Hey there, hi there, ho there, Wonder Fans! This week being the last week of 2015 brings us a special look back at the Wonder Woman highlights (and low lights) of 2015.
It’s hard to believe this is the 34th Wonder Woman Wednesday column I have written. This just goes to show, when it comes to Wonder Woman, there is never a shortage of interest or topic of discussion when it comes to everyone’s favorite Amazon!
With the impending March 25, 2016, release date of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice featuring the big-screen debut of Wonder Woman, it appears as if 2016 will bring plenty more discussion when it comes to the topic of the princess of Themiscyra.
Warner Bros. brought no shortage of buzz in 2015 when it came to the impending silver screen debut of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Fans went nuts, for better or worse, as images of Gal in WW regalia began dropping.
An early image with her costume appearing to have brown, muted colors had fans freaking out, fearing she would be portrayed as an anorexic Xena clone. Anorexic? Yeah, fans b—-ed that Gal was too skinny for the part. I tend to disagree, but I guess in 2015 it was “all about the bass.”
Although the debate continues as to whether or not Gadot can pull it off, fears were quelled when a better lit version of the costume revealed the more traditional red and blue hues we expect and deserve from our Wonder Woman.
Fears were further assuaged when the trailer for Dawn of Justice debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and featured a brief glimpse of Wondy in action. It had her flipping, clacking her cuffs together, and saving Superman and Batman’s bacon with her highly absorbent shield. Arguably, it was a brief glimpse, and while it seems promising, naturally, the jury is still out. I for one am a full convert. Nothing can replace Lynda Carter, but we don’t need a replacement, just a suitable accessory.
Even before the release of Dawn of Justice, the live-action Wonder Woman film began shooting in 2015. With exciting casting news, the least of which being Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. That may be with the ticket price alone!
Meanwhile, in Wonder Woman’s monthly comic book, Meredith and David Finch continued their creative run which began at the end of 2014. I suppose there are some fans of their version, but it seemed to suffer a series of uncharacteristic missteps. Diana, usually portrayed as strong and confident seemed to be going through an identity crisis, juggling too many hats as superhero, JLA member, Queen of the Amazons, Superman’s girlfriend, and God of War for the love of Pete! This would all be fine if she weren’t portrayed as so whiny during the whole thing.
Donna Troy was finally brought back, although it left many wishing she hadn’t been, as she was portrayed as a soulless murderess with bad clothes.
Speaking of bad clothes. Wonder Woman was given a new outfit and to quote Project Runway, “Who is this woman and where is she going?” (Not to New York Fashion Week, that’s for sure!)
Covered from head to toe in god-awful attire, there is nothing to like about WW’s new threads. A priest collar, hip boots, and and weird, ’90s, Image Comics-inspired pointed gauntlets, this garb leaves little to be desired. What next? A turtle neck? I think possibly a burka could only be worse at this point. Hopefully, a new creative team is headed our way.
Although, it wasn’t all bad for WW comics. We got some truly stellar stories and art in the digital-first Sensation Comics and Wonder Woman ’77 based on the Lynda Carter television series.
2015 saw the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the beloved Lynda Carter television series. It’s hard to imagine we haven’t been treated to a live-action version of the character since then.
We also got treated to the currently running Legend of Wonder Woman. While I disagree with some of the elements of the retelling of WW’s origin, the art by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon is a treat and is overall an enjoyable read.
Grant Morrison created some buzz with the announcement of his Wonder Woman: Earth One graphic novel with art by Yanick Paquette slated for an early 2016 release, stating he will rely heavily on Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston’s original vision of peace, science, and S & M fetishism. (I’m not kidding.)
That’s really only the tip of the iceberg concerning all things Wonder Woman in 2015. Suffice it to say, it was an interesting year for the warrior princess and only promises to get more interesting in 2016.
See you all next week for the kickoff of another exciting year of Wonder Woman Wednesday!
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