Thanks to Design Taxi, I discovered these really fun retro superhero pin-up posters. Take a look yourself.

Retro Harley Quinn

Retro Harley Quinn

Retro Poison Ivy

Retro Poison Ivy

Retro Cat Woman

Retro Cat Woman

Retro Batgirl

Retro Batgirl

Retro Wonder Woman

Retro Wonder Woman

You can get these prints – and more – from Danalakis’s Etsy shop for only $10. I think that the artist is also open to having other characters drawn if you ask her nicely.

Don’t worry! This is totally safe for work!

The advertising agency has chosen the perfect subjects to use for their campaign. After all, no one can deny that most women superheroes are not only endowed with awesome powers. They are rather well-endowed in the most feminine of ways as well, aren’t they? (Calling all lovers of comics: do you agree or disagree?)

While the women superheroes are obviously a stunt to get people to notice the campaign, there is a strong underlying message as well:

“Nobody’s immune to breast cancer. When we talk about breast cancer, there’s no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against the enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor.”

If women superheroes are not immune to breast cancer, how much more the ordinary woman without superpowers? Here are the women superheroes lending their support to a very worthy cause.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman for Breast Cancer

She-Hulk

She-Hulk for Breast Cancer

Storm

Storm for Breast Cancer

Cat Woman

Cat Woman for Breast Cancer

Via Design Taxi

Batman Triumphant

A fan poster for 'Batman Triumphant'

This was a proposed sequel to the godawful Batman & Robin, with George Cooney and Chris O’Donnell returning in the lead roles. The story pitted Bats against Scarecrow and Man-Bat in what director Joel Schumacher (who directed the prior two films) wanted to be a return to the darker portrayal of the title character, rather than the goofy, technicolor kiddie flicks that the series had fallen into. But when Batman & Robin failed to perform at the box office (not to mention with critics and fans), Batman Triumphant was scrapped in favor of a series reboot — a move that gave us the triumphant Christopher Nolan films. So it sort of lived up to its name.

Batman vs. Superman

Batman vs. Superman fan art

Director Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) came very close to making this one. It introduced a retired, haunted Bruce Wayne and a divorced Clark Kent who start off as friends. There’s a wedding in the story, where Bruce ties the knot to one Elizabeth Miller, and Clark — who has rekindled his high school romance with Lana Lang — is his best man. Things go south when Elizabeth is murdered by the Joker while the happy couple are on their honeymoon, sending Bruce back into the Bat-tights. Lex Luthor is also involved in some way, perhaps in an alliance with the Joker. Presumably, as the title suggests, the two heroes would at some point in the movie come to blows against one another, though I’m sure it all turned to hugs and puppies by the end. [Image source.]

Batman: Year One

Costume concept from 'Batman: Year One'

A collaboration between director Darren Aronofsky and writer Frank Miller, this was conceived as a complete reboot of the Batman film series after the disappointment that was Batman & Robin — but before Christopher Nolan was involved. Aronofsky and Miller’s script is described as a 70s period piece where they “threw out absolutely everything you know about Batman” and started over from scratch. Instead of a billionaire, Bruce Wayne is a street-dwelling orphan after his parents are killed, growing up into “a borderline psychotic who begins taking violent vengeance on street thugs.” And instead of using high-tech gadgets, this street-level Batman uses whatever junk he can get his hands on. His Batcave is an abandoned subway station, and his Batmobile is a Lincoln Continental with some added hardware. The idea of a “year one” take on Batman would carry on to the subsequent Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan, but no story elements from Aronofsky and Miller’s story would be used.

Justice League

Justice League fan art

George Miller wanted to make this film, which was the start of a proposed film trilogy, with a young cast of 20-somethings in the starring roles of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and others. The script by Kieran and Michelle Mulroney has secret files belonging to Batman stolen by a supervillain team-up — files that describe the weaknesses of each member of the Justice League, in case of worst-case scenario where Bruce might be forced to take them down. OMACs and Brother Eye are involved, Barry Allen is murdered with Wally West taking up The Flash mantle, and there’s a big twist at the end revealing Darkseid as setup for a sequel. At first, the movie was going to be set in the same universe as Batman Begins and Superman Returns, but this was scrapped pretty early in favor of a separate continuity. [Image source.]

