Wonder Woman is a pillar of DC Comics, and nobody is ever going to take that away from her (even if that is what some fans may want). She has been around since the 1940s, and while her story has changed over the years, it’s safe to say that her take isn’t pushed as hard as her counterparts. In other words, Wonder Woman’s lore, which is often rooted in an over-reliance on mythology, doesn’t necessarily resonate with a modern audience. There’s a lot that could be done to make Wonder Woman a central feature again, but until the franchise is willing to let her adapt, it may be better to let other heroes get a chance to shine.
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Here’s the thing: Wonder Woman’s story can work. When done right, her story hits harder than ten thousand sledgehammers. Just look at Absolute Wonder Woman. That series has Wonder Woman kicking butt and taking names, redefining what it takes to be a hero. The problem is that, more often than not, DC is unwilling to let the writers for Diana’s primary series take such risks. This automatically stagnates the character, as she’s set on a repeating cycle of events (we’ve all seen this happen: the toys get put back in the box before another team takes over).
Wonder Woman’s Groundbreaking Powers
We can’t discuss Wonder Woman’s future without first considering her legacy. She is a feminist icon, the leading symbol of female empowerment in DC Comics. That legacy is never going to change. She has paved the way for many more heroes to step up and tell their stories, and we’re forever grateful for that. Just think of all the children out there who were inspired by Diana’s story, who ran around and pretended to be Wonder Woman. Who could hate that?
Diana is a moral compass for DC Comics. She always has this unwavering sense of justice and ethics, but she never hits the extremes of Superman’s idealism or Batman’s pragmatism. She’s the center ground in which the Trinity can come together and function. In other words, it is hard to imagine such powerful heroes working without Diana’s dynamics.
The Hidden Signs Behind Wonder Woman’s Origins
We’re not going to dissect every little bit of Wonder Woman’s origins or break down what every concerning sign means. First of all, we’d be here all day. Second, there are plenty of articles that already do exactly this, often taking historical context into account to help explain everything that happened (and why).
However, it feels important to mention that Wonder Woman, DC’s feminist icon, was written by a man, one who believed women enjoyed submission (that’s not an exaggeration, folks, that’s a quote). This had direct ties to Wonder Woman’s earlier weaknesses, such as how she would lose her powers when bound by a man. Wonder Woman’s history is incredibly complex and nuanced. We can’t look back on it and say it’s all good, but neither can we say it’s all bad. These two parts are always going to be intertwined, and we can’t undo this.
Pushing Other Characters Into the Background
Superhero comics as a whole, including DC Comics, have the tendency to push certain characters to the forefront, again and again. Marvel does it with the core Avengers, and DC Comics does it with the Trinity: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The truth is that DC Comics has a deep bench of incredibly compelling female characters, but they don’t get the same chance to shine. It’s almost like DC Comics looks at Wonder Woman and sees her as the default, instead of one starting point to what should be hundreds of stories.
This is where most of our frustration stems from, because the success of Absolute Wonder Woman and Poison Ivy‘s series proves that there are worthwhile and powerful stories worth reading from these characters. It makes us feel robbed of every other smothered story out there. On the hero side of things, we have Batgirl/Oracle (plus the other amazing Batgirls), Supergirl, Zatanna, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, Vixen, Raven, Starfire, Jessica Cruz, Nubia, Big Barda, the list could go on. While we’re familiar with many of their stories, it would be outstanding to see them get a longer ongoing series to explore their backstories and emotional depths further.
There are also antiheroes and more morally gray characters, like Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Giganta, Lady Shiva, Livewire, etc. Some of these characters have been getting more attention as of late, and we love to see it happen. Let’s keep that ball rolling and give more heroes, villains, and antiheroes a chance to shine. Remember that fresh perspectives mean new stories, stakes, and adventures. Who doesn’t want to be surprised by something they never saw coming?
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