DC Universe: The Source

J. Michael Straczynski on Wonder Woman’s new costume

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

“We have to remember here that when Wonder Woman was introduced in 1941, nearly 70 years ago, her outfit was designed with a 1940s sensibility. Though the skirt and heels have come and gone, it’s almost identical to what we have today. While other characters, from Batman to Superman and others throughout the DC Universe, have undergone substantial changes over the years, Wonder Woman has remained pretty much the same in appearance. (With the exception of a mod look used briefly in the 1960s…about which the less said, the better.) What woman only wears one outfit for 70 years? What woman doesn’t accessorize? And more to the point, as many women have lamented over the years…how does she fight in that thing?

“So my mission statement going into Wonder Woman was real simple: If we were to design her today, without any prior history…what would she look like?

“This is a character that is interesting enough and compelling enough to merit being in the top twenty books at minimum…so why was she languishing? The reason, I felt, was that she’d concretized over the years, had turned into this really cool Porsche that people kept in the garage because they were afraid of denting it rather than going flat-out on the open road. She had become, for lack of a better word, stuffy. She became the mom of the girl next door you wanted to date.

“This was really underscored to me when I used Wonder Woman in Brave and the Bold #33, and many were appalled that Wonder Woman told a joke…that she flirted…that she was relaxed and having fun. One podcaster said that Wonder Woman had become like his grandmother, and he didn’t like to see his grandmother being flirty.

“It seemed to me that the only way to address the situation and turn the character around was to go in prepared to make massive changes in how we think about Wonder Woman. It wasn’t going to work with half-measures. We had to be willing to go the extra mile. We had to be bold.

“So we came at this from a 21st century perspective. Visually, I wanted her to look strong and tough but still quite beautiful. Let’s give her clothes that she can fight in, that add to her presence and her strength and her power. It took a while for us to get there, precisely because we’ve all become so locked-in to how we see her character, but in time we came to a final design.

“Rather than have the W symbol all over the place on her wardrobe, I wanted to highlight it in one area and make that our statement, letting everything else feel more youthful and street-wise. The exception would be the bracelets, which would be solid on the outer side, with a stylized, almost handwritten W symbol there so that when she crosses her arms you get the full effect. And if she hits you with it, it leaves a W mark. She signs her work.

“None of this would work, however, without a strong character behind it. I wanted to free her up from the weight of a lot of her supporting universe so that we could see who she was. Guys tend to see women in terms of what role they play—mother, girlfriend, wife—instead of who they are on their own terms. But I didn’t simply want to eradicate all of it and destroy the work of those who came before me.

“So the solution was to tweak time: at some point about 20 years ago or so, the time stream was changed. Paradise Island was destroyed, and Diana as an infant was smuggled out before her mother was killed along with most of the others. She was raised by guardians sent with her, and some surviving Amazons, so she has a foot in two worlds, the urban world and the world of her people, which still exists in the shadows, underground. So we keep what makes her an Amazon but mix it up with a more modern perspective.

“Those who can see those two worlds know that something has changed, and they try to get Diana to see that, but she only knows what she’s seen and experienced.

“To solve the problem before them she must a) find out who attacked Paradise Island and why, b) stop those who are trying to kill the remaining Amazons now, c) rescue any more surviving Amazons, and d) find some way to straighten out the timeline and reconcile what was to what is. So we continue to get glimpses of Wonder Woman as she was juxtaposed against Diana as she is.

“The result—storywise and visually—is a character who is fiery, dynamic, a bit more vulnerable (she’s still working her way up to her full set of powers), tough, determined and smart and, due to her background, tragic. She keeps her roots in the Amazonian universe while growing up in a more modern setting. The result will, we hope, be a redesign that is as current with the zeitgeist of the 21st century as the original was with 1941.”

Tags: j. michael straczynski, jim lee, wonder woman, wonder woman #600

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 at 11:40 am and is filed under From the Creators, Sneak Peeks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

97 Responses to “J. Michael Straczynski on Wonder Woman’s new costume”

kennypick says on June 30th, 2010 at 11:50 am :

Nothing JMS says makes this design any less ugly. Ice-capades Superman looked better than this.
haljordan says on June 30th, 2010 at 11:51 am :

“We have to remember here that when Wonder Woman was introduced in 1941, nearly 70 years ago, her outfit was designed with a 1940s sensibility”

I call BS on that. Superman’s (also Namor’s, Alan Scott’s, Jay Garrick’s) costume was designed with 1930’s sensibilities in mind. Yet it has endured for 75 years without radical design changes a la WW’s. Oh wait, there was the electric Superman costume of 1997 along with a similar so called ‘new direction’. We all know how that went.

There’s a reason these characters and their costumes have endured the test of time. THEY ARE ICONIC.
haljordan says on June 30th, 2010 at 11:52 am :

This one is an effing ugly costume.
memorandom says on June 30th, 2010 at 11:56 am :

if wonder woman was selling badly before - who thought THIS was going to make it sell better?

yet another book i’m reluctantly dropping. there’s a recession on - people will be a lot more picky about what they do and don’t buy, and i don’t see a lot of people really interested in seeing an icon like wonder woman utterly ruined ‘brand new day’ style, for however long it may be intended to last. . .
ultimarex says on June 30th, 2010 at 11:56 am :

This costume is designed like this for one reason. It covers Megan Fox’s tattoos.

You heard it here first.
kennypick says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:02 pm :

You know I just read the part where he said it took them a while to get to the final design… Hahahah! Really? The almighty powers of Jim Lee and JMS spent SOOO much time designing a costume that 90% of WW fans hate! Hilarious!

I wonder who greenlit the stirrup looking things? The Jacket? The choker? So funny.

Really, I have NO qualms with a redesign of WW’s costume. I think it’s too busy with too much color… And here is one that’s even busier and colorful in all the wrong ways.

I’d rather see her in the white dress or the Agent Prince costume from the last relaunch.
JoseG says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:03 pm :

Gee. The storyline hasn’t even played out and all you guys/gals are screaming bloody murder. How about when Gail sent her to those other dimensions? When she was lost in space? When she was mod in the 70’s? When Simonson cut her hair? When Artemis was Wonder Woman? It’s been done before and reverted back to status quo. The change is too big for DC to keep marketing wise. As long as it is a great story, go along with it and stop being so critical.
allysons0attic says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:03 pm :

Jim Lee is one of my favorite artist BUT this stinks.

For one thing if you are starting from the beginning, what about the fact she comes from a island Paradise, …why would she ware a jacket?

I could see them going more Grecian.

BUT stirrup pants?

This looks more like something Michael Jackson would reject, the pose and the half gloves.
kaiserthegreat says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:33 pm :

Invulnerable people do not need jackets.
johnny says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:33 pm :

More lameass fanboy comments. I’ll give the new thing a chance, not gonna judge it by the first look.
ostrakos says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:33 pm :

There was the mod redesign in the 60s, and let’s not forget there was this abomination, which is fairly reminiscent of the new design:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/752217-660066_mikedeodatowonderwomanwatercolorcommission_super.jpg
batmanners says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:34 pm :

wow. they had the balls to post it twice.
jonbrak1 says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:45 pm :

His comments regarding accessorizing and outfits are so sexist! Thanks for putting the ultimate feminist hero in his oh-so-capable hands.

*sigh*
greenghost says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:48 pm :

@kaiserthegreat:
she isn’t fully invulnerable in this storyline…

some people should really wait before they judge so hard.
majesticfool says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:50 pm :

Sorry JMS but the first part of your post is BS!

Wonder Woman’s costume HAS changed over the years. A lot. And she kept the most recognizable parts of her costume (uniform or whatever) just like Batman kept the “ears” and Supes the red underware.

So to defend this new look with an “it’s about time she changed her look” is lame.

Again, this will only last a Year until sales start dropping again and then they bring the original look back. Period.
Kooster says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:51 pm :

As I’m reading more and more of JMS’ Wonder Woman storyline, I’m in as I’m intrigued on seeing a Diana who’s closer to mix of Man’s World and the Amazons by growing up in New York.

