The NBC remake of ’70s TV show Wonder Woman is getting a lot of buzz, but not all of it is good, at least in terms of the costume design. Â The new Wonder Woman outfit has not only been updated for the present day, it’s also missing the trademark stars-and-stripes theme that many say was key to Wonder Woman’s persona.
In fact, other than the color scheme being roughly the same, the new costume bears very little resemblance to the old one, prompting some to criticize it as having been stripped of American patriotism. Â DC Comics has defended the change, claiming that all the elements of the original Wonder Woman look are still there, just in a more modern form.
When the initial Wonder Woman promo shots came out I was more than surprised that they took a character so strongly entrenched in Greek Mythology and made her “LAâ€â€¦bad move. As a lifelong fan and reader of WW there are those of us that understand that her origin IS her story. It IS the reason why she is a WARRIOR of PEACE. The contradiction of speaking and teaching peace and also valuing all life but then snapping your neck if need be is exactly what a soldier must do and I see that as the conflict of the character. I’ll give that can be a very hard sell but the majority of the public that is not a WW fan can only go based on what they may have grown up with…the Super-Friends and the WW show with the ever perfect Lynda Carter…2 VERY watered down versions of the character but I was in front of the tv whenever she was on. Again, keep in mind…if it weren’t for WW there would never have been a Xena, Buffy, Ripley, or Lara Croft. People have used the words ‘corny’, ‘cheesy’ and I believe it was Megan Fox herself who called Wonder Woman ‘lame’. People forget that Batman (during his 60’s tv show) was so beyond campy (even moreso than the WW 70’s show) but generations since then have been introduced to the brooding Dark Knight. Same can be said of Superman as well. He’s a much more complex character than an alien that simply fights for ‘truth, justice, and the American way’. She simply hasn’t had the mass exposure to let the public know who the character REALLY is. Why is WB making this more difficult than it has to be?? In my opinion the essential WW viewing is the animated Justice League program or the animated WW movie from ’09. The writer’s of those incarnations made her a princess, woman, goddess, warrior, friend, jaded/loving/big sister/every little boy’s crush/and more importantly, the symbol of what she is…a figure that girls aspire to be…a compassionate, take charge woman living in a new world dominated by men. They brought out her peaceful, naive nature as a woman living as a fish out of water in a world she was exiled from to the true warrior she is. Also keep in mind the rich territory of conflict with the Greek Gods and mythological characters that are prominent in her comic series gives her such a ample amount of antagonists. Interesting (and very sad) thing about NBC’s WW is that they have NO IDEA who they are dealing with. WW has a built in audience. She is known the world over. You don’t need to ‘revamp’ a character who’s survived 70 years. 70!!! There’s a reason why we all know who she is. Simple word. Icon. Keeping true to the roots is giving the fans what we want. Clever casting (an UNKNOWN for the role…remember, WW IS the star) and, dare I say, a script that not only keeps the fans happy but allows for the growth of new admirers is what will help this character become an even bigger franchise. As far as her appearance, I truly see a no brainer. She wears armor (described so in the JL show and the comic itself) NOT a costume. The comics have delved into many different variations of her signature look and I can guarantee that the true fans want to see elements of that. Look at how many times Batman’s ‘costume’ has changed. It has become much more formidable over the decades. As for the look of WW I see elements of Troy, Xena, Clash Of The Titans with the ‘old red, white, and blue’ in there and you’ve got it. Why is this so difficult??? I am very anxious to see WW back on the screen, but not unless it’s done correctly. She is considered one of ‘The Big 3′ in the DC Comics Universe and can stand toe to toe with Superman and Batman (both of whom WW has fought and kicked their asses throughout the years). She deserves better treatment WB…pull your head’s out of your butts and look at what Marvel did with their own hero steeped in mythology…there’s a reason why Thor is number 1 at the boxoffice. I feel very confident that both women (for the female empowerment message) and men (let’s face it, a powerful woman kickin’ butt is always hot (and I’m gay 🙂 will respond positively. I’d definitely be interested to see the viewpoints of others out there 🙂
Damian