For such an iconic character, I've noticed that Wonder Woman doesn't really have a stable "iconic" status quo that writers keep returning to. In every Wonder Woman run, her status quo and role in relation to Paradise Island and to Man's world constantly changes, as does what exactly Themyscira's deal is, are they peaceful or warmongering misandrists? Do they respect Diana or not? Steve Trevor is around half the time, but otherwise she doesn't really have a consistent supporting cast either, not helped by her lack of consistent job the times she has a civilian identity. Remember when she worked at Taco Bell?
And let's not even get into Donna Troy.
I think part of that is just not having adaptations to have a status quo. Even the 70's show completely changed eras from Season 1 to 2.
If you look at Batman and Superman and especially Flash and Green Lantern, they had a ton of status quo changes-but there's at least a few runs that felt stable enough to define as a status quo- even if their cities and supporting casts and mantles changed. Meanwhile,Batman spent the 70's away from Wayne Manor, Superman was working on TV, but their adaptations always used Wayne Manor and the Daily Planet.
>Even the 70's show completely changed eras from Season 1 to 2.
funnily enough this keeps having some effect on her lore in the comics and other adaptations to this day
How so? I highly doubt comic book writers and editors care about an old TV show, most probably never watched it.
how many times have they tried establishing her as both a WW2 and modern day superhero like Captain America? It started with the show (which at the time made the comics to be set on WW2 Earth-2). They don't do that with Superman. Even the movie was affected by that, although they moved it to WW1.
> I highly doubt comic book writers and editors care about an old TV show, most probably never watched it.
They're already saying the new Tom King run takes some clues from it. The art is obvious about it.
>They don't do that with Superman
You know what I recently heard that's kind of insane? Superman as never from Kansas until after the 79 movie. Seriously, go back and check out the old superboy comics-- they never mention Kansas. And Now that feels ubiquitous to the character.
Smallville was actually placed in Maryland most often pre-Crisis
>I highly doubt comic book writers and editors care about an old TV show, most probably never watched it.
I think Tom King just said he's taking inspiration from it in his run.Beside that, it's like adam West, even if people don't really "get" it or watched it, it's legacy hangs over the character.
Besides, it's old, but not THAT old. I'm 30 and all my siblings 10 years older know of it. comic writers/editors tend to be in their 30's-50's.
I don't care
She's artificially pushed to the top, her place at the "big three" was just because there was no other female superhero available.
>third DC character to get live action adaptation
she was popular in the old days
>she was popular in the old days
Yeah, I really doubt this.
She even had 2 titles
That doesn't equal popularity. DC just kept publishing this non-character (like they are doing right now) because they want to keep rights to le first female superhero, despite the IP being utter dogshit and made solely for a fetish.
keep coping, they didn't need 2 titles for that
Okay, what defining or iconic stories does she have? What aspect of her character and lore do people actually like? What villains does she have that are compelling? What do you find compelling about her? These questions could easily be answered if this was asked about Batman, Spiderman, Flash, Superman, and the X-Men. Hell, even Aquaman and GL have these going for them. Wonder Woman is only ever pushed because of her publication status. There are hundreds of female DC characters like Zatanna, Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress who are all part of much better stories and have actual characterization yet they weren't DC's first female superhero.
>Hell, even Aquaman and GL have these going for them.
Why are you saying this as a surprise? A decade ago GL was the best comic out there.
When comics were selling in the hundreds of thousands they didn't need "iconic stories", just entertaining ones.
>When comics were selling in the hundreds of thousands they didn't need "iconic stories", just entertaining ones.
During the 70s-80s sure, but the 90s proved that you could sell dogshit stories if the art was good.
I meant the 40's-60's. When These comics were the biggest on average and consistency. There's a reason second wave feminists all loved Diana.
>There are hundreds of female DC characters like Zatanna, Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress who are all part of much better stories
lmao
"part of" = background character
Meanwhile, Wonder Woman doesn’t even have a good story or a compelling world. Who do you think is more popular (popular, NOT iconic because of publication status): Storm and Batgirl, or the non-character that is Wonder Woman? It doesn’t matter if Wonder Woman has her “own” mythos (which is just ripping off Greek mythology but with random pulp superhero elements) if her books are shit or forgettable at best. Zatanna has her own mythos and plays a crucial role in DC’s magic side, but rarely gets books because DC in general is always moronic when it comes to not promoting IPs that aren’t Batman or a core Justice League member. If DC wanted a female character to round out their Trinity, Zatanna (and a dozen other female characters would be far better candidates).
>Who do you think is more popular (popular, NOT iconic because of publication status): Storm and Batgirl, or the non-character that is Wonder Woman?
Wonder Woman lol
Wonder Woman is more popular. All the other characters you listed are better characters.
I get that you're trying to separate popularity with iconography but you really can't.
All of Superman and Batman 'defining or iconic stories' come from entire the late silver age or are post crisis stories Spider-man was a household name long before Gwen dropped off a bridge and the only Flash story anyone has ever herd of is fricking Flashpoint.
the numbers give you the reason
Facts
Should have kept Steve and Etta around post crisis more often.
Though I guess it’s too close to Lois and Jimmy ?
I blame the editors for not caring enough.
Diana IS the 'iconic status quo'. Everything else in her franchise is in a state of flux, but Diana remains the most consistent thing.
Carol Danvers has a similar problem. She's been many things and none of them have stuck.
Much like WW, she’s there because just she’s a big name.
Imagine if you will, a run that's written like a generic 1960s Stan Lee issue that's been stretched out to fifty issues.
Ghost Rider. Leaving aside how there've been multiple ghost riders, at the end of the day the set-up boils down to a guy with a skull head riding on a motorcycle fighting supernatural enemies. That's it. Ghost Rider doesn't have a recurring supporting cast other than other Ghost Riders, no recurring locations, no real rogues gallery, nothing for any writer to follow-up on from run to run even if they cared, and how exactly Hell works always varies. Heck, they keep flip-flopping on whether the curse of the Ghost Rider comes from Satan himself or Mephisto. And there was also that time where it was revealed that Ghost Rider is actually an angel, but everyone forgot about that one.
I guess the same applies to Silver Surfer. He just soars through space, nothing from any run or storyline he's in ever matters in later stories.
If Ghost Rider was a DC property, he would have a stellar late 80s to early 90s run that peters out after Vertigo swipes him up and them slowly declines until DC throws him back into the main continuation.
Hank Pym and his many faces
I always kinda wished he stuck with Yellowjacket.
The constant retcons and reboots about his origin don't help.
Who's the tight little fricknugget to the left of Wonder Woman?
Yara Flor, the most recent Wonder Girl.
How old is Diana?
Where does she live?
Basic shit like this varies wildly and depends on the run.
Her current status quo is constantly fight with and against the Greek Gods. She's recently maintained her support with Etta and Steve.
Her storylines tend to be:
>Fight against a god killer
>Paradise Island disappears and she must find a way back
>Memories and setting messed with and she must find herself again