I am filled with bitter nerd-rage after seeing Justice League. Not because it was bad, but because for a few brief moments, it was so good. We finally got a glimpse of what the DC movies should have been from the beginning and Henry Cavill FINALLY GOT TO BE THE REAL SUPERMAN! (Unless you live under a rock, that isn't a spoiler) But Justice League was so weighed down by course correcting its cinematic universe that it couldn't reach its full potential. It's a promising house built on the sand foundation of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
In Justice League we finally get bright colors, smiling heroes and joyful moments of triumph. There were points in Justice League where the iconic images made me tear up. It takes a while to pull itself out of the grim Snyderverse, but it was a definite pivot in the right direction. This is the first of Snyder's DC films that I'd be ok with taking kids to see in the theatre. You leave the movie feeling good. There is finally the impression that the heroes are the same characters that have inspired four-color comics for decades. This was my favorite recent DC film after Wonder Woman, and was light years more enjoyable than Suicide Squad or Batman v. Superman. It finally feels like we got a film made by someone who LIKES DC COMICS. It was a lot of fun. That said, there are also a lot of missteps.
The biggest problem with Justice League is its split personality. The accepted rumor in Hollywood is that Zach's original vision for the film was terrible and Joss Whedon was brought in to "help fix it". This is why he was already a part of the team when Snyder had to leave the project a while later, due to a tragedy in his family. Joss did a massive amount of reshoots and a lot of the new footage is obvious. The huge amount of trailer footage that ISN'T in the movie hints at how much the vision for the movie has changed in recent months. The final product feels like a filler issue between two big comic book story arcs. Its whole job is to be fun and set up the next story and in that, Justice League met its goal. It has a simple bad guy with predictable motivations, convenient plot devices to keep things moving in the expected direction, Krypton-sized plot holes, and lots of middling quality CGI. There are an overabundance of one-line jokes, but the humor is a big enough step in the right direction that many fans will forgive many large problems with the movie because of its lighter tone. There were some really great moments. There were also some real WTF moments? (No spoilers, but one of those moments is when The Flash and Cyborg are digging together. You will know the moment when you see it. Seriously, W.... T.... F???) Overall, I enjoyed the movie and was grateful for the change in tone. I think that if the project had changed hands sooner we would have ended up with a much better movie, but at least we got something fun.
In all superhero teams, each person fills a different need in battle. Some members are the fighters, others are the thinkers who solve the problem, while still others keep the civilians safe and out of the way. Despite having all the characters to make this work, Justice League's script didn't seem to think this aspect of superhero teams through. Each member of the League is given moments to shine, but we never really get a moment where they are firing on all cylinders as a team. The major battles end up being dominated by specific individuals making the whole "team up" portion of the movie less vital to the world's survival than it should be. There is no telling if this is the fault of the original script or the product of the fights being reworked on the editing floor, but it was a disappointing aspect after seeing how flawlessly Whedon balanced the heroes' talents in The Avengers.
Justice League also has a women problem. Yes, many of the Amazons wear bikinis in their scenes, both modern day and ancient. No, angry fanboys of the internet, there is no logical explanation for their vital organs being exposed. However the issue doesn't stop at a troubling selection of costumes. After the revolutionary screen treatment of women in Wonder Woman, the repeated use of Wonder Woman/Diana's butt to help frame shots in Justice League is obvious and awkward. Her teammates reference her physical appearance repeatedly which makes it feel like the Justice League's next acquisition should be an HR department. It's all jokes that we have seen in other movies and comments that women hear all the time in our daily lives, but that doesn't excuse it. For a movie short on screen time for female characters, it's troubling that the production team decided to spend so much of it focused on Wonder Woman's "assets." Maybe this was acceptable in a pre-Wonder Woman superhero film, but we now know that we can and should expect more, especially in a movie that takes place in the same universe. (I talk more about Wonder Woman's depiction in the movie below in the spoiler section.)
I went in to Justice League expecting to hate it but, despite its numerous flaws and women troubles, ended up walking out excited about the new direction that DC is headed. While not a masterpiece, I feel that the difference in opinion between critics and fans is easily explained. It's clear that this movie depended on prior emotional connections to these iconic characters to make it work. Many critics may not have enjoyed it because their recent connections to Superman and Batman are the other Snyder movies. It's hard to come back from that dark place and understand why the world wouldn't be glad that Superman, the destroyer of Metropolis, is dead. To them, this movie seemed out of joint with the DC world they know but was still trying to be a part of it. To long-time fans however, Justice League seemed like things were finally getting back to normal. We immediately connected with this return to the familiar four-color world that we love, and revel in seeing our heroes stand together on the big screen. There is a lot wrong with Justice League, but if this is the new foundation for DC's cinematic universe, I finally have what these characters should have represented all along... hope.
DETAILED CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS - SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!
Batman
Batman is fine in this movie. He isn't great but he is much MUCH better than he was in Batman v Superman. It's nice not having him be worse than the criminals he is catching. He has lots of gadgets and vehicles to help him keep up with his super-powered teammates, but we don't ever see the brilliant mind that makes him one of the most powerful characters in the DC universe. He isn't the "World's Greatest Detective" (in fact, a random burglar in the first five minutes of the movie seems just as smart as he is) nor does he seem to be an especially gifted tactician. He saw clear footage of Aquaman in Batman v Superman, but doesn't seem to know what he looks like in Justice League? His main role seems to be providing toys for Cyborg to take over and to provide dialogue that explains things to the audience, but he is Batman so he is still cool.
Cyborg
Cyborg is a really interesting character and Ray Fisher does a great job with the limited screen time he is given. His CGI body is not the best we've seen in superhero movies, but Fisher manages to act through that in spite of an unimpressive script. He gives us a hero we are rooting for and who has a clear character arch, no small feat in such an overpacked movie. There are tons of shots of Cyborg from the trailers that never made it into the film, so clearly his role and backstory were cut back to shave off time or CGI costs. I really hope that we get to focus more on him if there are future Justice League films or if an extended cut of this movie is released.
The Flash
I was surprised that they went with Barry Allen's dark backstory from the comics for Justice League. Honestly, when I heard the short run time of the film, I figured they'd just have him show up as some punk kid runaway and not get into it. The scenes between Barry and his dad are well done but I think they should have explained more about Barry's strengths besides being fast. He built a hideout and speedsuit by using cutting edge technology, but that is never explored. I think it would have been a great way for him to bond with Batman or Cyborg instead of just being the awkward comic relief for the whole movie. Again, I feel like this was probably a time issue. The Flash was definitely an audience favorite and a great way to add some child-like wonder to the film through the eyes of one of the main characters. It was a relief to finally have a character who is enthusiastic about the idea of becoming a superhero.
Aquaman
I think this character suffered the most from the two conflicting visions of Justice League's directors. In parts he seems like a dark, menacing drunk who saves people out of obligation. (Sounds like all the other DC heroes in Snyder's movies, right?) Then there are the clear reshoots and comedic moments that are a total contrast provided by Whedon. A middle ground between those two visions was needed, but never materialized. Instead, Aquaman ends up just coming across as Jason Momoa flipping between overacting and not acting at all. It was especially obvious how little the production team thought about Aquaman when the final battle had no sources of water or way for Arthur to use his full powerset. It's a team up move, right? Why write a final battle that completely handicaps one of the characters you just spent an hour trying to get onto the team?
Mera
Mera appeared in her skin tight underwater spandex, gold crown and super push up bra for only a few moments of the film. In the comics, she can control water with her mind to create solid objects, control the tides, or even kill her enemies through instant dehydration or forced drowning. Honestly, she should have been a major threat to even Steppenwolf in a battle at the bottom of the ocean, but all this Mera seems to be able to do is create air bubbles. The scenes in Atlantis were some of the most awkward of the film. We clearly have not mastered underwater scenes with acting or CGI. The Atlantian actors move like fish out of water (come on, I had to say that...) and the fact that they can't communicate without creating an air bubble is laughable. I really hope they get those issues sorted out for Aquaman.
