Wonder Woman Controversial Opinions Part 2

[Vordan]

The problem with fake cities is that you need multiple writers developing the city’s locations, AND their successor writers honoring what came before. Gotham has this with places like Arkham Asylum, Ace Chemicals, the Iceberg Lounge, GCPD HQ, etc. It also has a very unifying theme of being very noir, Gothic, and run down. It makes the location feel alive in a way that no where else in the DCU does.

The only place that comes close is Metropolis, but the problem is not enough writers have built on what came before in regards to Metropolis. Other than the Daily Planet and the LexCorp HQ, there’s not really consistently reoccurring landmarks. Ace of Clubs bar should definitely be showing up more for example. And Metropolis is often drawn as a boring generic city that doesn’t at all live up to its title of the “City of Tomorrow”, but that’s on the artists for not putting in more effort.

Wanting Diana to have her own City is understandable, but unless effort is made to give that City an identity of its own with recognizable landmarks, something that requires multiple writers building on what came before rather than tossing everything out at the start of their run, you’re better off just picking a real City. Billy Batson for example has lost nothing from moving to Philadelphia from “Fawcett City”. Flash’s Central City could be Detroit and it would basically be the same. When was the last time GL showed up in Coast City in any meaningful way? Atlantis is usually the focus of Aquaman so it has that going for it at least. You could even have a real City get the nickname “Gateway” just like how in GA Rebirth, Seattle temporarily was renamed “Star City”.

[Lex Luthor]

The problem with fake cities is that you need multiple writers developing the city’s locations, AND their successor writers honoring what came before. Gotham has this with places like Arkham Asylum, Ace Chemicals, the Iceberg Lounge, GCPD HQ, etc. It also has a very unifying theme of being very noir, Gothic, and run down. It makes the location feel alive in a way that no where else in the DCU does.

The only place that comes close is Metropolis, but the problem is not enough writers have built on what came before in regards to Metropolis. Other than the Daily Planet and the LexCorp HQ, there’s not really consistently reoccurring landmarks. Ace of Clubs bar should definitely be showing up more for example. And Metropolis is often drawn as a boring generic city that doesn’t at all live up to its title of the “City of Tomorrow”, but that’s on the artists for not putting in more effort.

Wanting Diana to have her own City is understandable, but unless effort is made to give that City an identity of its own with recognizable landmarks, something that requires multiple writers building on what came before rather than tossing everything out at the start of their run, you’re better off just picking a real City. Billy Batson for example has lost nothing from moving to Philadelphia from “Fawcett City”. Flash’s Central City could be Detroit and it would basically be the same. When was the last time GL showed up in Coast City in any meaningful way? Atlantis is usually the focus of Aquaman so it has that going for it at least. You could even have a real City get the nickname “Gateway” just like how in GA Rebirth, Seattle temporarily was renamed “Star City”.

I honestly can't think of very much that would be in a city for her that can be made iconic besides maybe a military base or the college. She would probably have a few iconic spots around the world where her villains live like that jungle Cheetah was in the first issues of Rebirth.

[Mel Dyer]

All of the above, from the last three posts! Great case being made for the creation of Diana's iconic city...let me add something.

Wonder Woman wasn't made to sit still. Like Flash Gordon, Hawkman, Wolverine and Lara Croft, she was created for adventure, in strange, faraway places. If writers aren't going to tell those kinds of WW stories, they almost have to set her in some kind of regular, recurring situation, ..like a city (Gotham), organization (S.H.I.E.L.D.) or community of characters (the Olympian family). If the recurring situation isn't going to be constant adventure, what reason is there for her to ever leave Paradise Island?

What is her mission? She's got to be connected or committed to something. Maybe, that could be an iconic city, ..sometimes.

[marhawkman]

In my Wonder Woman Series Bible Thingee, I have a previous champion of the Amazons in their lineage (but not as an emissary to Man's World) and it's been a great way to include a character from the Wonder mythos.

When watching the old Superfriends episode where Cheetah interrupts the process of selecting who would become WW, as a kid unfamiliar with comics in general, I got the impression that WW was a title and not a personal identity. Which.... is sort of true? Diana had to EARN her status as champion of Themiscyra. (depending on the version of events it may not have been a major feat, but even so it was earned.) So the idea that in a previous time period someone other than Diana was the champion of Themiscyra works. The only issue is if the position was new and thus there is no previous holder of the title.

[Mel Dyer]

When watching the old Superfriends episode where Cheetah interrupts the process of selecting who would become WW, as a kid unfamiliar with comics in general, I got the impression that WW was a title and not a personal identity. Which.... is sort of true? Diana had to EARN her status as champion of Themiscyra. (depending on the version of events it may not have been a major feat, but even so it was earned.) So the idea that in a previous time period someone other than Diana was the champion of Themiscyra works. The only issue is if the position was new and thus there is no previous holder of the title.

Here's controversy...

I think Cheetah, if she's to be the arch-nemesis, works better, as an Amazon. Couldn't there have been an Amazon, named 'Minerva', who left the Island to pursue ambition in Man's World? Somehow, she gets to Africa and claims the power of the Cheetah to preserve her fleeting immortality and Amazon vitality. This could work.

Cheetah, as renegade Amazon...

[WonderScott]

The problem with fake cities is that you need multiple writers developing the city’s locations, AND their successor writers honoring what came before. Gotham has this with places like Arkham Asylum, Ace Chemicals, the Iceberg Lounge, GCPD HQ, etc. It also has a very unifying theme of being very noir, Gothic, and run down. It makes the location feel alive in a way that no where else in the DCU does.

