Greg Rucka's Run

[Gail Simone]

Yep, I thought it was brilliant. Greg and I came at the character from two different routes, there's no question about it, but I thought he made a spectacularly cohesive backdrop for Wonder Woman, and we agree on all the main points about Diana's motivations and potential.

As some of you know, my three favorite elements of his run are not really available to me to use.

1) The embassy is gone,

2) DC has moved on from Greg's version of the gods (which I think is a shame, as I thought they were very inventive) .

3) And Greg himself has asked me not to use Veronica Cale at this time.

Greg's been very gracious about using all the other elements, and has more than once suggested I use Ferdinand (whom I feel really works best with Greg writing). And he's been very helpful in clarifying some questions I had about elements in his run, and he and I came up with a cool story for why Etta is more take-no-prisoners now than she used to be.

For many WW readers, Greg's run will always be definitive, and that's hard to pull off. Certainly, it's a major achievement and a milestone in Diana's history.

So, this thread is for Greg's run. Did you love it, hate it, love to hate it, hate to love it, what did you like about it, and what elements did you enjoy that Greg brought to the book?

[turnedm]

Yep, I thought it was brilliant. Greg and I came at the character from two different routes, there's no question about it, but I thought he made a spectacularly cohesive backdrop for Wonder Woman, and we agree on all the main points about Diana's motivations and potential.

As some of you know, my three favorite elements of his run are not really available to me to use.

1) The embassy is gone,

2) DC has moved on from Greg's version of the gods (which I think is a shame, as I thought they were very inventive) .

3) And Greg himself has asked me not to use Veronica Cale at this time.

Greg's been very gracious about using all the other elements, and has more than once suggested I use Ferdinand (whom I feel really works best with Greg writing). And he's been very helpful in clarifying some questions I had about elements in his run, and he and I came up with a cool story for why Etta is more take-no-prisoners now than she used to be.

For many WW readers, Greg's run will always be definitive, and that's hard to pull off. Certainly, it's a major achievement and a milestone in Diana's history.

So, this thread is for Greg's run. Did you love it, hate it, love to hate it, hate to love it, what did you like about it, and what elements did you enjoy that Greg brought to the book?

Well, the run was great. It's what got me reading WW again. The Gorgon storyline was excellent. And his part in the Sacrifice storyline was awesome, with repercussions still felt today.

It's a shame DC decided to change the Gods once again. However, I know that you will make it work. I have a question though: will you pick up the subplot concerning Lyta? Since she was reclaimed by Ares we haven{t hear a thing about her. It seems like now that Ares is supposedly dead, it would be a nice way to reintroduce her into your run.

[CYOTI]

I thought his idea of Athena overthrowing Zeus as an extension of her story in greek myth was particularly brilliant.

[spark627]

I LOVED Greg's run. I own every TPB and read it often. What I love so much was how he created a world where people had such strong feelings for Diana. Either they idolized her, put her on a pedestal or thought she was evil. Then we turn to Diana who is just so normal and human. I loved the contrast.

He created the BEST supporting cast and it overall just felt real.

[suedenim]

I had all of the Rucka run piled up, unread, for a long time and didn't get back to it until well into Gail's run, which I love.

Not sure why, exactly. I kept it on my pull list, but there was some now-forgotten thing in the early issues that rubbed me the wrong way, maybe, and/or I was having trouble keeping up with The Weekly Stack O' Comics anyway around then.

Anyway, once I *did* read them all, I loved them, almost as much as Gail's run. The key to both, I think, is simply getting Diana's character, and what distinguishes her from the typical superhero. One aspect: Amazons take oaths very seriously. For instance, if Superman says "I'll do whatever it takes to bring this villain to justice," he's speaking somewhat metaphorically. He's not being dishonest or anything, but if Diana said the same thing, you know she'll literally do whatever it takes. (And for that reason, she doesn't make promises like that lightly.)

Loved his take on the gods, too, and can't figure out why DC wouldn't want that to continue.

[Raven Of Rhiannon]

I cannot begin to describe how much I loved his run. From the moment his Diana appeared on the page, I knew this run would be epic. The scope of what he did was phenomenal, and yet, his Diana felt very personal and not at all aloof. One of the things that impressed me was the way Rucka seemlessly went from Diana's POV to that of the embassy staffers. Seeing her through there eyes painted a more complete picture of the entire character.
I loved the incorporations of the Greek Myths, and I HATE that you cannot use his version of the Gods, Gail. I think you could have done 'wonders' with them. The political elements were cool too, a little like 'Wonder West Wing.' All of the elements Rucka set up were rife with story possibilities for YEARS. It's a shame that Infinite Crisis and his departure from the book put an end to that phase of Wonder Woman. It would have been nice to see Rucka's set up remain for other writers to play with.

[Flâneur]

Rucka is to blame for my love of Wonder Woman and she's to blame for me reading DC.

I know that I never took Wonder Woman that seriously, I hated DC because I hated Superman and a lot of the overdone elements in play and then I read Rucka's run on a recommendation and I loved it. I didn't feel like I was reading some other universe which didn't make sense, I was just reading about Wonder Woman and she wasn't just a stupid superhero who flew around beating up bad guys - she was political, sociological, militant, charitable - she was complex and the Rucka run wasn't something I'd cringe in recommending to my more mainstream non-comic reading friends. It's smart, it's bright, it's shiny, it's spectacular, it's her.

After that, I moved to Manhunter because of the Wonder Woman arc (and because there was a gay couple in it) and realised it was really cool. Rucka is also the reason that I took the time to come back to the current Wonder Woman book, even though I didn't really take it seriously at the time, and read through all of her other stories one at a time. After that I spread out into the rest of DC.

[PabloD]

I think the first...ten, fifteen issues or so of the run are extremely solid. I remember being absolutely crazy about them when I first read them. Those are still some of the best Wonder Woman comics I've ever read. I think after that you can sort of start seeing the Infinite Crisis pieces shifting around and influencing his run a bit, and that's more or less when it starts losing me. By the end it seemed like Rucka had to dump or cut short almost every interesting subplot he had going in order to make room for the IC stuff, and I think that's a bit of a shame. So I'd really like to see him go back to the character at some point (it'd be great if they gave WW a second title like Superman and Batman and handed it to him while Gail continued her run). And I believe I heard he's writing a Blackest Night: Wonder Woman miniseries? If so, I'm definitely picking it up.