Wonder Woman
Other than her badass fight scenes, Wonder Woman was pretty underwhelming in this movie, especially compared to the high bar set by her solo film. Frankly, I am on the fence about if she passes the sexy lamp test developed by Kelly Sue DeConnick. Her main contributions to the team are to be the heavy hitter until Superman shows up, and to tell the history of Steppenwolf and the mother boxes. If they had found a note about Steppenwolf's history stuck to a lamp, half of her purpose in the film would have been covered. Her fighting is great, but she never takes initiative and keeps falling into the trope of female characters only reacting to what happens around them. There are a few tender, almost maternal moments between her and the other heroes, but she doesn't really inspire them or step into the role of team leader. The script actually goes out of its way to point out multiple times that she is not inspiring the public at large and is living in the shadows due to her long lost love. This particular point doesn't make sense, since we saw her leaping into action at the end of Wonder Woman and she saves dozens of people at the beginning of Justice League too. She's doing the job of a hero so why are we explicitly told that nobody knows about her? This is obviously just a case of bad writing. They want to make Superman's return the most important thing in the movie, even if the only way to do that is by dimming all the other bulbs in the room to make him shine brighter. I can't wait to see Wonder Woman back in Patty Jenkins' hands.
Superman
The "Big Blue Boyscout" finally is back on the big screen. Superman is not a hero or beacon of hope in the previous Snyder movies. He was a brooding figure who seemed to dislike his self-imposed role of savior. His battles level cities and cause the loss of countless lives in Man of Steel. It's horrific and lays the foundation for Batman's hate in Batman v Superman, but it is never resolved. He helped fight one monster in an abandoned area of town, but that hardly seems to balance out the insane loss of life he caused smashing through buildings in the first film. And let's not forget him making out with Lois on what is essentially a mass grave site in Man of Steel.... ugh. Justice League does its best to retcon some of this, showing us cell phone footage of kids talking with a more classic-looking Superman and showing the entire world in deep mourning for Superman. Even the John William's theme from the Christopher Reeve films is used liberally to tap into nostalgia from the pre-Snyder versions of the character. I appreciated this clear attempt to undo the darkness of previous films in the series. When he finally arrives, despite the sometimes distracting CGI work on his face, the Superman in Justice League is worth the wait and is a hero worthy of the world's admiration.
Justice League opened to a astonishingly low $96 million opening weekend. A lot of things contributed to this including the bad reviews of previous Snyder/DC films, months of negative production rumors, bad press about the Amazon's new outfits (sorry, not sorry!), and the huge amount of drama surrounding the botched Rotten Tomatoes reveal of the scoreJustice League got on their website. I think that overall this was a much better offering from Warner Bros/DC than we've had since Nolan's films, with the obvious exception of Wonder Woman. I hope the depressing box office numbers don't cause Warner Bros. to give up on the Justice League's future movies just when they FINALLY seem to be moving in the right direction. We will definitely be seeing a solo Aquaman movie and a Wonder Woman sequel in the future, but only time will tell if they take another stab at the JLA.
What did you think of Justice League and how they portrayed the characters? Comment below!
The new trailer for Wonder Woman dropped this week, and I have to admit that I loved it. I officially have hope again and am REALLY looking forward to this movie, even after all the disappointments DC has brought to the screen and all the rumors about production troubles. I’m not too proud to admit that I actually cried a little when I watched it.
Watch the trailer before you read the rest of this article. If you've already seen it, proceed. Be aware that my observations and suppositions might end up being accurate spoilers.
0:00 Water. Pretty blue water… and then we see Themyscira, a.k.a. Paradise Island. They have completely nailed the look and feel of Wonder Woman’s island home, with Greek-inspired architecture and a majestic natural beauty. White peacocks roam the island, a symbol for the Greek goddess Hera who is a patron of the Amazons in many of the Wonder Woman comics. We see a few shots of the city that really give it scope and depth. It should also be noted that the footage on Themyscira is bright, with rich natural colors, a striking contrast to the dark look of DC's movies so far. Hippolyta’s (Wonder Woman’s mother) voice over speaks of the “many gifts” the gods have given them, implying that the whole island is a gift, and hinting at the Amazon’s backstory. It also segues perfectly into…
0:10 Hippoyta shows Diana a collection of guarded weapons from the gods, focusing on a sword with which young Diana is immediately obsessed. It’s unclear if this is a cannon weapon from the DC Universe or something created just for the movie-verse. Many reports call it the God Killer, which matches the name of a sword from Deathstroke's comics that was forged by Hephaestus (paving the way for some possible interaction between Wonder Woman and Deathstroke in future films?) however Wonder Woman never had that sword in the comics. I think a better bet is the sword that Wonder Woman wields in Kingdom Come. That sword was also a gift from Hephaestus and is famous for being sharp enough to split atoms and make Superman bleed. It’s a god-killer sword, not THE God Killer sword.
There is some debate about the conversation between Hippolyta and Diana in this scene. Why is Hippolyta already putting down her daughter by saying she isn’t worthy of the sword? There are many explanations, but the most likely one is pretty obvious: Diana is Hippolyta’s only child. I’ll talk about her birth a little later in this post, but Hippolyta loves Diana and wants to protect her. Training her for war, just in case, and encouraging her to participate in war are two very different things. Any Amazon who uses that sword will not be training; they will be fighting the most powerful foes on the planet. Also, in some runs of the comic, once Diana leaves Themyscira she is not allowed to return, thus forever separating her from everything she has ever known. Why would Hippolyta want that for her daughter? In almost every version of Wonder Woman’s origin story, Hippolyta is proud of her daughter but also heartbroken that she will not live a peaceful life on Themyscira. Hippolyta is NOT A BAD MOTHER!
0:26
Next we see Antiope training a teen version of Diana. This is thrilling because it means they will (hopefully) be spending some time on her backstory on Themyscira. We’ve seen Batman’s parents die at least twelve times on screen, so it’s nice to hope that we will get a good origin story for Wonder Woman after all this time. Growing up on the island is pivotal to Diana’s overall character. She has lived in a utopian society! She knows that it is possible for a warlike culture to find peace, because she has experienced it firsthand. This is how she is able to look past the horrors of the real world and continue to believe that there is hope for a better future… at least in the comics.
0:30
Adult Diana is training in a field with other MULTI-RACIAL AMAZONS. This makes me really happy since I grew up on George Perez’s Amazons, which came in all races and colors. So far, all of the stunt work and fights look incredible! Diana pulls some really amazing moves, but Antiope still gets the upper hand and forces her to the ground. Antiope rips into Diana for her failure, only to be blown off her feet by a mysterious blast of energy when Diana throws her arms up to protect herself with her metal bracers. As Diana stares at her bracers in shock, we hear Hippolyta say, “But she must never know the truth about what she is.”
This is causing some waves because it is not a traditional power in Wonder Woman comics. Wonder Woman was the only child of the Amazons who were blessed by the gods but had no children in their civilization. Hippolyta was so desperate for a child that she molded one out of clay and begged the gods to bring it to life. Thus, Diana was created and blessed by the gods with super powers. In 2011, the New 52 twisted that story into a lie told by Hippolyta to cover up an affair she had with the god Zeus. As an illegitimate demi-god, Diana takes after her father and has electric powers that she can’t quite control. Her magical bracers block her electric powers so she can function normally. The movie seems to have gone with that power set, although there is no saying what that means for her creation story. Personally, I’m really hoping they stick with the clay version of their origins.
0:53
Adult Diana watches from a cliff as a plane crashes into the ocean near the island and dives in to investigate. Steve Trevor is brought to the beach and she stares at his unconscious form in wonder. We've seen this in other trailers but it's still exciting to see such a classic moment brought to life.
1:03 Cut to Hippolyta’s throne room (is this Steve’s trial for trespassing?) and then to Steve in a dark cave (prison cell?) with Diana explaining to him about the Amazon’s mission to defend the world. This has confused people, because how are they supposed to defend the world if they never leave their island? Well, in many of the comics, Themysira is where the gods placed the entrance to the underworld. The Amazons sacred duty is to protect that gateway. Is that what that line is referring to?
