Tim Hanley's Blog, page 35

A Big Change for Wonder Woman in DC Universe Rebirth #1 (And Why the Special Irks Me)

DC Comics new initiative “Rebirth” is now underway, with the oversized special issue DC Universe Rebirth #1 hitting comic shops at midnight last night. DC titles will begin to relaunch starting in June, allegedly bringing a new tone to the DC universe that will focus on hope and inspiration rather than the darkness and cynicism that characterized the bulk of DC’s New 52 run over the past five years. It’s a big change for the publisher, and hopefully one that will lead to some better comic books as these new titles unfold.

So what does DC Universe Rebirth #1 hold for Wonder Woman? Not a lot. She gets one page. Or rather, her potential future story gets one page that she’s not even on and then she appears in a group shot on a different page, and that’s about it. The special reveals that Diana has a twin brother named Jason who is out in the world somewhere, and that he has powers. A twin means that DC is probably sticking with the new Wonder Woman origin story in which she’s the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta and not crafted from clay by her mother. This is a bummer, because that’s a dumb origin and parthenogenesis is so much more fun.

I’m curious to see if the existence of Diana’s mysterious twin is part of the “Lies” that make up the present day story arc of Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp’s upcoming run on Wonder Woman. A secret twin would certainly be quite a lie that would shake things up for Wonder Woman. If I’m being honest, this reveal strikes me as sort of dumb; we’ve seen secret siblings for Wonder Woman a bunch of times already, and it never turns out particularly interesting.

Even more dumb is the way in which it’s revealed in DC Universe Rebirth #1: Grail tells it to baby Darkseid. “Who is Grail and why is Darkseid a baby?” you might ask. Excellent questions. Grail is the daughter of Darkseid and an Amazon who’s been appearing in the recent “Darkseid War” story in Justice League, and Darkseid is a baby because he was destroyed in said war but has now been reborn; I think he was Superwoman’s kid? I haven’t been paying super close attention. The larger point here is that to understand this scene, and the special in general, you have to be very up-to-date on what’s been going on in DC’s comics as of late. It’s really not a book for casual or new readers.

This is exemplified by the core story of the book, the return of Wally West. “There’s already a Wally West in the current DC Universe!” you might say. Excellent point. He’s been in a bunch of comics, is a black kid like he is on The Flash television show, and he’s got super speed like his uncle Barry. But as it turns out, THAT Wally is a totally different dude and not an updated version of the character, the son of a different brother of Iris who happens to also be named Wally. The REAL Wally West is the newly returned Wally, a white guy who was a speedster from the 1950s on until he got erased and replaced (momentarily) by the new Wally when DC rebooted their line in 2011. Are you confused yet? The old Wally has come back to reveal the malevolent force behind the 2011 reboot and restore his rightful place in continuity because lord knows we can’t ever replace a white character with a black one without the white guy having to come back sooner than later.

The malevolent force is Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen, who apparently has been phunking with the DC Universe. “Isn’t Watchmen set in a completely different universe, and a classic that DC should stop screwing around with after the mess that was Before Watchmen?” you might ask. Excellent observations. But they’re doing it. And presumably it’s all going to lead up to DC heroes vs. Watchmen characters and I have no idea how that’s not going to suck.

So, to have a half decent understanding of DC Comics Rebirth #1 you have to a) be up to date on DC’s recent comics, b) have a solid understanding of DC’s continuity, particularly the history of Wally West, c) also have a solid understanding of DC’s publishing history and it’s various reboots and relaunches, and d) have read Watchmen because the ending will make literally zero sense if you haven’t. It’s a super inaccessible book. If you’re not steeped in DC comic books on multiple fronts, you’re going to miss out on a lot. And that’s a dumb way to make a comic book that’s supposed to introduce a fresh, NEW relaunch.

