Wonder Woman #36 Spoilers

[borntohula]

And so it was, a Wonder Woman comic book with a new creative team. And it was quite alright actually, art aside.

-Turns out Swamp thing wasn't the enemy. Diana eskimokisses a Teddy and talks about it with Aquaman. Says there's been much going on lately for her.
-There are amazons who feel that the men on the island will turn on them, turn into men as those in the outside world. Fearing that will make the women on the island weak, turn them into "humans". Dessa is all for it and there's a witch-looking old lady who's all for the boy baby give aways.
-Oh, and Hippolyta is said to be dead. Diana finds her broken to pieces.

All and all. Quite alright. I'll definitely give it a couple issues!

[Silvanus]

And so it was, a Wonder Woman comic book with a new creative team. And it was quite alright actually, art aside.

-Turns out Swamp thing wasn't the enemy. Diana eskimokisses a Teddy and talks about it with Aquaman. Says there's been much going on lately for her.
-There are amazons who feel that the men on the island will turn on them, turn into men as those in the outside world. Fearing that will make the women on the island weak, turn them into "humans". Dessa is all for it and there's a witch-looking old lady who's all for the boy baby give aways.
-Oh, and Hippolyta is said to be dead. Diana finds her broken to pieces.

All and all. Quite alright. I'll definitely give it a couple issues!

It was...OK. I didn't like Diana's premature, ill-considered attack on Swamp Thing or her meltdown with Aquaman; I'm happy to have her show frustration, which just makes her human, but this sudden shock and. perhaps self-pity, about having too many responsibilities--it didn't seem right to me. Seeing that together with David Finch's somewhat...youthful...portrayal of her, I couldn't help feeling that she seemed a bit immature. And I'm glad Aquaman says she's not the "punch first, ask questions later" type (and I'm especially glad because this seemed like the writer's way of disavowing some of Diana's portrayal in JL); but it would have been better if her actions hadn't made it necessary to remind her of this. If she's just being influenced by her god of war role, that's OK, I think, as long as she gets it together in the next few issues and proves that she can define what it means to be god of war, rather than being defined by that role.

Paradise Island looks a bit spiffier. I like that the Amazon men are apparently still there at Diana's invitation, and that Dessa is onboard with Diana's plans. No sign of Aleka; maybe she really did die.I don't mind that not all Amazons are sold on the plan yet, and the ranting of a couple of reactionaries among them--while not very nuanced--at least serves to better establish, in my opinion, that the Amazons more objectionable ways are a reaction to misogyny and to millenia of subjugation of women by men. The hag is apparently Hippolyta's sister (unless she just means "my sister" in a generic Amazon way) and I guess she or her partner in ranting, Clyemene, will be the new queen.

I wonder if Finch knew when she wrote this that Azz was going have Hippolyta reanimated; it seems like maybe not, but on the other hand, there is one flashback panel with Diana, a baby (Zeke?), and Hippolyta, looking peaceful, so maybe that shows that Hippolyta was restored for a while before getting "pertrified" again.

The shower scene seemed a little meta: Diana washing off the blood and grime of issues past and getting a new start in a new run.I didn't mind that, and i hope it was nice for some of the fans who didn't like Azz's run.

I guess the rain dissolved Hippolyta? Whoever's controlling the weather sent a batch of acid rain? Maybe they're working with the anti-Diana faction of the Amazons?

ETA--This was definitely better, in my opinion, than Tomasi's Superman/Wonder WOman, but oddly enough, the best Wonder Woman of the week, for my money, was in Justice League. Not that she does anything amazing there, but she carries herself with poise and dignity.

[napolid]

Apart from Finch's art, which I always personally enjoy, this issue was fairly meh. That misogyny line was very forced, and everything else was just ok.

Won't buy the second issue unless its well received.

[Mel Dyer]

SPOILERS AHEAD...

I've just read Wonder Woman #36 on Comixology.com.

Two pages..two, entire pages ..were spent, showing Wonder Woman sitting in a jet, with Aquaman. He listens dutifully, while she whines away about being pulled in too many different directions, by the various compartments of her life. While Diana's bellyaching about her hard life, Meredith Finch peppers the story with the current events of Diana's life, as Wonder Woman.

It was the whiniest issue that I've read, since the Jimenez run. Painfully, hopelessly whiney.


