She's the most famous female comic book hero of all-time, but she's never been given the high-quality treatment needed to carry her own book title, and so Wonder Woman has been best portrayed in comics as a member of the Justice League. So of all of DC's new line of comic reboots, it would seem like our favorite heroine from the Amazon was the classic character most in need of a fresh and compelling start.Don't look now, but I think they've figured it out. With an engaging story by Brian Azzarello and some of the most unique art in the DC Universe courtesy of Cliff Chiang, "Wonder Woman" is as meaty of a title as any in the New 52.
Somewhere in Virginia, a young woman named Zola is being hunted. She doesn't know this yet until a strange, bluish alien man shows up to tell her that she's in danger. Two centaurs appear and send a spear right through the man's stomach, but he manages to throw Zola a key that teleports her to the London bedroom of Diana. Yes, Wonder Woman. When the two hold the key together, they return back to Zola's farm, where Diana discovers that the seriously-wounded man is Hermes. He wants Diana to protect Zola and tells them both that she is pregnant with Zeus' child.
On Mount Olympus, Hera is fully aware of the fact that Zeus has sent Hermes to protect the woman carrying his latest child. Diana learns this after taking Zola and the injured Hermes to Paradise Island, where she meets up with her mother, Queen Hippolyta, who shares the news. Meanwhile, Hermes tells Zola the story of how Hippolyta could not conceive a child and fashioned one out of clay on a moonless night, praying to the gods for a miracle and waking to find a live baby, Diana, the "perfect Amazon" because "no male seed created her."
Strife, one of Zeus' daughters, arrives at Paradise Island and taunts the Amazons. She tells Diana that they are sisters and that Zeus is, in fact, her father. Hippolyta regretfully confirms the news that Diana was not made from clay and swears that the story was designed to protect her from Hera's wrath, but Diana is inconsolable; her life has been a lie. Diana tells the Amazons that "Diana" is dead and she is now "Wonder Woman."
Hera arrives to seek revenge against Hippolyta but ultimately spares her when Hippolyta begs for her forgiveness. Or at least that's what the reader thinks until Diana returns to Paradise Island to discover that the embrace between Hera and Hippolyta was not one of forgiveness, but instead, one of condemnation; Hippolyta has been turned to stone.
Guest artist Tony Akins takes over for Chiang for issues #5 and #6, and the art, while still crisp, is noticeably more traditional and, therefore, not as striking as in the previous issues. Issue #5 introduces a mysterious man who calls himself Lennox and knows a lot about Wonder Woman, as well as Poseidon, with whom Wonder Woman spars. While Wonder Woman deals with Poseidon, Lennox is talking to Hades. After another confrontation with Hera, Hades snatches Zola and tells Wonder Woman that if she does not keep up her end of the bargain, Zeus' bloodline will end with her.
Wonder Woman and Hermes find Eros in Italy. Eros takes them to Hephaestus, where Wonder Woman gets the next big shock of her life as she is introduced to all of the male children of Amazons, rescued by Hephaestus in exchange for weapons he's created. Wonder Woman attempts to rally the men, her brothers, to help her in her fight, and is distraught when she learns that they want no part of it, or her.
Hephaestus gives Wonder Woman access to his arsenal of armor and weapons to prepare her for her march into Hell. Hermes delivers her there, along with Eros' golden guns. Wonder Woman finds Zola but Hades refuses to release her unless she delivers Hera to him to be his wife. But then, Hades notices that Wonder Woman is carrying the pistols of Eros and decides that he will release Zola for those instead. Wonder Woman agrees, and is promptly shot, her bullet-proof bracelets unable to stop a bullet from Eros' gun. Hades announces that he will marry Diana instead. He insists that Diana be bound by her truth lasso during the ceremony to guarantee that she tells the truth as to whether or not she loves him. But Diana escapes and, before leaving hell, shoots Hades with a bullet from Eros' gun.
That's how the first 10 issues end, but I've also purchased the next two, so I'll push the story a little further forward. Issue #11 returns to the team of Azzarello and Chiang alone, and I have to say that I prefer "Wonder Woman" when the two of them are in control. Sun and Moon, Apollo and Artemis, arrive as Wonder Woman and Hermes take Zola to a doctor's appointment. They take Zola and deliver her to Hera, where Apollo expects Zeus' throne in exchange. Hera acquiesces, but Wonder Woman and Hermes have already arrived to stop them.
As a fight commences in issue #12, Zola's water breaks. And when the baby is born, Hermes steals it and gives it to Demeter. Wonder Woman sets out to find the baby and return it to Zola, propelling this already exciting story further forward into future issues. The story will continue from here after September's origin issue #0.
I have loved Greek mythology ever since I was a kid, and so I've found myself really enjoying "Wonder Woman," a title I admit that I initially began purchasing mostly out of a sense of duty to check out one of the biggest names in the DC Universe at the start of this reboot. I don't recall ever having purchased any Wonder Woman comics before, except for a few special titles here and there, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'm hearing that this is (so far) one of the stronger tellings of a Wonder Woman story. I would agree that it feels substantial and has kept my interest. I originally wanted to collect the first 10 issues of "Wonder Woman." Now, I actually want to keep reading to see what happens next!
Chiang's art alone makes "Wonder Woman" a title worth looking into. So as the entertainment gods continue to debate whether or not there will ever be a Wonder Woman television show or film franchise, here's some quality Wonder Woman storytelling to tie us over, and maybe even inspire what we'll hopefully one day see on the big screen.
No comments:
Post a Comment