I’m focusing on JMS’ WW storyline. How do you resolve these current continuity problems (and probably more that I can’t think of):
1) When Diana gets flashbacks to her true DCU origin, which one does she remember? Does Wonder Woman have her Silver Age origin? Or does Wonder Woman have her George Perez origin? If you’re sticking with George Perez’s origins, I think you’ve got major problems with Diana’s golden lasso, because she didn’t get her golden lasso until Steve Trevor intruded onto Paradise Island.
2) Are Donna Troy, Cassie, and Artemis affected? Do any of these character survive in the alternate timeline?
3) When Paradise Island gets destroyed, what happens to Doom’s Doorway? Does Doom’s Doorway get destory, which allows all the trapped monster to escape and ravage the Earth? Or does the destroyed Paradise Island become DCU’s version of Monster Island?
4) From George Perez’s first WW storyline, who prevents Ares from destroying the world with a nuclear holocaust? What happens to the all the other storylines where Diana played a pivotal role?
5) Does this mean that Maxwell Lord was never killed by Diana? Does that mean Superman is still controlled by Maxwell Lord in the alternate timeline? If Superman is still Lord’s puppet, I’d love to see another Wonder Woman-Superman clash!
6) Is Black Canary back to being a founding member of the Justice League of America in the alternate timeline? Or maybe Mera’s a founding member of the alternate Justice League of America?

I can understand how Diana’s continuity can constrain a writer, but I think you’ve still deal with how DCU’s continuity was affected if Diana wasn’t there as Wonder Woman.

Overall, I think that JMS’ WW storyline fits in better with the Earth One books than with the current DCU.

That being said, did JMS write a storyline bible? You know, like how you wrote a storyline bible for Babylon 5? How many years are you going to be on the WW title, JMS? And does your WW storyline bible cover all the years you’re going to be on the WW title?
Gorbunov says on June 30th, 2010 at 12:53 pm :

The main point of this episode of geek’s enraged whining is not the fact of redesign but the fact of ***** redesign.

“Superman … have undergone substantial changes over the years”
Nope, he still looks like world’s biggest retard, who doesn’t understand basic principle of underwear wearing.
cagedleo730 says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:01 pm :

JMS likes to write in his own bubble. He did it with Thor and with Squadron Supreme. It seems that he’ll take Wonder Woman off the main DCU board with this alternate timeline story. This way he could write any character in any not interfere with other DC writer’s story. Consider it a “House of M” or “Age of Apocalypse” alternate timeline which in the end was undone. Those stories ran at the same time as other marvel stories without ruining continuity.
Pol Manning says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:04 pm :

I think this is designed to make Wonder Woman a bit more appealing to non-fans, and to set up a “modern” take that they can sell to Warner Bros. “See, she’s not wrapped in an American flag bathing suit anymore!”

As to the costume: Jim Lee’s a great artist, but his tendency is to design costumes that only he can render well. Hopefully the opposite happens here: Maybe once seen in action, the costume will work better than the way it looks in a static promo pic.

Finally, hopefully they come up with a better powerset for her, rather than just copying whatever powers Superman has. And since she’s being depowered, this also means no more flying, which I bet will be a permanent change.
josemari says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:08 pm :

I think the story of JMS can be very interesting. And, well, I thought that Black Canary was a founding member of the JLA in the current continuity. Is not valid JLA:Year One by Waid? I thought Didio said it is valid.
kennypick says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:10 pm :

@Gorbonuv…

“Nope, he still looks like world’s biggest retard, who doesn’t understand basic principle of underwear wearing.”

LMFAO!
deb8er says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:27 pm :

“We have to remember here that when Wonder Woman was introduced in 1941, nearly 70 years ago, her outfit was designed with a 1940s sensibility. Though the skirt and heels have come and gone, it’s almost identical to what we have today.”

There is your proof that this decision is one made out of political correctness and not out of any need to advance the storyline. JMS should just come out and say: “I’m a trendy, progressive liberal who wants to look edgy and cool to my other progressive friends.”

I have a feeling that the JMS agenda on Superman and WW is all about social relevance and progressivist propaganda. As I get older, I’m just not falling for this any more.

The costume isn’t the problem. The problem has been a move away from certain aspects of the character, esp. the lack of a relationship with Steve Trevor, that are essential to the character. She needs a character reboot and to be made similar to the WW animated film, not a costume change.
mechafaux says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:32 pm :

I am really disappointed. And not from the perspective of fanboy rage, but as a woman working in the fashion industry.

How can you unveil a new redesign that already terribly dates itself? This looks like it was a flop in the 1990’s. It is 2010, this is not what women are wearing at all.
And worst of all, she just looks more “American”. Why take beautiful woman of Greek heritage and make her look like a white girl with bad taste? Many of us would love to see her with a stronger bone structure, more sexy olive complexion, and Greek influenced armor. Please consider this for the future.

From what I understand, I can take solace in the fact that this won’t be canon.
(My favorite Wonder Woman is from the JLU cartoon series.)
hero220 says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:40 pm :

Despite JMS explianing, in the best possible manner, the hows and why of the Costume Update, it’s clear people are still going to Hate it. Not because it replaces something “Iconic”, not because the new Jacket and associated gear seems 90s-ish in thier eyes, but because A) People hate change, and B) It’s the *only* way people know the character.

I’ve mentioned this for the most part in a previous post, but what JMS is trying to do is create a WW where the Costume is not the primary draw of the Character; Diana’s new Urban look is designed to be practical and reflect her mindset and upbringing in this new Timeline as she attempts to put the pieces of what happened together. Most have come to the conclusion, correctly in my eyes, that this Update will not be Long Term, and that once Diana finds out what really happened to the Gods, Paradise Island, etc she’ll be back in the Old Costume.

Given how past Updates for the Big Two have gone and the subsequent reversions to thier Original looks, I think people need to get off thier Hate for the new Costume and instead focus on JMS’s story and how it will help bring the Character into a more modern mindset and make us care more about *Her* and not a Golden, Armored, one piece Bathing Suit.
kennypick says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:41 pm :

@deb8er… Progressive propaganda? CALL GLENN BECK! Wonder Woman is code for Woodrow Wilson!!!

Really, get over yourself! This is the biggest misogynistic overhaul of WW in years… They yanked the book away from 2 Women and gave it a bunch of dudes with no sense of design or modernity.

Nothing says “Conservative” like covering up women… Just ask the Saudi’s.

Don’t start bringing up your ill-informed politics here or you’ll get handily smacked down.

Anyway… Here’s an interesting article about the **** storm over the new costume… Apparently Lynda Carter likes it.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/06/media-and-fans-and-lynda-carter-react-to-wonder-woman-makeover/
idris says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:53 pm :

One of the great and wisest moves to over done to Wondor Woman. Thanks to all for this. May I suggest a similar treatment to Starfire?
coryjay says on June 30th, 2010 at 1:55 pm :

Lee and Straczynski’s best effort is a retread of Bolland’s navy-blue jacket and hot-pants look, with a back-story mashing Superman and Batman’s origins together?
About this re-imagining, the less READ the better!
meisterlegion says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:00 pm :

Scroll to the very top of this blog and you will see the DC Trinity: Batman, Superman, & Wonder Woman.
A writer is allowed (for the most part) to do whatever they want, as long as they return the character the way they found them. This is how it is, and should be the way it always will be…for future generations. We can make minor tweaks, but not huge over hauls. I like JMS but h e to disagree with his post today that says an update is needed…it was good for my grandfather, for my father, for me, and for those long after me.
kennypick says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:16 pm :

@meisterlegion… Well said. She needs top notch writers, not a “new-wave hookers” outfit.

