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5 Forms of Wonder Woman Prep Material

This Friday(or Thursday night) is a big event in geek culture.  The oldest, and most famous, female superhero will be hitting the big screen in her own theatrical film.  This is something many have waited a while to see.  The comic book and superhero genre has long since been thought of as "boy's stuff", but there have been plenty of female super heroines to grace the pages of Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and all the other publishing companies.  

Wonder Woman first appeared in All-Star Comics #8 in 1941, and was created by psychologist William Moulton Mason and illustrated by Harry G. Peter.  Throughout the years she's had a sorted history, and some would say an icon for feminism.  During the 1940's she was portrayed as strong to get women to keep the factory jobs alive while their men fought in World War II.  In the 1950's they wrote her weaker(and in need of man) to show women they "belonged" back at home now that men were back from the war.  And in the 1970's, Diana was de-powered completely and was more of a kung-fu expert instead of a superhero demi-god.  

Now the Amazon princess is about get her own solo film, and many are holding their breath, hoping that it's success will lead to a slew of female-led superhero films.  Early reviews are favorable for the film, saying it's the best film yet in Warner Bros. DC Cinematic Universe that started with 2013's Man of Steel, followed by last year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.  I've never been a big fan of Wonder Woman. But, I know what she represents, and I'm just as anxious as everyone to see the film. My hope is that it will not only be a step for female superheroes in film, but also change the path of the DCEU that will begin an uphill climb.  Listed below I have five pieces of entertainment starring Diana Prince that get me excited to see Wonder Woman in a few days.  Check them out, and get to know the Princess of Themyscira a little better before seeing her first solo film.

5)  Batman v. Superman:  Dawn of Justice(The Ultimate Cut)

When word came out that Gal Gadot was going to be playing the most famous super heroine in fiction there were some(like me) who did not agree with this decision.  The model-turned-actress had not proven she had the acting chops to pull of this iconic character.  She was too skinny for an Amazon and her part in the Fast & Furious franchise showed no potential for her to carry this heavy role.  

Batman v. Superman gives us our first glimpse of Gadot in the part, and while no one is doubting she looks great in the costume during the final action scene, she wasn't in the film long enough to get a good sense of how she will do on her own.  To this day, I am still worried about what I will get from Gadot when I sit down in the theater.  But from the trailers it looks like director Patty Jenkins did what all good directors do; she built a great supporting cast around the fresh star and had their performances make her look good.  At least, I hope that's what happend.

Side Note: if you do watch this film, please what The Ultimate Cut.  It's 30 minutes longer, but WAAAY better than the theatrical cut.  Whoever at Warner Bros thought taking those 30 minutes out of the film I hope was fired, because they didn't know that having a good product will help a film make $1 billion rather that getting more showings in a day by cutting the film and making it crap.

4)  Justice League (2001-2004)

This was probably my first real good exposure to Wonder Woman.  Bruce Timm's series spun-out of his Batman and Superman animated series and expanded to what we now see as the first TV or film DC connected universe.  This cartoon had four seasons, starting with the premiere that saw Diana leave Themyscira to help fight off an alien invasion by teaming up with Superman, Batman, Flash, and others.  

Voiced by Susan Eisnberg, Wonder Woman had some good stories in some great episodes.  The series even teased a long flirtation between her and Batman that is very interesting to watch progress.  Eisenberg went on to voice Wonder Woman for several other animated projects like Batman/Superman: Apocalypse and Justice League: Doom, but this one is still my favorite.  You can find all the episodes on Netflix. 

3) Wonder Woman (1975-1979)

I was too young to know about the TV series that was Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter, but it's the most infamous version of the character to date.  Even I can't say the words "Wonder Woman" out loud without singing them.  Carter portrayed Diana as a strong and capable woman in a series some would consider cheesy by today's standards.  But the serious approach Carter took to the character is one of the reasons girls where spinning in their bedrooms hoping a rainbow flash would turn them into the Amazon warrior.

In 2011, NBC was looking to get another Wonder Woman TV series off the ground starring Friday Night Lights alumi Adrianne Palicki.  The series was not picked up and the pilot was never aired.  If the show did go to series we might never have gotten this big screen adaptation.  You can find the 1975 series on Amazon Digital and the 2011 pilot on "the black internet", but I have yet to see it.

2) Wonder Woman (2009)

These days I'm much more impressed with how Warner Bros is treating the DC characters in animated form that they are on the silver screen.  The people behind the animated films seem to handle the mythology of the superheroes better, and get what makes each character so beloved.  I just hope Patty Jenkins and the rest of the yahoo's at WB see this film as a great outline on how to do a Wonder Woman film correctly.

This adaptation has Keri Russell(The Americans, Felicity) voicing Diana, and is joined by other great casting choices such as Nathan Fillion, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, and Oliver Platt.  It leans into the core of what Wonder Woman is all about by just updating the classic origin story and giving us characters to care about in the process.  Honestly, if Jenkins just remade this film in live-action form I have no doubt Wonder Woman will be a most enjoyable experience.  They just re-released the film on DVD and Blu-Ray.

