The big three of DC have always been: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Officially in licensing and other concerns, and unofficially in the collective consciousness of the comic fan, these characters are the most iconic the company has to offer -- the Trinity, if you will.
However, Green Lantern has also developed a cult following -- the green "ring" T-shirt becoming an accepted part of pop-culture. High sales on the monthly title, plus a rumored major motion picture, may give the character(s) a bigger profile than it has ever had before.
Now, Superman & Batman are pretty untouchable as icons. But is Wonder Woman, despite her inclusion into The Big Three, really more on the same level as Green Lantern, or Flash? And could any of these "second tier" characters replace her, in some sense, as the third most popular DC character in pop-culture?
A vote for "no" -- I would hazard to guess that more non-comic readers would recognize WW than GL.
A vote for "yes" -- If the proposed Green Lantern movie succeeds at the level "Iron Man" did, I think he might get that coveted third spot. Because before the movie, I pegged Iron Man as a solid second-stringer; and now he's not.
And does/should Wonder Woman's gender play a role in this? Does her uniqueness as perhaps the most famous female superhero of all time automatically rocket her into the Big Three? Or does such a view undercut her worth as a superhero, regardless of gender, and ignore her rich history and formidable powers?
Or should there simply be a Big Four?
Vote in the poll to your right on the sidebar:
And if you are a Wonder Woman fan -- please don't get pissed at me! I'm not saying Wonder Woman is not as awesome as Green Lantern! I'm just trying to have a conversation.
Though if I had to "call" it, I'd say it largely depends on which movie gets made first, GL or WW, and how successful it is.
