We are live at the DC Comics Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Panel, bringing you the latest news from the festivities.
Guests at the panel include Cat Staggs, Marc Andreyko, Greg Rucka, Shea Fontana, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Jill Thompson, and Yannick Paquette.
Jeff Parker, Cat Staggs, and Marc Andreyko have an announcement. BATMAN 66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN 77 is a digital first title that will begin in early 2017. The first two issues take place in 1942 with a young Bruce Wayne, followed by the next two in 1966 and the final two in 1977.
Greg Rucka gave a cheeky response when asked what “brought [him] back to Wonder Woman.” He said “I never left the character. I stopped working for the company.” He said that we are on the cusp of a “cultural emergence” that will see Wonder Woman finally get the recognition that she truly deserves. Commenting on his current run on the book, he called Liam Sharp his “anchor artist” on the title. He said “The Lies” will conclude with issue eleven and then at 13, we’ll pick up with an issue focusing on Steve Trevor. Then at issue 15, Sharp will start an arc called “The Truth.” Running alternately to Sharp’s work is Nicola Scott’s “Year One.” Unlike most heroes, “Diana is in a very unique position” in that her sacrifice to become a hero isn’t impressed upon her. She did not experience a personal tragedy, but rather made a decision to step up and leave her home willingly. After Year One concludes, Scott will be replaced by a new artist, not yet named, who will start an arc called “Godwatch.”
Moving on to DC SUPERHERO GIRLS, Shea Fontana commented on her work on this new all-ages franchise. Shea is excited to work on a teenage Diana who is “not yet fully formed” and still a little “vulnerable.” She is “trying to make the series the one I would have wanted when I was a kid.” In SUPERHERO GIRLS’ third graphic novel, SUMMER OLYMPUS, Wonder Woman goes home to Mount Olypmus to spend time with her dad.
When asked how it felt to see his take on Wonder Woman on a Forever Stamp in a ceremony the Comics Beat covered this morning (check out @waxenwings for a periscope video of the ceremony) he said he was very proud and emotional to see his interpretation of the character on a stamp.
Thompson, asked about her new Wonder Woman graphic novel, thinks she’s added an “interesting new dimension” to the character. She’s excited to be able to return to this character that she’s worked with in the past. “What can you say about working with the most iconic female superhero…except I’ve leveled her up a little bit.” Surprisingly though, Wonder Woman was not Thompson’s most favorite female superhero. She’s more of a “Phoenix or Catwoman gal.” She also loves Kitty Pryde.
Paquette, speaking about WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE, said working with Grant Morrison was an “Experience.” He, Thompson, and Rucka had some roundabout conversation about Morrison’s scripting tendencies. Paquette says Grant likes to take characters apart and find out what’s at their center so with Wonder Woman, the character that appeared was in a world of violence and sexuality and bondange, themes that were “controversial.” It was interesting and “very weird.” Paquette has started to work on the second part of the three part WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE saga.
We then saw some magic from the new WONDER WOMAN movie starring Gal Gadot…although it ended up just being the first trailer. Womp womp. It stil got big reactions though.
The moderator asked about the panelists’ first memory of Wonder Woman:
- Rucka: “It was probably SUPERFRIENDS…shortly thereafter it was Linda Carter.” With both shows, his reaction was “oh there’s a woman among all those guys…and they’re dumb.”
- Andreyko remembered seeing Wonder Woman in the “Skiworld Water Sea Fun World” show. He also once saw Wonder Woman on the Olivia Newton John show. Marc wants “every gay pride” parade to have a dance remix of the Wonder Woman theme song in it.
- Stagg’s first experience with Wonder Woman was also Superfriends.
- Thompson also saw Wonder Woman in Superfriends.
- Paquette didn’t have Wonder Woman shows translated when he was a kid. When he moved in with a Wonder Woman superfan in Montreal though, he read everything from George Perez’s run onwards.
A Twitter fan asked whether we might see a Wonder Woman/Poison Ivy teamup. Rucka said “I saw that tweet…not this year.”
Rucka’s favorite Wonder Woman story features Lois Lane writing about a day in the life of Wonder Woman. It’s structured like an interview and is called “A Day in the Life.” It’s Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #170 written by Phil Jimenez and Joe Kelley, art by Phil Jimenez.
That concludes the panel! Thanks for joining us.
No comments on Jill Thompson’s amazing new graphic novel? I would highly recommend it as a great all ages novel. It should be included in the scholastic fairs.
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