Wonder Woman 755 spoilers discussion.

[Artemisfanboy]

spoilers:

Most of this issue was a fight confrontation between Diana and Paula. Diana gives her version of the story of the Valkyries told to her where the Valkyries were the aggressors. Paula manages to plant some seeds of doubt into Diana's mind by pointing to the recent civil war started by Grail and Diana's experience on Almerac. Donna thankfully flat out rejects the four Horsewoman's pitch. Too bad we still aren't given more details about her origin. Also I noticed Donna has her silver Lasso back. Neat. Genocide is on Rampage through Boston to get the portal to Themyscira and is seen fighting some other heroes. As I said in the preview thread I'm not sure I get this revised origin story with the Bana Mighdall(related by Diana to a class of children she's speaks to) being founded by Alcippe and their ancestor's having left the Island instead of not going there to begin with.

end of spoilers

I'm overall enjoying it and want to see where this goes. Really hope we get some firm answers on Donna's origin too.

[K. Jones]

I liked this.

Orlando's penchant for mixing up toys sandbox style persists and is great. And I really like the idea of taking Paula and building in this Valkyrie legacy because it divorces her from being locked to a specific time period, giving her that "mirror of the hero" thing writers really love, which can be overused but Diana can use a few more of.

Actually that kind of thing feels really, really latter-day Kirby to me, comparing to New Gods, Inhumans, but most of all Eternals. And of course with Paula's costume you can't help but catch Kirby vibes anyway. Which kind of made me just want like, "More Kirby" in the art design. I dunno, I've liked lots of Wonder Woman eras for their art design. I like the strange kind of bubbly folksy fantasy look of the Golden Age originals, the like, almost Religious Glory of the Perez era. I liked Cliff Chiang's design work a lot. And I liked the hell out of Paquette's deep dive. But "WHAT WOULD I DO?" if I was designing the whole Wonder Woman ouvre ...

I think I'd go Kirby on it, redesigning characters from eras that were odd from a character design standpoint (very 90s, or very 2000s, or whatever), keeping the weird, but having some unifying thing.

[Mel Dyer]

I liked it.

I felt a little beat over the head, with the whole ancient enemies thing - Amazons against Valkyries - but liked that, unlike with Cheetah and the others, ..there was a solid narrative for their enmity. Paula is enraged because Diana tried to rob her of her birthright. It is true that Diana did try to protect her from this birthright, ..but, her destiny was to become a power-mad despot. So, they are enemies...

Love it!

[Nyssane]

It was pretty good. I like Warmaster's motivations and Diana being impacted by a decision she made years prior. I love the Horsewomen, but... something seems off about their assemblage. Maybe it's the lack of horses?

The theme of telling children what's good vs. what's true is fascinating, but a bit too heavy-handed in this issue for my tastes. It could've been depicted much subtler and more sophisticated.

I wish Armageddon was "hulked out" all the time instead of just turning her body into bulk. She looks like just another comic supervillain in her normal form; having that massive body made her stand out much more.

I'm looking forward to the truth about the Amazons vs. the Valkyries being revealed. We have got to see Gudra pop up at some point. If I remember correctly from the annual, she's the only surviving Valkyrie? That Gundra story from Wonder Woman Giant was so fun and has me wanting more of her in the series.

[Dr. Poison]

This appears to be the start of an EPIC Wonder Woman story. High stakes, great actions sequences, and mysteries revealed.

Orlando has made his reintroduction of Paula Von Gunther into a very credible threat. She has the strength of the Valkyries along with scientific smarts(using Radiaon to help subdue Diana). I also really like Orlando's portrayal of Devastation, previously a character I could take or leave. Her new appearance is a vast improvement, especially the thorn-mask. I feel like Orlando is teasing us with the new Armageddon. Now we learn she can increase her mass/size. Did she always have that ability or did Paula help her with that? It was nice to see cameos by Aztek and Strange Visitor but if Orlando wants us to believe that Genocide is an alpha-level threat, I think he needs to show her battling stronger heroes like Supergirl, Power Girl, or Mary Marvel.

Glad to see Donna's silver lasso back as well!

A+

[Mel Dyer]

I appreciate the simplicity of their enmity and that Diana might actually fear her dark destiny and the power she stood to inherit. I think Warmaster might actually be the enemy, who embodies exactly what Diana has devoted her life to protect the world from...

Warmaster is conquest. She checks all of Diana's archenemy boxes. She's Grail, without the New Gods baggage.

[Lonewolf36]

This appears to be the start of an EPIC Wonder Woman story. High stakes, great actions sequences, and mysteries revealed.

