Tim Hanley's Blog, page 29

Wonder Woman Named Honorary UN Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls on her 75th Anniversary

Happy 75th anniversary, Wonder Woman! On or about 75 years ago today, Wonder Woman debuted in All-Star Comics #8 in a brief story written by William Moulton Marston with art by H.G. Peter. The story introduced the utopian Paradise Island, home of the mythical Amazons who departed the world of men thousands of years ago because of the constant greed and wars of men. When an American pilot crash landed on the island, Athena and Aphrodite told Queen Hippolyte that an Amazon champion must be chosen to return him to America and help the Allies fight the Axis forces of tyranny. Diana, princess of the Amazons, became this champion, and the world’s most famous heroine was born.

Since then, Wonder Woman’s become a beloved icon the world over. As the best known female superhero in a genre dominated by men, she’s been the go-to favourite for generations of girls who grew up seeing her in comics and television shows. She’s a feminist icon as well. Wonder Woman was created to demonstrate the superiority of women, and embodied the strength inherent in women that Marston contended would soon lead to a matriarchal revolution in America. She later became a mascot of the women’s liberation movement when Ms. Magazine put her on its first cover in 1972, and she’s spent decades teaching her fans to be strong, kind, and brave.

In recognition of Wonder Woman’s iconic status, the United Nations celebrated Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary today by naming her an “Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.” Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was on hand for the event, as were DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson, TV’s original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, and star of the upcoming Wonder Woman movie, Gal Gadot. Both Wonder Women spoke at the ceremony, with Carter proclaiming that “Wonder Woman lives in every woman,” and Gadot saying that “Wonder Woman is a fighter, better than most, but it’s what she fights for that is important.”

The role is a good fit for Wonder Woman, who worked at the United Nations in the comics starting in Wonder Woman #204 in 1973. Here she is getting a job as a linguist from a dude who clearly wished one of the other, less dowdy gals was more qualified. Ah, sexism. Wonder Woman’s constant foe:

As Wonder Woman, she’s made several comic book appearances at the UN in the decades since to speak about global issues and advocate for peace.

And now she’s a UN Ambassador for real, as part of their “Stand Up for the Empowerment of Women and Girls Everywhere” campaign. The program seeks to speak out against discrimination and limitations on women and girls, work against gender-based violence and abuse, support full and effective participation and equal opportunity for women and girls in leadership in all aspects of life, including the workplace, ensure all women and girls have access to quality learning, and celebrate women and girls who have and are making a difference every day. You can learn more about the campaign and what you can do to help at the United Nations website.

I think that Wonder Woman is a great choice to be the face of this campaign. Some have taken issue with her honorary appointment, arguing that her small outfit and her exaggerated proportions in certain incarnations make her a poor role model for young girls. But Wonder Woman has been inspiring women and girls for decades, and at her core she represents all of the values the campaign seeks to promote. There is a power in Wonder Woman that resonates all over the world, and it often serves to bring out the best in those who admire her and all she stands for.

With a great comic book on the stands and a movie on the horizon, it’s a fantastic time to be a Wonder Woman fan, and her UN appointment is a cherry on the top of what should be an excellent 75th year for Wonder Woman. All of the celebrations and attention are much deserved, and it’s wonderful to see that yet another generation of young fans will be inspired by Wonder Woman moving forward.

 

Women in Comics Statistics: DC and Marvel, August 2016 in Review

My latest “Gendercrunching” column is up now on Bleeding Cool, and August 2016 was a decent month for DC and Marvel, with both publishers posting some of their betters totals for the year.

DC’s overall percentage of female creators dipped down slightly, landing at 17.2%, but that’s still a relatively strong total for the publisher. Marvel gained a couple of percentage points, hitting 17.9% female creators overall, one of their best totals in months.

We also took a look at DC’s new “Rebirth” line and how the numbers for female creators compared to DC’s superhero books before their latest round of relaunches. “Rebirth” has a slightly higher percentage of female creators, but women still account for only 11.3% of the creators on the books, a small percentage on its own and very low compared to DC’s wider output.

Head on over to Bleeding Cool for the full stats and charts!

Wonder Woman’s January 2017 Covers and Solicits

The New Year is set to begin with a variety of comic books and collections starring Wonder Woman and, in one new series, a group of her fellow Amazons. With the Wonder Woman film on the horizon, DC seems to be putting a bit of extra effort into their Wonder Woman offerings and featuring the character more prominently across the line. So let’s take a look at where Wonder Woman is scheduled to be in the January 2017 solicits, starting with her own series:

WONDER WOMAN #14

Written by GREG RUCKA

Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT

Variant cover by JENNY FRISON

“YEAR ONE” conclusion! With Steve Trevor by her side, Diana faces the God of War and embraces her destiny as Wonder Woman!

On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

WONDER WOMAN #15

Written by GREG RUCKA

Art and cover by LIAM SHARP

Variant cover by JENNY FRISON

“THE TRUTH” part one! Diana has finally seen the full scope of how her life and history have been transformed…unfortunately, the knowledge has driven her completely insane!