Spider-Man (James Cameron)

Storyboard from James Cameron's 'Spider-Man'

Cameron’s take on the web-head was similar to Sam Raimi’s first movie in broad strokes, but Cameron’s outline/script (which you can read for yourself online, or a version with storyboards here) was a darker, more nuanced origin story for Peter Parker. Peter is a repressed bully target who explodes with rage when given the opportunity, beating Flash to a bloody pulp and swinging across New York rooftops as a cathartic sort of therapy. His enemies include a new version of Sandman, who works as a sort of “mob enforcer” for Electro, a wealthy entrepreneur whose electrical powers could alter digital records, access databases, and more, and who tries to turn Peter into a fellow villain. J. Jonah Jameson owns a local TV station instead of a newspaper. Spidey’s web shooters are organic (which is where Raimi got the idea from), but manifest in a sticky wet dream one night in bed. Where Raimi’s film was candy-colored and maintained a plucky optimism, Cameron’s story is set in a world of moral greys, where doing the right thing often causes as many problems as it solves. Peter’s journey to becoming a hero is a longer one, with more mistakes along the way. He swears frequently and even has costumed sex with Mary Jane in a steamy scene atop the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s kind of hard to imagine this film in the wake of Sam Raimi’s successful trilogy, but don’t ever underestimate Cameron’s midas touch at the box office. It was an opportunity lost due to legal battles between various studios who believed they had the rights to make a Spider-Man movie. But in my opinion, despite a few odd choices, it’s ultimately a cool story, and James Cameron + Spider-Man would have made an unstoppable box office dynamic duo.

Spider-Man 4

A fan-made poster for 'Spider-Man 4'

Even though most fans were disappointed with Spider-Man 3, it was an enormous box office success, and Sony greenlit Spider-Man 4 not long after 3‘s release. Raimi wanted the villain this time out to be the Lizard, while the studio wanted John Malkovich as Vulture. Tobey Maguire and Kirstin Dunst were set to reprise their roles as well, and development was in full swing when Raimi backed out, citing creative differences with the studio. Marc Webb was brought in to restart the franchise anew, and he chose Andrew Garfield as his Spider-Man. We’ll see what they come up with next Summer.

Super Max

Green Arrow was the main character in 'Super Max'

A hot script by David Goyer & Justin Marks was the talk of Hollywood a few years ago. In it, Green Arrow has been incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, in an extremely elaborate, high-tech prison made to de-power superpowered criminals and hold them indefinitely. It was described as a big, complex heist film with lots of supervillains from DC Comics — and a superhero or two as well (in addition to Green Arrow). No Black Canary, but roles were confirmed for Riddler, Joker, and Lex Luthor. There’s no reason this one might not one day see the light of day, but nobody’s in any hurry.

Superman: Flyby

Costume concept for JJ Abrams' 'Superman: Flyby'

J.J. Abrams’ wildly bold reimagining of the Superman story is — not unlike Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel — a total reboot that leaves behind all past continuity and takes some major steps away from the comic book mythology. This script suffered from a now legendary leak to Aint It Cool News, where Abrams’ reinvention of the mythos was dragged through the mud and generated an enormous negative reaction from readers. Abrams’ screenplay is an origin story with the usual familiar elements. It’s the differences that rankled fans’ sensibilities, such as Lex Luthor being a government agent obsessed with UFOs who’s later revealed to be a Kryptonian himself, and a lot of “kung fu” style mid-air fights between Supes and a quartet of criminal Kryptonians. The story’s epic battle scenes had these super-beings throwing each other into buildings and creating maximum destruction through Metropolis. It was an undeniably geeky script, filled with loads of eye candy, and despite those early knee-jerk reactions from fans worried about an “unknown” (which Abrams was at the time) retooling their beloved mythology, had Abrams’ script been used, and he been allowed to direct it himself… Frankly, that’s something I’d like to see. Abrams is a fantastic storyteller and always has his finger on the pulse of what makes for awesomely cool storytelling. This was was intended as Part One of a new trilogy of films, but it was thrown out when Bryan Singer came onboard to direct.