I should also add that the special is edited by known sexual harasser Eddie Berganza, a man who remained at the publisher after the slightest of slaps on the wrist following his misconduct a few years back and remains a key architect of the DC Universe as a whole. The guy is in charge of the Superman books specifically, which is ironic and gross. Just as the special’s focus on past continuity celebrates the “good old days” of comics, so too does Berganza’s involvement reflect the insular “good old boys” network of comic book editors and creators who turn a blind eye to sexual harassment and couldn’t care less about women in general. Incidentally, there’s not a single woman in the credits page; fifteen different people worked on the book, all of them men. So yeah, Berganza’s continued role at DC Comics may be enough to put you off of “Rebirth” and the publisher as a whole, a very understandable stance that seems like the best option more and more.

Anyway, we were talking about Wonder Woman. She’s got a brother. It sounds kind of dumb, but Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, and Nicola Scott are all ridiculously good at comics and I trust them to do an excellent job with Diana. I’m excited for the new Wonder Woman, intrigued by the two new Batgirl titles and a superpowered Lois Lane in Superwoman, and I might try Detective Comics for Batwoman and Cassandra Cain. Other than that, not much is grabbing me. The lack of new reader friendliness in DC Universe Rebirth #1 hasn’t sold me on this new direction well at all. Hopefully some fun things come of it, but this first big outing felt like a misstep to me. The only thing I really liked was this ad at the end, which looks amazing:

Women at DC Comics Watch – August 2016 Solicits: Rebirth Still Low, 20 Women on 21 Books

DC Comics’ big “Rebirth” initiative has not been great for women thus far. Even though they’re adding new series every month, the numbers aren’t really changing for female creators at DC, plus the current level is far below where DC was before “Rebirth.” I don’t know what it is with DC and big events, but anytime they do a new publishing initiative, they do so with considerably fewer women than they had beforehand. It’s a troubling trend. Let’s see who is doing what at DC in August:

Amanda Conner: Harley Quinn #1 (co-writer, cover), Harley Quinn #2 (co-writer, cover), Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys #5 (cover), Harley’s Little Black Book #5 (co-writer, variant cover), Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1 (variant cover), The Flintstones #2 (cover)
Becky Cloonan: Gotham Academy Annual #1 (co-writer)
Bilquis Evely: Legends of Tomorrow #6 (interior art)
Claire Roe: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1 (interior art)
Elsa Charretier: DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1 (interior art)
Emanuela Lupacchino: Green Lanterns #4 (variant cover), Green Lanterns #5 (variant cover), Supergirl: Rebirth #1 (art and cover), The Flintstones #2 (variant cover)
Gail Simone: Clean Room #11 (writer)
Holly Black: Lucifer #9 (writer)
Hope Larson: Batgirl #2 (writer)
Jenny Frison: Clean Room #11 (cover)
Julie Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1 (co-writer)
Kamome Shirahama: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1 (variant cover)
Laura Braga: DC Comics Bombshells #16 (interior art)
Marguerite Bennett: DC Comics Bombshells #16 (writer), DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1 (writer)
Meghan Hetrick: Red Thorn #10 (interior art)
Mirka Andolfo: DC Comics Bombshells #16 (interior art)
Nicola Scott: Wonder Woman #4 (art and cover)
Rachel Dodson: DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1 (cover), Superwoman #1 (variant cover)
Renae De Liz: The Legend of Wonder Woman #9 (writer, art, and cover)
Shawna Benson: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1 (co-writer)

All together, there are 20 different female creators scheduled to work on 21 different books in August, more books and the same number of women as July’s 20 and 17, respectively. In the “Rebirth” era thus far, we’ve got female creator totals of 19, 20, and 20, far lower than earlier in the year when DC was consistently in the mid-20s and even topped 30 different women on occasion. These numbers aren’t great.

We’re also seeing a lot of grouping. There are two DC Comics Bombshells books in August, and they make up a full quarter of the women working at DC. I love the Bombshells comic and that it’s such a fantastic outlet for female creators, but it’s sad that DC has so few women working for them that two books can account for so much. Also, Amanda Conner makes up 6 of the 21 different issues listed above, almost a third. Amanda Conner is amazing, but it again speaks to how poor DC is at distributing work to women that one woman accounts for such a huge number of books.

