Why I Changed My Mind About Wonder Woman

Continuing to spotlight my drawings, which I've neglected to do as of late, I thought I'd take a crack at drawing Wonder Woman. I've never tried to draw Wonder Woman, so I was up to the challenge.

Wonder Woman

This is a drawing that could benefit from colorization, which I'll most likely attempt soon. Hey, I might as well keep the experiments coming. I'll probably run it through Photoshop to do so, in order to clean up the lines. An illustrated woman benefits from clean flowing lines. I also want to add a background.

Truthfully, I was never really into Wonder Woman while exposed to comics. I understand that she's one of the Big Three, and holds a very special place in comic book history, but I just didn't have any desire to read about the character. She seems way too perfect, and let's face it, at times she can be a bitch. Not even the Justice League cartoon made me feel any better about the character.

That all changed after I read Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

Please bear with me if you're not a comic book reader. If you are one, there be SPOILERS ahead!

In Countdown, Blue Beetle, a second-rate hero and former member of the Justice League International, stumbled upon a conspiracy that endangers the entire world. And no one believed him. Batman disregarded him, Superman had more pressing matters to attend to, and the rest of the heroes, well, had better things to do than go on a wild goose chase. No one believed him, except for his best friend Booster Gold, and Wonder Woman. With Booster Gold in the hospital, and Wonder Woman on another assignment, Beetle went himself to uncover the conspiracy. Blue Beetle ended up being right, discovering a spy satellite that was once Batman's but is now under the control of a villain. With it, this villain knows the whereabouts and identities of every hero in the DC Universe. Sadly, Blue Beetle was shot in the head by former ally and once head of the Justice League International, Maxwell Lord. No one knew the fate of Blue Beetle. Within 80 pages, you learn to love him, then he dies.

With Beetle's whereabouts unknown, Wonder Woman agrees to help Booster Gold find his best friend. When they find out, Booster angrily attacks Batman for dismissing him.

Now here's where it gets good. Maxwell Lord, Beetle's killer, has a plan to kill all the superheroes and villains on Earth called The OMAC Project, which is what Blue Beetle also stumbled upon. He also has the ability to control minds. With Batman hot on his trail, he enacts a plan that he's been working on for years: gaining control of Superman. Infiltrating his mind, Max made Superman see his worst enemies brutally kill his wife Lois Lane. Superman went on a rampage as a result, almost slaughtering his enemies. But what he didn't know was that he wasn't fighting Brainiac, Darkseid, or Ruin. He was fighting Batman, seriously injuring him. If Wonder Woman hadn't interrupted, Batman would be dead.

When Martian Manhunter discovered it was Maxwell Lord who did this to Superman, and determined it was irreversible, a devastated Clark incapacitated the Justice League and went to confront him. However, he walked right into his trap. Wonder Woman followed him only to find Superman once again under Max's control. What follows is a brutal fight between Superman and Wonder Woman. Superman was seeing Doomsday rip Lois apart, and believed Wonder Woman to be Doomsday. He was not holding back. But Wonder Woman held her own (barely) and eventually tied Maxwell Lord up in her lasso. Flinging her tiara at Superman's throat, she demanded Max release control of him. He did, leaving a stunned Superman now aware of what he's done. Max says this won't stop him, saying he'll regain control of Superman, killing Batman, Lois, and many more. She asks him how to release his control of Superman. Bound by the Lasso of Truth, Max Lord said "Kill me."

Without hesitation, Wonder Woman snapped his neck.

THIS is why Wonder Woman kicks ASS. She did what was necessary for the safety of the entire world without flinching. She is a warrior after all, and has no qualms about killing when no other option presents itself.

However, the Big Three are split. WW and Superman don't trust Batman because it was his satellite they didn't know about. WW and Batman don't trust Superman because of the brutal beatings he handed down to them. Superman and Batman don't trust Wonder Woman because of her willingness to take a life.

This makes for compelling reading. Props to Greg Rucka, for it was him who wrote all that. It will no doubt lead into the Infinite Crisis that will shatter the DC Universe.

Phew! Thanks for bearing with me folks.