On sale JANUARY 25 • Each 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The cover is Liam Sharp’s, presumably showing an insane Wonder Woman rocked by the revelations of “The Lies.” I like that “The Lies” are going to be followed by “The Truth,” even though it means that it may be a while yet until we get some answers about what’s up with Wonder Woman and her multiple pasts.

Meanwhile, “Year One” is set to conclude with Wonder Woman vs. the God of War, further cementing the fact that Ares will be the “big bad” of the arc as past solicits have hinted. It’s been done before with Wonder Woman origin stories, but it’s also a classic way to go and Rucka and Scott have been doing amazing work thus far.

Onto Trinity #5:

TRINITY #5

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ

“BETTER TOGETHER” part five! Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman must battle for their lives against their greatest foes in an arena of their own making! And the fight won’t be done until they confront each other in this deadly match. The mastermind behind this attack has revealed himself at last: Mongul is back!

On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

I absolutely LOVED the first issue of Trinity last month. It was gorgeous and fun and just delightful from start to finish, and I’m excited to see where the book goes. January promises our heroic trio facing off against Mongul and Poison Ivy, which is a pairing I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I’m intrigued!

We’ve also got the print edition of Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77 #1:

BATMAN ’66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN ’77 #1

Written by JEFF PARKER and MARC ANDREYKO

Art by DAVID HAHN and KARL KESEL

Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED

Variant cover by ALEX ROSS

What mysteries are hidden in the book Ra’s al Ghul hired Catwoman to steal? And why does this caper lead Batman down memory lane—to his childhood fight against actual Nazis? Witness the Caped Crusader’s first encounter with one of the greatest heroes the world has ever known: Wonder Woman!

This epic team-up is brought to you by writers Marc Andreyko (WONDER WOMAN ’77) and Jeff Parker (BATMAN ’66), with fantastic artists David Hahn and Karl Kesel (BATMAN ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E.). It’s a time- and space-spanning adventure unlike anything you’ve seen before!

On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED E • Digital first

This looks like it should be a blast. Both Batman ’66 and Wonder Woman ’77 are enjoyable series, and combining the two just seems logical. I’m curious to see how much interaction the heroes will have; Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman vs. Julie Newmar’s Catwoman would be the coolest too.

Onto a new series starring the Amazons:

THE ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1

Written by KEVIN GREVIOUX

Art and cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

Variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI

Don’t miss the start of this new miniseries set in the world of Wonder Woman from writer/actor Kevin Grevioux (New Warriors, Underworld). Years before the birth of Princess Diana, a group of Amazons set out on a globe-spanning quest to find others of their kind, encountering legendary creatures and beings along the way. But their journey soon turns into a rescue mission as two of their own are captured by the legendary Storm Giants of Norse mythology. It’s up to their leader, the stalwart Hessia, to keep them together through the many trials that lie ahead.

On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T

I still don’t love this cover. They don’t look like Nicola Scott’s Amazons at all and the crotch shots are rather unnecessary. But a miniseries starring a group of Amazons could be very fun, and I’m hoping for the best here.

Wonder Woman is also front and center on DC’s free guide to their graphic novels:

DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA

Now anyone can experience DC from the best starting points possible with 25 graphic novels vital to anyone’s collection. From there, move on to your favorite characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Justice League and more, with listings of the most important books to understanding those particular characters. The DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017 catalog makes it easy to find the perfect story for everyone!

On sale JANUARY 11 • 96 pg, FC, FREE

I just really like that cover. And hopefully, with so much new Wonder Woman material out lately, Wonder Woman will have a larger presence in this year’s book than she’s had in past editions.

Wonder Woman’s starring in some new collections as well, including this one:

WONDER WOMAN: HER GREATEST BATTLES TP

Written by GEORGE PEREZ, JOHN BYRNE, GREG RUCKA, GAIL SIMONE, GEOFF JOHNS and BRIAN AZZARELLO

Art by GEORGE PEREZ, JOHN BYRNE, JIM LEE, CLIFF CHIANG and others

Cover by FRANK CHO

This new collection brings together the biggest and most unforgettable battles in Wonder Woman’s history as a DC Comics superhero, as she battles Ares, Cheetah, Medusa and more!

On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 168 pg, FC, $9.99 US

Ugh on the Frank Cho cover, and I’m definitely side-eying DC’s choice to focus on the warrior aspect of Wonder Woman. But that a great group of creators so I’m sure some excellent stories will be reprinted in this one. Plus it’s only $10, which is rad. There were a variety of other Wonder Woman collections in the January 2017 solicits as well, including the trade paperback collection of “The Lies,” the trade of the Finches’ last run on Wonder Woman, and another volume of Wonder Woman ’77.

Finally, Wonder Woman’s got some toys on the go, too, including this fancy figure:

DC BLUELINE WONDER WOMAN ACTION FIGURE BY JIM LEE

Inspired by the art of Jim Lee, this new black-and-white action figure captures Wonder Woman in all her Amazonian glory!

Measures Approximately 6.75” Tall

$40.00 US • On Sale MAY 2017

While $40 is a lot for an action figure, she does look pretty cool. I’ve seen some other figures from this “Blueline” run and they’re kind of neat. The solicits also listed the Wonder Woman movie statues I mentioned last week, which are lovely and very, very expensive.

