Wonder Woman # 73 review

[AmiMizuno]

Why do you guys think? Did Steve Orlando start off strong?

[BiteTheBullet]

Why do you guys think? Did Steve Orlando start off strong?

Your the one that started the thread. Tell us your thoughts

[Nyssane]

Please don't start threads without contributing anything substantial to the conversation (as per forum rules).

That said, I liked it far more than anything Wilson has done so far. And he brought back Atomia!

[SiegePerilous02]

Please don't start threads without contributing anything substantial to the conversation (as per forum rules).

That said, I liked it far more than anything Wilson has done so far. And he brought back Atomia!

WHAT?!

I may have to pick this up sooner than I anticipated. Good on Orlando.

[Dr. Poison]

Finally - Wonder Woman feels like a Wonder Woman book again instead of a ensemble cast book. The plot was rather unique, the characterization was spot on for Diana and Hippolyta, the art was a huge improvement over Cory Nord's, and best of all, Orlando brought back a classic rogue that hasn't been seen since 1986!

[numberthirty]

Good to hear that some folks liked some of what was going on in this issue.

[Mel Dyer]

It was a great, little, stand-alone story...a great, refreshingly imaginative, little Wonder Woman story. It's a reminder that Diana left the cradle of Paradise Island, because she's a born adventurer. One leap into her I-Jet or onto the wind takes her to bizarre, exotic, exciting places, ..and that is what this comic should be doing better, than any other ('cept possibly Hawkman).

That is what it's supposed to be about.

[AmiMizuno]

You guys think we will ever get a full run from Orlando?

[Mel Dyer]

All of that AND the return of ATOMIA, ..through the debut of noble, heroic not-Atomia.

[kjn]

This was a fun and exciting story, and it really felt like it called back to Marston's Golden Age wackiness, even if no-one was tied up properly I could understand not putting Diana in chains, but Hippolyta…

However, it was far from flawless, and I think it points to a couple of reasons why I think Orlando is a poor fit for Wonder Woman.

One is dialogue. Now, Orlando isn't bad, but he isn't great either. Wilson is on wholly another level, and Diana is meant to be well-spoken: in fact, well-spokenness is a requisite of being a participant in these types of mythological larger-than-life stories that are Diana's current bailiwick.

But more importantly, I don't think Orlando understands feminism, or the way it critiques pop culture tropes. He clearly has no trouble writing women with power (unlike Morrison), but the way he ties Empress Hippolyta's ambitions for conquest, power, and control with the choice of not becoming a mother, that points to some rather misogynistic ideas and patterns of thought, and it was at the centre of a lot of discussion on how Black Widow was handled in Age of Ultron. The idea of a power-mad Hippolyta choosing to not have Diana can work, but the way it is set up here is rather that bad Hippolyta was created in order to not have Diana in the first place.

It also means that Orlando has now written two stories where Diana reforms bad rulers, and in both cases they've tied into rather problematic tropes: first the mighty whitey, and now that being a good woman implies embracing motherhood.

Art-wise, it was solid, but not really that interesting either. However, Lopresti fails to pick up on Xermanico's wonderful androgynous design for Atlantiades, and draws them as clearly female, just like Herenick did. I wish the editors were ready to demand using Xermanico's design there. It also bugs me how he draws Diana in frame three on the last page: suddenly her face changes shape to a far more animeesque form, similar to how Braga drew her in #51. It doesn't fit with her body, nor with how he drew Diana in the rest of the issue.

[Koriand'r]

Four Stars for Kangas! Orlando was always my first choice over Wilson but while enjoyable this read like fan fiction. Mostly that was because it didn't fit with any continuity we've known since Rebirth. How long has Hippolyta been creating imaginary dimensions real enough for this adventure to occur? It was a Wonder Woman fantasy, yet far too simplistic to the point of being childish. It needed to work on more than one level. Depth was missing and I missed a grounded real world foundation for all the fantasy. Don't get me wrong it was still good, but more like a rich dessert than a four course meal.

As for Lopresti I liked him better this time around. I remembered his intricate little flourishes like Empress Hippolyta's tiara and eagle shoulder armor, the way he draws hair and the beauty of his Diana but was reminded of how much I dislike his double W's. =W= The edge of the wing's feathers should be smooth not separated like fingers.

[Celgress]

3.5 stars, an above average start, good stuff.

[Pinsir]

But more importantly, I don't think Orlando understands feminism, or the way it critiques pop culture tropes. He clearly has no trouble writing women with power (unlike Morrison), but the way he ties Empress Hippolyta's ambitions for conquest, power, and control with the choice of not becoming a mother, that points to some rather misogynistic ideas and patterns of thought, and it was at the centre of a lot of discussion on how Black Widow was handled in Age of Ultron. The idea of a power-mad Hippolyta choosing to not have Diana can work, but the way it is set up here is rather that bad Hippolyta was created in order to not have Diana in the first place.

I don't see how this is misogynistic...Its a matter a time management, evil Hippo can either spend her energies in building an empire or raising a child. This is actually a feminist issue because in today's world (excluding the empire part), women may want to have children but due to work and meagre maternity leave it can a challenge.

As for Black Widow, far be it for me to defend an MCU film, but the reason why Black Widow says she's a monster is because she's an assassin, not because shes infertile.

[Pinsir]

The only major criticism I have is that the story is grafted onto Wilson's story for some reason. It ruins the your ability to just jump in and read it without getting confused as to what the current context the story is being framed in. If this is a one-shot, make it a one-shot. Don't anchor the story to someone else's work.

Also I wouldn't really say this is a Golden Age story as from what I recall there is no Marston story that features alternate realities. Rather it reminds me of a story Robert Kanigher wrote that features an evil version of the Amazons (it was before he introduced Wondergirl).

[Konja7]

But more importantly, I don't think Orlando understands feminism, or the way it critiques pop culture tropes. He clearly has no trouble writing women with power (unlike Morrison), but the way he ties Empress Hippolyta's ambitions for conquest, power, and control with the choice of not becoming a mother, that points to some rather misogynistic ideas and patterns of thought, and it was at the centre of a lot of discussion on how Black Widow was handled in Age of Ultron. The idea of a power-mad Hippolyta choosing to not have Diana can work, but the way it is set up here is rather that bad Hippolyta was created in order to not have Diana in the first place.

It also means that Orlando has now written two stories where Diana reforms bad rulers, and in both cases they've tied into rather problematic tropes: first the mighty whitey, and now that being a good woman implies embracing motherhood.

I think Orlando understand feminism at some point. Maybe not the way it critique pop culture tropes.

The point is Empress Hypolita saw motherhood as a weakness (and uselessness), which reflects the fears of Queen Hypolita.

This is an issue with reality where a woman getting pregnant many times has been seen as a nuisance in their jobs.

Queen Hypolita shows that she is not weak pr useless due to her motherhood.