[Hyperion322]

I'll never forget bemoaning about how slow Rucka's stories seemed at first, still well-written, but hardly living up to the hype I kept reading across the 'Net. But then suddenly I was won over and will fondly remember waiting with great anticipation for the latest issue of his Wonder Woman to hit stands! I loved the Embassy, Meduosa, Veronica Cale, Circe, Ares, and Athena with such great passion -- ! It was a great time to be a Wonder Woman fan! A great memory involving Rucka's =W= run was a trip my ex-boyfriend and I took to Miami and the trades I brought of Rucka's first two volumes. My ex (a Dartmouth graduate, but he can be a little pretentious) loves intelligent and creative writing, but didn't really believe me when I explained about the the high level of creativity and poise of Wonder Woman. All it took was for Mikee to look over my shoulder aboard the plane, and later to read alongside me while we sunned on the beach, but he was immediately hooked and devoured the material, desperately asking for more!

By the way, thank you, Gail, for keeping fans in the loop as to why you may or may not be touching on parts of Wonder Woman's past!

~ Hype

[Vigo the Carpathian]

The best run the character has ever had. Rucka wrote the definitive run for Wonder Woman in the new millenium. The fact that lesser minders tore everything he did down in a wave of Nostalgia does not change that fact.

[Kevenn]

I liked his run. I liked it even more starting with the Bronze Doors storyline. I think the artwork at the beginning of his run hampered my enjoyment of it overall.

[MinaRho1]

I thought his idea of Athena overthrowing Zeus as an extension of her story in greek myth was particularly brilliant.

That was one of my favorite elements. And consistent with mythology. Aren't Gods in constant fear of being overthrown (by their own children, no less?)

[LittleMissVixen]

Yep, I thought it was brilliant. Greg and I came at the character from two different routes, there's no question about it, but I thought he made a spectacularly cohesive backdrop for Wonder Woman, and we agree on all the main points about Diana's motivations and potential.

As some of you know, my three favorite elements of his run are not really available to me to use.

1) The embassy is gone,

2) DC has moved on from Greg's version of the gods (which I think is a shame, as I thought they were very inventive) .

3) And Greg himself has asked me not to use Veronica Cale at this time.

Greg's been very gracious about using all the other elements, and has more than once suggested I use Ferdinand (whom I feel really works best with Greg writing). And he's been very helpful in clarifying some questions I had about elements in his run, and he and I came up with a cool story for why Etta is more take-no-prisoners now than she used to be.

For many WW readers, Greg's run will always be definitive, and that's hard to pull off. Certainly, it's a major achievement and a milestone in Diana's history.

So, this thread is for Greg's run. Did you love it, hate it, love to hate it, hate to love it, what did you like about it, and what elements did you enjoy that Greg brought to the book?



This is very bittersweet for me to read. I loved-loved-loved Greg’s run. His take on the Gods was inspiring; it is how I would imagine them today. I think it would be natural for the Gods to grow and evolve, and adapt to the world today…rather than sitting on their thrones in white robes. The Gods became much more interesting supportive players in Diana’s world. And as discussed in other thread, I thought Veronica Cale was an excellent new foil for Diana. She still has a lot of potential.

The lack of these elements is symbolic of a reason Wonder Woman has struggled so much in gaining stability. Over last several years, there has been a lack of continuity between writers. Rather than carrying over the best contributions to her Mythos, it always seems like the slate is washed clean between runs. (Exit Supporting Cast and Villians, Enter New Supporting Cast and Villians).

While Greg’s take on the Gods is long gone, I do hope he lefts his embargo on Veronica.

It would also be line to revisit Ferdinand, Io and Lyta.

[PabloD]

Ah, Io. She was a great part of his run. I really liked her and would love to see her back at some point.

[Indigo Al]

If anything, the framing device of the Embassy was really one of the most intriguing aspects of the book, something that gave Diana a solid place in the modern world without relying on a secret ID.

[loneangel74]

I met Greg Rucka at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, Georgia when he had just started his run. At the time, I had given up on Wonder Woman because I was having a little difficulty wrapping my head around some of the things that happened in Byrne's run. He let me sample a copy of his first issue and explained that he saw Diana as not your common hero and that he felt her public appearances should be rare and inspiring. After such a moving introduction, I had not choice but to give his run a try! And man was I glad I did. There were so many elements that he brought to the table including a solid supporting cast and a growing emotional connection between each of them and Diana. Not only were they more than place holders, but the depths to which Diana would go for her friends has never been detail more brilliantly than during the Bronze Doors storyline and for the Diana to only want the restoration of the child turned stoned by Medusa was classic Diana! It brought tears to my eyes when Athena restored her vision in time to see the child run back into the embassy to embrace his overwhelmed by joy father! That is some GOOD storytelling! By the way... what happened to the gray eyes and their link to Athena's vision?

My only disappointment in his run was that we never saw how he intended the sacrifice storyling to wrap up for Diana. The casual overlooking of it in Infinite Crisis where Diana was branded as an anti-hero and basically vilified, followed by 52 with no real discussion about the matter, left me cold to the relaunch.

Still, I look fondly on Mr. Rucka's run and cannot wait for Blackest Night: Wonder Woman!

[Xeres]

Oh. Hrm. Ok, let me start positive here.

I liked the embassy. I thought that worked. Also Diana's book worked to. That was a nice touch into the whole story.

I liked his Cheetah. That was very good.

I thought Veronica Cale had a chance to be an excellent character and nemesis for Diana.

Here's a question for Rucka though. It looked to me that he was kind of blindsided by Infinite Crisis. He seemed to be starting long subplots (see Veronica Cale and Lyta, etc) and it looked the rug was pulled out from under him. It looked like he had to wrap things up pretty abruptly. Is that what happened?

Now for what I didn't like.

The modernization of the gods. It just didn't work for me. I really can't put my finger on exactly why though. It was a good idea and if I had known beforehand I would have been all for it. After reading though it just didn't work for me. *shrug*

Puppet Diana. She really felt like a puppet here and that annoyed me greatly. Basically Athena had her doing task after task without much reason. Athena comes off as rather heavy handed and doesn't really treat Diana with much dignity to me.

Consistency please! First, Diana has a fight with Medusa - a one trick pony who, if I recall correctly, has never been portrayed as a good fighter. She just turns things to stone. But not here - she gives Diana a good fight. OK fine. Next Diana fights a good portion of the JLA, a group known for its fighting prowess and does well while blindfolded. Want to chalk that up to Diana becoming more proficient at fighting blind? Eh, that's a stretch. Going from fighting poorly against Medusa to now doing well against the JLA is a big leap. Then she fights Briareros (or however it's spelled). You remember, the thing with many arms and many heads. A being so fearsome that it keeps the rest of the pantheon at bay. Diana not only beats it, she does so easily, in fact not even putting up any offense at all to prove that Zeus isn't merciful anymore and deserves to be overthrown. Upon order from Athena Diana immediately dispatches of this fearsome creature. Then there's Sacrifice. I can go on about that but to sum it up, as sensational as comics get this went so far beyond that I just rolled my eyes. I root for Diana and I couldn't stomach that fight. Then after all this you want me to believe Silver Swan or Cheetah can give Diana a tough time? Hardly. I don't want Diana all powerful like this. Let me just put this perspective - she was punched and flew MILLIONS of miles in space, impacted the earth, and after a few secs got up and was fine. Wow. Powerful, that's fine but this went waaaaaaaay over the top. That's tough to do in comics.

