Wonder Woman #2 - Preview, discussion, spoiler

[Sebastianne]

Wonder Woman #2 Preview
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Daniel Sampere
Colors: Tomeu Morey

[OBrianTallent]

I really liked the first issue. I dont think there was any fault in it at all, that I found. I really like the pages in this preview and I really want King's run to be all he seems to think it can/should be. If nothing else for the amazingly beautiful work of Sampere. Sampere is quickly elevating himself to Perez and Jiminez levels of awesome.

If we just didn't have to deal with this Trinity business.

[Frontier]

Ah, there's that classic, formal, stilted, and a bit robotic Tom King dialogue.

I don't feel like Steve should have anything to do with this.

[Fuzzy Mittens]

Art-wise this was a superb issue. Gorgeous. Amazing even.

Story wise though...Frankly it just felt like alot of filler im sorry to say. I mean it cold opens with Diana just standing in the middle of a field while Steve belittles her while trying to talk her down, and what were told is the full force of the united states army just forming a perimeter to try and kill her on Sarge Steels orders.

And then....Its basically a story wherin Soverign plays up how big and cool and amazing the American army is and how unstoppable they are and how impossible it is for anyone to defeat them except Diana does....And im kinda just unimpressed and rolling my eyes? Like, yes the action was well drawn and it looks quite nice, but it feels like an extension of the previous issues 'watch Diana clobber her way through a dozen soldiers' scene.

I mean id be impressed if this involved the military REALLY going all out. Pulling out Captain Atom. Weaponizing Uncle Sam. Bringing out the various super weapons their occasionally shown possessing such as laser canons, murder wheels, and killer robots.
But while this issue feels like it was made to showcase how awesome Diana is in a fight and play up how great she is...Im hard pressed to think of a hero who would actually struggle in such a gauntlet?

Its hardly a bad issue by no means. The B story flashing back to the Contest and a younger Diana fighting to prove herself made for a nice contrast and the artist did amazing work blending the two.

It just felt kinda....Average? Okay? It was fine, it just didn't really blow me away. Nothing objectionable to it. Even Steve for all hes portrayed initially as belittling, is clear that he fully expected Diana to refuse and knew she would win regardless. It just didn't really have a moment that made me go 'WOW!' It was fine.

[Frontier]

Art-wise this was a superb issue. Gorgeous. Amazing even.

Story wise though...Frankly it just felt like alot of filler im sorry to say. I mean it cold opens with Diana just standing in the middle of a field while Steve belittles her while trying to talk her down, and what were told is the full force of the united states army just forming a perimeter to try and kill her on Sarge Steels orders.

And then....Its basically a story wherin Soverign plays up how big and cool and amazing the American army is and how unstoppable they are and how impossible it is for anyone to defeat them except Diana does....And im kinda just unimpressed and rolling my eyes? Like, yes the action was well drawn and it looks quite nice, but it feels like an extension of the previous issues 'watch Diana clobber her way through a dozen soldiers' scene.

I mean id be impressed if this involved the military REALLY going all out. Pulling out Captain Atom. Weaponizing Uncle Sam. Bringing out the various super weapons their occasionally shown possessing such as laser canons, murder wheels, and killer robots.
But while this issue feels like it was made to showcase how awesome Diana is in a fight and play up how great she is...Im hard pressed to think of a hero who would actually struggle in such a gauntlet?

Its hardly a bad issue by no means. The B story flashing back to the Contest and a younger Diana fighting to prove herself made for a nice contrast and the artist did amazing work blending the two.

It just felt kinda....Average? Okay? It was fine, it just didn't really blow me away. Nothing objectionable to it. Even Steve for all hes portrayed initially as belittling, is clear that he fully expected Diana to refuse and knew she would win regardless. It just didn't really have a moment that made me go 'WOW!' It was fine.

Dang, King probably would have Captain Atom show up just to job in this run.

[Mantis-Ray]

Dang, King probably would have Captain Atom show up just to job in this run.

Thats Captain Atom's job anywhere.

That and blowing up. Thats all he's used for by everyone nowadays.

[phonogram12]

I really liked the first issue. I dont think there was any fault in it at all, that I found. I really like the pages in this preview and I really want King's run to be all he seems to think it can/should be.

I love King. I have no doubt he can pull it off.

[Mantis-Ray]

From the looks of it this is issue is to showcase Diana going straight for the jugular.

The government wants to to war with her, so she's going to showcase a spectacular show of dominance by completely wrecking their entire armed forces. More or less straight to the point, both sides cutting the bullshit and just going straight for blows instead of dragging out this confrontation.

Which also has a practical reason cause presumably this leaves AXE with less soldiers to harm her sisters. This probably also creates a bit of a break in the confrontation as AXE will be left reeling and figuring out how to battle Diana now with the military useless, as indicated how the solicits for the next several issues has Diana doing stuff not directly related to fighting AXE.

[bardkeep]

I got it a week early and felt mixed after my initial read, but I've reread it a couple times and it's made me like it more. It isn't perfect but I like that he's trying to make something that feels mythic and substantial. I have my reservations about the emotional detachment and limitations that come with Sovereign being the narrator, but it does have that grand, poetic quality that Perez brought to the book. I wish we'd gotten it when King had given us more time to get to know his Diana, but I'm very curious to see where it can even escalate from here.

