Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #36

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

Cover by Aaron Lopresti

Plot: As most people do after dramatically loosing someone with whom they care about so deeply that they are willing to give themselves unconditionally to that person, Wonder Woman finds a way to cope with the situation.  And as luck would have it, Giganta was not a very hard person to find and take her (Wonder Woman) anger out on.  However, an odd bond between the princess and the gigantus arch enemy form as they both find themselves without the ones they care about.  This, in turn, leads to the common bond…how much they hate men.

As Wonder Woman spills her guts to one of her most hated enemies, we find ourselves (the readers) going through flashbacks of the heart-cringing break-up between Dianna and Tom.  

We are then reminded of the vow Wonder Woman makes to face Achilles and his army of “Manazons” and goes out to fight them along with Giganta.  Wonder Women seems victorious and attempts to make a truce with Achilles and pleads for him to defy Zeus and his rule over the Amazonian territory.  But we are left with a cliffhanger that not even Wonder Woman saw coming.

My Thoughts: Gail Simone is nothing if not a great emotional storyteller.  The flashback scenes of her and Tom having the conversation concerning their “future” were an amazing piece of work.  To show Wonder Woman in this incredibly vulnerable state is not a common occurrence and gives so much life to the story.  Even she, the Amazon Princess, displays a sense of timidness and has difficulty-showing Tom how much she truly cares for him.   This gives Wonder Woman a “human” side to her that we as readers needed to see.  But even after that Oscar worthy bit of oratory, Tom can’t see himself with Diana any longer.  And the moment Tom walks away from Diana, and how she quietly stands there watching him walk away, was almost unbearable.

In keeping with this “human-side of Wonder Woman” theme going, Wonder Woman’s plea to Achilles almost equaled the break-up sequence.  To be honest, I think Achilles is just as honorable and likeable as Wonder Woman.  He has this human side to him that says to me he wants to do good and is completely sincere about it.  Whether you agree with his choice of allegiance is beside the point, he truly is Wonder Woman’s equal in almost every way.  It makes me wonder where Simone going with this?  They both (Wonder Woman and Achilles) have a great deal of respect for one another, and it’s displayed in the way they communicate to one another.  Could Simone be leading Wonder Woman into a new relationship with Achilles?  They do seem to be made for one another don’t they?

Lopresti is, again amazing.  I say it all the time, but I can’t stop saying it.  Lopresti is an amazing artist who gives each of his characters a filled out look.  No one ever looks disproportionate, nor do they ever seem to be out of place within the art of the book.  I can’t complain at all.

Overall:  A great issue.  Again, I think Wonder Woman will be making the top three for this month’s publications.

5 out of 5 stars

This Month: Wonder Woman #37

It's a civil war – and the world hangs in the balance! Zeus has made Achilles ruler of the Amazons, and Diana finds herself in battle against the people she loves most! And what is the secret behind the sudden rash of pregnancies on Paradise Island?