You heard from Wildclaw? I feel really bad for him. I know WW is his fave… He is SOOO pissed off & I don’t blame him.
cdemink says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:35 pm :

NOTHING SHOULD EVER CHANGE!111
jonnywest says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm :

Terrible idea and Terrible costume. Its not going to take very long for DC to realize the mistake on this one, plus the backlash i’ve read so far from everyone has been pretty apparant that nobody likes this at all.
sketchpad says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:45 pm :

I dig it Kind of reminds me of the 90s treatment of the character, only better
Styphax says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:47 pm :

I think continuity wise she’ll learn of her past/original timeline, and the two will be somehow merged. I’m going to give it a chance. Of all the celebratory issues Wonder Woman has been my favourite; and I’m not even a fan of WW.
cdemink says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:55 pm :

Yeah seriously, this whole story arc has one big ticking clock attached to it. Anyone who thinks the whole memory loss thing will stick is a fool.
emeraldlatenight says on June 30th, 2010 at 2:56 pm :

I look forward to this story and applaud writers who try bold new directions for characters who easily become stale. Thank you for your work, Jim and JMS!

-ELN
thebigburton says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:03 pm :

You can keep TRYING to explain it all you want. And yes, great, Wonder Woman is the #1 trending topic on yahoo. But you screwed up the costume….BAD! It is a disgrace to Wonder Woman and her true fans. Good for you…you get a few temporary readers, but you have shown those of us who buy this book no matter what terrible creator, or disrespectful artist you put on it. You have created an ugly outdated redo of the 60’s you try to joke about. WW’s costume is part of something that has been around for 70 years. Sorry your chick friend doesn’t get it, but most of us do. I am fine dealing with your story…and the fact that you are not creative enough to give us a good WW story without destroying EVERYTHING that has kept the character around for 70 years. But this costume is crap and quite trying to pretend it has a feminist sensibility or any other sensible reason. It is GROSS. and boring. and ugly. and again, disrespectful.
seansteph1 says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:03 pm :

This redesign is killer … if it was a part of “Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating Wonder Woman.”

I like the idea of the hopefully alternate timeline, but hate the change to the costume. I’m a fan of Jim Lee and JMS, but this reeks of “New Coke” where the powers that be think they know how to improve the original.

Wonder Woman will never be in the upper tier of comics properties. I love the character, but it is fact. While many people on this board are swearing off the series they will still have it atop their pull pile when they get home from the comic shop.

In a year or two DC will reboot and all will be for naught … unless this is grooming fans for an upcoming movie property.
patsario says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:08 pm :

What an AWFUL costume. Where is the sexiness that made her even more powerful? Ok that a strapless swimsuit was unpractical, but dress WW like a rapper destroyed what made her iconic. In this line of thinking, Super, Iron, Bat and Spider men are all ridiculous in their lycra tights and boots. Give me my heroin back !!! She looks like a teenager from Brooklin, not a sexy amazon. Lost all her charm and power. Low-cut Lara Croft…
wwfan7 says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:25 pm :

I’ve been trying really hard to keep an open mind about the new storyline given that I am a lifelong Wonder Woman fan and a female. I’m a collector and go to Comic Con every year. I’ve read this character faithfully through bad art and even worse storytelling. So I am with some other long time fans in that the anxiety about the new storyline could be a good thing, but this costume……..what a joke. It’s horrific and an insult to the character. Superman and Batman have undergone major costume revisions?????? No way-some minor changes, but nothing like this that so dishonors what is iconic about WW. Spurs????? What the heck is that on her boots? The gloves??????? The choker necklace?????? It’s awful. DC continues to make claims that this character is important, but I just don’t believe it. This treatment in art is proof of that. I can’t stand it. I’m sure they’re thrilled its generated all this buzz, but it is insult to injury. We have to lobby to get her renumbered? Who else had to do that? DC has managed to insult a loyal WW fan again. I hate it.
pmcomicsgreg says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:29 pm :

My first-ever reply on The Source. WONDER WOMAN, you finally got me here! Wow, talk about deus ex machina… but honestly, the story (as JMS presents it) is intriguing. The overall arc of ‘New’ Diana waking up in the Twilight Zone and attempting to work her way back to the ‘Way She Was’ works for me on some level. Does sound similar (with noted differences) to ‘One More Day’ on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, but on Spidey, JMS was QUITE vocal in his disagreement with Quesada and crew over the ret-con. JMS, what say you? How is this not that, really?

With OMD, JMS wrote the story, but he wasn’t the true architect. Doubtful WW was just his /his & Jim Lee’s decision. Geoff Johns and Mr DiDio had to have been there all along, guys - especially if Geoff is the overseer of DC Creative. Going with that, and DC Entertainment’s push to bring characters to the silver screen - which I think we all support - ‘Wonder Woman in the Twilight Zone’ and this redesign makes for a character that’s exponentially easier to cast. With the whole urban leather and passably plausible style of superhero cinema, Wonder Woman HAS to fit the mold if she’s got a chance at the Box Office. To me, this answers the ‘Why?’

HOW? is a huge question, too. Wonder Woman’s change is everybody’s change - it’s as far-reaching as Crisis on Infinite Earths, but more immediate. It’s Maxwell Lord’s mind-erasing gimmick from ‘Justice League: Generation Lost’ to the Nth degree + a new wardrobe. Damn! Literally, every writer and editor at DC has to be aware of this - and incorporate it with all their characters. Everyone’s history is not what it was. Where did Donna come from - and will we get yet another WHO IS DONNA TROY, because now I’m not sure that I’m not sure that I might have known? Would Cassie even exist with her Zeus-given powers? Do we toss AMAZONS ATTACK into the circular file, or file under Elseworlds?

The very-just TRINITY aspect: the extent that Wonder Woman touches all the other characters, her importance. Batman/Bruce was sidelined in continuity to make his changes, and Superman - at least twice - just removed from his own titles. Neither of them has had the overhaul Diana’s getting - Electric Superman detour excepted. (I second the call on BS there.) Hell, as she was, going from star-spangled skirt to star-spangled bikini gave Diana a greater re-do than Supes or Bats.

Want to change Wonder Woman, remove the holier-than-your-grandmother aspect? Have the other DCU characters treat her differently. Their attitudes, comments, interactions - along with Diana’s — will incrementally and realistically change reader perceptions. Her killing Maxwell Lord did that, until it didn’t. Get LOIS LANE to write an editorial on what a b%$#@ she thinks Diana is, and let the pieces fall. Small stuff - we don’t sweat it because it works.

As far as the WW costume, it’s way too ‘Black Canary’ for me. I’m not against Diana getting new duds; I just think she could change her clothes without Paradise Island needing to die in the process. Am I the only one who thought that’s where the ‘dating Tom Tresser’ storyline was going? Her new Jim Lee ensemble would’ve found its motivation right there, methinks, and Diana would’ve gone with it, too.

But hey, all in all, Wonder Woman got off easy compared to Ryan Choi. Never forget. With kudos to GAIL SIMONE, here’s to ‘600′ more!
Brian L says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:33 pm :

I’ve been letting it soak in, holding my tongue. I get all the explanations, and I’m not opposed to the story or the approach as much as I think I might’ve thought I would be. I can give it a chance, and a good story is a good story.

However, Mr. Lee, that costume is U-G-L-Y, it ain’t got no alibi! I mean, really? THAT’S how you think a “modern woman” dresses? I mean…MAYBE in 1994…in a nightclub…on the cover of an Image comic. Nobody ever dressed like that in reality, and, if you’re trying to hinge the whole reboot on that concept, it becomes a comlete FAIL and makes it difficult to support it.

I’ll give you a couple of issues, see where it’s going, but that outfit just ain’t EVER gonna be pretty. Get yourself a style consultant, Diana, STAT!
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:37 pm :

@kennypick: I’m not doing well today! Not at all. The issue isn’t available here till the morning but I will be sitting with my WW coffee mug with my WW poster on the wall looking all the framed issues I have on the wall and crying. Diana brought me to superheroes…Superman and Bats were next. She has always been the Queen! Always! Respect royalty! Kennypick if you have facebook please add me, as for jorel1983 you do too buddy
spacepiratequeen says on June 30th, 2010 at 3:38 pm :

Hands down, one of the uglier “modern” design on a superhero character. Not only did she loose the super hero charm, but there is nothing appealing or flattering with this entire outfit.