So it was a busy round of solicits for Wonder Woman! With the movie on the way, we Wonder Woman enthusiasts may find ourselves going broke to keep up with all of the fun new comics, collections, and collectibles. It’s a fun problem to have.

DC Announces New Miniseries, The Odyssey of the Amazons

Wonder Woman has been one of the bigger hits of DC’s “Rebirth” initiative, and now the world of the Amazons is set to be explored further in a new mini-series, The Odyssey of the Amazons. Written by Kevin Grevioux with art by Ryan Benjamin, the book will debut this January. Here’s the official description:

THE ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1 is a brand-new miniseries set in the world of Wonder Woman from writer and actor Kevin Grevioux (New Warriors, Underworld) and artist Ryan Benjamin (BATMAN BEYOND). Years before the birth of Princess Diana, a group of Amazons set out on a globe-spanning quest to find others of their kind, encountering legendary creatures and beings along the way. But their journey soon turns into a rescue mission as two of their own are captured by the legendary Storm Giants of Norse mythology. It’s up to their leader, the stalwart Hessia, to keep them together through the many trials that lie ahead. The series will run for six issues.

I’m very excited that the world of Wonder Woman is finally expanding beyond her one core book. Characters like Batman and Superman have had entire families of comics for decades that follow both the main heroes and their many allies and partners. Wonder Woman’s only had Wonder Woman since the early 1950s, and while this is just a mini-series, hopefully it’s an exploratory step towards a larger presence for Wonder Woman down the line.

Now, at the same time, this seems like a bit of a weird book. It could definitely be cool; some Amazons going off on adventures sounds like a lot of fun. But I find it a bit curious that Hessia is in the mix, given that she was a part of the New 52 incarnation of the Amazons which seems to be in the process of being replaced with Greg Rucka’s run. It’s not like Hessia had much of a presence either, apart from a handful of appearances. Someone classic like Phillippus or another of the new Amazons Rucka has introduced might make more sense. The blank slate-ness of the character could be interesting, though, allowing Grevioux and Benjamin to make something new and cool.

Also, we’ve only got the cover art, but it feels very different than the Amazons Nicola Scott is drawing in “Year One” right now. The style is different, and their long legs and high cut briefs remind me more of Mike Deodato’s time on Wonder Woman than the Amazons current look. Benjamin’s a good artist and I’ve enjoyed some of his past work. The cover just feels a bit at odds with where the Amazons are now.

I’m hoping that this mini-series is being done in consultation with everyone who’s working on the main Wonder Woman book, lest we get anymore Amazon confusion. With “The Lies” still unfolding, everything is up in the air, and something that at first glance appears very disconnected from the current run might further muddy the water. So long as everything stays under Mark Doyle’s editorial auspices like the current Wonder Woman run, everything should be fine, but the gods help us all if this is somehow an Eddie Berganza book. Folks would FLIP. OUT.

The Odyssey of the Amazons is set to debut on January 18, 2017, and I look forward to checking it out! Here’s hoping it’s a fun expansion of the world of the Amazons!

Wonder Woman #8 Review: Barbara Ann Minerva’s Archaeological Adventures

“Year One” by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott has been running in the even-numbered issues of Wonder Woman since the book’s “Rebirth” relaunch in June, but we’ve got a brief interlude this month with Wonder Woman #8. Scott is taking a breather while Rucka and guest artist Bilquis Evely delve into the pre-Cheetah days of Barbara Ann Minerva in an issue that ties into both arcs of Wonder Woman. The Cheetah is a major player in “The Lies,” which has focused on freeing her from the clutches of the evil god Urzkartaga, while Barbara debuted in “Year One” last month to help translate the language of the newly arrived Wonder Woman. A spotlight issue makes a lot of sense, and adds some valuable backstory to the two main arcs. Let’s dig into it all, but first:

SPOILER ALERT!!

If you hadn’t read the issue yet, look away!

All of the goings on therein are about to be revealed!

Don’t spoil yourself! It’s a really good issue!

I loved this issue top to bottom. We’ll get to the story and whatnot in a moment, but DANG Bilquis Evely killed it. I was excited when I heard about this issue because I’ve enjoyed her work elsewhere, and she did not disappoint. She brought so much to Barbara. I love the joy and determination she captured. As the Cheetah, Barbara is often fairly one note, just fiercely villainous without much in the way of interesting motivation. Honestly, I’ve never been a big fan of this incarnation of the character; I’m an old school, Priscilla Rich guy. But Evely’s rendition of nerdy archaeologist Barbara is a lot of fun. Rucka writes her well, of course, but Evely really brings her to life.

The rest of the art beyond Barbara is great as well. Evely captures a variety of locales with aplomb, all of the other characters are distinct and expressive, and she’s got some clever layouts in the mix, including a cool map/location montage. Romulo Fajardo Jr. adds a lot with the colours, too; he’s the regular colorist on “Year One” and he continues his fantastic work here. He always adds so much texture and depth to the page, and he and Evely pair beautifully throughout the issue.

But onto the story itself. Archaeologist Barbara Ann Minerva is trying to track down the home of the ancient Amazons, even though everyone around her thinks she’s crazy. And by “everyone” I mean dudes. Her stern, cold father tries to forcefully dissuade her from her interest in mythology, and her older co-worker at a dig in the Ukraine is a sexist ass who refuses to believe her when she makes a huge discovery that is subsequently buried in a landslide. Barbara continues on nonetheless in one of my favourite types of stories: women doing things after men tell them they can’t. And while the issue ends with disappointment for Barbara, as a reader we know she’s absolutely on track because we’re very much aware that the Amazons are real.

Also, shout out to Greg Rucka for the lengthy discussion of the potential historical reality of the Amazons and the different schools of thought therein. I could have read an entire issue of that; I love all of the theories that surround the Amazons, and I’m definitely with Barbara when it comes to side-eying the Greek accounts of the Amazons. The shutting down of the breast amputation was delightful as well. Those pages were great all around.

The issue also ties into some key aspects of “Year One.” First, we’ve got the mysterious tree from Wonder Woman #2 that housed the snake that almost killed Diana. It appears on the chest of an ill-fated man who steals Barbara’s research and goes after the Amazons, and shows up again at the issue’s end when Barbara thinks she’s found the home of the Amazons. That tree is clearly going to play a big role, and we got another clue from the dead guy: The tree was marked on his chest, and the word “sear” was marked on his arm. What that means remains to be seen. We’ve also got at least one goddess in the mix, with Athena secretly helping Barbara on her quest. We saw Athena last month in “Year One” and it seems like she may have some involvement in exposing whatever is going on in “The Lies.”

Ultimately, the issue is a fantastic showcase for Barbara Ann Minerva. It adds a lot of depth to a character that rarely has any. Originally, Barbara was kind of the worst. The basic elements were the same when George Perez created her 30 years ago; she was a wealthy heiress and an archaeologist, but she was a total jerk. She was arrogant and cruel and jealous of Wonder Woman. She just wasn’t pleasant at all. This rehabilitation of Barbara is still a wealthy heiress and an archaeologist, but she’s a lot of fun. She’s also a woman who’s clearly put in the work and effort to be where she is, and her trappings are in no way opulent. She’s out in the wilderness, roughing it and doing whatever she has to do to find what she’s looking for. This Barbara is motivated buy a love of mythology and the Amazons rather than jealousy, and as we’ve learned from the past few issues of Wonder Woman, she was friends with Diana before Urzkartaga screwed everything up. It’s a different, far more compelling take on the character.

In short, I would read a series about this Barbara, preferably with Bilquis Evely on board because she kills it. Barbara travelling the globe doing rad archaeological research and sticking it to dumb dudes would be amazing; she could be a female Indiana Jones, but with way more discussions of the patriarchal biases in our beliefs about ancient history. I fully realize that like 12 people would read it every month, but I would be ALL OVER IT. I absolutely loved this issue, and I love this new version of Barbara Ann Minerva. I know we’ll get more of her when “Year One” continues next month, but I’m very intrigued by her pre-Wonder Woman adventures. Go pitch it, Rucka and Evely! I’ll tell everyone I know to buy it!

New York Comic-Con Wonder Woman News Extravaganza: New Comics, Toys, Movies!

This post is as much for me as it is for you, reader friends. New York Comic-Con was this weekend, and with it came lots of fun news, announcements, and reveals, nearly all of which I missed. My sister got married this weekend (congrats to Kate and Tom!), and I was all wrapped up in that. It was certainly a better way to spend the long weekend than scanning the internet for cool NYCC news, but now the week has officially begun and it’s time for me to dig in and catch up. So here’s a look at what Wonder Woman news came out of the convention this weekend!

First up, let’s chat about Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, an upcoming biopic about Wonder Woman’s creator William Moulton Marston and the women who played key roles in his life. Angela Robinson will write and direct the movie, with Luke Evans starring as Marston, Rebecca Hall playing his wife, Elizabeth, and Bella Heathcote joining them as Olive Byrne, the final member of the Marstons’ polyamorous triangle. This could be an absolutely fascinating film; Marston’s life was interesting and unusual, to say the least, and it has all of the makings of a great story. I’m curious to see how much DC gets on board and what sort of Wonder Woman stuff they’ll be allowed to use, but even just the story of their lives leading up to the creation of Wonder Woman is quite a compelling tale. It’s good to see the women behind Wonder Woman getting recognized from the get-go as well, rather than shining the spotlight on Marston alone. I’m very excited to see how this one turns out!

In other film news, Warner Bros. Animation might have another Wonder Woman cartoon film in development. It doesn’t seem to be official yet, since the quote was, “they have Wonder Woman on their radar in some form or fashion,” but that’s better than no Wonder Woman at all. There were no details on whether this would be a sequel to the 2009 direct-to-DVD film Wonder Woman or something completely new, but things might be happening on the animation front.

We’ll stick with movies for one more bit of news: DC Collectibles revealed a line of statues for the upcoming live action Wonder Woman film, and they all look quite lovely. Here’s Wonder Woman on a horse:

And you can click through the link to see a couple more. They’re very nice but also pricey, ranging from $150-300 USD. Expect them out in the ballpark of June 2017, when the movie is due to hit the big screen.

