If you know me, you probably know that I am a huge fan of the 2017 Wonder Woman film directed by Patty Jenkins and staring Gal Gadot. You also may know that I really dislike most of the rest of the DCEU, especially it's version of Batman. But I digress. Wonder Woman is who is important right now. I should probably write a whole blog about just that film, it's so wonderful (pun absolutely intended). I love just about every single thing about that film. I love Gal, I love that version of WW, I love the story, I love the setting, I love the characters (Not the best version of Dr. Maru if I'm honest) I LOVE the Amazons and Themyscira. And I can't wait to see more in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984.
However.
There might be a version of Wonder Woman who I love even more.
Don't get me wrong, Gal Gadot is still a practical goddess, and her WW is nearly more perfect than can be believed. I love her mindset, her attitude, her goodness, her struggle, her power, I love all of it. But the DCEU's version of Diana is based in the New 52 series of comics (to my knowledge). Which means in this story, Zeus is Diana's biological father, and he and the rest of the gods (sans Ares) died or vanished long long ago. This works for a world of superheros really well. I'm almost surprised that the people who wrote Bats v. Supes didn't take this and RUN with the whole "gods are dead, superheros replaced them" potential. I'm glad they didn't but I'm surprised. I was never a huge fan of this. I've always liked the made-from-clay story much better than the born-of-zeus story. There are several reason. Chiefly because it makes Hyppolita just another woman in the long line of women whom Zeus has seduced. I won't say conquered but at least seduced. And overall just because I'm not a fan of Zeus. So I'm biased. Anyway. I never really understood what it was that I actually found lacking in the DCEU WW backstory, until I found it in another comic.
I hadn't ever really gotten into comic books before. That world is HUGE and complex and very intimidating. But I love the idea of comics. Comics are quite literally - and I know I just made fun of what the BvS writers could do with this - the new gods. The old world had Zeus and Odin, and we have Superman and Iron Man. That's not to say that we believe these beings created the world of control the heavens, or that we sacrifice animals to them. But we sacrifice other things. We sacrifice our time, and our interest. We wear their charms and tell their stories. The stories don't need morals to shape our understanding of the world. Of what power looks like. Of what villains look like. Or goodness. Of what is worth fighting for. We put their images up on our walls and paint their sigils on our shirts. But again. I digress. In reality I have read extremely few comics, because they often seem even MORE complex - with their different cannons and earths and timelines and authors - than mythology does. And that's saying a lot.
But to my rescue came Susana Polo, Polygon's Comic's editor, and her youtube series Issue At Hand. If you ever wanted to know about comics but never had the time, I highly recommend it. And it was Susana who first recommended to me the Wonder Woman Rebirth series. I haven't read the rest of the Rebirth books (there are lots now) but by some miracle of miracles, my local library had the first four Wonder Woman books! The Lies, Year One, The Truth, and Godwatch. So that's what I want to talk about today.
There will be some spoilers in the coming paragraphs but I will try to mark them out.
The Lies is a super interesting idea for a book, and from what I understand, really sells the whole idea of the Rebirth series. It is a "reset" on the DC universe - not the first and not the last I am sure. And it directly confronts the fact that there are multiple versions of the story of Diana's creation/birth, childhood, exile, and life. It also does well however to leave room for SOME of what has occurred in past comics to hold true. And in fact the whole series does well to give the sense that WW still has a past and true stories not contained in these pages. It is ambiguous enough that just knowing that other WW comics exist is enough, the reader does not have to know about them. This comic was also my first real introduction to the Cheetah as a character, and I love her. The fact that the first thing Diana does in this series is <SPOILERS> to help heal her friend/enemy, to break not only her own bonds but those of others, </SPOILER> was perfect. It was also a good introduction to the other characters like Etta Candy and Steve Trevor. The Lies is about Diana intentionally striving to return her focus to what matters to her, and she does a wonderful job.