1:05
War obviously comes to Themyscira, but it’s impossible to tell by these quick shots at what point in the story it happens. The bad guys are obviously not just your typical “evil” Nazi rip-offs. They seem more like Hydra (yes, I know that’s Marvel!) with weird looking hench(wo)men and super powerful weapons. Are they after the weapons on Themyscira? The gateway? Or do they just follow Steve and stumble upon the island in the beginning? So many possibilities!
1:15
Diana FLIES … or super jumps… into the vault where the Amazon’s gifts are kept and claims them as her own: the sword from the first scene, a golden lasso, and her famous red and blue outfit. Now that she’s properly dressed, let’s head to the real world!
1:21
Diana is in London, and she is not impressed. The shots and colors do a great job of contrasting the pollution and corruption of “man’s world” with the bright beauty of Themyscira, and sets the tone for the “fish out of water” feeling that Wonder Woman has in many of her origin stories. Sadly, it looks like the rest of the film continues with the dark gritty look of previous DC films after this point.
1:26
Diana hides her armor with a secret identity outfit, complete with glasses. I think this is great and fits in with the original comics perfectly. Despite her new threads the trailer sets us straight when she saves Steve from a bullet, she may be dressed like a secretary but she is still a warrior!
1:30
Now we have a montage of epic shots set to music! They are fast but there are flashes of important things! We see:
Diana in full Wonder Woman form! She uses her shield to stop what appears to be a large shell in the middle of a battlefield.
Diana kicking ass! She is obviously an incredibly skilled fighter.
GLOWING GOLDEN LASSO! We’ve seen this in other trailers, but it still makes me happy.
Diana taking off! Is she flying or jumping?
Diana throwing a truck. Super strength? Check!
Diana and Steve looking at one another lovingly.
Lots of stuff blowing up!
Diana floating above the ground! Flying!
Diana using her lighting powers on purpose!
1:57
The voice over in this part is especially good. Calling herself “Diana of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta” is perfect.
2:08
Now we have the logo and the electronic sounding music that is her theme. After the STUNNING music in the rest of the trailer, this crappy theme is jarring and out of place. FYI: I am a music snob and have hated this theme from the beginning. I blame Zack Snyder.
2:14 We get a final glimpse of Diana trying to get through a rotating door with her shield and sword, then snarky comments about the sword not going with her outfit. It’s a cute bit, but is desperately designed to show that there are lighthearted moments in the film. Personally, I hope that the movie's humor doesn’t just consist of jokes about how Diana isn't “girly."
Based on DC's previous movies, there is a good chance that the movie will still be horrible. I know that in my heart of hearts, but this trailer hit it out of the park. It may have just been expert editing, but maybe this is a good reflection of the final product. Dare I say it? I finally have some hope!
Wonder Woman's corset in the New52 is stunning. The complex chevron pattern combined with stars is intricate and eye-catching. As difficult as it is to draw, it's even more difficult to sew. Chevrons are quite a challenge and are also very time consuming.
Now there are two ways to make this corset, the easier way (still not super easy) and the hard way. The easy way would be to buy/make a corset, then make the straight lined chevrons out of a stretch fabric to cover that corset. I was hesitant to use this method because it can result in the chevrons looking warped as the fabric stretches to match the curves of the body, and because I wanted my corset to look like it was made out of leather.
Thus, the hard way.
Please Note: This is a difficult project that requires pretty advanced sewing skills. You will need to be familiar with making corsets and have a corset pattern that works for you as a base for this tutorial. You will also need a walking foot for your sewing machine if you are using leather.
These lines follow the line of the body. They appear straight, but are not.
Step 1: Use your corset pattern to make a mock-up. Make sure you use the same type of fabric that you will eventually use for the base of your final corset, I recommend something heavy like duck cloth.
Step 2: Put this mock-up on a dress form, a volunteer, or yourself if you have a friend to help. Then draw chevrons on half of the mock-up. Measure equidistant meeting points on the center front of the corset as a base, then draw out from there. The trick is that these cannot be straight lines drawn with a ruler. You will get a tube shape if you tried to make a corset out of straight lines that would not form to the contours of your body correctly. You have to draw chevrons that form to the body's curves and appear to make straight chevrons. YOU WILL GET LOTS OF FREAKY SHAPED STRIPS. THAT IS OK!
Step 3: Mark the lines on your mock-up with notches and numbers so you can keep track of which order the pieces go in, and where they meet. Cut the mock-up along the lines you drew to create the pattern for your final corset cover. DON'T FREAK OUT AT THE STRANGE SHAPES YOU GET!
Step 5: Trace your pattern pieces onto your final fabric and add a 1/2 inch seam allowance around each piece. Make sure you have two complete sides for your corset and the pieces for each side should be a reflection of each other. Make sure you copy over the notches and identifying marks onto the BACK side of these pieces. I used leather but other pleathers will work as well. Stretch fabrics will not work and will warp the final product, try the previous method listed above if you want to use a stretch fabric.
Step 6: Carefully, starting from the top center piece, sew one side of the corset together. Make sure to line up the notches, they are your guide! Now sew the refection side of it together. You should now have two complete halves of a corset cover that are reflections of one another.
Step 7: Using rubber cement, glue all of your seam allowances flat against the back of your corset cover. Make them all as flat as possible. Flat seam allowances will make your life easier later and make your final product look better! Make sure the glue is dry before moving on to step #8.
Step 8: Now it's time to make the chevrons happen! Meeting the right sides of the corset center fronts (those are two edges) use pins or tape if you are using a leather-like material to insure that the seams of your chevrons meet up. You might have to do a little manipulating and stretching to make the pieces line up perfectly in the front, but this is a VERY important step. You don't want your chevrons to not line up. Sew them together on the wrong side down what now is the center front of your corset cover.
Step 9: The hardest part of your project is over!! Congrats!! Now cut out the stars from the same material as your chevrons, making sure they have the correct proportions to your chevrons. Put a small amount of rubber cement on the back of each star and place it where you'd like it on the corset. The glue will help hold the star in place while you top-stitch it down.
Step 10: Using your corset pattern, make the base corset with metal boning.
Step 11: Again using your dress form, a volunteer, or yourself if you have a friend to help you, put your base corset in place. Then, finding the exact center, use bardge cement to glue the center seam of your chevroned corset cover to your base corset. This will keep the center front from moving around. You can also glue around the cups of the corset and along the sides and center back once the front has dried.
Step 12: Hand stitch the edges of your corset cover down on the inside of your base corset. This takes a while and you will definitely need a thimble if you are using leather. Make sure you stitch down all the edges!
Step 13: Grommet the corset.
CONGRATS!! YOU ARE DONE!! Hopefully you have an amazing piece of cosplay art to enjoy!
Rumors about the Batman vs. Superman movie, now called Dawn of Justice, have been flying around the internet for months. I was thrilled that Wonder Woman was rumored to be in the film, then had a mixed reaction with the official casting, but I've always known it would be the outfit that would really make or break my hope for this film. Now, thanks to JoBlo.com, we may actually have some hints at the direction they are taking Diana in the DC movies.
Wonder Woman’s costume:
Costume design from the Rainfall Films Wonder Woman Short
The reports of Wonder Woman wearing the pre-new52 jacket and leggings outfit are inaccurate. Completely. The description of the outfit from our source uses the term “badass” on multiple occasions. This Wonder Woman is ripped right from the comics and has a “traditional, yet sleeker” costume that’s “battle ready.” She’ll have a blue leather skirt, silver-armored cuffs that reach to her elbows, golden tiara (with a design of some sort in the center, possibly the red star) and a variation of the traditional-looking red top (no word on additional armor on it). Her overall appearance is described as “Amazon warrior princess” and definitely not an urban reimagining. She’s there to kick ass and that’s readily apparent. Word is that WB is getting a VERY positive response on her appearance to those they’ve shown it to.