Moving to comics, we’ve got a rad crossover on the way with Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77, a comic book teaming of Adam West and Burt Ward’s Batman and Robin with Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman. Marc Andreyko and Jeff Parker are writing, with art from David Hahn and Karl Kesel and covers by Alex Ross and Mike Allred. Check out this peek at Alex Ross’ first cover:

The six issue mini-series will premiere digitally in November and then hit comic shops in print form in January. It looks like the chief villains will be Ra’s al Ghul and Catwoman, which should make for a lot of fun.

This next news broke a bit before NYCC, but it’s too awesome to leave out: We’re getting DC Super Hero Girls Lego! Here’s a look at the Wonder Woman set, which includes an invisible motorcycle:

Other sets include Batgirl, Bumblebee, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Supergirl, and more. Some will hit stores in December, with more to roll out down the line; Wonder Woman is in the second wave, due to come out in January. The sets are in the style of Lego’s “Friends” line, which they target at girls, and while I do miss the blocky classic Lego look on the minifigs, it does match a bit better with the style of the show. I’m definitely going to need to pick up a few of these sets, the Wonder Woman one first and foremost.

Finally, the U.S. Postal Service officially debuted their new line of Wonder Woman stamps that celebrate the character’s 75th anniversary:

Artists Cliff Chiang and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez were on hand for the event, and the stamps are now available to order online or in your local post office if you’re an American. I actually got to work behind the scenes a little bit on the stamps, consulting on the text that accompanies them in the packaging to verify that everything was historically accurate. It was a very fun process, and it’s so cool that they’re officially out in the world now!

I think that was all of the big news this weekend, but let me in the comments if I missed anything cool. Overall, it was a big NYCC for Wonder Woman, and there should be a lot of fun stuff on the horizon for Wonder Woman fans and collectors.

Women at Marvel Comics Watch – December 2016 Solicits, 37 Women on 25 Books

Marvel’s had an impressive run with female creators throughout the fall with 30 or more women in every round of solicits we’ve seen for the autumn months. Now they’re set to cap the year with a new record high, bolstered by a slew of new titles with female writers and female lead characters. Let’s take a look at who’s doing what at Marvel in December 2016:

Afua Richardson: Black Panther: World of Wakanda #2 (cover)
Alitha E. Martinez: Black Panther: World of Wakanda #2 (interior art)
Alti Firmansyah: X-Men ’92 #10 (interior art)
Amy Reeder: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #14 (co-writer, cover)
Annie Wu: Star Wars: Classified #2 (variant cover)
Becky Cloonan: The Punisher #8 (writer)
Brittney L. Williams: Patsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat! #13 (interior art, cover)
Chynna Clugston-Flores: Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up (co-writer, interior art)
Elizabeth Torque: The Mighty Captain Marvel #0 (cover)
Elsa Charretier: Star Wars: Classified #1 (variant cover)
Erica Henderson: Great Lakes Avengers #3 (variant cover), Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up (variant cover), The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #15 (interior art, cover)
Gurihiru: Gwenpool, the Unbelievable #9 (interior art)
Helen Chen: Silk #15 (cover)
Irene Strychalski: Silk #15 (interior art)
Jody Houser: Max Ride: Final Flight #4 (writer)
Kamome Shirahama: Star Wars: Classified #1 (variant cover)
Karla Pacheco: Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up (co-writer)
Kate Leth: Patsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat! #13 (writer)
Kelly Thompson: Hawkeye #1 (writer)
Laura Braga: A Year of Marvels: The Uncanny #1 (interior art)
Margaret Stohl: The Mighty Captain Marvel #0 (writer)
Marguerite Sauvage: Black Panther: World of Wakanda #2 (variant cover), Hawkeye #1 (variant cover)
Mariko Tamaki: Hulk #1 (writer)
Myisha Haynes: Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up (interior art)
Natacha Bustos: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #14 (interior art)
Nen Chang: Jessica Jones #3 (variant cover)
Nicole Perlman: Gamora #1 (writer)
Nik Virella: All-New Wolverine #15 (interior art)
Pia Guerra: Hulk #1 (variant cover)
Robin Furth: Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three – The Sailor #3 (co-writer)
Roxane Gay: Black Panther: World of Wakanda #2 (co-writer)
Sara Pichelli: Spider-Man #11 (interior art, cover)
Stephanie Hans: Jessica Jones #3 (variant cover), Scarlet Witch #13 (interior art)
Tula Lotay: Gamora #1 (variant cover)
Veronica Fish: Spider-Woman #14 (interior art)
Yasmine Putri: Avengers #2.1 (variant cover)

All together, there are 37 different female creators set to work on 25 different books at Marvel this December, a gain of 6 women and 6 books from November. It’s also Marvel’s highest month for female creators since we starting keeping track a few years back, breaking a record they set earlier in the year. Looking back, 2016 has been a year of solid growth for women at Marvel. Back in February, there were only 18 different female creators working on Marvel books, and now that number has more than doubled.

