Wonder Woman #18 brought us an interesting new development in terms of Diana’s love life. Of course, reactions are varied.
Livejournalist NKaray is very happy with the issue and the romance:
1. Diana courting Tom Tresser/Nemesis. For the first time in Wonder Woman history, I think, SHE’S the one taking control of the relationship, not the man. This man is not throwing himself at her, other than a few flirty lines here and there. He’s not saying, a la classic Steve Trevor, “Let’s get married, Angel!” with the response from Diana of, “But I can’t, Steve! Until the world is free of crime, I must never marry (or have sex).” Nor is Tom like Trevor Barnes who initially turned Diana down and then gave in, subsequently getting the upper hand in the relationship.
The courting scene between Diana and Tom was really cute and I love that the courting ritual has to be adapted from Paradise Island’s female/female pairings, the norm that Diana knows.
Amy Reads has mixed feelings about the issue:
I despise Tom Tresser. Gentle Reader, I find him Completely and Utterly Unworthy of Diana. But the depiction of Diana’s nervousness, her presentation not of other’s ideas of courtship but rather of her own people’s, gives us a Diana we haven’t seen in Some Time. I welcome more of her, and I find myself surprised to say that I do, even if it means the courtship and dating (!!!) of Nemesis.
While Samantha of Neither Doormat nor Prostitute did not like it at all:
I do love the complete absurdity of the seriousness with which Diana began “courting” this man – who proves everything bad that her people might ever have said about Man’s World, wrapped up into one incompetent little shell.
I’m sure someone thinks this is a cute story, but all it does for me is make me consider that Steve Trevor wasn’t so bad in his day. Because even at Trevor’s worst, with his crazy Lois Lane style plots to get Diana to marry him, Nemesis isn’t fit to lick dog manure of Trevor’s boots.
What do you think?
March 15th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Gail might not have wrote it, but I’m pretty sure I read a bunch of Nemesis telling Diana Prince how hot and bothered he was over Wonder Woman. So I find it hard to argue that he hasn’t essentially been throwing himself at her and I don’t really see so much to have attracted a woman like Diana to him.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I haven’t been following Wonder Woman, but a friend told me to read the scene in question, and all I can say was that Diana’s comment about “learning how to [bowl] if it would help” was so mind-numbingly ADORABLE. The scene made her seem more vulnerable as a person and honestly more relateable.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Hi Melissa,
Mixed feelings is absolutely correct. I adore the idea of a more human Diana. Greg Rucka gave us the Other, the Amazon separate from humanity, while Gail Simone gives us Diana, a person who happens to be from another country with different customs. I Very Much enjoy the idea of Diana courting and falling in love, but I want it to be someone other than Nemesis, as he has been portrayed in the past year or so. I even suspect that perhaps in my heart of hearts, I want it to be Batman (!).
Grazie for the link!
Ciao,
Amy
March 17th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Gotta say, I love how involved everyone is in this story decision. I think Gail is perfect for Wonder Woman. The scans_daily community are going crazy over this, bless their crazy hearts. I’m withholding judgement.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Gotta wonder what Nightshade will do when she finds out (or did her relationship with Nemesis die with the Suicide Squad’s original run?)
March 18th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
All I ask is that Gail lets Nemesis be Nemesis a little more. This guy is essentially the Artemis Gordon of the DCU. Let’s see him working his disguise magic some more. Gail, use the old Brave & Bold and Suicide Squad issues as your template.