I don’t get it.

Please hire someone who has real experience in costume design who can do a better research on how we can modernize our super heroes.
kathleen says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:02 pm :

With this kind of image re-do, why don’t you just re-name her Wonder Ho?

This image is an insult to her and to her fans, and her creators must be rolling in their graves. The whole point of creating Wonder Woman was to offset the extreme male violence in comic books of the time, and the need for her original image is certainly needed today. See her history in: Hogben, Lancelot (1949). From Cave Painting to Comic Strip: A History of Human Communications. New York, Chanticleer Press. You might actually learn something.
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:03 pm :

So what brought me to Wonder Woman in the beginning?

I was three or four. I was sitting on my grandmothers lap and she used to come up to my mothers for tea. She was dying of cancer at the time. We used to watch the show together. I remember not a great deal of her but this I remember. I remember saying “Nan look its Wonder Woman!” and she was just as taken in as I was by Lynda Carters beauty. That is my main memory of my grandmother. I don’t have too many others.

As I grew older and the repeats were shown I would watch it from beginning to end over and over and over. So the 2000’s brought us Justice League and just like before I fell so in lover with Bruce Timms version of Diana. Susan Eisenberg brought such a strength to the character and Susan Sullivan as Hippolyta amazed me. It was perfect casting! So the year turned to 2002 and my local comic store finally opened. I couldn’t believe it. My Irish town had a comic book store. I waited and I waited and I jumped on at Game of the Gods which I loved! I wasn’t feeling the beginning of Rucka’s run so I left just before issue 200 and returned 15 months later and I have stayed ever since. Picking up back issues and collectors editions. Three years ago I started to collect DC Direct. I now have five different Diana’s and two Donna Troy’s. I love Wonder Woman. She’s got balls. She’s got brains. She’s got beauty. She had an iconic costume! Put it back and I’ll forgive you DC. Otherwise I may just go to Zenoscope and read Charmed instead! So this is how I got into Wonder Woman and why she means so much to me!
floorcandy says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:04 pm :

You know what, JMS? It’s not bad for an alternate costume, which ultimately is what this is, and were it any other character it might be good for a permanent look, but this, as with the history you’ve made, is not Wonder Woman.

My personal beef isn’t so much that you wanted to reinvent the character but that from what you’ve put out so far you don’t seem to fully grasp the meaning of the base material to some people. It didn’t fill me with much hope that you wrote a rousing speech about how much Superman inspired you on the announcement that you were being put behind the character, then added something to the effect of “and Wonder Woman is inspiring too… for chicks” at the end.

She is not a female Superman. That you can’t write her any other way baffles and disappoints me. You took away her heritage, sent her to a brutal, brutal world as a baby, brutalized an entire race of strong, cultured, intelligent women (which, since I’m at it, is also really off, especially considering the brutalisation of women in comics of late) and effectively excised one of the most positive character origins of the DCU. Is it really any surprise that there’s a backlash? Especially after we’ve had Gail Simone at the helm.

Couple that with statements like “what woman is going to wear the same outfit for sixty plus years?” Some of us never liked Barbie which Diana certainly isn’t. If you can’t imagine why people could not get excited about your tale after statements like that then I’d ask that you get some perspective on women and get back to me.

Anyways, that’s all I’ve come to say. Back to lurking now. Enjoy your flamewar, guys.
tony says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:18 pm :

Straczynski’s comments lead me to the conclusion that he hasn’t actually read any of the recent run of Wonder Woman, since Gail Simone’s portrayal of the character allows her to be everything he claims she’s not, and more. “What woman only wears one outfit for 70 years? What woman doesn’t accessorize….” Really? That’s your rationale for changing a costume that is absolutely iconic and replacing it with… well, one that isn’t? Maybe to get away from such silly questions we should allow that the character may well be better off in the hands of a woman who understands and respects her….
jgarcia612 says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:19 pm :

Continuity is the only concern I have. We have seen what magic hand waves and retcons do. They can mess up a lot of things if creators do not think them through. So DC please address these questions:
Is there a Trinity? (If so, who replaced her?)
What happened to her membership in various teams and her roles in various events?
And most importantly, how are characters related and derived from Diana (i.e. Donna, Cassie and Artemis) affected?

The way I see it, DC can either take away the Trinity aspect or have her be replaced by either/both Black Canary (for her experience and the respect she commands) and Power Girl (for the sheer powerhouse that she is) as the premier superheroines
-Her membership in various teams could be explained by having someone take her place (Ms. America or Hippolyta before her death in the new timeline in JSA and All-Star Squadron and Black Canary in JLA)
-Last but certainly the most important, the origins of Donna, Cassie and Artemis:
–Donna (in her official origin) grew up with the Titans of Myth and then was sent to Paradise Island. In the new timeline, she could be another survivor or she could be someone who has nothing to do with it. She could simply join the Teen Titans right after leaving the Titans of Myth as Wonder Girl, an identity that does not require a Wonder Woman.
–Cassie could be inspired by only Donna and she could start as Donna’s sidekick. All of Diana’s roles in Cassie’s life could be attributed to Donna for the time being.
–Artemis may or may not exist in the current timeline. If she does, the easiest way is to make her another survivor. Her stint as Wonder Woman never happened and her adventures and appearances could be attributed to someone else or Donna.

A unified consensus has to be thoroughly made on these and other questions the fans have ASAP. I do hope other writers and creators are thoroughly briefed and will not have to make drastic changes to fit their story to JMS’s. Retcons can snowball out of proportion if these questions are left unanswered
judydep1 says on June 30th, 2010 at 4:56 pm :

Since Wonder Woman and I are the same age, I have a lot to say about the new look! I hate it! The WW of yesterday was wonderful, sexy, daring, and more. . . she was Classic Coke!!! Hopefully your skilled artist and upper management will decide they made a big mistake just like “Coke” did, and have to reinstate the Wonder Woman we all loved. This “new” one looks unkempt, non-descript, like a hooker, and mostly one I could not admire! Go back to what has been proven and show us the beauty we all knew. Use the techniques that your artists and writers used successfully over the past 69 years . . . hire someone who doesn’t destroy this icon!!!! Truly upset with DC!
meisterlegion says on June 30th, 2010 at 5:02 pm :

@wildclaw - awww take care buddy - chin-up. Your story was very touching and made me cry. We all get turned on to comics in some way, and I’m happy you shared yours and that it brings you so many good memories of your Grandma. You will enjoy issue #600…well, the first two stories and all the art. Let’s hope DC hears us fans. This must not happen to our Wonder Woman, she belongs to us…the fans. And, collectively, ‘We’ can’t allow this as a permanent change.
Take care. And pick up issue #40 of JSA…you will enjoy it…no Spoils!
alinaire says on June 30th, 2010 at 5:26 pm :

WOW…This is an outrage! Please don’t taint such an iconic character with the so-called need for sprucing up her image. I’m not a “fan-girl” at all. But reading this story on yahoo infuriated me enough to follow the link and create a login to vent. So listen to Wonder Woman’s fan’s and leave her alone ffs! That is all
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm :

@meisterlegion: I’m loving JSA. That was the one well planned and executed story arc that really snuck up on me. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s finale
bmatthews325 says on June 30th, 2010 at 5:36 pm :

I’m sorry I have to put in my two cents.
The new look is awful, I’ll say that. But JMS is probably
Going to go back to the regular look after this story line.
For those ranting and raving how they going to drop the book and
Protest blah blah blah. YOUR STUPID. He’s not going to keep Diana
Looking like some bicker gang reject. He’s a brilliant writer. I read his
Work on thor and it brought back what I loved about the old thor and gave
Him a modern edge. I look forward to seeing what he brings to WW.
jamiecotc says on June 30th, 2010 at 6:09 pm :

I loved MJS’s take on WW in Brave and the Bold and the new suit is okay. I neither love it or hate it, but I understand the reason for the upgrade. What I don’t understand is why WW now has to be Batman? She lost her parent, now she’s dark and edgy. Don’t get me wrong, I love dark and edgy. Batman is my favorite DC character and there are many copies of that archetype in the DC universe. My question is, do we really need another?
wwfan7 says on June 30th, 2010 at 6:27 pm :

wildclaw-I’m with you. I showed it to my 12 year old son who has lived with my WW collection (2000+ pieces) in my Wonder Woman room and you know what he said? “Who is that?” When I told him who it was, he thought I was joking….because DC this is a joke. I’m not so rigid that I can’t live with some updating-even some radical ones-I have seen all kinds of incarnations of her, but this doesn’t even look like her. This is a failure in imagination.
crichmond says on June 30th, 2010 at 6:34 pm :

I saw the new design and only one thing really came to mind.

