Review: Wonder Woman #1

We’ve heard from Superman.  We’ve seen plenty of Batman.  This week, we finally catch up with DC’s First Lady, Wonder Woman.  Does she take her rightful place as member of the New 52’s DC Trinity, or does she fall as flat as her failed TV pilot?

In Wonder Woman #1, writer Brian Azzarello brings Princess Diana into this new DC era and immediately surrounds her with elements of the mythology from which she was originally conceived.  Greek gods, monsters, and mysticism permeate this first issue, creating a much more fantastic tone for Wonder Woman, rather than placing her in an urban setting like Gotham or Metropolis.  Before our heroine even appears on the page, we are greeted by nameless (and in one case, faceless) villains who appear to be declaring war on the gods.  It is only through the intervention of Hermes, messenger of Olympus, that Wonder Woman becomes involved.  In a somewhat rushed series of panels, she literally gets out of bed and dons her costume, ready to go kick some ass.  She immediately finds herself thrust into guard duty, protecting a young girl who may or may not have experienced some divine intervention of her own. *wink wink nudge nudge* Could we be gearing up for some biblical themes to go along with the Greek mythology?  An intriguing prospect.

As we all know, the New 52 have brought about some costume changes, ranging from Superman’s armor, to Green Arrow’s Smallville duds, but in the last year, no one’s attire has garnered more attention than that of the Amazon Princess.  For Wonder Woman #1, she’s back in her original costume (or at least a version of it), but this time around, some of the blues and reds have been replaced with black, possibly as an attempt to maintain the dark color scheme seen in the recent Jim Lee costume design.  Thankfully, the motorcycle jacket has gone the way of Bat-nipples.  Props to artist Cliff Chiang for keeping Wonder Woman looking classy.

While there is plenty of action and a slew of unanswered questions to bring you back for #2, Wonder Woman #1 falls a little short when it comes to getting the reader involved in the characters.  Instead, you’re simply attempting to keep track of who these characters are, while also doing your best to pay attention to the rapid-fire pace – Monsters! Wonder Woman, we need you! Punch! Kick! Lasso! She’s pregnant! MOO?! To Be Continued!  As a means of grabbing attention, the book does an excellent job…as long as you can follow along.  Hopefully, we’ll get to examine Diana as a character in the near future, and learn how her relationship with the Greek gods will shape this story.

DC Comics To Relaunch the DCU 52

On Wednesday, August 31st, the 52 titles in the DC Comics publishing universe will be brought back to #1.  

In a statement issued by DC Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, they gave their main reason for the decision.

This initiative be compelling for existing readers, it’ll give new readers a precise entry point into our titles.

It's a move similar to Marvel's Point One initiative, which began in February.  All issues bearing the .1 were intended as a jumping-off point for any new readers who wanted to pick up a Marvel book, but did not want to face the daunting task of knowing and understanding previous events and intimate character history. 

Another feature to come out of this undertaking will be the day-and-date digital release of all books, making DC the first to release a digital edition of a comic on the same day at the printed issue.

At the forefront of this drastic move is DC's flagship grouping of its core heroes, The Justice League of America.  Justice League #1 will be crafted by powerhouse pair, writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee, DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer and DC Comics Co-Publisher, respectively.  The newly released cover of the issue features several of DC's most iconic heroes looking more or less like their old familiar selves, with the exception of Superman and Wonder Woman, who sport some costume changes: Superman's costume no longer included the red shorts, and Wonder Woman continues to wear the biker pants first seen in Wonder Woman #600.   

Justice League #1; Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Colors by Alex Sinclair; Copyright: DC Comics

Since the aforementioned Wonder Woman costume had an apparent influence on the unsuccessful NBC television pilot, speculation about Superman's costume change have led to questions regarding the upcoming Zack Snyder film.  Is this what we will see on actor Henry Cavill in December 2012?  We shall see.

