The Witch on the Island

[Nyssane]

("The Witch on the Island" is Wonder Woman #17-19 by George Perez and Circe's first appearance Post-Crisis.)

Shadowcat's pick for this story in the "Favorite Story From Your Favorite Writers" thread had me eager to re-read this story. I've re-read the first 16ish issues quite a bit, but for some reason I always stop at this story. I really have no idea why, since it's quite good.

A few points of interest for me:

CIRCE & THE BESTIAMORPHS
For the most part, I really love how Circe is portrayed here. She's like a Disney villain, very deliciously evil. I just wish there was a bit more nuance in her characterization back in these Perez days. Also, she bangs her servants, of which there are several. Mikos, Theophilus, Angelina... to be honest, I can't remember if any of them beyond Mikos appears in future stories. I think I remember Theophilus being in War of the Gods? I just need to re-read the rest of Perez's run since it's been a while. But I really think future stories need to introduce a stable cast of minions for Circe. Her bestiamorphs are rad, but are usually no-name fodder. Also, Circe sorta implied that Theophilus and Dimetrios were lovers which is kind of interesting. But like my first readthrough, I really don't like that anticlimax of an ending. If I was reading this monthly, I would've been really pissed off at Circe just vanishing.

WONDER WOMAN AND MEAT
Julia's mother asks Diana if she eats meat, and she says she does. But I thought she was a vegetarian? Does anyone know what's up with this? I never really thought about it but this comment got me curious. If she can understand animals... how can she eat them? She also tells Julia's father that she likes fishing. Julia's father... poor guy... I hope Diana did go fishing with him at some point. He just made me so sad any time he was on the page.

CASSANDRA
What is up with the name Cassandra? The name is completely overused in the Wonder Woman series. Here, Circe's alias is Cassandra Colchis. There's also Cassandra Sandsmark (duh), Cassandra Arnold (the news reporter lover of White Magician who got turned into a demon), and the New 52 Cassandra (the First Born's accomplice). Oh yeah, there's also Cassandra Cain. DC needs to pull the brakes on that name.

KATINA & CO.
There are so many characters in this three-issue story, but Katina was.... so cool. I don't know what it was - I didn't think pretty much anything of her the first time I read the story. But now, she's a boss. I liked seeing a faction of people who know something's up with the island, and Katina and her team were pretty capable even if a lot of them died. Poor Spiros.

JULIA
I have to say... seeing Julia's family and getting her backstory was just so lovely. I really miss these small character moments that Diana has with her supporting cast. It's sorely missing from modern stories. I mean, this whole page just gives me all the feels:



What does everyone else think of this story? Do you think it would make for a good introduction to Circe in the DCEU? Or maybe a direct-to-DVD animated film?

[Shadowcat]

<3<3<3<3<3

[Agent Z]

CASSANDRA
What is up with the name Cassandra? The name is completely overused in the Wonder Woman series. Here, Circe's alias is Cassandra Colchis. There's also Cassandra Sandsmark (duh), Cassandra Arnold (the news reporter lover of White Magician who got turned into a demon), and the New 52 Cassandra (the First Born's accomplice). Oh yeah, there's also Cassandra Cain. DC needs to pull the brakes on that name.

We can also add Artemis and Helena to the list of overused names.

What does everyone else think of this story? Do you think it would make for a good introduction to Circe in the DCEU? Or maybe a direct-to-DVD animated film?

I suppose it could work with some changes. I'd prefer if Julia and Vanessa were also present.

[Gaius]

I agree the ending with Circe just disappearing felt rather anti-climatic on my the first read through but I enjoyed the story, I don’t imagine it’s be her only look but if Circe shows up the DCEU I hope she sports her green evening gown dress look at least for a while. Purple hair being mandatory obviously.

I enjoyed the follow up story Perez did later where a cult that worships Diana pops up on Circe’s island after her supposed defeat.

("The Witch on the Island" is Wonder Woman #17-19 by George Perez and Circe's first appearance Post-Crisis.)

Shadowcat's pick for this story in the "Favorite Story From Your Favorite Writers" thread had me eager to re-read this story. I've re-read the first 16ish issues quite a bit, but for some reason I always stop at this story. I really have no idea why, since it's quite good.