Wonder Woman now looks like a Vegas Hooker who happens to fight crime when she’s not turning tricks.

Seriously, the design is THAT bad.
supernatural66 says on June 30th, 2010 at 6:42 pm :

Is it me or does Wonder Woman look very much like the Charmed ones? Lots of bosom, heels and tight pants- they managed the updated look fairly well. I would prefer more color though.
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:02 pm :

@wwfan7: Someone who understands me truly! Thank you!
princesadiana says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:16 pm :

This is BS! Now she doesn’t even look like a superhero she looks plain and her wearing pants is so messed up. She is the number one female superhero and DC just messed that up. I have an enormous collection of WW comics and collectables. Major FAIL no one is going to know who she is anymore. She no longer stands out as a goddess superhero. This really upsets me, I feel sick as I look at her “new look.”
bridgetfields1 says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:17 pm :

First, I just want to say to kennypick, “Woodrow Wilson”? Everything I have every read about Wonder Woman said Marston wanted to create a role model for female readers (like me. I don’t remember anything about Woodrow Wilson (especially since he was from World War I and not II when she was created), but oh well.

Now to JMS. I can’t believe I’m saying this because you wrote one of the best sci-fi shows in history and did a great job on an arachnid based character from another comics company, but this Wonder Woman sounds terrible. Why does DC want to ruin Wonder Woman? First with the reboot right after Crisis on Infinite Earths in the 80’s (No longer a founding member of JLA, younger and newer than Wonder Girl, Paradise Island went from a land in which a nation of women not having to constantly fight could advance themsleves and create things like the purple healing ray to being barely out of the stone age, Steve married Etta, etc.)and now this. I’ll be honest, I can’t keep up with all the recent changes that have happened, and I am about three months behind on my reading (at least), but taking the remaining history out of Wonder Woman sounds like a BAD idea to me. Is Batman going to be changed to that his parents just got slapped around by Joe Chill? Will Superman become a curious teen from the still existing planet of Krypton who decides to go to Earth during a break from Krypto-school? I doubt changes like these will be made to the big he-men heroes but by all means lets crap all over several generations of women who admired the OLD Wonder Woman who was strong (mentally and physically), caring, human (could be in love with a man just as much as Sups could love Lois Lane), had a sense of humor, was intelligent, and had an iconic costume (eagle on chest and all).
jorel1983 says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:27 pm :

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/wonderwoman.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/8640&usg=__jnhK2wZBxbHwGn3yipBRm94dxRE=&h=690&w=1200&sz=215&hl=en&start=8&itbs=1&tbnid=AZU1l87BDUv2iM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwonder%2Bwoman%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 the many faces of Wonder Woman this is to show that her costume has gone under changes but look at wat doesn’t belong (hint they are on the ends)
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:33 pm :

I’ve had this image for a while. Its been a big favourite on tumblr. thank jorel1983
joeace says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:46 pm :

HORRIBLE !!! I don’t like the new costume.

JMS, please don’t make us suffer through a temporary Timeline for Wonder Woman.
WW outfit doesn’t need to change her outfit. Put her back in a skirt and boots if you want, modern women still wear those.
pooh73 says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:49 pm :

Don’t pee on my head and tell me it’s raining JMS….what you said is pure BS and you know it…..will wait for a revamp and hopefully Gail will do it
jorel1983 says on June 30th, 2010 at 7:56 pm :

http://www.kribbs.com/dodge/Wonder-Woman.gif what Diana should always look like
themanwoaname says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:03 pm :

whats talked about jms doing to superman is something that superman needed for a very long time. superman needs to be repaired, but wonderwoman doesnt need anything. but with what i read about wonderwoman, im not really thrilled with how superman will turn out.
jsamou says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:04 pm :

Stirring all this up is called “marketing” and it will work. Wonder Woman will sell better over the course of JMS’s run. Once he’s finished his storyline, things will return to the more familiar.
windfire72 says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:11 pm :

Well… DC you change WW once in 70´s and that don´t work, you change Superman and Batman in 90´s and don´t work, and now this dude think that he is a genius and this should work? please get real!!! this “New” costume is nothing more that some plain street clothes with some accesories… and were the hell are the red boots? Just for you want to be “politically correct” and a bunch of so called actrees don´t want to wear a swinsuit like costume in a movie, you don´t have the right to change an icon of the comic book industry
newwwishot says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:12 pm :

I can’t believe how stupid everyone is taking this.
Clearly wonder woman needed an update. She can’t be running around in her underwear and a halter top forever. I think this is a lot better then some of her outfits in this photo

http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/wonderwoman.jpg

I find it somewhat insulting that it took this long to get Wonder Woman into something a bit more suitable for the times. Her leggings are perfect since most females today own a pair, and her “out dated” leather jacket just makes her look more bad ass. The jacket isn’t even an outdated style, now if it had fringe on it then I might have to complain.

All and all Wonder Woman’s new costume could not look better. I would actually wear that out, maybe to a club, deffinatly not to a mall though.
I think this new costume will attract the new comic consumers they need to continue her series.
wwfan7 says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:13 pm :

wildclaw-I really do, I’m comforted to know someone feels about it like I do. I hope the story is good-something has to compensate for the horrible art. Does anyone remember the only weakness Batman had in his database that Maxwell Lord stole?…that she will fight to the death. That’s it. If he didn’t already know she was strong and smart then he doesn’t know her. I know she’s hard to write for. I know it and respect that it’s a challenge. You know what this looks a little bit like though? Alan Heinberg’s awful storyline “Who is Wonder Woman?” JMS doesn’t know either so he’s got to erase her history, take some of her powers away, and you know they are going to have this incarnation of her mock her old costume. Predictable and oh so disappointing.
jorel1983 says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:16 pm :

@jsamou no it won’t sell it will sell like gang busters for 2 or 3 issues then non comic collectors will stop reading like they always do and this thing will fail like crazy
nerites says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:40 pm :

I’m willing to wait until this new reality ends
to buy the book again.

I hope that’s no more than 8 - 14 months.
pooh73 says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:42 pm :

all they did was replace the biker shorts she wore in the mid-90’s and replaced them with mom sturp pants…….looks like she still keep that crappy jacket……may as well put her in mom jeans….now that’s how i like my icons to look……..damn street wise…..this is soccer mom WW…..all she needs is an invisble mini-van because it’s her day to bring snacks at the next JLA meeting….lol
pooh73 says on June 30th, 2010 at 8:43 pm :

sooo sad……Somebody Got A Frowny Face!!!!!!!!!!!!!
theblackorchid says on June 30th, 2010 at 9:16 pm :

This is crap.

