Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #604

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Penciller: Don Kramer & Eduardo Pansica

Colorist: Alex Sinclair

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Art: Kramer with Sinclair

Editor: Brian Cunningham

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

So into the fire we go!  Could it be?  Did a hint of Alan Moore seep into the pages of WW #604?  I could have sworn I saw good ol’ terrorist “V” standing, screaming for redemption amongst the flames of magical irony!  But of course, this isn’t so and V never makes a guest appearance. Diana comes face to face with a burned up colonel who serves a higher, and unknown master.  But just as Wonder Woman finds herself in the palm of death’s firm and ashy grip, a surprise guest makes her way onto the fiery, desert stage in fine style!  Now Diana stands in front of her first adventure in this new era with her head held high while her butt cheeks fight off that drastic blue pants wedgy!  But the question still remains…What does it all mean?

Don’t worry folks, you aren’t going crazy, this arc really HASN’T made Wonder Woman worth much these past few months.  Sure, it’s fun to see Diana being pushed in a new direction, and I really am enjoying this arc, but I don’t see what purpose this new reality is serving in the Earth Prime universe. 

And that could be it right?  Maybe JMS is so “gun-ho” with his very successful Superman: Earth One graphic novel that he couldn’t help but give Wonder Woman the very same treatment.  All the characters are the same, yet very different.  The story feels so disconnected from the DCU that I can’t imagine how this is going to make sense in the end.

Now it does not mean this individual issue is bad by any means. The story itself is still actually quite interesting despite Mr. Scared and Seared’s exceptionally boring back story.  (question, is he an alternate version of old lover-boy, namely Steve Trevor?)  I guess I’m just a sucker when it comes to battle sequences where the hero is challenged beyond what they handle, only to find themselves with a newly discovered ability to transcend their fears and anxieties.

There’s still this feeling of “newness” though that hinders Wonder Woman from becoming the hero Gail Simone made her out to be, which is a very depressing aspect to the WW world of JMS.  Wonder Woman seems more like a black haired, blue legging, multiple shoulder straps wearing Kryptonian Supergirl who’s still trying to figure out life through a series of trials and tribulations. But most confusing for me is how Diana seems to remember and not remember her life and experiences.  Why this is, I don’t know.  Four issues in and I still can’t decide if I should drop the book and wait for the REAL Wonder Woman to return, or continue with JMS’ run and see where it leads.  (Then I remember that I subscribed to this title, so I don’t have a choice…wink)

Two pencillers, two different styles, yet consistency is the best way I can describe this artistic endeavor.  You can most certainly tell the difference between each style, but never does it become so painfully obvious of a change that your eyes begin to bleed.  While the 7^th page was hectic and full of chaos, it took my breath away with the amount of detail, color, depth and foreshadowing splashing throughout it.  Take a high five from me Kramer and Pansica!

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

So here I sit, thinking and remaining puzzled by JMS and his approach to Wonder Woman.  What will happen?  How long with this last?  Will things start to make sense sooner rather later?  Why is it I enjoy something so disconnected from continuity and the DCU?  Fingers and toes are crossed JMS, please don’t disappoint.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Writing: 7.5

Art: 8.5

Themes: 8

Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #602

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Penciller: Don Kramer & Eduardo Pansica

Inker: Jay Leisten, Michael Babinski & Ruy Jose

Colorist: Alex Sinclair

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Art: Kramer & Babinski with Sinclair

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

So in this issue, Wonder Woman flies in and splits some serious wigs in trying to defend her fellow Amazonian sisters.  JMS brings the fighting Simone style Wonder Woman to the open pages of issue #602 in full force.  But JMS seems to have gone back a few steps and purposefully detracted the work Gail Simone put into Wonder Woman.  Instead of a Wonder Woman, we seem to now have a Wonder Girl.  While most fans have made up there mind about the quality of this change in Diana’s character and what they think of it, my mind is still up in the air.

What isn’t clear to me is Straczynski’s purpose and goal for Wonder Woman.  JMS gives Wonder Woman a look of what’s to come but uses both new and old material to boost her forward.  The new image and costume seem to suggest that Wonder Woman is heading in a new direction, but by trailing back into a much more “girlish” demeanor.  She no longer seems wise, just more inquisitive, much like Gates’ Supergirl; she’s dead set on saving everyone, but is unsure about life in general.  This works for Supergirl, But Wonder Woman is an established adult who always had a much better handle on life than, well, any other superhero in comics.  Now JMS has given her a semblance of a teenaged girl who has more questions than answers and allows that to dictate her mood and maturity level.  While I’m a little disappointed by this literary decision on the part of JMS, the purpose behind this change has yet to be revealed, and I’m willing to give JMS a chance to explain everything in hope that it will make (awesome) sense.

JMS is still retaining some of that attitude we all loved about Wonder Woman pre #600 as she gives the gods (or the voices in her head) a fierce reprimand.  Wonder Woman has always been great at telling the gods when their stupidity is overpowering their intelligence and it’s nice to see that JMS is keeping that aspect of the new Wonder Woman around.

I was very unimpressed by the art this month.  Kramer and Pansica did such an amazing job in August that I was expecting at least an equally entertaining job for #602.  But nothing like that happened.

I did enjoy the moment Diana strip off her jacket to reveal the full extent of her new costume.  I don’t know what it is that fans don’t like about the new costume but I feel it’s appropriate and not out of touch with her character.  But now, seeing what was to behold underneath her leathery covering, it now feels even more in tune with the Amazonian comic book hero.  The starry, armored underwear has been replaced with the black leggings, and her bustier has a much more solid look.  I do questioned the number of straps going from her shoulders down to her elbow, but other than that, the costume itself seems so much more consistent with the modern standard that Wonder Woman has become to fans.

My biggest irk with this book however is with the cover.  No, it’s not because I think it’s poorly drawn or because it looks cartoonish, I find it to be quite artistic in fact.  What irks me about it the most is the unoriginality of it.  How many times have we seen this pose used in comics?  Hmmmmm, let me think…

I understand why, but honestly, do we have to use this bullets and bracelets image every time Wonder Woman goes under some drastic change in her character?

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

This is a conflicting issue, no lie.  JMS certainly has a lot of “Splainin” to do.  Biggest question in my mind…what will stick and when will we see the real Diana come back to us?

Rating: 7.67 out of 10

Writing: 7.5

Art: 7

Themes:  8.5