Here’s a look at 10 comic book storylines that could potentially be adapted for Wonder Woman 2
This weekend, Wonder Woman‘s first solo movie was a huge success at the worldwide box office. And barring something unforeseen, we’re 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.
RELATED: 10 Characters We Want to See in a Wonder Woman Sequel
Unlike Batman or Superman, Wonder Woman doesn’t have set list of classic stories that are well known by the general public. In other words, there’s no The Dark Knight Returns in Wonder Woman’s 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
You’re 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.
“The Twelve Labors” is one of the most significant storyline from the ‘70s, 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 world’s greatest superheroes.
Challenge of the Gods
The new Wonder Woman movie is borrowing some elements from the first George Perez storyline. So it’s only fitting that the sequel also borrow from Perez’s second story, “Challenge of the Gods.” 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 Woman’s primary foes and set up a very personal betrayal for the title heroine to deal with.
“Challenge of the Gods” also had Zeus attempting to court Wonder Woman as his new bride, and he wasn’t 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 Woman’s father.
The Contest
“The Contest” is about as ‘90s as ‘90s 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 Diana’s attempt to rebuild herself, and it’s 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 wouldn’t make for a very exciting movie. Writer Paul Dini and artist Alex Ross weren’t 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 couldn’t easily solve. That’s the part of “Spirit of Truth” that should make it to the big screen. It really challenges Wonder Woman in a way that a villain can’t, 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 Woman’s 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 Jimenez’s Wonder Woman run came in “Paradise Lost,” 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 doesn’t get more personal than that for Wonder Woman. And if it becomes a film, it could also be combined with Jimenez’s one-shot story in which Lois Lane follows Wonder Woman around for a day and discovers another side of her life.
The Hiketeia
While “League of One” 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.
What’s fascinating here is the way that neither Batman nor Wonder Woman can compromise their beliefs despite their friendship with each other. There’s only one way to settle their differences, and Wonder Woman doesn’t hold back in their battle. Let’s just say that yelling “Martha!” wouldn’t bring this fight to an easy ending.
Eyes of the Gorgon
During Greg Rucka’s initial stint as the writer of Wonder Woman, Diana’s role became even more political and symbolic as she attempted to advance the cause of peace. A few of Wonder Woman’s 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. “Eyes of the Gorgon” pushed Wonder Woman to her limits, as she demonstrated just how far she is willing to go to protect the world. It’s an intense crucible for the title character, and therefore it would be a potentially great movie.
Blood
Some aspects from Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang‘s 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, “Blood,” redefined Wonder Woman’s place among the Greek pantheon and inadvertently placed Diana at the middle of a larger conflict when she wouldn’t let an expectant mother become the victim of a war in Olympus. Additionally, Diana discovered the truth about her own divine lineage.
It’s a very modern take on Wonder Woman, and Chiang’s renditions of mythological beasts would be a very welcome addition to Diana’s cinematic adventures.
War-Torn
After Azzarello and Chiang left the Wonder Woman comic, David and Meredith Finch took over the series with “War-Torn,” 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 Diana’s role as queen of the Amazons.
The interesting thing here isn’t the battle between Wonder Woman and her younger doppelgänger, it’s 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.