The release of Justice League #1 will follow the wrap-up DC's current major event, Flashpoint this August.

NBC Passes on Wonder Woman Pilot

Do you see that Invisible Jet? Yeah...neither do we.

After initially being turned down by NBC, and later greenlit by the network's new governing body, David E. Kelley's much-talked-about Wonder Woman television series has not been picked up.

Planned as a serious, real-world take on the life and times of DC's Amazon princess, Kelley's pilot gained a lot of attention from the fan community after the release of the first costume photo. Photos from the set followed, featuring a revamped costume and showing actress Adrianne Palicki in action.

With the hype (and costume controversy) that has surrounded this project, it is likely that the pilot might see the light of day, even if the series will not.  This assumption is based on the precedent set by the 2007 Aquaman pilot, starring Smallville's Green Arrow, Justin Hartley. That fully-produced pilot was released through iTunes and sold as a Best Buy exclusive.

So, there is still hope, fanboys.  You may get to see Adrianne Palicki kicking ass in her skinny jeans after all!

Wonder Woman Leaps into Action!

TheFanCarpet.com has our first shots of Adrianne Palicki on set!

Image via TheFanCarpet.com

Twitterer @WonderBoyLB managed to snag some footage of our leading lady in action as well. You can catch that here at his Twitvid page.

It looks like they made a few alterations to the costume, but I'm not sure if it helps or hinders... I still think she looks like someone who got confused as to the exact date of Halloween. It makes one wonder whether NBC really cares about this show or not.

First Look at Adrienne Palicki as Wonder Woman

Great Hera!  I don't know if I should shield my eyes or stare uncontrollably...

Entertainment Weekly has posted the first image of actress Adrianne Palicki in the retooled costume for David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot.    

The good news is it finally answers any questions anyone had about the style of costume we would see on this show.  No one knew if they would go with the classic costume, or the newer design that appeared in Wonder Woman comics last year.  From this photo, it appears that they stuck close to the new design, sans the jacket.

The bad news is it looks like an ad for a Halloween costume.  Yes, Adrianne Palicki is a lovely woman, but even she looks less than thrilled to be wearing those bright blue latex pants and plastic-looking belt and bracelets.

We'll just have to see what the future holds for this production...

Women of the DC Universe

Two lovely ladies have been recently cast in upcoming, live-action DC Comics productions.

First, Warner Brothers has announced that actress Diana Lane (Secretariat) will portray Martha Kent in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot.  Check out Warner's official press release for details!

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Oscar®-nominated actress Diane Lane will play Martha Kent, the only mother Clark Kent has ever known, in the new Superman movie to be directed by Zack Snyder.

Snyder stated, "This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman. We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination."

Lane will star with Henry Cavill, who was recently announced as the new Clark Kent/Superman.

Lane earned an Academy Award® nomination for her performance in the 2002 drama "Unfaithful." She most recently starred in the family hit "Secretariat." She next stars in the HBO feature "Cinema Verite," opposite Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini. Lane's long list of film credits also includes "Nights in Rodanthe," "Hollywoodland," "Must Love Dogs," "Under the Tuscan Sun," "Perfect Storm," "My Dog Skip," "Chaplin," "The Cotton Club" and "A Little Romance," to name only a portion.

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

Slated for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

This is, of course, not Diane Lane's first foray into the world of comic book movies.  She appeared alongside Sylvester Stallone in 1995's Judge Dredd, another film that is getting a reboot this year.

This casting choice also brings into question the age range of the characters to be portrayed in the film.  Diana Lane (46) is far from the elderly Martha Kent seen played by Phyllis Thaxter (Superman) and Eva Marie Saint (Superman Returns).  Since actor Henry Cavill is only 27, it can be assumed that the film will likely deal with The Man of Steel in his early years.  It might be an appropriate move since TV's Smallville will end this spring and (hopefully) finish with Clark Kent finally taking up the mantle of Superman.  While the two projects are not linked in any way, they might end up complimenting each other unintentionally. 

