BULLETS & BRACELETS: WONDER WRITER GAIL SIMONE

by Raffy Arcega
Wonderfans have so much to be happy about nowadays.
   Not only do we have an amazing writer on the Wonder Woman comic book series, but we have one who has proven herself to be one of the most enthusiastic, most exciting writers ever to handle this assignment.
   I’m talking about the one and only Ms. Gail Simone !
    Our Wonder Woman journey with Gail began with the story arc called “The Circle” (WW Vol. 3, Issue #14), which provides as aspect to Diana’s origin that we never knew before — that Hippolyte once had a royal guard comprised of excessively fanatical Amazons intent on trying to kill the infant Princess Diana on the eve of her birth. To make matters worse, there is a conspiracy within the Secret Society of Super-Villains to not only destroy Diana, but take control of Paradise Island as well by utilizing an old Captain Marvel villain — Captain Nazi and his army of superhumanly enhanced Neo Nazi Storm Troopers. Just awesome! Nazis are always the best villains and this aspect of the story pays homage to Diana’s Golden Age stories.
   Fans have always said that to showcase Diana's prestige as Wonder Woman, she needs to have Super-Villains and stories that are worthy of her mettle. And any challenge a hero can win despite overwhelming odds makes her a Wonder Woman indeed.
   From the inception of the current series, the notion of a non-superpowered Diana Prince was brought back into the mix as a means of providing some vulnerability for Wonder Woman. This element was no doubt inspired by the Lynda Carter WW TV series where “in the persona of Diana Prince…she is vulnerable.” But the current comics version under Gail Simone did the TV show one better — as Diana Prince she continues to have her martial arts skills and remains an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. In one scene of this story arc, we see Agent Prince pinned to the wall by the Metahuman, Captain Nazi. Refusing to allow herself to be beaten, she uses the element of surprise and Judo throws Captain Nazi while launching a smoke bomb that cleverly hides her long enough to transform into Wonder Woman (ala Lynda Carter, of course). 
   Why does this scene work? Because it demonstrates that with or without powers, Diana of Themyscira is a genuine Wonder Woman and this particular vulnerability prevents her from being too Kryptonian-like. Admittedly when this element (the result of a curse from the witch Circe) was introduced, it seemed underwhelming, but Gail made it work from the start and continues to do so.
   The story arc also explores the professional life of Diana Prince, Special Agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, where she works under the command of Sarge Steel and an old friend, Etta Candy. Also introduced are a group of Albino Super-Gorillas from Gorilla City, who begin as Diana’s foes, but through her nobility, bravery and compassion have become unlikely allies (some going so far as to live on Paradise Island as Queen Hippolyte’s protectors). As a result, we’re provided a double-dose of superheroic action without sacrificing characterization or the character’s overall direction.
   Speaking of direction, the coming months will explore what happened to the Amazons, where the Olympian Gods went, the ramifications of Diana’s allegiance to Polynesian god Kane Milohai, the courtship of Tom Tresser, an exploration for the Black Horizon and the reasons that Diana must ally herself with Beowulf and Claw the Unconquered. Additionally, we’ll learn why the magic lasso is one of the deadliest weapons, the location of her invisible jet, why the Secret Society is collecting soil samples from locations around the world where genocide was committed and, most importantly, the identity of Genocide.
   Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t read Wonder Woman under Gail Simone’s run, this series can’t be recommended highly enough. If your association with the character is purely based on the live action series or such animated fare as Superfriends or Justice League Unlimited, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
   It all began with Wonder Woman (third series) Issue #14 to the present Issue #23 and beyond. The series is written by Gail Simone and illustrated by fan favorites Terry Dodson and Aaron Lopresti. For brief descriptions of the Black Horizon story arc, visit
http://phoenixmarvel2002.tripod.com
   Thanks for listening Wonderfriends.