The launch of the New 52 meant new stories, new backgrounds to some popular and timeless characters, and the reintroduction of characters many of us grew up with into this new DC Universe. The result was often interesting (and at times a bit controversial). One of the most interesting re-introductions into the new DCU had to be Orion's. Orion is a classic DC character, and one that will always be regarded as one of comic creator Jack Kirby's greatest creations. He is one of DC's greatest and fiercest warriors, so it made some sense why his first New 52 appearance happened in WONDER WOMAN #12: a series all about warriors, champions and will. The result was what some consider a fantastic dose of entertaining and witty banter shared between two characters, and an interaction that made some of us wonder whether it is these two that should be together and not Superman and Wonder Woman -- and for good reason. Together they are funny, and the tension has been exciting -- a very different sort of relationship than the one we've seen shared between Diana and Clark.
If you have been reading writer Brian Azzarello's WONDER WOMAN you may have noticed that the series has sort of kept to itself, for the most part. While other comics have experienced some cross-over: Nightwing and Batgirl cross over into BATMAN, for example, and the most recent SUPERMAN story arc (H'el On Earth) featured the entire cast of JUSTICE LEAGUE, we haven't seen that in WONDER WOMAN at all. Like anything else, there are advantages and disadvantages of having characters cross over into other series. While it can sometimes lead a series to feel cluttered when you have too many characters in a book, crossover of characters from one book into another does give the feeling that the current story we are reading is happening in the "here and now," so to speak. It gives readers the sense that not only is the story being told happening in the present, but it gives this feeling of a unified continuity: all these characters have shared the same or similar experiences at the same time.
Since the start of her relaunch, Diana (in her own series) hasn't interacted with any of her teammates, at least not in her self-titled series. While she has had plenty of interactions with other characters, most of them are secondary characters to her series and are somehow affiliated with Olympus and the Greek mythology (which is at the very root of her character). And although she and Superman are considered to be romantically linked, Clark has yet to make a first appearance in her series and he likely won't anytime soon, at least according to the series' writer Brian Azzarello. In a recent interview Azzarello revealed that Superman won't be appearing in WONDER WOMAN in the near future, but that Azzarello has every intention of creating a bit of drama between Diana's character and Orion, and so far he seems to have done a pretty good job.
CV: Any plans to bring any other DC characters into this series?
BA: Like who?
CV: Like Superman?
BA: No. Superman's got enough face time in other books so he doesn't need it in this one.
CV: So you don't plan on exploring...
BA: I'll be exploring other relationships. As far as other DC characters, yes, but they happen to be from New Genesis and we're going to expand on what we're doing with Orion at that point.
The decision to focus more on Orion and his relationship with Wonder Woman is an interesting one, and although Superman won't be making an appearance in WONDER WOMAN, both Orion and Diana will be appearing in issue #18 of SUPERMAN. While the solicit for the upcoming issue doesn't really make any mention of Orion's appearance, he is certainly all over the previews: slaying dragons and riding his A4. It does, however, seem strange that Azzarello has no real plans for Superman's appearing in his series, doesn't it? In fact, it doesn't seem to bode very well for their relationship, does it? If this relationship was something that was really going to stick, then wouldn't there be some plans in place for some crossover at this point?
I, for one, would love to see Orion and Diana together, at least for a little while. The two come from similar backgrounds: both have a familiarity with omnipotent relatives, both are considered "Gods." More importantly though, there seems to be a very interesting dynamic between these two characters. Orion says things and acts in a way that gets under her skin, and it will be interesting to see this dynamic explored. Meanwhile, Superman's relationship with her is a bit different: the two connect because they have super powers and are members on the same team, but that seems to be where their similarities end. What do you think? Do you think Orion and Wonder Woman would make an interesting couple? Are you looking forward to Orion's appearance in SUPERMAN #
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