In 1987 when I was 8 years old, my older brother died in a car accident caused by drunk driving. As a distraction, my mother took me to a comic store that had just opened up locally. I had been That day i bought the first five comics. One of those comics was Wonder Woman vol. 2, number 9. Since then I have always had a strong connection to this character. My favorites have been the George Perez and Phil Jimenez runs on the book. I have read all of Gail’s run but I think her work on Birds of Prey was a lot stronger and I am excited about her return to that book. Her work on Black Canary Huntress and Lady Blackhawk is some of the strongest work I have ever seen on those characters. I was so excited for this new take on Wonder Woman, but I am not that familiar with JMS’s work. So far all I have seen has been a huge letdown. I have been wanting a reboot that was strong and celebratory of the characters history and villains. I was wondering if Geoff Johns would ever work on this character but he currently has his hands full with Green Lantern and Flash. I was not a big fan of his work on Teen Titans though so who is to say he would do any better with Diana.This new costume is heinous to say the least and is a total rip of the cycling shorts costume from the John Byrne era. I think this new belt looks great and I like how the lasso hangs from the hip but the rest is just busted as hell. She looks like an extra from Carmen Electra’s excercise video. Flirty Girl Fitness anyone?

I am not against Wonder Woman having multiple costumes…in fact as a kid my favorite was her diving costume from the television show. I think when times call for different costumes then she should adapt a cool new look temporarily. That is lots of fun and it gives you lots to play with as a writer/artist/reader. In the last few years she had lots of cool armor such as the gold eagle armor. Those looks were really amazing and they did not deter from her iconography. It may not be logical as a normal person that she wear a bustier and underpants but as we all understand, superheroes often wear illogical outrageous colorful costumes no person in thier right damn mind would ever wear in the normal world. Superman and Batman still wear underwear on the outside, why is Diana’s costume suddenly outdated? This was just a poor idea for JMS to think she needed a shiny new leotard with some leather daddy pants and bracelets that leave W’s in her opponents faces. That is just the ultimate in retardation. That’s not cool. It’s just cheap. And the tiara looks like it’s from Claire’s. Jim Lee did some amazing art on Batman: HUSH. Maybe he only had an hour to work on this? It’s as if JMS and Jim Lee pulled a Clueless on Diana and gave her a busted makeover with some junk from thier garage. I don’t think Jim put any heart into this at all. Why is Jim Lee even touching Diana right now? He is not now or has he ever been an artist on this book’s interiors. I will not blame the current artist for taking work on a book he has probably been wanting to do for a long time. I wouldn’t doubt if the artist hates the new direction himself. It’s a huge slap in the face to any long time fans and new readers as well. SHAME SHAME SHAME. Instead of really going all out for Diana for this milestone year and digging deep into her history and bringing all of its best elements forward for new readers along with adding new elements to her mythology, it seems as though we are simply treated to a bargain basement fakeover. Why make her a new costume at all right now? Tweak the one she has or make her some cool alternates or armor or weapons. She looks like a hot topic nightmare. Why don’t we just put this on Cassie? We can discard the jacket and the crummy bracelets and it would actually be an upgrade from her usual look. I was never a big fan of Cassie and I think her costume is way too casual. She should get something regal and cool on par with Donna’s Wonder Girl outfit or her Troia costume.My point is Wonder Woman does not need some cheesball makeover to grab anyone’s attention. The only reason this is grabbing attention is because of the high level of disrespect. Now that you have everyone’s attention please right this wrong. As for the storyline? It sounds dreadful as well. You don’t have to destroy Themyscira and do the timewarp just to have a solid amazing take on one of America’s most iconic heroes. DC, PLEASE put Diana in the hands of someone who gets her and knows her. Put these two on an Elseworlds book.
wildclaw says on June 30th, 2010 at 9:21 pm :

@pooh73: She better not forget the rice krispie cakes or Mera will beat her ass around the watchtower
pooh73 says on June 30th, 2010 at 9:32 pm :

lol…..plus the juice boxes and one milk for the Flash(wholesum Barry)
leopold22 says on June 30th, 2010 at 9:50 pm :

I’ve been a WW fan since I was 3 or 4. I remember watching the TV show and then when one of my aunts spent a TON of money on a WW costume for one of my birthdays, hiding under the bed crying, telling her that she was NOT WW and I would not be coming out until she stopped pretending. I’ve never stopped loving WW that much. I’m now a 34 year old, proud, gay man and Wonder Woman has taught me much through the years, how to love those who hate me, how to be strong when many would perceive me as weak and how to speak the truth in a world that runs a lot smoother if you lie. I don’t hate the costume change; from a fashion police standpoint, it could be better, yes but eh, I could live with the costume change. The mythology change…. I’ve read issue #600 and I’m interested. There’s groundwork there for the two mythologies to be reconciled, so I’ll continue to buy and read. What matters to me, is that this character, person, hero, whom I have loved almost since infancy and who has taught me so much, doesn’t lose her ability to teach another generation those same lessons. Strength, grace, toughness and honesty in the face of adversity are a hard a balance; WW has taught me to aspire to rise to that challenge. I just pray to Gaea that she’s there to teach the next generation to reach for the same.
arsebiscuit says on July 1st, 2010 at 7:05 am :

I can’t wait to add Wonder Woman to my pull list for the first time ever.
dccomicfangirl says on July 1st, 2010 at 7:21 am :

How shocking! DC rebots what is doesn’t needs to be fixed to gain the much needed media attention and it they’re luck a short lived boom in sales. And what else is new….nothing. It’s just the same old with DC.

Just more short-lived-shock-value which is the trademark of Didio and friends. Anything else is just hot air which is forgotten within 24 hrs. if not faster.

What exactly is the fun in seeing Diana depowered and brainwashed wearing a bikerjacket? BORING concept. I hope they don’t have to pay JMS much more then they gave Gail Simmone, because he seemed to have lost his writing talent.

And when WW has gone OMD another writer will be hired, and it all will start anew untill DC finally has managed to alienate the entire fanbase, the book gets cancelled.

Like anyone at DC would really care about WW or any other character, on the contray they love nothing more then constantly kid and taunt the fans.
wildclaw says on July 1st, 2010 at 8:04 am :

So I read it. I loved all of the stories. Odyssey gets a 5/10. Its readable but not Wonder Woman to me. Jocks gallery piece makes her look like a drag queen. What was he thinking!
wondergirl says on July 1st, 2010 at 10:36 am :

This outfit is hideous!!! I understand that they wanted to update her look, but it could had been done without changing the whole outfit. He said he wanted to toughen her look..there’s nothing tough about how she looks! She looks like a regular person. Why does she need a jacket? I even hate the hair. No they need to go back to the drawing board. Why not consult a fashion designer? Diane Von Furstenberg used Wonder Woman as an inspiration for her Wonder Woman collection, so why not contact her? Dumb!!!!!!!!!!!
wickedvox says on July 1st, 2010 at 10:43 am :

Man, you guys are something else. You cry for the iconic nature of Wonder Woman, but speak of her like she should be baking cookies and serving them to you with milk. Everything needs to grow: people, ideas, creativity, and comic book characters. If all the classics remained just that, would you honestly read them? If none of you have read what Straczynski can create, then shame on you. If you have, then why are you complaining? You know the magic he weaves, the realistic characters he creates, the story lines that rivet us, and yes, this is exactly what Wonder Woman needs. I am the hardest of the the hardcore WW fans (I have the tattoo to prove it) and I salute J. for what he’s doing. I can’t wait to read it, absorb it, and let it change my views while the rest of the world clings desperately to resist change. Maybe this will motivate people as a whole to get off their asses and instigate change.
batgirl11 says on July 1st, 2010 at 10:44 am :

I think Wonder Woman looks too much like a citizen. She looks like she’s going to the mall??? I understand an update on the old costume, but it needs to look like a superhero costume. Not an outfit. At least loose the jacket. gosh. >:/
stygius says on July 1st, 2010 at 5:37 pm :

i frankly like the new change (i happen to be in the minority) but overall the reasons for the change and the change itself is worth wild. I agree WW, never really appealed to me from a new generation point. I was not around when WW was original launched, and when i started to read about her character, it was already set in stone; making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The old WW always seems to remind me of my mum (if she was crime fighting by day and night).

As a male i liked the old uniform (obviously), but come on its not very practical and leaves little to the imagination. And frankly i like using my head (no alternative meaning intended) I like the dark-ish and youthful aspect to this new look.

