Wonder Woman #75 review with spoilers and poll

Sigh.

Okay, so #75 is out and... well...again I am underwhelmed.

The art is great.

The story, not so much.

Look, I will just cut straight to my main complaint, which is that once AGAIN a supporting character steps in to save the day while Wonder Woman is basically rendered inert.

Following on from last issue, Diana leads her Amazons against the ones who now follow Grail. It seems the legendary Amazon sense of honour is a lot more fragile under Wilson’s pen, with over half the race opting to ditch Hippolyta and side with Grail in the name of survival.

Remember when Amazons cared more about honour than their own lives? Apparently now half of them were only giving that lip service.

Diana leads her forces into battle and here is where things really get weird for me.

See, I thought WW was Kryptonian level powerful. Even Wilson has shown her smashing through walking mountains. But now she is only as strong as the Amazons she is fighting, who don’t show anything above elite athlete in strength. You’d think Diana would just tear through them, right?

Wrong.

Anyway Grail grabs Cales daughter and uses her as a hostage. Antlantiades is hypnotising the rebel’s and Maggie is out of the way, and finally it all comes down to Wonder Woman. FINALLY she is going to save the day!

Wrong again.

Diana drops her weapons and makes a heartfelt and unsuccessful plea for mercy, and just as Grail is about to cut the girls throat while Diana watches helpless (shades of bombs dropping on civilians in the first Wilson arc) NUBIA does a faceturn and takes Grail down.

Cue Diana crying joyfully in her mamas arms.

Gag me with a spoon, I was mad. What the raging heavens is the problem with WW getting to actually save the day [B]IN HER OWN BOOK?!!![/B]

I’m sure there are those who will rate this much higher, and that’s their opinion. Lucky them that they enjoyed this more than I did.

For me? One star.

For the art.

:mad:

[quote] Diana drops her weapons and makes a heartfelt and unsuccessful plea for mercy, and just as Grail is about to cut the girls throat while Diana watches helpless (shades of bombs dropping on civilians in the first Wilson arc) NUBIA does a faceturn and takes Grail down.[/quote]Well, with Nubia's "not everything as it seems" I took that as her choosing to act as an undercover operative than actual faceturn.

I wonder if fighting indicates Diana's reverted/rectonned power level to same as all other Amazons, as was originally. I'm all for that, but it needed to be established before a fight scene elsewise it's just changing power levels to suit a particular plot.

Can't say I'm fan of recent issues, though.

I enjoyed the story for the most part but I was underwhelmed by Wilson's portrayal of Grail. In previous stories, Grail was made out to be quite powerful and intimidating but in this story, I'm not sure how she took over half of the Amazons. She didn't seem any more powerful than the average Amazon and didn't even use her Omega Beams once! Plus not even a mention of her mother, Myrna Black!

It was nice to see Hippolyta and Nubia again. I hope Nuba becomes a permanent member of the cast and replaces Maggie.

Speaking of Hippolyta... man, she was about as impotent as Diana.

While I did appreciate her speech at the shore, the idea of her being basically a damsel in distress was pretty unpalatable.

Of course Nubia was a double agent, what with Checkovs cannon hanging on the wall. But having Hippolyta sit around all docile with chains that look Noord like jewellery irritated me. No way Polly gets subdued with so little fight.

I thought this was one of the better issues of the run.

However, while the "WW doesn't solve the crisis herself" stuff wasn't as bothersome in the beginning and the individual examples really aren't that bad in isolation, it's gotten kind of annoying when they all add up together. I liked that Diana herself came up with the battle strategy, and I liked Nubia with the last minute save and revealing she was always on the side of the angels, but I could have done with another fight between WW and Grail after Izzy was rescued to showcase Diana herself getting the final save. Wasn't a lot of effort being shown in how Hippolyta was being restrained either. As usual with this run, the broad strokes of the plot are REALLY good but some of the individual bits are not coming together in the most exciting way. I'm a little nervous about the Cheetah issues, especially as it's being set up with Diana failing against her and some of her friends being lost in the conflict. Which would be fine on its own, but she hasn't accomplished too much on her own up until this point so it's like Cheetah will be rubbing salt in the wound. I kind of have more faith in the Orlando issues.

On the positive side, I'm glad Nubia is back and want to learn her revamped backstory. I don't think she's Diana's sister. Izzy being present is great too, and I liked Diana's initial reunion with the Amazons and Antiope.

