Steve Orlando Wonder Woman Interview

[SonOfBaldwin]

"Wonder Woman is a book about a character who is, in her core, subversive. And that’s because in her core she believes in love, as you saw in the movie and seen in other runs. But that idea is always gonna be radical."

http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...-wonder-woman/

[kjn]

Nice interview. In a way, I feel both less and more trepidation about Orlando's upcoming run.

Less, because he seems to have some strong ideas on what he wants to accomplish and how. And emphasising on the twin themes of love and compassion, and how they act out in the world of superheroes and become radical stances.

More, and that is partly out of things that he mentions, but also the things he doesn't mention. The first is a quote about his story about Martian Manhunter:

And the way you do that, and the north star for us, is to give him a story that’s so intensely personal and full of such tragedy, and thus such personal triumph when he overcomes, that we see how he got this wealth of experience, who he is as a person, where yes even Superman and even Batman and Wonder Woman can look and say whatever I’m going through, J’onn understands because he’s been through it—been through things that are twice as f*ckin’ bad and he’s overcome them.

Reading this, I get the sense that Orlando doesn't get empathy, or rather he conflates empathy with experience. People being put through the wringer do not necessarily come out understanding of others after the fact. Though I might be worried for nothing here.

The second thing is that he doesn't mention feminism at all. Normally, I wouldn't be worried, but it ties back to Chi-Hippolyta in #73. She was most decidedly depicted as a person without compassion, fitting with Orlando's starting thesis, but the most important way in which this was depicted was in her choice to not have a child. Thus I'm worried that without the framework of feminism to give at least some guide, his run will get some misogynistic themes. Certainly not as bad as Azzarello or Morrison, but enough to show up at times and give a really sour aftertaste to a good story.

[Agent Z]

I've said before that people using "love" as a motivation for Diana don't really understand what love really means and Orlando doesn't give me much confidence he does either.

[Dr. Poison]

Thanks for sharing! I'm really looking forward to Orlando taking over writing duties on this book!

[SonOfBaldwin]

The second thing is that he doesn't mention feminism at all. Normally, I wouldn't be worried, but it ties back to Chi-Hippolyta in #73. She was most decidedly depicted as a person without compassion, fitting with Orlando's starting thesis, but the most important way in which this was depicted was in her choice to not have a child. Thus I'm worried that without the framework of feminism to give at least some guide, his run will get some misogynistic themes. Certainly not as bad as Azzarello or Morrison, but enough to show up at times and give a really sour aftertaste to a good story.

After having read a lot of Orlando's work, I find that there are some glaring racial and gender issues, harmful pathologies being perpetuated, that he could correct if he were open, listening, and willing to be educated.

[kjn]

After having read a lot of Orlando's work, I find that there are some glaring racial and gender issues, harmful pathologies being perpetuated, that he could correct if he were open, listening, and willing to be educated.

I haven't read a lot of Orlando, but yes, I did find his depiction of the Bana in #54 and #55 to be rather problematic in its approach to race and culture. Too bad it seems to be an on-going issue for him.