Azzarellos take on Wonder Woman. ive been a Wonder Woman fan since childhood, she is the first comic I bought back in 1995, and the only book I've bought every month since I started. Don't delegitimize other people's opinions using statements like that. You are no more a fan of the character than anyone else. You do not hold some special place in Wonder Woman fandom. None of you do. George Perez did not create Wonder Woman. He contributed to the mythos but that is it. People on these boards have been reading Wonder Woman for 30+ and seem to think that because they still use message boards and collectively have similar opinions that they somehow represent true Wonder Woman fandom. It's untrue. Anyone who feels inspired by a Wonder Woman story, whatever story that might be has just as much of a right to call themselves a fan as anyone else.

[Bound4olympus]

As for the topic at hand, I voted for Legend. I thought it was the most compelling and imaginative story. Very relatable. Swing Diana as a child and a teen, seeing her angst, failure, determination and eventual triumphs was awesome. I really wish we could have seen more. Instead we get a second earth 1 Wonder Woman which I didn't really care for. I'm looking forward to whatever retcon comes next that will explain Wonder woman's actual origin and powers since Rucka obviously wasn't interested in telling that story the way Dc wanted him to.his run was a major let down and I'm slightly offended that when he didn't get his way over the book schedule he just decided to stop trying.