Trial of the Amazons #2 – Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Vita Ayala, Stephanie Williams, Joelle Jones, Writers; Elena Casagrande, Laura Braga, Skylar Partridge, Adriana Melo, Joelle Jones, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Jordie Bellaire, Colorists
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This has been an odd event. As the first Wonder Woman event in well over a decade and one of the biggest ever featuring the character, it had a lot on its shoulders—and it lived up to it in scale. Opening with the murder of Hippolyta, continuing with the first Amazon tournament since the one Diana won, and ending with a perilous journey through the underworld, it certainly delivered drama. But it’s written by three different creative teams, and it shows, because this final chapter feels like it’s trying to tie up multiple threads and not always succeeding. The reveal of Artemis as the killer of Hippolyta last issue almost feels like an afterthought. She’s imprisoned, but is quickly released to aid in the fight against the main villain. That would be Chaos, the dark god contained within the Doorway of Doom, who has now turned Amazon against Amazon via a fast-spreading contagion.
The opening act has a lot of cool visuals, including a secret Amazon armory never before seen. If this series has had a breakout character, it’s probably Cassie—whose role as an unlikely detective and the only one not tied to any tribe gave her the best spotlight she’s had in a long time. Likewise, the Bana-Mighdall and their fraught relationship with the Themyscirans has been fascinating, and the sacrifices two characters make this issue are highly emotional. Unfortunately, Yara Flor and the Esquecida largely remain a blank slate. A scene between Diana and Yara where Diana makes Yara an official Wonder Girl was supposed to be emotional, but some of the dialogue came off as surprisingly cringe-worthy. A lot of plots are left unresolved, too—Artemis’ story will continue in a one-shot, and the mystery ancient Themysciran villain lurking in the background is another dangling plot thread. There is a lot to like here, but it does feel rather scattered for an event focusing on an underused corner of the DCU.
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