Forefit. Your life is forefit. Your vow is forefit. This was overused and seemed to contradict the modern approach Rucka seemed to be establishing. That's a small complaint though.

Oh yeah! Ferdinand. No thank you. I'm not fond of talking animals in the book. I'm weird like that.

So yeah - Rucka's run was not my favorite.

[Evil Eleanor]

As some of you know, my three favorite elements of his run are not really available to me to use.

1) The embassy is gone,


How "gone" is it?

"Gone" as in it's just not there any more in the story, right now, but might return?
"Gone" as in it's not there in the story now, and you don't see it returning while you're on the book?
Or "Gone" as in you've been flat out ordered not to use it?



2) DC has moved on from Greg's version of the gods (which I think is a shame, as I thought they were very inventive) .


You're being too kind. We lost Greg's gods because the classic versions showed up in Countdown? COUNTDOWN? COUNTDOWN?!?!?!?

...I'll return to this thread for more thoughts when I've calmed down.

[TheDreamKing]

2) DC has moved on from Greg's version of the gods (which I think is a shame, as I thought they were very inventive) .

What do you mean ?

[troy2g1]

Easily my favorite run. I wish he was able to tell all the stories he wanted to tell without intereference...

[SJNeal]

I liked his run. I liked it even more starting with the Bronze Doors storyline. I think the artwork at the beginning of his run hampered my enjoyment of it overall.

Really? I loved Drew Johnson's stuff. For me, it was the art at the end of the run that did the hampering; Cliff Richards should stick to Buffy comics.

[MPagar]

I enjoyed Rucka's run on Wonder Woman. I was getting a kick from his writing style from Adventures of Superman and older Batman works(Loved No Man's Land and the novelization), so I gave this a shot.

A relative of minehad given me older issues from Perez and Jiminez, which were excellent reads, but this was the first time I really started picking up the title.

[knowwonder]

I really, really, really enjoyed Greg's run on the book. It brought me back to the fold after Byrne. I had dipped into The PJ years a couple times, but between the boards and some serious wincing, I wasn't fully back into the swing again until Greg came on board.

It was different, a lot less compressed, and what I found to be very thoughtful.

Why "Gorgon Spit" isn't used more as a catch phrase, I'll never know.

[MPagar]

What do you mean ?


The modernized gods.

[gargoylekitty]

Loved Rucka's run, especially those first two things that have changed since. The Embassy added, in a good way, to the supporting cast and gave Diana a place outside of Themyscira that went beyond being Wonder Woman and Athena's overthrowing of Zeus was brilliantly played. Also, there was nothing about Io was wasn't adorable and great. My biggest problem with his run, on the other hand, would be his Cheetah. Too much sexy and not enough scary/fierce.

[4PointOh]

Believe it or not, I started off not liking Greg's run at all.

I was a big champion of Phil Jimenez's run and was dismayed that Rucka came in and pretty much eliminated all of the elements that I loved most about Jimenez's run (the new Themyscira being the most notable). I had initially believe Greg's run to be extraordinarily melancholy and the art was not to my tastes.

Then, I stopped being so egotistical about it, dropped my sense of entitlement about who and what Wonder Woman should be (in other words, I got over myself) and actually started reading the darn stories. And they were absolutely brilliant.

Greg introduced the element that I think has been most effective in getting at the core of who Wonder Woman is: the first-person dialogue box narration. Wonder Woman was no longer a cipher or mouth-piece for a bunch of fancy philosophical ideas. That's not to say that she wasn't political; but what Rucka did, to great effect, was move those elements from Diana the character, and foregrounded them elsehwere: the controversial collection of essays Diana wrote, Veronica Cale's motivations for being an adversary, Diana's embassy staff and the challenges they took on, the modern (and inherently political) take on the gods, Io as a potential love interest, etc.

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/wonder-woman-1987/209-1.jpg

I think "Stoned" (WONER WOMAN #206-210) would have probably been the most epic Wonder Woman story ever told if Greg had a more skilled artist on hand. And the story about Veronica Cale ("Leaks" from WONDER WOMAN #202) is the best stand alone story in Wonder Woman history; and even though Diana appear in that story as a central character, her presence is felt always. Remarakable feat, Sir Rucka.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1093/116107-3824-109046-1-wonder-woman_super.JPG

Oh, and of course, the J.G. Jones covers were BOSS.

[MatthewDiCarlo]

I love Greg's run. I heard him speak at Wizard World Boston 04 (I think. It might have been the Baltimore Comic-Con the next year) talking about Sacrifice and the sheer level of thought that went into the Superman/Wonder Woman fight, every little aspect of it, was just jaw-dropping. I'm not sure there's anyone in comics who spends as much time getting into his characters' heads as Greg Rucka, which isn't a knock on anyone else. Other people are great, but he's just so good at it.

And the premise of Wonder Woman looking back and trying to see why her mission wasn't working and then adapting it was very strong. My only real regret is that the initial political elements really only lasted through the first storyline. I get that they probably weren't very marketable but I think that first storyline is brilliant. I like what came after, sure, especially the usage of the gods (and I'm liking the sort of similar bent over in Incredible Herc right now, too, even if it's a TOTALLY different book), but those first six or seven issues wow'ed me like very little else I've read in a very long time. Of course, I'm the guy who will easily say his favorite Iron Man run ever was the JJM Secretary of Defense run, so keep that in mind. Also, the one crossover I'd want probably even more than a Rick Jones/Snapper Carr one would be Ross from Black Panther with her Ambassadorial Staff.

I wish we could get a big omnibus of it like we have for the Brubaker Captain America and Iron Fist runs. It deserves it as much as anything.

[4PointOh]

I love Greg's run. I heard him speak at Wizard World Boston 04 (I think. It might have been the Baltimore Comic-Con the next year) talking about Sacrifice and the sheer level of thought that went into the Superman/Wonder Woman fight, every little aspect of it, was just jaw-dropping. I'm not sure there's anyone in comics who spends as much time getting into his characters' heads as Greg Rucka, which isn't a knock on anyone else. Other people are great, but he's just so good at it.

