Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wonder Woman Annual #7 (1998)



Wonder Woman was in a particularly bad mood as she used her bracelets to deflect a barrage of bullets from some thugs. Using her Lasso of Truth, she forced one of her would-be killers to see all at once the facts that added up to his life being worthless. Despite being entangled by an unbreakable rope and within feet of a woman with super-speed, he managed to shoot himself in the head before anyone could stop him. This same "heroine" perceives his blood floating through the air for six panels, and then spotted the ghost of her old friend Myndi Mayer begging "Save her... Save her..." before disappearing in a spectral haze. A page later, the dude's body was still falling with plasma on the breeze.

A figure of clay with life breathed into it by gods she knew personally, Princess Diana had difficulty understanding the compromise of faith that would lead a person to take their own life. Myndi Mayer had died from a drug overdose after serving Wonder Woman as an eager publicist and friend. Diana decided to fly back to her old stomping grounds in Boston to help Myndi's spirit find rest. Inspector Ed Indelicato was still there, mooning over the unattainable Wonder Woman that had captured his heart, five years without a date according to his partner, Lewis. Ed leapt at the chance to help Diana solve her mystery, but he had a case of his own needing her help. A new drug called Lethe was on the street that caused permanent amnesia, a respite many junkies longed for. One such user turned out to be Myndi's long lost little sister, Wendy.



Wendy Mayer was long on attitude and bleached hair, short on will to live. Ed called her garbage, and despite brutally humiliating suspects in order to locate Wendy, Diana took severe exception to that characterization. Wonder Woman dragged Indelicato off to scream a speech at him through gritted teeth about compassion, and then demonstrated an unhealthy lability by going on a crying jag one panel later. Ed questioned Wendy some more, and the pair found common ground. In fact, while driving to the den where Lethe was being produced, Wendy made a pass at Ed, who indelicately shut her down swiftly because of his hard-on for the Amazing Amazon.

Wonder Woman bullied her way into the den, only to find it defended by a pair of cyclopes in custom suits. A third brother had been killed long ago by Apollo, prompting Diana to threaten "Speak! I command it! Or there will only be one cyclops by the end of the day!" She also kicked one in the mouth so hard a pint of blood flew for feet across the page. Eventually, Diana and Ed found a big orb filled with green liquid and containing a sea creature denizen of the mythological river Lethe. After choking out one cyclops with her lasso, Diana bashed the other's head through the orb. Ed was so turned on that he finally propositioned Diana, who turned him down as blinded by her perfect external image without really knowing her.



The goddess Thalia then showed up, pissed that her plan to overcome the broad influence of her sister Meldomene's penchant for tragedy by eliminating painful memories was ruined by the Amazon. Wendy chose that exact moment to overdose on Lethe because a middle-aged cop with a cheesy mustache had snubbed her, which caused Ed to sob and curse Thalia for creating the type of tragedy she was supposed to be relieving. Thalia was all "Perhaps I must... rethink this" and split. Ed found new meaning and orifice inhabiting in life by taking custodianship over the amnesiac Wendy, victim of the world's most effective roofie, while a self-satisfied Wonder Woman flew off secure in the knowledge that it was a better fate for Wendy than herself.

"The Distance Gone" was by Eric Luke and Eric Battle with Ray McCarthy & Romeo Tanghal. I'd read Wonder Woman comics over the years, but only started buying monthly because I loved William Messner-Loebs' take on the character. Had I known what I was in for in following it after he left the title, that would have been the end for me as well. John Byrne's run was bland and filled with ill-considered alterations, but mostly harmless to anyone not named Donna Troy. His successor, Eric Luke, was where the irreversible rot set in. It had been so long since I reread any of his issues (I doubt I've cracked the cover of this annual in fourteen years,) that revisiting the book for this blog crossover was like the revelation of the specific carcinogen that took out your lungs.