On the character side of things, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey officially launches in August after their “Rebirth” special in July, and the new Superwoman, starring a superpowered Lois Lane, debuts as well. A new Harley Quinn book will be hitting shops as well, but it appears to be just a relaunch of the current series without much in the way of changes or revamps; why mess with a good thing? We’ve also got some fun annuals, including a DC Comics Bombshells Annual that introduces Barbara Gordon to this alternate universe and a Gotham Academy Annual that should be a blast because that book is always a good time.

So “Rebirth” has been rather underwhelming so far. I was hoping that the numbers would grow as more books came out, but that does not seem to be the case.  Things are steady and low, with few signs that this will change on the superhero front. The fall should tick up, with Gerard Way’s new line starting up, but that may be a couple of months off yet, and that will do little to address DC’s mainline superhero problem. Put more women on your books, DC! It’s not hard.

The Legend of Wonder Woman #26 Review: The Heart of the Titan

Let’s start with some excellent news: We no longer have to be sad that The Legend of Wonder Woman is almost over, because it’s coming back! In a surprise move, DC has greenlit a sequel! We got reports a while back that a sequel wasn’t happening, but DC has changed their mind. I’m guessing the steady sales and universally positive reviews swayed them into reconsidering, and rightly so. The book is fantastic, and Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon have built a fascinating world that clearly has many more stories left to tell.

So hooray we’ve got that to look forward to, but today we’ve got the penultimate digital installment of the series. And it’s mostly all brawl, with a newly repowered Wonder Woman taking on the Titan in hopes of stopping it from destroying the planet. Given that we’re getting a sequel, I’m going to guess she succeeds, but it’s a superhero comic and that was sort of a given anyway. It’s the how of it all that makes superhero comics fun; we all know the bad guys are going to lose eventually.

The action throughout the issue was nicely done, with some fun twists and turns along the way. Diana’s new superpowers are swell and all, but the Titan is a formidable foe so this wasn’t a one punch and done situation. Moreover, the Titan is crafty, and seems to recognize that it can distract Wonder Woman by threatening others. Creating a tidal wave to threaten a Scandinavian coastal town (to be honest, I’m just guessing it’s Scandinavian) was a clever move, though Wonder Woman handled it well, of course.

What I particularly enjoyed about the fight, and about all of the fights in The Legend of Wonder Woman, is that Diana takes the time to understand who she’s fighting and why they’re doing what they’re doing. She uses her lasso to see each villain’s history and the core of what motivates them, and responds with compassion or violence, depending on the situation. Here, the Titan was created to protect the universe, but the darkness corrupted its mission. However, the Titan now revels in the darkness and enjoys destruction, wholly embracing evil, so it gets all of the punches instead of a heart to heart convo to steer it into the light. As the issue ends, it looks like all of the punching paid off because Wonder Woman is about to disable the alien rock that powers the Titan. We’ve got a whole issue left, though, so there may be some twists yet.

Elsewhere, Etta and Steve are sidelined as the epic battle rages. Steve wants to help but, in a hilarious turn of phrase, Etta calls him a “sweet idiot” and explains that this is a job for Wonder Woman. It’s better they stay out of the way and let her handle it rather than put themselves in harm’s way and distract Wonder Woman from her mission. I know I’ve said it a million times, but I love this Etta so much. She’s fun loving and adventurous, but she’s not haphazard. She knows when to hang back, even though she probably hates doing so. This Etta is the perfect best friend for Diana, and so key to the success of The Legend of Wonder Woman overall.