What's missing from this issue is the irreverent optimism of ZOLA ..and the sometimes ubiquitous charm of Hermes and the cuteness of Swee Pe--I mean ..Zeke. What's missing from this issue is fun! It wasn't always in abundant supply in the blood n'guts Chazzarello run, but was always a playful, mischievous presence creeping around the clever, sometimes annoying wordplay of the last thirty-five issues. It's as if someone drained all the blood and life out of this comic and left it a dark, pessimistic shell of what it has been, ..which was FAR from perfect.

Something else...the blue in Diana's costume appears to be almost completely gone.

Sure, the 'old red, white and blue' harkens back to Lynda Carter pushing people into cardboard boxes on TV, ..but, even dark blue, at least, is...pretty? In colorist Richard Friend's hands, Wonder Woman is now a crimson, black and silver figure now, and David Finch's pencils make her look like a seventeen year old girl. Gone is the solidly reassuring breadth and girth of the ultimate woman. The broad, beautiful face, hard jawline, big shoulders, wide hips and broad bosom of Chiang's working woman superhero has been replaced by a baby-faced, bobble-headed, Barbie-like, Victoria's Secret supermodel, with a creepy, child-like prettiness about her. Think Adriana Lima and Baby Spice, ..but, poutier and more juvenille, if that's possible.



This first issue of the all-Finch Wonder Woman is a lot of change to digest, at once.

What bothers me is that a sluggishly paced, sometimes dark comic, already short on superhero action, seems to be even slower, less action-oriented and darker, than before. Mrs. Finch tells us, in interviews, that she wants to delve into Wonder Woman's psyche to deeper explore her relationships and motivations. In this first outing of hers, we are dumped back on the Paradise Island of Gail Simone's run, bristling with political intrigue and elegant people standing around in white sheets, arguing and pontificating over the depressing decline of Amazon tradition. At least the Chazzarello Amazons worked, while they argued, ..but, Mr. Finch's Amazons just stoically stand around, like so much cold, lifeless, marble statuary. In the Justice League scenes, there's more stoic people standing around, like mannequins in a costume shop. It's all very familiar to long-time WW comic fans, like myself, or it should be, ..and that's the problem.

All of this has been done before ..to DEATH. I am not happy. Really.

I'm intrigued by Meredith Finch's promises of Wonder Woman being more connected with the DCU, and sometimes found Mr. Azzarello's Amazon was much too isolated, as if she lived in an old Twilight Zone episode. Just the same, I am worried by Meredith Finch's expressed desire to take us on a hayride through Diana's thought processes, because I'm pretty sure that sort of thing is not why I read Wonder Woman. I'm worried, because Mrs. Finch has taken her first shot out of the gate to drive the comic, backwards, to the very thing that drove me away from WW in the first place - the narrative implosion of the superhero story. Taking readers back to Wonder Woman's place of birth, Paradise Island, and mining it for story material is nothing to new to fans of WW, and returning to days, when Island intrigue dominated the story-scape of this comic doesn't appeal to me, in the least.

Prior to cracking open WW #36, I was looking forward to the Finches bringing the fast-paced action to this comic that Mr. Azzarello and Mr. Chiang seemed so incapable of ..or uninterested ..in bringing to the last thirty-five issues. Now, it seems, ..we're all looking backward.

Worried...

[Silvanus]

What's missing from this issue is the irreverent optimism of ZOLA ..and the sometimes ubiquitous charm of Hermes and the cuteness of Swee Pe--I mean ..Zeke. What's missing from this issue is fun! It wasn't always in abundant supply in the blood n'guts Chi'azzarello run, but was always a playful, mischievous presence creeping around the clever, sometimes annoying wordplay of the last thirty-five issues. It's as if someone drained all the blood and life out of this comic and left it a dark, pessimistic shell of what it has been, ..which was FAR from perfect.

Something else...the blue in Diana's costume appears to be almost completely gone.... [Diana is] drawn to look like a seventeen year old girl. Gone is the solidly reassuring breadth and girth of the ultimate woman. The broad, beautiful face, hard jawline, big shoulders, wide hips and broad bosom of Chiang's working woman superhero has been replaced by a baby-faced, bobble-headed, Barbie-like Victoria's Secret model, with a creepy, child-like prettiness about her.

I'm trying not to compare it to Azz's run too much, but I find a lot of this hard to disagree with. Mel, you're right that Zola's voice, in particular, would have lightened things up a little in a good way (though maybe Finch is going to introduce her own character for that purpose--the issue 39 solicit mentions "the craziest character ever in Wonder Woman comics, or something like that. )

And yes, there was a bit of whining, or at least (giving the benefit of the doubt) I thought Diana was dangerously close to whining.

