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Friday, July 2, 2010

Wonder Woman: Her New Costume


I figured it was finally time for me to jump in and put my own two shaves of latinum into the thoughts and somewhat trending controversy behind the latest costume change to Wonder Woman.

First…let me start by saying that this is NOT the first time this has happened to her. The costume change bit has been done before as you can see here in this issue from 1968:

(Click on the images to see them at a higher resolution.)


Seems quite similar to her latest modern change, doesn’t it? She's wearing dark colored pants and full sleeves instead of the all to familiar red, gold, and blue with bare arms and legs we are used to seeing Diana wear.

As you can see here…even that iconic outfit has undergone several changes itself:

 

And you can see those various alterations through the years in this image as well:


Granted, the so-called “White Suit” (the first costume in the above image) and the aptly named “Biker Babe” one (the last costume in the above image) are RADICALLY different from the traditional Amazon Warrior Outfit …which is probably why Diana’s latest fashion statement has become so newsworthy.

At least this time Diana still carries the mantle of Wonder Woman. There was a far more radical change years ago when Diana and Artemis had to fight for that title…


...and Artemis ended up winning.



Interestingly enough, that was done before as well…and there’s that familiar year again…1968!



Of course Diana once again became Wonder Woman. In the comic book industry, changes like that are done to boost interest and promote sales. Radical alterations such as that do not last forever.

As you may or may not have also heard Wonder Woman’s new clothes aren’t really all that random, as there actually is a story behind the change:

On June 29th, DC Comics announced and revealed Wonder Woman's new costume for Wonder Woman #600, written by J. Michael Straczynski. The new look was designed by Co-Publisher Jim Lee and shows a younger Diana in a world that has been altered by the Gods. The new origin will explain what has changed in the pass and how it effected Wonder Woman's future.

Now apparently, the Gods, for reasons of their own (but which MAY have actually have something to with their survival and perhaps the survival of Earth itself) have altered the Timeline.

In this New Reality, the Gods had removed their protection of Paradise Island decades ago and left it vulnerable to attack. Led by a dark figure, a deadly army descended upon the Island. These invaders were  actually equipped with weapons that could kill even the Amazons.

The female warriors were outgunned and outnumbered. Realizing they were doomed, Hippolyta gave over her three year old daughter to a handful of guardians who took her into hiding.

With Diana safe, Hippolyta led one last desperate battle against the attacking forces. In that final battle, she and most of the Amazons were killed, although some managed to escape.

Now, almost twenty years later Diana has been raised in an urban setting with no memory of the other reality. She knows only what she's been told by those who raised her and while on the run, hunted, she must try to survive, help the other refugee Amazons escape the dark forces that is still after them, discover the reason behind the destruction of Paradise Island and who it was that led the attack. Diana will also find out if the original Timeline can be corrected.


I really have no doubt that once the Timeline is changed back and the original Reality is restored, we'll see Diana wearing something a little more familiar to our eyes.



So, whether or not you really really LIKE Wonder Woman’s new costume or if you really really HATE it, or even if you are somewhere in between, keep in mind as I think back to of one of my favorite Battlestar: Galactica quotes:

“All of this has happened before and all of it will happen again…”

How do I know that? Because…I am in your head, of course!

4 comments:

  1. I agree that it will come back around. I really like how you included all those older images in that time line. I wrote about this issue too and I have to say that after reading #600 I ended up liking the new costume and feel kind of excited about where her story is going. It's good to sometimes shake things up, even though I was VERY worried at first.

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  2. That quote is so very appropriate!

    Thank you for including all the imags; I didn't know that her outfit went through that many alterations. I'm interested to see how it changes again...

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  3. @8Bit-Emma: Thanks for the compliments! And I agree, I also am a bit excited and curious to see where they go with this one.

    @Amy: Thank YOU for your comments! And yes, her costume, as you see, has indeed undergone many changes. I also am interested in seeing where they go with this one.

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  4. She looks like how a warrior should dress.

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