Tim Hanley's Blog, page 32

Superwoman #1 Review: Either One Of The Best Or Worst Comics Of DC’s “Rebirth” Line

Superwoman is a great comic book until the last page, and depending on how that last page plays out it’s either going to be a book I’ll be very much looking forward to each month or a book I’ll drop like a hot potato. We’ll see how it goes. I’m certainly hoping for the former, because I really enjoyed the bulk of this issue. We’ll dig into it all, but first:

SPOILER ALERT!!

I mean, it’s kind of spoiled all over the internet right now, but still!

Read the book first!

This honestly isn’t the kind of Lois Lane comic book I wanted. I’ve been arguing that Lois should have her own series for years now, one that focuses on her journalistic adventures tracking down big scoops and taking down evildoers of the non-costumed variety. I basically want Gotham Central set in the Daily Planet newsroom with Lois as the main character. This book is not that. It’s Lois Lane with superpowers, which she gained when the New 52 Superman died a few months back. But while Superwoman is not what I’ve been wanting, it’s a lot of fun.

First, of course Lois Lane would make an awesome superhero. She’s done it a bunch of times over the years, as she actually mentions in the issue, and it’s always a good time. In Investigating Lois Lane, I call Lois a superhero without superpowers; she’s got all of the same values, bravery, and desire to do what’s right that Superman and Wonder Woman do, she’s just a hero in a slightly more down to earth way. So with powers, she’s got the temperament and heart to use them well and be a stellar superhero.

Second, this is one of the first comic books where Lois Lane and Lana Lang are on friendly terms. They’ve been rivals for decades, often to cringeworthy degrees, Superman’s old flame versus his new one. Writers in the Silver Age really leaned into their rivalry and often had them at each other’s throats, literally so on several occasions. This continued when Lana returned in the Bronze Age; in one issue, they got into a fight at work and Lana dunked Lois’s head in a punch bowl. Throughout the Modern Age, Lana became kind of a sad character who was obsessed with Clark and grated on Lois, and in the New 52 era the women haven’t exactly been pals.

But Lois knows that Lana helped Clark with his powers, and that she needs help to learn how to control hers. She also knows that Lana is smart and a good person, and that her advice and input would be invaluable. So she proposes that they work together and after some reluctance, Lana gets on board. They’re not friends, exactly, but they’re friend adjacent, which is a lovely change of pace. Plus the banter is so much fun.

Third, this relationship comes with the exciting twist of Lana having superpowers too! Her energy powers resemble the 1990s Red Superman era, and she and Lois team up to stop Lex Luthor’s mega-warship from taking out a bridge. So Lana’s not just an advisor and trainer; they have a super-team up! I was so on board for that. Two formal rivals that have been so often mistreated in comics teaming up to be super friends? Yes, please!

Then they killed Lois. Or so the last page suggests. It’s a busy page, so it’s hard to tell exactly what happens. Maybe whatever mystery villain the duo is battling turns Lois into stone or some such, or perhaps Lois just burns out in a manner that may have been exacerbated by Lana using her powers. Whatever the case, Lois appears to be dead and the tease for the next issue is “Who Killed Superwoman?”

If Lois is really dead, then I’m out and this book can go right to hell. I’m so sick of dead Loises. The entire 21st century history  of Superman comics is dead Loises, in various forms. Lois is why I showed up for this book. I love Lana, but I’m not going to read a Lana book that comes at the expense of Lois. It doesn’t help that I was reluctant to get this book in the first place because serial sexual harasser Eddie Berganza is editing it. Between that and killing off Lois, I’ll drop this book and never look back if the final page reveal holds.

However, this is superhero comics. Fake out death cliffhangers are the genre’s stock in trade. If this is a momentary thing that’s reversed and the book continues to be Lois and Lana: Super Friends, then I’m all about it. This was a very enjoyable opening issue, and I’m excited to read more if Lois stays in the picture.

I’m not sure how to read the tea leaves on this one. This book is called Superwoman, singular, so that hints that Lana might replace Lois since there can only be one. And there’s already another Lois Lane in the universe, a transplant from the pre-New 52 days, so the Superman offices might have considered their leftover New 52 Lois to be redundant. On the other hand, I know that Phil Jimenez loves Lois, and I’m hoping he’s going to stick with the character. Lois is on upcoming covers, too, though I’ve been fooled by that trick before. I’m also hoping that DC is smart enough not to tease us with a Lois book just to kill her off. They can’t be that dumb, right?

So, Superwoman may be the start of an exciting new series, or it may be a straight up pile of garbage! Time will tell. I’m really hoping that Lois is alive, because this was such a fun first issue and I am so down for more Lois and Lana fun. Phil Jimenez did a great job with the writing and the art, particularly with the excellent new costumes, and I’d love to see this new partnership explored for many issues to come. But if Lois is gone, I’m gone. We’ll see how things shake out.

Wonder Woman #4 Review: This Comic Is So Dang Good I Want To Hug It

Wonder Woman #4 is pretty much perfect. Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott retell a key moment of Diana’s history, the tournament that leads to her becoming Wonder Woman, and it’s iconic while making a few key changes to the classic narrative that add a lot to the story. The issue is well written and gorgeous and captures the heart of who the Amazons are in ways we haven’t seen in a long time. It’s just delightful from start to finish. We’ll dig into it all momentarily, but first:

SPOILER ALERT!!

