Wonder Woman #14 Discussion/Spoilers

[Rakzo]

The conclusion of Year One is finally here aaaaand it pretty much exemplifies why I don't like the direction this run is taking.

Is not because is badly written since Rucka's script is solid. It has some good character moments for all the members of the cast, not only Diana but she still still receives the spotlight as one would expect while presenting an interesting and classic dilemma for her, about how her beliefs clash with how the world works and how the rest of the deities want her to be. Is pretty traditional in that regard.

On the other hand, it might be too traditional for its own good. Particularly in the characterization of Ares who is presented as your typical God who speaks in inhuman ways to showcase his presence. I understand what Rucka was going for here, about making him more bombastic in his narration to justify his status but by doing so, he mostly makes him more predictable and thus, boring. Also, he's defeated in an easy and anticlimactic way.

This reminds me once again why I liked Azzarello's run so much. He gave War a completely new characterization that while still demonstrated perfectly his role as a God, he still made him much more understandable and, ironically, human than ever. Rucka's Ares in comparison is a much blander character.

Scott's art was stunning as usual, no complaints there (Although she drew a panty shot of Diana, hope didn't cause her any trouble).

This is not bad per se, just not exactly what I want for the character. Is too derivative for my tastes.

[Rig]

14 issues in and we don't know what's going on. This ended just like "Lies" arc where we learned nothing. All other rebirth titles are on 3rd or 4th story but Wonder Woman is moving at snails pace. This should have been a weekly.

In some panels her head looks bloated.

[millernumber1]

I really like the way Diana works to defeat Ares, and then defeats his plan even after being exposed to the weapon. The way the thematic elements of truth, lies, poison, and wonder were worked in really made this solid stuff.

I'm a bit confused about Etta and Barbara Ann's relationship - Etta doesn't seem to indicate in The Lies that she was a previous lover, though it could just be something that didn't come up.

Ah, well, though it felt s bit abrupt at the end, this was a solid, classic origin story that got those elements that Rucka's always wanted in - the loss of her home, the focus on Diana's approach to conflict, and showcases his new approach to the gods (I like the way he calls them "patrons") in a brilliant way.

[richalex]

Sooooo Year One is really "Week One"? LOL I'd rather they said Year One is really a 12 issue event for Diana, because clearly nothing has happened that major within the week she's been running around.

[Outside_85]

Well, it's over, and I kinda feel like it was just a retread of Earth One... only dragged out to the point of it being prettier to look at rather than interesting to read.

And woo for the generic Dark Lord getting pummeled by animals.
Oh and the shakepherian phrases... please don't, it's bad enough when they make Thor do it and doesn't fit there either.

[Fenix]

Oh and the shakepherian phrases... please don't, it's bad enough when they make Thor do it and doesn't fit there either.

I almost busted out laughing after reading Area's try to give his best Hamlet impression. His Shakespearean way of talking is ridiculous IMO.

[Outside_85]

I almost busted out laughing after reading Area's try to give his best Hamlet impression. His Shakespearean way of talking is ridiculous IMO.

We almost needed a Tony Stark to swoop in and go: "Doth your mother know, you weareth her drapes?"

[Dr. Poison]

Great conclusion! This story was a fantastic modernization of Diana's origin. I loved how Diana used the lasso to defeat Ares instead of a bunch of bladed weapons or deception to lure him into a bottomless pit. Rucka has Diana's character down pat and Scott's art was easily a 10. While I'm not a big fan of the Olympians, I liked the way Rucka used them in this story as well. They were icing on the cake instead of layers of the cake.

[Joao]

Well, I give it 3,5 out of 5 stars for one little reason: ARES. The way he was defeated was ridiculous IMHO. I WAS SO PUMPED WHEN THE PREVIEW CAME OUT

Ares was such a good, nuanced character in n52 (one of the best things actually). I just can't believe he turned out to be the big-bad-and-angry-guy again. We didn't need that much exposition in his dialogue. He could've said the same in so many better ways. Truly sad.

And I expected a reinterpretation of the way she defeated him in Gods and Mortals, but instead we got someone who fell screaming "NOOOOOOOO" in the most cliché, anticlimactic way ever.

