Wonder Woman

Dolby Cinema’s exclusive poster artwork shows the whole League (minus Superman, natch) united in a bunch of action poses on a very colorful background.

Join me, Alicia Selin, as I try on Grand Junction's (and the nation's) top Halloween costumes. I try on everything from Pennywise the Clown to Wonder Woman.

Our children won’t believe us when we tell them that there used to be doubt over whether a female-fronted superhero movie would work at the box office. Even at present, the days of studio executive hand-wringing over whether audiences would deign to shell out their precious $11.75 to see a film in which a woman — who was not a man — did superhero things feel favorably remote. For director Patty Jenkins and her marble-carved star Gal Gadot have proven beyond all debate and rage-choked internet commenting that women are perfectly capable of making a whole mess of money during blockbuster season. And now it’s official.

It may be the title of the movie but the words “wonder” and “woman” are ever spoken in Wonder Woman. Until an underwhelming fight between two super-beings brings the film crashing back down to earth, Wonder Woman often feels less like a superhero movie than a modern fable, about a strong but sheltered young woman who discovers the pleasures and perils of the wider world. It’s presented with strong visual style and abundant heart by Patty Jenkins, and played with oozing charisma by its two well-cast stars, Chris Pine and Gal Gadot as the (not-technically-named-) Wonder Woman.

Following the negative reactions to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the party line over at Warner Bros. right now seems to be “fun.” Studio executives and creatives have been assuring fans that, moving forward, their DC movies are going to be a bit lighter than Zack Snyder’s grim-and-gritty superhero epic. And while we’ve been told The Flash and Justice League movies will be fun, someone apparently didn’t get that memo for Wonder Woman.

Zack Snyder makes superhero movies, but his characters don’t act very heroic. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features all the other trappings of the superhero genre: Capes, gadgets, outlandish muscles, punching stuff. But the two stars aren’t noble or chivalrous; they’re violent, aggressive, and angry — mostly at each other instead of the bad guys. In Snyder’s formulation, protecting the world from evil isn’t a gift or a calling; it’s a burden. And that feeling is reflected in the movie itself, a burdensome 150- minute slog about two men fighting over who is in the right when both are very clearly in the wrong.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

There’s some maybe not-so-great news here to report: the ‘Wonder Woman’ film is reportedly in negotiations with a screenwriter following the hiring of director Michelle MacLaren. And although we had our fingers crossed that WB would also hire a woman to script the film, their screenwriter of choice is Jason Fuchs, who is, as you may have guessed, a dude. He’s also responsible for the screenplay for the upcoming ‘Pan’ movie, which doesn’t seem very promising. But there’s still hope! Don’t feel too bad yet!

When ComicsAlliance first heard that Gilbert Hernandez would write and draw a Wonder Woman story for DC's digital first Sensation Comics series, we were excited to see what the master Love & Rockets illustrator would would do with the character. We also assumed he'd be the author of the story about Wonder Woman as a rock star. Anyone following Sensation Comics now knows that the rock star story was Margeurite Sauvage's excellent work, while Hernandez spun a tale about a brainwashed Diana going toe-to-toe with fellow heroes Supergirl and Mary Marvel. The first half of his two-parter, "No Chains Can Hold Her," is already available. DC sent us this exclusive preview of part two, available this Thursday.

In what is probably the best rumor of the week already, WB has apparently got their collective studio eyes on Michelle MacLaren to direct their upcoming 'Wonder Woman' movie. MacLaren is best known for her work on television, where she's directed some of the most riveting episodes of 'Breaking Bad' and 'Game of Thrones,' so she knows a thing or two about action and what makes for a compelling, complex character.