Orlando has made his reintroduction of Paula Von Gunther into a very credible threat. She has the strength of the Valkyries along with scientific smarts(using Radiaon to help subdue Diana). I also really like Orlando's portrayal of Devastation, previously a character I could take or leave. Her new appearance is a vast improvement, especially the thorn-mask. I feel like Orlando is teasing us with the new Armageddon. Now we learn she can increase her mass/size. Did she always have that ability or did Paula help her with that? It was nice to see cameos by Aztek and Strange Visitor but if Orlando wants us to believe that Genocide is an alpha-level threat, I think he needs to show her battling stronger heroes like Supergirl, Power Girl, or Mary Marvel.

Glad to see Donna's silver lasso back as well!

A+

I agree it was nice seeing Aztek, Strange Visitor and Viking Judge there.

[Koriand'r]

This issue shows exactly WHY Wonder Woman isn't immune to guns. If she were fully invulnerable the two times she was threatened with them by Warmaster wouldn't matter. The scenes wouldn't have the same dramatic tension of KNOWING Diana could be harmed.


Really good issue, the only downside was the art. The ugly gold cracks are back in Diana's bracelets and it's almost as if the lines on the tiara are random and get more and more complicated whenever they're depicted.

Still it was a Five Star issue for me because of the revelations about the Amazons and Valkyries and the presence of impending danger.

[donnafan]

I like how Orlando re-imagined the first re-occurring WW villain complete with back story, power re-vamp and motives. Adding to WW rouges gallery is exactly what she needs and I think Paula/Warmaster is a great addition. I love that Orlando has also brought Donna back into the book and I love the the contradiction between Donna and Paula. Both women are dealing with Diana's choices to hide/reveal the truth from each of their past. Donna choosing to be a hero reflected by Paula choosing to be a villain. Very nice characterization here and a nice underlying theme that seems very WW: who you are is more about the choices you make today rather than your past or where your from.

[coveredinbees]

I loved it. I haven't read anything since the reboot, but I didn't feel like I was in over my head.

Radiation dust is pocket sand.
https://youtu.be/PTAXUYLbFYk

[Psy-lock]

Great issue. Probably the first WW story I genuinely enjoyed since Rucka's departure.

[Mel Dyer]

I like how Orlando re-imagined the first re-occurring WW villain complete with back story, power re-vamp and motives. Adding to WW rouges gallery is exactly what she needs and I think Paula/Warmaster is a great addition. I love that Orlando has also brought Donna back into the book and I love the the contradiction between Donna and Paula. Both women are dealing with Diana's choices to hide/reveal the truth from each of their past. Donna choosing to be a hero reflected by Paula choosing to be a villain. Very nice characterization here and a nice underlying theme that seems very WW: who you are is more about the choices you make today rather than your past or where your from.

I love how he rehabbed the name 'Warmaster' to coronate what will surely be the anti-Wonder-Woman of the foreseeable future.

With the right story and development, Warmaster takes her rightful place, at the head of Diana's rogues banquet. She is as physical and formidable, as Grail or the Cheetah, and every bit the tactician that Veronica Cale or Ares ever was, ..with an ideology that puts her on a fateful collision course, with the leading lady. In Paula's hands, power is for conquest over the weak, ..and not for the preservation of their liberty.

More Warmaster, please.

[kjn]

I read it and wasn't that impressed.

The new Paula von Gunther is just a generic physical baddie, and has lost everything that made Marston's original Paula interesting. I like that Diana sets out to spread the Amazon ideals and that questioning authority is one of those, but there is very little in the story that supports that message. So far it's a pasted-on moral with no support from the rest of the story.

There are also at times a disconnect between the art (which I mostly found uninspiring) and the script, like when Diana looks scared when Paula points the gun at her, but in the next frame (on the following page) says "Do I seem afraid?". The dialogue is also one-note, both in style and in its contents.

It's not necessarily bad or offensive, but it's certainly not interesting to me. Some excitement, but not enough to hold interest.

[Mel Dyer]

Love seeing Donna in the book! Wish she was joined by Artemis, Queen Desira, heroic Perez Hercules, Drusilla, I Ching, Nubia, Mister Genie, Zephyr the Wonder Bird and Sargon the Sorcerer, ..but, plain, old, non-name Donna is fine, also.

She should be a recurring character in WW, with her own subplots and occasional team-ups. This feels right, amigos.

[Dr. Poison]

Love seeing Donna in the book! Wish she was joined by Artemis, Queen Desira, heroic Perez Hercules, Drusilla, I Ching, Nubia, Mister Genie, Zephyr the Wonder Bird and Sargon the Sorcerer, ..but, plain, old, non-name Donna is fine, also.

She should be a recurring character in WW, with her own subplots and occasional team-ups. This feels right, amigos.

When was Sargon the Sorcerer a supporting character in Wonder Woman?