And the premise of Wonder Woman looking back and trying to see why her mission wasn't working and then adapting it was very strong. My only real regret is that the initial political elements really only lasted through the first storyline. I get that they probably weren't very marketable but I think that first storyline is brilliant. I like what came after, sure, especially the usage of the gods (and I'm liking the sort of similar bent over in Incredible Herc right now, too, even if it's a TOTALLY different book), but those first six or seven issues wow'ed me like very little else I've read in a very long time. Of course, I'm the guy who will easily say his favorite Iron Man run ever was the JJM Secretary of Defense run, so keep that in mind. Also, the one crossover I'd want probably even more than a Rick Jones/Snapper Carr one would be Ross from Black Panther with her Ambassadorial Staff.

I wish we could get a big omnibus of it like we have for the Brubaker Captain America and Iron Fist runs. It deserves it as much as anything.

"Sacrifice" was a great story. I hate that it gets second-guessed and Monday-morning-quarterbacked to death. It's clear from the tone and narrative of the story that it was meant to present Wonder Woman with two options: Let him live and risk the lives of millions, or kill him and save millions of lives.

But critics kept saying, "She should have put him in the Phantom Zone." Though, that wasn't really a viable solution since Martian Manhunter indicated in the previous story that the nature of Maxwell's powers was such that distance would present no barrier.

[3D Master]

Greg Rucka's run just plain rocked.

[Kyle Sing]

I thought Rucka's run was truly brilliant and his run is one of the greatest in comics lore without a doubt!

That said, I did welcome the return of "Diana Prince" and original cast members like Etta and Steve.

I think that Gail has done a perfect job of taking what Perez, Jimenez, and Rucka have done and added her own flavor withour taking away from what has come before.

I don't think it has to be an either/or scenario, that is to say: Either Diana works at the embassy and is a diplomat and warrior and doesn't use a secret ID, OR she does use one and works for DMA.

I for one see no difference in the character of Diana from Greg's run to Gail's just the addition of the classical iconic elements; secret ID, more of Diana's rogues etc.

Greg set the bar on the high on Wonder Woman and as a fan I am truly grateful.

Peace,

Kyle

[ScottyQuick]

I love the modern Gods
I love the embassy
I love Medusa's death
I love Di's black horsey!

I love his whole run
It's such a brilliant thing

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

I love Io's cute crush
I love the new fun cook
I love the mad Doctor
I loved the Gods new look

I loved all the cast
They're such a clever crew

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

I love her selflessness
I love her sympathy
I love her influence
I love her badassery

I loved his Wonder Woman
She's an amazing femme

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada
Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

[gargoylekitty]

That song is now going to be stuck in my head. Not sure if that's good or bad at this point.

[nepenthes]

Should I start at the beginning of Ruckas run or just go straight into the Gorgon tpb? I usually don't mind coming into a run mid point if it's a good read, I'm just wondering if there's anything really cool in the earlier trades I'll be missing out on, or if it's the kind of story that takes of advatange of lead-up and slow build.

[shanejayell]

LOVED Rucka's run to death and was so pissed at Infinite Crisis messing with it. I so wish we could have seen what happened if he had continued on....

[Karl O'Neill]

Read some of it and loved it.Need to get the rest of the trades. I loved veronica cale and loved her in 52 when she said that the final crisis was coming.

[ScottyQuick]

Should I start at the beginning of Ruckas run or just go straight into the Gorgon tpb? I usually don't mind coming into a run mid point if it's a good read, I'm just wondering if there's anything really cool in the earlier trades I'll be missing out on, or if it's the kind of story that takes of advatange of lead-up and slow build.

I'd really recommend you start with Down To Earth, then Bitter Rivals before you get to Eyes of the Gorgon. It's not that you can't enjoy it by itself, it's just that it works so much more epically with the buildup, especially from Bitter Rivals.

[CYOTI]

That was one of my favorite elements. And consistent with mythology. Aren't Gods in constant fear of being overthrown (by their own children, no less?) Moreso in the case of Athena and Zeus since she was prophesized in the original myths to be the child that would overthrow Zeus, which was why he swallowed her and her mother like what Cronus was going to do to him.

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Rucka was, in my opinion, the first really, really good writer on the book since Perez and company left. Others either didn't quite get the character, or didn't quite WANT the character, or had the desire but just didn't have the chops to bring it off. Rucka had a clear, fascinating idea of what he wanted to do with the concept and the talent to bring it off.

Unfortunately, it did seem like he was being tripped up all the time by editorial dictates. God knows how many Veronica Cale stories were scuttled at the last minute. And it was awful how the whole rug was just pulled out from under him, right after starting a major plotline no less.

[scandalsavage]

I love the modern Gods
I love the embassy
I love Medusa's death
I love Di's black horsey!

I love his whole run
It's such a brilliant thing

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

I love Io's cute crush
I love the new fun cook
I love the mad Doctor
I loved the Gods new look

I loved all the cool cast
They're such a clever crew

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

I love her selflessness
I love her sympathy
I love her influence
I love her badassery

I loved his Wonder Woman
She's an amazing femme

Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada
Boom de yada Boom de yada Boom de Yada Boom de yada

Scotty, that's Brilliant!
But I am going to kill you because I can't get it out of my head.

[Dream Boy]

Loved the Rucka run. He produced one of my favorite Steve Trevor scenes ever, when he's shown as being strong enough to resist Medusa. Fantastic.

[Deus ex Chris]

Rucka's run is definitely my favorite. As I've stated elsewhere, he's the one who showed me why I should love Wonder Woman. He managed to marry myth and the mundane (repeating myself again) in a way that seemed very fresh and compelling, the primary examples being the Embassy and his take on the gods. His run was also quite intelligent and aware. I love the stuff with Diana's book and Veronica Cale.

Finally and most importantly, his run featured a Wonder Woman who was strong, compassionate, wise, clever, warm, self-sacrificing, open, and at times effing scary. I loved every minute.

[nepenthes]

I'd really recommend you start with Down To Earth, then Bitter Rivals before you get to Eyes of the Gorgon. It's not that you can't enjoy it by itself, it's just that it works so much more epically with the buildup, especially from Bitter Rivals.

thanks. the ebay shop I use only has Bitter Rivals and Gorgon anyway so i guess those will have to do for now.

[trypr]

I started reading Wonder Woman with Gail's run and lately I've been working back and buying the trades of Greg Rucka's run, since I was already a huge fan of his from Gotham Central and because it came so highly recommended by like minded commentators. I skipped a couple of cross series tie-ins, in the process, while acquainting myself with the key events.

So far, I admit I feel more than a little sad at how much seems to have been lost from the setting of the title. Without digressing very far from the topic; I enjoyed the supporting piece on the Wonder Woman animated DVD (another recent purchase) that Illuminated the archetypal relationship of the superhero, and how intrinsically linked with the mythos of these archetypes Wonder Woman is, with her connection to the pantheon. I'm a psychologist and I grew up with a love of myths and fairy tales, where the Greek pantheon featured prominently, and I love seeing them as they are, I love the challenge of recasting them, of breaking the classical aesthetic and challenging our expectations of these forces directly.