Superman Lives

Concept art from Tim Burton's 'Superman Lives'

This one went through such a sordid series of drafts and directors, it’s hard to say how it may have turned out. The consensus seems to be that Tim Burton’s new take on the mythos (starring, of all people, Nicolas Cage) was largely based on a written-by-committee script that passed through the hands of Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick (Cape Fear, The Glass House), Dan Gilroy (The Fall, Real Steel), William Wisher Jr., and more. The story evolved through all these iterations but the common elements seemed to be Superman’s fight against Doomsday from the comic books’ “Death of Superman” storyline, which would be followed by Superman’s resurrection in a de-powered form. He would be fitted with ridiculous Kryptonian armor that could mimic his usual powers, until those powers eventually came back on their own. The movie spent a lot of pre-production money on ultimately nothing, and left several Hollywood careers in its wake, but we’re all better off with it never having gone before cameras. Crisis averted.

Wonder Woman

Costume concepts from Joss Whedon's 'Wonder Woman'

Joss Whedon, at one time seen as the perfect choice for building a female superhero (because he’d already done it several times) was going to make this movie, but Warner Bros. had no idea what angle they wanted to take with the character. Whedon tried more than one approach, script-wise, but they refused to approve anything he came up with despite providing him with zero direction. It ultimately fell apart, costing Whedon a two-year “waste of time.”

X-Men Origins: Magneto

A poster from 'X-Men: First Class' highlighting Magneto's tragic past

A Sheldon Turner script was planned for David Goyer to direct. The script was set from 1939 to 1955, and it follows Erik Lehnsherr trying to survive in Auschwitz where he meets young Charles Xavier, an American soldier who helps liberate the camp. While Xavier tries to befriend him, Erik has vengeance in his heart for the Nazis who tortured him, a difference in worldview which ultimately comes between the two young men. The film was delayed by the Writers Guild strike, and eventually replaced with X-Men: First Class, which retained some elements of the Xavier/Magneto friendship-cum-rivalry story.

That godawful-sounding Wonder Woman TV show that NBC was considering? You know, the one from David E. Kelley starring the talented Adrianne Palicki in the world’s worst superhero costume?

Not happening.

Kelley had crafted a somewhat new take on the Amazon princess that saw her living in L.A. as a corporate CEO by day and vigilante by night. The Hollywood Reporter says that the pilot had “the most buzz of any pilot this season,” but that unfortunately the buzz was all negative. The final nail in the coffin was a disastrous screening of the pilot for a test audience that hated what they saw.

Aside from Palicki, Wonder Woman also starred Cary Elwes, Tracie Thoms, and Elizabeth Hurley. Wonder if it will ever see the light of day, perhaps leaked online in some form…?

In far more disappointing news, NBC has also passed on Ron Moore’s promising 17th Precinct, about a police station set in a world ruled by magic instead of science. The series would have starred several of his Battlestar Galactica alumni, including Jamie Bamber, James Callis, and Tricia Helfer.

The 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not anger thy geeks.

To say there was a “fan backlash” over the uber-vinyl look of NBC’s new Wonder Woman would be an epic understatement. Fans vehemently despised the new costume to the point of nearly creating a new Internet meme. So like all good TV executives, NBC and developer David E. Kelley (of Ally McBeal and Boston Legal fame) value their jobs, so they chose to listen to the fans. Consequently, the new Wonder Woman costume has been given an upgrade.

Well, kind of.

Those shiny plastic pants are gone, replaced by something darker and undoubtedly more comfortable that looks like spandex. The matching plastic blue boots are gone as well; actress Adrianne Palicki now sports a pair of more traditional red boots. The hooker lipstick’s gone, too.

Sadly, as you can see from the photos below, she’s still got that push-up bustier, which only covers the bottom halves of her boobs. One can’t help but wonder how often they fall out on the set. No doubt there’s some Baywatch-worthy jiggling going on whenever she runs. Or as one commenter over at EW put it, “she’s one golden eagle away from two black eyes.”

It’s an improvement, no doubt. But I still find it hard to take seriously. What do you think?

Image sources: SFX, EW, io9.

Maybe it’s the lighting?

Whatever we geeks were expecting from the costume for NBC’s new Wonder Woman — from TV producer extraordinaire David E. Kelley — it wasn’t a hooker in a cheap, store-bought Halloween outfit. This is supposed to be a “more realistic” take on the DC Comics character?

There’s nothing real about this costume. Take a good, long look. There’s just so much wrong.

