Wonder Woman #24 - Discussion & Spoilers

[Nyssane]

This might be my favorite issue so far.

Steve waits for Diana outside the tree but is confronted by Cale instead (as seen in the preview). Diana comes out after and she and Steve have a moment while Cale tearfully leaves. After Cheetah watches Diana and Steve leave, she approaches the tree and begs to be let in. The tree rejects her, and she angrily states "amazon and god alike, you will know a new god's wrrrath... Mine..."

Later, Etta scolds Diana for leaving Barbara Ann behind. Diana realizes she is right and goes to find her. Meanwhile, Veronica Cale pushes Doctor Cyber away by saying she's nothing but artificial intelligence. While Cale grieves over the loss of her daughter, Cheetah appears and savagely attacks her. Diana arrives just in time to stop Cheetah, and the two battle but Diana is able to defeat her in a choke hold. Diana tells Cale that she will always be alone and then flies off.

I just have to say, Bilquis Evely's art has never been so strong in this series. She did an absolutely amazing job, especially with Cheetah who looks particularly frightening in this issue. I love that Cheetah is back to accepting who she is. Urzkartaga is out of the picture so she's able to do her own thing now. I'm also curious as to what Doctor Cyber is going to do now that she and Cale are essentially done together.

[K. Jones]

The art was the winner for me here. I was also pleased that, even though it was off-panel, we got our Sasha Bordeaux follow-through. And even a brief Maru mention.

[AmiMizuno]

One thing I'm still confused by is the snake in the metal Hopstial . Was that Zeus or Ares son's. Also does this mean Diana lose her lasso? It's binding ares's sons

[richalex]

One thing I'm still confused by is the snake in the metal Hopstial . Was that Zeus or Ares son's. Also does this mean Diana lose her lasso? It's binding ares's sons

The Snake was Ares.

[Rakzo]

Mixed thoughts as usual.

Thought that Cale was handled really well which is something that at least I can appreciate about this run, Rucka took his time to make her more complex than during his first attempt and even sympathetic in some parts.

THE PROBLEM though is, as usual, Cheetah. Despite that this supposed "development" took over quite a few issues, it still doesn't feel natural that suddenly she starts acting like a villain (at least not in the way how Rucka has been trying to portray her). It just comes as poorly handled, abrupt and a bad portrayal as a whole since she still doesn't show enough strength in character to be invested in her.

Evely's art was gorgeous at least. Oh well, almost at the end anyway.

[azurescarf]

The Snake was Ares.

But Ares said that he and Diana had only met each other once. That would be when he bit her in snake form back on Paradise Island, right?

So was the conversation with the snake real, or just Diana's mind attempting to heal itself? And if it was real, to whom was she talking?

[Lex Luthor]

Mixed thoughts as usual.

Thought that Cale was handled really well which is something that at least I can appreciate about this run, Rucka took his time to make her more complex than during his first attempt and even sympathetic in some parts.

THE PROBLEM though is, as usual, Cheetah. Despite that this supposed "development" took over quite a few issues, it still doesn't feel natural that suddenly she should start acting like a villain (at least not in the way how Rucka has been trying to portray her). It just comes as poorly handled, abrupt and still a poor portrayal as a whole in terms of personality since she still doesn't show enough strength in character to be invested in her.

Evely's art was gorgeous at least. Oh well, almost at the end anyway.

This is exactly how I feel. Cheetah started off this run as promising and interesting but we ended up with a character that feels forced to play a role that she shouldn't be in. The whole victim angle has never been something I liked about the character but the fact that its played up so much makes it hard for me to even care about her now.

[richalex]

But Ares said that he and Diana had only met each other once. That would be when he bit her in snake form back on Paradise Island, right?

So was the conversation with the snake real, or just Diana's mind attempting to heal itself? And if it was real, to whom was she talking?

From my understanding, Ares bit her so that she can eventually be able to find her way back to Themyscira.

Like you said, Diana's mind was attempting to work through and heal itself so that she can find her way home.