But there's some sloppy continuity here. Diana says she hasn't been home in half a century, and that is just straight up wrong. She's been gone around a decade at most. Grail also hasn't been imprisoned for "decades," just like a few months lol. Unless time passes by differently in Ares's prison. What is going on here? Because Steve, Etta and Barbara are part of her origin, and they haven't been around for 50 or so years.

[QUOTE=SiegePerilous02;4484908]I thought this was one of the better issues of the run.

However, while the "WW doesn't solve the crisis herself" stuff wasn't as bothersome in the beginning and the individual examples really aren't that bad in isolation, it's gotten kind of annoying when they all add up together. I liked that Diana herself came up with the battle strategy, and I liked Nubia with the last minute save and revealing she was always on the side of the angels, but I could have done with another fight between WW and Grail after Izzy was rescued to showcase Diana herself getting the final save. Wasn't a lot of effort being shown in how Hippolyta was being restrained either. As usual with this run, the broad strokes of the plot are REALLY good but some of the individual bits are not coming together in the most exciting way. I'm a little nervous about the Cheetah issues, especially as it's being set up with Diana failing against her and some of her friends being lost in the conflict. Which would be fine on its own, but she hasn't accomplished too much on her own up until this point so it's like Cheetah will be rubbing salt in the wound. I kind of have more faith in the Orlando issues.

On the positive side, I'm glad Nubia is back and want to learn her revamped backstory. I don't think she's Diana's sister. Izzy being present is great too, and I liked Diana's initial reunion with the Amazons and Antiope.

But there's some sloppy continuity here. Diana says she hasn't been home in half a century, and that is just straight up wrong. She's been gone around a decade at most. Grail also hasn't been imprisoned for "decades," just like a few months lol. Unless time passes by differently in Ares's prison. What is going on here? Because Steve, Etta and Barbara are part of her origin, and they haven't been around for 50 or so years.[/QUOTE]

Yeah the 50 year thing was a throw away line that made no sense, even more because it was so unnecessary. I would have rather seen Io and more named Amazons to get the feeling of a larger scale conflict. Couldn't help but think of other battles on Themyscira most recently Grail during Robinson's tenure where it seemed like more was happening. I'm starting to believe GWW writes like Pattie Jenkins directs, full of rich possibilities but light on action. What was needed was more violence and clear isolated conflicts to sell the grand epicness of the adventure. Still the end result with Diana embracing Hippolyta was so gratifying it made me like the issue more than say Amazons vs. Darkseid in Byrne's run or Alkyone overthrowing the royal family in Gail's, but not as much as Phil's Paradise Lost or Rucka's Amazons vs. Bother Eye.

Was Grail depowered? Diana just grabbed her like a ragdoll.

Anyway, is it me or do the WW story arcs of late just move so slowly?

Nubia looked terrible...hate her junky costume.

I admit to being kind of bored when I read this. I honestly skipped some of the dialogue because I just wasn't into it.

>>> where did that random Amazon child come from?
>>> as a weapon, Grail's twin bladed butter knife may be the most ridiculous 'weapon' I've seen in fiction
>>> Most of the Amazons are still bad apparently??? I mean it doesn't make sense for all of them to be in deep undercover, or maybe we got a case like we did with British intelligence during the Troubles, where we get entire IRA cells composed of British agents.
>>> To much training and not enough actual action

Two more reviews...

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRGGpgH1yHo[/url]

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU1Ej6Hg4DY&t=5s[/url]

[QUOTE=Koriand'r;4484979]Yeah the 50 year thing was a throw away line that made no sense, even more because it was so unnecessary. I would have rather seen Io and more named Amazons to get the feeling of a larger scale conflict. Couldn't help but think of other battles on Themyscira most recently Grail during Robinson's tenure where it seemed like more was happening. I'm starting to believe GWW writes like Pattie Jenkins directs, full of rich possibilities but light on action. What was needed was more violence and clear isolated conflicts to sell the grand epicness of the adventure. Still the end result with Diana embracing Hippolyta was so gratifying it made me like the issue more than say Amazons vs. Darkseid in Byrne's run or Alkyone overthrowing the royal family in Gail's, but not as much as Phil's Paradise Lost or Rucka's Amazons vs. Bother Eye.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, someone in another thread said the 50 years line doesn't even place her in either World War, so we can't get the movie set up or the classic Golden Age set up. So...what's the point? It might be deliberate because I have a difficult time believing NOBODY caught this. It's all been self contained within this volume of the title, Year One was published like two years ago lol.

