Diana quits being Wonder Woman. They have another contest or some other selection process on Paradise Island to find a replacement representative to Man's World. Another Amazon is picked (who looks enough like Diana that no licensing/merchandising opportunities are affected); she comes to the U.S., and before she assumes the star-spangled swimsuit, she does a bit of research/recon of her new country. She discovers that while it has a lot of problems, the principles for which it stands and the values upon which it was created resonate with her. So she dons the traditional costume to remind Americans of what they could -- and should -- be. This reconciled WW's patriotic affect with my own progressive attitudes and provided what I thought would be a fresh approach to the character
Okay, but what about the original? Well, taking a page from hew own past, Diana Prince would shuck the costume and become a freelance adventurer, maybe a P.I.; she travels around the world, trying to figure out her place in it after so many years of being a superhero. Still possessing Amazonian strength and skill, she would be a formidable character, but she would be hanging more with the non-powered types in the DCU - Johnny Double, Jason Bard, those guys. Maybe I Ching would even have a little comeback. I pictured Diana wearing mostly black: workout clothes, weightlifting gloves, running shoes, maybe with a grey sweatshirt over the top. I dug through my files and found what I think is a little sketch I made of her:
Maybe that little backstory will help explain why I loved Wonder Woman #2 and this panel in particular:
It's like my idea is coalescing, twenty years later, only with really good art and writing! Diana has given up being Wonder Woman, another woman has taken up that role, Diana is still adventuring but is teamed with a non-powered character (Nemesis), and I Ching makes a cameo (however ambiguous). She's even wearing black at the start of the comic. What a fanboy dream!
Actually, notwithstanding the tenuous connection I am trying to draw here, this is just a really good book. It hits just the right balance between seriousness and fun, is beautiful to look at, and is full of wonderful touches (like Giganta's necklace), and has a great last-page reveal (again!).
Yep, I'm a fan. I just hope I don't have to wait so long for #3.