Wonder Woman as a bitch on heels goes back to at least her confused take on the liberation movement when writers began ham-fistedly doling out personalities in Justice League of America. "Empowerment" somehow translated into slapping Superman over imagined slights and being catty/haughty in general. Eric Luke marked the point where that misogynistic interpretation finally contaminated the core Wonder Woman title, an off-putting affliction that continues to this day. In this story, Diana is an untouchable princess made of stone who uses her lasso with the same attitude as Ghost Rider whipping his chain, driving men to suicide and spilling blood with abandon.

For me, writing someone Wonder Woman like Xena on her menses is like well-heeled power hungry con men preaching a ministry of prosperity to people too stupid to pick up a bible and learn their Christ got crucified for opposing just that exact type of sleezeball. It's morally offensive, and even setting that aside, it's just lousy storytelling. Who would want to read this crap? The art doesn't help, as it somehow combines the worst excesses of Todd McFarlane and Dwayne Turner into a synthesis that is still utterly mediocre and absent identity. It's like the visual equivalent of a screenplay generator program, plugging in the names of influences and spitting out a carbon paper facsimile. Paul Kupperberg's editing this farce is just the cherry on top, as one of DC's all-time most numbing writers showed the same taste in compiling creative teams. As one final dig, this Wonder Woman Annual was printed on cheap flat paper, while the Martian Manhunter Annual got heavy gloss stock. At least they were both granted Bernie Wrightson covers (though J'Onn's was far better.)


Join the Spooktacular Samhain Celebration at this coven of blogs!

GHOSTS ANNUALS

  1. "Bough Breaks" @ Batman: Gotham Knights Online
  2. "Haunts" @ The Flash: Speed Force
  3. "Dead Calm" @ The Aquaman Shrine
  4. "The Distance Gone" @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
  5. "Ghosts' - The Corpse Corps!" @ Green Lantern: Corps Conjecture
  6. "The Death Sentence" @ Superman: Great Krypton!
  7. "Heart's Afire" @ Martian Manhunter: The Idol-Head of Diabolu
  8. "Life Itself" @ The Captain's JLA Homepage

HALLOWEEN HEROES

Friday, October 26, 2012

2004 Wonder Woman “Pensive” art by Will Conrad

Click To Enlarge


Again with the sword, but I do enjoy the Steve Lightle vibe here.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

JLA: Scary Monsters #1 (May, 2003)



In the Dakota Badlands of 1877, U.S. Calvary soldier Abel Carmody rescued the granddaughter of an American Indian shaman who gave his life to contain a demoniac hoard that had plagued Black Spirit Lake and slaughtered Carmody's troop. Carmody eventually married the girl, become a great industrialist, and constructed the fortress "Carmody’s Folly" in preparation for another terrifying assault.

In 2003, Plastic Man was on monitor duty aboard the JLA's lunar Watchtower. Aquaman was on leave. Superman was on active duty, combating global issues. Batman, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman were all on-call, the latter in New Zealand on a forest hike with adolescent girls.


Vacationing elsewhere were Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, his girlfriend Jade, the Flash, and his wife Linda, who had taken to the Spirit Lake Resort for a vacation. Also at the resort were Kishana Lewis and three fellow forest service fire fighters, who were called out by resort manager William Hume to insure that there would be no sparks lit under the hot summer sun. Within hours, Lewis had made a fire, and left her men to burn in it. Smoke over the south ridge had alerted Flash and Green Lantern, where they found Lewis in shock and rambling. Clearing the flames, the heroes were attacked by the possessed bodies of the firemen, whose supernatural abilities allowed them to circumvent the Leaguers’ powers. The firemen spontaneously combusted just as the dual titans were ready to collapse. This marked the arrival of on-call League back-up, likely called to the western Badlands by Jade, who joined them in discovering Flash and Green Lantern unconscious.

By Chris Claremont, Joshua Hood and Sean Parsons.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

2010 Wonder Woman color art by Yıldıray Çınar

Click To Enlarge


"Wonder Woman Copic markers, pitt pen, brush pen, pro-white and correction pen."
I like this one a lot better than the sober piece from last week, especially that jubilant lasso work!