So we’ve got one issue left! And then a whole new series, which is just the best news. I can’t wait to see where the book goes next. But I also can’t wait to see how this story concludes. Things are looking grim for the Titan, but Priscilla Rich is still out there; might she be a Chekhov’s Cheetah in the story? Or will Wonder Woman bust up the Titan and just spend the rest of the issue celebrating with her friends? I’d be fine with either, really. We’ll see how it all ends, next week!

Wonder Woman #52 Review: Finally, It’s Over

It’s finally here, you guys. We made it to the end. This is the Finches’ last issue of Wonder Woman, and Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, and Nicola Scott are waiting in the wings to relaunch the title. Arguably the worst run in the history of Wonder Woman is now over, and we can move on, embrace the new creative team, and never ever speak of this era again. Not just the Finches, but any of it, really. Wonder Woman’s romance with Superman, her becoming the god of war, the rapist and murderous Amazons, the death of Hippolyta; all signs point to these horrible story choices going out in the window in favour of a new run much more in keeping with a traditional, heroic, inspiring Wonder Woman.

For those of you who, like me, stuck it out through all 52 issues of this series, what were we thinking? Why did we do this to ourselves? It’s been awful. The first few years of Wonder Woman were decent overall, largely because Cliff Chiang is like unto a god, but there were some ROUGH moments. Plus Wonder Woman was not well written anywhere else in the DC universe (RIP Superman/Wonder Woman, mercifully ending today as well, thank goodness). And then Meredith and David Finch took over Wonder Woman and turned the series into one of the worst comics on the stand for the past year and a half. Why did we keep reading it? I know I write about Wonder Woman professionally so I probably needed to keep abreast of current events, but I could’ve just waited, got trades from the library, and just not supported a book that I loathed reading each month. Valuable lesson learned, I suppose. If you don’t like a book, don’t read it even if it’s your very favourite character. That’s how I’m going to roll from now on. I predict a far happier life for myself moving forward.

However, since I’ve made it through this hellacious marathon all the way to the very last issue, I suppose I should say a few words about it. But first:

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I am about to reveal everything that happened in this grand finale!

None of it is particularly good and/or interesting!

But still, if you don’t want it spoiled for you, look away!

So, this issue was a mess. It leaves everyone in an unpleasant spot, and undoes some of the good things about this era. First, shocking twist, Hera is the actual big bad. She’s been the one trying to kill Zeke, wanting to off him before he grows up to become Zeus again so that she can remain the Queen of Olympus and keep all of her new power. Hera’s evolution was one of the best things about the Azzarello/Chiang era; her friendship with Zola helped her grow as a person and learn compassion, and she went from the book’s villain to a key ally for Wonder Woman. It was all really beautifully done, an impressively orchestrated turn around that took three years of solid writing and art. And now that’s totally undone and Hera’s the bad guy again, so that’s irksome.

This made Hecate only a semi-villain, and her motivations were cringeworthy. She hooked up with Zeus way back and he’s the only one who saw the beauty beneath her frightening exterior, blah blah blah, so she tried to kidnap Zeke and return him to his original form so that they could be together again. It was all very clichéd and lame, and rather juvenile, “He’s the only one who understands me!” is a pretty weak motivation for a powerful witch and goddess who’s been around for millennia. Give the gal some depth, please.

The very best part of the early years of the new Wonder Woman was Zola, the gal who got caught up in the chaos of the gods after Zeus seduced her and essentially impregnated her with himself. She was hilarious and fun and tough, and always called everyone on their foolishness. Zola was a great character to have in the midst of all of these powerful beings. During the Finches’ tenure, she’s barely been featured, and as the book ends she’s still alive (last issue’s ending was a fake out) but ultimately devastated by the loss of her baby after Zeus returns, a move that snuffs out the light of what had been the series’ brightest character for some time.

