The Definitive Wonder Woman
Last night I happened to come across this article by MightyGodKing. (Take your time and read it; I'll still be here when you get back.) As a longtime DC Comics reader and fan of Wonder Woman, it raised my hackles.
His main point is that there is no "definitive" Wonder Woman due to all her writers taking different stances on her and discarding everything that had gone before to meet their vision of Diana. Apparently "definitive" means "simple enough for a movie," which, okay, fair enough. I'll get to that in a minute.
MGK also breached the issue of Diana's Rogues' Gallery and supporting cast, citing Steve Trevor and Etta Candy as having no prominent or definitive roles. The thing is, Steve and Etta do have very important roles in Diana's life, something MGK failed to take into consideration. They are her friends. Not co-workers or love interests (well, not Steve post-Crisis anyway [NO I DO NOT COUNT THE REBOOT THAT ENTIRE UNIVERSE WAS A MISSTEP I WILL RANT ABOUT IT LATER]) or police commissioners or cub reporters. Steve and Etta are genuine friends, comrades-in-arms on rare occasions, but they keep Diana grounded. They give her someone to unburden herself to, to share her feelings with, to take joy in Diana's happiness and share in her sorrows, to rejoice in her triumphs and to guide her through her defeats. Steve and Etta are the "relatable everymen," if we must have such a role in a movie or even a comic. Of my 25+ years reading Wonder Woman, the only two writers I've seen acknowledge Steve and Etta in this way are George Perez and Gail Simone. Both times felt right.
As far as the villains, MGK says "I think Ares ends up being Diana’s archenemy by default mostly because he’s always been the most powerful, but there is no definitive Ares/Wonder Woman story" and I very nearly choked on that. Sir, have you read the first six issues of post-Crisis Wonder Woman? That was the definitive Wonder Woman/Ares story. It's even been collected in trade paperback.
And now we get to the potential for a movie. Why not simply translate that first arc to film? Let me pitch this: Ares, God Of War, has become too powerful due to the warring and strife of the modern world. The other gods must select a champion to defeat him without killing him. On Themiscyra, they answer Queen Hippolyta's prayer for a child. Born of clay, gifted with the powers of the Greek Pantheon, Diana is raised on Themiscyra, destined to be the champion of the Gods and her people.
Diana is the finest warrior in the world and will do what must be done when there is no other option available, but in order to truly combat war and the God Of War, she must be first an ambassador of peace. You cannot weaken War Himself without teaching mankind the ways of peace. And THAT is Diana's mission. The immediate threat is of course to turn Ares away from consuming the world in ultimate war. She can do this in the same manner as the comic - bind him in the Lasso of Truth and use its power to show him the end result of his madness: with the world ended, Ares would reign triumphant, but then he too would crumble into nothingness, for there can be no god without his followers. And thus he charges her to save mankind from itself.
HOW IS THAT NOT REALLY FUCKING COOL. Unlike the recent Batman and Superman movies, Wonder Woman can be distilled into an ultimate message of hope. That you don't have to give in to darkness and destruction. That there is a better way of life, to be kind to your brothers and sisters. It's pure paganism on the surface but practically preaching real Christian beliefs. Explore the world, learn about one another, erase our differences, treat others with compassion and there will be no horrors of war.
Maybe that's the real problem. In a world where Batman fights a never-ending battle and Superman kills people and ruins cities, Hollywood doesn't see the need for a call for peace when war is far more profitable.
The world needs a wonder.
His main point is that there is no "definitive" Wonder Woman due to all her writers taking different stances on her and discarding everything that had gone before to meet their vision of Diana. Apparently "definitive" means "simple enough for a movie," which, okay, fair enough. I'll get to that in a minute.
MGK also breached the issue of Diana's Rogues' Gallery and supporting cast, citing Steve Trevor and Etta Candy as having no prominent or definitive roles. The thing is, Steve and Etta do have very important roles in Diana's life, something MGK failed to take into consideration. They are her friends. Not co-workers or love interests (well, not Steve post-Crisis anyway [NO I DO NOT COUNT THE REBOOT THAT ENTIRE UNIVERSE WAS A MISSTEP I WILL RANT ABOUT IT LATER]) or police commissioners or cub reporters. Steve and Etta are genuine friends, comrades-in-arms on rare occasions, but they keep Diana grounded. They give her someone to unburden herself to, to share her feelings with, to take joy in Diana's happiness and share in her sorrows, to rejoice in her triumphs and to guide her through her defeats. Steve and Etta are the "relatable everymen," if we must have such a role in a movie or even a comic. Of my 25+ years reading Wonder Woman, the only two writers I've seen acknowledge Steve and Etta in this way are George Perez and Gail Simone. Both times felt right.
As far as the villains, MGK says "I think Ares ends up being Diana’s archenemy by default mostly because he’s always been the most powerful, but there is no definitive Ares/Wonder Woman story" and I very nearly choked on that. Sir, have you read the first six issues of post-Crisis Wonder Woman? That was the definitive Wonder Woman/Ares story. It's even been collected in trade paperback.
And now we get to the potential for a movie. Why not simply translate that first arc to film? Let me pitch this: Ares, God Of War, has become too powerful due to the warring and strife of the modern world. The other gods must select a champion to defeat him without killing him. On Themiscyra, they answer Queen Hippolyta's prayer for a child. Born of clay, gifted with the powers of the Greek Pantheon, Diana is raised on Themiscyra, destined to be the champion of the Gods and her people.
Diana is the finest warrior in the world and will do what must be done when there is no other option available, but in order to truly combat war and the God Of War, she must be first an ambassador of peace. You cannot weaken War Himself without teaching mankind the ways of peace. And THAT is Diana's mission. The immediate threat is of course to turn Ares away from consuming the world in ultimate war. She can do this in the same manner as the comic - bind him in the Lasso of Truth and use its power to show him the end result of his madness: with the world ended, Ares would reign triumphant, but then he too would crumble into nothingness, for there can be no god without his followers. And thus he charges her to save mankind from itself.
HOW IS THAT NOT REALLY FUCKING COOL. Unlike the recent Batman and Superman movies, Wonder Woman can be distilled into an ultimate message of hope. That you don't have to give in to darkness and destruction. That there is a better way of life, to be kind to your brothers and sisters. It's pure paganism on the surface but practically preaching real Christian beliefs. Explore the world, learn about one another, erase our differences, treat others with compassion and there will be no horrors of war.
Maybe that's the real problem. In a world where Batman fights a never-ending battle and Superman kills people and ruins cities, Hollywood doesn't see the need for a call for peace when war is far more profitable.
The world needs a wonder.