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I was drawing a total blank...I had nothing in mind for this month and was on the verge of passing this time around, but then I read the article on Newsarama about the new version of Wonder Woman.
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/jms-talks-wonder-woman-100629.html
Now, I'm not Wonder Woman's biggest fan, but Holy Ill-Conceived Ideas, Batman, this sounds bad. While I totally agree that Diana is in need of a costume update, Jim Lee's design makes her look like she's a high school girl sneaking out to an after-hours club in a bad neighborhood.
Now, I usually focus on the visuals, but in this case, we're mostly talking about the writer's ideas and I have to say, not one thing I read makes me want to read the book. J. Michael Straczynski has shown himself to be a good comic writer with his Ultimate Power series and other work, but I have to say, he's completely missed the mark with Wonder Woman.
According to this interview, she's Superman with breasts. The last Daughter of Themiscyra, sent to man's world with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal girls. For some reason, she's raised in New York. I guess, in the DC Universe, all orphans are processed through New York City, just in case one has super-powers. So, instead of learning music, philosophy and Amazon martial skills, she grew up in concrete and exhaust fumes, learning how to avoid getting stabbed in the restroom at some decaying public school. Considering the time frame in which she would have been raised, fake self-esteem building was more important than, say, learning to read, write or think.
Everything that was unique about Wonder Woman, stripped away. Sure, there are hints of her former world woven in, tidbits, morsels, dangling the possibility that it can all be resurrected, if only the right combination of elements can be corrected.
I have great respect for J. Michael Straczynski, but this time, I think the guy has lost it. I think the "Everything You Know is a Lie" trope has been overdone in comics and genre fiction to the point where it's just another tired cliche. I predict a "Thank God, it was all just a dream" sometime in the not-too-distant future.
As for the "costume", this is more like clothes, than costume. There's nothing at all iconic about it and we're talking about a character who is one of the Trinity, one of only three super-heroes whose title survived from the Golden Age through the Silver. If there's a more iconic female character, I can't think of her.
A super-heroes costume is not simply a utilitarian garment or a fashion statement. It's a symbol. It's artistic shorthand, among other things. From artist to artist, the character's face may change, somewhat, but the costume provides continuity. Of course, it's also a marketing thing, but I usually avoid thinking about that kind of thing. At least, as a primary concern.
Within the context of the story, it's even more important. When a demigod comes drifting down out of the heavens, with the power to shift continents, it helps if you can recognize he's one of the good guys. The costume is what does that. It tells people who've never met you, who you are. It's branding, at it's very essence. When you see Superman's "S" shield, it says, "here's someone you can trust, this is a brand you can rely on," in a way that is simple and clear.
Yes, super-hero costumes are goofy. Yes, they're impractical. Yes, it would be impossible for Wonder Woman to fight in a metal corset. But, this ain't the real world and we don't need it to be possible. We need it to be convincing. As long as artists show her boobs remaining confined, they will. And, yes, I think the artists who drew her costume with high-rise star-spangled panties really did a disservice to the character.
Another purpose of the costume, in context, is misdirection. Seeing Wonder Woman, or any super-hero, in their bright costumes, it's that much harder to imagine them in street clothes, having secret identities. The secret ID has been pretty thoroughly trashed, as a concept, in recent years. Particularly, Hollywood seems to think secret identities are a waste of time. But, if the character has a secret ID, the costume is even more important, it must make it difficult to make the connection between the hero and the guy in the glasses. It's hard to imagine someone who's larger-than-life squeezing herself into some off-the-rack outfit.
So, with that being said, I had to take another shot at designing a Wonder Woman costume. I've done it a couple of times in this column. I've tried the "Ultimates" route, with leather, and I've done the Xena-style costume, but this time I'm trying to come up with something better than Lee's design...something I like better, anyway. Sadly, most of my designs, today have come out looking like alternate Wonder Girl costumes, or Wonder Woman as a character from American Gladiators, or something. So, as I often do, I went back to basics. I kept the simple arm bands, because they're symbolic of the Amazons' former slavery. I went back to the eagle-emblazoned corset/bustier thing, only keeping the Double-W emblem on the girdle. Since the dark blue tights are part of the requirements, I kept them, but added three stars on each hip.
In Lee's design, it's hard to see that there are some kind of boots, or leg guards on her lower legs and what looks like a hint of knee pad.
I think Wonder Woman needs some kind of obvious boot or shoe. In my case, I like boots for her. I designed these boots to invoke her old boots, but turned the point to the outside of the leg and have them lace up on the inside. I simplified the tiara even further, making it a simple strap with the red star centered on it.
So, that's me taking a stab at Wonder Woman...again! Maybe DC will want to use it after the new version flops. I know I won't be out there buying the book.
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Copyright © 2010 Joe Singleton
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