Diana seems right, much as she does with Gail's own run, although there are some differences in tone and expression of course. I love his incidental characters and the way he seems to have been threading consequential and familiar faces among the Amazons. There are some plot elements that I am scratching my head over, which I lack the back story for, but are nonetheless intriguing.

I also don't really understand why there was ever a (fan) backlash to the Sacrifice story. I understand why it could scare people in that kind of world (although I think people are more rational and it's hyped up a bit for plot purposes) and I understand why Bats and Supes have some illusions broken. However I thought it was inspired as a setup for actually saying what Wonder Woman is about.

I think Gail gets it too, having read some great interviews with her about the character. If there is something Wonder Woman represents to me it is self responsibility (Trinity's stab at encapsulating what she is was pants) and that is the heart of her dignity. Superman is a moral idealist, an absoloute, he's black and white. Batman is many shades of grey but is defined, as a character and archetype, between the points of light and darkness. Wonder Woman is about examining and taking responsibility for your actions, neither clinging to ideals, nor rebelling against them, but looking at what *is* and questioning or accepting it and making a choice you have to live with. To my mind, Sacrifice brought that to the fore in as natural albeit confrontational a manner as possible. Plus the Wonderwoman vs Superman fight was spectacular ^^

Anyhow, I thought a lot of the plotting was pretty inspired as a way of exploring what Diana is and the gods were an essential component of that. Most people in the western world know the Greek pantheon and Athena still represents an especially strong archetype/image, just like the triple Goddess persists in modern myth. It all feels very relevant and I see nothing wrong with taking cues from Sandman in this respect: it just makes a lot of sense to do so.

The embassy is neat, although the tension with Themyscara as part of the world is interesting/problematic, since we never get to see where that was leading. Again, perhaps I'm naive or it was the political climate a few years back, but it seemed there was an awful lot of high level stupid on the part of the American government, as represented there.

I'd love to see a lot of elements return, especially characters, but it's all so hard to figure and reconcile with what was done in the crossovers.

I've been sharing my newfound love of the character with friends not into comics and they are buying DVDs and reading (certain of) her comics and loving her complexity and the fact the character is more than just power fantasies and wish fulfillment.

[lariatofhestia]

I was wowed by Rucka's WW!!! I bought ALL of it!!!

Diana is how I pictured she would be having come to the world and settled in and there is no getting away from it,she will be a political figure...and Greg was brave to face this head on.

My only grouse is at DC who decided to fix something that was not broken and not let Greg tie off properly. Diana was left with the in aftermath of the label murderer which to me she was not cause her friends were over sanctimonious sobs. I mean old Superman was pretty quick to kill for Lois( one person btw) but when Diana kills Max ,he starts acting like a flipping Mary. By now Clark and Bruce know that Diana is a warrior and what she did was for her friend and the world. That needs resolving. Rucka to me never had WW and her friends deal with this and that was the editors fault.


Diana is so badass but she is selfless and she is kind,intelligent and wise and just wow. She is a woman to aspire to. I wasn't too much into the the hints that Diana was flirting with Io thing cause that was stereotyping ...come on a woman head on Superman's body? Pulease if a woman had to get it on with a woman she does not always go for the big old butch one :rolleyes:


So Greg if you reading this,you rock!!!

PS. I miss Ferdinand. I liked him. He was a nice paternal/fraternal figure for Diana. She rarely has those you know.

[Pach!]

The only reason i am a fan of Wonder Woman is because my friend Christopher O. convinced me to read Rucka's run.

[Deus ex Chris]

The only reason i am a fan of Wonder Woman is because my friend Christopher O. convinced me to read Rucka's run.

And your friend Christopher O is glad you did!

[bfrank]

I love the Rucka run...The little things stoood out to me....the highschool in the first arc was based on Notre Dame high in sherman Oaks and I lived across the street at the time....

Athena was the shit.....

I loved how all the gods had moved forward save for Zeus and Hera.....

I loved that he wanted Diana to be over 6 feet, as a amazon should....

and I loved 219!

[Kevenn]

Really? I loved Drew Johnson's stuff. For me, it was the art at the end of the run that did the hampering; Cliff Richards should stick to Buffy comics.
To each his own. I loved Cliff Richards' art. I would have rather had Chris Marrinan come back on the book than Drew Johnson.

[SJNeal]

To each his own. I loved Cliff Richards' art. I would have rather had Chris Marrinan come back on the book than Drew Johnson.

Wow! That's saying a lot! To each his own, indeed... :wink:

[BlackCanaryGuy]

I loved Rucka's run (Rucka's Run, it sounds like either a touching film about overcoming adversity or an action-packed sci-fi thriller). The bottom line is Rucka understood what Gail understands and all my favorite writers get: the supporting cast does half the work of making a good book great. Secondary characters who are written consistently and well are essential, and so rare that when I find them I will stick with the book until the end.

Case in point: the two-page aside with Liana in this month's secret six. Awesome.

[companion]

Greg Rucka was the first comic professional who I ever got an autograph from. I met him (and Gail about a half hour later) at the New York Comic Con right before it was announced Gail would be taking over Wonder Woman. I handed him the second to last issue he wrote and he looked at the cover, sighed and said "I really miss writing her." It was so great to see someone so passionate about Diana.
The more I read his run the more I love it. Some people thought it was slow and I might have thought that but I often read big blocks of comics at a time and when you read it in a couple of sittings you can tell he's a novelist. Everything's so intricate and it's just great. I loved his version of the gods and well, I may sound like Pollyanna, but I loved every single issue he wrote. Athena's narration in the second to last issue actually made me get all teary eyed.

[raporfest]

I realy didn't like Rucka's run due to the fact it seemed like he was on a crusade to undo everything that Phil Jimmenz did in his run. I felt like he wrote Diana as being hypocritical brute who was a slave to the gods. Don't get me started on the whole WW killing Maxwell Lord which forever scarred Wonder Woman and is basically her equivalent to Emerald Twilight. I'm really not a fan of the decision of making the Greek Gods into OC characters. I personally like the Greek Gods having an anicent and epic feel to them.

[Stanlos]

Should I start at the beginning of Ruckas run or just go straight into the Gorgon tpb? I usually don't mind coming into a run mid point if it's a good read, I'm just wondering if there's anything really cool in the earlier trades I'll be missing out on, or if it's the kind of story that takes of advatange of lead-up and slow build.

Get the whole thing as you have the marvelous benefit of being able to read it all in one sitting. Or at least without the 30 day wait. The Hiketeia and the first two arcs set the stage for Stoned and the others. Everything was built upon what came before. You may also check out the first trade from the Perez run and the second arc with the Cheetah from the Perez run as both factor heavily into Greg's run.

