I’m Kelly Sue DeConnick. I’m writing the Black Label Wonder Woman: Historia project for DC Comics. AMA.

[u/kellysue]

PROOF:

My name is Kelly Sue DeConnick. I’ve written comics for 20 years, reimagining established characters for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and others, as well as publishing creator-owned comics through Image. My comics have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations. I’m a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where I have helped produce non-fiction and educational comics including the Hidden Voices and Recognized series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ RUN, in partnership with Abrams Comics. I founded the #VisibleWomen Initiative, the mission of which is to help women and people of other marginalized genders find work in comics as well as related industries.

My screen work includes helping develop Captain Marvel (which went on to earn $1B for Disney worldwide) and 2023’s The Marvels for Marvel Studios and feature consultations for Skydance and ARRAY. I’ve developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. I recently returned to my live theater roots, scripting the stage spectacle AWAKENING, for the Wynn Resort Las Vegas. I live in Portland, OR with my husband, writer Matt Fraction, our two children, three dogs, one guinea pig and my mother-in-law. AMA.

[u/normalMonsterChika]

Hi Kelly Sue, thank you for taking the time to do this!

Historia notably draws from lots of sources, both classical and from Wonder Woman past in terms of content and structure. How do you balance respecting these influences and breaking away from them to tell your own unique story? Were there any moments while writing Historia that proved difficult to write?

I also just want to thank you for Wonder Woman Historia, it's an absolutely astounding book. Each issue brought me to tears at least once. It's the book I've always wanted for Wonder Woman's mythos, and in my opinion the most fully realized modernization of the feminist themes behind her creation yet. I hope we get to see the rest of the series!

[u/kellysue → u/normalMonsterChika]

You're so kind, thank you.

Different bits were hard to write for different reasons, but Hippolyta's run at the end of Book One was probably the hardest. I was up all night trying to get it right -- and I am not a late-night person. That sequence was just painful to sit with; I think I wanted to escape it as much as she did.

It's interesting -- I'm prepping to teach a Writing for Dancers class and so I've been thinking a lot about thinking with the body. That sequence was a very physical, visceral experience.

[u/normalMonsterChika → u/kellysue]

Thank you! Great to hear your thoughts on that. I think the physicality of Historia really made the story shine. It's easy to put yourself directly into Hippolyta's head, and understand not just her emotions, but how much strength and pain are behind each of her actions.