And the worst part is: they still have to work together.
The Man of Steel and the Amazing Amazon have been dating and co-starring in a team-up title for the better part of two years now. The dalliance between Superman and Wonder Woman always seemed like a concession to the fan-fiction idea that DCâs two strongest characters HAD to hook up. But maybe they donât have to anymore.
Supermanâs had a lot going on in his life of late, what with the whole losing-most-of-his-powers and secret identity outing of the last few months. Wonder Womanâs had her own share of drama, too, with an open revolt on her home island of Themiscrya among other things. But, in this weekâs Superman/Wonder Woman #22, itâs Clark Kentâs status quo shifts that trigger change in his romance with Wonder Woman.
Spoilers Follow
Just three months ago, it seemed like Clark and Dianaâs love would be able to weatherall the upheaval in their superhero lives. But then they had a run-in with a secret government operation that rounded up Clarkâs closest friends and family. During that adventure, Diana used her magic lasso on some of those people to find out how they felt about Superman.
Now that all the actionâs over, it looks like Clarkâs romance with Diana is another casualty in the wake of the recent big changes.
Much has been made over the decades about how Clark Kentâs love for Lois Lane humanizes Superman and keeps him tethered to humanity. But part of the appeal to a Supes/Wondy romance is the idea that theyâre equals in terms of fictional strength and publishing longevity. Clark and Lois have never been romantically linked in the four-year-old New 52 incarnation of the DC Universe and theyâre barely been civil ever since she revealed his secret identity to the world. So itâs weird that itâs Dianaâs treatment of Lois (and others) that proves to be the wedge that might push Clark away from her.
The oddest thing about this issue is that it re-tells scenes that were shown months agoin a preview teaser.
That same sequence gets changed a little be in this issue.
The words change a little in the climactic panel, presumably to not seem as harsh and create some wiggle room and ambiguity. But the end result is the same: Superman doesnât have time for love right now, at least not Wonder Womanâs love
From a character-driven standpoint, one can understand why Clark might want to put his love life with Diana on hold. Itâs a human reaction that happens in real life. And part of the tension between the two heroes comes from the different ways they have been written with regards to their pursuit of justice. Dianaâs been more pragmatic and less idealistic than Clark in this story arc.
But part of the problem with superhero romances is that they can feel icky when just used as plot points. Yes, romantic drama and upheaval are good engines for plotlines and character development but they can also ultimately reduce some people in a given story to devices for anotherâs journey. I found myself asking âso what happens from here?â after reading this issue. Does Diana pine away for Clark, hoping that heâll come back to her when he gets all of his powers back? Does Clark recognize that Diana was actingâperhaps, misguidedlyâout of love for him? Who winds up being the jerk and/or the victim? Is there anyway this can be an amicable break-up? Itâs probably a safe bet that Superman or Wonder Woman wonât be becoming each otherâs archenemies now. But itâll be interesting to see what the aftermath of this partingâif it actually sticksâlooks like in each characterâs world.
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