The ruminations over new activity to bring Wonder Woman back to the small screen once again remind me of the unique place DC Comic characters occupy in our collective mind’s eye. The struggle to produce a Wonder Woman film says much about the challenge represented by the Amazon Warrior/Princess who does not need to be rescued. Despite the growth of women’s role in society, we still assume a paternal and maternal model for men and women's in society. While Wonder Woman is not barred from motherhood, she is not seeking to place herself within the familial framework in an obvious way. Indeed, the recent runs of Wonder Woman have been better in part, because they have embraced the character as who she is--warrior, diplomat, and leader. Wonder Woman is one of the key characters from DC, yet she has not had the iconic stories similar to Batman (The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, or Year One) or Superman ( Greatest Stories or Red Son) in print. Instead, many people know about the character thanks to television. Television provide the kind of intimate setting that flesh out the comic character and easy access to a large (or larger) female audience. Plus, Wonder Woman's link to Americana are visually (red, white, and blue with an eagle logo) undeniable. Still, the television market today is much more competitive than it was in 1975. If the new television series is to be successful the producers will need to make the character compelling, accessible, and relevant in a way that reflects contemporary issues. If they embrace the duality of the character--play up the warrior, the ambassador, and the princess--they can write interesting stories with an international scale and cultural depth.
Comments