Let’s start with the overall look. I don’t mind so much that they updated the costume to reflect Wonder Woman’s recent comic book overhaul, putting her in pants instead of star spangled panties. Less can be more. But why does every single piece of this look like shiny plastic?

Actress Adrienne Palicki clearly has a slim body, so why did they feel the need to stuff her into a costume that’s so tight no human being could ever wear it comfortably? She’s going to be spending a lot of time in this costume. The top part is cinched around the waist to the point that she’ll will never be able to breathe. And why is there a push-up bustier? She’s practically got muffintops going on up there, so you know both of ‘em are going to fall right out of that thing.

The lasso looks like something my mom would pick up at a craft store to make a Christmas garland out of.

The hooker lipstick just ties the whole ensemble together.

Sony Online Entertainment has spent a ton of money on DC Universe Online, and boy does it show. The massively multiplayer online universe has so much to do, you can and will spend months trying to get to it all. Of course, not everything is required of players; in fact, DCUO‘s diversity of options might just be its greatest strength. That, and the enormous playground that you’re given total freedom to explore and enjoy.

First things first. DC Universe Online presents players with the chance to create their own superhero or supervillain. You can customize almost everything about your avatar, including not just physical attributes and costumes, but down to even their fundamental styles of movement and fighting. There are hundreds of possible combinations, which is more than enough to ensure that no two players play the game exactly the same. You also select a mentor, who will be sort of your “coach” throughout the game and will influence which kind of abilities you have. Heroes can choose from Superman (meta), Batman (technology), and Wonder Woman (magic). On the flip side, respectively, villains get Lex Luthor, the Joker, or Circe.

The scenario is set up by a gorgeous CG animatic (viewable above) that reveals an Earth in ruins, torn apart by heroes and villains locked in a devastating war — which is when the evil Brainiac shows up with an invasion force. Lex Luthor, one of the few survivors, steals some of Brainiac’s technology and travels backward in time five years, where he disperses Brainiac’s “exobytes” across the Earth. This creates of thousands of new heroes and villains — aka, you and your fellow players — who can be trained to defend the planet from the impending invasion. (Yes, even the villains must fight Brainiac’s forces.)

This is the world in which you’re planted as you begin. Right off the bat, you’ll see that there are two fully realized, gargantuan cities to explore and play in: Metropolis and Gotham. These mega-cities are stunning in size and scope, with entire neighborhoods and skyscrapers dotting the sky — and everything in the cities is playable from the first minute you’re in the game. The game’s designers really let their imaginations run wild in coming up with the architecture of Metropolis and Gotham, and I enjoyed simply exploring these amazing cities.

There are missions awaiting you everywhere (accessed via the handy heads-up display), which almost always involve NPC enemies to dispatch. (Unless you’re playing on a PvP server, which is obviously a far more dangerous kind of play.) The differences between the two cities are day and night — literally. It’s always daytime in Metropolis, sunny, art deco, and optimistic. Gotham exists in perpetual night, all gloom and industrial machinery. There are some buildings in both cities that are inaccessible because they’ve been “bottled” by Brainiac, or essentially claimed.

Death for players is never a possibility. The worst that will happen is that you’re “knocked out,” which results in a few seconds of downtime while you regenerate. You’re returned to your starting point, or a nearby waypoint, forcing you to backtrack your steps to your enemies — during which they usually have time to do some healing. But that’s it: you’re not penalized by losing cash, inventory items, or power-ups.

To get around the cities, you’ll use one of three modes that you selected during your character’s customization: flying, speed-running, or tech-running. The latter two use speed or technology to allow you to run up the sides of buildings, and tech players can glide down from heights. But there’s really no substitute for flying. It’s smooth, intuitive, and really instills a sense of power. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why anyone bothers with the other two modes.

Both heroes and villains get their own safe houses and central headquarters, where they can go to interact with other players, buy cool exclusives, and take on specialty missions. But be warned that all of the exclusives you’ll be offered here can only be bought after you reach Level 30, and then only after you’ve completed a whole new slew of level grinding on specialty missions that significantly raise your renown with the item’s manufacturer.

One of the biggest draws of the game for me was the ability to choose what I wanted to do at any given time. There’s leveling to be done by fighting NPCs, and the requisite exploration and treasure-hunting missions, but you’re never required to do anything. This leaves you free to select an activity that suits whatever mood you’re in.