HALLELUJAH!!!! THIS MAKES ME SO HOPEFUL AND EXCITED!!! This sounds very similar to some of my favorite Wonder Woman designs, but it also may give us more hints about the movie. A "traditional" and "battle ready" design suggests that they may be keeping her back story intact, which is hugely important to fans. It also sounds like she is going to be a powerful fighter herself, rather than eye candy to hang on Superman's arm.
Wonder Woman’s weapons:
That’s right, not just a golden lasso here. Wonder Woman will have no less than FOUR weapons, including shield, sword, spear, and of course, the traditional lasso. It’s also noted that she will wear the shield on her back, Captain America style, when not in use.
Did you read that?!? GOLDEN LASSO!! If these rumors are to be believed than this is another sign that they are staying true to comic book Wonder Woman! It is also a great sign that they are arming her with the most common weapons that she is portrayed with in the comics. Now to wait and see if the lasso retains the magical properties it traditionally has.
Wonder Woman’s screen time in the film:
Her character will be introduced as “Diana” in the film initially before we ever see her as Wonder Woman. She will have a fair amount of screen time and will team up with Batman and Superman for the final battle against an un-named villain who may be working or controlled by Lex Luther. Her origin will be intentionally vague, but she is brought into the fold to show that there are other superheroes in the universe other than Superman.
This part I am taking with a grain of salt. I've worked on enough movie projects to know that things change drastically between the script and the cutting room floor. It's nice to hear the whispers that she will be more then a small cameo, and it's GREAT to hear that she will be fighting in the big final battle. Hopefully, they don't have her end up being Lois Lane 2.0 and just a new pretty face for Superman to save over and over.
Leaving her origins vague may mean that they are planning on giving her a solo movie later to explain things, but I'm guessing it's due more to pacing and trying to keep the movie shorter than Gone with the Wind. They are introducing A LOT of heroes in this movie. It initially focused on Superman and Batman, but now the confirmed cast includes Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Cyborg, Aquaman, and possibly even Nightwing. That's a lot of explaining to do if they are even going to briefly touch on everyone's origin stories, and introducing that many characters in a film will cut drastically into the screen time of any individual character. This makes me nervous, because I want Diana to get the screen time she deserves as part of DC's trinity.
Dawn of Justice has to do well for Wonder Woman to get her own film. These rumors give me hope, but we have a long way to go before we see the final product.
I know this is harder on me than it is on you. I am just one woman among countless fans, and it's starting to be pretty apparent how much you care about your fans. So, after more than twenty years of loyalty and love, I'm going to be frank with you. Our relationship is in trouble.
I was so young when my cousin introduced us, and I'd sneak looks at you until I was old enough to get an allowance and have you for myself. I loved your late 80s and early 90s style. I still have some copies of Wonder Woman, The New Teen Titans, Justice League (America, Europe, International, and even Task Force), and Batman & the Outsiders to remember the good times. Through all the changes, I stood beside you. I was there when Eclipso attacked, when Gotham was declared No Man's Land, and I hung in there for every "crisis" you could come up with. I watched Superman die and Metropolis try to cope with his loss. I followed along as Dick finally took up the cowl, and then put it down again. So many stories. Some were good, some were bad, but through it all I still felt like part of something wonderful.
Then you had some work done. The new 52 hit, and you became a hot ticket item. Suddenly, my friends who had never read comics before had a lot to say about you! It was nice to feel like my passion was spreading to new people. Like always, some stories were great and some sucked, but there were a lot of our old friends who weren't happy. I went to bat for you. I defended you to my friends and family! I pointed out all your good qualities, and whitewashed the bad because I wanted you to do well. Sadly, it was soon obvious that you didn't care about my feelings.
Great characters never reappeared, and fan favorites started acting completely counter to their normal behavior. Quality character arcs fell by the wayside in favor of shock value and company profit. It was clear that the bottom line and the big bosses' ideas were more important than treating your creators well. Lots of amazing creators disappeared for a variety of reasons which reflected very badly on your management. Your choices didn't make sense and started driving away the writers and artists who kept us reading! Fans read a comic when the character they love is well written and drawn. Your talented creators make your company, not the other way around.
Most upsetting is your overall attitude towards women readers and female characters. Comics have always been over-sexualized, but your unending trail of insults over the last few years has gone beyond what we've come to expect, even from this industry. Many great characters' personalities were tweaked and flattened so that they can fit into what you thought was a sexier mold. The fact that you assume that women need a Superman/Wonder Woman Twilight-inspired romance to become interested in comics is just one recent example of how your female stereotyping has reached ridiculous levels. Finally, when you asked thousands of amateur artists to draw one of your most prominent female characters about to commit suicide in a bathtub, it's flat out insulting. Can something like that be part of a tasteful storyline? Sure, but asking non-professionals to take on such sensitive subject matter is inappropriate. I cringe just imagining some of the entries you must have received. AND THEN some of your big-wigs took to social networking to make excuses and play down the incident. Jim Lee (who I basically hate at this point) blamed US for not waiting around to see the rest of the story. I don't care how the panels fit into the (unexplained) context of the story, you could have easily gleaned their drawing abilities from a more appropriate panel. You picked a horrendously irresponsible topic for this contest. It's downright disgusting. Apologize like an adult, hire a PR department, and move on.
Grow up. Stop blaming your audience for not liking your choices, and start making choices your customers will like.
I don't really know where this leaves us. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm still with you when I'm in public. I've always flirted with Marvel, Dark Horse, and others, but now I'm seriously considering ending my monthly commitment to you. It breaks my heart, but even the good memories from our early days aren't enough to make up for the choices you are making. Shape up, or it's over.
This past weekend, comic book writer Gail Simone let the news drop on Twitter that she had been removed from DC's New 52 Batgirl title. It's shocking that DC would give Gail the boot after the acclaim that Batgirl has received since the reboot, but the most shocking part of this story is how they broke the news to Gail. The fired her VIA EMAIL.
On Wednesday of last week, new Batgirl editor Brian Cunningham informed me by email that I was no longer the writer of Batgirl.
I have been a DC fangirl since before I can remember. Batman and Wonder Woman helped to shape my childhood and created a lifelong loyalty to Detective Comics. I've followed the story lines of every major event, each retcon, each death and inevitable resurrection, and I even stood by them through the New 52 reboot. Hell, I DEFENDED them to scores of my fellow fans. I kept the faith!
I cannot express how disappointing it is to learn that DC has less class than some of my asshole ex-boyfriends. At least they had the courtesy to pick up the phone to end things.
Gail has done an incredible job with Barbara Gordon for many years. She created an incredibly strong character in Birds of Prey who rose above her physical disability and continued to be a hero. As Oracle, Barbara showed the world that knowledge and smarts were the most powerful tools a crime fighter had, and she became an icon for fans with disabilities themselves.
When DC rebooted their universe, Gail was given the chance to write Barbara again, but there was a catch. Barbara was to be returned to her original role as Batgirl, and taken out of her now-trademark wheelchair. Fans were in an uproar. Some were thrilled to see Babs' red hair under the cowl again. Others were furious to lose an idol with an incredible story of courage that impacted so many characters in the DC universe. Amid this controversy, Gail wrote Babs brilliantly. She embraced Barbara's history, and wrote Batgirl to show the struggles of someone recovering from life changing injuries and PTSD. Gail even researched Barbara's conditions by seeking the advice of Dr. Andrea Letamendi, an avid comic book fan and doctor of psychology (and my cosplay friend!), to insure that Barbara's recovery was accurately depicted. Gail's incredible respect for Barbara won over fans in both camps and turned Batgirl from one of the most hated reboots in the New 52, into one of its best selling titles.
I'm a huge fan of Gail's writing, her outspoken views about how women are depicted in comics, her support of cosplaying, and her amazing relationship with her fans. I've only met (read:seen) her briefly in line at conventions, but she is always smiling and kind to her fans... and she liked my steampunk Batgirl cosplay!! It's hard to think that she was so difficult to work with that they had no other option than to fire her. It makes me sad to think that she may never write my favorite DC heroines again.
