CBR: Kramer Responds to Wonder Woman Reactions

[CBR News]

We spoke with artist Don Kramer about Wonder Woman's controversial new look with the DC exclusive artist saying he's thrilled to be involved in such an important stage of the iconic superheroine's history.


Full article here.

[aegisbearer]

This concerns me:

What elements of the new look do you find best epitomize Wonder Woman's strength and intensity?

I really prefer the black pants. They make so much more sense from a practical standpoint. I made a few tweaks on her headband that made it feel to me a bit tougher and stronger. Adding so much black to her outfit seemed to visually augment her darker personality and give her a ferociousness that the red, yellow and blue didn't have.

It just caused a red flag to go up for me.. or maybe that's a black flag now?

[bulldog_milt]

Yeah... I wasn't comfortable with that interview at all...

[empty_handed]

me too

im really tired of diana "finding" her self... its "who is Wonder Woman" all over again...

since when super hero costumes considered "practical" ??? seriously... batman runs around with a freaking CAPE!!

Black was NEVER her color... (yeah yeah there was that biker chick period.. this is just as bad)

i know its all because of sales and stuff... but im so upset about this change... i hope it doesnt stick (especially the ugly pants!!! )

its such a shame...

[Major Comma]

I think a lot of those comments were for the new readers .
"She is Batman in pants! Come check it out!"

[Thad]

Ironically, he spent some time living in my hometown years ago. It's kind of a small area, so not many can say that. It's kind of an odd coincidence.

Because "irony" and "odd coincidence" are synonymous, you see.

[ben c]

i agree that the dark & ferocious thing sounds like a new character, but who knows how it will pan out. i'm more annoyed that the writer was ignorant/lazy enough to claim that this is the first real change to her costume, ever.

http://www.carolastrickland.com/comi...s/wwcost1.html

just sayin'.

[aegisbearer]

i agree that the dark & ferocious thing sounds like a new character, but who knows how it will pan out. i'm more annoyed that the writer was ignorant/lazy enough to claim that this is the first real change to her costume, ever.

http://www.carolastrickland.com/comi...s/wwcost1.html

just sayin'.

Yup. We know, ben. Homework would help, right?

[DeltaBadhand]

Headband ?

[lariatofhestia]

This concerns me:



It just caused a red flag to go up for me.. or maybe that's a black flag now?

I fail to understand that anyone wouldn't see that this Diana would obviously be different to the one raised on paradise.

Why people going on about red flags and all that is beyond me he is clear that it is to suit the storyline.

I thought Kramer handled that very well. And I for one want to say he is a good artist and seeing the slant to the story understand why he was chosen to do it.

[Vanguard01]

I personally liked this article. It's nice to know that Don Kramer is aware of how controversial his work is and that he's still encouraging people to give it a chance before allowing a few panels of art to turn them completely off the character.

That's a critical difference that is one of the main reasons why I'm such a big DC fan. They just give the impression that they care about your opinion, even if they aren't going to pander to it. I can't tell you how many interviews I've read with various Marvel writers, editors, or artists who have made some controversial move with a character, in which he/she has said basically "Love my idea or go screw yourselves." DC at least seems to try to convey a feeling of sympathy with people who aren't happy.

Frankly, it was Don Kramer's artwork that has made me rethink my initial anger at the new costume. Yeah, the Jim Lee picture was just a sketch, but I just hated it at first sight. Then I saw Kramer's rendition of it, and it's like the more I see it, the more I like it. I'll always prefer the classic. I'll always want to see it come back. But this new costume makes sense for now.

As far as the "dark personality" business, are we surprised? Of course Diana's going to have a darker personality. She grew up in a darker world. If Clark Kent grew up in Gotham City, Superman would probably have been a very different person. The thing to remember is that these changes are likely not permanent, or at least not all of them will be permanent.

Personally, I'm okay with Diana having a slightly more hardcore personality. I, for one, am sick to death of seeing Diana portrayed as this naive simpleton who doesn't understand the modern world, despite having lived in it for ten years. Now, do I want her to be Wonder Bat? No. But a slightly more down-to-earth personality mightn't go awry.

So, I'm looking forward to this run more and more. Can't wait to see where this goes.

[qnetter]

This concerns me:



It just caused a red flag to go up for me.. or maybe that's a black flag now?

Um, yeah. Why would Wonder Woman have a "darker personality"? Whatever circumstances you subject her to, if she's got a "darker personality" she is no longer Wonder Woman.

[qnetter]

Personally, I'm okay with Diana having a slightly more hardcore personality. I, for one, am sick to death of seeing Diana portrayed as this naive simpleton who doesn't understand the modern world, despite having lived in it for ten years. Now, do I want her to be Wonder Bat? No. But a slightly more down-to-earth personality mightn't go awry.

First, I don't see how "hardcore" and "brutal" are synonyms.

Second, there's a big difference between "not understanding" as in needing to learn, and "not understanding" as in being wise enough to reject the folly and deficiencies, and Wonder Woman's "not understanding" how our world can be as petty and brutal as it is is very much the latter -- coming from a perspective of greater wisdom, not naivete.

Third, "down-to-earth" is the one thing Wonder Woman should not be, if that means "petty, brutal, and unenlightened."

[jason_w]

I enjoyed the article as well, and I'm behind the creative team 100% (right now) and I'm looking forward to see where all of this ends up.

[bfrank]

i agree that the dark & ferocious thing sounds like a new character, but who knows how it will pan out. i'm more annoyed that the writer was ignorant/lazy enough to claim that this is the first real change to her costume, ever.

http://www.carolastrickland.com/comi...s/wwcost1.html

just sayin'.

Once again, I have to say, that it sounds like Power Princess, not Diana....The original is supposed to influence the copy, not the other way around......