Superman/Wonder Woman #20 - Preview

[manduck37]

I actually really liked Diana's part in this issue. Her raid of the prisoner holding facility essentially sent two messages. First message was that if the government was going pull something like abducting Clark's friends in some shadowy op, she wasn't going to stand for it. She has the power to do something about a violation like that and she will, without hesitation. The second message was that they are willing to work with the government, if done properly, and have nothing to hide. Clark is a good man. Diana knows it. Clark's friends know it. They all have nothing to hide. Diana also knew that ARGUS would keep coming after everyone until they were satisfied, so she was helping things along. When it comes to Clark's friends, I think Diana wanted to help them work through the shock of finding out Clark is Superman. So using the lasso to provide some clarity and insight into how they really feel would benefit them. It may help them come to terms with what they learned so that they can rebuild a relationship with Clark. Really, Diana stuck her neck out to help everyone involved and offered up a solution that would satisfy everyone. She also made it clear what she wasn't going to put up with. I thought it was a pretty great moment for her.

[brettc1]

He's not a star because he's a supporting character. That's what he was designed as, that's what he's always been, and that's what he will always be. When he's being used at all. On the other hand, that's not to say there's something wrong with one's favorite character being a supporting character.. This isn't me trying to tell people who should and should not be their favorite character. There are franchises in which my favorite character happens to be a supporting character. But it doesn't make them the star. In the Buffyverse my favorite character is Xander. That doesn't change the unalterable fact that Buffy is the star. Its not a matter for debate, and I understand that. And thus I always had to temper my desires for the character's stories to be based on the reality that he was a supporting character.

So no, star is not just another word for favorite.

Dude, Xander is totally the star of the Buffy-verse.

Why else would my son be named after him?

[brettc1]

I actually really liked Diana's part in this issue. Her raid of the prisoner holding facility essentially sent two messages. First message was that if the government was going pull something like abducting Clark's friends in some shadowy op, she wasn't going to stand for it. She has the power to do something about a violation like that and she will, without hesitation. The second message was that they are willing to work with the government, if done properly, and have nothing to hide. Clark is a good man. Diana knows it. Clark's friends know it. They all have nothing to hide. Diana also knew that ARGUS would keep coming after everyone until they were satisfied, so she was helping things along. When it comes to Clark's friends, I think Diana wanted to help them work through the shock of finding out Clark is Superman. So using the lasso to provide some clarity and insight into how they really feel would benefit them. It may help them come to terms with what they learned so that they can rebuild a relationship with Clark. Really, Diana stuck her neck out to help everyone involved and offered up a solution that would satisfy everyone. She also made it clear what she wasn't going to put up with. I thought it was a pretty great moment for her.

Hopefully it will also cause Clark to pull his head out of his butt about telling her how it will or won't be. "I'm doing this alone Diana - you stay out of it." I guess that plan is now off the table

As to who she got the info - I guess all she needed to do was start asking soldiers, assuming she kept her war mind control power. And wouldn't that be something to make the government trust her more. LOL

[Sacred Knight]

Dude, Xander is totally the star of the Buffy-verse.

Why else would my son be named after him?

Okay, that's cool, lol.

[K. Jones]

Stopped by to say I liked where this issue went, and where it's going. It's also really refreshing to see Mahnke here. I've been liking Tomasi's voices for characters since he took this issue over, but I was less keen on his plots. Circe was great, but did we need Magog? And that goes for the opening issues of this arc, too, a little, though I was at least like "whoa, who went there with Superman's Smallville roots?"

But I like how it worked out here a lot. I liked the meta aspect of Steve being in the position of being Superman's antagonist, because there's already mega meta tension with the fact that you know ... I still ship that O.G. Diana/Steve angle, the way the creators intended, as well as Clark/Lois. But it's kind of damn cool to see it played as a quadrangle instead of a false triangle. And to see Superman marked as antiestablishment while Steve totally represents The Government. And moreover that angle itself ties in really neatly with Diana's long experience with Steve, government affiliated work, and the newer model A.R.G.U.S.

So the beats Tomasi is playing with are pretty synchronous and he's really playing well in the DCU pool, and utilizing strong themes to link or compare or contrast the world the characters live in to show things about their characters.

But to get back to Doug Mahnke, he's that throughline for me in a big way. Because even though Pete is playing in the Truth storyline, which, paired with the other books and Pak's other work, is definitely in the "Post-Morrison" vein more than the rest of New 52 Superman had been, it's Mahnke who maintains that linkage. He's very much drawing the same Superman we saw battle Mandrakk in the realm of Nil in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond and the last few chapters. And obviously he's been doing Superman and Wonder Woman since way back, a decade ago, with JLA, and did plenty of them during the Green Lantern run in rainbow costumes and such. But especially cool to sort of see his figure work showing the same guy, the same body type and heft and muscles on muscles and square jaw, just with the new "Truth" look. It makes it feel like it's still Superman - not every artist has quite mastered having their "Truth" Superman look just like their "Normal" Superman from a few months prior.

[Cipher]

Wow, wow, wow. I finally made a run to my comic shop earlier and picked this issue up. How did everyone not love it?

The dialogue between both Clark and Trevor and Clark and the president was multi-faceted and mature, and the book did a great job exploring the actual ramifications of an outing like Superman's -- trusting the masked superheroes more in some way, the impact that he has on trust toward other supposedly open heroes, etc. Detaining Smallville is reasonably justified, if kneejerk, by the president and his faith in Clark is refreshing. Clark's own defenses are stirring, etc.

The pacing of the issue is wonderful with the rhythm of cuts to Diana's infiltration of the prison, and Superman's friends in their cells. The character beats, both with each prisoner in their downtime and their testimonies in the Lass of Truth (and the multiple applications of "Truth" here, from Clark's identity to public trust to his friends coming clean with their feelings, is fantastically done) are amusing and authentic. Wonder Woman takes a pro-active and unexpected role. Tomasi finds a great way to work in a pulpy action beat with Parasite, in a way that fits the issue -- it's just firing on all cylinders. One of the most fun issues of this story line outside of Pak's Action Comics, and one of the best explorations of the secret identity angle as well.

I already knew I liked Tomasi from his Batman and Robin run, for his tight dialogue and ability to combine pulpy, superhero action with genuine character beats, and was kind of waiting for them to show up in Superman/Wonder Woman on the same level. In this issue, they have. I'm going to be watching this title while his run lasts, and will continue to be excited for superhero work from him in the future (I might have to start picking up Detective). I really feel like this book isn't getting its dues. This is good comics.