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Wonder Woman (2016)
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: The Lies
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Graphic Novels & Comics (2017)Heroic. Iconic. Unstoppable. Armed with her Lasso of Truth and imbued with the power of the gods themselves, Princess Diana of Themyscira—known to the world as Wonder Woman—is one of the greatest superheroes in history.
But who is she… really? Not even Wonder Woman herself knows for sure. Diana’s links to both the Amazons and the Gods of Olympus have been severed. Her memories are a tangle of contradictions that even her lie-detecting lasso cannot untangle.
To solve the riddle of her origin, she must embark on her greatest quest of all: finding a way back to her vanished home. To get there, she must team up with her greatest enemy, the feral beast-woman, Cheetah. Will this unlikely alliance shine the light of truth on Diana’s darkest secrets, or bury them—and her—forever?
Find out in Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Lies—exploding from the blockbuster DC Rebirth event! Legendary Wonder Woman writer Greg Rucka (Batwoman: Elegy) makes his triumphant return to the character for the first time in years and joins renowned fantasy artist Liam Sharp (2000 AD) for one of the most momentous stories in Diana’s history! Collects Wonder Woman #1, #3, #5, #7, #9, #11 and the Wonder Woman: Rebirth one-shot.
But who is she… really? Not even Wonder Woman herself knows for sure. Diana’s links to both the Amazons and the Gods of Olympus have been severed. Her memories are a tangle of contradictions that even her lie-detecting lasso cannot untangle.
To solve the riddle of her origin, she must embark on her greatest quest of all: finding a way back to her vanished home. To get there, she must team up with her greatest enemy, the feral beast-woman, Cheetah. Will this unlikely alliance shine the light of truth on Diana’s darkest secrets, or bury them—and her—forever?
Find out in Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Lies—exploding from the blockbuster DC Rebirth event! Legendary Wonder Woman writer Greg Rucka (Batwoman: Elegy) makes his triumphant return to the character for the first time in years and joins renowned fantasy artist Liam Sharp (2000 AD) for one of the most momentous stories in Diana’s history! Collects Wonder Woman #1, #3, #5, #7, #9, #11 and the Wonder Woman: Rebirth one-shot.
176 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2017
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,375 books1,858 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 693 reviews
August 9, 2017
Wonder Woman!
Rebirthed...again?
Ok, this opens with the Rebirth issue that I've already reviewed. In a nutshell, Wonder Woman realizes something is wrong with her memory and starts to remember her different origin stories - ties in with the Rebirth/Smiley Face Button thing...'nuff said.
As far as the art goes, it sloshed around quite a bit between very good, somewhat passable, and downright ugly. In some panels, it looked like WW had been hit in the face with a shovel...hard.
As far as the story goes, I quite liked it. I get what a lot of people are saying about this not really giving any answer to the Rebirth mystery and general feeling of where is this going?, but after reading quite a few other Rebirth titles (and getting zero answers) it didn't bother me this time around.
Plus, I'm one of the 3 people who think Cheetah is an interesting character, so I loved that Barbara Ann was a big part of this story.
And another thing I was thrilled to see was the return of Steve Trevor!
Ok, not that he had really gone anywhere in the New 52, but he played the role of the mopey, bitter ex-boyfriend to perfection. Bottom line? He was gross and I didn't like it. And it's not like Wonder Woman needs him in her titles to keep me interested, but this particular version of him really worked for me and added something special to the story.
Dawwww!
Diana & Cheetah get into a catfight (<-- I'm hilarious!) then go searching for {insert spoilery stuff here} in the jungle. The same jungle that Steve and his men are currently traipsing toward danger in while on a (somewhat rogue) mission to save some kidnapped girls. Meanwhile, Etta (now some sort of agent in charge of Steve's missions) works furiously behind the scenes to keep all of them safe, while someone high up plots with a mysterious figure to {insert more spoilery stuff here}.
And I loved the way it ended!
So, while this wasn't perfect, it was good enough to get me excited about where this title is going in the future.
Rebirthed...again?
Ok, this opens with the Rebirth issue that I've already reviewed. In a nutshell, Wonder Woman realizes something is wrong with her memory and starts to remember her different origin stories - ties in with the Rebirth/Smiley Face Button thing...'nuff said.
As far as the art goes, it sloshed around quite a bit between very good, somewhat passable, and downright ugly. In some panels, it looked like WW had been hit in the face with a shovel...hard.