If you haven’t read the issue yet, do yourself a personal favour and go buy it!

Then read the review AFTER you’ve read the comic!

Almost every version of the contest component of Wonder Woman’s origin has included a degree of conflict. In the classic 1940s origin, Queen Hippolyte forbids her daughter from participating in the contest, and this has been a common occurrence in most of the versions of it that we’ve seen since. There’s also been a lot of jealousy and rivalry, Amazons who are envious of Diana’s strengths, irked about past conflicts, or mad at her for leaving them. For a supposedly utopian society, the selection of Wonder Woman often comes with some strife.

Rucka and Scott retell the story without conflict, but not without intrigue. Hippolyta and her council of advisors debate what the arrival of Steve Trevor means, and while there are differing opinions in the room, they are respectful and all ultimately yield to the queen’s wisdom. Philippus, ever the general, fears that he is the forerunner of a military strike. Castalia, more in tune with the gods, notes that Steve can only be on the island through the will of the gods and that there must be a bigger plan. The discussions are well-written and fascinating; it’s cool to see the Amazons debate what Steve’s uniform insignias and weaponry mean from the perspective of total outsiders. It’s also great to see a multi-racial group, with every woman a different hue, representing a variety of different ethnicities.

Ultimately, Hippolyta decides that Steve must be here for a reason and should be returned by an Amazon, and decides that this champion will be chosen through a tournament. In other versions, goddesses appear to Hippolyta to tell her what to do, but here she carefully examines the evidence and decides her own course. It’s a smart change that illustrates the self-sufficiency of the Amazons. They don’t need deities to tell them what to do. They can figure out what signs mean for themselves, especially when they work together.

Instead of forbidding Diana to enter the contest, Hippolyta suggests to her daughter that if she’s still not fully recovered from the snake bite she got in the last issue, no one would fault her for sitting out the tournament. It’s a caring plea, delivered with futile hope, that illustrates Hippolyta’s love for her daughter in hoping she’ll stay but her respect for her daughter in knowing that she likely won’t. Nicola Scott’s depiction of this scene, and all of the Hippolyta/Diana scenes thus far, captures the love between them so well. You don’t even need the text to understand the warmth and depth of their relationship.

They hold the tournament and of course Diana wins, and Rucka goes the classic bullets and bracelets route with a fun twist. Usually writers have to come up with some convoluted reason why the Amazons have a gun in the first place; the Perez relaunch was particularly over the top with this and had a lengthy backstory that unfolded several issues later. Here, Hippolyta simply decides that if an Amazon is to go out in the world of men, she should be able to defend against the weapons men carry, and brings out Steve’s gun. It’s an elegant solution that works flawlessly within the story. A couple of other Amazons get shot before Diana deflects the bullets to win the day.

Diana’s debut as Wonder Woman is spectacularly done. It’s a full page spread beautifully rendered by Nicola Scott, with Romulo Fajardo Jr.’s colours really making it sing; I mean, his stonework alone is amazing. Scott draws a powerful, purposeful Diana, with maybe just the hint of something else in her eyes; sorrow, perhaps, or maybe a hint of trepidation before she leaves her home for good. She’s striding forward, embracing her destiny, but that note of something slightly melancholic on her face tells an interesting story that adds a lot of depth to the scene Scott has set. She draws the Amazons in celebration mode, raising their swords and throwing flowers, cheering on their champion. And the text is so good it made me tear up: Hippolyta declares, “Behold, our gift to the world!”

Alongside all of the fantastic Amazon stuff, Steve is well presented in this issue as well. His sorrow for his dead fallen soldiers says a lot about him, as does his appreciation to the Amazons at the end of the issue when they bring him their bodies so that he can take them home. It also makes an impression on Diana, who sees the same love in Steve’s sadness for his brothers that she feels for her Amazon sisters. Diana’s explanation of this to her mother is both touching and funny, because she can’t remember the word “brother” on account of the Amazons never having to use it. She calls it, “Like sisters but of men,” which cracked me up. Steve provides some comic relief through the issue as well. He has no clue what’s going on around him, but the tall women seem nice so he just rolls with it. The regular looks of bewilderment that Scott gives him are spot on.

I’ll say it again: this issue is pretty much perfect. It gets the Amazons so right, has Diana become Wonder Woman in a beautifully written and rendered manner, and showcases great character work for everyone involved. Rucka and Scott are doing an amazing job with “Year One,” and although I’m sad to leave the Amazons behind because they’ve been so well done, I’m excited to see what adventures Diana and Steve are about to get into in the world of men. My fingers are crossed for Etta Candy! For me, this storyline is the best of DC’s entire “Rebirth” line so far, and one of the best comic stories of the year, anywhere.