No official reasons for her termination have been released. I can see her refusing to put "women in refrigerators" despite what her DC superiors wanted, and indeed, there have been some tweets hinting that is exactly what led to her getting fired. Regardless of the reason, after an average of 40,000 Batgirl copies sold each month, DC and Brian Cunningham (the new editor of Batgirl) owed Gail a phone call at the very least.
Shame on you, DC.
UPDATE 10/21/2012: Today, Gail Simone has announced that DC has rehired her as the writer for Batgirl. I think it's safe to say that the fan's voices were heard on this issue. I wonder if they notified her via email...
News of a Justice League Dark movie emerged last week, linked with director Guillermo Del Toro. I have really enjoyed the Justice League Dark book (despite the lame title) since it was introduced with the New 52, and it includes some of my favorite characters, including John Constantine and Zatanna. They really have captured the disjointed team of misfits well, with love triangles, mistrust, temptation, and heroism. It is an occult team, drawing their power (and villains) from magic and religion rather than super strength or speed. It may also be the answer to DC's superhero team movie problem.
Guillermo Del Toro is the PERFECT director for this project. He is no stranger to comic book movies (Hellboy, Blade II), and he is a master with directing the supernatural (Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, Cronos). I think he would be able to balance the humor and sarcasm of the Justice League Dark team with the dark flavor of horror needed to put the audience in suspense. He is also really good at directing fight scenes. My only misgiving is his tendency to take on too many projects at once. If he sees the project through to the end, he will make it something worth our box office money.
Obviously, this team is full of the B and C list characters in DC's lineup, but despite the lack of mainstream heroes this movie could be the perfect start to DC's superhero team movies. Yes, the Justice League is easily identifiable, but so were The Avengers. Marvel knew better than to just toss their audience into a full blown team of incredibly super-powered characters without taking the time (via other movies) to set the stage. Warner Bros and DC should use Justice League Dark as the introduction to their world, in much the same way that Marvel used Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America to set the stage for The Avengers. It will set up the universe's rules, and start us off with a team that the mainstream audience will have an easier time identifying with.
The biggest advantage that Justice League Dark has is that all the characters are human. This may seem like a small matter, but when you are trying to get an audience to relate to your team, it can be a big deal. This team doesn't wear spandex (other than Deadman who wears his old circus uniform), and if they were walking down the street you probably wouldn't notice them (again, except for Deadman). They all deal with personal desires, flaws, and pain in every issue, and we can relate to all their emotions because they are feelings we all share. Superman, Wonder Woman, while more familiar, are harder for the normal audience to identify with because of their extreme powers and strange origin stories... and the crazy outfits. The Justice League Dark can tap into the super natural, but they also have to go to the supermarket if they want to eat or buy a pack of cigarettes. This team can gently introduce the mainstream audience to the DC Universe, setting us up for the more extreme spandex and cape wearing Justice League team we all know and love.
The timing may not work out, and Justice League may end up setting the stage for Justice League Dark, but I hope that both teams hit the big screen in coming years.
DC can't seem to make up its mind about Wonder Woman. It took their artists a few months to unify her costume design across all their titles, and it seems like Wonder Woman and Justice League take place in completely different universes, but that isn't my biggest problem with the rebooted Amazon princess. My biggest problem is that Justice League can't seem to give Diana any personality at all! As someone who has been a die-hard Justice League fan (Europe, America, International, all of them) since I was a kid, it's really pissing me off.
Now, it can be argued that there are problems with a lot of the newly rebooted characters in Justice League, however at least they are stand alone characters. Justice League's Wonder Woman is completely defined by her male relationships, starting with Steve Trevor. At first, she was an ignorant meat-head looking for a fight and eating ice cream. Only Steve was able to keep her from smashing everything Hulk-style, despite the fact that none of the other heroes need a handler. Why does a character as smart as Diana (should be) need a man to constantly remind her that it's not ok to go wandering around swinging a sword in public? Even after growing up on Paradise Island, she should be able to figure that out after a few days. Somehow they managed to make her vastly powerful and completely dependent on a non-super-powered man, all at the same time.
Unlike the Diana in Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, the Justice League Wonder Woman seems to be completely lacking in emotional depth. Azzarello shows us an edgy Diana who likes to hang out at rock concerts, is bitter about being teased as a child, cares deeply for her companions, and bravely faces the gods to protect the innocent. The only thing we have seen from her in Justice League is a sudden, desperate concern for Steve in Issue #11, which seems to come out of nowhere despite their prior relationship. Diana has shown almost no emotion on the matter up to this point, unlike Steve, who has been driven to drink because of their breakup. Why is it that a side character without powers, and who has been in significantly fewer panels than Diana, has so much more emotional depth? We have gotten more personality information out of Green Lantern's one liners than from all of Diana's lines combined, but we are CONSTANTLY reminded that all the men in the world envied Steve for being Wonder Woman's boyfriend. Her defining characteristic, and certainly her most mentioned attribute, seems to be her hot body.
Now she is hooking up with Superman. The relationship makes sense from an outside standpoint, but it has completely baffled many people who are actually following the comic. A few panels before the now-infamous kiss, Diana was desperately trying to save Steve, then decided to put even more distance between them to keep him safe. There have been hints that she cares about Steve and that she only left him to protect him from her dangerous lifestyle, but this tiny bit of character development is thrown out the door. BAM! The same night that they get home and Steve is laying in the hospital, Diana ends up making out with Superman on a rooftop. Can we say "pathetic PR stunt?" I'm not against a Superman/Wonder Woman relationship. I LOVED them in Kingdom Come, however this time they didn't bother with the character development to back it up. We've all suspected they'd become an item since the reboot because they were both suddenly single, but there should be flirtations, hesitations, lingering glances, emotional commonalities... SOMETHING to back it up. A two page conversation about how they are different than normal people because of their powers, which I believe is the first one-on-one conversation between them since the reboot, and then a dramatic final panel kiss is just lazy writing and bad character development. But DC got tons of press, so who the hell cares about the characters, right?
I think the worst part of the Justice League reboot (yes, worse than the only female character's complete lack of personality or ping-ponging her from man to man) is that this Diana is so inconsequential. She is completely reactionary, like so many female comic book characters before her, and seems to serve little or no purpose other than being the token woman of the group. She never comes up with ideas or shares opinions. She doesn't stand up for the weak, or worry about the civilians when the team is busy leveling cities to take out bad guys. She hasn't displayed any powers or characteristics that are indispensable to the team, and, despite devoting her life to warrior training, Batman still makes all the tactical decisions. There was a time when Diana was an undeniable part of DC's trinity, but now even I, a life-long Wonder Woman fan, have to admit she'd be the first one I'd cut if I ran the team. Azzarello's Diana faces the gods single-handedly, and you really believe that she could win. He even threw in some new powers to match with her electrifying new back story. Like the changes or not, at least she is bad ass enough to stand on her own.
I am constantly surprised by Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, and although I don't like all the changes he has made, am really enjoying the unexpected darkness of his universe. His Wonder Woman is an edgier Diana, who has some surprises up her sleeves... or bracelets! She is smart, complex, and proactive. Even without mentioning her powers, she is an interesting character. I hope that the Justice League writing team takes their cues from Wonder Woman and starts to rethink their approach to the most famous female character in comics.
Before I begin, I am going to make the recommendation that you read these two comics in a specific order, read Earth-2 #1 and then read Worlds' Finest #1. It will make much more sense. Also, THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!
Earth 2
I have to admit that I was torn about them introducing the multiverse back into DC. Although it gives some great opportunities for characters and story lines, it is sort of a cheap comic book trick. Lose your favorite character? He's still alive on Earth-50! Want Wonder Woman and Superman to hook up? No problem, it happens on Earth-69! Instead of consolidating characters and giving stories more impact, the multiverse tends to water everything down. However, it has paved the way for the return of Power Girl, who is one of my favorite characters! But more on that later...
