Weekly Wonder Woman: 75th birthday celebrations, Wonder Woman (Rebirth) #8, Dark Knight III #6, Trinity #2 and Justice League (Rebirth) #7

It was Wonder Woman’s birthday on Friday. She’s 75, but being a goddess, it probably doesn’t show. To celebrate, all manner of things have been happening, most notably our Diana being named by the United Nations as its new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. To celebrate, both Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter turned up to the UN headquarters for a special ceremony.

Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot

At the event, DC President Diane Nelson announced that not only would Wondy be available for use by UN agencies, there would also be a new comic in 2017 “to tell the story of empowerment, peace, justice and equality” and which would be available worldwide in multiple languages simultaneously – the first time in DC’s history.

However, not everyone was pleased, with some UN workers protesting that, “It is alarming that the United Nations would consider using a character with an overtly sexualized image at a time when the headline news in United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls.” Hmmm. Obviously they quit reading Wonder Woman when Brian Finch took over art.

Still, a whole bunch of people were pleased that she was 75 at least, at the New York Comic Con panel to celebrate her birthday; perhaps it was coincidence, but Entertainment Weekly has also named her the most powerful and influential superhero or heroine of all time.

Meanwhile, the movies are proceeding apace. Gal Gadot (and Amber Heard) were spotted in Iceland, filming scenes for Justice League, a new photo of our heroine in said movie also getting released.

Wonder Woman in Justice League

And despite the fact Wonder Woman isn’t out until next year, Gadot, director Patty Jenkins and production designer Aline Bonetto have been giving interviews to Variety about the movie: Gadot talks about the character, her legacy and the news she’s bisexual (although the movie doesn’t go there); Jenkins promises a lighter film than Batman v Superman, one that’s closer to Superman in tone; and Bonetto discusses designing Themyscira

Back in the world of comics, we also learned there’s going to be a prequel series next year called The Odyssey of the Amazons, which will see a plucky group of the female warriors encountering the Norse gods. And an interview with Andy Mangels gave us plenty of details about this year’s Bionic Woman/Wonder Woman crossover comic.

What a fortnight, hey? Happy birthday, Wondy.

After the jump, I’ll be looking at the past two week’s comics featuring the Amazon princess (apparently, it’s definitely princess now): Wonder Woman (Rebirth) #8, Dark Knight III #6, Trinity #2 and Justice League (Rebirth) #7. One of these doesn’t actually feature Wonder Woman for some reason.

Wonder Woman (Rebirth) #8

Wonder Woman (Rebirth) #8
Plot
In which Greg Rucka takes time out from the current storylines to tell us how Barbara Minerva came to be… an archaeologist!

Is it any good?
It’s odd. We have, of course, already learned in the nu52 how Barbera Minerva became the Cheetah – she was a conwoman who was Diana’s first friend in the outside world, but who became possessed by an Amazonian god through its ‘godkiller’ weapon.

But, with Rucka currently retconning everything back to a fan-pleasing, platonic ideal of Volume 2, it was inevitable that ‘the truth’ would get revealed about Cheetah. Turns out she was an archaeologist after all, one who’d idolised the Amazons since she was a child back in… ooh, about 1952, judging by the ‘Lady of the Manor’ artwork.

Barbera Minerva as a kid

Barbera Minerva as a kid

All grown up, she goes on various archaeological digs to find proof that the Amazons were real after all. Again, these seem to take place in about 1952, given there are professional archaeologists on the digs who take the supposed ‘without breast’ etymology of the word Amazon seriously.

Amazons don't have breasts

However, she eventually gets a little help on this quest, from a certain goddess – I wonder if it’s something to do with her name?

Athena reveals herself

She does eventually find Themyscira, somewhere in the Black Sea (as you might expect), but there’s no Amazons there. Where did they all go to, I wonder?

Where did the Amazons go?

What’s it all mean? No idea. The tree is the same tree that appears in issue #2 in which Diana discovers there’s a darkness of Themyscira; there’s also the ongoing storyline involving Cheetah in the future. But how it all ties in with those storylines, let alone nu52 continuity, I’ve no idea.

I’m also not sure what to make of the latest reboot of the Cheetah. Why is Athena involved? Is it all supposed to mean that Minerva was a strong woman who was corrupted by men? Is she going to be a goodie? It would be nice for a change to have a villainess who’s just evil and who doesn’t eventually turn to good.

Still, it does make Minerva a relatively likable character in her pre-Cheetah incarnation, at least, and maybe that’s the point.

Rating: 5/7 (Artwork: 6/7)

Justice League (Rebirth) #7

Justice League (Rebirth) #7
Last time, you’ll recall that after the Justice League got infected with fear, Aquaman and Wonder Woman went off for a chat. What were they up to? Turns out they were dredging. And plotting world conquest to stop the stupid mortals from blowing themselves up.

Let's take over the world

Let's make a statement

Confirming she’s a princess, Diana also suggests they make a statement to the world. Which they do…

Peace is coming

Of course, then the rest of the Justice League expunge the fear that’s possessed them, and Diana and Fish-Talker come to their senses… and feel like perhaps they’ve done something a bit iffy.

There will be consequences

Rating: 4/7 (Artwork: 4/7)

Trinity #2

Trinity #2
Plot
Jonathan Kent and a young Clark Kent turn up, JK appears to have a heart attack, CK runs off, JK gets better and the Trinity have to go off to find young CK, all while not revealing who they are to JK since they suspect that might ruin the timeline. They find CK but then it’s turns out it’s all a dream!

Is it any good?
Given it is a dream (of sorts – no, no spoilers), it’s a bit hard to say if it gets its characterisation of Diana right or not. We do get that she shows understanding towards Superman’s predicament.

Understanding

She’s also the voice of calm when dealing with young CK.

Voice of calm

But hers is the hot head, Batman’s is the voice of rationality during the hunt for CK:

Ignoring Batman

…even as Superman is passing out behind them.

Ignores Batman again

Still, she does get to bring home CK:

CK rescue

It’s all a big bonding adventure to enable the new Trinity to get to know each other, but to be honest, it’s a toss-up whether this or the Matt Wagner Trinity is worse. It’s Diana, but not quite as we know her, although none of the Trinity is coming out of this with much credit, to be honest.

Rating: 3/7 (Artwork: 4/7)

Dark Knight III #6

Dark Knight III #6
Given I’m phasing out coverage of alternative universe Dianas (eg DC Comics Bombshells; Injustice: Gods Among Us; Earth #2), I probably shouldn’t be covering this, but just as an FYI, although she’s not in the main story, she is in the ‘World’s Finest #1’ at the back. This is basically a fight between her and her/Superman’s daughter, who’s turned to the dark Kryptonian side. Her lasso gets broken (told you it was an alt universe), but she still wins the fight.

Lasso broken

Diana wins

Lara flies off

Rating: 2/7 (Artwork: 1/7)

Disclaimer: Owing to the small fortune it would take to buy every single DC comic each week, this is not a guaranteed rundown of all the comics that feature Wonder Woman. If you know of any I’ve missed, email me or leave a comment below and I’ll cover them the following week

Author

  • Rob Buckley

    I’m Rob Buckley, a journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of although you might have heard me on the podcast Lockdown Land or Radio 5 Live’s Saturday Edition or Afternoon Edition. I’ve edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for TV producers magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and was regularly sarcastic about television on the blink-and-you-missed-it “web site for urban hedonists” The Tribe. Since going freelance, I've contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly, Action Network, TV Scoop and The Custard TV.

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