WW issue 72 rate.

[starlight25]

Another underwhelming issue for me. Diana unable to beat a villain who was defeated by a flash of lightening from a random sword. And not only that. Diana was running away from the battle, while the new character maggie decided to stay and fight. Seems like ms gww has forgotten that Diana is a superhero and a powerhouse once again.

[kjn]

Well, this was a dungeon crawl, but some important stuff happens anyway. I really like Diana's opening philosophical monologue to the opening action.

Perhaps the most important event is that our questing trio changes. Aphrodite has no interest in Diana now that she has found Atlantiades, instead it is Atlantiades who jumps into the shrinking portal and disintegrating world that Diana and Maggie have found themselves in. Wilson clearly shows her understanding that the Greek gods are fickle and have little concern about mankind.

One of us must walk toward danger, instead of away from it, mother. Anything less is unworthy of a god of love.

Of course, Atlantiades leaves their own mess in Summergrove for Aphrodite to handle…

I'm not sure I like how Diana massacres the fishman zombies (or whatever they are), or really how that situation is set up in the first place. But at least they have a rather clear guide to follow now with the sword acting as a beacon.

Art-wise, this is another issue with two artists: Merino and Derenick. Merino in the first half and Derenick in the second. Merino does an OK job, but there is nothing spectacular about it, and the facial expressions tends to look too one-note and stiff. Derenick feels like another step down. The action doesn't flow to me and the faces too often look like caricatures. But my main trouble is that Atlantiades is drawn too much like a woman, instead of the much more androgynous figure that Xermanico designed. Merino manages to follow that well, Derenick not at all.

And landing dramatically on the ground like Diana and Atlantiades does must be murder on the knees.

A word on the cover. I have really liked most of the covers that the Dodson's have made for Wonder Woman, but this one feels like a step back. Diana looks less buff than she usually does, and her shield looks more like a trash can lid than a shield. Maggie's posing is really awkward. And Aphrodite is the third member of the group, despite her playing little role in the story, just like Steve Trevor appeared #69 and #71. I know this has been a hectic time for the editorial team, and that covers needs to be made much in advance, but I wonder how the planning of the issues go. It is rather clear that Wilson has been extremely busy—joining a bi-weekly series on short notice, a book launch with tour, a medical emergency, and her own monthly series on Dark Horse—which might have had an impact here.

[JackBNimble]

This issue was mediocre for me, despite it having so much action.

Wilson clearly shows her understanding that the Greek gods are fickle and have little concern about mankind.

Yeah, the classic gods are fickle but let's not forget that Aphrodite is one of Diana's patrons. Still, I can roll with this change up because Aphrodite-the-mother trumps Aphrodite-the-patron. Her child's welfare is priority.

I'm not sure I like how Diana massacres the fishman zombies (or whatever they are), or really how that situation is set up in the first place. But at least they have a rather clear guide to follow now with the sword acting as a beacon.

A couple of things about this set up that didn't work for me, not to mention the massacre.

I'll buy it that the minotaur monster moves at crazy speed. I'll roll with it that Diana is stunned and cannot move, that Maggie can somehow step in with the sword.

But Diana can't catch Maggie and the sword at the same time--either with WW's great speed flying and/or using the lasso to catch one whilst physically getting the other? That does not sit well with me.

Similarly, how crazy fast are these fish zombie things? To have come up from the chasm so quickly after Atlantiades? Or to be able to run along the ground and still catch up with a flying at speed Diana? That...makes me scratch my head.

A word on the cover. I have really liked most of the covers that the Dodson's have made for Wonder Woman, but this one feels like a step back. Diana looks less buff than she usually does, and her shield looks more like a trash can lid than a shield. Maggie's posing is really awkward. And Aphrodite is the third member of the group, despite her playing little role in the story, just like Steve Trevor appeared #69 and #71. I know this has been a hectic time for the editorial team, and that covers needs to be made much in advance, but I wonder how the planning of the issues go. It is rather clear that Wilson has been extremely busy—joining a bi-weekly series on short notice, a book launch with tour, a medical emergency, and her own monthly series on Dark Horse—which might have had an impact here.

I'm ok with Diana's physicality on the cover. But I do agree that the shield looks like a trash can. Haha.

[starlight25]

I respect everybody's opinion. But i think we need to be realistic. It's been many issues and gww WW still feels weak and in need of help almost all the time. Plus the handle of WW's personality is also inconsistent. She said Diana holds back because she doesn't want to kill her opponents if she can avoid it. Doesn't want to hurt her opponents if she can avoid it. Yet here she was fast to decide to kill those monsters. While prioer to that, she was doubtful about going all out against giants made of rock. gww is bot consistent with WW at all. And WW is not the center character of her own book yet again.

[Mel Dyer]

I like that there was lots of action, ..more than in Rucka's run. I also like that the action was consequential, for the most, ..and not action for action's sake.

I liked the story, generally, though I do feel that Maggie, Atlantiades and Aphrodite are too similar, in how GW characterizes them. They all seem optimistically sunny, for the most, leaving me wanting some challenging or contrary POV/voice in the mix. Even Giganta was uncharacteristically upbeat, as if afflicted by strong psychotropic drugs. Going forward, I think we need an Etta or Artemis type to offer a firm thing, against which Diana's, Maggie's and Phro's optimism might contrast, such that we can appreciate a diversity of tone, in the frequent exchanges between characters.

Everybody's a little too resilient and optimistic, right now, to be interesting to me.

A Diana-Maggie-Artemis ensemble might be a step in the right direction...strike the right cord. There's definitely affirming feminine energy in the narrative that is refreshing, and I would like to see how writers build future stories around that. I will like to see how Steve and Ferdinand, on the side, fit into that dynamic.

I hear the criticism that Diana is not the center or star of her own book, but, I do think she has her moments in this run. She expresses how much she enjoys rushing into battle, with companions at her side, and this makes sense for an Amazon.

[kjn]

I like that there was lots of action, ..more than in Rucka's run. I also like that the action was consequential, for the most, ..and not action for action's sake.

In a way, I think Wilson being behind schedule (due to the book tour) might have played a part in how this appears. Having Diana being tossed around by the colossus, or being pursued and then murderising the fishmen zombies is not really complex as scripting goes.

Having thought a little bit more about it, I think another piece of my trouble with Diana murderising the fishmen zombies is that she used the lasso to do it. It's a weapon of love and truth and protection, not of destruction.

I liked the story, generally, though I do feel that Maggie, Atlantiades and Aphrodite are too similar, in how GW characterizes them. They all seem optimistically sunny, for the most, leaving me wanting some challenging or contrary POV/voice in the mix. Even Giganta was uncharacteristically upbeat, as if afflicted by strong psychotropic drugs. Going forward, I think we need an Etta or Artemis type to offer a firm thing, against which Diana's, Maggie's and Phro's optimism might contrast, such that we can appreciate a diversity of tone, in the frequent exchanges between characters.

(snip)

I hear the criticism that Diana is not the center or star of her own book, but, I do think she has her moments in this run. She expresses how much she enjoys rushing into battle, with companions at her side, and this makes sense for an Amazon.

Heh. Looking at the early comics, it is Diana who is the more realistic one (when she isn't being snarky) and Etta who is generally the more optimistically sunny one. I think that's partly an effect not of Wilson's writing but of Derenick's art.

When read in isolation, Diana's words aren't really at enjoying battle, it is about being in a fight where she isn't alone but is fighting with people that she trusts and considers friends. It's the art which changes the tone.