This entire comic was basically a prologue for stories that are yet to come. I watched the DC Trinity battling to the death against an invading force of aliens. Readers catch up on years of Earth-2 history in a few pages, and boy is it a dark history. The world is doomed, but for real this time. The inner dialogue of our heroes is about as shocking as it comes. Our heroes have lost everything, but are still fighting for their world. They make the ultimate sacrifice. The world survives, but it has no heroes left.
I think this is the best thing they could have done with Earth-2. Wipe out the familiar characters and start from scratch with all new characters. I don't want to keep track of multiple Wonder Women, or read about an earth that is pretty much just like the main earth (FYI, DC has yet to define which earth the New 52 is taking place on.). Other earths need to be different! VERY different! I hope they hold course with Earth-2 and use it to create some great new characters for the DC universe. That said, the writing was a bit rushed. They tried to fit too much into one book, and that caused the drama to lose some of it's impact. Generally, I'd want a major character's death to take up more than a few panels, but I'm hoping that this will be remedied in future books since they won't be trying to set up an entire new timeline in every issue. I can't say if I am going to stick with this book, because we have yet to really meet the main characters. I'll definitely be picking up #2!
The art was good and I liked the costumes on Earth-2. Wonder Woman's threads had some really great details on them. Crap... now I have ANOTHER Wonder Woman cosplay on my to-do list!
Worlds' Finest I am a huge Power Girl fan. I even loved her all through the 90's and her crazy thong, tights, and headband era. But holy crap is her new costume horrible... opps. I'm jumping ahead. Let's go back a little bit.
This story actually takes place on the main DC earth. It is revealed that Huntress is actually Helena Wayne, the Robin from Earth-2. She and Earth-2's Supergirl were accidentally transported to the main earth during the epic battle that took place in Earth-2, #1. (Hence the plural possessive punctuation in the title, they are from multiple worlds!) They are utterly alone, but making the best of it. Helena has taken up as the Huntress, and Kara (now called Karen) is a development mogul who seems fixated on returning to Earth-2. She isn't working as a hero at the moment, but is pouring millions into developing technologies to get the pair home. (Seriously, read Earth-2 #1 before you read this comic.) Neither character seems interested in making contact with the heroes from this world.
Let's start with Huntress. Although I am very sad that Helena Bartinelli seems to not exist in the DC New 52, I am a huge fan of Helena Wayne as the Huntress. I have a huge collection of old comics from the pre-Crisis era and love that Batman had a bad ass daughter. There is part of me that squealed a little at the thought of her being the main Huntress in the DC Universe again. That said, the writing didn't nail the character that I know and love. There is also the personality continuity problem between the character in this title, and the character in the Huntress book. Are they the same character? It would seem so, but there is a definite disconnect happening somewhere. I do like the outfit they have given her since the New 52 debut.
And Power Girl. They are definitely TRYING to nail the sarcastic, brash, human character that we love, but again, they don't quite get it right. Kara was likeable because, despite her amazing powers, she was fallible. She lost her temper, was a little to sexy, and was trying to find herself. I hope they start to include that in this character as the books go on. Then... there is her new outfit. They have exchanged the boob window for a boob target. Seriously. There is a decorative "P" shape (for Power Girl once she reveals that as her new hero call sign) that fits perfectly over her left breast. There is even a little circle that fits EXACTLY over where her nipple would be. It's just... odd. It calls attention to her breast (yes... just the left one) in a way that is unsexy, and a little awkward. Almost like when someone has a stain on their shirt and you are contemplating telling them or not.
To be honest, I hated the artwork in this book. Some of it looks like a high school art student drew it. Some panels are beautiful, but sometimes the angles and human proportions are so wrong you wonder how it got printed. It reminds me of the recent Hawk & Dove in the New 52. George Perez's Wonder Woman run was incredible, so I'm not sure what's happened with this book. Maybe they just need more practice with these characters? Again, I'm not sold on this series. I might pick up #2, but more likely I'll just wait until Power Girl pops up in another series.
I've been very sick this week, so what's a girl to do when she's under the weather? Catch up on her comic books while sipping tea and eating soup. Of the many comics revamped for DC Comic's New 52, I've stuck with quite a few: Wonder Woman (duh), Justice League, Justice League International, Aquaman (shut up, it's really good), Batgirl, Huntress, Nightwing, Batwoman, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Justice League Dark (still think it needs a better name), I, Vampire, and Green Lantern New Guardians. What can I say? I spend a lot of money on comics.
You may have noticed that I am still buying all the Justice League titles. I have been a huge JL fan for as long as I can remember. I bought Justice League America, Justice League Europe, Justice League International, and even the short-lived Justice League Task Force religiously for many years. No matter how bad it gets, I'll probably keep spending my money on anything JL related. I'm very loyal... or a sucker.
Justice League International #1 (New 52 release)
I am loving JL Dark. It's well written and I'm having a blast seeing John Constantine and Zatanna share the pages of a comic. The restarted Justice League is interesting, but it's lacking in some personality. I hope they start to develop the characters more. I also really hope they start aligning the characters with what is being published in their solo titles. The Aquaman and Wonder Woman of the solo titles do not mesh with what is showing up in the pages of JL. They finally synchronized their Wonder Woman designs at least in the last issue of Justice League.
The JLI is where I'm having serious problems. I really like the characters. Booster Gold has always been a favorite of mine. I've been wondering what kind of leader he'd be since he tried to spearhead the corporate sponsored super team The Conglomerate back in 1990. I think he will be very capable eventually, and I look forward to watching him grow into the leader the JLI needs.
However, more than a leader the JLI needs more meta-human POWER. They are seriously underpowered. If Ice is one of your heavy hitters, you know you're in big trouble. I really appreciate the "international" collection of superheroes they rounded up. It's nice that the team isn't comprised totally of Americans and extra terrestrials, but couldn't they have come up with more powerful political correctness? Hell, the characters even joke about it in the first comic. I don't understand why the Teen Titans (at this point a rag-tag bunch of kids who are just hanging out together for safety) are ALREADY so much more powerful than an international, hand-picked team of proven superheroes.
However, despite this major flaw, Justice League International is really fun to read. DC is doing a GREAT job with the characters and the dynamics of the team. Godiva is a huge flirt with a crush on Booster, and it's a good thing her character is interesting because moving hair isn't exactly a JL level superpower. Booster is his same self-promoting showoff, but he really seems to want to become a good leader. Then there is my favorite unlikely duo, Fire and Ice. I've loved them since they joined the Justice League ages (and many costumes) ago. Then Red Rocket returns to the team with the added bonus of August General in Iron from China. These two veteran warriors clash due to the competitive nature of former communist nations. Then there is Vixen to add a little more of an "international" look to the group. Add a dash of Batman to the mix (because it seems he has to be in EVERY New 52 title...) and sprinkle with a bit of Guy Gardner and there you have it! The JLI! Full of drama, ego, flawed characters, and sketchy motives. It's really fun to read, even if you don't really believe they'd be able to save the world.
I am filled with bitter nerd-rage after seeing Justice League. Not because it was bad, but because for a few brief moments, it was so good. We finally got a glimpse of what the DC movies should have been from the beginning and Henry Cavill FINALLY GOT TO BE THE REAL SUPERMAN! (Unless you live under a rock, that isn't a spoiler) But Justice League was so weighed down by course correcting its cinematic universe that it couldn't reach its full potential. It's a promising house built on the sand foundation of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
The biggest problem with Justice League is its split personality. The accepted rumor in Hollywood is that Zach's original vision for the film was terrible and Joss Whedon was brought in to "help fix it". This is why he was already a part of the team when Snyder had to leave the project a while later, due to a tragedy in his family. Joss did a massive amount of reshoots and a lot of the new footage is obvious. The huge amount of trailer footage that ISN'T in the movie hints at how much the vision for the movie has changed in recent months. The final product feels like a filler issue between two big comic book story arcs. Its whole job is to be fun and set up the next story and in that, Justice League met its goal. It has a simple bad guy with predictable motivations, convenient plot devices to keep things moving in the expected direction, Krypton-sized plot holes, and lots of middling quality CGI. There are an overabundance of one-line jokes, but the humor is a big enough step in the right direction that many fans will forgive many large problems with the movie because of its lighter tone. There were some really great moments. There were also some real WTF moments? (No spoilers, but one of those moments is when The Flash and Cyborg are digging together. You will know the moment when you see it. Seriously, W.... T.... F???) Overall, I enjoyed the movie and was grateful for the change in tone. I think that if the project had changed hands sooner we would have ended up with a much better movie, but at least we got something fun.
