Let's talk about Wonder Woman!

Our first real and actual Wonder Woman movie is on the immediate horizon, and I gotta tell you, Internets, I am looking very, very forward to it. My reasons are much the same as a lot of other women in SFdom my age—we want to see a female-led superhero film; we want to see DC movies start stepping up to the plate as well as Marvel; and most of all, it’s about freggin’ time that Wonder Woman, long one of the three big DC superheroes along with Batman and Superman, gets her own film.

A lot of folks had Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman on TV in the 1970s as their first exposure to the character. I am no exception, though I have no real memory of regularly following the show. Mostly I knew it was there, since it sometimes showed up in syndication on our local channels. It took until the 90s, when DC’s excellent animated continuity showed up in the cartoons for Batman, Superman, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited, for me to really get a Wonder Woman I took to hard. Diana in that continuity was excellent, and some of my favorite moments with the character are in fact from those shows.

I have a clearer memory of Wonder Woman in, of all things, the Superfriends cartoons. Those, unlike the live-action show, were on my radar more often just because I was more likely to be watching TV on a Saturday morning back in the 70s and early 80s. Looking back on it now, I’m pretty sure she didn’t make an impact on me at the time—women in the Superfriends were pretty thin on the ground and I don’t remember the Superfriends iteration of Wondy doing much other than flying around in her invisible jet. Nevertheless, she was there, an early precedent for me to use later, when I was on the lookout for prominent female characters in animation. (Princess in Battle of the Planets and Lisa Hayes in Robotech, I am looking straight at you.)

Now, no matter how you slice it, the Superfriends were pretty silly. DC’s animation game kicked up considerably later on, though. I must give a shoutout to the full-length animated film (titled simply Wonder Woman) that came out in 2009, which I jumped on in no small part because Nathan Fillion voices Steve Trevor in it. And like many a geek, I do love me some Nathan Fillion. <3 The film’s an origin story, but it does well, and by the time it came out I knew enough about Wonder Woman’s backstory that I recognized the basic elements. (Like, say, Steve Trevor; I may not have active memories of the 70’s TV show, but I’m pretty sure I must have watched it anyway, because that’s the most likely source for me having that name in the back of my head.)

Let me also call attention to the 2008 film Justice League: The New Frontier. Another origin story, this time mostly for Green Lantern in particular and the Justice League in general, but it too has some wonderful Diana mileage in it. (And I gotta note as well, looking this film up again to double-check details about it, it’s particularly excellent that Lucy Lawless is the voice of Diana. How appropriate is that? :D )

What I lack, though, is grounding in the character’s actual line of comics. I’ve been dabbling in female-led Marvel titles in the last few years, and I have had half an eye on DC as well, enough to see glimmers of potential in some of the more recent Wonder Woman storylines. With the movie about to drop, I’m thinking it’s about time I investigated those titles.

Any fans of Wonder Woman’s recent comic stories out there? Got any recommendations for me?

If you didn’t discover the character via comics, what were your first memories of the character in mass media? Was Lynda Carter your Wonder Woman? Or did you discover her in animated form?

And if, like me, you have a soft spot for Greek mythology, how does that play into your knowledge of the character?

Share your Diana stories in the comments!

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Angela is not an Amazon, but boy howdy is she looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman Amazon it up this weekend. In the meantime, come say hi to Angela on her site at angelahighland.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter! Particularly after she posts her inevitable review of the movie.

Are female superheroes finally getting their due?

A reader who recently discovered my books has posted several reviews noting that she’ll now read anything I write because I write strong heroines who aren’t stupid. That’s great feedback to hear and also highlights the fact strong women in fiction are a trend that is still growing, not weaning.

That is probably highlighted best these days by the emergence of female superheroes in film and TV, and not just as secondary characters to male superheroes or in a team ensemble.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a total geek for superheroes. Superman has always been my favorite for reasons I won’t get into here (but you can read more about that on my personal blog if you wish). Growing up with three older brothers, I was only exposed to comic books with male superheroes unless my brother Steven happened to have a book featuring the Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. 

When I was a little girl, “Wonder Woman” was on TV in the form of Linda Carter, so in my little girl world, Wonder Woman was everything. I totally dug the idea a woman could kick a man’s hiney same as Superman or Batman. I loved Wonder Woman even more because I was gangly and tall, and Wonder Woman was tall, too. 

That's right. Wonder Woman is my spirit animal. 

For a while I even liked the godawful movie “Supergirl” with Helen Slater until I got old enough to understand it was utter garbage — not Supergirl herself, just the atrocious script that got turned into a movie.

