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Wonder Woman: Warbringer Author Leigh Bardugo on Approaching an Icon
I only started to get into comics recently—the newer stuff, if only because I didn’t know where to begin when it comes to the classics like Wonder Woman. And then I heard about Leigh Bardugo’s YA adaptation of Wonder Woman and knew I had to read it immediately—what better introduction to a character I’d heard so much about but had never really read before? Leigh is an immensely talented writer, and I knew reading her Diana would be a treat.
I wasn’t wrong. Diana is such an iconic character, and to see her beginnings—and how she becomes who she is—is incredible. One thing I love about Bardugo’s take is that even for people whose knowledge of Wonder Woman is minimal, like me, there’s still so much to enjoy. Wonder Woman: Warbringer follows a young Diana living on the island of Themyscira, longing to prove herself to the other Amazons. But rescuing a mortal girl from a shipwreck may have doomed her future without her knowing it—and the only way to change that is to leave the home she’s known all her life.
I got to talk with Leigh about her process for writing Warbringer, her favorite comics, and what comes next.
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How did you feel when you were approached to write a YA Wonder Woman novel?
Freaked out. A little giddy. Taking on such an iconic character was definitely intimidating, but I was too much of a fan to walk away from the opportunity to be part of her story.
Your Diana is so wonderful—so feisty and strong, yet eager to prove herself. What was it like tapping into her voice?
Thank you. I think writing her was really about finding her vulnerability and her ambition. She’s surrounded by warriors, but she’s never truly been tested and she has no idea just how strong she can be until she steps away from the safety she’s always known. I think that’s something a lot of us can understand and that hopefully brings us closer to her as a character.
The relationships between the Amazons are so richly woven. How much of that is from the comics, and how much freedom did you have when creating them?
I actually wasn’t allowed to use a lot of Amazons from the comics—so no Penthesilea, no Antiope, no Philippus. You’ll still find echoes of them in the story, but that kind of freed me when it came to building Amazon society and culture. It was important to me that it not be homogenous, so I built the mythology to make it as inclusive as possible, and I used the real religious practices of ancient Greece to try to ground the island’s magic.
Was your process for writing Warbringer different from that for your previous works?
In my own work, the only people I really consult are my critique partners and my editor, and even then, the final decisions are really left to me. There were a lot more people I had to get approval from when it came to Warbringer, and that sometimes meant making compromises. I won’t say we never butted heads, but that’s part of the deal when you’re writing such an iconic character. She doesn’t just belong to you.
Was it different stepping into a previously established world and canon like Wonder Woman?
Yes and no. There are a lot of different versions of Wonder Woman, so I took what resonated most deeply with me and left behind the rest. I have a book of fairy tales coming out in September called The Language of Thorns, and the process wasn’t radically different. You’re writing your own story, but you know the story is in conversation with stories that came before.
Did you do much research into the DC backstory before writing?
A couple of years ago, I wrote an essay on Diana for Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life, and I did a lot of research, not only on the different versions of Wonder Woman but also on her cultural impact. I even interviewed a couple of cosplayers. So when the chance to write this novel came along, it felt a little like it was meant to be. Most of the new research I did was into Greek mythology and religious practices, as well as the cult that surrounded Helen of Troy.
What is your favorite aspect of Diana’s character?
Probably her compassion. There’s a deep kindness in her that I loved writing.
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Any other comic or graphic novel recommendations?
Oh, wow. Well, if you’re looking for fantastic Wonder Woman stories, I’m really enjoying Rucka’s new run, and I loved his Hiketeia. The Court of Owls is one of my favorite Batman arcs. I love Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye and everything Brian K. Vaughan does (Y: The Last Man, Saga). I just picked up Black Science, by Rick Remender, and My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris, and I’m really loving Monstress, by Marjorie Liu. For something totally outside of genre, This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki, is an absolutely beautiful coming of age story.
What I love a lot is the friendship and trust built up between Alia and Diana over the course of the novel. Did you pull inspiration for that from any of your friendships?
All of them? I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by brilliant, generous, badass women my whole life. There are the friends I’ve known since grade school, my roommates from college, the incredible women I’ve met in publishing. These are the people I lean on and who know they can lean on me, whether we talk every day or catch up once or twice a year. They’re all Amazons.
If you could have any of Diana’s weapons, which would you choose?
The bracelets. No question. It’s the power of the ricochet—whatever you send my way is coming right back at you.
Would you want to live on Themyscira?
Is this really a question? Sign me up for the island of gorgeous immortal women stat.
What’s next for you?
The Language of Thorns, my illustrated collection of original fairy tales, comes out on September 29, and I’ll be touring for that once my Wonder Woman: Warbringer tour winds down. I’m currently working on my first novel for adults, a dark fantasy set at Yale University called Ninth House. And after that, I’ll be returning to the Grishaverse, but I’m not allowed to talk about that just yet.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer