Wonder Woman updated to the eighties
I don’t have much to say about the temporary new Wonder Woman costume. I’ve always thought Wonder Woman was an interesting character but, other than the George Perez run• and of course the seventies television series• I never really paid attention to her. My first thought on seeing the new design was, leggings and a bright red/yellow shirt? And that hair? This is the Pat Benatar• Wonder Woman. It was designed by someone who grew up in the eighties. As someone who grew up in the eighties, our fashion sense is something I’d like to forget.
It seems to me that comic book designers have a tendency to create for what was popular while they were growing up. Sure enough, the new costume was designed by Jim Lee. He was born the same year I was. While I enjoy Pat Benatar then• and still do, I don’t think it’s a good look for Wonder Woman.
Looks like I’m not the only person to notice this. And Straight Dope message board commenter Jophiel got exactly the same vibe, too: “Demin jacket and black leggings? She’s busting into the modern era just like Pat Benatar!”
Geek alert: Wonder Woman is not “finally” going to wear pants. She’s gone through pants phases before. They, also, ended up looking pretty dated.
new
- DC is retconning Wonder Woman & redesigning her costume
- “One more time-they are not changing her real origin story. They are giving her a temporary rewrite, and she will spend some time fixing it back to where it belongs.”
- Wonder Woman Gets a New Look—’80s Street Style: Ben Widdicombe
- “But the cropped jacket with sleeves rolled up (she has to show off those famous cuff bracelets) gives her a silhouette that suggests she’s waiting in line outside some Lower East Side, NYC, nightclub to hear a new act called Debbie Harry.”
- Wonder Woman to finally start wearing pants: Albert Ching
- “It can be accessorized,” Straczynski wrote in DC’s official release. “It’s a Wonder Woman look designed for the 21st century.” (Hat tip to Ace at Ace of Spades HQ)
old
- Pat Benatar - Promises in the Dark
- Live version of Promises in the Dark, originally from the Precious Time album. This version cuts out before the song ends, but it is embeddable.
- Tropico/Seven the Hard Way•: Pat Benatar
- “Seven the Hard Way” was Pat Benatar’s most moody album, and contains her most interesting music. “Sex as a Weapon” and “Le Bel Age” were the MTV hits.
- Wonder Woman (The Complete First Season)• (DVD)
- Exuberant, fun, and just a bit of liberation messaging, in World War II and in satin tights.
- Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Gods and Mortals•: George Perez, Len Wein, and Greg Potter
- George Perez, Len Wein, and Greg Potter focussed on Wonder Woman’s links to the Greek legends, and to a mythology of a peace-loving warrior race of women.
As far as that goes, the tights version of Wonder Woman’s costume has always struck me as silly. I thought the skirted version more dynamic.