Suicide Squad Review: Not Very Good, Not All That Bad, A Somewhat Watchable Mess

**This review is SPOILER FREE, so read away!**

Let’s start off with my major takeaway from Suicide Squad: That rumoured Harley Quinn spinoff movie that might have Batgirl, the Birds of Prey, and Poison Ivy in the mix needs to be greenlit tomorrow. Margot Robbie is a fantastic Harley Quinn, and with a decent story and some solid directing that could make for a spectacular film. She’d need to ditch the Joker, though, since he is far and away the worst part of Suicide Squad. But apart from him, she’s delightful.

The rest of the movie is less so. It’s kind of a mess, honestly, but I wouldn’t call it bad. It’s not good by any means, but it’s not bad. The plot is pretty ridiculous and makes very little sense if you think about it at all; the villain should have been able to off the whole team in about three seconds. For a huge tentpole franchise film, they put surprisingly little thought into the story. This wasn’t helped help by the very obvious reshoots, rearranging, and general flow chaos throughout. Suicide Squad is a mangled flick. You can see parts of a darker, more menacing movie and parts of a lighter, funnier movie, and they don’t really mesh together well.

Luckily, they hung the film on Will Smith and Margot Robbie, who have just enough charisma to carry it through to the end without everything totally collapsing. Deadshot is the heart of the film, insomuch as it has one, and Will Smith does what he does best and gets you instantly invested in a character by making the most of the few hints of layers that the script gives him. In the hands of anyone else, Deadshot could have been completely unlikeable, maudlin, or just plain boring, but Smith strikes the right balance. Robbie does as well, bringing an endearing and bubbly chaos to Harley Quinn that stands in stark contrast to the somewhat flat and often morose characters that surround her. Smith keeps the film grounded and Robbie keeps the film fun, and the few scenes with just the two of them are dynamite.

Not so much Harley’s scenes with the Joker. The abusive nature of their relationship is a given; it’s been a messed up scene for two decades now. But something about seeing it with real people instead of cartoons or drawings makes it extra offputting. It didn’t help that Harley was sexualized throughout the entire film, far more so than she typically is in the comics. Her costuming and the camera work leaves her more exploited than empowered. And Jared Leto’s Joker is a boring bag of creepy affectations that lacks any fun, style, or force. This movie would be a lot better if he wasn’t in it or was just relegated to a couple of flashbacks, and honestly he could just lift right out without affecting things much at all. Having Harley turn into a fawning puppy whenever he showed up marred what was otherwise a great, impeccably performed character. Even with the Joker nonsense, Harley still steals the movie.

Viola Davis is great as Amanda Waller as well. She is DARK, as the Wall should be, though dang do they really run with it. In a movie full of villains, it’s obvious that she’s the most dangerous of them all. Her interactions with the Squad are fun, but even more enjoyable are her various meetings with arrogant, powerful dudes in which she brutally and incisively turns them around to her way of thinking. She is a force to be reckoned with and it’s fun to watch her work, even when she’s hard to root for.

Generally speaking, Suicide Squad deserves to be commended for its representation. We’ve had over a decade of superhero movies where white dudes fight white dudes, and Suicide Squad is a movie where a black guy and a woman are the two leads. Moreover, four women have significant roles and two of them are women of colour, while more than half of the main cast are people of colour. This is a game changer. Now, not all of the characterizations were great; Katana was sorely underutilized, and the treatment of Slipknot was very disappointing. But in a way, it’s progress to have a film with so many women and people of colour in key roles that a couple of them end up sidelined. We’re used to having these folks sidelined in superhero movies where there’s only one of each to start with.

Ultimately, Suicide Squad doesn’t hang together very well. The plot is silly, the team camaraderie by the end largely feels unearned, and the pacing is kind of terrible. It’s not a good movie, but it remained just entertaining enough throughout. And it’s a masterpiece compared to DC’s earlier efforts like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman; it was a relief to sit through a DC movie and not fume about how the creators fundamentally misunderstood every character on the screen. Also, the plot of Suicide Squad is pretty dumb, but the plot of Batman v Superman was even dumber. And ultimately, Suicide Squad is buoyed by a lot of winning performances. I don’t think I ever want to watch it again, but there are some characters I’d love to see in another film with a better story, for sure. A Harley Quinn movie in particular. Get on it DC! I want Harley Quinn vs. Batgirl hitting cinemas in 2018, please. It’ll be a monster hit.

Wonder Woman #4 Preview: A Man? On Paradise Island? What?!

While I’ve been enjoying “The Lies,” Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp’s current story that’s running in the odd numbered issues of the newly relaunched Wonder Woman, “Year One” is the highlight of the book for me thus far, and of the entire “Rebirth” initiative. The first issue of Rucka and Nicola Scott’s retelling of Wonder Woman’s origin story was absolutely fantastic. For me, it was a perfect distillation of everything I love about the Amazons. It was also made doubly enjoyable by the fact that the Amazons have been so ill-treated at DC for years. Having them back in a classic, recognizable way was just delightful.

And now the second issue is coming out this week! Wonder Woman #4 is out this Wednesday, and Comics Alliance has posted a preview. Let’s take a look:

I love all of this. I love Hippolyta carefully deliberating and assessing every angle of men crashing on Paradise Island and what their intention could be, I love a Steve Trevor who’s distraught over the loss of his fellow soldiers, I love Diana sympathizing with him even though a) he’s a man and b) she doesn’t even know him. The characterizations are so on point, across the board.

