Wonder Woman embarks on a new adventure with guest stars Aztek and Artemis to stop the forces of the shadow god and to save her long-lost family. A bold new beginning for the Amazon from an exciting new creative team!
WONDER WOMAN #52 “The Enemy of Both Sides, Part One”
Writer: Steve Orlando
Penciler: ACO
Inker: David Lorenzo Riveiro
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Covers: David Yardin (A) Jenny Frison (B)
Editors: Chris Conroy, Dave Wielgosz, Jamie S. Rich
What You Need To Know:
It might be helpful to know who Aztek and Artemis are, but enough of their backstories are covered in the issue. This, like last issue, is a great jumping in point for people for people returning from a hiatus on the book or for first-time readers.
What You’ll Find Out:
Aztek awakens from a clairvoyant dream that drives her to seek out Wonder Woman for aid. The fledgling hero saw an amazon and heard a mysterious word — “Neshny.” Wonder Woman is able to identify the Amazon as likely being her great-aunt Atalanta, thought lost for some time. The word derives from the Bana-Mighdall, a group of Amazons that dissented from following the gods and renounced Themyscira. Together, Diana and Aztek seek out Artemis, the hero of the Bana-Mighdall, and reveal that Atalanta may be alive. Artemis insists on accompanying them on their search for Diana’s aunt, not content to leave the rescue of one of their heroes to a Themysciran.
Along the way, we learn more about Aztek’s mission against the god Tezcatlipoca and her abilities. Their quest leads them to Mexico and the heart of a secret part of an ancient temple. Tezcatlipoca’s agents attack as they delve deeper into the maze and towards a portal called the Smoking Mirror. At last, they reach Diana’s aunt, who has been guarding the Smoking Mirror to prevent the shadow god’s minions, and learn his forces are in danger of breaking through. The four are ready to make their stand and protect the planet.
What Just Happened?
With the first installment of a new arc, already we have quite a bit going on. We have the relatively new Aztek guest-starring along with two people from Diana’s past — Artemis and Atalanta. Artemis is a well-known gadfly for Diana, quite adept at busting heads and getting herself into trouble. Atalanta is yet another relative of Diana’s, but one that hasn’t been explored as much. Already Artemis vies for Atalanta’s favor, it remains to be seen how the years trapped in combat have changed her. Diana’s lost a lot of family in recent arcs, I’m not necessarily ready for another family drama, but hopefully, it will play itself out in a different vein.
I was hoping that Laura Braga might stick around longer after her beautiful work last issue, but ADO and Riveiro easily take up the mantle of producing top-quality art for the book. The clean lines and more subtle inking are a change in this issue, with beautiful details combined with almost minimalist background on many pages. The result is a gorgeous looking product to complement a compelling story and it is clear Wonder Woman’s new direction is in excellent hands for this arc.
Rating: 9/10
Final Thought: The Enemy of Both Sides is off to a great start with new faces and old frenemies, and with Wonder Woman taking center stage.