It wasn’t until I got older and superhero movies became all the rage in the early 90s that I realized there were plenty of other female superheroes out there. After the first X-Men movie, I discovered the comics and became all about Rogue for a while. I loved the WB TV show “Birds of Prey,” which featured the Huntress, Black Canary, and Oracle as a trio of female crime-fighting heroes, but it was prematurely canceled back in the 90s. They made a movie about "Elektra" but it flopped at the box office. Let's not even talk about "Catwoman" starring Halle Berry. Female superheroes in TV and film were finding some ground, but they couldn't quite keep their grasp. I'm convinced this is because they were handled by male executives who didn't understand the characters or their fans.

Flash forward to now, and I’m feeling all kinds of giddy because of two female superheroes in particular — Jessica Jones and Supergirl. That's right. Someone hold the presses because there are not one but two female superhero-led TV shows on TV now. Not only that, but I like them and, gasp, their ratings have been good!

First, let’s look at “Jessica Jones.” I had no idea who she was before I watched the Netflix show, but it’s a great show with some outstanding writing behind it. Jessica is more of an anti-hero than a traditional superhero, and that’s incredible in and of itself. As much as I like strong heroines, personally, I do question the ones who don’t have many flaws because, hello, reality. Jessica Jones tackles so many female-relevant topics in a refreshingly honest way, I’m convinced it deserves an Emmy or something. I love her relationship with her best friend, Trish Walker. If you haven’t binge-watched it yet, do yourself a favor and go watch the first episode right now.

Second, “Supergirl.” Whereas Jessica Jones is dark, Kara Zor El is light. For the record, yes, I think it's fine to like them both (I lean toward DC, but I like Marvel, too!). 

I really, really wanted to love "Supergirl" as soon as I heard it was coming. I enjoyed the pilot, but something about this one has felt off to me. Some episodes are great. Some are meh. That said, it has gotten better and I now absolutely adore it. I really like the fact Kara is also flawed, but in an awkward, trying-to-fit-in kind of way. This show also belly-punches you every week with a feminist statement, usually delivered by Cat Grant verbally and through its three strong female leads and their relationships with one another. Plus, can I say how much I love the relationship between Kara and her adopted sister, Alex, who is human but still a strong character in her own right?

Now, “Wonder Woman” is finally getting her own movie, but first she’ll appear in “Batman v. Superman” out in March. To be honest, I dislike the director of “Man of Steel” so much I really don’t have high hopes for that one, but I remain cautiously optimistic and will be at the first showing anyway. I hope they don’t screw up Wonder Woman because she, out of all the superheroes, really deserves some fair treatment. Plus, her solo movie is being directed by a female director and will hopefully do her justice. Fingers crossed.

Have you watched "Supergirl" or "Jessica Jones"? Do you plan to see "Batman v. Superman"? Let me know who your favorite female superhero is.

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Angela Campbell is the author of the psychic detectives series from Harper Impulse. Learn more about her and her books at www.AngelaCampbellOnline.com. 

Wonder Woman: It’s about time…or is it?

So many things happening in the world right now…the holidays…social issues…but…

Can we talk about Wonder Woman, and why I am at once both ecstatic and ticked off about the fact she’s finally coming to the big screen? In case you missed it (and where have you been hiding?), it was officially announced last week that actress Gal Gadot will play Wonder Woman/Diana in the upcoming Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman/Who Knows What It Will Be Called Next Week movie.

When I heard the news, I was knee-deep in a book deadline and fighting off a stomach bug and quite a bit stressed, but holy cow! This was amazing news! Fantastic! Anyone who knows me knows I have ranted for years about how my favorite superheroine deserves her own shot at a movie. She was kicking tail and taking names before there was ever a Buffy, Katniss, or Lara Croft. In fact, she paved the way and made it possible for every awesome heroine who has followed in her footsteps, including the ones in all of the great books we write.

I should probably state up front that while I love all my superheroes, Marvel and DC alike, I am and have always been a DC Comics gal at heart. When I was younger I, er, might have had this crazy thought that since I was tall and brunette (I’m 6’2 now, by the way) that I could totally be Wonder Woman someday. Plus, I had three brothers, so I was all about Wonder Woman fighting alongside Supes and Batman and sometimes, yes, sometimes she was the one who saved them when they got in trouble. Gail Simone, who wrote Wonder Woman about a decade ago, is kind of a personal hero of mine because of what she did with Diana. And did you know best-selling author Jodi Picoult is a former WW scribe too? What I wouldn’t give…

So yeah. Wonder Woman is a character near and dear to my heart. There's nothing I can say that probably hasn't already been said by someone in the comic book world, but still. Please humor me while I try to put my feelings into words.

