What appeals to you about Wonder Woman in a writer's portrayal of her?

[tangentman]

Hmm, not exactly easy for me to put into words, so I'll try and give some examples.

I thought you summarized your points wonderfully! For brevity's sake, I'll add my comments in snip'n'paste mode...

Rucka - I like the Ambassador. The book, the embassy, the politics, all of it. I know it's not a fan favorite, but I loved it. Very unique for a superhero to try and change the world through words. I also loved Athena's play for the throne and how much it tested Diana's strength and faith. Neck-snap.

Integrity. Diana made extraordinary and risky choices to protect innocents, both on the global and personal scale. Blinding herself to defeat Medousa remains one of the most astonishing comic book moments in recent history! Even better, Diana never strayed from her insistence that Athena find a way to save one little boy from the Gorgon's curse. To me, THOSE moments were when Rucka demonstrated the heart of Wonder Woman's concept!

Perez - Big-eyed enthusiasm for the world. She was way out of her element, often in over her head, but she was strong and optimistic. The hope of youth. Doom's Doorway and Diana's trip inside was great. Freeing Hercules is a big moment.

A loving heart. Diana not only displayed enthusiasm for the world, but a tremendous, genuine amount of love for it! I saw that from her appreciation of Julia & Vanessa to her readiness to appeal to enemies, rather than merely fight them (Silver Swan). When Myndi Mayer died, so many characters around Diana focused on Myndi's transgressions, the sordid details of the crime, accusing others. Diana never lost sight of Myndi, not only as a victim of addiction and manipulation, but as a lost friend that she genuinely mourned. When Perez wrote Wonder Woman, "The Beauty of Aphrodite" not only manifested as a gorgeous face & body, but a tremendous beauty of heart & spirit.

Simone - The daughter. Diana giving herself in servitude to get home to fight an army to protect her mother. "Punishment for the adult, empathy for the child. Even for him." Throwing the lasso away to try and save Donna.

"Not all the gifts of all the gods are worth a single strand of your hair." Beautiful! Gail showed us Diana's resolve as the daughter. She petitioned every god for a way to reach her endangered mother, and took a leap of faith with an "obscure", kind-hearted island god.

Gail balanced Diana's humility and compassion with fierce strength and an even fiercer wit! I loved Diana's dry "bon-mots" that peppered Gail's stories.

Jimenez - "WHY WON"T YOU ANSWER ME?!" 'Corrupting' Darkseid. My Little Pony Island.

I thought it a joy to see Phil's love for Diana in his stories! Especially in his "Day in The Life" series. Those stand out to me as great Wonder Woman stories.

Azzarello - Diana has taken some big knocks, but she doesn't stay down very long. She continues. In the midst of of a brewing war for the heavens, she doesn't lose sight of the "girl from nowhere" (except when she did lose sight of her and Hades took her to Hades ).

Diana as the "Bright Light" in a dismal world. I'd personally love a cross-over with Dark Horse's Buffy & Azzarello's Wonder Woman. Better yet, truly treat the fans and let her visit Hellboy and a few other DH notables!

Marston: A vivacious, strong, fun-loving heroine who not only laughs at danger, but courts it with daring displays of skill and power! Golden Age Wonder Woman was outrageous--the kind who'd hop into a lake to swim after a speeding get-away boat for fun and a little "exercise". A woman who'd ride a horse in a circus show--then treat the dumb-founded horse to a ride on HER shoulders! LOL

It's often pooh-poohed by certain fans, but I also dig the subversive sexuality that underscored Wonder Woman stories!

[americanwonder]

Marston: A vivacious, strong, fun-loving heroine who not only laughs at danger, but courts it with daring displays of skill and power!

D'oh, how did I forget the original.

Wonderful post, Tangent Man.

[hunter_peterson]

There's a remarkable level of agreement here. I like it. It's refreshing to see the same things about the character resonate with everybody here.

Oh, and I don't believe I forgot Marston! Vivacious and fun loving are pretty much perfect for his version, and I always loved that. Of course, she hasn't had a huge opportunity for fun recently, but I like to think that's situational.