Wonder Woman is going back to basics. In recent years, following the 2011 publisher-wide reboot known as The New 52, the Amazonian princess has been drastically different than older fans may think of her.
In her classic origin story, she was formed out of clay and given life by the barren goddess Hippolyta and raised among the Amazonian warriors of Themyscira. In the New 52 origin, the traditional "formed from clay" story was revealed to be a lie concocted by Hippolyta to cover the fact that she'd had an affair with Zeus. Hippolyta feared for her and her daughter's lives because of Zeus' jealous and powerful wife Hera.
In this version of Wonder Woman's history, she is literally a pure-born Olympian goddess. Most of the stories of the last three years have been rather dark, even oppressive at times, focusing on Wonder Woman's conflicts with her dysfunctional family of Greek gods and goddesses. This direction was conceived by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang.
While the new stories have been praised by fans, the character's upcoming arrival on the big screen in "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" has prompted DC to rethink the direction of the comics. While sticking with the "Olympian goddess" origin, the comic book is heading toward a lighter, more positive tone. Starting with November's "Wonder Woman" #36, new writer Meredith Finch takes the helm, accompanied by her husband, David Finch, on art.
The Finches tell USA Today that Meredith intends to focus on Wonder Woman's humanity, making her a more believable and relatable character. Finch also wants to highlight the Amazonian's personal relationships and her membership in the Justice League. Meredith thinks of Wonder Woman as a feminist icon, a symbol of the modern woman who wears many hats and "tries to make [it] all work together."
"We wanted to make her a little more flawed," said David Finch. "She doesn't always necessarily have the answers."
"Women tend to react in a different way, and I can bring some of that reactionary thinking, going from your heart sometimes more than from your head," Meredith Finch added. The two of them hope to introduce a Wonder Woman who's a complex woman, but more in line with the feminist image the character has traditionally maintained.
Gal Gadot will be the first actress to portray Wonder Woman on the silver screen, starting with 2016's "Batman v. Superman" and continuing into the subsequent "Justice League" movie and beyond. Warner Bros. has, as yet, made no announcement regarding a solo "Wonder Woman" movie.
