NEW HERO REIGN
Step into a Technicolour realm where anarchy reigns and a new wave of superheroes are born. In New Hero Reign, Johnny Romeo breathes new life into the iconic DC superhero Wonder Woman, boldly reimagining the Shieldmaiden of Olympus as a headstrong punk powerhouse tearing up the rulebook and redefining what it means to be a super woman in the male-dominated world of comic books. The electrifying work boldly appropriates the artist Nicolas Sanchez Brondo’s vision of Wonder Woman, himself heavily inspired by the rich comic book style of Roy Lichtenstein, turning the volume up on the original by painting the heroine in punchy bubble- gum hues and emblazoning her with an anarchist tattoo. No longer confined to the margins, Romeo’s Themysciran Warrior takes centre stage, commanding the space on the canvas with undeniable force. Big, loud and empowered, Wonder Woman bristles with a self-assured intensity that masterfully jams together classic DC Comics with the fierce feminism of Riot Grrl punk. No longer living under the shadows of her superhero counterparts, this modern twist on Wonder Woman is uncompromising in her refusal to be reduced to an ‘idealised’ muse for the male gaze. Romeo shatters the muse mould through the wordplay of the text passage ‘No Muse Rules’, amplifying Wonder Woman’s anarchist awakening as she tears up the rule book and kicks open the door for women to be the architects of their own destinies. New Hero Reign announces the rise of a new kind of superhero as they surge towards a bold, woke world where the future is fearless, female and totally free.