This is a very encouraging start to the second installment of this arc, and I can’t wait to read the rest on Wednesday. And to see where it all goes! I know we’ve got some iconic moments ahead of us, presumably a tournament to choose an Amazon champion and Diana donning her costume for the first time, but probably a lot of new stuff as well, especially once she leaves her home and goes to America. If Rucka and Scott can maintain the joy and beauty of the first issue of “Year One” through the whole run, this’ll be one of the best Wonder Woman stories of all time.

Wonder Woman #4 will be available in comic shops and online this Wednesday! Go pick it up; you won’t be sorry!

Eugene Brave Rock Playing a Mystery Native Hero in the Wonder Woman Movie

There’s a cool new article up on Indian Country that addresses one of the mysteries to come out of Batman v Superman. In the scene where Bruce Wayne learns that Wonder Woman has been around since World War One, he sees an old timey photo of Wonder Woman with a group of soldiers. One of them is Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, another appears to be Ewen Bremner in an as yet unnamed part, and one looks to be a Native American character. Indian Country spoke to the man who plays this latter character in Patty Jenkins’ upcoming Wonder Woman, actor and stuntman Eugene Brave Rock.

Brave Rock was sparse on plot details, and told them, “I am only allowed to say I was in London for five months filming the Wonder Woman movie. That is all I am allowed to say.” He actually didn’t know he was auditioning for Wonder Woman when he came in to read for a part, and he said that shooting the film was “as an amazing experience.” Brave Rock also noted that he was allowed to have a lot of input into his character:

“DC really let me have a voice. Usually movies have a lot of do’s and don’ts and they tell you you have to do things a certain way, but in this case, even with wardrobe, it was awesome. In the end, they let me decide a lot about my character. Previously, movies have even told me how I had to braid my hair, and you don’t have a choice – but this was not the case.”

It’s good to hear that Patty Jenkins and DC deferred to Brave Rock and his own knowledge of his culture; that should make for an especially authentic and respectful depiction. It’s also encouraging news in the wake of several reviews of DC’s latest film, Suicide Squad, labelling the film as racist.

We don’t know a lot about the story or characters in Wonder Woman yet, and Brave Rock didn’t give any hints as to who he’d be playing, but he is listed as “Chief” on IMDB. That suggests he might be playing Apache Chief, a Native character from the animated series Super Friends, or perhaps his unofficial comic book counterpart, Manitou Raven. DC has had several other Native characters in their comics over the years as well, and two of them in particular seem like they might be good fits. Pow Wow Smith was a 19th century sheriff in several Western tales, and that era is pretty close to Wonder Woman‘s 1910s setting. There was also another “Chief” in the mix, Super-Chief, an Iroquois warrior who found a meteorite that gave him powers and also extended his life; Super-Chief is a legacy character, with the meteorite being passed down through the family. Brave Rock might be playing one of these characters, or perhaps a completely new one. We’re still ten months away from the film’s release, and DC seems to be keeping their cards close to their chest with Wonder Woman.

The recently released trailer doesn’t offer many hints about Brave Rock’s character either. I think he’s in it, briefly, around the 1:41 mark:

It looks like he, Steve Trevor, and maybe a couple of the other guys from the photo above are ducking out of the way as an explosion goes off. It might just be someone with a similar hat, though. The trailer doesn’t delve into the supporting cast much in general, really.

I’m excited to find out who Brave Rock is playing, and that he’s part of the cast. Period films so often fall into the trap of casting all white actors, especially European war movies, and I’m glad to see that Wonder Woman is aiming to present a more diverse portrait of the time. Between Brave Rock and Saïd Taghmaoui, it looks Diana and Steve are going to have a multi-cultural squad, and that’s very cool. Be sure to check out Indian Country‘s piece for more information on Brave Rock, and of course go see Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017.

Women at Marvel Comics Watch – October 2016 Solicits, 33 Women on 24 Books

Marvel’s really on a roll with female creators right now. I mean, they still represent a small minority of Marvel’s overall number of creators, but the numbers are much higher than they used to be. Consider this: Marvel’s October 2015 solicits had only nine different female creators in the mix. NINE. A year later, Marvel is in the low thirties for the third straight month. This is progress, and hopefully a change that will continue to grow; both Big Two publishers are prone to significant drops after sustained growth, unfortunately. Let’s take a look at who’s doing what at Marvel in October 2016:

