Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #2 – Kelly Sue DeConnick, Writer; Gene Ha, Artist; Wesley Wong, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: With the issues of this epic retelling of the Amazon myth coming out every four to six months, it’s best to treat each issue like its own project. That feeling is enhanced by the fact that each issue has a different artist, with Gene Ha taking the baton from Phil Jimenez this issue. The shift works, because we get a dramatic change in tone as well. While the first issue was all about the creation of the Amazons and the battle of wills between the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus, we got a major twist in the last act as we were introduced to Hippolyta—here a mortal woman forced to do horrific things by the society she was born into. While the Amazons were created out of whole cloth (and with unique and diverse new designs), Hippolyta was just beginning a journey to becoming an Amazon—one that takes a major turn this issue as she seeks out the Gods and eventually the Amazons in a quest to become a living symbol of the hope women have for a better world.
Much like the first issue, this story deals with some very bleak topics. The biggest action set piece deals with a sadistic band of slavers. Most of their actions are off-panel, but the things they say get their horrors across just fine. In particular, a young girl who escapes the slavers and joins the Amazons alongside Hippolyta seems to be going down a dark path. The book takes an interesting direction, never condemning her choice and even showing her instincts to be correct, but never letting us look away from the toll it takes on her. If this series has one problem, it’s that the parts involving the Amazons never quite mesh with the parts involving the Gods. The character of Apollo in particular, being set up as the greater-scope villain of the third chapter, comes off as little more like a whiny boy. But between the ambitious storytelling and the brilliant art, this is an unique book that’s well worth a read.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