As far as the story goes, I quite liked it. I get what a lot of people are saying about this not really giving any answer to the Rebirth mystery and general feeling of where is this going?, but after reading quite a few other Rebirth titles (and getting zero answers) it didn't bother me this time around.
Plus, I'm one of the 3 people who think Cheetah is an interesting character, so I loved that Barbara Ann was a big part of this story.
And another thing I was thrilled to see was the return of Steve Trevor!
Ok, not that he had really gone anywhere in the New 52, but he played the role of the mopey, bitter ex-boyfriend to perfection. Bottom line? He was gross and I didn't like it. And it's not like Wonder Woman needs him in her titles to keep me interested, but this particular version of him really worked for me and added something special to the story.
Dawwww!
Diana & Cheetah get into a catfight (<-- I'm hilarious!) then go searching for {insert spoilery stuff here} in the jungle. The same jungle that Steve and his men are currently traipsing toward danger in while on a (somewhat rogue) mission to save some kidnapped girls. Meanwhile, Etta (now some sort of agent in charge of Steve's missions) works furiously behind the scenes to keep all of them safe, while someone high up plots with a mysterious figure to {insert more spoilery stuff here}.
And I loved the way it ended!
So, while this wasn't perfect, it was good enough to get me excited about where this title is going in the future.
April 12, 2017
Awesome graphics. Cool Rebirth story with Cheetah and both humans, Olympians and bad guys. I enjoyed these episodes - looking forward to see where they take this new character arc!
August 17, 2017
I’m given to understand that it’s fair game to wonder what’s in a Wonder Ball, but is it acceptable to wonder what’s in a Wonder Woman?
I have no idea, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there.
I’ve read many a comic with Wonder Woman in it, but this is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, my first foray into a full arc of a WW solo book. It was…well, it wasn’t wondrous. More like Perfectly Adequate Woman.
But, I suspect that’s more a reflection of the initial line of Rebirth books generally than the character herself, given that my reaction to the Rebirth books I’ve read (Batman, Aquaman, JLA, etc.) has been the comics equivalent of eating a Subway sandwich: it’s serviceable if not delicious and I (generally) don’t regret it, but I’m pretty much over it about five minutes after I finish and am kind of thinking it’ll be a while before I’ll be in the mood to stuff one of those in my mouth again.
(Have people described lovemaking with yours truly the same way? It’s possible. I don’t have Net Promoter Score benchmarks for that particular activity.)
Suggestions welcome for other, perhaps more entertaining WW graphic novels to check out…
I have no idea, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there.
I’ve read many a comic with Wonder Woman in it, but this is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, my first foray into a full arc of a WW solo book. It was…well, it wasn’t wondrous. More like Perfectly Adequate Woman.
But, I suspect that’s more a reflection of the initial line of Rebirth books generally than the character herself, given that my reaction to the Rebirth books I’ve read (Batman, Aquaman, JLA, etc.) has been the comics equivalent of eating a Subway sandwich: it’s serviceable if not delicious and I (generally) don’t regret it, but I’m pretty much over it about five minutes after I finish and am kind of thinking it’ll be a while before I’ll be in the mood to stuff one of those in my mouth again.
(Have people described lovemaking with yours truly the same way? It’s possible. I don’t have Net Promoter Score benchmarks for that particular activity.)
Suggestions welcome for other, perhaps more entertaining WW graphic novels to check out…
March 1, 2017
Wonder Woman thinks someone’s fucking with her - “The story keeps changing” she chants, over and over, probably a meta reference to how her origins have changed over the years with different writers. She asks her arch-enemy Cheetah to help her figure out what’s happening, but first she must defeat an evil Swamp Thing-esque monster in Africa and get it on with Steve Trevor!
So Wonder Woman’s still a steaming pile! I never read Greg Rucka’s previous Wonder Woman run but I’m guessing some readers liked it so that’s why DC courted him to return. I don’t really care, I’m not rushing out to read it but, since Rucka’s comics are almost always bad, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just as crappy as this is.
Diana rejects the New 52 legacy of being the God of War and sets out to uncover The Lies about her reality, which is a storyline I’m on board for. Except that’s not what we get here. Instead we get a really bad story about Wonder Woman doing generic stuff: punching monsters and saving people. You don’t get any sense of who Diana is as a person, she’s just a bland, idealised super woman who hits stuff hard. I can’t imagine new readers being impressed with this version of Wonder Woman, let alone long-time readers - it’s so boring!