I like this new change it allows me to once again be part of the process of learning new boundaries and growing with this WW.

I hope most people give it a fair go. Yes, I know it going to be difficult for most of you old farts (joking honestly ;)). But wouldn’t you like to see some more innuendo and flirting from your fav crimefighter. Plus it has its ups, when they do desire to show more (wink wink) of WW it will actually mean something. I sure, there might be a situation where the new WW is caught-out her jacket (cough cough)

And for those of you simply using the previous WW to get off… Get A Life.
pooh73 says on July 1st, 2010 at 9:14 pm :

“i like the old uniform,but come on its not very pratical” i have a real problem with that….1)these are comic books…C-O-M-I-C BOOKS…..nothing should be “pratical” in them, it is a medium where the amazing and the impossible can and should happen.2)the Incredibles taught us capes are not pratical yet no one complains about Batman or Supes(and let face it Bats would be more pratical without it, but would he still look cool??)but in the end all will work out as it does in the world of comics because this “change” has served it’s purpose……get fans in a uproar,get a lil mainstream media shine and sell the crap outta #600….hype will die down by issue #4 sales will drop lower than they did during Gail’s run,JMS will quit by or before his 12th issue and some else will have to try to clean up his mess……oh and the “old fart” “non-pratical” sexist costume will be back next year(costume changes will be to this year what “killing” Batman and Cap were 2yrs. ago)
redhurricane24 says on July 1st, 2010 at 10:58 pm :

After throrough examination of Wonder Woman’s new costume, I have come to the conclusion that the only plausible way to improve her is by giving/taking away the following…

Take away her jacket.
Change the color her pants from black to navy blue.
Change her shoe color from black to red like her previous rendition, but keep the gold accessories on her shoes.
Give her back her tiara.

And voila. At least in my opinion, it’s an improvement. Well, I thought it out after seeing this.

http://scifiwire.com/2010/07/image-of-the-day-wonder-w.php
wwfan7 says on July 2nd, 2010 at 12:14 am :

Some people don’t get it. It’s not about the story-although I am withholding my opinion until things really emerge. 600 was ok and JMS has done some great work and some not so great work. I don’t oppose shaking things up. I’m a hardcore WW fan too no other comic icon has undergone such a radical costume change so as to render them unrecognizable. No matter what anyone says-it doesn’t look like her.

As I’ve said in other posts-her costume and her look makes her recognizable to anyone - you don’t ever have to pick up a comic to know who she is. Icons are powerful because of what they represent. Her look is iconic-by stripping her of it you have robbed her of her status. I hate it. I hope the story is worth it.
taichi16 says on July 2nd, 2010 at 9:06 am :

Okay, I’m writing here because I couldn’t find anyway else to voice my opinion to DC. Let me start off by saying that I have been a DC fan since I was nine. That’s TEN years people of buying your comics and merchandise. I first met, and I say met because to me WW lives in the heart of her followers, by watching the series with Lynda Carter on scifi. At that point I was a girl who was definately shy and bookish and I had no confidence whatsoever. I endured countless amounts of teasing because,at the time, I had already skipped two grades. Wonder Woman was the first person who told me”It’s okay for you to be smart and different, the only person who can judge you is you,you need to be the best person you can be.” She became the big sister I never had. Since then, I have enjoyed everything about WW. She inspired me to try martial arts, which is really the only thing I’ve ever been good at,and she inspired me to get into nature, which helps since I’m studying to heal people naturally through acupuncture,something I think she would approve of. Now, onto this new costume; I have no problem with an update, if you study her whole story as I have she has certainly changed since the 40’s.Batman has updated his costume to reflect on current technology, but the core design remains the same;bodysuit,cowl,cape,utility belt. But to completley change her appearance like that…Dr.Marston is rolling in his grave as we speak. Personally, my favorite look for her was the greek inspired skirt she used to wear. All I can say is you’ve ruined an iconic character. If this continues DC rest assured, you will NOT receive another penny from me or my family.
zorro65 says on July 2nd, 2010 at 5:25 pm :

C’mon DC stop trying to reinvent the classic hero’s. Haven’t you learned anything you did crisis and trashed tons of heroes and now you are bringing back the multiverse.

WW is an icon dont screw with her!

I enjoy JMS but let him build something new without trashing a classic. If you arent happy with sales maybe its the writing and stories that people don’t enjoy.
severusdent22 says on July 3rd, 2010 at 8:27 pm :

I want to find whoever bitched about Wonder Woman telling jokes and being flirty in B & B #33 and knee them in the face. You’re wrong. In a post on the “unveiling” page, I did say I’m fine with this as long as Joe puts everything back at the end of the arc. I don’t want to see the new costume, or the change to the status quo outside of the Wonder Woman book. She needs a reimagining like she needs a hole in her forehead. “The Circle” told us all we needed to know, and the animated movie as well. I think my problem is that this change was brought about cause of the superficial aspect of how she doesn’t flop out of her costume when she’s fighting. That’s up to Hollywood to figure out, not comic creators. If we used this same mentality elsewhere in comics, The Incredible Hulk would be wandering around naked everywhere, cause it’s not practical for Bruce Banner’s pants tho stay on when he grows to massive size. We don’t need thinking like that.
silveragefan says on July 13th, 2010 at 6:51 pm :

Admittedly I have not seen WW600 yet, (no comic shops where I live, have to buy at Books A Million, free plug BAM). I would think that part of the sales is the fact that it is an anniversary issue and from what I’ve read online the stories and pinups and etc are right before the change in the end story. From the images of the new costume, it has me thinking “Rogue Wonder Canary” , not Wonder Woman. Or worse yet, can you say “Burka”? But lets face it, the only costume change that has stuck with DC’s heroes, not counting minor tweaks like the Bat oval, has been the costume of Green Arrow. so it might be good for awhile but eventually it will be restored to the costume we know and love. What I am mainly concerned about are the changes to Wonder Woman’s History, I’ve read about. If anyone has DC’s The Nail, refer to the poem at the front of the story. If JMS storyline is one where Diana is having to reclaim her memory or heritage, courtesy of Doctor Psycho perhaps, and she eventually does that, then it sounds like a good storyline, like bringing back Superman, Bruce Wayne, and countless others. If the storyline is intended to be a permanent change, then there is a problem. No Hippolyta, then no WW2 wonder woman adventures, No Amazons, no Amazons Attack storyline, No Paradise Island with no amazons, no creation of Donna Troy, etc. etc. etc. If this is the case, then iI will be waiting for John Byrne to quickly return to the pages of Wonder Woman, for to me, he is one of the few who was able to organize all the various previous changes in Wonder Woman like he did on his previous run and make them make sense. A good writer can do that with a character, as well as write a great story to begin with. Remember, we have already had Final Crisis, will we need The Final, Final Crisis for Wonder Woman to make sense again? Stay tuned.
silveragefan says on July 13th, 2010 at 7:05 pm :

PS just saw the new Adam Hughes book of his artwork of Wonder Woman covers and others. I don’t think he will be doing a cover of the new costume on Wonder Woman.
severusdent22 says on July 13th, 2010 at 7:37 pm :

@siveragefan: Neither do I.
sgcwwwforever says on July 21st, 2010 at 2:34 am :

My mother grew up reading comic books and was inspired by Wonder Woman and Supergirl. At three years of age (I’m now 34) I was soon reading and collecting comics on my own. Although I was a fan of many a member of Justice League and Avengers, my all time favorites are Supergirl, Catwoman, Spider-Woman and Wonder Woman.

Since my mom loved Wonder Woman as a teenager, that has made the character even more special to me. She reminds me of her, and one day when she’s gone, I can look at the character and think of her.

One of the reasons she, as well as other female heroes, have struck such a chord with me is that in a society where women are often second, these characters prove every second that they, as with all women, are just as strong and powerful as any man.

Contrary to popular belief, she is not the first female super hero, but obviously she was the first to become such an icon. Part of that was because she was a woman shown equal to or better than any man, and her strength and agility was on par with even Superman. However, unlike the Man of Steel, Diana had her own unique ablities, and was definitely a character in her own right and not just a simple analog as JMS seems to imply.