Alti Firmansyah: X-Men ’92 #8 (interior art)
Amy Reeder: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #12 (co-writer, cover)
Becky Cloonan: The Punisher #6 (writer)
Brittney L. Williams: Patsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat! #11 (interior art, cover)
Carly Monardo: Gwenpool #7 (variant cover)
Chelsea Cain: Mockingbird #8 (writer)
Erica Henderson: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #13 (interior art, cover)
G. Willow Wilson: Ms. Marvel #12 (writer)
Gurihiru: Gwenpool #7 (interior art)
Helen Chen: Gwenpool #7 (cover)
Janet Lee: Deadpool #21 (variant cover)
Jody Houser: Max Ride: Final Flight #2 (writer)
Joelle Jones: Mockingbird #8 (cover), Ms. Marvel #12 (variant cover), Han Solo #5 (variant cover)
Kamome Shirahama: Star Wars: Han Solo #5 (cover)
Kate Leth: Patsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat! #11 (writer)
Kate Niemczyk: Mockingbird #8 (interior art)
Kelly Thompson: A-Force #10 (writer)
Leila Del Duca: Scarlet Witch #11 (interior art)
Marguerite Sauvage: Black Panther #7 (variant cover)
Marjorie Liu: Star Wars: Han Solo #5 (writer)
Meghan Hetrick: Uncanny Avengers #15 (cover)
Natacha Bustos: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #12 (interior art)
Nik Virella: All-New Wolverine #13 (interior art)
Nilah Magruder: A Year of Marvels: The Unbeatable #1 (co-writer)
Robin Furth: Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three – The Sailor #1 (co-writer)
Ruth Gage: Captain Marvel #10 (co-writer)
Sara Pichelli: Spider-Man #9 (cover)
Siya Oum: A Year of Marvels: The Unbeatable #1 (interior art)
Stephanie Hans: A-Force #10 (cover)
Tana Ford: Silk #13 (interior art)
Veronica Fish: Spider-Woman #12 (interior art)
Yasmine Putri: Black Widow #7 (variant cover), Silk #13 (cover)

All together, there are 33 different female creators scheduled to work on 24 different books at Marvel this October, the same number of women as in September and one more book. Marvel’s been impressively steady as of late; the last three months have had 34, 33, and 33 women in the mix. This is the highest sustained run we’ve seen from Marvel or DC since we started keeping track of these numbers a few years back. It will be interesting to see how these numbers change as the new round of post-Civil War II books unfolds over the next few months, but the initial wave set for October hasn’t affected things much here, for good or ill.

We’ve got a couple of new names in October, including Nilah Magruder writing a story in A Year of Marvels: The Unbeatable #1. I’ve seen Leila Del Duca and Meghan Hetrick elsewhere, most recently at Image and DC respectively, but I think this month may mark some of their first Marvel work. And we’ve got some returning favourites too: Robin Furth is back for another round of The Dark Tower, Siya Oum is breaking out of her recent spate of variant covers with some interior art, and I think it’s been a long while since Janet Lee’s done something at Marvel.

For female characters, there’s not a lot going on in October’s new titles. Most of the Marvel NOW! titles debuting in October star dudes, though there are a couple of team books with ladies involved. Both Champions and Great Lake Avengers looks to have a lady or two in the mix, though each team has more male members than females. That’s just how team books seem to be going at the Big Two, which is ridiculous. It’s either a token lady or two or ALL women. Someone needs to make a team with like four women and two guys, just to mix things up.

Overall, October’s looking like another solid month for women at Marvel. As always, there remains lots of room for these numbers to grow, but these are very strong totals relative to Marvel’s past performances. Hopefully Marvel can keep this going in the months to come, and cement a new standard for women making comics at a major publisher.

Women at DC Comics Watch – October 2016 Solicits, 28 Women on 24 Books

NOTE: This post has been substantially edited because I am a dope who missed Cecil Castellucci while doing my first count. It is now accurate and correct.

DC finally had some solid female representation in their September solicits, their first relatively decent month since “Rebirth” relaunched in June. For whatever reason, whenever DC knows they’ll be selling a lot of comics with a new initiative, they want to have as few women as possible in the mix; this has been the trend with every big move they’ve made since the New 52 relaunch. But now we’re several months in and things are beginning to improve. The number of women working on DC books in October hit the same level as September, and stayed well above their previous “Rebirth” levels. Let’s take a look at who is doing what this October at DC Comics:

Amanda Conner: Harley Quinn #5 (cover, co-writer), Harley Quinn #6 (cover, co-writer), Harley’s Little Black Book #6 (cover, co-writer)
Becky Cloonan: Gotham Academy: Second Semester #2 (co-writer), Shade, The Changing Girl #1 (cover)
Carmen Carnero: Astro City #40 (interior art)
Cecil Castellucci: Shade, the Changing Girl #1 (writer)
Claire Roe: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 (interior art)
Elena Casagrande: The Vigilante: Southland #1 (interior art)
Emanuela Lupacchino: Green Lanterns #8 (variant cover), Green Lanterns #9 (variant cover), Superwoman #3 (penciller)
Gail Simone: Clean Room #13 (writer), Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special #1 (writer)
Holly Black: Lucifer #11 (writer)
Hope Larson: Batgirl #4 (writer)
Jenny Frison: Clean Room #13 (cover), Wonder Woman #8 (variant cover), Wonder Woman #9 (variant cover)
Joelle Jones: The Lost Boys #1 (variant cover)
Julie Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 (co-writer)
Kamome Shirahama: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 (variant cover)
Laura Braga: DC Comics Bombshells #18 (interior art)
Marguerite Bennett: DC Comics Bombshells #18 (writer)
Marley Zarcone: Shade, The Changing Girl #1 (interior art)
Meghan Hetrick: Red Thorn #12 (interior art)
Mirka Andolfo: DC Comics Bombshells #18 (interior art)
Msassyk: Gotham Academy: Second Semester #2 (color)
Nicola Scott: Wonder Woman #8 (art and cover), Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special #1 (variant cover)
Rachel Dodson: Superwoman #3 (variant cover)
Renae De Liz: Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special #1 (co-writer, interior art)
Sandra Hope: Cyborg #2 (inker), Cyborg #3 (inker), Gotham Academy: Second Semester #2 (inker)
Sarah Vaughn: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 (writer)
Shawna Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 (co-writer)
Stephanie Hans: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 (cover)
Tula Lotay: Everafter: From the Pages of Fables #2 (cover), Shade, The Changing Girl #1 (variant cover)

