Hey, true believers! Welcome to another pulse-pounding episode of Wonder Woman Wednesday! (That was my mini tribute to Stan Lee. Rest in peace to one of the most important names in comic book history.)
Last week, we took a look at the new creative team on the Wonder Woman monthly comic. The creative team is probably almost as important as the title itself. This week, we take a look at a fantasy creative team to handle Wonder Woman. And, who might that fantasy creative team be? Chris Claremont and Jim Lee!
Jim Lee is one of the most sought-after and respected artists of the comic book industry and also one of the publishers of DC Comics. After entering the comic book industry in 1987, Jim cut his teeth on Marvel’s Alpha Flight, immediately showing potential with an eye-catching style. He would move on to Punisher War Journal, where his skill would grow considerably and his popularity widened. This, eventually, would lead to a hugely successful run on The Uncanny X-Men alongside long-time legendary X-scribe Chris Claremont. It was so successful that it prompted Marvel to launch a new X-Men monthly title whose first issue sold 7 million copies and remains one of the best-selling comics of all time. This, of course, would lead to Jim’s exodus from Marvel, alongside a handful of other super-star artists to form Image Comics. After enjoying a few successful years with his Wildstorm line of comics, Jim wound up selling Wildstorm to DC Comics and heading over there.
Lee has been part of some pretty high-profile projects, including Batman with Jeph Loeb and Superman with Brian Azzarello. While he has drawn Wonder Woman in Justice League, All-Star Batman, and a handful of other times, he has yet to do a project featuring everyone’s favorite Amazon warrior.
With Wonder Woman’s popularity being hotter than ever due to the success of her movie, I think the time is right for Jim to give Diana a little super-star artist love. After all, he helped to launch a new Suicide Squad series to coincide with the release of the Suicide Squad film, and that wasn’t nearly as successful. Not to mention the fact that Jim draws a pretty mean Wonder Woman. (Don’t ya know!)
But, if you have Jim Lee drawing it, who could possibly write it? Not just anyone. Everyone is so eager for a reunion of Chris Claremont and John Byrne due to their legendary run on the X-Men. How about reuniting Chris Claremont and Jim Lee? As far as I know, the only time Claremont has written Wonder Woman was when he scripted his and John Byrne’s brief run on JLA. But that wasn’t even his story. It was plotted by Byrne.
Having created and/or written some of the most powerful and interesting women in the Marvel Universe, including Ms. Marvel, Storm, Rogue, and Emma Frost, just to make a few, this seems like a no-brainer. No one writes a better superhero soap opera than Chris Claremont, and I’d love to see him run with the title. Claremont’s penchant for mixing epic battles with unforgettable quiet moments makes him the perfect scribe for WW. I just can’t believe no one’s thought of it before.
Are you listening, powers that be? I’m not sure if a Claremont/Lee Wonder Woman would sell 7 million copies, but it would be a hell of a story at that. Go ahead, DC. Make mine Claremont and Lee!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! See you next week.
Follow me on Instagram (@MichaelFitzTroy).