Elsewhere in the DCU, Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery) Tweeted on Thursday that she has joined the cast of David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot.  She will portray the villain who faces off against Adrianne Palicki's Amazon Princess.  

As stated in earlier reports, Kelley's pilot will be a serious, grounded take on DC's leading lady, so hopefully, Hurley's currently unknown villain will not be an over-the-top diva looking to rid the world of men.  

While Wonder Woman doesn't exactly have the greatest rogues gallery in the DCU, one of the first characters that comes to mind is Cheetah, a villain widely regarded as Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis.  But that is 100% speculation at the point.

David E. Kelley's pilot is still in the early stages of production for NBC, so check back for more details as they arise.

The New Face of Wonder Woman!

And what a lovely face it is.

Not even one month after NBC gave the green light to David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman television reboot, the pilot has its leading lady.  Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights") has been cast in the role of DC's Amazon Princess and her alter ego, Diana Prince.

Known primarily for her role in the "Friday Night Lights" TV series, Palicki is the first actress since Lynda Carter to portray Wonder Woman (in live action) on screen.  (Actresses such as Keri Russell, Lucy Lawless, and Susan Eisenberg have lent their voice to the character for several animated features). Lynda Carter embodied the role on TV from 1975 to 1979, and despite the valiant effort by Joss Whedon a few years ago, the character has not been seen on screen since.  

It is also not the first time Adrianne Palicki has ventured into the DC Universe either.  She appeared on "Smallville" in the 2004 episode, "Covenant", in which she played a character very similar to Kara Zor-El/Supergirl.

David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot is still in the early stages of production. You can see Adrianne Palicki in the upcoming remake of Red Dawn, due in theaters later this year.

NBC Opts to Reboot Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman's invisible jet may fly again after all!

NBC, a network that originally passed on David E. Kelley's proposed Wonder Woman TV series, has picked up the pilot from the prolific producer.

The second chance was a result of the new regime change at NBC, due to the recent Comcast merger.  Robert Greenblatt, the new chairman of primetime programming, was the one to give the pilot the green light.  Originally, the pilot was rejected by NBC on the grounds that the cost was too high, due mainly to the licensing fee that would be paid to Warner Brothers/DC to secure the rights to the superheroine.  With the new suits in place at NBC, money seems to be no object.

According to Entertainment Weekly, David E. Kelley's new take on Wonder Woman would maintain a serious tone, probably something along the lines of the CW's Smallville. It has also been stated that Kelley will not leave out such iconic elements as the Lasso of Truth, bullet-proof bracelets, and invisible jet.

Two questions still remain.  First, will Wonder Woman appear in her classic costume, or the new suit that debuted in comics in June of 2010?  And second, who will portray the Amazonian princess?  The second question has plagued fans since Joss Whedon was set to write and direct the Wonder Woman feature film a few years back.  

The NEW New Adventures of Wonder Woman

Sorry Xena, the original warrior princess may be looking to reclaim her status on TV.

According to Deadline.com, a new television series featuring DC's first lady is in the works, and the accomplished David E. Kelley is the brains behind the project.  Kelley is well-known for ventures into the worlds of the courtroom and the hospital, but taking on a superhero would be a new challenge for the writer/producer.  His notable successes include "Boston Legal", "The Practice", "Chicago Hope", and "Ally McBeal", so there's no question about his credentials.  "Ally McBeal" gives him an advantage since that show proved that Kelley can bring to life a strong, female character who can carry a series.

Wonder Woman has had her share of troubles in the mainstream media in the last few years, so hopefully this project will breathe new life into the superheroine.  Joss Whedon attempted to bring her to the big screen a few years ago, but after rejecting several script drafts, Warner Brothers shelved the project.  Apparently (according to the suits) a female superhero can't carry her own franchise.  Thank you Catwoman and Elektra...  However, in 2009, DC's animation studios produced an excellent direct-to-DVD movie that showcased Wonder Woman as the prominent hero she has always been.  I was among man fanboys who's review was a simple "That's how they should do a live action movie!"  But, the revelry was short-lived since low sales of the DVD once again took lady heroes out of the spotlight.  According to an April 2010 interview with producer Bruce Timm...

