Watchtower Character Challenge Entry 04 - WONDER WOMAN
Further demonstrating that behind all those snorgles Kris hates my guts, she picks for my next character challenge of her characters the only other character of hers I've never played with! And guess what else? It's Wonder Woman! It's like trying to write a character analysis of Mary Magdalene - thanks, Kris!
But, in all seriousness, Wonder Woman is an icon of a character. Let's put aside the fact that her roots are firmly in B&D promotion (by the man who invented the lie detector, no less!). Let's put aside the fact that she's got a criminally forgettable rogue's gallery - Circe and Cheetah are the only ones with any staying power. Put aside the fact that she is made out of clay. Wonder Woman is one of the most beloved and revered characters in comics. She was one of the first woman superheroes, making it possible for ladies such as Supergirl, Catwoman, and Power Girl... actually, I probably shouldn't have mentioned Power Girl. Anyway, the point still stands: Wonder Woman is a Titan of a character, and those Amazonian shoes are difficult for any player to fill.
Kris, however, not only fills them, she does so with grace and aplomb. Knowing Kris as I do, though, I wouldn't expect any less.
Wonder Woman as Kris plays her is a firmly-true-to-the-roots character. She's an ambassador for the Amazons. So she's a unique combination of warrior and diplomat. She's spent some time here by now, though, and has gained skills she sorely needed early on. Not confidence - Diana has never and will never lack in that - but knowledge of how the world works, surely, knowledge of customs and cultures that prove invaluable to a woman in her position.
Diana's relationship with her fellow Trinity members is played superbly as well. Bruce's betrayal of the JLA during the Tower of Babel crisis has been forgiven, and the two have shared some tentative romantic moments, though Bruce is firmly married to Selina Kyle, and Wonder Woman herself is dating the Green Lantern John Stewart. Clark is, as ever, a man she would trust with her life, though supporters of the Kingdom Come-ending will be disappointed to know there are no romantic overtones. I, however, am quite content with that. DC itself has a distressing tendency to sometimes shove the Trinity into our faces if not down our throats altogether (Kingdom Come, I'm looking at you), and Kris gratefully avoids that. Wonder Woman is held up to her standard and given her due, without shoving more interesting heroines out of the spotlight.
Plans are definitely in the works for Wonder Woman, and as those plans involve my boy Prometheus (in an alliance with Circe, no less!), I'm understandably excited about them. What else would I like to see for Wonder Woman? Some development in the John Stewart relationship, perhaps. The guy's been out at Oa for months - that's longer than most military relationships last, and Diana strikes me as a type with her feet firmly planted on the ground, and expects those around her to be the same. Then there's Tom Tresser, a.k.a. Nemesis - a true badass of a human being, and one I would dearly like to see enter Diana's life at some point, in some capacity, in the future.
I'd also like to see more done with Wonder Woman's penultimate enemy, Ares. He's a character by turns cheered and scorned - sound familiar? In the right hands, Ares could be a beast, but for now his potential lies fallow. Wonder Woman sorely needs a good enemy or two - any hero is only as good as his or her villains - and right now, aside from Circe, Wonder Woman lacks that (Cheetah has been on hiatus, so she's left out of the equation altogether). With Tora exploring her divine roots, perhaps it is time for Wonder Woman to do the same?
Wonder Woman is a modern-legend yes, and in Kris's hands, the myth is equal to the reality. That deserves applause, folks.
But, in all seriousness, Wonder Woman is an icon of a character. Let's put aside the fact that her roots are firmly in B&D promotion (by the man who invented the lie detector, no less!). Let's put aside the fact that she's got a criminally forgettable rogue's gallery - Circe and Cheetah are the only ones with any staying power. Put aside the fact that she is made out of clay. Wonder Woman is one of the most beloved and revered characters in comics. She was one of the first woman superheroes, making it possible for ladies such as Supergirl, Catwoman, and Power Girl... actually, I probably shouldn't have mentioned Power Girl. Anyway, the point still stands: Wonder Woman is a Titan of a character, and those Amazonian shoes are difficult for any player to fill.
Kris, however, not only fills them, she does so with grace and aplomb. Knowing Kris as I do, though, I wouldn't expect any less.
Wonder Woman as Kris plays her is a firmly-true-to-the-roots character. She's an ambassador for the Amazons. So she's a unique combination of warrior and diplomat. She's spent some time here by now, though, and has gained skills she sorely needed early on. Not confidence - Diana has never and will never lack in that - but knowledge of how the world works, surely, knowledge of customs and cultures that prove invaluable to a woman in her position.
Diana's relationship with her fellow Trinity members is played superbly as well. Bruce's betrayal of the JLA during the Tower of Babel crisis has been forgiven, and the two have shared some tentative romantic moments, though Bruce is firmly married to Selina Kyle, and Wonder Woman herself is dating the Green Lantern John Stewart. Clark is, as ever, a man she would trust with her life, though supporters of the Kingdom Come-ending will be disappointed to know there are no romantic overtones. I, however, am quite content with that. DC itself has a distressing tendency to sometimes shove the Trinity into our faces if not down our throats altogether (Kingdom Come, I'm looking at you), and Kris gratefully avoids that. Wonder Woman is held up to her standard and given her due, without shoving more interesting heroines out of the spotlight.
Plans are definitely in the works for Wonder Woman, and as those plans involve my boy Prometheus (in an alliance with Circe, no less!), I'm understandably excited about them. What else would I like to see for Wonder Woman? Some development in the John Stewart relationship, perhaps. The guy's been out at Oa for months - that's longer than most military relationships last, and Diana strikes me as a type with her feet firmly planted on the ground, and expects those around her to be the same. Then there's Tom Tresser, a.k.a. Nemesis - a true badass of a human being, and one I would dearly like to see enter Diana's life at some point, in some capacity, in the future.
I'd also like to see more done with Wonder Woman's penultimate enemy, Ares. He's a character by turns cheered and scorned - sound familiar? In the right hands, Ares could be a beast, but for now his potential lies fallow. Wonder Woman sorely needs a good enemy or two - any hero is only as good as his or her villains - and right now, aside from Circe, Wonder Woman lacks that (Cheetah has been on hiatus, so she's left out of the equation altogether). With Tora exploring her divine roots, perhaps it is time for Wonder Woman to do the same?
Wonder Woman is a modern-legend yes, and in Kris's hands, the myth is equal to the reality. That deserves applause, folks.