Wonder Woman #67 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Cary Nord, Penciller; Mick Gray, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr., Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 9/10
Corrina: Rise of a Heroine?
Ray: G. Willow Wilson’s Wonder Woman run seems to get bigger and bigger with every issue, as the DCU comes under attack by mythological beings let loose with the apparent destruction of Themyscira – and it doesn’t get much bigger than the original Titans of stone and wood. When we last left off, Diana’s new magical creature friends had stumbled upon one of them while in the woods with their friend Maggie – and Diana had to call upon an old rival to even the odds. Giganta’s always been one of the DCU’s funnier villains, and it’s great to see more characterization like we saw under Gail Simone’s work. The banter between the two former rivals is great, and the action segments by former Conan artist Cary Nord are top-notch. Wilson’s always had a good handle on never losing the balance between the superhero action and the human touch, as we see Giganta do battle against Titans while Diana spends as much time rescuing people on the ground.
When the battle shifts to a small town where the rock titan is bearing down on a local diner, Wilson’s sense of scale and sharp dialogue is at its best. The scenes where the locals talk about small matters, blissfully unaware of the giant threat bearing down on them, are my favorite of the issue. The threat is eventually dispatched with less effort than expected as the titan collapses into a pile of harmless rocks – surprising everyone, including Diana and Giganta. That just sets up that this threat isn’t what it appeared to be and this story is just kicking off. And it ties into a big reveal about Diana’s mythical friends and Maggie – who, it turns out, plays a much bigger role in the story than we expected. This issue not only brings in some more elements from Greek myth, but it seems to be tying in Arthurian mythology as well. I’m not sure yet if this run is better than Rucka’s, but it’s getting up there.
Corrina: This whole run has been impressive but, now, Wilson really seems to be hitting full speed with this arc. She’s pulled together the elements from the first arc, that the gods/mystical creatures have been tossed out of Olympus, and used it as a springboard to explore many aspects of Diana’s background, including her frenemy relationship with Giganta, a relationship which hasn’t been seen since Gail Simone’s run, as Ray said.
But there’s more!
Maggie made an instant impression as a waitress. And now, given her literally pulling a sword from the lake, oh, HELLO, perhaps we have a brand new and awesome heroine on our hands.
It’s ironic that in the WW run by he-who-shall-not-be-named, DC tried over and over to make Diana’s twin brother Jason a thing and he remained a terrible and uninteresting character. Yet in just three appearances, I’ve learned to love having Maggie around. Her introduction should be textbook in how to introduce a new character.
Nord’s art worked particularly well with perspective, showing the difference in sizes between Diana, Giganta, the Titan, and normal people. I particularly love the panel as the Titan (or is it a Titan?) looms over the diner.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