I also agree that this particular use of the Amazons seems somewhat reminiscent of Simone's run. That's not necessarily a bad thing, in my view; but, since I'm interested in seeing Diana's reforms go forward, I don't know if this was the best time to introduce Alkyone types. Yes, the reforms should bring conflict--that's why they have potential to be good for the story--but it might have at least been better to

[sirjustin86]

I don't think Diana's opening up to her friend was 'whiney', it was just that: opening up. Arthur asked, Diana answered. You can't keep everything bottled up all the time, and Diana as a pro at compassion etc. would know this more than most. I actually liked her laying out her problems to Arthur, it was a nice moment to me. The art is a bit jarring, everyone has big puffy lips that makes them look demure and bambi-esque, but Chiang's art is such a different style I would allow myself to get used to it with time. The heavy presence of the JL aside, Mrs. Finch's writing was actually quite good to me - colour me surprised

[Mel Dyer]

I'm trying not to compare it to Azz's run too much, but I find a lot of this hard to disagree with. Mel, you're right that Zola's voice, in particular, would have lightened things up a little in a good way (though maybe Finch is going to introduce her own character for that purpose--the issue 39 solicit mentions "the craziest character ever in Wonder Woman comics, or something like that. )

And yes, there was a bit of whining, or at least (giving the benefit of the doubt) I thought Diana was dangerously close to whining...

It read an awful lot like Phil Jimenez's Wonder Woman whining to her hair stylist about Trevor Barnes blowing her off, and Eric Luke's Wonder Woman whining about being lonely in a plastic dome full of talking animals ..and whinier moments, way, wa-aay back in the George Perez run, when Diana was whining to Julia about how desperately she wanted to make Queen Hippolyte proud of her ..or Nessie whining about her life, as a middle school student, ..or Doc Julia whining about how Diana's innocence made her want to cry.

Two, whole pages of this, ..in 2014?

I don't think Diana's opening up to her friend was 'whiney', it was just that: opening up. Arthur asked, Diana answered. You can't keep everything bottled up all the time, and Diana as a pro at compassion etc. would know this more than most. I actually liked her laying out her problems to Arthur, it was a nice moment to me...Mrs. Finch's writing was actually quite good to me - colour me surprised

But, good gr-rrief...did that Aqua-Wonder chat need TWO, entire pages?

This is David's and Meredith's first time driving the Wonder Bus, when they should be working very, very hard to win us all over to a new era of Wonderfulness! New, improved, superheroic action and other things were promised in interviews, ..and they waste two, whole pages on Wonder Woman and Aquaman, sitting on their costumed behinds in an airplane? This is the Finches really, REALLY trying to show us a good time?

It just doesn't look like a giant leap forward to me. It's a little troubling.

[Dr. Poison]

What a breath of fresh air this issue was. Was it perfect? No. But it's a lot more in line of what I would expect from a Wonder Woman comic. This is, IMO, David's best art ever. It's distinct, detailed, and really makes each page "pop". The brighter coloring really lifts the mood of the book tremendously from Azz/Chiang's run and the best part? Not a single one of the Olympians or Zola in sight so far. The attack on Swamp Thing made sense as all clues indicated that someone with his abilities were behind the disasters and then Diana finds him at the scene of the crime. I don't think it's a huge stretch to think that he was behind it all given his usual agenda of promoting plant life. I thought it was very realistic of her to vent to Aquaman. I thought it was great that it was him instead of Superman or Batman for a change. It makes sense that she would open up to him given that they both come from royalty of hidden civilizations. While some may have found it whiny, I think it's only human of Diana to need to voice her frustrations with everything she's had going on lately. I wonder if the old Amazon is the same one from the Pre-New 52 that created Donna Troy? They look similar. Overall, I enjoyed the issue and think that the Finchs are off to a good, solid start. 4/5

BTW - was I the only one who was hoping that when Diana stepped out of the shower at the beginning of the issue, Steve Trevor would greet her and hear her say, "I had this horrible dream last night that I was actually the daughter of Zeus......"?

[Hawk80]

BTW - was I the only one who was hoping that when Diana stepped out of the shower at the beginning of the issue, Steve Trevor would greet her and hear her say, "I had this horrible dream last night that I was actually the daughter of Zeus......"?

I would pay A LOT to see something like this, followed by 30 pages of laughing.

[Vonter Voman]

-Oh, and Hippolyta is said to be dead. Diana finds her broken to pieces.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT? No!

