SubscribeNote: We’ve featured numerous Wonder Woman redesigns over the years, both unofficial designs by artists for fun as well as numerous versions of Diana done by DC in recent years. Today’s feature spotlights one of the best we’ve seen in sometime, and also one to spark some debate. Moon Girl artist the Rahzzah has reforged the Amazon princess in the fires of war, giving her an armored look that firmly grasps her warrior side without forsaking her feminine gender. – Chris A.
Timothy
/ January 28, 2013Pants, armor, short hair, & sword. I like this design alot but i would have lightened up on the chest armor put some armor on the legs and made the gauntlets a bit more flashy.
Shiner
/ January 28, 2013Should probably have at least a little armor on the legs, but otherwise it looks spiffy. And I like the haircut-why would a Warrior Princess have long hair anyway?
DBrown
/ January 28, 2013I so love this! Wonderful presentation of this design! The only thing I would’ve done a little differently, is to add the seams and buckle elements found on the abdomen to the boots as well to make those two more cohesive.
Dedpool
/ January 28, 2013That is badass! I could very easily see that working. I see a bit of Joan of Arc in there as well.
Jason Garrett
/ January 28, 2013I dig the Brienne of Tarth vibe… this is a refreshing take.
http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Brienne_of_Tarth
Christopher Williams
/ January 28, 2013Lots to like here. The stars at the hips, the gauntlets, most of the breast plate are all great. I also agree that I really like the short hair.
In terms of being a Wonder Woman design, though, the color scheme is too dark for my taste. I like my WW a bit more luminous. I also think the eagles at the shoulder with the lines of the breast plate get too busy.
Finally, I just don’t see why WW needs a sword. I know lots of people like the addition and it looks good with this design but I like her better without it. I also wouldn’t mind seeing some kind of tiara that would go with this design (but maybe such a thing doesn’t exist).
Overall, fantastic job.
Bruce B.
/ January 28, 2013She looks a little ticked off about that shoulder armor not allowing arms to raise at her sides.
wanizame
/ January 28, 2013This is wicked. Personally not a fan of shoulder-guards but I think it fits well with the motif of this piece (though I still think it would look better without). Love the short hair.
Karriem
/ January 28, 2013Freaking dope!!!!!
Dean
/ January 28, 2013This doesn’t work for me.
Not every character has to be 100% badass warrior That is part of Wonder Woman’s deal, but it is hardly the whole thing. This is kind of a lazy way of looking at the character.
Despite that, I think the rendering is very good.
Scott
/ January 28, 2013I would have preferred some more Greek elements, such as skirting and abdominal protection with a deep dip in the middle, as seen in the Byzantine example: http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7789/demetrios20rt.jpg
Jon Morris
/ January 28, 2013Dang!
Edwin
/ January 28, 2013Why wouldn’t she? It’s a personal choice on her part. That’s like asking why Thor has long hair? I really do like the short hair as a look though. It gives her a pixyish look to her.
The eagle shaped shoulder armor is so nifty and original. On top of that, the easily missed WW at the bottom of her chest plate, the blue starred skirt armor does a lot to call back her previous looks. I’m especially fond of the sword, which is a yard long and leaf shaped, properly sized for combat. Leg armor isn’t the best for lightness and mobility, a mail skirt with shin guards is better in this situation
SilverHammerMan
/ January 28, 2013I think the chestpiece and the shoulder pads are both a bit too much, they make the character look too heavy. The rest of it’s great, if a bit too much like street clothes.
Mick Bouschor
/ January 28, 2013Love this. Anyone getting a Joan of Arc vibe from her?
I especially love how you transposed her star-spangled bloomers into the hip armor. Works really well.
Great design + great rendering.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
/ January 28, 2013Yes. Yes. And Yes! Looks excellent.
Jay
/ January 28, 2013A great design for sure. My first reaction was “That’s perfect!” but can I see her standing beside (comic) Superman and believe they’re from the same universe? Not so much…but I’m old school and prefer my heroes in spandex. I’ve come to terms with that.
A great pin up though. Outstanding artwork.
Marie Brennan
/ January 28, 2013She’s wearing pants! And there was much rejoicing. :-)
I agree with Christopher that feels too dark to me — a fair bit of which is the image more than the costume itself, but Wonder Woman is, in my mind, one of the “shining lights.” Brighten her up a bit, and I would like this a lot. (Some more Grecian elements also wouldn’t go amiss.)
Edwin
/ January 28, 2013I think we can reconcile the black pants with a more light hearted WW as long as she’s not depicted as being all grim and serious
Thomas Fummo
/ January 28, 2013I agree that it certainly looks very top-heavy (and I’d add, a little cluttered). The leggings and boots could either do with more details, or the top could lose some of its bulk. Those shoulder guards look incredibly restricting and really don’t help the flow of the design. Also, unless it’s tied in to some convenient coincidence (like Kal El’s ‘s’ shaped family crest), I’m never a fan of Wonder Woman’s Themyscara armour featuring ‘W’s.
