Wonder Woman takes on evil and corruption...and bakes pies!

Women, ugh. Amiright?

That's what beginning iterations of Wonder Woman comics teach us. However, I wonder how effectively the message was absorbed because if you ask someone today they are all: Wonder Woman kicks butt!

They don't say: Wonder Woman did it all for love and her main fighting tactic isn't the truth lasso, it is her ability to act like a weak woman!

My hero!

Oh, and racism. Can't forget the racism.

General thought seems to say WW left her Amazonian utopia to help save people.

She actually does it to follow the man she loves (the only man she has ever seen, which seems like moving to Oregon to live with granola bars and then coming across chocolate...awkward).

Onto the action plot: operation save the world.

Now, I understand the yay USA, boo Nazis slant the first year of WW. It was during World War II. I get it. However, the propaganda is painted with such a wide brush that when the villains lose, they are always like: those pesky Americans are so courageous and loyal and determined, we can't defeat them!

That's like at a job interview, listing your main downfall as working too hard...

At least you get to see WW punch a lot of people. That is nice. But before the punching you have to make it through WW playing the role of weak woman AKA normal woman:



Also, just in case any one gets a big head with truth lasso's and bullet dodging cuffs and saving the day, let's all remember that - as women - our main concern is catching a man!


Looking back over the first year of Wonder Woman, I'm struck by the stereotypes, the racist portrayal of anyone who isn't a white American, and story lines the reinforce the fortitude of Americans - but also - Wonder Woman is NOT American. We all know that, right?

Wonder Woman is a patriotic immigrant, just trying to make her way in a new country.

She's just an amazingly strong girl standing in front of a boy with a weird angel complex, telling him she loves him.

Comic books 101

I've been sucked into comic books.

And I don't mean graphic novels. I mean straight up Wonder Woman, Batman, and X-Men (I don't really care about Superman).

After a painful reading of a new Wonder Woman saga, I knew I needed to find someone who knew what they were talking about (not me), so it wouldn't happen again.

And so, on a lovely Sunday morning, I popped into my local comic book store.

And then, my lovely female guide took me on a trip around the store and through series after series.

You know I took notes.

First, I asked for her favorites.

She led me to Batman: Year One, which I ended up buying. There was some talk of Year One being the gritty new Batman we know and love. We even discussed how the Bat is a big moody-pants.

I said blech to Superman and so she showed me Invincible which is about Superman's son and involves Superman being kind of evil. Son vs. father? Sounds a lot like The Runaways to me. Which she has read, and I started to fall in love with her because she didn't hate on my for having a guilty pleasure read which involves raptors.

She told me I have to read the Sandman series. Which, okay, Gaiman is cool, but it looked a little violent for my liking.

Also on my if-y pile was The Goon. I'm just wondering if I care about "skunk-apes," although I'm definitely on board with mad scientists.

We discussed Skim (loved it), and Asterios Polyp (she loved it, I wanted to love it but didn't), Joss Whedon (Buffy creator), and on and on into comic bliss.

Then we perused Y: The Last Man where there is only one male mammal left on the planet. Oh snap. My comic instructor let me know that it isn't man hating at all, it's an examination of what it would be like. I've tried reading The Last Man, but can never find the beginning of the series at the library.

We were getting into my territory: gender issues.

Which brings us to Wonder Woman and her truth lasso.

I said I was interested in taking a look at WW historically. You know, back in the day when it was all: Wonder Woman, get in the kitchen and save the world!

To keep me from getting righteously angry at history, my guide veered me toward Alan Moore's Promethea series (a retelling of the WW story, only not patronizing). I would have bought it on the spot, but was persuaded to use the library (as the first of the collection wasn't in the store).

I went to the library today and checked out books 1-4.

Happy.

I might start hanging out at the comic book store.

Before I head to Comic-Con, I need to read more. First up, the other half of my book club duo and I are going to read both original WW comics and Promethea (to cleanse the gender palate).

Bring it on Amazons.

Get in the wallpaper and fix me a sandwich

Dear Hark, a vagrant:

You've made my Friday.

xoxo

"It dwells in my mind so!"
Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Great hera...picoult takes on wonder woman

A few weeks ago, I picked up a Wonder Woman comic. I didn't look at the author, as I was transfixed by her...bracelets.

