"We are each other's shelter from the storm."
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #6

One day I walked into a library and my eyes fell on a book called Kingdom Come. I picked it up and to my surprise it was a comic book...or rather as I later learned, a graphic novel. But I saw beautifully painted panels and heroes that I recognized from my childhood who seemed ...well, grown up. I borrowed that book and I was moved and fascinated by, not only the story of men and women who are great heroes, but by they way they showed their humanity. They suddenly were not two dimensional people who just fought bad guys. They were deeply complex. I love books and reading on the whole and I guess getting into the comic genre as an adult woman was a case of serendipity. It led me to finding DC comics and the heroes I grew up with on TV and saw in movies and newsprint. It led me to finding Clark Kent or as he is known by his other name, Kal-El, and Princess Diana. I fell in love with them and am obsessed with all things Amazonian and Kryptonian now. I love their relationship. I love what they stand for. I love the contrasts of the princess/farmer's son; reporter/ambassador; pragmatic warrior/idealistic protector and empathetic teacher/enforcer of justice. A girl born of the earth and a boy who fell from the sky. The first daughter of Themyscira and last son of Krypton. And it surprised me to find that there were many fans like me, who adore them too.

DC rebooted their universe in 2011 and my favorite pairing is now canon!!! Yay.



Disclaimer : Superman and Wonder Woman are the property of DC comics.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Action Comics 598 and 600 vs Justice League # 3

We are able to see here how DC made the boyscout/naive hick version of Superman as a guy who comes across as a bit of a dork who can't even talk to a woman. Action Comics 598 shows him, the guy who supposedly looks like an Adonis, is a smart reporter, who Martha Kent had a hand in raising as a gentleman, who takes the lead in the fight against injustice unable to even say a word to Wonder Woman!?  Did DC really think just because a man is the son of a farmer he should be portrayed this way? How absurd and it was a bit insulting and guilty of stereotyping.


Action 598

 We won't forget in Action # 600 his first word to Wonder Woman was not to greet her and ask how she was. Nope. It was to stick his tongue down her throat. Really, if you consider it, very out of character but he was a farmer's son so...that is what they do apparently. I guess he was so awkward and harmless we were ready to forgive him for it.

Action 600

 But worse  came when he back-pedaled; after claiming to like her so much he changed his mind very quickly and more or less dictated/preached to her that they were too different. It really is a WTF issue in terms of how the meeting and relationship was handled by the company.

I really liked you up until a short time ago but now I think I won't bother to get to know you. We are too different. I know this based on that fight with Darkseid.

Which brings us to Justice League # 3 where Diana first encounters Kal-El. Glory halleluiah, the boy spoke! Yeah, while the others gaped like fish, he looked and opened his mouth. Enough to have her turn in battle and take note of him and some sparks did seem to fly.


Justice League #3

So the tough firebrand and social crusader seems to have more balls than the last Superman. I really have great hope this time DC, under Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns, will show us an intelligent and confident Superman and not the whiner who limped out of canon last year. Though seeing what Perez is doing in Superman title I am wondering if the dim wimp is back. What will Kal (DC) do this time? We can only wait and see.
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