Believe it or not I hated his run initially. I hated it along with the Superman For Tomorrow thing that was starting.

Both of them felt more . . . drawn out and there was not a lot of 'action' initially. Basically, I was impatient but I stuck it out and Gaea was I rewarded. This run is the definitive take on Wonder Woman. Greg was positively fearless and brilliant in his approach to the character and her mythos. He shied away from nothing and fought valiantly and passionately to see her done justice. Unfortunately he lost in the end but while it was going it was extremely well done. Had he had better, more consistent artistic support this would have been even more amazing. Even Wizard conceded this point.

[Stanlos]

The embassy is neat, although the tension with Themyscara as part of the world is interesting/problematic, since we never get to see where that was leading. Again, perhaps I'm naive or it was the political climate a few years back, but it seemed there was an awful lot of high level stupid on the part of the American government, as represented there.

Ah, that is one of the subplots I most wanted to see reach fruition. That was leading to the originally intended Amazons Attack! mini as part of the build-up to IC. Unfortunately that was dropped only to be revived later as the absolute nadir of Wonder Woman history. The mini bore the same name but had its innards scooped out and replaced with stuff I will never revisit again.

[MinaRho1]

Had he had better, more consistent artistic support this would have been even more amazing. Even Wizard conceded this point.

Are you talking about DC in general or the artists doing the pencils and stuff? Because doubtless DC should have supported him more.

Also the art was a little bit spotty. But there were some definite gems. Drew Johnson did great interior art. I loved the covers and Rags Morales did strong work, too.Morales seemed to have trouble drawing Cassie but she had only a handful of scenes, so its a minor quibble.

[PabloD]

Before the current volume, Johnson drew (heh) my favorite version of Wonder Woman. I loved the fact that he made her look very muscular.

[Sean Whitmore]

Rucka's run got me back into Wonder Woman after a long period away...since John Byrne left, I think. I loved quite a bit of it; the battles with Medusa and Superman, the quest to the underworld, and the reimagining of the gods.

Near the end, though, the book was pulled a bit too much into Infinite Crisis nonsense that just made everything dull and ponderous. Followed by Heinberg's non-event and Amazons Attack, I was driven from the book like a scarecrow trying to avoid fire.


SEAN

[Stanlos]

Are you talking about DC in general or the artists doing the pencils and stuff? Because doubtless DC should have supported him more.

Also the art was a little bit spotty. But there were some definite gems. Drew Johnson did great interior art. I loved the covers and Rags Morales did strong work, too.Morales seemed to have trouble drawing Cassie but she had only a handful of scenes, so its a minor quibble.

Wonder Woman #219 had a truckload of artists. Had Rags done the whole issue that book would have been LEGEND. (Though in that case I think there was a bit of personal strife that was affecting him ultimately leading to his being unable to continue on the book.)

While Drew and Ray had their moments I think that Drew was still quite green (anatomy, composition and sequential storytelling were sometimes less than competent). I still liked the team though but I understand the criticisms the team received at that time. Despite that some of my favorite WW images were from their run. The one pager as she exits the White Room dressed for her battle with Medousa, the spear toss depicted at the bottom of one of the pages in 208 during Medousa's oval office attack, and the panel is 199 where she meets Ares on Olympus ("Your business is with me now"--that panel had Wonder Woman looking tall, regal, beautiful,sexy, and indubitably powerful). There were many others as I enjoy other things in addition to anatomy and such. I really liked the heavy blacks and rich lines of Drew and Ray's combined efforts.

But quite uneven they were and many guest artists were on and off during that time.

PS your artwork is stunningly beautiful!

[mercwiththemouth]

I'd picked up some graphic novels of some of his earlier stories, but I wasn't following the monthlies at the time. I picked it up for the story arc where she challenged Medusa and got blinded. I was pretty excited about some of the events going on with WW at the time. However, I ended up dropping it when I realized I wasn't fond of his writing style.

[Gail Simone]

Sacrifice was tough. Greg's issues were good, but the part I was supposed to write blew chunks for purely story reasons. I had to write a Superman dream sequence where we were supposed to feel fear for Superman and Lois, but the readers ALREADY knew it was a dream from the previous issue, and that issue had also had a dream sequence. That seemed absolutely bizarre to me, no one's going to fall for that same thing twice in a row.

So I made a story about Superman and Darkseid boxing with gloves made from the skulls of hunger dogs. That way, at least the story was still fun, even if it was clearly not real.

I don't know exactly what the editorial thinking was, there. I actually LOVE to do crossover stories, LOVE working with the other writers. This was more of an unquestionable mandate and it really made no sense. Weirdly, because we went so nuts on the issue, it's one of my favorites of that run. Superman and Darkseid boxing makes me smile every time. It FEELS like Kirby to me, because he had the courage to do that insane stuff AND the sincerity to pull it off.

Sacrifice is a good story, my part in it was fun, but didn't really help the story much the way I would have liked it to.

[Deathstroke]

Greg Rucka's run on WW is the only one I've ever read.

More proof to me that he is simply beyond awesome!

[FeminineMystique]

"Sacrifice" was a great story. I hate that it gets second-guessed and Monday-morning-quarterbacked to death. It's clear from the tone and narrative of the story that it was meant to present Wonder Woman with two options: Let him live and risk the lives of millions, or kill him and save millions of lives.

But critics kept saying, "She should have put him in the Phantom Zone." Though, that wasn't really a viable solution since Martian Manhunter indicated in the previous story that the nature of Maxwell's powers was such that distance would present no barrier.

Because condemning people to a hellish, nightmarish eternity in an endless void with only mass murderers and rapists for company is SO much more humane than killing them:tongue:

[md62]

Rucka's run was one of the best. However inconsistent art & the Infinite Crisis tie in prevented it from being even better.

Why can't you use Veronica Cale? She appears in this week's Doom Patrol (#2).

[meek?]

Woulda hopped on it if the art was better. Covers were spectacular, though.

Peace.

[Donna M.]

Rucka's run was one of the best. However inconsistent art & the Infinite Crisis tie in prevented it from being even better.

Why can't you use Veronica Cale? She appears in this week's Doom Patrol (#2).

I think you just answered your own question :smile:

[Gail Simone]

Rucka's run was one of the best. However inconsistent art & the Infinite Crisis tie in prevented it from being even better.

Why can't you use Veronica Cale? She appears in this week's Doom Patrol (#2).

That may be it, or it may have been a question of tone, or, well, I'm not sure, really, but I try never to cross those kinds of picket lines. I wouldn't write Blade, and I avoided writing Black Lightning for a long time because Marv Wolfman and Tony Isabella are people I respect. Tony very kindly gave me his blessing and so I've gotten to write him a couple times. I LOVE those characters.

But it is most likely simply that the character is going to be used elsewhere. As I say, Greg has been very helpful, VERY.

