Wonder Woman #59 - The Just War, Pt. 2 (Spoilers)

[Nyssane]

The boy from the previous issue leads the pegasus, satyr, and minotaur to the ruins of Olympus, where they meet several other mythological creatures such as a griffin and a dryad... and a captive Steve Trevor. Meanwhile, Diana and Ares have a discussion on how he has returned, but the enemies launch a rocket towards the rebel headquarters. The pair work together to aim the rocket away, but Ares throws it at the village below, killing several civilians. Wonder Woman realizes he hasn't changed and the two battle briefly before Ares sorta gets through to Diana. But they are interrupted by rebel jets, which Ares attacks and destroys. Diana saves the pilot which enrages Ares, who knocks her down and prepares a killing blow. Back with Steve, the creatures notice a disturbance caused by an "angry god" (Ares). The mention an amazon with a golden "whip", and Steve knows they are talking about Diana. But they won't reason with him so he attempts to flee. They find him and tell him they're taking him to their leader. "Who is he?" Steve asks. "Who said anything about a he?" the griffin replies.

I really love where this story is going. The conflict between what Diana thinks she is and who she really is in comparison to the new Ares is really interesting. Diana feels like herself here, but she also seems to be questioning her own actions, and not in a weak-willed way that certain other writers (Finch and Robinson come to mind) have depicted. The entire nature of war is a great theme for the character and this story. The Steve subplot is also very intriguing. I love the mythological creatures that have captured him, especially the super sassy griffin who is ridiculous in all the right ways. It's clear they're taking him to Aphrodite (as mentioned in the solicits), so I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.

Art is still meh. Some panels are certainly better than others, but I hate the panels which Diana looks like a pre-teen and not an actual woman. Still, the art doesn't make the story unreadable for me, and especially the Steve sections of the story are actually decently drawn and is a closer fit to the story.

What did everyone else think?

[kjn]

Just a mythological nitpick: what we have here are fauns and not satyrs. Fauns are roman and have goat legs and feet; satyrs are greek and have either human or horse legs and feet. And I've never heard of female fauns or satyrs.

Yours in mythological nitpickery and flyspecking

[SiegePerilous02]

Sounds good. Can't wait to pick this up today or tomorrow.

Is Diana flying?

[Nyssane]

Sounds good. Can't wait to pick this up today or tomorrow.

Is Diana flying?

I forgot about the flight debacle but she does indeed fly in this issue. Unless they say she's just jumping high in the air... For prolonged periods of time... Which I wouldn't put past DC sadly.

[Geraldofrivia]

I forgot about the flight debacle but she does indeed fly in this issue. Unless they say she's just jumping high in the air... For prolonged periods of time... Which I wouldn't put past DC sadly.

She was not flying in Justice League and Atom had to lift her.

[SiegePerilous02]

I forgot about the flight debacle but she does indeed fly in this issue. Unless they say she's just jumping high in the air... For prolonged periods of time... Which I wouldn't put past DC sadly.

That's a relief. At least for this title.

She was not flying in Justice League and Atom had to lift her.

That's a different title though. So we are fine with Wilson, but the editors seem to be asleep.

And weirdly she was flying in JL#2

[My Two Cents]

BABOOM Story was to short
SPACK but very enjoyable
CRUNCH WHOMP WHOOSH look forward to next issue

[raidensix]

Why doesn't Ares just call Diana "sister" instead of "kinswoman"?

And Ares can fly!

[Vordan]

Good issue. Felt a little short though. I like what Wilson is doing with Ares. Art is still pretty shoddy however.

[LordUltimus]

Why doesn't Ares just call Diana "sister" instead of "kinswoman"?

And Ares can fly!

If I had to guess, it's cause Wilson is downplaying the Zeus origin if she can't retcon it.

[starlight25]

That's a relief. At least for this title.



That's a different title though. So we are fine with Wilson, but the editors seem to be asleep.

And weirdly she was flying in JL#2

Does anybody have a scan of JL #2 where she is seen flying? And why would she lose her flight in drowned earth? It makes no sense. snyder is starting to piss me off.

[kjn]

The plot thickens.

Ares is used to do some basic points about culpability in war and oppression. Given the way the discussion has been going on our world, based on research into the Holocaust and other genocides, I think there's little chance that Diana won't have considered these things. On the other hand:

To walk through halls of warped mirrors and laugh at their distorted reflections. I think they like to wonder… is that who I am? Do I really look like that way? And now I wonder… have I lived so long among them that I can no longer tell the difference?

This really can be read as a meta commentary on Diana, Warrior Princess of the Amazons. But it does seem that Nord didn't get the memo, because Diana used the lasso on Ares on page 12, and then it simply hangs on her hip on the next page.

Speaking of Nord's art, Diana is drawn way too waifish. Most other things look decent, but Diana in a state of perpetual shock or shame? I also don't get Ares and Diana tackling the other from behind? Sure, none of them are above fighting unfair, but superhero fights are fights between champions, and both Ares and Diana should think as such. And both the last issue and this one ending with Ares standing threatingly over a Diana on the ground might make for a good cliffhanger, but it starts to feel repetitive.

Also a nice meta awareness from Cadmus the Pegasi: "Oh, this will end very badly indeed… getting involved in other people's family drama always does."

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This didn't really work for me. I loved Nord's art on Conan, but this feels rushed. The writing is fine, but I needed a better hook to bring me back for another issue than the rather pedestrian tease that the big bad of a Wonder Woman comic is..DUM DUM DUM... a woman!

Back to waiting for the next creative team, I guess.

[Celgress]

I'll say the issue is about average; not great but certainly not horrible, solid middle of the road.

[SiegePerilous02]

This didn't really work for me. I loved Nord's art on Conan, but this feels rushed. The writing is fine, but I needed a better hook to bring me back for another issue than the rather pedestrian tease that the big bad of a Wonder Woman comic is..DUM DUM DUM... a woman!

Back to waiting for the next creative team, I guess.

They're not teasing a Big Bad though. The solicits and the Dodson cover for #61 reveal who it is. Ares is so far the only villain of this arc.

I agree that the art continues to be underwhelming, but the writing continues to be solid. Diana is questioning herself in a way that still leaves her strong willed; like Nyssane said, this is very much unlike Robinson and Finch.

I think that female minotaur is going to play a part with Ferdinand. Either as a relative or a love interest lol.