Wonder Woman #59
Christina Hamlet
Recap
Wonder Woman’s half brother Ares has somehow freed himself from his prison, wearing a new face (or at least a new haircut) and a new attitude. Full of righteousness and purpose, the God of War now strives for truth and justice. Diana is more than a bit skeptical to say the least.
Meanwhile we catch up with Steve Trevor, who’s having a day similar to something out of the Chronicles of Narnia. In this scenario he's a slightly more likable version of Edmund, he's just one Turkish Delight away from meeting the evil queen (apologies to C.S. Lewis).
After quite a bit of punching, running and yelling, Diana finds herself up against a pissed off Ares in a bizarre turn of events and Steve is marching off to face the music. Next issue promises to reveal another player in all of this, the mysterious leader of the mythological beasts.
Review
The story of Ares continues as we learn a bit more about his new mindset and new mission. Though Wilson’s writing has been much more enjoyable than some of the previous arcs, this book continues to struggle with pacing. Trevor’s part of the story seems to be unfolding at a decent pace but Ares and Diana go from zero to hostile in about 4 pages with very little .
We’ve barely had time to absorb what Ares is after before he’s flying off the handle and taking everything out of context. It’s perhaps a metaphor for the zealousness that comes with new converts, but the extremist purity of Ares’s new position belies any sort of worldly knowledge of war or its history which….is sort of his jam. Ares seems utterly lacking in understanding of war. Much of Diana’s identity has revolved around her relationship and struggle against Ares, and her skepticism is understandable but even given their history Diana’s reactions and approach seem shortsighted.
I’m hoping that this story digs a little deeper in the next installment. Just please don’t let the mystery leader of the critter patrol be Grail. Please don’t be Grail.
Artwise the issue continues to be consistent, good quality and an asset to the book. The visuals keep up with the writing, sometimes even pushing things along when things don’t quite flow easily in the story. The quality of the book itself is probably as good as it’s been since Rucka’s run, but for some reason this series just can’t seem to find solid footing or time to define itself.
Final Thoughts
Overall a good issue, but not to the potential that this team is capable of. I’m hoping that the story dives into deeper waters with the next installment but still an enjoyable read.
Wonder Woman #59: War is Hell, and a Little Confused
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