When I first saw this new costume, and heard of what was being done to her, I was horrified. Yes, as a long time fan, I could be accused of the inability for change, but I believe I, and the other fans like me, have every right to be as outraged as we are.

I admit, I can often hate dramatic change with one of my characters, but as I’ve grown up, I’m able to distinguish far faster when it’s just me as “stodgy traditionalist” as Pre-Crisis Kara might say, or if I have just cause for such a reaction.

I’m all for a growing wardrobe for Wonder Woman; I design my own costumes for fun, after all, and I think it can be refreshing at times. However, the classic should still be the most used. People argue that tradition is a weak excuse in the 21st Century, and in some cases it may, however, when something is established and tried and true, without any need of change, why mess with it.

Diana’s costume is recognizable the world over. It is bright and colorful, and evokes truth and hope. It is symbolic of strength and women’s rights. It isn’t simply representative of “America,” but the ideals behind the idea of what America is supposed to be about.

Diana may show skin, but so what. After all, she may represent the every woman … and even represent every man, but she is clearly super human, and doesn’t need to worry about protection from the elements like the rest of us do. I mean, fashion aside, that’s what clothes are for.

Diana embraces being a woman. She embraces who she is and doesn’t apologize for it. She was raised in an environment that did not look at the body as something shameful. She was raised in a culture where the body was something magnificent and, well, wonderful, and did not grow up in the Quaker/Puritan background of the country she adopted as her own.

She didn’t grow up in a society or culture where women are second class citizens, if citizens at all, where they must hide from view who they are or what they are.

If someone is focusing on her costume showing to much skin, perhaps that person is uncomfortable with her or his own sexuality.

Granted, too often it is the flesh that artists are focused on, but in the wrong way, and feel that a strong woman must also have breasts bigger than her own head, and that she should be in a G-String. Even then, it may not be a bad thing if he could capture Diana with the grace, strength and intelligence that makes her who she is, but often that is lost and she’s shown as something from an overcompensating herterosexual male’s fantasies … nothing more.

Furthermore, I must question anyone who has to fixate on Diana’s privates with regard to her costume than the woman herself.

Her costume is battle garb, so if any realism should be added, then give her the Grecian skirt she sometimes wears. Show her outfit more as armor than spandex.

For those who decree that even Superman be made more realistic, and applaud Diana’s new “realistic” clothes, where is the fun in that? These super heroes are made to inspire wonder, pun not intended, and to hope, and to dream big. Do we not live in enough realism every day with murders and earthquakes that we can’t control that we’d want to escape in a world where these heroes are big and bright?

Granted, some darker aspects in a character can be valid, and some darker realism has its place also. Diana is WONDER Woman, and although she is every woman, she isn’t just AVERAGE Woman With Bad Fashion Sense.

This costume may be fine if Diana wants something to where to a club one night with Black Canary, as it’s jacket, bustier and collar coordinated. It may even be fine if Diana wants to get down with 90’s Superboy, Ultimate Donna Troy, or perhaps even Smallville’s “costumed” Clark Kent, but this is not a costume to inspire Wonder, Truth, and Hope for people everywhere.

At the very least, lose the jacket, or redesign it. The leather tights with, what, stirrups, lol, may be fine if they weren’t black … unless she’s practicing stealth at night maybe … but then she’d better leave the shiny reflective gold on her outfit and glowing lasso. (Oh, and I can’t believe that Jim Lee took any generous amount of time designing it. Five minutes, tops, lol)

I love how someone had posted in the DC Forums that Diana’s costume evoked warrior with vulnerability … but not a vulnerability that would be to her disadvantage.

What makes me more angry is that after 31 years of my 34, I’m sick and tired of “A Bold New Direction” for Wonder Woman. I’m sick and tired of companies saying “A Bold New Direction” even more, and even more tired of people who feel that a character’s history should be butchered just to increase sales for a given amount of time.

This storyline is supposed to make us realize who Diana is and what she’s about, and help us realize there’s more to her than perhaps even she is aware. That may be fine, and it may prove a good storyline … I admit, I did like the oracle, however, it would be one thing if this was a self-contained story with a definite “don’t worry, she’ll be back to who we know and love after just stronger and richer” ending, but everything I have read, it is like JMS feels he can take the character and make her “better” than she was. Not only is her costume “outdated” but so is SHE.

Diana was rebooted after Crisis and it was a long ride to get her to where she is now. We saw her grow and become the hero she “was” before. We don’t need to do it again. If we do, it’s not to strip the character into a de-aged Black Canary wannabe with creation issues.

Even with Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and lived with his Aunt May. He wasn’t an abused orphan surviving on the streets with a spider fetish. If something was more drastic it would be left as a “What If?” or other universe and not change the character so directly. Oh wait, JMS did that with the main Spider-Man universe didn’t he.

We’re talking about a guy who felt it necessary to retcon Gwen Stacy as being seduced and impregnated by the Green Goblin. A man who felt that Spider-Man’s origin needed to be spiced up with that whole Spider-Totem thig. We’re talking about a writer who couldn’t care less enough about a project, nor the fans who paid into buying that project, that he walked away from it, and Marvel never bothered to get someone else to finish it (The Twelve).

As soon as I read DC had him for the Red Circle, I refused to buy the comics despite my interest in the Archie heroes. When I found out he would be writing Superman and Wonder Woman, I decided I had to stop buying those titles.

When I read his thoughts on Diana, it irked me but when I realized my brother wasn’t lying with the reworking of Wonder Woman, it made me angry at DC, and not just JMS. It made me feel that honoring the fans by giving WW her original numbering upset Mr. DiDio and decided to slap them in the face by making her “better.”

Wonder Woman #600 was #24 on the charts, and that was a huge boost in sales. However, I’m frustrated that so many people bought the title more because of her “betterment,” and that these same people are the ones who feel it necessary to critique her longtime fans as being foolish and fat-headed when we have been the ones who stood by her through the countless other “Bold New Era’s” through her history.

I stood by DC and comic in general despite my loss as a 9 year old when Kara Zor-El was killed and wiped mercilessly from continuity. I eventually loved the other incarnations that followed her, but no one gave me as much joy as she did for reading comics. I was thus relieved and my inner child healed when she was brought back.

However, with the never ending “Events”, and the not-so-much-business perspective as just plain greed on the part of both DC and Marvel … Marvel especially but now quite evident DC … when shock and “dazzle” surpasses story, character, and the lack of consideration for both character and fans, I’m disillusioned; aside from supporting Kara Zor-El (and possibly Kara Zor-L) and Catwoman, I’m ending my comic reading/ collecting … and I may even give up on them too … I’m just that upset.
silveragefan says on July 22nd, 2010 at 4:15 pm :

Something I would like to mention. I was at BAM last night and picked up a copy of Marvel’s New Thor the Mighty Avenger No.1 and skimmed through it.Without me providing any spoiler details, it began an entirely new origin for the character and had me wondering which parallel(?)marvel universe it was, because it was nothing like the character I know. Frankly I didn’t like it. Which is also why I haven’t followed Marvel since the 80’s. With all multiple versions of characters and countless comics you have to buy just to follow one storyline, it is impossible for a new reader to get interested. DC has wisely tried to have a semblance of continuity for their universe of characters. Now you have a writer who wants to change one of DC’s icons because he doesn’t think she is relevant. A wise person once said, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Would you change Sherlock Holmes? Shakespeare? Somethings are timeless. Wonder woman is one of those type of characters.
getux says on August 23rd, 2010 at 3:55 am :

WW is an icon dont screw with her with costume who makes her lose her original character because she looked great before.

DC if you wanna make Wonder Woman interesting? You don’t change her costume, you change the writing. Write a good Wonder Woman story for a change

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J. Michael Straczynski on Wonder Woman’s new costume

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J. Michael Straczynski on Wonder Woman’s new costume

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