Just forget the words and sing along

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Wonder Woman's Makeover

So, there's been lots of hype and hullabaloo the past few days over Wonder Woman's new costume.

You'd think the way people are acting, this is the first time a superhero has donned a new costume.  It's one of those things where everyone expects me to have an opinion, but I really don't, so I guess I'll say something anyway. 

Again, I don't understand why this became so newsworthy.  One of the comic book reviewers at Mania.com was quick to point why this really isn't news.  Essentially, when it comes to comics, the status quo is never shaken up for long.  Inside a year, they'll probably hit the great galactic reset button and everything will be back to normal.  Hell, three years ago, as part of DC's whole "One Year Later" storyline, Wonder Woman lost her powers, donned a new costume, and even a new identity.  No major media coverage then.  Why now? 

What I find funny is that everyone's focused on the new costume that they've hardly mentioned her dramaticialy revamped origin story to go along with it.  In her original origin, the Amazons have lived in peace, tranquility, and immortality on the hidden island of Paradise Island.  With the ever-expanding world, it was known that their island would soon be discovered, so Wonder Woman was sent out into the world as emissary and ambassador.  In her new origin, Paradise Island was wiped out by dark forces when she was 3 years old, and she's been in hiding ever since, raised by the handmaidens of the queen of the Amazons. 

Of course, it turns that this destruction of Paradise Island was caused by altering the timeline through time-travel wackiness.  So, there you go.  The ending has already been written.  At the conclusion of this adventure, things will be put back to normal, and the original costume will be back. 

Nothing's ever a permanent change in comic books.  As the old industry saying goes, "No one stays dead except Uncle Ben." 

Now, that being said, I have been enjoying the mainstream exposure Wonder Woman has been getting because of this.  She's one of the big 3 of DC Comics, right there alongside Batman and Superman, but she still just isn't quite as well-known as those two.  We're still crying for a kick-ass live-action Wonder Woman movie to be made.  We're getting close, though.  As I've said to many others, you really should seek out that straight-to-DVD Wonder Woman animated movie that came out last year.  It's the best of these direct-to-DVD movies that DC has been putting out.  Seriously.  Just give me a live-action movie version of this and I'd be happy. 

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