It does feel like the 2nd issue should've moved the plot more, but we did at least get a big tease at the end and sometimes I do just wanna see Diana tying a tank to her lasso and using it as a flail.

The artwork is clearly the highlight, though. Sampere is an absolute superstar. He's guaranteed to wind up with Perez and Jimenez as one of the legendary artists on this book.

And then....Its basically a story wherin Soverign plays up how big and cool and amazing the American army is and how unstoppable they are and how impossible it is for anyone to defeat them except Diana does....And im kinda just unimpressed and rolling my eyes? Like, yes the action was well drawn and it looks quite nice, but it feels like an extension of the previous issues 'watch Diana clobber her way through a dozen soldiers' scene.

I mean id be impressed if this involved the military REALLY going all out. Pulling out Captain Atom. Weaponizing Uncle Sam. Bringing out the various super weapons their occasionally shown possessing such as laser canons, murder wheels, and killer robots.
But while this issue feels like it was made to showcase how awesome Diana is in a fight and play up how great she is...Im hard pressed to think of a hero who would actually struggle in such a gauntlet?

I mean, single-handedly taking out an army of 20,000, tanking a massive barrage of missiles without a scratch, and using tanks as weapons isn't exactly Spider-Man stuff. But this is issue #2 and the whole army couldn't do anything beyond getting some scrapes and dirt on her. It seems like the big guns are still to come.

[Gaius]

I got it a week early and felt mixed after my initial read, but I've reread it a couple times and it's made me like it more. It isn't perfect but I like that he's trying to make something that feels mythic and substantial. I have my reservations about the emotional detachment and limitations that come with Sovereign being the narrator, but it does have that grand, poetic quality that Perez brought to the book. I wish we'd gotten it when King had given us more time to get to know his Diana, but I'm very curious to see where it can even escalate from here.

It does feel like the 2nd issue should've moved the plot more, but we did at least get a big tease at the end and sometimes I do just wanna see Diana tying a tank to her lasso and using it as a flail.

The artwork is clearly the highlight, though. Sampere is an absolute superstar. He's guaranteed to wind up with Perez and Jimenez as one of the legendary artists on this book.

Would mostly agree with this, mainly set piece issue for Sampere to flex his muscles. I'm fine with Sovereign's narration for at least this opening arc but I hope the more King writes this book the more comfortable he'd get in doing narration from Diana's P.O.V.

Didn't find the Steve stuff to be bad as some people were expecting.

Diana swearing like a sailer was bit of a curveball, don't see that often.

[Fuzzy Mittens]

I mean, single-handedly taking out an army of 20,000, tanking a massive barrage of missiles without a scratch, and using tanks as weapons isn't exactly Spider-Man stuff. But this is issue #2 and the whole army couldn't do anything beyond getting some scrapes and dirt on her. It seems like the big guns are still to come.

A fair point. I don't think the issue was bad, it just didn't hit as many highs as the prior issue did. I may come to appreciate it more down the road when it is part of a greater narrative, but it just didn't really wow me by comparison.

I feel confident saying though that the art is the high point of the issue and I agree that Sampere could very well go down as one of the great artists of Wonder Woman.
Ive not seen much of this artists work, so I will be curious to see if they portray some of the more unusual Wonder Woman elements and enemies as well as they do the realistic stuff.

[bardkeep]

Would mostly agree with this, mainly set piece issue for Sampere to flex his muscles. I'm fine with Sovereign's narration for at least this opening arc but I hope the more King writes this book the more comfortable he'd get in doing narration from Diana's P.O.V.

Didn't find the Steve stuff to be bad as some people were expecting.

Diana swearing like a sailer was bit of a curveball, don't see that often.

Tom King isn't big on 1st person narration, especially in this type of book (his Supergirl and Superman books didn't use any 1st person POV either), but I do wish the narration was from the perspective of someone closer to her. Sovereign just gives us macro-scale Big Story Moments because he only sees her fighting, whether it's verbally/emotionally or physically - from his perspective we can't get small character moments like, say, the excellent Supergirl scene where she teaches Ruthye how to wash her hands. It feels like a defense mechanism so he doesn't have to really touch Diana as a character.

I didn't notice Diana swearing here (just some **** talking) but there's precedent for it! In Phil Jimenez's Day in the Life issue Lois mentions that she swears like a sailor when she's mad.

[Dr. Poison]

This issue was intense! The creative team really showcased Wonder Woman as a power player who can exceed expectations. I loved that she took on the army with her lasso, bracelets, and tiara instead of a sword & shield. It seems that the clay origin is back in continuity with the Zeus-daddy now being the actual lie. I love it!

[BrianWilly]

Tom King we will always be enemies (you know what you did)

BUT

If you truly do manage to recanonize clay origin (for realsies) (no takebacks!) I will forgive you for EVERYTHING and consider our debt settled! I have been waiting twelve years for this! Don't be edging me now!

[Skytten]

I really liked the issue. The art was amazing and for the Wonder Woman vs the army I thought it looked like it was obvious it wasn't difficult for her and as she herself says she could do worse (or better depending on how you see it) and that both from narration and from Steel it was clear that it was their misogynistic views that thought she was weaker than she is. Also liked Sovereigns narration, but hope it isn't like this and last issue through out the whole series.
Liked that King basically said yeah clay origin is what it should be, but DC won't allow me to say that officially.