I also share the opinion that it’s a little too dark. Maybe replace the blues with more shining gold/silver surfaces?
These points aside, I can certainly appreciate an attempt to make Diana look more like an actual warrior princess than some garish, stars-and-stripes pin-up. Rory Phillips had a similar ethos when doing his recent WW redesign – I highly recommend you guys check it out :)
TBolt
/ January 28, 2013Sherilyn Fenn is Wonder Woman. Pass for me, too busy and how does she lift her arms with those shoulder things??
Adam
/ January 28, 2013There’s always such an outcry whenever someone tries to do anything truly original with WW. It’s a shame, because just taken as a character design, this really hits all the important points about Wonder Woman’s origin and nature. Even if she had longer hair (which would also work fine with this costume), the re-design of the outfit is rock-solid and visually stunning. The armored elements remind us she’s a warrior, and the gilded eagle pauldrons hint at her royalty. Wonder Woman’s original look was steeped in post-WWII fetish and sexism, and she has long needed a true reboot, rather than just a rearrangement of the bikini lines. This design maintains some of her less odious time-honored elements (you can look at this and just KNOW it’s Wonder Woman), but she now looks like the bad-ass warrior and Grecian princess she was always meant to be.
I understand the nature of the comments to brighten her up, but I respectfully disagree. While it would still be a great design with brighter colors, I think that diminishes her character. She’s often not taken seriously by people who aren’t fans, and the darker colors helps with that image problem.
I’ve always loved the idea of Wonder Woman, but found most incarnations of her to be unreadable for so long. I would love to read the book that accommodated this dynamic and intense design. Kudos to The Rahzzah!
Olaoluwapo Williams
/ January 28, 2013It’s pretty great for an Amazon costume! It kinda gives a Flashpoint-Wonder Woman vibe to it.
Tim
/ January 28, 2013I think it’s beautifully done and a great design, but it’s not Wonder Woman to me.
Shiner
/ January 28, 2013True, but Thor at least has a helmet so you can’t grab it in a fight ;).
Tegan Dumpleton
/ January 28, 2013It could be because I just saw Les Miserables, but this totally has a french revelation look to me (maybe the style of pants) . I love it!
DD
/ January 29, 2013Damn! that’s…amazing. Just amazing.
Timothy
/ January 29, 2013I want to add she need a crown. WW always need a crown!
Scadilla
/ January 29, 2013I like the design a lot, but why those shoulder pads? They look like they decrease mobility.
Dias
/ January 29, 2013Too manly.
Edwin
/ January 30, 2013Then a braid with spikes threaded into it. Or pin it up. There are myriads of hairstyles for warriors. Saying only short hair works is like saying only spandex should be used
Edwin
/ January 30, 2013Also, as concerns people mentioning the shoulder guards, I can see easily how she moves her arms. There is plenty of clearance to lift her arms. Also, did you just say she looks manly? Really? What counts as feminine?
Carol A. Strickland
/ January 31, 2013This is a very nice design (sans lasso) for some warrior female type. Quite spiffy! Unfortunately, also quite un-Wonder Woman-ly. Wonder Woman is NOT primarily a warrior. She is a bringer of peace, advancement and positive empowerment for all. Wish some folks at DC would get that through their heads.
grendeljd
/ February 1, 2013I’m not a Wonder Woman fan, and being free of any personal bias about how I think she *should* look, I can say that I like this character design. Something along this line would look great in a film, and would go a long way towards taking her seriously compared to the classic pin-up girl look. I think the shoulder plates may be just a little awkward and large, but I still really like the clever incorporation of the eagle into their design. Nice touch with the more subtle ‘W’ & the placement of the stars.
Witkh
/ February 7, 2013Awesome illustration, though she is more like Wonder Woman’s daughter or something. Wonder Woman’s actual costume is intended to basically be a Bikini, by the Creator of WW.
Alex Odell
/ March 15, 2013This is the best redesign of Wonder Woman, ever. A modern, cool fighting outfit that isn’t just there to appeal to horny nerds. The armor is great, it references her warrior/Amazon upbringing nicely. She looks ready to kick serious ass, I could see Hollywood putting this into a move right now.
Zacula
/ March 19, 2013So actually bothering to come up with female armor designs instead of the more regular “Women’s breastplates actually have breasts on them, right guys? Right? Right? I’ll do it anyhow.” is lazy now? Anyhoo, Wonder Woman IS 100% warrior. She’s a warrior-princess. She always has been. The design of this armor is far more regal than normal warriors, indicating her nature as a princess, and the makeup on her face shows up her beauty. In any case, this could very well be an excellent “before” armor, showcasing her personality and gear before she met with superheroes and started to get a BIT more peaceful. But I still think it’s a solid design overall, and certainly better than her current gear (there is no way in hell canon WW’s top would stay on during a fight, seeing as it’s weighed down with armor and doesn’t have any straps).
Zacula
/ March 19, 2013I do love this armor, but the one thing that bugs me is that it seems a little more European than Greek in it’s design.