Yildiray Cinar

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Sensational Comics for January, 2013



Wonder Woman
WONDER WOMAN #16
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 B&W Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
On sale JANUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

• Wonder Woman and her half brother Milan must grapple with the dangerous New God known as Orion!
• What strange alliance has the terrifying First Born made?

Why am I looking at a Wonder Woman cover and thinking of Dario Argento's Creepers?
BATWOMAN #16
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III 1:25 B&W Variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III On sale JANUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+ Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format. • This issue guest-stars everybody! • In this penultimate chapter, everything that’s been happening in BATWOMAN comes to a head! • Plus, a new hero is introduced, and Wonder Woman fights monsters!
No flies on Trevor McCarthy, but won't it suck when his issue on art breaks up the run of JH3's?
JUSTICE LEAGUE #16
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Backup story art by GARY FRANK
Variant cover by LANGDON FOSS
1:100 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
“We Can Be Heroes” Blank variant cover available
On sale JANUARY 23 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with five covers. Please see the Order Form for details.

• “THRONE OF ATLANTIS” continues!
• Aquaman can barely hold on against Ocean Master even with the League by his side!
• The United States loses faith in the Justice League and enters the battle against Atlantis, setting in motion the creation of the Justice League of America!
• More on the Superman/Wonder Woman alliance!
• Plus: In the backup story, the origin of SHAZAM! continues!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

So, we're at the point of Aquaman themed crossovers. Look at the state of the comic book industry and despair.

AQUAMAN #16
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by PAUL PELLETIER
Cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
1:25 B&W Variant cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
On sale JANUARY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

• “THRONE OF ATLANTIS” continues!
• Continuing from this month’s JUSTICE LEAGUE #16!
•Torn between Ocean Master and the League in this penultimate chapter of “Throne of Atlantis, Aquaman is pushed toward an impossible choice!
• The monstrous Trench are back — and they’re hungry!

The Trench didn't really do it for me. Pelletier's an underrated artist, though.

EARTH 2 #8
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by YILDIRAY CINAR
Cover by YILDIRAY CINAR and ART THIBERT
1:25 B&W Variant cover by YILDIRAY CINAR and ART THIBERT
On sale JANUARY 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

• The alien war criminal Steppenwolf returns! It’s been five years since he lead the forces of Apokolips against Earth — learn what he’s been up to since then!
• Plus: What is the dark secret behind the last Amazon of Earth 2?
Lashina?
SUPERGIRL #16
Written by MIKE JOHNSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale JANUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• The “H’EL ON EARTH” crossover event continues!
• The assault on the Fortress of Solitude rages on!
• Supergirl finds herself having to defend H’El from Superman, Superboy and the Justice League!
SUPERBOY #16
Written by TOM DeFALCO
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
On sale JANUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• The “H’EL ON EARTH” crossover event continues!
• Don’t miss the assault on the Fortress of Solitude!
• Superboy and Superman turn to the Justice League for help — to evict H’El from Superman’s own home!
SUPERMAN #16
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT 1:25 B&W Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT On sale JANUARY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format. • The “H’EL ON EARTH” crossover event takes a shocking turn! • Guest-starring THE JUSTICE LEAGUE! • The Man of Steel leads Wonder Woman, Batman, Cyborg, the Flash and Superboy on the final assault on the Fortress of Solitude! • Can Superman stop H’El when Supergirl is standing in the way?
Rocafort's Princess is surprisingly not horrible.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY, MARTIN PASKO, DAVID MICHELINIE, LEN WEIN and ELLIOT MAGGIN
Art by JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ and others
Cover by JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
On sale MARCH 27 • 360 pg, FC, $39.99 US

