Like a lot of creators, I always feel like Byrne wanted write around Wonder Woman instead of about Wonder Woman and her concepts. I’m thankful for his addition of Cassandra Sandsmark though.
Like a lot of creators, I always feel like Byrne wanted write around Wonder Woman instead of about Wonder Woman and her concepts. I’m thankful for his addition of Cassandra Sandsmark though.
If all a writer does is concentrate on the main character, it gets boring fast. The comics I enjoy build a world around the main character and use those surrounding characters for story points. I feel like Byrne really loved Wonder Woman and he wanted to give her a big world, occupied by many other characters. And he wanted to revive ideas from all of Wonder Woman's history--not just from the reboot.
I also like consistency. Some people didn't like John Byrne's art style. But I thought it was quite good and he managed to keep producing all that art over a long run. I just wish it had been longer.
Some good points, here. Truthfully, Diana's interaction with then-not-annoying Cassie were her most human moments. John Byrne's run reminded us that the leading lady needs a supporting cast to achieve a semblance of the humanity, which Lynda Carter brought the 70s TV series, ..and Bryne, in an interview, expressed he was inspired by that.
He burned his goodwill on two impossibly ambitious ideas, that he didn't carry off...couldn't. The Donna Troy 'magic twin' fix worked for me, right up until Dark Phoenix ripoff, Dark Angel [Seriously...Dark Angel?] showed up, with her pointy, 80s clubgear. Making Hippolyta the Golden Age Wonder Woman was such a wasteful enterprise, when Byrne had already crafted the perfect, flawlessly perfect solution for that continuity trap--another magic-mirror twin or parallel double. He didn't need to screw up Hippolyta's role in the Wonderverse for that.
Byrne tried to do, too much.
I love you, Jim Kelly. The man makes it plain and dead-on. In total agreement on all of the above...
But, I'll add that I think he attempted too much. At best, leading in with the 'Second Genesis' arc, Byrne might have had a disciplined, structured, progressive run, bringing the WW comic an appropriately mutable narrative situation (iconic city, etc), regular supporting cast, the reintroduction of beloved and familiar story elements (I-Jet, etc) and most important of all...non-stop ACTION!!!
Last edited by Mel Dyer; 10-24-2020 at 07:03 PM. Reason: added content
COMBINING THE BIGBADITUDE OF THANOS WITH CHEETAH'S FEROCITY, IS JANUS WONDER WOMAN'S GREATEST SUPERVILLAIN?...on WONDABUNGA!!! Look alive, Kangaliers!
While it wasn't as strong as I expected, I still enjoyed the run.
Hippolyta becoming the WW2 Wonder Woman was an interesting development that allowed for WW solo or JSA stories set in the past. That was my favorite thing he did with the title.
I thought that Donna should've been Hippolyta and Wild Cat's daughter, but instead we got the weird magic twin thing.
The only thing I did not like about it was the Donna storyline. I appreciate what he tried to do, bit it just added another layer of muddy water to her story
Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The mirror twin aspect was inoffensive-an only child being lonely for a playmate rang true. However the Dark Angel multiple lifetimes of tragedy thing was too much of a way to validate every other origin and therefor continue the problem.
On the "John Byrne tried to do too much front", whenever he writes, pencils, inks, and even letters a comic, his overall work suffers. I think he maxes out at 3 of those roles and is probably best left at only 2.
COMBINING THE BIGBADITUDE OF THANOS WITH CHEETAH'S FEROCITY, IS JANUS WONDER WOMAN'S GREATEST SUPERVILLAIN?...on WONDABUNGA!!! Look alive, Kangaliers!
Byrne's run might be my least favorite of the Vol. 2 writers. But it's still somewhat readable, I guess. I've only read it once in completion quite a few years ago, but I remember it being leagues above Finch or Robinson.
I don't mind Diana as an archaeologist or antiquities expert, but there's really no logical reason she should have information outside a fairly narrow geographic area and timeframe (when she first comes to man's world). I mean, unless we go old-school with a portal to the world on Themyscira for them to know all. Nor that she should know anything about excavation, etc. They might have the discipline of historian on Themyscira, but not really archaeology, one wouldn't think.
I haven't reread it since but I was mildly pleased with it at the time. I did like her mom being the GA Wonder Woman only because it kind of explained why Donna's looks and powers were what they were before Diana came to man's world. I was glad he tied Donna back with her family but it was way too complicated. I didn't like Cassie and her mom at first, because I too felt they were just rehashes of the Kapatelis. The Kirby stuff was okay but I hated that Byrne tried to make the New Gods more powerful the the Greek pantheon. As for Diana herself, I didn't like the shrinkage of her costume, but it was the 90s. Hated the overly large tiara. I did like Diana becoming the Goddess of Truth tho.
Overall, I would give it a 3 out of 5. Maybe I'll reread it one of these days.
Prior to the announcement that he was taking over -- I thought he would be an excellent choice. But he screwed the pooch on this one. It wasn't a total disaster, but I had expected so much better than he delivered. He was no George Perez when it came to handling mythology. Also his supporting cast was just a rip off of Perez's. Then there is that huge tiara. Ugh!
It's cute there but it started like this...
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JB Wonder-Woman-Second-Genesis-int.jpg