Justice League also has a women problem. Yes, many of the Amazons wear bikinis in their scenes, both modern day and ancient. No, angry fanboys of the internet, there is no logical explanation for their vital organs being exposed. However the issue doesn't stop at a troubling selection of costumes. After the revolutionary screen treatment of women in Wonder Woman, the repeated use of Wonder Woman/Diana's butt to help frame shots in Justice League is obvious and awkward. Her teammates reference her physical appearance repeatedly which makes it feel like the Justice League's next acquisition should be an HR department. It's all jokes that we have seen in other movies and comments that women hear all the time in our daily lives, but that doesn't excuse it. For a movie short on screen time for female characters, it's troubling that the production team decided to spend so much of it focused on Wonder Woman's "assets." Maybe this was acceptable in a pre-Wonder Woman superhero film, but we now know that we can and should expect more, especially in a movie that takes place in the same universe. (I talk more about Wonder Woman's depiction in the movie below in the spoiler section.)
Batman
shave off time or CGI costs. I really hope that we get to focus more on him if there are future Justice League films or if an extended cut of this movie is released.
Mera
Superman
Water. Pretty blue water… and then we see Themyscira, a.k.a. Paradise Island. They have completely nailed the look and feel of Wonder Woman’s island home, with Greek-inspired architecture and a majestic natural beauty. White peacocks roam the island, a symbol for the Greek goddess Hera who is a patron of the Amazons in many of the Wonder Woman comics. We see a few shots of the city that really give it scope and depth. It should also be noted that the footage on Themyscira is bright, with rich natural colors, a striking contrast to the dark look of DC's movies so far. Hippolyta’s (Wonder Woman’s mother) voice over speaks of the “many gifts” the gods have given them, implying that the whole island is a gift, and hinting at the Amazon’s backstory. It also segues perfectly into…
Hippoyta shows Diana a collection of guarded weapons from the gods, focusing on a sword with which young Diana is immediately obsessed. It’s unclear if this is a cannon weapon from the DC Universe or something created just for the movie-verse. Many reports call it the God Killer, which matches the name of a sword from Deathstroke's comics that was forged by Hephaestus (paving the way for some possible interaction between Wonder Woman and Deathstroke in future films?) however Wonder Woman never had that sword in the comics. I think a better bet is the sword that Wonder Woman wields in Kingdom Come. That sword was also a gift from Hephaestus and is famous for being sharp enough to split atoms and make Superman bleed. It’s a god-killer sword, not THE God Killer sword.
powerful foes on the planet. Also, in some runs of the comic, once Diana leaves Themyscira she is not allowed to return, thus forever separating her from everything she has ever known. Why would Hippolyta want that for her daughter? In almost every version of Wonder Woman’s origin story, Hippolyta is proud of her daughter but also heartbroken that she will not live a peaceful life on Themyscira. Hippolyta is NOT A BAD MOTHER!
wisted that story into a lie told by Hippolyta to cover up an affair she had with the god Zeus. As an illegitimate demi-god, Diana takes after her father and has electric powers that she can’t quite control. Her magical bracers block her electric powers so she can function normally. The movie seems to have gone with that power set, although there is no saying what that means for her creation story. Personally, I’m really hoping they stick with the clay version of their origins.
Cut to Hippolyta’s throne room (is this Steve’s trial for trespassing?) and then to Steve in a dark cave (prison cell?) with Diana explaining to him about the Amazon’s mission to defend the world. This has confused people, because how are they supposed to defend the world if they never leave their island? Well, in many of the comics, Themysira is where the gods placed the entrance to the underworld. The Amazons sacred duty is to protect that gateway. Is that what that line is referring to?
1:15
We get a final glimpse of Diana trying to get through a rotating door with her shield and sword, then snarky comments about the sword not going with her outfit. It’s a cute bit, but is desperately designed to show that there are lighthearted moments in the film. Personally, I hope that the movie's humor doesn’t just consist of jokes about how Diana isn't “girly."
Wonder Woman's corset in the New52 is stunning. The complex chevron pattern combined with stars is intricate and eye-catching. As difficult as it is to draw, it's even more difficult to sew. Chevrons are quite a challenge and are also very time consuming.
Step 5: Trace your pattern pieces onto your final fabric and add a 1/2 inch seam allowance around each piece. Make sure you have two complete sides for your corset and the pieces for each side should be a reflection of each other. Make sure you copy over the notches and identifying marks onto the BACK side of these pieces. I used leather but other pleathers will work as well. Stretch fabrics will not work and will warp the final product, try the previous method listed above if you want to use a stretch fabric.
Step 6: Carefully, starting from the top center piece, sew one side of the corset together. Make sure to line up the notches, they are your guide! Now sew the refection side of it together. You should now have two complete halves of a corset cover that are reflections of one another.
Step 8: Now it's time to make the chevrons happen! Meeting the right sides of the corset center fronts (those are two edges) use pins or tape if you are using a leather-like material to insure that the seams of your chevrons meet up. You might have to do a little manipulating and stretching to make the pieces line up perfectly in the front, but this is a VERY important step. You don't want your chevrons to not line up. Sew them together on the wrong side down what now is the center front of your corset cover.
Step 9: The hardest part of your project is over!! Congrats!! Now cut out the stars from the same material as your chevrons, making sure they have the correct proportions to your chevrons. Put a small amount of rubber cement on the back of each star and place it where you'd like it on the corset. The glue will help hold the star in place while you top-stitch it down.
base corset in place. Then, finding the exact center, use bardge cement to glue the center seam of your chevroned corset cover to your base corset. This will keep the center front from moving around. You can also glue around the cups of the corset and along the sides and center back once the front has dried.
Captain America style, when not in use.
Leaving her origins vague may mean that they are planning on giving her a solo movie later to explain things, but I'm guessing it's due more to pacing and trying to keep the movie shorter than Gone with the Wind. They are introducing A LOT of heroes in this movie. It initially focused on Superman and Batman, but now the confirmed cast includes Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Cyborg, Aquaman, and possibly even Nightwing. That's a lot of explaining to do if they are even going to briefly touch on everyone's origin stories, and introducing that many characters in a film will cut drastically into the screen time of any individual character. This makes me nervous, because I want Diana to get the screen time she deserves as part of DC's trinity.
I was so young when my cousin introduced us, and I'd sneak looks at you until I was old enough to get an allowance and have you for myself. I loved your late 80s and early 90s style. I still have some copies of Wonder Woman, The New Teen Titans, Justice League (America, Europe, International, and 
even Task Force), and Batman & the Outsiders to remember the good times. Through all the changes, I stood beside you. I was there when Eclipso attacked, when Gotham was declared No Man's Land, and I hung in there for every "crisis" you could come up with. I watched Superman die and Metropolis try to cope with his loss. I followed along as Dick finally took up the cowl, and then put it down again. So many stories. Some were good, some were bad, but through it all I still felt like part of something wonderful.