Fast forward to me heading out to the bus one morning. I'm barely awake. I need a book. I look through my stack and select Wonder Woman: Love and Murder. And what do I see taking up 1/3 of the cover...but Jodi Picoult's name. In my sleepy stupor I thought...it can't be. Surely there is another Jodi. And yet I still threw the poor book away from me like it was lava, or My Sister's Keeper.

Weeks later, I've now read it. I'm really trying to hold back my cynicism for Ms. Picoult due to several factors. 1. I've never read any Wonder Woman, so I really have no basis to judge this Wonder Woman. 2. Perhaps her gigantically noted authorship will cause more people to hear Wonder Woman's story. 3. Wonder Woman is "as beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Mercury." Who could mess that up?

And yet.

Ms. Picoult attempts to assuage fear of her name being attached to such an iconic symbol of womanhood and power and justice and kind of answers questions like: who do you think you are and what have you done with Wonder Woman and why hasn't she lassoed you?


Of course, this is half DC Comics' fault. They approached her. She was wary, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to "flex" her "comedic muscles." Then she cited that she wanted to put her own spin on Wonder Woman (WW)...mainly if WW "continued to be the strongest, smartest female on this planet...but had some doubt in other areas of her life..."

I began to worry that this comic was going to be like an episode of Dr. Phil. Like, sure WW kicks it in battle, but can she do "real" woman stuff, like cook a roast? And who cares if she can get to the truth and save the world, why has she let her nail polish chip? And when will she find someone to love?

Blech. You know what's better than feelings and conforming to society? A freaking truth lasso, that's what.

So the story...
In previous episodes, WW had to save Superman and Batman from this evil guy who had turned them into evil robots or something. However, in order to do so she had to kill a human. That's a big no-no for WW and the Bat and Superman are kind of mad she didn't find another course of action.

So WW is wandering around, all emo, and not being WW...instead she is being an agent for the government...and attempting to act human. Which brings us to the "comedy" such as WW doesn't know how to pay for gas and WW doesn't have a credit card and WW doesn't understand how to use the subway. Ha ha ha isn't it so funny to see a super hero brought low cause she is super bummed about killing someone.

WW is going to need to step up soon, however, as evil Circe (I'm thinking that Circe) has resurrected WW's Amazon mom from the dead so that she will attack Earth since they are dissing WW by imprisoning her for killing that guy...which they did do, but only because Circe and some guy named Everyman were meddling and pretending to be people. Phew. So there is a huge battle. Which the story ends in the middle of.

Oh yeah, and a love story. Obviously. WW falls for her partner who is a wise cracking shape shifter guy (and p.s. flirts with anything that walks). There are a couple funny parts that reference former WW stuff, but then there are parts where people say things like: "Being dead makes you weird, darling. Just look at the Spice Girls, or Chicago Cubs fans."

That just feels awkward.

Aaand we're back to the whole "feelings" thing. I get it, WW is having an identity crisis cause she killed a person and the people she protects don't get her. Couldn't she just have a meal with Batman and talk through it? I don't need creepy voice-overs asking...who am I? like she's Derek Zoolander.

It doesn't help when Circe tries to tell her that the two most important parts of being human are love and murder. Say what, crazy?

Then there is the whole weird thing with her mom. Definite mommy issues and a communication breakdown. And in the end *SPOILER, WW gets all martyr-ish and gives her mom (who has just bombed out a city) a knife to kill her since the fight was about whether WW would kill her mom and now it is all turning of tables, ball's in your court mom...will you kill me?

Pretty much, I saw what the plot was trying to do. Integrate WW into society through love. Give her mom an opportunity for salvation. Deal with morality issues. But it fell short. I didn't get enough information on any facet to really feel anything.

Luckily, Picoult doesn't write the next installment. I really hope it gets things kicked off by someone punching WW's mom in the face and throwing her back to space, WW realizing the difference between love and adrenaline, and then showing the government who's boss (and oh yeah, stopping that nuclear weapon).

Then she can have dinner with Batman.

"Of all people, you know who I am...who the world needs me to be. I'm Wonder Woman."
a different WW who didn't need a pep talk (Infinite Crisis #1)