We had originally planned to do sequels for Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, but Wonder Woman’s sales started out extremely slow and then over time were eventually able to catch up to probably Justice League Frontier. The Exec’s decided because it wasn’t able to sell quickly right away, where as Justice League was, that there wouldn’t be any more female super hero films right now. We were developing and hoping to get started on a Batgirl film based on Year One, but because of Wonder Woman’s slow sales start, that won’t be happening now.

It's a shame that prominent characters and potential female role models are being overlooked because of financial decisions.

Wonder Woman came under fire once again only a few months ago.  With "Wonder Woman #600" hitting shelves back in June, her classic red, blue, and gold costume had been completely replaced by a new look, courtesy of artist Jim Lee.  Sporting a leather jacket and a new form-fitting suit, Wonder Woman now looks like she should be riding a motorcycle alongside The Huntress in the next issue of "Birds of Prey."  Will this be the costume we can expect to see in David E. Kelley's proposed series?  We'll just have to wait and see. 

While featured in animated form in the "Superfriends" cartoons from 1973 to 1986 and again in "Justice League/Justice League: Unlimited" from 2001 to 2004, the only other notable appearance of the character on TV was the series starring Lynda Carter, which aired from 1975 to 1979 on network television.  To this day, Lynda Carter's portrayal of the character is considered to be iconic, just as Christopher Reeve's was for Superman.  Since "Smallville" has engaged in the practice of featuring actors who have previously played DC characters in other media (Christopher Reeve, Helen Slater, Teri Hatcher), perhaps Lynda Carter will be offered a chance to appear in the new series.  (Yes, I know she was already on "Smallville" as Chole's mom, Moira, but I'd like to think Warner Brothers wouldn't mind having her on the new series.)

With "Smallville" ending its ten-year run at the end of this season, Warner Brothers might jump at the opportunity to maintain a superhero presence on television.  The void left by "Smallville" should definitely be filled by a show that focuses one of DC's prominent heroes, unlike the failed "Birds of Prey" in 2002 or the rumored "The Graysons" in 2008.

It's a bird! It's a Plane! It's J. Michael Straczynski!

The great scribe J. Michael Straczynski has signed on to pen Superman and Wonder Woman starting in July! He will make his debut in each book's respective anniversary issues (#701 & #601, respectively).

Said JMS:

For as long as I’ve been doing conventions (starting in the early Cretaceous period, when it was just me and a handful of pterosaurs on a panel debating whether or not mammals with opposable thumbs were really necessary to the writing of quality comics, a point still hotly debated today), there has always been the same question from folks in the audience: “Is there any one character who is your dream character to write for?” The answer has always been the same: Superman. When I first came over to DC, that dream was realized in part by Dan DiDio’s gracious invitation to write the first of potentially many Superman original graphic novels. Now the dream has come fully true with the opportunity to write for the mainstream title, in a story that returns Superman to his roots in a way that will have the whole country talking about him in ways that we haven’t seen in a long time.

Similarly, the chance to write Wonder Woman — the nearest analogue to Superman in the DCU — is massively exciting. She’s a vital, powerful character, and we hope to bring a more contemporary sensibility to her character will retaining everything that makes her unique.

This is fantastic news. JMS had a fantastic run on Spider-Man leading up to and into Civil War, and his recent run on Thor was inspired. If there were ever a writer I would trust with two of the most iconic characters in all comicdom, it would be JMS. I am looking forward to seeing what sort of direction he takes these two characters. If it is anything like what we saw in Spider-Man and Thor, we will be talking about it for a long time to come!