Hereâs a look at 10 comic book storylines that could potentially be adapted for Wonder Woman 2
This weekend, Wonder Womanâs first solo movie was a huge success at the worldwide box office. And barring something unforeseen, weâre willing to bet that Wonder Woman 2 is on the horizon. Sequels are just a part of the modern Hollywood blockbuster, and Wonder Woman certainly has decades of stories to draw upon for her next cinematic adventure.
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Unlike Batman or Superman, Wonder Woman doesnât have set list of classic stories that are well known by the general public. In other words, thereâs no The Dark Knight Returns in Wonder Womanâs library. However, there are several Wonder Woman tales that do stand up to the test of time in addition to establishing her as the most iconic superheroine.
ComingSoon.net has put together a list of ten stories that we want to see in Wonder Woman 2. And feel free to share your picks for Wonder Woman 2 stories in the comment section below!
The Twelve Labors
Youâre not going to find too many Golden Age and Silver Age Wonder Woman stories on this list, largely because most of them are extremely dated. William Moulton Marston clearly had terrific ideas for the character, but the tales by Marston and subsequent creative teams lack the drama and flair of the stories that came later.
âThe Twelve Laborsâ is one of the most significant storyline from the â70s, and it was chosen for this list because it featured Wonder Woman proving her worth in a spectacular way. The thing to keep in mind here is that this story featured Wonder Woman immediately after she had spent several years without her powers. Before she officially rejoined the Justice League, she called upon them to watch her attempt to complete a series of 12 labors to determine if she was ready to return. The outcome may have been obvious, but the accomplishments of Wonder Woman elevated her place among the worldâs greatest superheroes.
Challenge of the Gods
The new Wonder Woman movie is borrowing some elements from the first George Perez storyline. So itâs only fitting that the sequel also borrow from Perezâs second story, âChallenge of the Gods.â With co-writer Len Wein, Perez threw Wonder Woman into the modern world and forced her to deal with being a celebrity. More importantly, this story established Barbara Minerva, a.k.a. the Cheetah, as one of Wonder Womanâs primary foes and set up a very personal betrayal for the title heroine to deal with.
âChallenge of the Godsâ also had Zeus attempting to court Wonder Woman as his new bride, and he wasnât taking no for an answer. That part of the story will probably remain off the table, since the film and the current DC continuity have Zeus as Wonder Womanâs father.
The Contest
âThe Contestâ is about as â90s as â90s comics get, including the new black leather outfit for Diana, once she was stripped of her Wonder Woman identity by her mother. Although Mike Deodato has come a long way as an artist, his pages in these issues are very dated. That said, the story by William Messner-Loebs has a lot of aspects that resonate, including Dianaâs attempt to rebuild herself, and itâs interesting to watch the new Wonder Woman, Artemis, as she tries to live up to the expectations of the role.
Once it becomes clear why Artemis was chosen to become the new Wonder Woman, the story took on a much darker tone. And the conclusion is still a very powerful denouement nearly 20 years later.
Spirit of Truth
By itself, Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth probably wouldnât make for a very exciting movie. Writer Paul Dini and artist Alex Ross werenât trying to make a conventional Wonder Woman story that would be easily adaptable. Instead, they offered a more realistic take on Wonder Woman as she came up against real world problems that she couldnât easily solve. Thatâs the part of âSpirit of Truthâ that should make it to the big screen. It really challenges Wonder Woman in a way that a villain canât, and it could be a terrific thematic addition to a movie sequel that will inevitably feature someone that Diana can defeat.
A League of One
Writer and artist Christopher Moeller crafted one of the best Wonder Woman stories in JLA: A League of One, a graphic novel that found Wonder Woman confronted by a prophecy that the Justice League would perish against an ancient dragon. To prevent the deaths of her friends, Wonder Woman sets out to defeat and incapacitate them before the final battle⌠and she succeeds!
This story was a showcase for Wonder Womanâs abilities as a warrior and how far she would go for her teammates. As a movie, there would also be some pretty spectacular fight scenes between Wonder Woman and her teammates, as well as the dragon. Count us in for that if it ever comes to the big screen.
Paradise Lost
One of the most compelling stories from Phil Jimenezâs Wonder Woman run came in âParadise Lost,â as Wonder Woman was forced to deal with something very close to home: a Civil War among her Amazon sisters. As far as stakes go, it doesnât get more personal than that for Wonder Woman. And if it becomes a film, it could also be combined with Jimenezâs one-shot story in which Lois Lane follows Wonder Woman around for a day and discovers another side of her life.
The Hiketeia
While âLeague of Oneâ already covered the Wonder Woman vs. the Justice League, The Hiketeia offers a more focused take on a different conflict between Batman and Wonder Woman. The short version is that a female criminal invokes an ancient rite of protection to convince Wonder Woman to defend her against Batman. And Diana lives up to her responsibilities.
Whatâs fascinating here is the way that neither Batman nor Wonder Woman can compromise their beliefs despite their friendship with each other. Thereâs only one way to settle their differences, and Wonder Woman doesnât hold back in their battle. Letâs just say that yelling âMartha!â wouldnât bring this fight to an easy ending.
Eyes of the Gorgon
During Greg Ruckaâs initial stint as the writer of Wonder Woman, Dianaâs role became even more political and symbolic as she attempted to advance the cause of peace. A few of Wonder Womanâs enemies took the opportunity to launch a plot against her, and that included a dangerous battle against Medusa that took place on a very public stage. âEyes of the Gorgonâ pushed Wonder Woman to her limits, as she demonstrated just how far she is willing to go to protect the world. Itâs an intense crucible for the title character, and therefore it would be a potentially great movie.
Blood
Some aspects from Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiangâs New 52 reboot of Wonder Woman are already featured in the first movie, and it still has plenty of things to offer for future sequels. Their first storyline, âBlood,â redefined Wonder Womanâs place among the Greek pantheon and inadvertently placed Diana at the middle of a larger conflict when she wouldnât let an expectant mother become the victim of a war in Olympus. Additionally, Diana discovered the truth about her own divine lineage.
Itâs a very modern take on Wonder Woman, and Chiangâs renditions of mythological beasts would be a very welcome addition to Dianaâs cinematic adventures.
War-Torn
After Azzarello and Chiang left the Wonder Woman comic, David and Meredith Finch took over the series with âWar-Torn,â a story that further modernized the title character. In this arc, Wonder Woman tried to get her Amazon sisters to accept men on their homeland, Themyscira. At the same time, the New 52 version of Donna Troy made her debut as a challenger to Dianaâs role as queen of the Amazons.
The interesting thing here isnât the battle between Wonder Woman and her younger doppelgänger, itâs the way that Diana goes out of her way to redeem Donna and find a place for her in this world. They may not be sisters in the current continuity, but the bond between these women is still worth exploring.