As for Wonder Woman, well, she got duped again. This has been the hallmark of the New 52 era; Wonder Woman will fall for anyone’s lies and go along with any dumb plan that plays on her heart strings, and then have to deal with the fallout when she is inevitably betrayed. She’s been a wholly reactive, passive character for five years now, bounced around by the whims and machinations of others instead of driving the action herself. And this finale is no different. Hecate betrayed her a couple issues back, and Hera betrays her in this one, leaving her to protect Zeke all by herself as a temple comes crashing down around her. Plus, in the end she doesn’t save Zeke; Zeke turns into Zeus and saves her, because the power of her love or whatever causes him to return to his original form and save her from the rubble.

The issue ends with Wonder Woman weeping over the loss of Zeke, who she calls “the closest I may come to a child of my own.” First, why? If she wants to have kids, she can have kids. Right now she’s focusing on her superhero career, but if she decides that she wants to be a mother at some point there’s no reason that she can’t do so. Second, ugh. Another dang cliché. To slot Wonder Woman into this maternal role when she’s basically just been a Cool Aunt feels so forced. I get her loving the kid, but this whole baby she’ll never have angle is both dumb and hacky.

And so it ends. Zeus is back on the throne of Olympus, order is restored, and please dear god let us move on from all of this with the greatest of haste. I’m hoping that the upcoming “Rebirth” special explains how and why everything is about to take a sharp left turn, and when Wonder Woman relaunches a couple of weeks later we can just jump right in with some cool new stories. The sooner we forget this era, the better. All I want to remember from the past five years is the pretty Cliff Chiang art, how rad Hermes looked, and maybe keep Zola around because she’s delightful. Pitch the rest of it and move on, please.

Wonder Woman’s August 2016 Covers and Solicits

August looks to be a fairly quiet month at DC on the Wonder Woman front, with just a handful of new single issues. The past few months of solicits have included a variety of cool new Wonder Woman collections and reprints, but the only collection set for August is another volume of the Finches’ tenure on Wonder Woman, and nobody needs that. Seriously, spare yourself and buy literally anything else. But we’ve got a few new issues, so let’s take a look at what Wonder Woman will be up to in August, starting with the bi-monthly series:

WONDER WOMAN #4

Written by GREG RUCKA • Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT • Variant covers by FRANK CHO

“Wonder Woman Year One” part two! Paradise has been breached, Ares stirs, and the Amazons must answer with a champion of their own…one who is willing to sacrifice her home amongst her sisters to save a world she has never seen.

On sale AUGUST 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

WONDER WOMAN #5

Written by GREG RUCKA • Art and cover by LIAM SHARP • Variant covers by FRANK CHO

“The Lies” part three! Steve Trevor finds himself trapped in the heart of Urzkartaga’s darkness, with Wonder Woman and Cheetah the only hope of rescue for him and his men. But how far can Cheetah be trusted?

On sale AUGUST 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

I don’t know why we’re only getting one cover from DC’s bi-monthly books in the solicits lately, but that’s the way it’s been going. This looks to be the Liam Sharp cover from Wonder Woman #5, and it’s fun to see that Steve Trevor has a beard. I think he’s pulling it off. I also like that Rucka is bringing in classic Wonder Woman villains like the Cheetah; she’s been rather poorly handled since the 2011 relaunch, and I think Rucka’s got a good shot to make her interesting again.

Over in the “Year One” storyline, the Amazons need to find a champion. Who could it possibly be?! It’s a mystery. But seriously, I can’t wait to see Rucka and Scott retell Wonder Woman’s origins. I’m so excited to see the Amazons depicted properly for a change. Rucka is a dude who gets the Amazons perfectly.

We’ve also got the final print issue of The Legend of Wonder Woman in August:

THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN #9

Written by RENAE DE LIZ

Art by RENAE DE LIZ and RAY DILLON

Cover by RENAE DE LIZ

The Titan has awoken, forcing Wonder Woman to confront her most powerful foe. Her friends would stand behind her, but they’ve got their own battles to fight! And as

Diana tries to keep the Titan from destroying the families in the battle zone, she calls upon the magic of Gaia.