A slew of new books made this record setting December possible. Margaret Stohl is writing The Mighty Captain Marvel, Mariko Tamaki is writing Hulk (which actually stars She-Hulk), Kelly Thompson is writing Hawkeye (the rad lady one), and Nicole Perlman is writing Gamora. It’s great to see such fantastic writers penning such awesome female characters, though it’d be fun to have some female artists in the mix, and I’d love to see Marvel let female creators work on more than just female-led books. Nonetheless, all of these new titles sound great.

Plus we’re getting a Gwenpool holiday special that’s got lots of women involved and should be a lot of fun. It also brings some new names to Marvel, including Chynna Clugston-Flores, Myisha Haynes, and Karla Pacheco; Clugston-Flores might have done a cover or something at some point a while back maybe? It’s hard to remember everyone. Either way, those three women are either new to Marvel or haven’t been around in a while.

Overall, Marvel is set to end the year on a high note. It’s nice to see that both major superhero publishers are going to close out 2016 with their best numbers yet; that’s a very encouraging sign for 2017. Hopefully Marvel can sustain these new highs for whatever the year brings, including their next inevitable round of relaunches. But for now, December looks to be a very strong showing for women at Marvel, both real and fictional, and the publisher has definitely progressed considerably over the past year.

Women At DC Comics Watch – December 2016 Solicits, 33 Women on 23 Books

In my report on the November solicits, I noted that it seemed unlikely that DC’s number of female creators would be in the low 30s again come December. There were a lot of one-shots and variant cover gigs, and those numbers are hard to sustain month-to-month. But DC did it, and has posted a strong lineup of female creators to end the year. Let’s take a look at who’s doing what at DC Comics in December 2016:

Amanda Conner: Harley Quinn #9 (co-writer, cover), Harley Quinn #10 (co-writer, cover)
Becky Cloonan: Gotham Academy: Second Semester #4 (co-writer), Shade, The Changing Girl #3 (cover)
Cecil Castellucci: Shade, The Changing Girl #3 (writer)
Claire Roe: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #5 (interior art)
Elena Casagrande: Vigilante: Southland #3 (interior art)
Emanuela Lupacchino: Green Lanterns #12 (variant cover), Green Lanterns #13 (variant cover)
Gail Simone: Clean Room #15 (written)
Heather Nuhfer: Teen Titans Go! #19 (co-writer)
Holly Black: Lucifer #13 (co-writer)
Hope Larson: Batgirl #6 (writer)
Jenny Frison: Clean Room #15 (cover), Wonder Woman #12 (variant cover), Wonder Woman #13 (variant cover)
Jody Houser: Mother Panic #2 (writer)
Joelle Jones: Supergirl: Being Super #1 (interior art, cover)
Julie Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #5 (co-writer)
K. Perkins: DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 (co-writer)
Kamome Shirahama: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #5 (variant cover)
Laura Braga: DC Comics Bombshells #20 (interior art)
Marguerite Bennett: DC Comics Bombshells #20 (writer)
Marguerite Sauvage: DC Comics Bombshells #20 (interior art), The Flintstones #6 (variant cover)
Mariko Tamaki: Supergirl: Being Super #1 (writer)
Marley Zarcone: Shade, The Changing Girl #3 (interior art)
Mirka Andolfo: DC Comics Bombshells #20 (interior art)
Msassyk: Gotham Academy: Second Semester #4 (interior art)
Nicola Scott: Wonder Woman #12 (interior art, cover)
Pia Guerra: The Hellblazer #5 (interior art)
Sandra Hope: Gotham Academy: Second Semester #4 (inker)
Sanya Anwar: Clean Room #15 (interior art)
Sarah Vaughn: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2 (writer)
Shawna Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #5 (co-writer)
Stephanie Hans: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2 (cover)
Tula Lotay: Everafter: From the Pages of Fables #4 (cover)
Vita Ayala: DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 (co-writer), Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Amanda Waller #5 (co-writer)
Yasmine Putri: The Hellblazer #5 (variant cover)

All together, there are 33 different female creators set to work on 23 different books at DC this December, the same number of women as in November and one more book. The total also ties DC’s highest number of the year, and it’s an encouraging sign for 2017 that DC is set to end 2016 with two very good months. With the second wave of “Rebirth” just around the corner, hopefully the publisher can keep these numbers going.

December looks a lot like November across the board: a core group of creators, plus a few one-shots and variant covers. One-shots aren’t sustained work, but DC’s mixing things up with their variant covers as of late. Instead of rotating in different artists each month, artists seem to be sticking with a book for an extended period of time. Emanuela Lupacchino, for example, has been doing variants for Green Lanterns since it launched in June. What used to be a one-time job has turned into steady work, and it’s helping keep DC’s female creator ranks high.

December’s not a huge month for female characters, but there are a couple of fun new books in the mix. The biggest is Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones; it looks fantastic, and with two amazing creators in the mix it should be a lot of fun. We’ve also got the DC Rebirth Holiday Special with stories starring Batwoman and Wonder Woman, and the beginning of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, which will feature all of the female members on both teams.

Overall, DC is set to end the year on a good note. Things were looking bad mid-way through the year; DC could barely hit 20 female creators a month in the early days of their “Rebirth” initiative. But things have picked up throughout the fall and DC is going to close 2016 with the best numbers we’ve seen from them over the past five years. There’s always still room to grow; women remain a small minority at nearly every level of production. But progress is slowly being made, and things are looking up.