All together, there are 28 different female creators set to work on 24 different comic books in October, matching September’s 28 different women and gaining on September’s 21 different books. Basically, there’s some slight growth in representation here, which is good news considering how poor the “Rebirth” solicits had been in the months previous. More female creators would always be better, of course, but not falling back to past levels is a plus. Hopefully things have stabilized and now can continue to move forward.

We’ve got a few returning, and perhaps new, names in the mix this month. Elena Casagrande is drawing a new mini-series; I’m sure if she’s worked on DC before, but she’s done a lot of Marvel stuff. Sarah Vaughn may be new to DC as well, though she’s written elsewhere, and Cecil Castellucci has done some stuff for DC is back with a new gig now on Shade, the Changing Girl (she did a story for Sensation Comics a while back, and perhaps more?). Joelle Jones and Marley Zarcone are returning to DC after brief absences, and Jones especially should be around a lot more in the future because she’s just signed an exclusive deal with DC.

In terms of new female characters, Gerard Way’s “Young Animal” imprint is continuing to unfold, and has brought with it Shade, the Changing Girl. The books also features a handful of female creators, and there should be more coming as new books debut. We’ve also got a new Teen Titans title that appears to be predominantly male, as most teams are, but Starfire and Raven are also in the mix. We’re also getting a special over-sized issue celebrating Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary with a lot of great creators in the mix. And a bunch of books starring dudes, but meh.

Overall, it looks to be an okay month for women at DC. A bit higher in total than September and better than the months previous, but still below DC’s past highs and Marvel’s current levels. DC’s penchant for dropping their numbers considerably every year or so is making long term growth a frustrating process; it’s two steps forward and one step back, over and over. So DC’s now back up to where they were a while ago. Ideally, they’ll grow and get even further ahead before the next inevitable step back.

Wonder Woman #3 Review: Ending the Unwarranted Shame of the Cheetah

After a slow beginning to “The Lies” in Wonder Woman #1, the second issue of the arc picks up a bit. There’s more action, more story, and a quicker pace, though it’s still a little languid all around. The book also has yet to dig into “The Lies” in any actual way, something that would be more irksome if Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp hadn’t crafted some powerful scenes between Wonder Woman and the Cheetah. Their exploration of Cheetah’s curse and her relationship with Wonder Woman is compelling and poignant, even if it’s not quite the story we were expecting yet. We’ll dig into it all, but first:

SPOILER ALERT!!

I am about to tell you EVERYTHING that happened in this comic!

Look away if you haven’t read it yet!

Based on all of the pre-release interviews and descriptions and such, I was expecting “The Lies” to dig into the false gods and false Amazons of the New 52 era, and it really hasn’t done that. We’ve seen mention of it, with Wonder Woman unable to get to Olympus or Themyscira and coming to get the Cheetah’s help to locate either, but the arc has been a Cheetah story so far. On the one hand, this is kind of disappointing, because I was all excited for the story that was advertised. However, on the other hand, the story we’re getting has been decent, and had some particularly strong moments in this issue.

Wonder Woman needs the Cheetah’s help, but Cheetah’s got her own problems. Her Cheetah form is the result of being sacrificed to the god Urzkartaga, and it comes with terrible compulsions, like a desire to eat humans. Barbara Ann Minerva didn’t choose this state for herself, and she hates what she has become. She also hates Wonder Woman for not preventing it, though it’s a hate tinged with love because of their friendship before. Needless to say, the Cheetah’s very conflicted, and the feral nature she’s trying to fight only furthers the conflict.

Sharp’s redesign of the Cheetah captures her personal discord well. This is one of the most animalistic Cheetahs we’ve ever seen. Since the comics left the costumed Priscilla Rich behind for the half-human, half-Cheetah hybrid Barbara Minerva, her usual depiction has been more human than cat, a shapely lady with long hair and a fairly normal human face who happened to be yellow and spotted. Hair was rarely rendered on her body; she was just a sexy cat lady. This new look has far more cat in the mix. The entire shape of her face has changed, Sharp’s left behind the typical long, human hair, and she’s completely covered with fur. In some panels, her humanity comes through, while in others she almost looks like an actual cheetah.

