I've just read Ragnell's latest post on the WW parts of the upcoming Flashpoint series. It got me thinking. Ragnell says there are some people that can't seem to get past a bloodthirsty warrior aspect to Diana and the Amazons.
Now, I love the warrior aspect to the Amazons. But to me, that means they are strategists. When they fight, they win, because they are talented. They train, they practice drills, they have a hell of a lot of discipline and they are good.
But part of being an effective warrior, or having an effective warrior force, is knowing when not to fight. When to use that wisdom of Athena and solve conflicts by words instead. You know, that whole message of peace that Di has got? That whole storyline from Rucka's run where she wrote a book about her teachings of peace?
Is it really possible that people only want the fighting stuff? The violence, the wars, the stabbing and the conflict? Isn't that boring?
And isn't it completely at odds with the whole point of Wonder Woman?
Now, I love the warrior aspect to the Amazons. But to me, that means they are strategists. When they fight, they win, because they are talented. They train, they practice drills, they have a hell of a lot of discipline and they are good.
But part of being an effective warrior, or having an effective warrior force, is knowing when not to fight. When to use that wisdom of Athena and solve conflicts by words instead. You know, that whole message of peace that Di has got? That whole storyline from Rucka's run where she wrote a book about her teachings of peace?
Is it really possible that people only want the fighting stuff? The violence, the wars, the stabbing and the conflict? Isn't that boring?
And isn't it completely at odds with the whole point of Wonder Woman?
I don't know why that seems such a difficult piece for people to grasp. It always seems to me to reflect some kind of ingrained and deep fear of feminism and/or a strong woman. That, and a lack of imagination over what makes a woman strong. It's sad really. Makes me want to sit down and write my own Wonder Woman.
ReplyDeleteI think it's also a confusion between Ares-style warfare and Athena-style warfare. Athena is every much the war god as Ares (despite Ares being more well known for it). Athena is the strategy and tactics, Ares the bloodlust.
ReplyDeleteSome of it, I think, is general anti-war sentiment. If war is always bad, then someone who is good at war must be bad. Q.E.D.
But there is a long tradition of the warrior who wants only peace - you see it a lot in Chinese martial arts legends, for example.
Of course, comics being comics, you don't want issue after issue of Diana finding peaceful solutions - you want to see her hit things, or throw cars at monsters :)
I tend to think of WW in the "Athena/Sun Tzu" aspect of war; being prepared and using your strength to avoid fighting as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteKorvar's right, though, about the "Ares" aspect of war: revelling in the violence was his schtick, and technically, the Amazons of Greek myth were devoted to Ares.
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/amazons.html
I get that WW is a warrior, but physical fighting stuff is not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteMy fave (current) shows in the US are Law and Order, any of them, and Leverage. The appeal is they use wits, the law, and cunning to get what they want, and use guns and fists as a last resort.
And yes, I know lots of people think Leverage is just a rip off of Hustle. I've seen the first 2 series and thought they were pretty clever.
So with WW, I get that she's trained in warfare but that's not the first thing she tries.