Wonder Woman #6 Spoilers & Discussion

[SiegePerilous02]

In Greek mythology, a lot of the children of one mortal parent and one divine parent have no apparent superhuman abilities, although they are often "heroes." (That is actually the original definition of the word "hero.") Theseus is one of the many examples. It's even more common when the child is a daughter, although that probably reflects the Greek view of gender - very few of the women are going to go out and become heroes.

Good point. Though since Diana wins the Contest and both Hippolyta and Philippus consider her the winner being a foregone conclusion, maybe she still is superior to the other Amazons in part due to her heritage. The Gods just gave her a boost, or maybe even unlocked latent powers that were already there?

Anyway, I'm guessing it's going to break down like this:
Demeter- Strength of the Earth/ Super strength
Hermes- Enhanced speed/flight
Artemis- Communion with animals
Hephaestus- Sisterhood with fire

That leaves Athena, Aphrodite and Hera. The former two's classic gifts would be kind of weird to bestow upon Diana now that she's already an adult with a loving heart and potential to become wiser, and Hera never really bestowed any gifts in any versions that I'm aware of.

Another neat thing I noticed: Barbara had a statue of an owl on her desk. Minerva = Athena by another name, so that symbolism is obviously important in some way. It was always one of the best indications that Barbara was meant to be Diana's dark mirror above all others.

[Bosch]

While Steve's subplot is sweet, I hope Rucka doesn't fall into the same trap that other writers have and shift the emotional center of the plot onto characters other than Diana. I know he's spoken about wanting to strengthen her supporting cast, but I think that kind of iconic thing that Bats' and Supes' secondary characters have going for them happens best through strong characterization and the build-up of a little mystery. I don't need Steve or Etta to be co-narrators.

The highlight of the book for me so far, in addition to the gorgeous art and the team's obvious respect for Diana, has been Barbara. I've never been a fan of her stories, but turning her into Indiana Jones gives me a kick and is already starting to win me over. She seems like she's going to be this Diana's bridge between worlds - like Julia was for Perez's, which I think is a good fit. It'll be interesting to see what tweaks are made to her origin story and her relationship to Urzkartaga.

I'd love to see Hestia show up at some point. She gets neglected in lists of Wonder Woman's patrons, but her place in the Olympian pantheon and her near total absence from Greek myth is emblematic in a lot of ways of the roles of women in ancient society, chiefly their invisibility outside the home. I think Rucka could do something really interesting with her if he chooses to dip his toes back into mythology.

Overall, I'm just happy to have a Wonder Woman book I'm excited to read again.

[Doctor Bifrost]

Or is her dad just a normal mortal man we haven't met yet (my preferred option, really)?

Mine too!

/10 char

[Frontier]

Given what we're told in the movie trailer by Diana, in the comics we might see some melding of the clay origin and the "daughter of Zeus" origin with Zeus least being somewhat involved in Diana's creation/birth, without him actually being her physical father.

Though then there's the question of Jason...

[Dr. Poison]

There are so many things I loved about this issue, from the tone set on the first page ('you don't understand a word I'm saying') to the more mythical/mystical gods as spirit animals to this wonderful new development of Barbara Minerva.

But my favorite part of the whole story so far?

Diana beat all the other Amazons in a contest fair and square, without powers, without hiding, and without going against her mother's wishes. To me, that little twist strengthens the mother/daughter bond that is all but absent in comic books, but also goes to show that Amazons are strong enough and fast enough and sharp-eyed enough to block bullets with bracelets. Diana wasn't the only one who could do it, which puts Amazons in a super-human place in the DCU, but that Diana did this *before* getting gifts from the gods proves that (a) she is a highly trained, highly skilled combatant and (b) that she won with honor, not with 'cheats' from the gods.

And, as always, Nicola's art just blows me away.

That is my favorite part of the story so far as well. Having Diana be on equal grounds as the other Amazons and then getting her godly gifts after winning the contest is what I've wanted for Wonder Woman all along. I also really like that Rucka is tying the Cheetah directly into Wonder Woman's origin. That helps to elevate the character and firmly establish her as Diana's arch-nemesis. The art was flawless. I wish Nicola was staying on this book longer than 6 issues.

[Bosch]

Mine too!

/10 char

It might take some of the piss out of the Amazons' reservations about men if their queen had gone off on holiday at some point and had a fling with one. But Rucka did go out of his way to point out the discrepancy with Diana's name being Latin. Do we know how old this Diana is? It's possible Steve wasn't the first to crash on Themyscira. I'd almost rather the question of her paternity be left open-ended, impossible as that may be for any detail of the Big Two multiverses.

[anarki]

How old is she?
like a little girl.

[Bosch]

Huh? I was asking whether Rebirth Diana could've been conceived before the Amazons hopped off to Themyscira or not. I don't remember reading an exact age.

[enish]

Rucka said that in the current continuity she is 28 and that the year one portion of the story happened 10 years ago...so she's supposed to be 18 when she arrives in Man's world.

Sorry I don't have any sources to back it up nor do I have the time right now to go and provide one, but I'm sure someone else can!

[numberthirty]

I also really like that Rucka is tying the Cheetah directly into Wonder Woman's origin. That helps to elevate the character and firmly establish her as Diana's arch-nemesis. The art was flawless. I wish Nicola was staying on this book longer than 6 issues.

Sidebar -

Does that actually feel like what Rucka is doing, to you?

[Mel Dyer]

That is my favorite part of the story so far as well. Having Diana be on equal grounds as the other Amazons and then getting her godly gifts after winning the contest is what I've wanted for Wonder Woman all along. I also really like that Rucka is tying the Cheetah directly into Wonder Woman's origin. That helps to elevate the character and firmly establish her as Diana's arch-nemesis. The art was flawless. I wish Nicola was staying on this book longer than 6 issues.

I'm in agreement with the good Doctor, on all of the above. This is the best launch for Diana's enmity with Barbara Minerva that we've seen, since the Perez run. I like that there might once have been a Diana-Barbara-Etta-Steve circle, because it sets the stage for Bar's betrayal of Diana to be a real game-changer, which is exactly what it should be. I'd dare say it's the best treatment of the post-Crisis Cheetah that I've ever read.

Impressed...

[Dr. Poison]

Sidebar -

Does that actually feel like what Rucka is doing, to you?

That's what I said, didn't i? Cheetah is present in both the Year One and the present day stories, being given her own interlude issue, and Cheetah appears to being given a more tragic origin with Diana being a part of her life when she becomes the Cheetah. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

[numberthirty]

That's what I said, didn't i? Cheetah is present in both the Year One and the present day stories, being given her own interlude issue, and Cheetah appears to being given a more tragic origin with Diana being a part of her life when she becomes the Cheetah. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

What about it looks like it equals "Arch-Nemesis"?

So far, it looks like anything except that to me.

[Frontier]

What about it looks like it equals "Arch-Nemesis"?

So far, it looks like anything except that to me.

Because it creates a personal connection and relationship between them that will only elevate their future enmity once Barbara becomes the Cheetah?

[SiegePerilous02]

What about it looks like it equals "Arch-Nemesis"?

So far, it looks like anything except that to me.

Hal and Sinestro were once close friends, and their relationship remains complicated, but no one would ever dispute that they are arch enemies both in-universe and out.

Whether Rucka plans on putting Cheetah firmly in that position remains to be seen, but it can't be disputed that he's elevating her importance to a higher place than it has been in ages. Whatever alliance their forming in the present has no guarantee of lasting forever, either.