Friday, January 16, 2009

Wonder Woman is part of DC's Trinity. Sure thing, right? Obvious? Doesn't fee like it to me.

Let's go to the videotape, shall we?

Feature movies - Superman (at least 5), Batman (7), Wonder Woman ( NONE)
Animated series- Superman (2, at least), Batman (4), not counting Superfriends, Wonder Woman (0)
Animated features - Superman (2), Batman (at least 4), Wonder Woman (1 that has yet to be released)
Live action TV series - Superman (3 at least), Batman (1), Wonder Woman (1)
Comics - Superman and Batman have supported 2 series that have never ceased publishing since the GOLDEN AGE. They've had multiple others. In the 90s I recall Bruce and Clark supporting 4 titles. The only other character to do that ever is Spider-Man. Wonder Woman doesn't have a single series that has seen continuous publication. She has never been able to support 2 series at the same time. DC has never even put that to the test. Except for a brief hiatus in the 50s. Oh, I think Wolverine is probably the next character who might be able to support 4 series. I think he's effectively supporting three since Marvel seems to release a Wolverine one shot every 3 weeks along with "Wolverine" and "Wolverine: Origins."

Great stories that everybody knows:
Superman - Man Who Has Everything, Red Son, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, Man for All Seasons,

Batman - DKR, Killing Joke, Death In The Family, Long Halloween, Hush really too many to name. No character's catalogue of amazing stories is in the same ballpark. DKR, KJ have been constantly in print and get special absolute editions as did Hush and LH.

Wonder Woman - There are great Wonder Woman stories out there - but it's telling that i don't see any of her definitive stories in HC, Absolute, Authoritative or Omnibus type editions. Why? The market won't support it.

HC collecting many of the great Superman covers? Check.
HC collecting many of the great Batman covers? Check.
HC collecting many of the great Wonder Woman covers? Try again.
HC collecting many of the great covers featuring DC's heroines? Check.

What does this all mean? We're told that Wonder Woman is part of DC's Trinity. Methinks the emperor has no clothes. In most cases just because you keep saying it doesn't make it so; the proof is in the pudding.

This isn't a rant about Wonder Woman not being a great character; she is. It means something that she's survived for 70 years; though I think Black Canary can claim the same thing and appeared first.

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