The cover reveal a couple weeks back had me concerned that we’d get a sexy Cheetah yet again; the head was different, but the body was fairly typical, particularly the large, globe-like breast. I was cheered to see that the art inside the book was very non-sexualized. She’s not posed to be on display in any way, and her curves are diminished and often covered by word balloons. Her animal nature is emphasized above all else. Laura Martin’s coloring completes the look beautifully. Sharp draws in a lot of hair, but Martin’s coloring emphasizes it throughout the book, suggesting individual hairs throughout in spots where there is less line work.

Wonder Woman’s attempts to re-connect with the Cheetah lead to a scene that hammers home why Rucka is such a great choice to write Wonder Woman. While wrestling with Wonder Woman, the Cheetah cries about how Urzkartaga controls her, and how he punishes her because of her own faults. There’s an implication that he’s especially harsh on her because she wasn’t a virgin when she was sacrificed to him. Throughout their struggle, Diana repeatedly tells Barbara that she’s her friend and says, “That is not why he punishes you. That is never why any like him do.” She makes clear that none of this is Barbara’s fault, and that Urzkartaga’s behavior is due to his own cruelty. It’s a powerful refutation with real world ramifications; no one reading the book has feral cheetah powers, but many women are often shamed by men who try to tell them they’ve done something wrong or shameful, particularly when it comes to sexual assault, and that however they are punished for it is deserved. Wonder Woman makes it clear that there is no call for shame, and that women shouldn’t let men hold this power over them.

In the end, the Cheetah decides to help Wonder Woman, with the condition that she help her kill Urzkartaga, ending the Cheetah’s curse and saving future women from it as well. Wonder Woman agrees; she’s not one who likes to kill, but she’s also not one to stand by while someone cruelly abuses innocents. And the plan is good news for Steve Trevor, who’s been captured by the warlord Cadulo, a worshipper of Urzkartaga. In the issues secondary story, he and his soldiers went after the kidnapped girls from Wonder Woman #1 and ended up deep in the jungle, where they were nabbed by the warlord. Steve’s not worried at all, though. He knows Wonder Woman is in the country and will likely be on her way to him soon.

All together, this was a strong issue, though it continues to be a very slow build to “The Lies” that this arc is supposed to be about. Two issues in, we’re no further along than we were with the Wonder Woman Rebirth #1 special. I also remain a little put off by Wonder Woman and the Cheetah’s adversaries in this issue; the worshippers of Urzkartaga are African men in stereotypical jungle attire, turned into beastly creatures. Black men as animalistic villains is a tired, unpleasant trope that I wish the book had avoided.

The Cheetah’s storyline is compelling, though, and it’s always good to see Wonder Woman trying to help a fellow woman, especially one who’s turned against her. It looks like any answers about “The Lies” will still be a while off as there’s lots for the duo to do in Africa yet. This story may be a slow build. Luckily, we’ve got “Year One” every other issue bringing classic Amazon fun and a storyline with some more forward momentum. The joy and excitement of “Year One” pairs well with the darker, slower “The Lies”, creating an enjoyable one-two punch each month.

Wonder Woman and Justice League Trailers Debut at Comic-Con, and Both Look Cool!

Today was Warner Bros.’ movie panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and that video right above this text is the first Wonder Woman trailer. Can we just take a second to appreciate that this finally exists? I mean, dang, it’s been decades of development to get here. We’ve seen a million different Batmans and Spider-Mans and Supermans and now we’ve finally got Wonder Woman on the big screen in her own film. It’s so overdue, but exciting nonetheless.

And, thank the goddesses, it’s pretty fun. This is a trailer in which Wonder Woman infiltrates a fancy party with a sword hidden in the back of her dress. I am SO on board for that. Plus, all of the elements are there. Amazons on a hidden island, a crashed Steve Trevor, a bad ass Diana whooping all kind of dudes, even friggin’ Etta Candy. This is a legit Wonder Woman.

Plus the action looks ridiculously fun. I still don’t love that Wonder Woman has a sword all the dang time, hilarious party subterfuge aside, but the fights here look super rad. And the lasso glows! It also glowed for the 12 seconds she used it in Batman v Superman, and it looked cool there so I’m glad they’re continuing it here. It’s kind of awesome.

We’ve also got a properly mystical and magical Paradise Island, which is key. It’s otherworldly, to be sure. And “They do not deserve you” is my favourite line in the whole trailer. I am all about a Hippolyta who loves her daughter fiercely and has some qualms about sending her out into the barbaric world of men. So often we see that mother/daughter relationship portrayed poorly, and the hints of it we see in this trailer really hit the mark for me.

Also, Steve Trevor is kind of endearing, which is a pleasant surprise. Steve is so often boring, but casting Chris Pine was a smart move. I suppose your enjoyment of Steve will depend on your enjoyment of Pine, but I’ve found his handsome snarkiness enjoyable over the years. He comes off as a good man in the trailer, and that’s all he needs to be really. Then at the end we get Etta Candy! Instantly taking a shine to Diana, like Etta always should. That final scene is a delight.