As for those levels, there’s a good variety of missions that mix things up in fun and satisfying ways. And every mission ends with you getting the chance to team up with one of DC’s known heroes or villains to fight against one of their established enemies. DCUO‘s developers wisely made extra sure that fighting beside these treasured comic book characters is just as awesome as it deserves to be. Each of these main characters is voiced by a mainstream actor — most of whom will be familiar to genre fans. Firefly and Chuck‘s Adam Baldwin makes a great Superman, while Mark Hamill takes on his familiar role of the Joker. Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica‘s Admiral Cain and True Blood‘s Maryann) chews through her words as the villainous Circe, and Star Trek: The Next Generation star and geek guru Wil Wheaton appears as Robin. You’ll also hear from Dwight Schultz (TNG‘s Barclay and The A-Team‘s original Murdock) as both The Flash and Martian Manhunter, Buffy‘s Spike, James Marsters, as Lex Luthor. Firefly‘s Gina Torres effects an odd, almost-British accent for Wonder Woman.

Aside from generic leveling, there are raids, PvP arenas, loot vaults you can buy entrance to, and story-driven co-op missions that take place outside of the two main cities in cool settings like Smallville, Chemo-blasted Bludhaven, Area 51, a base on the moon, Arkham Asylum, and more. There are daily contests, races, Legends matches where you play against other players in the guise of major DC heroes, duo missions, bounties to collect, player leagues to join, feats to accomplish, and so much more. Frankly there’s more to do than I have room to list in this review. In short: you’ll never get bored playing DC Universe Online. It’s impossible.

Level grinding maxes out at Level 30, though I imagine that cap will be raised by a future update. My one and only complaint about the game is the drastic leap in difficulty that occurs when you finally reach Level 30. While leveling up, the game presents you with missions that complement your current power set, but once you reach the maximum level, enemies suddenly become radically harder to take down. So hard that it’s simply impractical to complete any further missions without teaming up with other players. Gamers who prefer to go it alone will find virtually nothing left to do once they reach Level 30.

For many players, this won’t be a problem. A lot of gamers join MMOs for the social aspects. Personally, I’ve never had a good experience playing alongside others in MMOs, and DCUO is no exception. On one occasion, I waited in a queue for hours to get into a dungeon (aka an “Alert Zone”). I don’t typically enjoy dungeons, but this one sounded cool — the level was set in the Batcave. But it was at least two hours before I finally gained access to the dungeon, and when I did, the seven other players, who were standing around the entry point doing nothing, immediately asked me to leave. It turns out they were all real-life friends who wanted to play through the dungeon together, and their eighth friend was having trouble with his Internet connection, which kept dropping him out of the game. The game had put me in the Batcave in his place, which prevented him from returning.

I understand the desire for friends to enjoy some virtual playtime together, and I know how difficult it can be to arrange such a thing in cyberspace, but the experience still left a sour taste in my mouth. Anytime I tried playing alongside others, there was never any communication among my “team,” and every player was pretty much just in it for themselves, refusing to work together.

Admittedly, these issues had very little to do with the design of the game, so Sony Online can’t be faulted. These were just my personal experiences, and could have just as easily happened (and usually does) in any other MMO.

I had my share of lockups over the course of a month of playtime. But given the complexity of constructing an MMO and keeping it running, my downtime was remarkably small — particularly when compared to other MMOs. Sony has definitely invested plenty of time into testing and stabilizing the game. I played the PlayStation 3 version, and DCUO was easily the best reason I’ve found yet for buying that console. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get past that, it’s an absolute thrill to play. It’s simply the best MMO I’ve ever played.

Even though I’m not playing DC Universe Online anymore, I don’t regret one minute of the time I invested in it, and often find myself missing it, even now, weeks later. If that’s not the mark of a great game, I don’t know what is.

The title says it all, really. MAC’s Wonder Woman Makeup Collection of Spring 2011 has been catching the attention of fashion and beauty bloggers all over the place. Together with DC Comics, the cosmetic company (apparently, every woman’s favorite cosmetic company) came up with the idea to cater to those who want to “feel the magic of an iconic personality”, never mind that the iconic personality is a figment of the imagination. Don’t get me wrong – I love the idea of Wonder Woman makeup. Heck, I have a Wonder Woman shirt! I guess that copy just sounded overly silly to me.

