Wonder Woman debuted as a character back in 1941 in ALL-STAR COMICS #8. Over the years, she has had some minor changes made to her costume but it's always stayed pretty much the same. She has gone from a skirt to no skirt to even pants for a bit (but we won't get into that).
In the New 52, her costume design had a familiar look to it with some minor adjustments. Below you can see Jim Lee's take on her along with Jason Fabok's recent version, both from the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE.
When the cover to WONDER WOMAN #41, by David Finch, was first revealed, we saw she would be getting a new costume that was more of a departure from what we were used to. It has more of an armor-feel to it. We have seen Diana wear the occasional Amazonian battle armor but this appears to be a little more practical for her day to day missions.
The big questions is, why is she now suddenly changing her outfit?
It turns out it's more of a personal reason. There isn't a huge calamity that is making her suit up as she prepares to embark on a major battle. While her costume as always been a symbol of sorts, to her it represents the time when she was younger and left Themyscira for "Man's world."
Wonder Woman has been through a lot in the New 52. She's been through some changes. For her, changing her costume is like shedding her old skin. A new one represents the changes she's gone through and who she is now. It is to represent her roles as a god, a queen, and a superhero.
So what's the take on it? We've long debated about the practicality of her original costume. It is "classic" but it's hard to get over the idea of Diana basically wearing a bathing suit with boots.
Fabok's design was great in giving it a more practical look while still retaining some of the classic feel. This new outfit does give her more of a warrior look mixed with making her look a little regal. At the same time, it also looks like she feels she needs to cover up more to protect herself, which we know isn't the case.
There's also the spikes that come out of her wrist gauntlets. What will she use those for?
As seen in this issue, despite being the God of War, Diana sometimes chooses to try to talk things out rather than go straight for the fight. Those spikes could easily impale someone. They could also serve the purpose of blocking or shielding herself from attacks against weapons. She could probably also use them to open letters and packages.
The boots seem like a bit much. As a guy, I can't really speak on the practicality of wearing thigh-high boots. Maybe there's nothing wrong or different. Depending on the material, to me it seems it could get in the way of her agility or being able to fully bend her knees. I'm sure the weight of the gauntlets and shoulder pads also won't throw off her balance and we'll still see her fully capable of diving into a battle without being hampered.
It's just a little hard to imagine her moving so agile as we've recently seen in the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE #39.
Obviously we'll have to wait to see her fully in action in the new outfit. In WONDER WOMAN #41 and SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #18, she didn't get a chance to cut loose just yet.
What are your thoughts on the change? Can you let go of the "classic" look and embrace the change? Has it already grown on you?
Let us know what you think.
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Poll: Thoughts on the WONDER WOMAN #41 New Costume?
Poll: Thoughts on the WONDER WOMAN #41 New Costume?
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