I mean, we’ve waited 75 years for a Wonder Woman movie, and all we get is seeing her as a secondary character to Superman and/or Batman? How is that fair? Why no "Wonder Woman" movie first? Excuse me Warner Brothers executives, but are you oblivious that the biggest movies in the world the past two weeks have boasted female leads?! Ca-ching! Just sayin.

I also delved deeper into this casting choice. In all honesty, I try not to make comments on casting until I actually see the person in the role. I suppose I'm different from the rest of the internet, which predictably exploded with venomous, self-righteous nerd rage. Okay, so I peeked at a clip of Ms. Gadot from one of the Fast and the Furious movies. I want to be fair, so I will only say that I understand the concerns many have that she’s been miscast and I will add a facepalm to that for good measure. But let's give her a chance before we crucify her, okay?

Speaking of nerd rage, I am still bitter Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman film got axed a dozen years ago. I bet the executives at Warner Brothers saw the box office numbers for The Avengers start to roll in and did a lot of facepalming themselves. (picture me glaring at those Warner Brothers executives now)

The short of it is, the upcoming Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman/Who Knows What It Will Be Called Next Week movie is bound to be a blockbuster. Fanboys and girls will be standing in line for the first opportunity to see these three on the big screen together. I don’t care how many people groused when Batfleck was cast. They WILL go see this movie and it will make loads of money for Warner Brothers.

So I’m guessing unless the movie is a real stinker, Diana will finally get her own film. All I can say is it’s about darn time, they had better do her justice, and I will be supportive of my-least-favorite-director-ever Zach Snyder and cross my fingers he gets her right. I will not flashback to that godawful movie Sucker Puck and go cry in the corner remembering Watchmen, but rather, I will remind myself that Snyder did give us Sarah Polley's refreshingly smart female lead in his Dawn of the Dead remake. I will be super supportive of Ms. Gadot and this movie until I see it and have reason not to be supportive.

Wonder Woman deserves nothing less from me.

What about you? What are your thoughts on the Wonder Woman news? Love it? Hate it? Could care less?

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Angela Campbell writes romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Learn more about her books at www.AngelaCampbellOnline.com.

Fun Facts About Wonder Woman

Melinda did fun facts about one influence for Amazon Heat, Amazon Mythology. Today,  I'd like to focus on the other inspiration, Wonder Woman. Here are a few fun fact about this awesome super hero who kicks butt in an awesome pair of boots.

1. Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston (the inventor of the polygraph).


2. Wonder Woman's alter ego is Diana Prince/Princess Diana of Themyscira. 


3. Wonder Woman made her first appearance in December 1941 in All-Star Comics #8. 


4. In creating her William Marston wanted to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.


5. Initially, Wonder Woman was an Amazon champion who wins the right to return Steve Trevor — a United States intelligence officer whose plane had crashed on the Amazons' isolated island homeland — to "Man's World" and to fight crime and the evil of the Nazis. Her origin story was later revamped to increase her Hellenic and mythological roots. She received the blessing of each deity in her crib, Diana is destined to become "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Mercury." Her origin was changed yet again in 2011 making her a demigod, the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus


6. Wonder Woman had arsenal of powerful god-forged weapons at her disposal, but her signature weapons are her indestructible bracelets and the Lasso of Truth.


7. In the television show the bullet proof material the braclets were formed of was called 'Feminum'. In the comic books, it was called 'Amazonium'.


8. Wonder Woman spinning into costume was also solely a television fixture. She would spin her lasso around herself in the comic books to transform.


9. She depict her as a masterful athlete, acrobat, fighter and strategist, trained and experienced in many ancient and modern forms of armed and unarmed combat, including exclusively Amazonian martial arts.


10. In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.

Who else loves Wonder Woman as much as we do? Do you have any fun facts to add to the list?


Amazon Heat was released on January 9, 2012 from Carina Press
 

2 years ago...
Driven by grief to find a cure for cancer, Elizabeth DeMarco left Logan Spencer to accept a position on a research expedition to the Amazon rainforest. Kidnapped by guerrillas, she was saved by a secret all-female civilization, the last of the ancient Amazons. But Elizabeth discovers she's traded one form of captivity for another.
Today...
Logan never stopped searching for Elizabeth. While consulting in the remote Brazilian interior near where she was kidnapped, Logan suffers what should be a fatal fall. Near death, he's collected by the Amazons and magically healed. Elizabeth is the first person he sees as he wakes.
But there's no time for a joyful reunion. The Amazons' mystical medicine is rapidly changing Logan. They want his DNA and plan to take it—and then kill him. Logan and Elizabeth must escape before dawn or Logan—and their second chance at happiness—is doomed.

Find Amazon Heat at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Carina Press.   

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Woman
http://www.wonderwoman-online.com/marston.html