On sale AUGUST 31 • 40 pg, FC, 9 of 9, $3.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST

I’m so sad that it’s going to end, but so delighted that we’ve gotten such a fantastic Wonder Woman tale. This has been the best Wonder Woman story in AGES, and it’s definitely set to end on a high note. We’re one digital issue into this finale right now, and things are getting crazy. The issue begins with Diana still without superpowers, but then some rad things happen and now she’s punching the Titan and it’s all so fun and so good! You’re all reading this book, right? If you aren’t, go fix that.

Look for all of these fun Wonder Woman adventures this August!

Sending Good Thoughts to Darwyn Cooke, One of the Best Wonder Woman Artists Ever

News broke today that legendary comic book writer and artist Darwyn Cooke is in palliative care following a bout with aggressive cancer, and his colleagues and fans have been sending messages of love and support all day long. Cooke is known for many fantastic comics, from his run on Catwoman to DC: New Frontier to his more recent Parker graphic novels, but my favourite work of his is basically anytime he draws Wonder Woman. He always brings a joy and a regality to the character that captures her spirit beautifully. So let’s just look at a bunch of pretty pictures today and send some good thoughts his way.

Cooke first worked on Wonder Woman in DC: New Frontier, and here’s a cover from one of the issues:

The story inside was even more fun, with Wonder Woman initially teaming up with Superman to fight on behalf of the American government before becoming disillusioned and doing her own thing instead. Here she is, with her fellow Amazons:

And celebrating with the women of a Vietnamese village she’d helped defend:

And then telling Superman to take off after he questioned her behaviour:

Plus who can forget the stirring image of Wonder Woman heroically rallying her fellow superheroes for the final charge, with an appropriately inspiring message:

More recently, Cooke returned to DC to do a line of variant covers, and there were a couple of Wonder Womans in the mix. First, his bad ass cover for Wonder Woman:

And second, his cover for Superman/Wonder Woman that made their romance seem plausible in a way the insides of the book could never manage to do:

Finally, one of my favourite things is Darwyn Cooke sketches of Wonder Woman. They seem so effortlessly lovely, and are so very fun. Let’s look at a few I particularly enjoy:

My best wishes to Darwyn Cooke as he continues to fight, with hope for a speedy recovery. You’ve got a lot more Wonder Womans to draw yet!

The Legend of Wonder Woman #25 Review: The Grand Finale Begins!

Oh, it’s on now. After several issues without superpowers, Wonder Woman is back in fighting form, powered by a force that dates back to the dawn of the universe. Being the champion of Zeus was child’s play compared to what Diana is tapping into now. The Titan should be very frightened, as should the Nazis and their various fiendish associates once Wonder Woman is done taking care of the Titan. Evildoers are going to have a terrible time of things moving forward.

So here we are, at the beginning of the end, the first of the three digital issues that will comprise the final print issue of The Legend of Wonder Woman. Last week, the Titan was reanimated and escaped it’s frozen prison, and Wonder Woman, without her superpowers, wasn’t able to do much of anything to stop it. This week, she got her powers back, and better than ever, after a fascinating trip into the cosmogony of this world that Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon have created.

In short, Wonder Woman gets her powers back from Gaea, but this Gaea is much more than the usual goddess of the Earth. She is a being of the light that sprung forth when the universe began, tasked with creating worlds and creatures to combat the darkness that threatens the light. This Gaea isn’t just the mother goddess of Earth; she’s the creator of countless worlds, all of which have fallen to the darkness. She placed her final hope in Earth, and in humanity, but she needed a champion. It was Gaea who gave life to the clay shaped by Hippolyta, and now Gaea has shown Diana her true purpose, which she embraces wholeheartedly.

The whole sequence is gorgeous and beautifully written, grandiose but appropriately so given the stature of the goddess speaking. It helps that I’m a sucker for rad descriptions. Gaea calling Wonder Woman, “Diana, born of light and hope, hailing from the clays of Earth” and telling her “you have become a beacon of truth in the darkness” is right up my alley. It’s powerful, inspiring language. Plus, this is how I see Wonder Woman, as a protector of the world powered by love and compassion, so this whole spread worked like gangbusters for me.