I just can't.

The story felt very rushed too. I suspect Rucka focused more time on worldbuilding in the first issues and didn't have enough time to solve everything (Maru virus, Ares, Diana becoming Wonder Woman) at the end. But Nicola's art was goooooorgeous as always, and Diana was well written. Glad to see the lasso's power is not truly uncovered.

I'll read everything again to see if the story feels better paced, but right now I'm a little disappointed.

[Lex Luthor]

I enjoyed it a lot. I wish the fight and the plot was longer and drug out a bit more but all and all it was really enjoyable and I have to take back what I said before since she did get to fight Ares and didn't just bow to him.

[Pinsir]

It was pretty much what I expected.

[vasir12]

I wonder what happened to Ares. Clearly he's not dead, but how far reaching was his plot? And why did he want to find the Island? Was he not the person responsible for the snake bite?

[millernumber1]

Well, I give it 3,5 out of 5 stars for one little reason: ARES. The way he was defeated was ridiculous IMHO. I WAS SO PUMPED WHEN THE PREVIEW CAME OUT

Ares was such a good, nuanced character in n52 (one of the best things actually). I just can't believe he turned out to be the big-bad-and-angry-guy again. We didn't need that much exposition in his dialogue. He could've said the same in so many better ways. Truly sad.

And I expected a reinterpretation of the way she defeated him in Gods and Mortals, but instead we got someone who fell screaming "NOOOOOOOO" in the most cliché, anticlimactic way ever.

I just can't.

The story felt very rushed too. I suspect Rucka focused more time on worldbuilding in the first issues and didn't have enough time to solve everything (Maru virus, Ares, Diana becoming Wonder Woman) at the end. But Nicola's art was goooooorgeous as always, and Diana was well written. Glad to see the lasso's power is not truly uncovered.

I'll read everything again to see if the story feels better paced, but right now I'm a little disappointed.

An excellent articulation, though I do think it's clear that Ares is hardly defeated for good (they even say that in the comic). It's a resolution to this specific plan of Ares, not to the Ares vs. Diana conflict forever.

I am really curious - I'm seeing a lot of comments about how this is "expected" or "safe" - it's a Year One story - my understanding of Year One is that they're supposed to crystallize, not innovate. Batman Year One may have innovated in terms of tone and direction, but it's still Batman, it's not making up a new backstory for Bruce.

Personally, I've loved this Year One, and hope that DC is smart enough to market this as Wonder Woman Year One in the same way they market Batman Year One, Robin and Batgirl Year One, Green Arrow Year One, etc. I think it has the potential to last, and I think it brings more readers in than Earth One, True Amazon, or (much as I enjoyed it), Legend of Wonder Woman.

[Largo161]

So I'm the first poster to spot the Lynda Carter homage with Diana's jeans/belly-baring blouse on the final page? Clever, Ms. Scott, very clever!

[Outside_85]

An excellent articulation, though I do think it's clear that Ares is hardly defeated for good (they even say that in the comic). It's a resolution to this specific plan of Ares, not to the Ares vs. Diana conflict forever.

I am really curious - I'm seeing a lot of comments about how this is "expected" or "safe" - it's a Year One story - my understanding of Year One is that they're supposed to crystallize, not innovate. Batman Year One may have innovated in terms of tone and direction, but it's still Batman, it's not making up a new backstory for Bruce.

Personally, I've loved this Year One, and hope that DC is smart enough to market this as Wonder Woman Year One in the same way they market Batman Year One, Robin and Batgirl Year One, Green Arrow Year One, etc. I think it has the potential to last, and I think it brings more readers in than Earth One, True Amazon, or (much as I enjoyed it), Legend of Wonder Woman.

The thing is that this story was expected to somehow tie into 'Lies' or at-least connect with it somehow, and we just got too little of that. It just feels like we could have predicted all of this with the first issue and just crossed our fingers Rucka's innovative streak was going to throw us something new by the end. But nothing appears to have happened... whatever has happened in Lies has taken place in another story.

Also, as noted elsewhere, we just had nearly the same story told in Earth One... only it was much less superhero than this was.