WONDER WOMAN AND MEAT
Julia's mother asks Diana if she eats meat, and she says she does. But I thought she was a vegetarian? Does anyone know what's up with this? I never really thought about it but this comment got me curious. If she can understand animals... how can she eat them? She also tells Julia's father that she likes fishing. Julia's father... poor guy... I hope Diana did go fishing with him at some point. He just made me so sad any time he was on the page.
?

I think Diana being a vegetarian was a later thing by Rucka, like what Waid did with Superman. Some stories Perez did show Diana taking part in hunting rituals on Themyscira as a teen and she was hesitant there because she didn’t want to kill in general rather than because she could understand animals.

We can also add Artemis and Helena to the list of overused names.
.

Just asking but what other notable Helena’s are there besides Huntress?

[Agent Z]

Just asking but what other notable Helena’s are there besides Huntress?

Helena Kosmatos (Fury), Helena Sandsmark and Helen Alexandros. Okay the last one isn't Helena but it is still a variation of the name.

[Gaius]

Helena Kosmatos (Fury), Helena Sandsmark and Helen Alexandros. Okay the last one isn't Helena but it is still a variation of the name.

Fair enough.

[Psy-lock]

Paula's alias in Rebirth is also Helen. And I'm pretty sure there was at least one Amazon named Helena. The name is way overused.

[HandofPrometheus]

Isn't this also where the origin of the Greek Gods and their connection to the New Gods was established? I always wondered how the Greek Gods factored into the whole DCU lore and was quite surprised that it was explained years ago.

[Koriand'r]

I miss how powerful Circe used to be, one blast from her hands had Diana knocked unconscious for almost half an issue. It's like she was inoculated against them eventually and they had less and less of an effect.

[Stanlos]

("The Witch on the Island" is Wonder Woman #17-19 by George Perez and Circe's first appearance Post-Crisis.)

Shadowcat's pick for this story in the "Favorite Story From Your Favorite Writers" thread had me eager to re-read this story. I've re-read the first 16ish issues quite a bit, but for some reason I always stop at this story. I really have no idea why, since it's quite good.

A few points of interest for me:

CIRCE & THE BESTIAMORPHS
For the most part, I really love how Circe is portrayed here. She's like a Disney villain, very deliciously evil. I just wish there was a bit more nuance in her characterization back in these Perez days. Also, she bangs her servants, of which there are several. Mikos, Theophilus, Angelina... to be honest, I can't remember if any of them beyond Mikos appears in future stories. I think I remember Theophilus being in War of the Gods? I just need to re-read the rest of Perez's run since it's been a while. But I really think future stories need to introduce a stable cast of minions for Circe. Her bestiamorphs are rad, but are usually no-name fodder. Also, Circe sorta implied that Theophilus and Dimetrios were lovers which is kind of interesting. But like my first readthrough, I really don't like that anticlimax of an ending. If I was reading this monthly, I would've been really pissed off at Circe just vanishing.

WONDER WOMAN AND MEAT
Julia's mother asks Diana if she eats meat, and she says she does. But I thought she was a vegetarian? Does anyone know what's up with this? I never really thought about it but this comment got me curious. If she can understand animals... how can she eat them? She also tells Julia's father that she likes fishing. Julia's father... poor guy... I hope Diana did go fishing with him at some point. He just made me so sad any time he was on the page.

CASSANDRA
What is up with the name Cassandra? The name is completely overused in the Wonder Woman series. Here, Circe's alias is Cassandra Colchis. There's also Cassandra Sandsmark (duh), Cassandra Arnold (the news reporter lover of White Magician who got turned into a demon), and the New 52 Cassandra (the First Born's accomplice). Oh yeah, there's also Cassandra Cain. DC needs to pull the brakes on that name.

KATINA & CO.
There are so many characters in this three-issue story, but Katina was.... so cool. I don't know what it was - I didn't think pretty much anything of her the first time I read the story. But now, she's a boss. I liked seeing a faction of people who know something's up with the island, and Katina and her team were pretty capable even if a lot of them died. Poor Spiros.

JULIA
I have to say... seeing Julia's family and getting her backstory was just so lovely. I really miss these small character moments that Diana has with her supporting cast. It's sorely missing from modern stories. I mean, this whole page just gives me all the feels:



What does everyone else think of this story? Do you think it would make for a good introduction to Circe in the DCEU? Or maybe a direct-to-DVD animated film?

