Wonder Woman #64 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Jesus Merino, Penciller; Andy Owens, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Corrina: Disinformation and Truth
Ray: G. Willow Wilson’s run on Wonder Woman has been highly ambitious, with an opening arc dealing with the new nature of the God of War and immediately following that up with a brilliant done-in-one issue spotlighting the offbeat magical “immigrants” Diana met in that arc. But last issue also revealed they weren’t the only magical refugees here – the powerful Nemesis was being held captive by Veronica Cale, and the apparent disappearance of Themysrica ties into both rivals’ storylines. As people who read the Greg Rucka run know, Veronica Cale’s magic-afflicted daughter was living on Themysrica where she’s whole – and now Cale believes that her daughter’s been destroyed along with the magical island. This is a darker Cale than we’ve seen before – desperate, enraged, almost possessed and convinced Wonder Woman is responsible for all her problems. While we can still sympathize with her plight, Wilson seems to be evolving her into a far crueler villain than before.
The parts of the issue dealing with Diana are lighter by comparison. Wilson has a really nice touch with lived-in male/female relationships, showing the way Diana and Steve are comfortable enough around each other to poke at each other’s foibles. The presence of Aphrodite to sarcastically comment on their romantic banter is a nice touch, as Wilson’s versions of the Greek Gods feel far more human than any that have come before. I’m just not sure about Veronica Cale’s main plot. After all Diana has been through, are we really thinking that what’s going to undo her is…some bad PR? Would the public really take the word of a sinister billionaire and her new pet monster over one of their most beloved heroes? This isn’t the Marvel Universe – the DC populace tends to like their heroes. But Diana’s emotional vulnerability over the uncertain fate of Themyscira makes her vulnerable, and I’m sure there’s more to the story. Wilson hasn’t missed a beat yet on this title.
Corrina: I don’t know that Cale is darker than we’ve seen before. She was ruthless in trying to cure her daughter, not caring who she hurt. It was her biggest flaw, the choice to manipulate and hurt people who might have helped, rather than trusting them. It’s that fatal flaw she’s doubling down on now that she feels her daughter is dead. There’s no more check on her behavior and we see her true colors: she’s a villain.
I also disagree that bad PR cannot undo a person and all I have to look at is our current political situation, where certain politicians tell provable lies and they’re applauded for it. I like facts. I hate news sources that don’t check lies. This media could easily exist in the DCU. Heck, Marvel has J. Jonah Jamison, who went after Spider-Man for supposedly being a killer. Why couldn’t something similar happen in the DCU?
DC also just had a long arc on why people shouldn’t trust Superman, of all people. So…I find this plot of discrediting Diana utterly realistic and hard for Diana to counter. Especially when it’s backed up by the power of a god.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
