philippos42 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
philippos42) wrote2015-04-20 07:22 pm
philippos42) wrote2015-04-20 07:22 pm
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Not Greek nor a tragedy
I've probably said part of this before, back when Rucka was writing Wonder Woman, but I'll say it again. Wonder Woman is not a "Greek tragedy," nor are the Amazons in Wonder Woman meant to be "consistent with their portrayal in Greek mythology," whatever "Greek mythology" means.
Wonder Woman is a modern pop-culture concept, and if anything an American concept. Wonder Woman was created by two Americans, as a kind of feminist children's-fantasy hero. The book uses pseudo-classical tropes, but if you try to make it thematically match Ovid, or Hesiod, or Homer, you may be missing the point. Wonder Woman doesn't get "more correct" for getting closer to ancient Attic culture, or to whatever you think "real" classical mythology is supposed to be, let alone some simplistic stereotype.
And Wondy's Amazons are not meant to be sinister enemies, according to Marston and Peter's design.
As for association of Greeks with tragedy, remember that "comedy" is a Greek word too. In any case, Wondy (who is a product of American pop culture and not exactly any kind of real-world Greek) inhabits a different genre mix, one of light heroic fantasy—or a sort of "comic opera" approach in between Calliope and Thalia.
The present focus on grim and messed-up Amazons gets the Wonder Woman property wrong. I also think Rucka's "tragic" approach got it wrong—and maybe it got what it means to be Greek, or indeed what it means to be human, wrong.
Don't blame the ancient Greeks for your drek. If you make the book super-grim, that's on you.
Wonder Woman is a modern pop-culture concept, and if anything an American concept. Wonder Woman was created by two Americans, as a kind of feminist children's-fantasy hero. The book uses pseudo-classical tropes, but if you try to make it thematically match Ovid, or Hesiod, or Homer, you may be missing the point. Wonder Woman doesn't get "more correct" for getting closer to ancient Attic culture, or to whatever you think "real" classical mythology is supposed to be, let alone some simplistic stereotype.
And Wondy's Amazons are not meant to be sinister enemies, according to Marston and Peter's design.
As for association of Greeks with tragedy, remember that "comedy" is a Greek word too. In any case, Wondy (who is a product of American pop culture and not exactly any kind of real-world Greek) inhabits a different genre mix, one of light heroic fantasy—or a sort of "comic opera" approach in between Calliope and Thalia.
The present focus on grim and messed-up Amazons gets the Wonder Woman property wrong. I also think Rucka's "tragic" approach got it wrong—and maybe it got what it means to be Greek, or indeed what it means to be human, wrong.
Don't blame the ancient Greeks for your drek. If you make the book super-grim, that's on you.
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I didn't know they were going there with the plot line. that kinda sucks.
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The present team (the Finches) is pushing hard on the Amazons as misandrist savages, which is not totally unprecedented, but is particularly strong now, and particularly annoying for fans of most of the well-regarded runs with lots of Amazons (Marston/Peter, Pérez, even Jimenez and Sekowsky treated the Amazons better than this.)