After some time on our world she foregoes meat because of the environmental impacts. The WOTI story takes place shortly after her return to our world while the Rucka run takes place some years after taking up residence here.

[SiegePerilous02]

I really like this story on re-reads. The supporting cast in Greece were nice, and I'd like Stavros, Katina and Julia's parents to pop up again if we can ever salvage this Julia situation in the main continuity. Circe herself looks great and displays an awesome level of power, everything about her and her Beastiamorphs has an awesome creepy atmosphere.

I don't really care for Circe's motivation though. All the swapping souls stuff and prophecy about the names has always been a little convoluted and too much at once. The one improvement JLU ever made to Circe was making her an old rival of Hippolyta who goes after Diana out of spite. Perez also re-uses the villain appearing to die or vanish with Diana uncertain of their fate that he did with the Cheetah and Silver Swan, and it got kind of old.

[Gaius]

Isn't this also where the origin of the Greek Gods and their connection to the New Gods was established? I always wondered how the Greek Gods factored into the whole DCU lore and was quite surprised that it was explained years ago.

Yeah, Hecate cast projections that kept the Earth off the radar of the Fourth World after the Titan-Olympian War.

Tynion also picked up on Circe and Hecate's motivations here for his current JLD run.

[Stanlos]

Isn't this also where the origin of the Greek Gods and their connection to the New Gods was established? I always wondered how the Greek Gods factored into the whole DCU lore and was quite surprised that it was explained years ago.

In addition to what Gaius added above, the History Of The DC Universe is where the New Gods were fully incorporated into the DCU Proper as a component of the DCU Divinities. The Fourth World came about as a result of the sealing of Olympus after the Titanomache (Titan/Olympian War).

John Byrne would suggest in Action 600 that the Olympians were the offshoots of the New Gods and WW#19 explains why Darkseid and others would have that perception.

Byrne would later try to reinstate the idea quite clumsily given HOTDCU narrative impacts quite a number of properties. Byrne had the Olympians as cave people transformed by the Godwave and omitted the Titans and Elder Gods and all of their cosmology (which included the creation of the verse). This was silly because characters like the Marvel Family, Troia, and many others have ties to the Titans and others.

Thankfully, Eric Luke's first act upon starting his run was to reinstate the proper mythology and all of the hard work that Wolfman, Berger, and Perez did providing well defined traits, rules, and linkages of DCU Divinity. Page one of WW 139 out everything back to normal and his run would strengthen and further enhance the idea with the introduction of the Cosmic Lotus concept. Like also revised Byrne's Godwave concept so that it fit within the greater DCU Divinities landscape showing how all Divinities (including the monotheistic ones) are linked with WW150 shows.

[WonderScott]

I love this introduction to Circe and Perez gave her a rich backstory and some supporting characters of her own that were interesting. I tend to prefer that in some of my villains, in that it provides the villain with additional support or adversaries and it’s not always just the villain versus the hero... there’s more layers, based on their relationships.

I have an outline somewhere that views Diana’s foes through the lens of horror and being monsters, both literally and figuratively. Past the stereotype of witch and/or sorceress, the beastiamorphs were a brilliant addition that I wish more creators would pick up on. Perez particularly designed them very eerie and seemingly tortured, which I think added a lot to the menace of Circe and still could.

I like the Doctor Who-adventurer Circe too, but someday I’d like the malevolent, magenta-maned witch-goddess to return.

The only thing I don’t want to see anymore is Circe hanging out with the Injustice League. I think it’s interesting when interacts with characters like Sinestro or Lex Luthor or Reverse Flash, but I don’t see her operating with them... manipulating them, yes, but not operating with them. She should be presented as a Justice League-level foe all on her own, despite not always appearing as such.

I’ve got a few storyline ideas that feature Circe prominently within the Wonderverse, but also have her pull in other corners of the DCU into the Wonderverse.

[Psy-lock]

What does everyone else think of this story? Do you think it would make for a good introduction to Circe in the DCEU? Or maybe a direct-to-DVD animated film?

Definitely! This story combined with some elements from the War of the Gods and the Witching Hour can make for an awesome movie. And would love to see Julia and Vanessa get their live action debut as well.