It might be some Doomsday Clock nonsense, but if Johns isn't going to restore her as being part of the JSA I'd rather just not have any part of it. If they wanted to do that, they should have told Rucka to write it that way because I really don't want them to upend Year One as it is when it's barely cooled.

[QUOTE=Pinsir;4485143]I admit to being kind of bored when I read this. I honestly skipped some of the dialogue because I just wasn't into it.

>>> [B]where did that random Amazon child come from?[/B]
>>> as a weapon, Grail's twin bladed butter knife may be the most ridiculous 'weapon' I've seen in fiction
>>> Most of the Amazons are still bad apparently??? I mean it doesn't make sense for all of them to be in deep undercover, or maybe we got a case like we did with British intelligence during the Troubles, where we get entire IRA cells composed of British agents.
>>> To much training and not enough actual action[/QUOTE]

That was Cale's daughter

[quote]Yeah, someone in another thread said the 50 years line doesn't even place her in either World War, so we can't get the movie set up or the classic Golden Age set up. [/quote]And doesn't fit the 1986 post-COIE timeframe either. Why 50 years? I just feel like it has to have a plot-related purpose, because I can't think of anything it times out for that would qualify it as a shout-out.

What's the "great wheel" and "circle widens" thing a reference to? The phrases are familiar, but I cannot place them.

I guess Wilson was trying to make all of the cast shine that aren’t but make her worst. Hippolyta is a powerful woman why would she just sit there. Everything makes no sense. Grail I don’t know some parts make no sense. Like how she can escape the lasso

[QUOTE=SiegePerilous02;4484908]I thought this was one of the better issues of the run.

However, while the "WW doesn't solve the crisis herself" stuff wasn't as bothersome in the beginning and the individual examples really aren't that bad in isolation, it's gotten kind of annoying when they all add up together. I liked that Diana herself came up with the battle strategy, and I liked Nubia with the last minute save and revealing she was always on the side of the angels, but I could have done with another fight between WW and Grail after Izzy was rescued to showcase Diana herself getting the final save. Wasn't a lot of effort being shown in how Hippolyta was being restrained either. As usual with this run, the broad strokes of the plot are REALLY good but some of the individual bits are not coming together in the most exciting way. I'm a little nervous about the Cheetah issues, especially as it's being set up with Diana failing against her and some of her friends being lost in the conflict. Which would be fine on its own, but she hasn't accomplished too much on her own up until this point so it's like Cheetah will be rubbing salt in the wound. I kind of have more faith in the Orlando issues.

On the positive side, I'm glad Nubia is back and want to learn her revamped backstory. I don't think she's Diana's sister. Izzy being present is great too, and I liked Diana's initial reunion with the Amazons and Antiope.

But there's some sloppy continuity here. Diana says she hasn't been home in half a century, and that is just straight up wrong. She's been gone around a decade at most. Grail also hasn't been imprisoned for "decades," just like a few months lol. Unless time passes by differently in Ares's prison. What is going on here? Because Steve, Etta and Barbara are part of her origin, and they haven't been around for 50 or so years.[/QUOTE]

Speaking of the battle strategy, I was confused about why they didn’t open with Antlantiades if their power is do overwhelming.

I think the clear difference between Patti Jenkins and Wilson is that while both use action sparingly, when the former does deliver she really makes it pay off. Diana shines AND she gets the finishing move. More often than not GWW gives the finishing move to someone else and Diana is just the wide eyed observer.

Also, it feels like Antiope has been shoe horned in to continuity, taking away Phillipus’ traditional role.

Also considering Rebirth showed us Polly and Phillipus as lovers, the general doesn’t show much concern for Hippolyta’s situation. As compared, say, to her being SHOWN willing to die to defend her against extremist Amazons in The Circle.

I have a horrible feeling Maggie will be using her sword to save Diana from Cheetah.

[QUOTE=Koriand'r;4485157]Two more reviews...

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRGGpgH1yHo[/url]

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU1Ej6Hg4DY&t=5s[/url][/QUOTE]

Going through the comments I observe I’m not the only one seeing how Wilson nerfs WW in her writing.

Also an excellent point in the first vid... why DO thousand year old Amazon WARRIORS suddenly need upskilling in battle to counter their INEXPERIENCE?

The closer you examine this story’s plot, the more it makes no sense at all.

Half the Themyscirans are traitors and the other half can’t fight, but are great at dancing and weaving flower garlands. This arc should have been titled [B]“Regression of the Amazons”.[/B]