The only place that comes close is Metropolis, but the problem is not enough writers have built on what came before in regards to Metropolis. Other than the Daily Planet and the LexCorp HQ, there’s not really consistently reoccurring landmarks. Ace of Clubs bar should definitely be showing up more for example. And Metropolis is often drawn as a boring generic city that doesn’t at all live up to its title of the “City of Tomorrow”, but that’s on the artists for not putting in more effort.

Wanting Diana to have her own City is understandable, but unless effort is made to give that City an identity of its own with recognizable landmarks, something that requires multiple writers building on what came before rather than tossing everything out at the start of their run, you’re better off just picking a real City. Billy Batson for example has lost nothing from moving to Philadelphia from “Fawcett City”. Flash’s Central City could be Detroit and it would basically be the same. When was the last time GL showed up in Coast City in any meaningful way? Atlantis is usually the focus of Aquaman so it has that going for it at least. You could even have a real City get the nickname “Gateway” just like how in GA Rebirth, Seattle temporarily was renamed “Star City”.

Absolutely this, but some writer and artist have to start somewhere with the “big idea” that other writers and writers will find tantalizingly interesting and versatile that it attracts them and their creativity. I say we shoot for the stars for Diana and show others what they haven’t considered or connected with her about before.

(And I agree that the state of Metropolis is lacking. I have many ideas of what Metropolis should be and contain and be about.)

[WonderScott]

All of the above, from the last three posts! Great case being made for the creation of Diana's iconic city...let me add something.

Wonder Woman wasn't made to sit still. Like Flash Gordon, Hawkman, Wolverine and Lara Croft, she was created for adventure, in strange, faraway places. If writers aren't going to tell those kinds of WW stories, they almost have to set her in some kind of regular, recurring situation, ..like a city (Gotham), organization (S.H.I.E.L.D.) or community of characters (the Olympian family). If the recurring situation isn't going to be constant adventure, what reason is there for her to ever leave Paradise Island?

What is her mission? She's got to be connected or committed to something. Maybe, that could be an iconic city, ..sometimes.

She’s absolutely an adventurer, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have a place among mortals to call home.

I love that Batman calls Gotham home, but is also a worldwide adventurer. And I’d cite the creation of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia, and the League of Assassins as cementing that.

By her nature, Diana’s always going to flung to the heights of Olympus and the depths of Hades and everywhere in between - and should be. And, it’s also interesting to think of what might have occurred in her city while she’s been gone and what surprises are in store for her when she returns. (Something many creators sadly never think to delve into when a character has an absence.)

[WonderScott]

When watching the old Superfriends episode where Cheetah interrupts the process of selecting who would become WW, as a kid unfamiliar with comics in general, I got the impression that WW was a title and not a personal identity. Which.... is sort of true? Diana had to EARN her status as champion of Themiscyra. (depending on the version of events it may not have been a major feat, but even so it was earned.) So the idea that in a previous time period someone other than Diana was the champion of Themiscyra works. The only issue is if the position was new and thus there is no previous holder of the title.

I kinda focus on the champion part and not the Wonder Woman part. Meaning there have been champions of the Amazons before, Hippolyta certainly among them, but perhaps for different things. Diana is obviously the greatest among them for many reasons, but before she was around there were other skilled Amazons called upon to prove their skill, smarts, and mettle - at least that helps me with my previous Amazon champion character.

I’m kinda Perezian in my thinking that Wonder Woman is a moniker given to her in Man’s World, not unlike Lois Lane coining Superman, IIRC.

[WonderScott]

Here's controversy...

I think Cheetah, if she's to be the arch-nemesis, works better, as an Amazon. Couldn't there have been an Amazon, named 'Minerva', who left the Island to pursue ambition in Man's World? Somehow, she gets to Africa and claims the power of the Cheetah to preserve her fleeting immortality and Amazon vitality. This could work.

Cheetah, as renegade Amazon...

Ooooooooo, that is cOnTrOvErSiAl.

Interesting thinking and I’m down with a potential Amazon baddie (although we kinda sorta have Grail), but for her arch-ness appeal, I kinda like that Barbara Minerva is a twisted juxtaposition to Diana. At least the Perez version is, in my minds eye.

[kjn]

Having everyone connected as relatives, as childhood friends, or having been recruited by someone else is just lazy storytelling, replacing writing actual relations between characters with simply declaring the relations.

[Mel Dyer]

She’s absolutely an adventurer, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have a place among mortals to call home.

I love that Batman calls Gotham home, but is also a worldwide adventurer. And I’d cite the creation of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia, and the League of Assassins as cementing that.

By her nature, Diana’s always going to flung to the heights of Olympus and the depths of Hades and everywhere in between - and should be. And, it’s also interesting to think of what might have occurred in her city while she’s been gone and what surprises are in store for her when she returns. (Something many creators sadly never think to delve into when a character has an absence.)

What is wrong with Rucka's stand-in for real-life Virginia Beach? Could this coastal locale be tweaked into your iconic city?

[AmiMizuno]

I’m curious when it comes to combat skills or martial arts how should Diana compare to others?

[Koriand'r]

What is wrong with Rucka's stand-in for real-life Virginia Beach? Could this coastal locale be tweaked into your iconic city?

I hope so, out of all the apartments, condos, brownstones and penthouses in which Diana has lived, I've liked the Wonder Dome, the embassy and her beach house the most. I think I like the beach house because it's circular and has a lot of windows, so it reminds me of the Wonder Dome. Make Gateway the closest major city and we're all set.

[phonogram12]

I’m curious when it comes to combat skills or martial arts how should Diana compare to others?

I am just going to say that Diana should be the most skilled super powered fighter.

[Falcon16]

Justice League: Doom... should've been Cyborg's contingency plan instead of Wonder Woman's... DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THIS ANY FURTHER... Dwayne McDuffie was the same ethnicity as Cyborg too... Cyborg shoulda been in trouble...