• Collecting tales illustrated by master comics artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez from SUPERMAN #294, 301, 302, 307-309 and 347, DC COMICS PRESENTS #1-4 and 17, and ALL-NEW COLLECTOR’S EDITION C-54.
That includes the Superman versus Wonder Woman Treasury Edition.
WONDER WOMAN: ODYSSEY VOL. 2 TP
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI and PHIL HESTER
Art by DON KRAMER, EDUARDO PANSICA, GERALDO BORGES, TRAVIS MOORE, WAYNE FAUCHER, JAY LEISTEN and others
Cover by ALEX GARNER
On sale FEBRUARY 6 • 192 pg, FC, $16.99 US

In this final “Odyssey” volume, Wonder Woman faces Cheetah, Silver Swan, Dr. Psycho and the mysterious Morrigan!
• Collecting WONDER WOMAN #607-614!
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US #1
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by JHEREMY RAAPACK
On sale JANUARY 30 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

• Based on DC’s latest highly anticipated video game from the makers of Mortal Kombat! • The first time in print for these digital-first stories.
• This prequel explains the events leading up to the start of this epic game!
This would probably be more interesting if I could differentiate this from the standard New 52 and if the developers were smart enough to realize that Wonder Woman would kill the hell out of Batman in no time flat.
SUPERMAN: FOR TOMORROW TP
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by JIM LEE, SCOTT WILLIAMS and others
Cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
On sale FEBRUARY 6 • 320 pg, FC, $24.99 US
• In this epic from Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee, a cataclysmic event has struck the Earth. Millions of people have vanished without a trace. No one is left unaffected — not even Superman! But how could millions of people vanished without a trace — and could Superman be the cause?

• Collecting SUPERMAN #204-215, plus bonus materials!
EARTH 2 VOL. 1: THE GATHERING HC
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by NICOLA SCOTT, TREVOR SCOTT and EDUARDO PANSICA
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale MARCH 13 • 160 pg, FC, $22.99 US

• Who are the heroes of Earth 2? When the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman of Earth 2 fall in battle, it’s up to a new breed of heroes to come together to combat the returning evil of Apokolips!
• Collects issues #1-6 of the red-hot DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 series!
ABSOLUTE BLACKEST NIGHT HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS, PETER J. TOMASI and others
Art by IVAN REIS, OCLAIR ALBERT and others
Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT
Advance solicited • On sale JUNE 26 • 360 pg, FC, 8.25” x 12.5”, $99.99 US

• As the war between the Corps rages, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends on the DC Universe! Can Hal Jordan lead DC’s champions against an army of Black Lanterns made up of the deceased heroes and villains?
• Collects the Free Comic Book Day BLACKEST NIGHT #0, BLACKEST NIGHT #1-8, UNTOLD TALES OF THE BLACKEST NIGHT #1 and DC UNIVERSE #0!


Donna Troy
THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES TP
Written by MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PEREZ
Art by GEORGE PEREZ, MIKE PERKINS and AL VEY
Cover by GEORGE PEREZ
Resolicit • On sale FEBRUARY 27 • 144 pg, 8.125” x 10.812”, FC, $16.99 US

• Over 20 years in the making, this original graphic novel by Marv Wolfman and George Perez is now available in trade paperback!
• In this epic story, a mysterious villain plays a deadly game with New York City as the gameboard – and the Teen Titans as the pieces!
Retailers: This title is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
SILVER AGE TEEN TITANS ARCHIVES VOL. 2 HC
Written by BOB HANEY and others
Art by NICK CARDY, IRV NOVICK, NEAL ADAMS, GIL KANE and others • Cover by NICK CARDY
Advance solicited • On sale JUNE 19 • 400 pg, FC, $75.00 US

• The top teen heroes of the 1960s return in this volume collecting TEEN TITANS #6-20 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #83!
• Don’t miss the action as the Titans take on The Mad Mod, Captain Rumble and The Scorcher, and get wrapped up in “The Dimensional Caper” and “A Swingin’ Christmas”!

Wonder Girl
TEEN TITANS #16
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH
1:25 B&W Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JANUARY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

• A “DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in!
• Our heroes learn a lesson they’ll never forget as Arsenal takes control in Red Robin’s absence!
• Mirroring the events of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #16, Jason Todd and Tim Drake must rely on each other to survive The Joker’s attack!
• Plus: It’s the return of Raven!

