Wonder Woman # 64 review

[Joao]

I thinks it's related to the topic, so... https://www.cbr.com/g-willow-wilson-...reaking-point/

New interview with Wilson regarding the new arc

[Vordan]

I enjoyed today’s issue, it feels like Wilson is finally getting a handle on Diana and her world. Crazy to see JMS Nemesis again, that’s one character I didn’t expect to see. Aphrodite taking shots at Steve and Diana was hilarious. Wilson is drawing on a lot of sources here. I’m curious to see where she plans to go with Cale.

[OBrianTallent]

At first I just thought it was a nice nod that Nemesis looked like she did in the JMS Odyssey story, but Nemesis even says they knew each other in another lifetime. That's a fairly large bombshell there. So is that story now part of Diana's history or is it considered a parallel universe?
Overall another enjoyable issue.

[Vordan]

At first I just thought it was a nice nod that Nemesis looked like she did in the JMS Odyssey story, but Nemesis even says they knew each other in another lifetime. That's a fairly large bombshell there. So is that story now part of Diana's history or is it considered a parallel universe?
Overall another enjoyable issue.

Been wondering that myself. The fact that Diana seemingly doesn’t recognize her makes me think that Nemesis remembers what happened but Diana doesn’t.

[AmiMizuno]

What did you think of this issue?

[starlight25]

I thinks it's related to the topic, so... https://www.cbr.com/g-willow-wilson-...reaking-point/

New interview with Wilson regarding the new arc

Seems like gww isn't done with her "Who is WW" arc. Diana was already doubting herself and her mission in just war, and that was before she found out that Paradise Island is gone. And why would she feel the need to ask herself who am i now? superman is the last one of his home planet. And he is still superman from krypton. Poor di is all alone and crying. gww Honey, Diana was a very intersting character without the need of tragedy involving being the last of her kind. Why can't we have epic, bright and powerful adventures in Wonder Woman? Yes there are darkness in there too. But for years now, many writers have had the need to make it all about family drama, and in my opinion. They all did in a very generic way. She is not hercules, she is Wonder Woman.

[starlight25]

What did you think of this issue?

I will just cut and paste what i said in #64 preview thread.

Seems like gww isn't done with her "Who is WW" arc. Diana was already doubting herself and her mission in just war, and that was before she found out that Paradise Island is gone. And why would she feel the need to ask herself who am i now? superman is the last one of his home planet. And he is still superman from krypton. Poor di is all alone and crying. gww Honey, Diana was a very intersting character without the need of tragedy involving being the last of her kind. Why can't we have epic, bright and powerful adventures in Wonder Woman? Yes there are darkness in there too. But for years now, many writers have had the need to make it all about family drama, and in my opinion. They all did in a very generic way. She is not hercules, she is Wonder Woman. Art was good. The story not so much. Another family drama who am i type of Diana story? We have been there and done that many times already.

[Koriand'r]

I had a problem with Nemesis disarming her opponent and shedding the lasso so easily and once again the action was interrupted by dialogue. The art was better than Cary Nord but just barely. Images like Diana riding a flying horse should have been beautiful yet somehow missed their mark. It didn't help that faces were so inconsistent and Diana's costume details were completely inaccurate. Still Veronica Cale felt like herself and her "you can't be that naive" line made me laugh out loud. Nemesis mentioning meeting Diana in another life also made me happy. I could have done without all the melancholy but guess it was appropriate given the circumstances. However Cale's plan was too simplistic and worked a little too well. As it stands it was okay but I'd like Wonder Woman to be more forceful and sure of herself. Two and a half out of five only because thankfully past continuity was addressed.

[BiteTheBullet]

I had a problem with Nemesis disarming her opponent and shedding the lasso so easily and once again the action was interrupted by dialogue. The art was better than Cary Nord but just barely. Images like Diana riding a flying horse should have been beautiful yet somehow missed their mark. It didn't help that faces were so inconsistent and Diana's costume details were completely inaccurate. Still Veronica Cale felt like herself and her "you can't be that naive" line made me laugh out loud. Nemesis mentioning meeting Diana in another life also made me happy. I could have done without all the melancholy but guess it was appropriate given the circumstances. However Cale's plan was too simplistic and worked a little too well. As it stands it was okay but I'd like Wonder Woman to be more forceful and sure of herself. Two and a half out of five only because thankfully past continuity was addressed.

Does she still feel like a street level fighter?

And way to go about nerfing the lasso once again.

[kjn]

The poll went worst-to-best rather than the other way, so it threw me for a loop at first.

I like the way Wilson has set up the plot here, with Veronica Cale attempting to discredit Wonder Woman in the court of public opinion, and in full control of the emotions she wants to project. Veronica's radicalisation and arguments are probably drawing on the real-life processes with far-right radicalisation, and the way that total free speech advocates have become mouthpieces for defending racist and eliminationist propaganda.