[Pinsir]

It was a good issue, though the statement that Wonder Woman will never see her mother again sounds like a challenge to the next author to undo Rucka's work.

[Anduinel]

THE PROBLEM though is, as usual, Cheetah. Despite that this supposed "development" took over quite a few issues, it still doesn't feel natural that suddenly she starts acting like a villain (at least not in the way how Rucka has been trying to portray her). It just comes as poorly handled, abrupt and a bad portrayal as a whole since she still doesn't show enough strength in character to be invested in her.

It worked for me, mostly because Barbara's life's work was tied up in finding Themyscira. She'd been pushed back into being Cheetah, potentially abandoned again, and then the capper on the crap sundae was being rejected by the gateway. The way I saw it, she wasn't in the best state of mind going into this mission, and then regressed into bitterness and vengeance because that was all she thought she had left. She was wrong, but didn't see it in the moment, and by the time she was facing Diana with Cale's blood on her claws, it was a bit late to backtrack.

[SiegePerilous02]

Expecting rational behavior from a woman cursed into being a blood thirsty monster seems a bit much.

I also don't consider Barbara as being 100% a victim. Keep in mind that she was willing to give herself up and talk to Cale and Cyber even before Etta and the others were in danger. On some level she wants to be Cheetah without the drawbacks

[NYCER]

It was a good issue, though the statement that Wonder Woman will never see her mother again sounds like a challenge to the next author to undo Rucka's work.

Fingers crossed that said succeeding author will do so.

[Super-Wonder]

It was a good issue, though the statement that Wonder Woman will never see her mother again sounds like a challenge to the next author to undo Rucka's work.

I feel this way too. We've been seeing Wonder Woman work with the Amazons a great deal over the years and it's something that I always thought would be included in Wonder Woman's mythology, something that we could take for granted.
This development does give Cale new motivation as an antagonist to retrieve Izzy no matter what.

I liked the issue but was disappointed in the physical conflict between Cheetah and Diana. To tame and lacking in the grandeur of the classic Comic Book fight. The New 52 established Cheetah as threat level that could take down the Justice League. While Rucka excels so well at dialogue and character relationships he fails, every time in this series, to deliver and epic battle with Wonder Woman. It frustrating to see these subdued fights juxtaposed to the rich character development that he's creates thus far. This should have been a great showing for Cheetah here and it was a lackluster finish to something that should have been epic. I write a little more about it here.

I was surprised and disappointed in Etta's attitude towards Steve and Diana when they didn't bring Cheetah back. Etta has always seemed more a like a can do sort of character than a guilt trip wielding jack ass who's only concerned about her own issues. I would have expected that she tell Steve and Diana that they all get off their butts and go look for Barbra than to level disdain at them while serving beverages. Sour moment for Etta.

I'm not a fan of Evely's work but Cheetah looked very creepy in these pages, and that was cool. Over all I did enjoy the issue and I love Rucka's relationships throughout.

[Sacred Knight]

Fingers crossed that said succeeding author will do so.

I don't want it undone, I just want the absolute nature of the belief it to be proven false. There's no reason to cut her off, and by proxy cut off every succeeding writer, to a major concept of her mythos in such a way. No way this should be some rule that lasts. The goal here should be overcoming and getting back to her home, not permanently making it cut from her forever.

[Harpsikord]

I don't want it undone, I just want the absolute nature of the belief it to be proven false. There's no reason to cut her off, and by proxy cut off every succeeding writer, to a major concept of her mythos in such a way. No way this should be some rule that lasts. The goal here should be overcoming and getting back to her home, not permanently making it cut from her forever.

I agree with this - it doesn't need to be undone or even proven false, actually. Something could happen that makes it so that Themyscira comes to the main universe as opposed to it's pocket dimension, or something. As of RHATO 11 Bana Mighdall isn't cut off from the same world so why should Themyscira be? Plus, to me that line didn't read as a challenge so much as something to give Diana incentive to get home; the lasso being gone for the moment, too.