[Mel Dyer]

What a breath of fresh air this issue was. Was it perfect? No. But it's a lot more in line of what I would expect from a Wonder Woman comic...I thought it was very realistic of her to vent to Aquaman. I thought it was great that it was him instead of Superman or Batman for a change. It makes sense that she would open up to him given that they both come from royalty of hidden civilizations. While some may have found it whiny, I think it's only human of Diana to need to voice her frustrations with everything she's had going on lately...

Not sure why everyone wants to stick Wondy and Aquaman together, because they're royalty. Has Diana ever seemed the kind of princess or the kind of woman to be preoccupied with her social station? Not that I recall - and Aquaman historically seems wa-aay too busy with Atlantean matters, even when he manages to get away from Atlantis, to have much time for Wonder Woman. I've always thought Diana would do better with Hawkman, than the rest of the JLAers, ..if only because of their shared interest in the exploration of faraway lands and cultures.

Of course, Hawkgirl might have a problem with that.

And they can throw tractor-trailers at bad people, while they vent - can't they? They can do something, while they catch us up, on what's gone on in the last thirty-five issues. Sitting in a plane and pouting, while you grumble about your sci-fi fantasy existence, for this medium and genre, just felt a little wasteful to me.

This is a superhero comic. Action! Action! Action!

[spark627]

This wasn't bad but it was just generic. Love it or hate it, Azz's run felt unique and different. This felt like every other WW story, we have been here, we have done this. The art was better than expected for Finch, I appreciate that he toned down the cheesecake but I can't deal with every woman looking like a Bratz doll.

[sirjustin86]

What a breath of fresh air this issue was. Was it perfect? No. But it's a lot more in line of what I would expect from a Wonder Woman comic. This is, IMO, David's best art ever. It's distinct, detailed, and really makes each page "pop". The brighter coloring really lifts the mood of the book tremendously from Azz/Chiang's run and the best part? Not a single one of the Olympians or Zola in sight so far. The attack on Swamp Thing made sense as all clues indicated that someone with his abilities were behind the disasters and then Diana finds him at the scene of the crime. I don't think it's a huge stretch to think that he was behind it all given his usual agenda of promoting plant life. I thought it was very realistic of her to vent to Aquaman. I thought it was great that it was him instead of Superman or Batman for a change. It makes sense that she would open up to him given that they both come from royalty of hidden civilizations. While some may have found it whiny, I think it's only human of Diana to need to voice her frustrations with everything she's had going on lately. I wonder if the old Amazon is the same one from the Pre-New 52 that created Donna Troy? They look similar. Overall, I enjoyed the issue and think that the Finchs are off to a good, solid start. 4/5

Take it you're a big fan of Azz's run then - haha. I think Aquaman was a good choice of friend in the scene also, given the allusions to whatever was doing the damage (both to the village and the now-mushy hippolyta) was water, following the opening theme of water healing, but also destroying, etc. I liked the Demi-God roster of Azz, and I don't think anyone should or could fault Chiang's art - it's beautiful. But like that which you're entitled to, that's just my opinion. I'd love to see Meredith tackle and reinvent some of Diana's old rogues gallery. So much untapped potential in its strongly Silver-Age zaniness..!

[Dr. Poison]

Not sure why everyone wants to stick Wondy and Aquaman together, because they're royalty. Has Diana ever seemed the kind of princess or the kind of woman to be preoccupied with her social station? Not that I recall - and Aquaman historically seems wa-aay too busy with Atlantean matters, even when he manages to get away from Atlantis, to have much time for Wonder Woman. I've always thought Diana would do better with Hawkman, than the rest of the JLAers, ..if only because of their shared interest in the exploration of faraway lands and cultures.

Of course, Hawkgirl might have a problem with that.

And they can throw tractor-trailers at bad people, while they vent - can't they? They can do something, while they catch us up, on what's gone on in the last thirty-five issues. Sitting in a plane and pouting, while you grumble about your sci-fi fantasy existence, for this medium and genre, just felt a little wasteful to me.

This is a superhero comic. Action! Action! Action!

I don't want to "stick" Wonder Woman with Aquaman. Diana already has Superman and Arther has Mera but I think they can relate to one another on a personal level as friends. As for Diana not seeming like the kind of prices or woman to be preoccupied with her social station - she just spent 35 issues associating with only dieties with the sole exception of Zola.

[AmiMizuno]

I wonder what their 6 issue story as in story for us. At least they doesn't wipe the AZZ run clear