Greg Rucka Says Wonder Woman Is Queer: Great! But Also Show It On The Page

In an interview with Comicosity posted yesterday, current Wonder Woman writer Greg Rucka confirmed that Wonder Woman is queer. Not just some Amazons, not an alternate universe version of the character. The official comic book Wonder Woman, Diana herself, is canonically queer. It’s a significant moment. We’ve seen hints of this in the past, but for the writer of the comic to come out and say it specifically is a big deal, and an important step forward for representation in comics.

For Rucka, if Paradise Island is truly a paradise, the Amazons should be able to have “fulfilling romantic and sexual relationships,” and with an island full of women, clearly they are engaging in such relationships with each other. In terms of Wonder Woman herself, Rucka declared, “Now, are we saying Diana has been in love and had relationships with other women? As Nicola and I approach it, the answer is obviously yes.” Rucka points out that the Amazons wouldn’t call themselves lesbians or gay or bisexual; such relationships are just normal for them, and their society is not mired in the heteronormativity of the outside world so there’s no need to make that distinction. But, for all intents and purposes, Wonder Woman and the Amazons are queer.

Now, Wonder Woman’s been queer for 75 years, dating back to her very first appearance. Her creator, William Moulton Marston, imbued his comics with a sexual subtext. The chains and bondage games of his Amazons were a metaphor for loving submission to female rule, but there was a sexual component to that as well. For Marston, true submission and sexuality were intertwined, and the female superiority he espoused was rooted in the maternal and sexual power of women. So when the Amazons, including Wonder Woman, engaged in bondage games with each other, there was something else going on between the lines. It was the 1940s so Marston couldn’t be direct about it in any way, but his Wonder Woman was most definitely queer.

Various writers have imbued a certain degree of queerness in Wonder Woman and the Amazons ever since. Even Robert Kanigher, who wrote Wonder Woman for twenty years after Marston died, later stated that all of the Amazons were lesbians. But now, for the first time ever, the current writer of Wonder Woman has been able to confirm this queerness. It’s official, it’s out there, there are headlines everywhere talking about it today.

This is lovely, and I very much respect Rucka for making this a priority in his writing and publicly confirming that Wonder Woman is queer, but I think he should take it one step further. There are limits to authorial intent, and the glimpses of Diana’s relationships with other Amazons that we saw in Wonder Woman #2 were subtle hints at best. Saying that Wonder Woman is queer is great, but we need to see it clearly in the pages of her comic book.

Rucka does not seem to be in favour of such a blatant declaration, and he has reasonable cause for feeling this way. As he explains:

We’re talking about the “Northstar Problem.” The character has to stand up and say, “I’M GAY!” in all bold caps for it to be evident.

For my purposes, that’s bad writing. That’s a character stating something that’s not impacting the story. I get nothing for my narrative out of that in almost any case. When a character is being asked point blank, if it’s germane to the story, then you get the answer. But for me, and I think for Nicola as well, for any story we tell — be it Black Magick, be it Wonder Woman, be it a Batman story — we want to show you these characters and their lives, and what they are doing.

We want to show, not tell.

And I can understand that. But at the same time, all we’ve ever seen from Wonder Woman are straight relationships. Even now, with Rucka at the helm, Steve Trevor is again her primary romantic interest. To firmly establish that Wonder Woman is queer, we need to see it addressed specifically. They can even keep the Steve angle going while doing so. Bring in an ex-girlfriend and clearly state that she is an ex-girlfriend. Show Diana being attracted to a woman and be deliberate in doing so. Add another queer character to the book who can have a conversation with Diana and dig into the specifics of her sexual orientation. There’s lots of ways to do it. Also, you could just ditch Steve and give Wonder Woman a girlfriend; the dude’s had his shot, and I feel like Diana and Barbara Minerva might have some sparks between them.

The superhero genre is a conservative game. Change like this is hard, and the pushback is always enormous. Catwoman came out as bisexual a year or so ago, and then there was a creative change, her bisexuality wasn’t mentioned again, and she doesn’t have a book anymore. Or look at Harley Quinn; she’s currently engaged in a unique romantic relationship with Poison Ivy in the comics, but the Suicide Squad movie is now pushing her relationship with the Joker to the forefront of the public perception of the character. Making a character queer and keeping them that way is a difficult job, so the further it can be cemented in canon, the more sticking power it will have. Greg Rucka’s not going to be writing Wonder Woman forever, and it would be nice for whoever takes over to have a clear and specific example of Diana’s queerness that is official canon and woven into her story and history in a way that cannot be ignored.

Plus comics are so dang straight. There’s straight people everywhere, romancing it up. It’s assumed to be the norm, in comics and in society as a whole because ugh patriarchy and heteronormativity. To counter this dominance, and to show queer readers that they are represented in this comic book world, queerness needs to be unambiguous and unequivocal. When some gay or lesbian or bisexual teen picks up Wonder Woman, it would be nice for them not to have to read between the lines to find themselves reflected in her world. Make it clear, make it specific, and make it official. Saying she’s queer is a fantastic, groundbreaking first step. But the next step is just as important.