The issue ties together a lot of the things we’ve seen with Diana throughout the story, namely her inability to feel like she fits in anywhere. Whether she was an Amazon princess, a champion of the gods, or a normal gal in America, nothing felt right. It’s been clear that there’s always been something missing in every situation, that each life she lived wasn’t allowing her to reach her true potential. And now we see this is because she was meant for something more, that the light of Gaea instilled in her when she was born prepared her for a higher purpose, if she so chooses.

De Liz goes way outside of the box with her cosmogony in this installment, in enjoyable ways. She’s gone big with Gaea, expanding her purview considerably and tapping Wonder Woman into a power that is essentially cosmic. That’s pretty cool. But she’s also tied in fun bits of the DC Comics mythos, associating the Titans with the Manhunters, the manufactured beings who policed the universe before the Green Lantern Corps. It’s all tied to Greek myth and DC history, but it’s its own unique thing too, with all sorts of twists on the conventional beats.

Plus, this is an issue where Etta Candy jumps into a plane with Steve Trevor to handle the machine gun and shoot Nazis out of the sky, so it’s got that going for it. The book is nothing if not chock full of awesomeness.

So now, with two issues left, the final battle begins. Wonder Woman is back and stronger than ever, about to take on the Titan and save the world! I’m so sad that it’s almost over, but so excited to see how it ends. The stage is set for a spectacular finale.

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

My March 2016 “Gendercrunching” column is up now on Bleeding Cool, and it was a big month for Marvel Comics as the publisher hit a new high for female creators.

DC ticked down very slightly to 13.3% female creators overall, a total noticeably below their previous highs. Meanwhile, Marvel jumped up to 18.8% female creators overall, a big jump from their February total and a record high for Marvel. Now, 18.8% women is still a rather small minority so, on the one hand, hooray for the achievement, but on the other hand, there’s still a lot of room to grow yet. Also, if I’ve learned anything compiling these stats, it’s that the numbers go two steps forward, one step back, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the next few months don’t quite measure up.

We also take a look at this year’s Eisner Award nominations, which have a record number of female creators in the mix. And we compare the Eisners to the Hugos, the big awards for science fiction and fantasy, and for the first time since I’ve been keeping track, there is a higher percentage of female Eisner nominees than female Hugo nominees, which says a lot about the direction the comic book industry is heading in. Also, we’ve got some defenders of the Sad/Rabid Puppies slate that has hijacked the Hugo Awards for two years running in the comments section, so that’s pretty hilarious.

Pop on over to Bleeding Cool for all of the “Gendercrunching” fun!

The Legend of Wonder Woman #24 Review: One Foe Down as Another Rises

After a two week break, The Legend of Wonder Woman has returned to its regular digital first schedule as it enters the final stretch of its run. Following this week’s outing, we’ve only got three installments left, which will comprise the final print edition of the book. And things are getting suitably exciting, with the board set for what should be an epic final confrontation between Wonder Woman and the Titan. Though the exact mechanics of how she’ll be able to take him on remain up in the air.

Wonder Woman was able to save her friends and even the Duke of Deception this week, despite the fact that her powers remain on the fritz since she gave up her role as Zeus’s champion. Her plane was destroyed but a voice told her to call for help, and doing so brought her a cloudlike Pegasus who nabbed Steve Trevor and the Holliday Girls, taking them safely to the ground after setting Diana near the Duke of Deception. The voice told her that her lasso still had some juice as well, so she used it on the Duke. The truths it showed him compelled him to give up his role as Ares’s champion, taking one villain off of Wonder Woman’s list at least.

