DC Legend Calls Out the TRUE Issue With Wonder Woman, Shutting Down Critics

One of Wonder Woman’s most iconic writers has a few thoughts about what the real, for lack of a better word, problem is with the beloved hero. There’s no doubt that Diana is an amazing hero, but something about her challenges creators in ways that other heroes don’t.

Wonder Woman is, of course, a pillar of the DC Universe, and she’s had plenty of amazing stories that show off her greatest strengths as a hero, such as her determination and compassion. But even seasoned comic professionals have admitted that there’s a difficulty when it comes to the character and one notable legend airs their thoughts on what they think the issue is.

Greg Rucka Points Out That Wonder Woman is an Inherently Political Character

DC Legend Says Embracing Her Roots isn’t as Easy as One Thinks

In 2010, Shelley Smarz of Comic Book Daily had the chance to speak with Greg Rucka at the Hobbystar Comicon Fan Appreciation Event. Rucka discussed his experience writing strong women characters and revealed that his own secret was to writing them as individuals rather than making them caricatures. Rucka discussed his work in a broader sense before eventually being asked about how Wonder Woman is being handled now that he’s no longer writing the character, leading the writer to admit he thinks no one knows what to do with Wonder Woman.

Rucka also admits that Wonder Woman isn’t an easy character, but admits she also faces an uphill battle as there are expectations for her series to do as well as Batman or Superman. He also notes that Diana faces a lot of prejudice, meaning she’s taken in more experimental directions than other DC characters to match the numbers of other heroes’ series. After Smarz recalls Wonder Woman’s controversial spy stint in the ‘70s, Rucka points out that speaks to the bigger problem with Diana.

Rucka says that everyone acknowledges there are problems with Wonder Woman, but everyone has different ideas of what that problem is. But in Rucka’s opinion, Diana’s flaw is that she’s rooted in the feminist movement and is inherently a political character, which is hard for a corporate entity to embrace (going so far as to call Wonder Woman “immediately problematic” from DC/Warner Bros.’ perspective). He notes that creators approach writing Wonder Woman as a female Superman because attempts to embrace her more political roots get met with resistance.

Rucka Isn’t Wrong, Wonder Woman Was Created as a New Kind of Superhero

She’s Always Thrived Going Against the Grain

Those who are familiar with Wonder Woman’s background know that her Golden Age roots were indeed meant to challenge the conventions of society. She was created by Harry G. Peter and William Moulton Marston, the latter of whom was inspired to create the hero by his wife, Elizabeth Marston, and their partner, Olive Byrne. Marston, a former psychologist, wanted to create a hero who embodied the ideals of the modern, liberated woman who could change the world with love rather than violence.

Marston also believed that he could use the Wonder Woman comic as a form of propaganda that could introduce concepts such as feminism as well as dominance and submission to wider audiences. Early Wonder Woman adventures were heavily queer-coded and often featured material that was seen as controversial at the time (namely scenes of bondage and discipline). But her unabashed stories were a success from the start to the point that early Wonder Woman issues even managed to outsell Superman and Batman.

However, Marston eventually stepped away from writing Wonder Woman and later writers removed the queer and BDSM subtext to her stories. Wonder Woman remained a popular hero and a mainstay of DC canon, but more often than not, creators would take Diana in odd directions to inject new life into the character. In the ‘70s, she was de-powered and turned into a spy, while the ‘90s saw her achieve godhood for a brief period. Wonder Woman continues to have a sizable presence in the DC Universe, but few writers have been able to nail the right vibe for her.

Can DC Comics Solve Its Wonder Woman Issue?

Or Are Creators Still Falling Into the Same Trap?

To be fair, this interview with Greg Rucka was from 2010. But the question is, in the past decade and a half, has DC Comics done better with how Wonder Woman is handled? One could argue that yes, DC has recognized that Wonder Woman’s roots should be embraced. The publisher canonically confirmed Diana as queer during the Rebirth era (in a story penned by Greg Rucka, no less). And it’s made a greater effort to present Wonder Woman as an unabashedly feminist hero.

That being said, DC Comics is still being fairly experimental with Wonder Woman, going so far as to make Diana a mother in her current series. But DC has another experiment that has really captured the hearts and eyeballs of fans everywhere. Absolute Wonder Woman is a new take on the Amazing Amazon that presents a different kind of Wonder Woman, one who’s a witch who fights using an entire mystical armory. But despite the surface-level changes, Absolute Wonder Woman understands the core of Diana’s character, and it became one of the most beloved titles in the Absolute line.

Creators and fans alike know that there are difficulties to writing Wonder Woman. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Greg Rucka’s run on the title was beloved because he embraced what worked with Diana, just as Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman are doing in Absolute Wonder Woman. Yes, historically DC Comics has shied at embracing Diana’s roots, but times have changed and it’s clear that fans show up when the publisher gives fans stories that don’t try to remove some of the best elements of Wonder Woman’s past.

DC is Moving Past Wonder Woman’s Biggest Problem

Now It Just Has to Stick With It

Wonder Woman has stood the test of time because fans appreciate the powerful, unapologetic warrior who fights with love and stands for equal rights. While DC has felt like it had to reinvent the wheel with Wonder Woman, the best stories are simply the ones that stay true to how she was envisioned. While nothing may come close to matching the exact tone of her Golden Age stories, embracing Wonder Woman’s political roots go a long way towards improving her character.

Source: Comic Book Daily

Wonder Woman

Created By

William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter

First Appearance

All Star Comics

Alias

Diana Prince

Alliance

Justice League, Justice Society of America, Justice League Dark, Justice League International

Race

Amazon-Olympian

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