Steve Trevor
TEAM 7 #4
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by JESUS MERINO
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
1:25 B&W Variant cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
On sale JANUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Order Form for details.

• At last, it’s the secret origin of Deathstroke! • The team clashes with Eclipso – and Slade Wilson! • Witness the beginnings of the Black Room from Justice League!
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #16
Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES
Art and by MIKEL JANIN
On sale JANUARY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• The team is trapped on a magic-less planet that makes a horrible mockery of their powers!
• With time running out, Tim Hunter may be the team’s last chance to escape…if Steve Trevor doesn’t seal their fate first!
• Keep an eye out for a new character based on a winning design from SyFy’s popular show Face Off!

Friday, October 12, 2012

2012 Wonder Woman angry art by Yıldıray Çınar

Click To Enlarge


This menacing piece reminds me of Michael Turner's infamous lasso noose cover from Identity Crisis. Yıldıray Çınar features quite a bit of Wonder Woman sisterhood art in his deviantART gallery and tumblr, which I'll try to feature here over the next few weeks. In the meantime, how about a head sketch?

Yildiray Cinar

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

2011 Wonder Woman print by Johnny J. Segura III

Click To Enlarge

If you like your Amazing Amazons bloody rare, you could do worse than this print. However, the artist has drawn Princess Diana in sweeter moods, and even gussied up a My Little Pony version. Given my druthers, I'd at least consider the horse (no kanga?)

Johnny J. Segura III

Friday, October 5, 2012

2012 Hitfix: Wonder Woman is a Superhero who Really Doesn't Need Her Own Movie



Wonder Woman fans have heard this drum beat countless times-- the pros and cons of finally making a major motion picture for the Amazing Amazon. The movie site HitFix has come down on the negative side with their recent list, 10 Superheroes who really don't need their own movie...
Wonder Woman

When Warner Bros. turns down drafts that are as faithfully rendered as the Laeta Kalogridis draft and the Joss Whedon draft, it's time to admit that they are too scared of the overall iconography of Wonder Woman to ever successfully turn her into a standalone franchise hero. This is not a case of no one ever writing the right script. They've done that several times now. This is a case of a mythology that is inherent to the character that Warner Bros. simply can't imagine supporting a series. Wonder Woman has historically had a hard time in the comic market supporting her own title as well, and while she is definitely one of the most iconic and recognizable of DC's creations, it seems like the most successful versions are almost always defined by who she's with and how she fits into a team. We don't think it's impossible to make a good Wonder Woman movie, but if Warner is uncomfortable with everything that defines who she is and where she came from, then it's better they not make one at all than make one that redefines her so completely that she's no longer really Wonder Woman.

-Drew McWeeny


The notoriously fickle and arbitrary producer Joel Silver (see: Kevin Smith's experiences scripting some drafts of Superman Returns,) the guy who was in charge of developing a Wonder Woman feature, was the guy who turned Joss Whedon down. That was also years ago, back when Whedon was a guy with some cult television and lots of cancellations under his belt. It was also back in the days when studio heads were swearing to never offer female leads in action vehicles again, even though they proceeded to do just that and turn a profit. Warner Brothers have failed at DC Comics adaptations for years, and still haven't figured out how to do it with anyone besides Batman while Marvel Studios make them look like fools. In a world where dreck like a Clash of the Titans remake can earn money, there's no need to fear a true Wonder Woman adaptation. The problem is that this is a studio that can't figure out Superman, that belly-flopped on Green Lantern and who still think a Lobo film should be a priority. When FOX demonstrates a firmer grasp on super-hero movies than your studio, it's time to get busy on the firing and hiring fronts. For instance, niche or no, when given a choice between the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the creator of Ally McBeal to translate Wonder Woman to the screen, don't pick David E. Kelly.

Superheroes who really don't need their own movie