I’m intrigued by the voice. I’m guessing it’s not Zeus, since he was such a jerk the last time we saw him. It may be something bigger than Zeus, like Gaea, but my current theory is that it’s Athena. We’ve seen that the gods can have champions to whom they grant certain powers; Wonder Woman was the champion of Zeus, and the Duke of Deception was the champion of Ares. So presumably, Athena could have a champion as well. Furthermore, the conjuring of a Pegasus might be a reference to Athena, since in most of the myths it’s Athena who gives Pegasus to Perseus in order to defeat Medusa. Also, it would just be rad to have Wonder Woman be the champion of a goddess, and it feels like something Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon might be building towards. The gods are destructive and capricious, so maybe the goddesses should step in. My guess is it’s Athena, but Aphrodite is traditionally associated with the Amazons as well. Time will tell. I’m just spitballing here.

However things shake out, Wonder Woman getting her powers back would come in very handy right about now. The Duke of Deception renouncing his role freed the baetylus, but then Priscilla Rich picked it up and was compelled to put it back in the Titan, awakening the beast. So yeah, things have gotten serious. Not only is Wonder Woman at risk, but so is the entire world. Wonder Woman’s got some skills even without her powers, but when you’re fighting a giant Titan, some additional strength and speed, plus the power of flight, would be quite useful.

So the stage for the grand finale is set, with a lot of question marks in the mix, Wonder Woman herself being first and foremost among them. It’ll be fun to see how everything unfolds, but I also love how things have played out to this point. For Wonder Woman, giving up her powers didn’t mean giving up on being a hero, and she was able to defeat the Duke of Deception without combat, felling him solely with the power of truth and appealing to his better nature. Her heroic spirit has also brought her the goodwill for someone mysterious, allowing her to save her friends. I really enjoy how Renae De Liz has stayed true to the core of the character in so many different, difficult situations over the run of the series. Diana’s been a wonder at every stage of the game, no matter where she is or what she’s doing.

The endgame starts next week, gang! Only three issues left of what has been the most delightful Wonder Woman series in ages. Be sure to pick up the print edition as well, and maybe some extra copies for your friends; The Legend of Wonder Woman #5 just hit shelves yesterday.

Check Out these Liam Sharp Pages from Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1, Plus a Tease from Nicola Scott

We’re getting ever closer to the debut of DC’s “Rebirth” relaunch in June, so close that we’re starting to get more concrete teases now. Among them is a peek inside Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1, the special issue that will come out in early June before Wonder Woman officially relaunches  with a new first issue later in the month. As a sidenote, this seems like a bizarre way to do things; why not just relaunch the book right off? I’m curious to see what’s the point of these “Rebirth” specials.

But regardless of my confusion at how DC is going about their business, we’ve got pretty art! So enjoy these unlettered, colored pages from Liam Sharp:

So we’ve got Wonder Woman fighting a minotaur, what appears to be a Cerberus-style three headed dog (that double page spread image is a little small, so I’m not 100% sure on it), and a centaur. Or perhaps animated statues thereof. Either way, I’m into it. I’m always up for Wonder Woman vs. mythological creatures, and Sharp’s art looks great here. His Diana is powerful, lovely, and regal, and I love the layouts and the flow of the pages. Laura Martin is coloring the series, and she does a fantastic job here as well. It’s going to be a really pretty book, that’s for sure.

Also, earlier today Nicola Scott released a tease of one of her pages for her half of Wonder Woman; Sharp will be drawing the odd numbered issues, set in the present, while Scott will be drawing the even numbered issues, set in the past in a “Year One” storyline. She posted this preview of Diana and Hippolyta sharing a lovely mother/daughter moment:

I’m so excited to see what Scott does with Wonder Woman. Sharp’s work looks like it’ll be great too, but Scott’s been killing it lately with Black Magick and such, and I can’t wait to see what she does in her return to the world of the Amazons.

Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1, written by Greg Rucka with art by Liam Sharp and Paulo Siqueira, hits comic shops on June 8, with the new Wonder Woman #1 following two weeks later. Wonder Woman might finally be good again, gang! It’s exciting times.