However, it’s a British Etta Candy during World War One, and that still feels weird to me. It’s a good trailer and I’m cautiously optimistic about the movie, but this is not a Wonder Woman that has ever existed before. Her classic origin is rooted in World War Two, and her successive incarnations have only updated her origin to a more modern setting. There’s never been a Diana in 1910s England, or a British Etta, or Amazons fighting the Kaiser’s troops. It’s Wonder Woman, but it’s not quite Wonder Woman for me. Yet. The change may well grow on me once I see the film. But I still feel a slight disconnect about the change in setting and time, and the ripples that causes in the mythos.

Also, as I’ve mentioned several times, situating Wonder Woman so far in the past may limit her relevance. It’s easy to make Wonder Woman look cool and feminist against sexists dudes from a century past, and to poke holes in the inequality of those days; this is a world where women couldn’t even vote yet! But we’re dealing with 2016 sexism these days, and lots of it. Pitting  Wonder Woman versus straw men ideologies everyone today agrees was bad is weak sauce. Wonder Woman should be confronting the issues that face women today.

Still, Gal Gadot is a GREAT Wonder Woman, and she’s amazing in this trailer. She captures the character so well, and I love the strength and regality and power she brings to the role. Patty Jenkins looks to have a good handle on Wonder Woman as well, and on a big action film. Everything felt like Wonder Woman, to a certain extent, and it was all suitably epic and action packed and exciting. They seem to be an excellent team.

I still have no idea what this movie is about, other than that it’s Wonder Woman’s origin. The bad guys appear to be Danny Huston and maybe that gal in the mask, but I have no idea who they are or what their objective is. Or what the plot is more broadly. It clearly involves the first world war, and it seems that the Amazons are going to get dragged into it, but this was more a teaser than anything overly specific in terms of plot.

It’s a dang good looking teaser, though, and I’m excited to learn more. I still have little to no faith whatsoever in DC’s cinematic universe after Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, and there are choices here with Wonder Woman that I’m not yet sold on. But the trailer looks very cool, and has definitely increased my optimism about the film as a whole.

And here’s something even crazier: We got a Justice League trailer as well, and it actually doesn’t look terrible:

Zack Snyder and company seem to have learned from the poor reception of Batman v Superman, and have actually given this film some humour and fun. The Flash seems poised to steal the movie, though bad ass Aquaman is clearly going to be a fan favourite as well. Wonder Woman doesn’t get a lot to do, but the tone in general is light and pleasant, even with an alien menace on the horizon. Affleck’s Batman seems like less of a psychotic jerk, and the trailer as a whole feels more like a DC property than anything the studio’s put out over the past decade or so. I am so pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. If they can figure out how to turn this franchise around from its bleak dourness, so one will be happier than me.

So HOORAY we’ve got a Wonder Woman trailer and DOUBLE HOORAY it doesn’t suck! Fingers crossed that they can pull off something cool here and reset the board for a more enjoyable universe with this and Justice League. These trailers are an excellent start.

New Wonder Woman Movie Poster Highlights Power, Grace, Wisdom, Wonder

It’s San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, so we’re getting lots of fun geeky news, and we got a huge reveal today with the first official poster for the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, the film will be out in June 2017; we’ve seen a few pictures so far and a couple of very brief clips, but now we’ve got a poster! I’m hoping that we’ll get a trailer before the weekend is out, but the poster is pretty rad.

First, the text totally gets it. “Power. Grace. Wisdom. Wonder” is a such a great encapsulation of the character. These absolutely are the traits that have defined Wonder Woman for decades, and it’s encouraging to see the film acknowledge that from the get go by establishing these words as its definition of the character. It also wisely avoided certain other descriptions. There’s nothing about her appearance at all, for instance. So often we get a focus on Diana’s beauty above all else, and here they skip it entirely. Gal Gadot is obviously lovely, so perhaps they just thought that pointing it out would be redundant. But I’m guessing that they realized that male characters don’t get associated with their appearance; Superman would never have “Handsome” written on his poster. It’s a smart acknowledgement that women are so much more than their appearance.

They also avoid anything martial, like “Warrior” or some such. We get “Power” instead, which is a telling choice. It’s a wider term that encompasses more of the character rather than sharply defining her in terms of violence and warfare. “Power” suggests physical strength, but it also suggests gravitas and leadership and a sort of influentialness that speaks to Wonder Woman as a cultural icon.

Now, we do get a sword, so that does show her martial side. If I’m honest, I’d love to see Wonder Woman without the sword for a change. She’s not a character who I think needs a weapon, particularly one designed to maim or kill. It’s not a weapon for subduing someone, it’s a weapon for battle, and to me, Wonder Woman sees battle as a last resort. So I don’t love the sword.

What I do love, though: The colour! She’s red and blue and gold! Remember a few Comic-Cons back when we got our first official look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and it was all browns? That was so disappointing. This poster is colourful and vibrant, even with all the shadow. There’s even blue sky! It’s a sunnier palette and also it’s literally sunnier. It’s a welcome change from all of the darkness we’ve seen from DC’s current movie line thus far.

So yeah, I like this a lot and might have to try to get one for myself. It feels like Wonder Woman in so many ways, and marks a shift towards brightness that is very necessary to make the character work. It’s a cool poster all around, and the tagline especially makes me feel a little more optimistic about the film moving forward.