Is Wonder Woman's New Look The Pinnacle Of Female Superhero Costumes?

Tall, statuesque, and pulsing with Amazonian blood, Diana (Gal Gadot) doesn't easily blend in with the outside world in the film Wonder Woman. Her human guide, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), recognizes that she desperately needs a disguise. So, their first destination in London is a department store.

While Diana is confounded by many aspects of the human world, what puzzles her the most is women's fashion. In the dressing room, she itches her way out of constraining corsets, pouffy skirts, and tight necks, destroying many an outfit in the process. A girl can't fight in a period piece costume.

The costume Diana eventually does fight in is perhaps the ultimate superhero getup. Channeling the aesthetics of ancient Greek armor, Diana's costume is forged at the intersection of form and function. Her metallic sleeves block bullets, and harness electricity. Her shield can withstand the force of machine guns. When caught in the clutches of her golden lasso, a person is forced to tell the truth. No wonder Diana hates the clothing in the London department store.

So, compared to Diana's tremendous and practical outfit, how do other women superheroes and supervillains' costumes stack up? Spoiler: not so great.