Year One may be my favorite of these four volumes. As I said in the beginning. I already knew that I love Wonder Woman, and that I love the Amazons of Themyscira. But even I didn't know that I could love them this much. As I read and re-read Year One, I gave a lot of thought to what it was I loved even more about these Amazons than those of the film. Which don't get me wrong I adore the Amazons in the film. There are a couple things that stand out - the amazons of the film seem markedly more warlike, but I feel this is a trick of the focus of the film, and if we were shown a broader picture of life on themyscira it would be better - but one difference really stands out. The biggest difference between this Themyscira and the one on screen is that in this land, the gods - the Patrons as they call them - are very much still alive. And I LOVE that. In this world, when the Amazons ask "how could this man have crashed on our shores?" the immediate and 100% taken seriously answer is "The gods must have willed it. They are speaking to us and sending us a sign." And I really love this. One of my favorite scenes in this whole series involves the Council of Themyscira - the queen, her wife/general, the lead scientist/researcher, and the high priestess - analyzing the symbol Steve was wearing, an American military insignia - for the signs in it. The eagle, trident, anchor, and weapon (gun) were all meaningful to them. And they believed and really invested in these signs from the gods. The Amazons are confident in their gods, and they are proven to be correct. The Patrons continue to appear as active forces in these comics, <SPOILERS> giving Diana her super powers, visiting her in a time of need, as well as even fighting alongside her briefly </SPOILERS>.
Wonder Woman Rebirth is not scared of faith. That's what I realized and love about it. These characters function from their faith. And it is not mocked and it is not taken lightly. It is genuine faith, and it is faith in something strong and real. I have always loved Diana's conviction. And in this world, the rest of the Amazons have Convictions just as strong. And faith just as strong. Faith in the gods, and in love. That honestly? That is more than I ever thought to ask of a comic book, or of most of modern culture. Everything Diana does, she does because she believes in her gods. Believes that they gave of themselves to her, in order that she might give back. And what's more? This faith isn't a delusion. Diana's patrons are an active and present role in her life and the life of her sisters. She takes them seriously and is taken seriously by them. And the comics don't shy away from this. Diana is - and I don't really think I am overstepping bonds here to use this language - taken, blessed, broken, and given. By her Patrons and her People to the World.
The Truth brings out the second jaw-droppingly perfect Wonder Woman moment, and I'm gonna jump right into spoilers for this one <SPOILERS> when Wonder Woman finally finds out the Truth of Ares, and confronts Terror and Panic. She binds herself with the Perfect, and tells these two rotten villains - who have stolen and manipulated and hurt her and her friends and everyone around her including her Home - simply that she loves them. That she is not ignorant of what they have done, but accepts it. She does not approve of it but she - and this word is not used but it could/should be - forgives them. This is the most powerful act in the entire series. And although the word is not used it illustrates true forgiveness better than most stories I have seen. There is no excuse for the behavior of Terror and Panic. There is nothing to change your mind about all they have done. They are not likable villains. And Diana does not excuse them. She forgives them. The two acts are mutually exclusive. And Diana chooses to confront evil, and to over come it with love. She sacrifices a chance to fight, to avenge, and humbles herself - physically bound on her knees - before her more powerful enemy. It's not the first time she does it. Wonder Woman is, quite literally, most powerful when she is on her knees.</SPOILERS>
When the 2017 film Wonder Woman came out, me and several friends shared conversations about how we could not believe how Christlike Diana was. How watching Wonder Woman was like watching everything that Christianity should be preaching and showing to others. And Wonder Woman Rebirth was all of that and more. It is a truly wonderful tale, showcasing above all else the power of Truth, Faith, Hope, and Love.
Another thing in The Truth I wanted to mention that I really loved. <SPOILERS> Diana, even as the shining beacon of faith hope and love I have described her as, is allowed to be upset. She is allowed to be angry - and angry with the gods at that. She is allowed to ask her gods hard questions, and be comforted by them. I really appreciated that. </SPOILERS>.
Godwatch is an interesting comic, as it is basically a series of missing scenes from the time of The Lies and The Truth, all concerning the main human antagonist. And it was Godwatch more than any other comic that made me realize something else I love about this world. In the world of these comics, all characters are essentially presumed to be female until proven otherwise. There are male characters, and good ones at that, but the majority of characters, both main characters and background characters, are women. This isn't a story about Wonder Women vs. all of the Evil Men. The baddies are ladies too. They a complex, diverse women, and complex, diverse desires. Business women, engineers, leaders, warriors, mercenaries, and even a Witch. And I genuinely enjoyed watching and felt for the villains in this story. (not Terror and Panic. The humans they manipulate). Are they still bad? Yeah. Do I excuse them? No. But I think even dedicating this space to their stories is essentially an act of the authors to emulate Wonder Woman - it is an act of love towards enemies, and an effort to uncover the truth. To understand and to heal, rather than judge and confront.
I honestly think that everyone should read these books. I don't care how much you care about comics. The story told in these pages - and the art that accompanies it - is some of the best I have seen. And I know, I'll probably say that a lot on this blog. But these comics just... blew my mind. I didn't know that they could BE this good. And by good I don't just mean good comics but like morally good.
Wonder Woman: Rebirth is simply beautiful. It is a comic that celebrates faith, truth, goodness, beauty, and love. True, honest, godly love. And true, steadfast, earnest faith. And I adore that. Just like what made the WW film so good, this series knows that it is genuinely good. Like it's heroine, this series is written with confidence in its own writing, and earnest conviction of its own message. There is no fear where light like this shines. And I honestly praise God that this light is shining in the world.
I said before that superheroes are the modern gods. And I still think that is true. I used to be, I think, scared of saying such things. I have always loved the gods, and their stories. But growing up, calling something a god meant it was an offence to God capital G. And I am sure that there are some contexts where that may still be a concern. But these stories are too beautiful to belong to anyone else. I believe that all good things come from God, and all good things are reflections of him. I believe that every person is to one another a mirror, reflecting light. And as we are made in the image of God, his image can be seen in each of these mirrors, from a slightly different and unique point of view. And the same can be said for the things we make. All goodness is God's goodness. All truth God's truth. And it has been a long, long while since I have seen a work that shines so brightly of God's goodness and truth. I have no idea what the people who created this work of art believe when it comes to religion. I am sure they are a mix of ideologies. But no matter what faith they hold to, they are doing the Lord's work. And I wish even more people could see.
This may sound like a bit much to attribute to a comic book. But if you think that, I would ask you to not be afraid to dream a little bigger. Why can't a comic book be all of this and more? Perhaps this is a passing interest, and one I won't be focused on in time. But I think that even if I forget the story itself of this series, the - lessons isn't the right word. They aren't lessons. They are an understanding passed on through witnessed experience - about Truth, and Loving your enemies, and about Faith, Courage, Perseverance, Service, and Sacrifice? Those will stay. This comic is much more than the sum of its parts - and the parts alone bring a LOT to the table.
Before I leave, I would be remiss not to reflect upon how true so much of this is to the origins of Wonder Woman. I haven't read a lot of the classic WW comics written by Marston, but I know that these themes ring true. The image of Wonder Woman fighting her foes by loving them - and of the themes of loving bondage seen with both herself and Ares - are very Marston. Marston believed, and wrote, that a person is most happy when living in submission to a loving authority. This has always struck me as an interestingly Biblical attitude. Marston, of course, would have interpreted this differently, in that the loving authority would have, I am sure, been human in origin, whether it be a spouse, or a government, or any other relationship. I believe that Marston's idea is basically right, but that the loving authority must ultimately be more perfect and more loving than any human or group of humans ever could. Must in fact be divine. And in this comic, the loving authority which Diana represents literally is divine.
If you've ever been interested in reading a comic in your life - or even if you haven't - go and find a copy of the Wonder Woman Rebirth series. At very least read The Lies, Year One, and The Truth (although I do also recommend Godwatch! and I cannot wait to get my hands on Vol #5). I have already read them through a solid 3 times, and will gladly do so again. Since I first learned who Wonder Woman really was - which I cannot believe was only last year - I have wished that I had Diana's strength of character, her conviction, and her love. Now I wish that I had her faith and devotion too.
I could go on like this ad infinitum. But it's an hour past bedtime as it is. Ask me about Wonder Woman.
To close I thought it would be fun to share this picture. My wonderful friend Shannon, who is or should be a baker by trade, made me this wonderful cake last month on my birthday, and topped it with a hand made sugar-forge Wonder Woman circlet! And so, even though I ended up breaking it in the attempt, I had to put it on. It's not the best picture, but it was the best gift! Thank you Shannon.
As always, thanks for reading. This one was pretty long. But I have so much more to say. If you have read this series or would be interested in it please message me I really would love to discuss it.
Rissa
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
EDIT: I decided I wanted to add that picture to this one and repost it. Also, I wrote the whole thing rather late at night and in the morning had a few things to add.
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