[ScottyQuick]

Rucka's run was one of the best. However inconsistent art & the Infinite Crisis tie in prevented it from being even better.

Why can't you use Veronica Cale? She appears in this week's Doom Patrol (#2).

Veronica Cale wasn't a Wonder Woman villain, she was a villain of Ambassador Diana. She believed the messages the ambassador was spreading, her book - they were dangerous and needed to be stopped. So since Ambassador Diana sadly no longer exists ...

[muimi]

Getting in kind of late on this but I'm another person who adored Greg Rucka's run so much that it got me reading other stuff by him as well. I loved his supporting cast and would love to see Ferdinand again ;)

[3D Master]

Veronica Cale wasn't a Wonder Woman villain, she was a villain of Ambassador Diana. She believed the messages the ambassador was spreading, her book - they were dangerous and needed to be stopped. So since Ambassador Diana sadly no longer exists ...

Uh... no. Veronica Cale seemed to be mostly have the same ideals as Wonder Woman. The thing was that she had built herself up from the ground, while Wonder Woman got everything just handed to her, by friggin' gods no less. A privilege of birth. According to her, that should have made her the better role model, and people especially girls and women should be idolizing her, not Wonder Woman.

Of course, the thing is, she's got a point. And if she wasn't so consumed with jealousy and the goal to utterly destroy Wonder Woman and kill lots of people in the process from the shadows, and simply be a good person and stand in the light, and simply point her point out to Diana, I'll bet Diana would give the answer: "You are right."

Irony, you gotta love it.

[hydrogenizedsoy]

I enjoyed the supporting cast a great deal, especially Ferdinand. He was just so.... unique. Rucka's WW characterizations were wonderful as well and he handled Cassie with respect and made her more than a teen prone to histrionics (look'n at you Teen Titans).

[suedenim]

Of course, the thing is, she's got a point. And if she wasn't so consumed with jealousy and the goal to utterly destroy Wonder Woman and kill lots of people in the process from the shadows, and simply be a good person and stand in the light, and simply point her point out to Diana, I'll bet Diana would give the answer: "You are right."

Irony, you gotta love it.

And one of the things I love about Wonder Woman is that she might actually be able to help Veronica and change her, and make her a friend. I love that aspect of Wonder Woman, and it's pretty much unique to her.

[4PointOh]

Ah, that is one of the subplots I most wanted to see reach fruition. That was leading to the originally intended Amazons Attack! mini as part of the build-up to IC. Unfortunately that was dropped only to be revived later as the absolute nadir of Wonder Woman history. The mini bore the same name but had its innards scooped out and replaced with stuff I will never revisit again.

It's hilarious that what you quoted has my screenname as the source, but I promise you, I didn't say that! LOL! :smile:

[DiogoR]

I did not like his run.. I liked phil jimenez's ....I felt greg's run undid a lot of what phil's had done...

[Wonder Watcher]

Maybe not definitive for me but still an excellent and fascinating take on Diana.

What I liked most about Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman run was the obvious intelligence in the writing and how sophisticated, intelligent and noble his Diana was.

The embassy and it's staff was a great concept, very West Wing. It was typical of Greg that he took the time to flesh each individual out and make us care about them.

Veronica Cale deserves a special mention and was a great addition to her cast. She definitely deserves future use as a foil to Diana. What's great about Cale is that she's got a point, as others have pointed out she dragged herself up from nothing and Diana got the silver spoon. Also, while we know Diana's very intelligent Cale is smarter still and always let's Diana know it. I think Cale really has the potential to really get under Diana's skin and unnerve her a little. Would love to see her again.

Ferdinand was a lot of fun too but I do agree he's a Greg only character

Greg's modern interpretation of the God's was truly excellent and shouldn't have been thrown out, although I'm sure it would have had a shelf life and I'd have eventually yearned for something more...mythological. But I'm talking about years, time was called on it way too soon.

Since it's supposed to be a creative 'team' I'll also give a shout out to Drew Johnson whose pencils I thought made a large contribution to the nobility Greg was looking to show in the character. I always loved how he drew Diana's eyes. In my opinion he produced some great art on the book.

The pacing I actually enjoyed, it was a bit of a slow burner but that was never a problem for me as there was so much thought provoking stuff going on.

There wasn't much I didn't like really.

I thought that Diana was too witting pawn in Athena's power games. I thought she might have shown a bit more backbone when dealing with Athena when it became apparent to her she was being used.

Purely from a purely aesthetic point of view I never liked the grey eyes, to me Diana has blue eyes and I was happy when that particular change was undone.

I found Io a very sympathetic character but the attempt to make Diana a lesbian didn't ring true for me.

And I think Greg dropped the ball with Max Lord, it was an audacious move having Diana kill a man but had the potential to be extremely damaging to the character if improperly handled. Which it regrettably was. I'll temper that by acknowledging that it wasn't Greg's fault it was all taken out of his hands at the most critical point. Still, the damage was eventually done.

Looking back I think it's a run that will definitely stand the test of time. I haven't re-read it since the run ended but I know when I do I'll find a dozen more reasons to remember it fondly.

[MinaRho1]

Maybe not definitive for me but still an excellent and fascinating take on Diana.

What I liked most about Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman run was the obvious intelligence in the writing and how sophisticated, intelligent and noble his Diana was.

The embassy and it's staff was a great concept, very West Wing. It was typical of Greg that he took the time to flesh each individual out and make us care about them.

Veronica Cale deserves a special mention and was a great addition to her cast. She definitely deserves future use as a foil to Diana. What's great about Cale is that she's got a point, as others have pointed out she dragged herself up from nothing and Diana got the silver spoon. Also, while we know Diana's very intelligent Cale is smarter still and always let's Diana know it. I think Cale really has the potential to really get under Diana's skin and unnerve her a little. Would love to see her again.

Ferdinand was a lot of fun too but I do agree he's a Greg only character

Greg's modern interpretation of the God's was truly excellent and shouldn't have been thrown out, although I'm sure it would have had a shelf life and I'd have eventually yearned for something more...mythological. But I'm talking about years, time was called on it way too soon.

Since it's supposed to be a creative 'team' I'll also give a shout out to Drew Johnson whose pencils I thought made a large contribution to the nobility Greg was looking to show in the character. I always loved how he drew Diana's eyes. In my opinion he produced some great art on the book.

The pacing I actually enjoyed, it was a bit of a slow burner but that was never a problem for me as there was so much thought provoking stuff going on.

There wasn't much I didn't like really.

I thought that Diana was too witting pawn in Athena's power games. I thought she might have shown a bit more backbone when dealing with Athena when it became apparent to her she was being used.

Purely from a purely aesthetic point of view I never liked the grey eyes, to me Diana has blue eyes and I was happy when that particular change was undone.

