Comments | spookyhandle: Our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power.

spookyhandle

Our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power.

Jul 05, 2009 12:20

--Wonder Woman creator, William Moulton Marston

While poking around the internet I ran across this article about all the ways in which Wonder Woman fails to be a great superhero. It points to a similar article which is only worth reading if you really have it out for Wonder Woman--most of its examples of why Wonder Woman sucks are from the Golden ( Read more... )

geekiness, comics, public

Comments 8

(The comment has been removed)

spookyhandle July 6 2009, 14:48:55 UTC

I think all comic books featured superheroes fighting nazis during WWII. I think the main trouble is that Wonder Woman debuted in 1941 and never had a chance to build up a stock of super villains to fall back on after the war. And yeah. I have no idea who Lynda Carter fought, either.

She is, in many ways, a feminine version of Superman. She is--as you pointed out--super strong, effectively bullet proof due to her bracers, and a decade or two ago, comic writers retconned it so that she no longer needs her jet and simply flies of her own volition. Even her costume and general theme of truth and justice is very Supes.

What she's really got going for her is her magic lasso, and her mythological roots. I'm not sure how, exactly, but if they could bring the Greek myths into her stories more, I think she could really work as a modern-day Superman/Xena hybrid.

whodini July 5 2009, 19:48:17 UTC

Have you seen the recent Wonder Woman animated movie? http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Woman-Two-Disc-Special-Digital/dp/B001LK8SQ6

It kicks some serious ass! The plot is totally believable, as believable as any superhero plot is, and they use Areas as the villain. Its setup really well and is just an overall fun movie to watch.

spookyhandle July 6 2009, 14:50:08 UTC

I'd heard of it, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I'm strangely turned off by the idea of Kerri Russel as Wonder Woman's voice, though. Even so, I've heard enough good things about it that I'm sure I'll check it out.

classytart July 5 2009, 22:17:17 UTC

Anything that doesn't leave her fishing her costume out of her vag every time she kicks, is what I'm suggesting here.

That is my favourite sentence of the day.

I feel I should know more about Wonder Woman. I mean, I can pick her out in a crowd, and am as pleased as anyone when I see Lynda carter in stuff (especially Sky High, where she was principal of the super hero school), but that's basically all I know.

I have no idea who Steve Trevor is.

spookyhandle July 6 2009, 14:53:40 UTC

That is my favourite sentence of the day.

Glad I can entertain. :)

I feel I should know more about Wonder Woman.

Well, that's it exactly. Most people know her as that star-spangled chick who hangs out with Superman and Batman a lot. Maybe they have some recollections of her Lasso of Truth and Lynda Carter, but aside from comic book geeks, most people don't know much about her at all.

I have no idea who Steve Trevor is.

Imagine if Lois Lane was blonde, had boy parts and was somehow even more annoying.

princodark July 6 2009, 01:22:45 UTC

I will admit to not ever being a big fan of Wonder Woman...but then I was never a big fan of any of DC's "big three" (that being WW, Bats, and Supes). On the other hand what I've seen of her character in comics in recent years has been a very strong representation, much less cheesy, and much more open to having legitimate character flaws. Her costume is good, but I suppose it could do with a little improvement ( ... )

spookyhandle July 6 2009, 15:00:31 UTC

I think Diana/WW is a great character. But she's never been as big as Superman and Batman (no matter what DC tries to tell us), and I think a lot of that has to do with what I've said above.

Regarding her costume... it's not that her costume is any more revealing or ridiculous than most comic book heroines'. It's just that she started out (and is generally still written, if not drawn) as this great role model of feminine strength and beauty. I look at her next the revamped Catwoman (who is also a strong, but-still-sexual female figure in DC) and of the two, it's WW that makes me roll my eyes and think about the old stereotype of male comic artists who never got laid. Ever. There's just something wrong about that, you know?

elmo_iscariot July 7 2009, 14:00:10 UTC

...most of its examples of why Wonder Woman sucks are from the Golden Age...I've yet to find a Golden Age comic that wasn't painful to read.

But--and I don't think I can stress this enough--women got tied up and spanked _constantly_.

I _love_ Golden Age Wonder Woman books. One day, I'm gonna collect all the Archive Editions. ;)