I did look the line up in the official MAC web site, but it seems that they haven’t announced it yet. I found eyecatching photos of the new line, though, and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on these.

Sorry, guys (and I mean the male readers). I know you probably do not get it, but hey, this is the perfect Valentine’s gift for your geek significant other. According to the grapevine, the line will be available in the United States on the 10th of February. The rest of the world will have to wait till March.

Iron Man Tattoos

You will never hear me deny my obsession for this character – and Robert Downey, Jr. Naturally, he is first up on the list.

They say this tatt was spotted by someone somewhere in The Philippines.  Who knows? I just might run into this guy one of these days. Now I love Iron Man and RDJ (sometimes I can’t tell the difference) but I am not so sure about the depiction of IM’s head here.  What do you think? Mask on or mask off for this tatt?

Here’s a hand tattoo, which I think is pretty cool.  I’d be careful not to use this hand for tough jobs if I had this ink, though.

Not everyone wants a huge tattoo on their leg, but if this were the image, I wouldn’t think twice – would you?

Now this tattoo, I had a difficult time deciding whether to include or not.  On the one hand, the concept is cool.  On the other hand, it is very poorly done, don’t you think?

Wonder Woman Tattoos

Artist MeghanBeth says this took them three hours to complete, with the hair giving her the hardest time.  I think the effort was well worth it?  That cascade of black simply looks awesome, don’t you agree?

This Wonder Woman tatt, I like much better.

And, for a more meaningful Wonder Woman tatt (read: woman power and all that), check this out.

X-Men Tattoos

Very very powerful image, don’t you think?  And, the fact that it is purely done in black…I was staring at this for a while.

If the first one was simple (in terms of color), this one is literally fiery HOT.

Gotta love the concept.

Sure looks like this one hurt.  I just can’t get enough of Wolverine, though.  The guys at Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour are the geniuses behind this tatt.

Hulk Tattoos

The best of both worlds – that’s what this guy has with this tattoo.

If I had this “baby” on my back, I wouldn’t be apprehensive going out at night – alone, in a strange place.

This tatt cracks me up. I don’t know why, but it really does. It’s not just Hulk, of course, but it’s still worth including in this group.

Batman Tattoos

I love the colors used for this tatt, and I love the quote used in the site where I found it even more: “My world is all just shades of grey, Batman. That’s why you’ll never really understand me.”

Disturbing is the word that keeps repeating in my head. Definitely wouldn’t get one – wouldn’t even dream of it – but this tattoo does catch one’s eye, doesn’t it?

Pretty sassy Batgirl, this one is.   I also like how the colors blend.  It looks like it has just been done – notice the rawness? Doesn’t matter, though – I still like how it looks.

And, lest you are thinking “Where the heck is a Batman tattoo in this group?” here is an overly muscular version.

Spiderman Tattoos

From what I see, the image of this tattoo has been going around for quite some time now, but it has to be part of this list – no question about that.

Beautiful, isn’t he?

Superman Tattoos

Death of Superman chest tattoo – a good change from the usual emblem that everyone and their mom has, isn’t it?

Here’s another nice deviation from the usual emblem. If you like your steak very rare, the chances are that you’ll appreciate this tatt as well.

And for our last tattoo, here’s one of Superman himself.

Superman himself would be happy with this rendition, I reckon.

So there you have it – 23 of the coolest superhero tattoos I could find (for now).  Watch out for another feature on tatts in the next month or so!

How do you take a classic TV and destroy it? There’s a good chance DC Comic is about to let us know, announcing plans to reboot the Wonder Woman franchise by handing it over to David E. Kelley, the guy behind “Alley McBeal” , “Boston Legal” and “The Practice.”

Because if anything shouts Wonder Woman, it’s definitely a guy who writes legal and legal comedy based programs.

The slightly good news that comes from this is that the program isn’t actually in development, rather Kelley is working to hash out plans for what could become a series.

Hopefully if the new treatments for the series total suck DC Comic may will pull the plug on the series and maybe produce a movie.

Wonder Woman recently underwent a 21st century make over, giving her more appeal to a larger audience, but even fans at this time aren’t sure how to feel about Wonder Woman, which begs the question will anyone even tune in to watch the show.