I found Io a very sympathetic character but the attempt to make Diana a lesbian didn't ring true for me.

And I think Greg dropped the ball with Max Lord, it was an audacious move having Diana kill a man but had the potential to be extremely damaging to the character if improperly handled. Which it regrettably was. I'll temper that by acknowledging that it wasn't Greg's fault it was all taken out of his hands at the most critical point. Still, the damage was eventually done.

Looking back I think it's a run that will definitely stand the test of time. I haven't re-read it since the run ended but I know when I do I'll find a dozen more reasons to remember it fondly.

I always got the sense that it was unrequited love or an infatuation? I would give credit to Io for not expecting anything of Diana. She was a faithful friend to her without expecting anything in return-- something I took to be Rucka's take o the amazons in general.

Diana says that she's just not looking for a relationship-- with men or women, period. If everyone knew that, I doubt there would be much to discuss.

[Firebaton]

I adore Greg's run. When it first began, I thought it was a little slow but I sat back and read four or five issues in one sitting and got it. After that it was clear sailing.
What I loved most was Diana's sense of purpose, something Gail is using as well. Diana will get the job done.
My only complaint is that I feel DC in general dropped the ball with the fallout over Diana killing Max. I think it was the right decision, and I think Diana would not have waffled on it.

[Raven Of Rhiannon]

The embassy and it's staff was a great concept, very West Wing.

I heart you.

[CaptainCanada]

Ferdinand was a lot of fun too but I do agree he's a Greg only character

I don't get that. There's nothing particularly unique about him; within comics, it's another riff on the Ben Grimm archtype. A particularly good one, but nothing about him seems "Rucka only".

[Mr Prince]

So much to love in Greg's run, that many have already commented on... It's really apparent that he put a lot of thought into Diana's character and the new characters in her world–Ferdinand, Io, Cale, Leslie Anderson, Medousa, Stheno and Euryale, the Egyptian goddesses, etc. He made a very rich world for Diana.

The most brilliant thing I liked (and miss!) was his take on the gods and goddesses. The modernization of some of them alongside the changing ideals of the world was fascinating. It made them more complex, multifaceted and interesting. They're as an important aspect of the Wonder mythos as the Amazons, so I was happy to see them get some compelling characterizaiton that made sense. To me, there's no reason that the gods can't have different "faces" and physical attributes. I loved that Ares would morph from his ancient visage to a modern version. Just brilliant. I definitely would have loved to see more of the ongoing power struggle between Ares, Aphrodite and Athena. Would have been amazing to see Aphrodite come out and trump both of them with sex, lust and love–when she finally became interested in doing so.

His Dr Psycho was pretty amazing too. He definitely channeled the sheer malevolence of the little misogynist. I kinda like Psycho, just because he likes to mess with Diana and what she stands for. He's sick and just wants to see her and others suffer. He's one great opposite for Diana in that regard and Greg portrayed him well.

Exploring Ares and Circe's relationship and Lyta was just getting started, so I was sad to see that not get explored more later. He also saved Vanessa from the fate of Silver Swan which I think was important for Diana and the character.

Since Greg is holding back on use of Veronica Cale for the moment, let's hope that he's saving her for some future Wonder Woman tales–I'd welcome them.

If/when Diana or the Amazons get another book, I'd vote for Gail on WONDER WOMAN and Greg on AMAZONS or SENSATION. They'd be brilliant together and team together like Willingham & Sturges on JSA and ALL STARS or how the teams are working together on the GL and Superman books.

Diana and the Amazons deserve it, and so do we.

Scott

[DHacker615]

"Sacrifice" was a great story. I hate that it gets second-guessed and Monday-morning-quarterbacked to death. It's clear from the tone and narrative of the story that it was meant to present Wonder Woman with two options: Let him live and risk the lives of millions, or kill him and save millions of lives.

But critics kept saying, "She should have put him in the Phantom Zone." Though, that wasn't really a viable solution since Martian Manhunter indicated in the previous story that the nature of Maxwell's powers was such that distance would present no barrier.

The mistake was using an essentially comedic character in a dark, violent story in the first place. DC has repeated this mistake so often recently that it is absurd. Not every story has to be about bloody revenge, nor should they be.

[heystacy]

I loved the Medousa/Circe storyline. It did feel like a slow build up, then to a hardcorcore finish.

I hope she can be used again as a villain, because she is vicious. Going after people WW cares about.

I do love his take on the gods.

[Fake Shemp]

Pretty much echoing what everyone else here said. I loved Ambassador!Diana, I loved the Embassy and Ferdinand, I loved Veronica Cale, I loved the Medousa/Eye of the Gorgon arc, I loved his take on the gods, his writing was brilliant...yadda yadda yadda.

Still, am I the only one who thought the whole plot with the murder of Max Lord and the events succeeding it was really, really great? I thought it really emphasized what made WW so different from the typical hero and gave her much more depth. To be honest, if I had never seen Diana again after her final line in his run (her flying away from that crowd of people that still believed in her and saying she'd never abandon them), I would have felt satisfied.

[scary harpy]

I really liked it.

I loved his version of the Greek Gods; DC moving on from Greg's version of the gods is a large mistake (among too many others)!

I had forgotten the embassy.

I think Veronica Cale was forgettable (but I have not yet). I feel Baroness Paula, Fausta Grables or Countes Nishki updated would have better filled her role.

[Mr. Kent]

Rucka's was the definitive run for me - I'd been a WW fan for a long time but never got down to reading her book (a few issues here and there). It was after reading Bitter Rivals that I went back and got pretty much every WW trade in existence, so I owe a lot to this run. I also loved the art - I've told Drew personally that I was really moved by his art, and his work on WW was/is vastly under-appreciated, in my opinion.

I also liked the lead up to Sacrifice, so you're not alone, Fake Shemp. I liked Jonah and the things that happened with the embassy characters.

One things brought up in his run that no one has mentioned yet was the status of Vanessa Kapatelis. Gail, is there a Vanessa story somewhere down the road? Because I think the Kapatelis clan has been too long out of the loop.

Other points I'd welcome revisiting:
- Lyta's current custody situation
- Leslie Anderson's whereabouts. I'd like to see Ferdinand too, but it's actually Leslie that has me more intrigued. If the DMA ever reforms, she could be a good addition to their science end...
- Some of the prominent Amazons of the run, expecially Io, but also the oracle Calista (I'm pretty sure I got that name right). Gail would write such a badass Io, I'm more than certain :wink:

[nerites]

I think that after George Perez' run on volume 2, Rucka's is my second favorite.

I just love how everything was so well-linked and in many ways true to greek mythology. Like an evolution of those myths and Diana was just fantastic. Her voice was clear and strong.

I still re-read them and find them wonderful. And as many, also miss many of the elements there.