Dear Wonder Woman

This month, Gail Simone takes over the writing chores for your monthly (Dear God/Hera, please let it be monthly!) comic. And it makes me want to cry.

Not in a bad way, but a good way. You see, ever since Greg Rucka had his amazing run on your title, which ended with you killing Max Lord and preventing him from using Superman as a WMD, and being a general genius/badass, your title — and your character — has floundered, as if no one really knows what to do with an iconic superheroine after she’s (justifiably) killed someone. Like, they want to make you innocent and sweetness and light, but they’ve got your warrior side (and all of the difficult repercussions of that) to deal with, and they just don’t know how … except to make you pay for it in some way, and reduce the complexity of your character.

I had hope for the reboot, I really did. I thought, DC is investing a lot of time and money into relaunching the title, heading it with a celebrity writer and the incredible art of the Dodsons.

The art was fantastic. The writing — while at times entertaining — could have been better. I’ll admit I was disappointed by the direction taken; instead of moving your character forward, it seemed like a giant (and ridiculously nostalgic) leap back. The book was never in stores on time. The relaunch story arc wasn’t even completed, but the last issue shoved into your annual … in which we discovered that you don’t even have your powers unless you’ve done the Wonder Spin. Jodi Picoult came on board, and I was jumping up and down with glee … until she portrayed you as a somewhat incompetent woman instead of the confident hero, the brilliant tactician, the wise diplomat who’d been in Man’s World for years. It, too, was entertaining at times … but there was very little Wonder in your Woman.

But Gail … Gail knows superheroes. She made Birds of Prey into one of the best female-led superhero titles around (I say “one of the best” because Rucka was writing your book at the time, and because you have a slight edge over Babs and Dinah in my heart, the win goes to him.) I wish she’d been able to take over your title directly after Infinite Crisis, so that she wouldn’t have 13 issues of $#!& to work around, but I have hope, and I believe she can take you back to when you were awesome.

And “when you were awesome” was what prompted this letter. Other fans have been as disappointed as I am with the direction your title has taken, and there have been a series of posts in scans_daily showing … well, you being awesome. But yesterday, bluefall got up to my very favorite issue from Rucka’s run, your fight with Medousa. Now, I’ve read this story arc until my issues have pretty much fallen apart, and yet I still stopped for a few seconds to look the pages over again. I still got shivers when you squirted the venom into your eyes and then chopped off her head, because you were so freaking awesome.

I think Gail will take you back to that, and push you forward. I really, really hope so, anyway.

One of your many fans who would love to see you actually treated and written like one of the Big Three at DC,
Meljean

P.S. I like the Dodsons, but Nicola Scott would be amazing on this title. And I don’t see any good reason not to steal everyone from BoP.
P.P.S. Will you have my babies?
P.P.P.S. In that panel I posted above, you look freaking amazing. I wish they always portrayed you (and other superheroines) in a similar manner. Even in a skirt, it you look every inch a warrior, you’re strong and sexy without being exploitative. I’m all for cheesecake, don’t get me wrong — but that is how the goddamn Wonder Woman should look, whether you’re wearing your swimsuit or not.
P.P.P.P.S. Speaking of, I have a fond spot in my heart for your swimsuit, but this makes me shiver, too. It’s as recognizable as your regular costume, it screams “Wonder Woman is going to tear you a new asshole!” … and it’s not a freaking swimsuit.

P.P.P.P.P.S. I heart you.