1) Wonder Woman (2012-2016)

Like I said, I've never been an actual fan of Wonder Woman.  And while I credit the 'New 52' for ruining some of my favorite DC characters like Superman and Flash, I have to also give them props for making me completely enthralled with Wonder Woman for the first time in my life.  

Written by Brian Azzarello, the first seven volumes of this run are fantastic.  Diana finds out her true origins(which I won't spoil), and goes on a journey protecting a daughter of Zeus from his wife Hera's wrath.  I love greek mythology, and once again, the minds behind this Wonder Woman embrace her world, and give Diana a very personal character quest as she battles all the gods of Greece from Ares to Hades.  Sadly, I haven't latched onto the 'Rebirth' Wonder Woman as much, but I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone looking to learn more about Princess Diana of Themyscira.  

My 34 Years With Star Wars

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away......to me those word means everything.  Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Star Wars(A New Hope subtitle was added later).  This film touched the world in a way no one ever expected, including it's creator; George Lucas.  Decades later, there are Star Wars fans world wide.  Last month I got to meet other Star Wars fans from Australia, Germany, and Japan at my first ever Star Wars: Celebration in Orlando.  Where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to bask in the phenomenon that all started with a young man on a desert planet who craved an adventure. 

I've been a Star Wars fan my whole life.  When my dad would take my brother and I to the local comic book store I used to get back issues of the original Marvel series.  I remember the day Dark Empire #1 was released(still coolest cover ever).  I remember begging my dad to buy me the Star Wars novelization, but first, to make sure I was advance enough to read it, he made me read several pages from the most recent Star Wars book he was reading; Heir To The Empire. I remember seeing every Star Wars movie in theaters(starting in 1997) and how mad I was at my parents for not letting me go to the midnight showing of The Phantom Menace(looking back on that one I should thank them).  When I used to drive my car in the snow with my headlights on it made me feel like I was traveling through hyperspace. I've had more Star Wars toys than I can count(still have my lightsabers), and to this day The Empire Strikes Back is my go-to Sick Day movie.  

I have been lucky enough to share my love for Star Wars with lots of people in my life, but probably my favorite has been my wife; Lisa.  When I first met her, she liked the Star Wars films, but had never read any of the books or comics.  Now, she's always listening to the audiobooks in the car, she has just as much apparel as I do, and any time I find something Star Wars related she rarely says "No".  I honestly believe it has brought us closer together as couple. I told her years ago if she didn't at least like Star Wars I never would have even dated her.  So why do I love Star Wars so much?  Because, to me, it's about the biggest "war" of all; the one within us.

When it began, Star Wars seemed pretty simple.  It was about a young man who yearned for more, and ended up being taken on a journey that changed him forever.  He saved the princess and defeated the evil man in black.  But as Luke Skywalker's story goes on the details get more complex and layered.  The evil man in black is really his father, whom had suffered great tragedy.  So Luke must decide if he should kill his father, or forgive him for all the horrors he's committed.

On the other side of the coin, Anakin Skywalker was a young boy who was forced into a life of slavery, only to be saved and taken to a place that told him he was special.  He fell in love, let his feelings control him, and in the end it cost him everything he cared about.  Regardless of how you feel about the prequels, the story of Darth Vader is a very real one.

We all have people we care about in our lives.  As a husband and father myself, I would kill to keep them safe.  Anakin wanted more power to try and save the people he loved.  I honestly believe the decisions he made are the same ones we would all make.  It may sound evil, but I think it's really just our humanity.  Anakin's son, Luke, also faced a similar situation but chose a different path.  He put his faith in his father, and trusted that his love would be enough to safe them both.

Another reason I think Star Wars has lasted as long as it has it because of the deep mythology Lucas created.  Up until The Force Awakens he created it all, and filled it with people we all know.  I can't tell you how many times my wife reminds me of Hera, my smart-mouth sounds like Obi-Wan, and I know someone I actually call "Snips."  He imagined this world of excitement we can all live in.  We can swing a laser sword and take down the ice monster.  We can see ourselves running for our lives as we escape the horribly inaccurate stormtroopers.  And who hasn't thought about having a dogfight in a spaceship?  It's our wildest dreams we'll never get to live, but we can watch it on screen time after time.

Many years ago The History Channel(back when it actually showed historical programs) did a documentary on the Star Wars saga called Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed.  It was about how Star Wars took notes from ancient mythology, religion, and history.  But it shows how Star Wars is similar to stories that have survived centuries because they tell us something about ourselves.  It's on YouTube.  I highly recommend it! 

  Today I did the math, I will easily be alive for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars(I hope), but to make it to the 100th year anniversary I'm going to have to live to be 94.  It's no impossible, but I'd better start cutting back on the brownies and bacon just in case.  

I guess what I've been trying to say in this somewhat scattered post is that Star Wars is in my DNA(possibly midi-chlorians) because it taps into something inside of me.  I love the characters I relate to and the adventures those characters take me on. I know people who don't like Star Wars, and while I respect their opinions I also feel like they don't get what the core of it is.  It was/is about a young man who craved an adventure, but ended up getting one he didn't expected. I just think we can all relate to that.  Because it's called life.

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