Darwyn Cooke’sDC: The New Frontieris one of DC’s greatest stories, but the cartoonist almost quit the series before it came out due to a disagreement over howWonder Womanwas portrayed. Thankfully, Cooke won the argument, and fans got to see the late writer/artist’s masterwork when it was published in 2004. But if DC/Warner Bros. had their druthers,The New Frontiermight have entered the list of unfinished comic masterpieces.
Cooke shared the disagreement that came up over Wonder Woman in an interview withThe Comics Journalin 2007, saying that it came down to Wonder Woman’s size and stature inThe New Frontier.
“[DC was]going, ‘Hey man, what’s with this really chunky Wonder Woman?'“Cooke says in theTCJinterview, before explaining his reasoning for the character’s visual portrayal:
I started putting all this together and with every one of these characters I was trying to think, ‘What’s going to be different with my take on them, that’s still consistent with who they should be?’ So with her, it was, ‘I’m going to make her the biggest of the bunch. She’s a Goddess, she’s a warrior Goddess.’
Darwyn Cooke Almost QuitThe New FrontierAfter DC Objected to His Wonder Woman
DC Comics Didn’t Want Diana to Be Taller than Superman
One of the big sticking points for DC was a scene early in the series where it’s revealed thatWonder Woman is actually taller than Supermanwhen the Man of Steel stumbles upon Diana celebrating with a group of women she freed in Vietnam. Cooke explains the scene was designed to call attention to Wonder Woman’s height:
And that whole situation in Vietnam in that hut was staged, so it’s not until the end of the scene that we see her stand up. And she’s actually taller than(Superman).
The higher-ups atDC and its corporate parent Warner Bros.got nervous over the height difference and immediately requested that Cooke change Wonder Woman’s design.
Those looking for an affordable, accessible version ofDC: The New Frontierdon’t have long to wait. The classic DC story will be published as part of DC’s Compact Comics line in August 2025 at the affordable price point of $9.99.
Things got so heated during the making of the comic that Cooke was ready to throw in the towel and leaveThe New Frontierunfinished. In a post to Twitter/X, as reported byBleeding Cool,former editor Valerie D’Orazio recalls the moment Cooke threatened to quit:
Originally, DC/WB brass baulked at this Wonder Woman design for being too “off-model.” Darwyn threatened to quit the series unless it was kept the way he initially rendered it. (Source: me on the phone with the artist at the DC offices).
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and Wonder Womanappeared inThe New Frontierin all her taller-than-Superman glory.
The confrontation between Wonder Woman and Superman is one of the best scenes in the entirety ofThe New Frontier, asWonder Woman’s height difference with Superman really hammers home the differences in their characterizations. Superman objects to the violence perpetrated by the imprisoned women, but Wonder Woman’s mentality is in keeping with her warrior’s code of ethics. It also highlights the disparity in the types of problems that they choose to tackle, with Superman more concerned with upholding the status quo as opposed to Wonder Woman wanting to see justice served for those on the fringes of society.
“She’s a Warrior Goddess”: Darwyn Cooke’s Take on Wonder Woman Remains Iconic
DC: The New FrontierCreated an Indelible Version of Princess Diana
DC: The New Frontierwas released in 2004 to much acclaim, often cited not only asone of DC Comics’ best storiesbut asone of the best comics of all time. Often considered Cooke’s masterpiece,The New Frontierreimagined the beginning of DC’s Silver Age, telling the origin story of the Justice League of America in real-time across the 1950s and early ’60s. By couching the narrative with the real history of the United States, Cooke gives his story added weight that simply wasn’t there in the original Silver Age comics.
The reception that theNew Frontierreceived had to have felt like vindication for Cooke.
The reception that theNew Frontierreceived had to have felt like vindication for Cooke, who tried to break into the industry over a decade before and was told his artwork was too simplistic and cartoonish for the crosshatched, detail-heavy style that was popular in the 1990s. Failing to break into comics at that time,Cooke instead worked in animation, working on theMen in Blackanimated series and designing the opening credits forBatman Beyond. Cooke finally got his foot in the door at DC in the 2000s with the publication ofBatman: Ego, which eventually led to a successful career in comics.
Despite DC/Warner Bros.’s initial rebuke of the height difference between Superman and Wonder Woman, it certainly didn’t hurt the reception thatThe New Frontiergot when it was released. Cooke even notes howthe scene in Vietnam with Wonder Woman and Superman eventually became a favoritefor many fans:
I meet thousands of people who’ve read this book and that’s their favorite scene, hands-down. By a wide margin.
Cooke’s Wonder Woman Is an Essential Part of the Character’s Long History
AndThe New FrontierRemains a Classic
Wonder Woman’s Amazonian stature remainedwhenThe New Frontierwas adapted into an animated filmin 2008, further solidifying Cooke’s portrayal of the character as iconic. The height difference between her and Superman was also carried over into the line of action figures produced by DC Direct, where Wonder Woman once again towered over the Man of Steel in plastic form.
10 Pieces of Darwyn Cooke Art That Prove He Was Born to Draw the Justice League
Comic legend Darwyn Cooke had some amazing illustrations of the Justice League, but only a few show how awe-inspiring the team truly is.
It’s fascinating that DC/WB would object to the portrayal of Wonder Woman inTheNew Frontier, when that aspect would go on to be one of the best-remembered pieces of the story today. In that way, Cooke wound up having the last laugh, so the writer/artist was wise to dig in his heels and keep true to his vision. Thankfully,Wonder Woman’sstature remained as it was, and Darwyn Cooke didn’t quitThe New Frontier, giving fans the world over one of the very best DC comic books.
Sources:The Comics Journal;Bleeding Cool
DC The New Frontier
In the 1950s, Cold War paranoia outlawed the Mystery Men of the Golden Age. Stalwarts such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman continued to fight for truth and justice, but as the world hurtled toward an uncertain future, it would take a new breed of hero to define the American Way.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the superhero identity of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Created on the island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is a super-powered demi-goddess with extreme physical strength who utilizes magical gifts (like her famous Lasso of Truth) to defeat her foes. As mighty as her fellow heroes Superman and the Justice League, Wonder Woman is unmatched in her compassion and virtue.