Bionic Woman lasted less than a full season on TV, so it will be interesting to see how a female action character with some of those same characteristics, albeit it natural powers, could fair in primetime.

What do you think about the idea of a Wonder Woman TV series?

And why shouldn’t she? Superman‘s costume may be iconic, but most other major superheroes — including A-lister Batman — have undergone changes since they were first introduced. DC Comics has always aspired to make Wonder Woman the third member of its A-list trio, but her books never sell anywhere near the Top 20 like her male counterparts.

Issue #600 of Wonder Woman finds fan-favorite writer J. Michael Straczynski reimagining her origins. Instead of being raised as Amazon royalty, Diana was smuggled from the island as a baby when her home was destroyed. Presumably, she’s since been raised on the mainland, where she’s clearly aware of her background, but has taken on a more fashion-forward and functional than the traditional “swimsuit” outfit she’s worn from her beginning.

Jim Lee, the celebrated DC artist who designed the new look, tells the New York Times, that he wanted to make Wonder Woman look strong “without screaming, ‘I’m a superhero.’”

What do you think?

New Mutants #9, it's not what it appears.

Well, now we have it, the explanation of who the current Magik/Illyana is, and we discover the 2.0 version we now see comes without added Illyana. She is simply the Dark Chylde, resurrected and abandoned by Belasco, and claims she has no soul, only the body and mind of the deceased sister of Colossus.

Which begs the question, why did she even return to the X-Men fold? This is put to her by Emma Frost, and somehow I would have thought this confrontation would be more dramatic, yet it is almost as if they are simply sharing a nice cup of tea together. Even stranger, that a young girl would have the upper hand over the former headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy. Yet when asked about her absence after she left San Francisco, Illyana reveals that she had been searching for years for her Blood Stones (fragments of her soul conjured by Belasco) and when she had returned to the team, she had travelled back in time. The smile on her face as she offered Emma a peek into her mind seemed so mischievous, and as Emma discovered that it would have been by her own hand that Legion would finally have been defeated and slain, but only after he had destroyed most of the X-Men, this demonic creation comes up smelling of roses.

While Emma is left shaken to her core. Oh, Kitty would have been so proud.

The other comics to read this week – Siege: Embedded #1, and to my surprise, Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2.

Siege has finally kicked off, for which I am glad, because if I saw one more promo of it, then I would have been tempted to burn the lot of them. In the main story, even the President has finally realised that Norman is ‘out of control’. However, in the pages of Siege:Embedded, we see Ben Urich and an ex-colleague discover Volstagg and follow him for the story that will hopefully topple the new Osbourn empire.

What made the issue for me was the quick Glenn Beck parody, of a TV pundit whom Osbourn decided to recruit as he was so very positive about Norman’s policies. And I quote:

‘But this is a commercial break, and I need to be preparing for the next segment. I’m going to cry on camera. It takes some level of preparation.’

Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Absolutely priceless. Marvel, you are almost forgiven by that one act for your ‘Embrace Change’ flyers during election season.

My other recommendation of Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2, gives an insight into the events of Blackest Night #6, and Diana’s battle with Mera, the former wife (and Queen) of Aquaman, and with the Black Ring itself. Of course, Diana gets some divine assistance, but it gives quite the insight into what is going on with the ‘resurrected’ characters forced to bear the ring. I didn’t like the ending of Blackest Night #6, I mean just how many people do we need wearing these rings? However, this story goes to somewhat justify that. However, I am beginning to think that this crossover is dragging on for too long, and I am relieved to see that Siege is only a mere four issues. So finally the end of the Dark Reign is in sight. Just in time for the evils of the Fault in Realm of Kings, or the Elder Gods as heralded by the Dark Chylde to arrive. Mayhap they will be one and the same (although I rather doubt it.)

Erm, am I a traitor if I root for Asgard?

According to reports, development on the live action movie is now moving again at Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures. This means that we could finally expect to see every fanboy’s wet dream on screen pretty soon. Hopefully the Wonder Woman movie will come out soon after the Green Lantern movie is finished. Writers are now being hired to write the script for Wonder Woman.

Here’s a little trivia — if Joss Whedon had pushed through with Wonder Woman he wanted How I Met Your Mother’s Cobie Smulders to play Diana.