I like the way that Diana's speech patterns changes depending on who she talks to: formal and somewhat archaic to Cadmus, joking and playful with Steve Trevor, angry with Veronica.

I can understand why the plot called for Diana to lead with the sword, but it should never be her first weapon. It might be that Wilson is working with an unbalanced Diana, due to the way she has been written by earlier writers, but that requires one hell of a meta reading of the arc. There is a way to read the previous Ares arc that way, but it still feels like building a huge meta-narrative theory on a very small foundation.

I'm of two minds of the art. Merino does a lot of things well, but it isn't as well done as his work on The Witching Hour. Main issue to me is Diana's facial expressions doesn't manage to carry the right tone of emotion that is called from in the script. His Diana feels too stiff and angry, and her facial structure feels, I'm not sure how to express this, too large or too masculine.

In any case it's an interesting setup, and I like that Diana's reaction to Veronica's plan is to try to break her control of Nemesis. It speaks both of her humanism (even if it's directed at a god in this case) and of Diana's instincts in not trying to meet the enemy plan head-on.

[Koriand'r]

Does she still feel like a street level fighter?

And way to go about nerfing the lasso once again.

The fight was so brief it's really hard to tell, but it certainly wasn't wondrous. Wonder Woman warns Nemesis not to come closer, but when she does she knocks the sword and shield out of Diana's hands. Then Diana uses the lasso, gets the information she wants and Nemesis steps out of the lasso. Looking at it again it could have been that Diana released her, but it's far too open to interpretation. In any event Wonder Woman seemed off her game and defensive.

There was an implication that Wonder Woman was indeed made from clay though. Nemesis tells her she's been alive since Diana was a clot of dirt beneath her mother's foot, so that's what I took from it.

[kjn]

There was an implication that Wonder Woman was indeed made from clay though. Nemesis tells her she's been alive since Diana was a clot of dirt beneath her mother's foot, so that's what I took from it.

Nice catch! Though Nemesis refers to them having met "in another life", which clearly refers to the JMS Odyssey run, where the clay birth indeed was canon. So it's still deniable to the DC brass, though it's also clear with this that Wilson will work in the clay origin any which way she can.

[AmiMizuno]

The only issue is that we now Hippoltya had slept with Zeus. So how will Wilson write the clay origin?

[Pinsir]

Not a huge fan of this issue, probably the worst thus far.

[SeanT]

An improvement over last issue, but it could have been better. It would have been more exciting if the attack simply happened, instead of having Cadmus come to get Diana and explain it to her. Also, it would have been interesting if we saw the process by which Cale determined the realm of the gods had disappeared, instead of having it explained to us. There's a lot of repetition and exposition that could have been replaced with more detailed scenes. Instead of the pointless talk last issue of Cale with her money manager, why not a visit to the scientists who figured this out?

I do like the Cale is attempting to use the law as a way of getting at Diana. It reminds me of Cale in the David Kelley tv pilot. Is Cale going to be reintroducing a Villainy, Inc., that actually has a corporate structure?

I liked the affectionate scene with Steve and Diana, where she's laughing at his pampering, but then she says "you must manage on your own soon enough," as she's turning away. It seems abrupt and weird to interject another exposition, and seems weird and cold in the midst of their snuggle. And how many times so we need to be told the realm of the gods is missing? When you think of it, Aphrodite's appearance is fairly superfluous as well- she's simply there to reiterate once again the gods are displaced, and then to announce someone is coming who then announces something has happened and explains what has happened-- it seems like a lot of wasted space.

I'm not a fan of the art. I know people weren't fans of Nord but he at least gave some nice shadowing to faces, and was adept at depicting mythological creatures. Here, Cale has scratchy lines for contour, and little curly cues for bangs, and Nemesis- along the metal bikini outfit- looks a bit ridiculous, her human form sticking out of the scorpion body or whatever it is.

I like the confrontations between Diana and Nemesis and Cale. I appreciate she tries to de-escalate physical fights but she can get pretty emotional when she's arguing. It's good to see Cale can push her buttons; very appropriate for an arch enemy.

Just a couple of end notes- I think it's very out of character for Cale to have a therapist. She seems the epitome of the do-it-yourself and don't complain Republican who throws herself into work when she needs to let off steam. I can't imagine her baring her feelings to a therapist, no matter how high paid. Actually, some to think of it, it would be funny of she were using Nemesis as her "therapist," screaming at her of the indignities she's had to face because of Wonder Woman. It would be fitting for the goddess of grudges.

Also, Nemesis referred to Diana as having been a "clot of dirt." Normally, it's "clod," which means a lump of clay. A clot is a coagulation of blood. I assume it's just a mistake, but even so, it's an intriguing one, if it was intentional- was there blood in that clay, as in the Simone origin?