Wonder Woman #7 Review: The Fall of Urzkartaga

The gods lie. Every divine system has a trickster deity, of course, for good or ill or sometimes both, a Loki or a Puck or an Anansi. But more than that, systems of gods are a reflection of the humans who created them, and thus they have the same foibles and flaws. They tend to use their followers as tools for their own gain and glory, capriciously abusing their powers to satisfy their momentary whims. Zeus took different forms to trick women and have sex with them. Yahweh sent lying spirits to his prophets to deceive the Israelites when he wanted to punish them. Ishtar promised men wealth and power only to bleed them dry and leave them broken. The gods are deceivers.

This is what “The Lies” seems to be exploring, though Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp are delving into these themes in a world in which the gods are quite literally real. For us, the vast majority of the deities out there are just stories; even religious people believe in their particular pantheon and think the rest aren’t real. In the world of Wonder Woman, there are actual gods, and they’re just as bad as our mythologies make them sound.

Let’s dig into Wonder Woman #7, but first:

SPOILER ALERT!!

I am about to reveal key plot points from this issue!

Look away if you haven’t read it yet!

So we’ve been assuming that “The Lies” are about Wonder Woman and her deities, and whatever power has compelled her to remember false Amazons and a false pantheon. But we’ve barely scratched the surface of those lies four issues into the arc; instead, we’re spending a lot of time with the Cheetah and her complex, abusive relationship with her patron deity Urzkartaga, and it turns out that Barbara Ann Minerva has been the victim of lies as well. She was told that the scores of girls delivered to Urzkartaga were there to worship him, and that he imparted some of his power to one of them. She became the Cheetah, the Protector who enacted his will throughout his realm.

But Urzkarataga’s worshippers weren’t powerless followers. They were his wardens. The women held all the power, and Urzkartaga deceived them by convincing them that they had none, and that only through him could one of them approach the divine. It was a ruse to hide his true weakness and immobilize a potential threat: The girls could destroy him if they worked together to do so. Which they did, at the end of the issue when Wonder Woman exposed the truth. Urzkartaga was vanquished and Barbara Ann Minerva was freed of her Cheetah persona.

In last month’s installment of “The Lies,” the Cheetah told Wonder Woman, “Your paradise was made by your gods. Perhaps they play games with you the same way Urzkartaga plays with me.” With Urzkartaga’s deception now exposed, there may be an additional layer to that sentiment: Perhaps Wonder Woman’s gods lied to her the same way Urzkartaga lied to the Cheetah. And it will be interesting to see which gods were involved. The Urzkartaga plot relied on reinforcing patriarchal authority, ensuring that men were in charge and that girls were seen as expendable so that his chief weakness could be contained. Depending on which gods have deceived Diana, we could be looking at another critique of patriarchy once she gets to the bottom of “The Lies.” Which would make sense, given that in her false world the Amazons had turned against each other, female deities persecuted them, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, was nowhere to be seem. Retconning this as a nefarious patriarchal plot would be a fascinating reimaging of the largely disastrous New 52 era.

Now, the Urzkartaga reveal was interesting, and I’m curious to see how it plays out for Wonder Woman, but the journey to get here was very long. Even if there are parallels with Diana’s gods, this was a slow story that, while it’s had it’s cool moments, has been a bit underwhelming. I like the ideas behind it, and I’m all for the rehabilitation of the Cheetah. The execution thereof just hasn’t worked so well for me. It’s not been bad, but it’s not been particularly compelling or entertaining, especially compared to the amazing work we’ve seen in the “Year One” storyline.

The art hasn’t helped things either. When I reviewed last month’s outing, I was critical of Sharp’s work and said it felt a bit rushed and sloppy. All of those elements are even more pronounced this month. There are a couple of really lovely panels where he clearly took his time, but there are scores more where the inking feels slapped on and rough. Moreover, backgrounds are nearly nonexistent. They’re in a cave, so there’s not a lot of exciting stuff that can be done, but the roots and such that run behind them are pretty slapdash. Sharp’s skills lie in his lush, detailed renderings, and the timeline of a monthly schedule doesn’t seem to be allowing him to do dig into his artwork in this way. Laura Martin does what she can with the colors, but it’s always awkward to put smooth, blended coloring over blocky, rough artwork. It just looks incongruous. I think she singlehandedly salvaged a few backgrounds with some cool effects that broke up the perpetual brown of the cave, but the overall visual appeal of the issue is limited.

Ultimately, if the Urzkartaga reveal is foreshadowing for what Wonder Woman is facing with her own deities, that’s a clever touch. But the execution thereof has been somewhat lacking. The story is too drawn out, the art is flagging, and everything good about the book is getting a bit lost in how it’s been presented. There are two issues left in the arc, of course, and what comes next may well prove that every seemingly slow step along the way thus far has been a key moment for the larger story. That would be lovely. But while there are a lot of cool ideas in the mix here and some genuinely great moments, the pacing and deteriorating artwork of the first four issues are stopping “The Lies” from fully living up to the intriguing vision behind it.