Great characters never reappeared, and fan favorites started acting completely counter to their normal behavior. Quality character arcs fell by the wayside in favor of shock value and company profit. It was clear that the bottom line and the big bosses' ideas were more important than treating your creators well. Lots of amazing creators disappeared for a variety of reasons which reflected very badly on your management. Your choices didn't make sense and started driving away the writers and artists who kept us reading! Fans read a comic when the character they love is well written and drawn. Your talented creators make your company, not the other way around.
towards women readers and female characters. Comics have always been over-sexualized, but your unending trail of insults over the last few years has gone beyond what we've come to expect, even from this industry. Many great characters' personalities were tweaked and flattened so that they can fit into what you thought was a sexier mold. The fact that you assume that women need a Superman/Wonder Woman Twilight-inspired romance to become interested in comics is just one recent example of how your female stereotyping has reached ridiculous levels. Finally, when you asked thousands of amateur artists to draw one of your most prominent female characters about to commit suicide in a bathtub, it's flat out insulting. Can something like that 
be part of a tasteful storyline? Sure, but asking non-professionals to take on such sensitive subject matter is inappropriate. I cringe just imagining some of the entries you must have received. AND THEN some of your big-wigs took to social networking to make excuses and play down the incident. Jim Lee (who I basically hate at this point) blamed US for not waiting around to see the rest of the story. I don't care how the panels fit into the (unexplained) context of the story, you could have easily gleaned their drawing abilities from a more appropriate panel. You picked a horrendously irresponsible topic for this contest. It's downright disgusting. Apologize like an adult, hire a PR department, and move on.
This past weekend, comic book writer Gail Simone let the news drop on Twitter that she had been removed from DC's New 52 Batgirl title. It's shocking that DC would give Gail the boot after the acclaim that Batgirl has received since the reboot, but the most shocking part of this story is how they broke the news to Gail. The fired her VIA EMAIL.
Gail has done an incredible job with Barbara Gordon for many years. She created an incredibly strong character in Birds of Prey who rose above her physical disability and continued to be a hero. As Oracle, Barbara showed the world that knowledge and smarts were the most powerful tools a crime fighter had, and she became an icon for fans with disabilities themselves.
Babs brilliantly. She embraced Barbara's history, and wrote Batgirl to show the struggles of someone recovering from life changing injuries and PTSD. Gail even researched Barbara's conditions by seeking the advice of Dr. Andrea Letamendi, an avid comic book fan and doctor of psychology (and my cosplay friend!), to insure that Barbara's recovery was accurately depicted. Gail's incredible respect for Barbara won over fans in both camps and turned Batgirl from one of the most hated reboots in the New 52, into one of its best selling titles.
News of a Justice League Dark movie emerged last week, linked with director Guillermo Del Toro. I have really enjoyed the Justice League Dark book (despite the lame title) since it was introduced with the New 52, and it includes some of my favorite characters, including John Constantine and Zatanna. They really have captured the disjointed team of misfits well, with love triangles, mistrust, temptation, and heroism. It is an occult team, drawing their power (and villains) from magic and religion rather than super strength or speed. It may also be the answer to DC's superhero team movie problem.
Obviously, this team is full of the B and C list characters in DC's lineup, but despite the lack of mainstream heroes this movie could be the perfect start to DC's superhero team movies. Yes, the Justice League is easily identifiable, but so were The Avengers. Marvel knew better than to just toss their audience into a full blown team of incredibly super-powered characters without taking the time (via other movies) to set the stage. Warner Bros and DC should use Justice League Dark as the introduction to their world, in much the same way that Marvel used Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America to set the stage for The Avengers. It will set up the universe's rules, and start us off with a team that the mainstream audience will have an easier time identifying with.
The biggest advantage that Justice League Dark has is that all the characters are human. This may seem like a small matter, but when you are trying to get an audience to relate to your team, it can be a big deal. This team doesn't wear spandex (other than Deadman who wears his old circus uniform), and if they were walking down the street you probably wouldn't notice them (again, except for Deadman). They all deal with personal desires, flaws, and pain in every issue, and we can relate to all their emotions because they are feelings we all share. Superman, Wonder Woman, while more familiar, are harder for the normal audience to identify with because of their extreme powers and strange origin stories... and the crazy outfits. The Justice League Dark can tap into the super natural, but they also have to go to the supermarket if they want to eat or buy a pack of cigarettes. This team can gently introduce the mainstream audience to the DC Universe, setting us up for the more extreme spandex and cape wearing Justice League team we all know and love.
DC can't seem to make up its mind about Wonder Woman. It took their artists a few months to unify her costume design across all their titles, and it seems like Wonder Woman and Justice League take place in completely different universes, but that isn't my biggest problem with the rebooted Amazon princess. My biggest problem is that Justice League can't seem to give Diana any personality at all! As someone who has been a die-hard Justice League fan (Europe, America, International, all of them) since I was a kid, it's really pissing me off.
Unlike the Diana in Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, the Justice League Wonder Woman seems to be completely lacking in emotional depth. Azzarello shows us an edgy Diana who likes to hang out at rock concerts, is bitter about being teased as a child, cares deeply for her companions, and bravely faces the gods to protect the innocent. The only thing we have seen from her in Justice League is a sudden, desperate concern for Steve in Issue #11, which seems to come out of nowhere despite their prior relationship. Diana has shown almost no emotion on the matter up to this point, unlike Steve, who has been driven to drink because of their breakup. Why is it that a side character without powers, and who has been in significantly fewer panels than Diana, has so much more emotional depth? We have gotten more personality information out of Green Lantern's one liners than from all of Diana's lines combined, but we are CONSTANTLY reminded that all the men in the world envied Steve for being Wonder Woman's boyfriend. Her defining characteristic, and certainly her most mentioned attribute, seems to be her hot body.
Now she is hooking up with Superman. The relationship makes sense from an outside standpoint, but it has completely baffled many people who are actually following the comic. A few panels before the now-infamous kiss, Diana was desperately trying to save Steve, then decided to put even more distance between them to keep him safe. There have been hints that she cares about Steve and that she only left him to protect him from her dangerous lifestyle, but this tiny bit of character development is thrown out the door. BAM! The same night that they get home and Steve is laying in the hospital, Diana ends up making out with Superman on a rooftop. Can we say "pathetic PR stunt?" I'm not against a Superman/Wonder Woman relationship. I LOVED them in Kingdom Come, however this time they didn't bother with the character development to back it up. We've all suspected they'd become an item since the reboot because they were both suddenly single, but there should be flirtations, hesitations, lingering glances, emotional commonalities... SOMETHING to back it up. A two page conversation about how they are different than normal people because of their powers, which I believe is the first one-on-one conversation between them since the reboot, and then a dramatic final panel kiss is just lazy writing and bad character development. But DC got tons of press, so who the hell cares about the characters, right?
I think the worst part of the Justice League reboot (yes, worse than the only female character's complete lack of personality or ping-ponging her from man to man) is that this Diana is so inconsequential. She is completely reactionary, like so many female comic book characters before her, and seems to serve little or no purpose other than being the token woman of the group. She never comes up with ideas or shares opinions. She doesn't stand up for the weak, or worry about the civilians when the team is busy leveling cities to take out bad guys. She hasn't displayed any powers or characteristics that are indispensable to the team, and, despite devoting her life to warrior training, Batman still makes all the tactical decisions. There was a time when Diana was an undeniable part of DC's trinity, but now even I, a life-long Wonder Woman fan, have to admit she'd be the first one I'd cut if I ran the team. Azzarello's Diana faces the gods single-handedly, and you really believe that she could win. He even threw in some new powers to match with her electrifying new back story. Like the changes or not, at least she is bad ass enough to stand on her own.
I am constantly surprised by Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, and although I don't like all the changes he has made, am really enjoying the unexpected darkness of his universe. His Wonder Woman is an edgier Diana, who has some surprises up her sleeves... or bracelets! She is smart, complex, and proactive. Even without mentioning her powers, she is an interesting character. I hope that the Justice League writing team takes their cues from Wonder Woman and starts to rethink their approach to the most famous female character in comics.
Earth 2
I am a huge Power Girl fan. I even loved her all through the 90's and her crazy thong, tights, and headband era. But holy crap is her new costume horrible... opps. I'm jumping ahead. Let's go back a little bit.
I hope they start to include that in this character as the books go on. Then... there is her new outfit. They have exchanged the boob window for a boob target. Seriously. There is a decorative "P" shape (for Power Girl once she reveals that as her new hero call sign) that fits perfectly over her left breast. There is even a little circle that fits EXACTLY over where her nipple would be. It's just... odd. It calls attention to her breast (yes... just the left one) in a way that is unsexy, and a little awkward. Almost like when someone has a stain on their shirt and you are contemplating telling them or not.
