Coming this September, DC is debuting Villain’s Month. Each book will be taken over with the origin stories of the worst the DCU has to offer, for every book. And in this exclusive, we’ve got the covers for Wonder Woman and her worst foes.
Specifically, we’ll be seeing the First Born, Wonder Woman’s older brother, and the classic foe Cheetah, both getting a focus during the event. Even better for fans, Brian Azzarello, who’s been handling the book from the start, will get a chance to pay off everything he’s been building to in the book, while John Ostrander will reintroduce Cheetah. Ostrander has a long history at DC starting in the ’80s; he created the modern Suicide Squad, and has written everyone from Hawkman to the Spectre
We got a chance to speak to Ostrander and Azzarello about the books. Azzarello noted his book “will answer some questions we’ve posed throughout the year; there’s a lot of backstory to reveal. [We’ve] been building towards this issue for a long time. It’s a completely organic chapter in our story.” As for writing a villain, especially one that’s been in the works for so long, Azzarello stated that while his approach doesn’t change, “my own understanding of motivations might be a little clearer.”
Ostrander, meanwhile, notes that writing villains is something that comes naturally, noting “I’ve spent a lot of time in my career among the, shall we say, wounded psyches of the bad guys. Although, I must say, Cheetah is pretty messed up.” Even so, Ostrander found creating a Cheetah for the New 52 an interesting challenge:
I think Cheetah is an exciting character to work with. Very primal, almost feral. Ferocious. Plus, she still has Barbara Minerva’s mind – a very intelligent woman. This, I think, makes her scary.
On the next two pages, check out the early covers, and DC’s hints at what we might find this September.
<!–pagetitle:Wonder Woman 23.1: The Cheetah–>
The Cheetah has clawed her way out of Belle Reve, and is hungry for blood—but before she steps up as one of the Secret Society’s most powerful generals, she has a personal score to settle! Learn the truth about the cult of Hippolyta, her vendetta against Wonder Woman, and just how far she’ll go to prove that she’s the most dangerous predator on Earth!
Available September 19th, by John Ostrander with art by Victor Ibanez
<!–pagetitle:Wonder Woman 23.2: First Born–>
The First Born son of Zeus—Wonder Woman’s oldest brother—has returned to claim the throne of Olympus! But it’s been a long and bloody road to reach his destiny…and you won’t believe the horror when you meet the rest of Wonder Woman’s extended “family”!
Available September 25th, by Brian Azzarello with art by Alex Cal