She’s in Africa looking for Cheetah because she needs her help to find Themyscira (aka Paradise Island, her home) - but why would Cheetah know where/how to find it??? It’s just a contrived excuse for Diana to cross paths with Steve. There’s little else to say about the unremarkable story: Wonder Woman saves the day, Etta Candy’s black for diversity reasons, there’s a corny “GIRL POWER!” finale and that’s it. Rubbish!
Liam Sharp’s artwork is beautiful - I loved the African backgrounds and the sequence in Olympus - and Laura Martin’s colours are really something too. But Rucka tanks yet another book with his unimaginative, witless writing. The first Wonder Woman Rebirth book is a very poor start to the series. At this point I’m unsurprised with Rebirth’s low quality; I’d be more shocked if I came across one that was half-decent!
So Wonder Woman’s still a steaming pile! I never read Greg Rucka’s previous Wonder Woman run but I’m guessing some readers liked it so that’s why DC courted him to return. I don’t really care, I’m not rushing out to read it but, since Rucka’s comics are almost always bad, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just as crappy as this is.
Diana rejects the New 52 legacy of being the God of War and sets out to uncover The Lies about her reality, which is a storyline I’m on board for. Except that’s not what we get here. Instead we get a really bad story about Wonder Woman doing generic stuff: punching monsters and saving people. You don’t get any sense of who Diana is as a person, she’s just a bland, idealised super woman who hits stuff hard. I can’t imagine new readers being impressed with this version of Wonder Woman, let alone long-time readers - it’s so boring!
She’s in Africa looking for Cheetah because she needs her help to find Themyscira (aka Paradise Island, her home) - but why would Cheetah know where/how to find it??? It’s just a contrived excuse for Diana to cross paths with Steve. There’s little else to say about the unremarkable story: Wonder Woman saves the day, Etta Candy’s black for diversity reasons, there’s a corny “GIRL POWER!” finale and that’s it. Rubbish!
Liam Sharp’s artwork is beautiful - I loved the African backgrounds and the sequence in Olympus - and Laura Martin’s colours are really something too. But Rucka tanks yet another book with his unimaginative, witless writing. The first Wonder Woman Rebirth book is a very poor start to the series. At this point I’m unsurprised with Rebirth’s low quality; I’d be more shocked if I came across one that was half-decent!
March 26, 2020
The artwork in this is phenomenal 😍!
July 12, 2019
Greg Rucka makes his return to Wonder Woman! What we get is a story that looks and feels very pulpy. Liam Sharp and Laura Martin give this look to the book that reminds me of old Doc Savage covers from the 1930's. It fits well in the African theme. WW switches to a new costume that looks like the one from the DC movies.
Our story starts off with WW getting premonitions of being lied to. We see images of some of her pre-new 52 life. Diana tries to go to Olympia for answers and can't get there or Themyscira. So for some reason she goes to Cheetah for help and they team up. Steve Trevor is also in Africa leading a mission and their paths cross when they both end up fighting some Swamp Thing like African god. The book ends with some characters appearing from Rucka's previous run.
So far not as great as Rucka's previous run but better than that garbage from the Finches.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Our story starts off with WW getting premonitions of being lied to. We see images of some of her pre-new 52 life. Diana tries to go to Olympia for answers and can't get there or Themyscira. So for some reason she goes to Cheetah for help and they team up. Steve Trevor is also in Africa leading a mission and their paths cross when they both end up fighting some Swamp Thing like African god. The book ends with some characters appearing from Rucka's previous run.
So far not as great as Rucka's previous run but better than that garbage from the Finches.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2017
Note to self: You still don't like anybody else's Wonder Woman stories. Stop sampling the wares. It only makes you angry.
Yeah, yeah, I tricked myself into reading this because I was so enamored with The Legend of Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Origins and I thought maybe, just maybe, all the writers were aligning with that story even though I saw the "DC Universe Rebirth" written across the cover of this one and I knew that couldn't be anything good.
And it's not.
We're back to Wonder Woman for guys with this one. Art focuses on bodies, not faces, so there are a ton of awkward expressions. Wonder Woman appears to suffer from painful gas in many of the panels. Perhaps it's a migraine. Whatever it is, she is not comfortable.
Seriously, guys, she doesn't feel well at all.
This story did take the female friendship thing I'd liked so well in the other WW and ran...right into girl-on-girl territory. No, nothing happened but, man, the hypersexualized physical encounters between Diana and Barbara Ann Cheetah are just...it's more than erotic friend fiction, here. I rolled my eyes. A lot.
My friends and I do not casually pose like this. Ever.
As for the story, Diana's on the Wanda Maximoff train (anything Marvel does, DC does also but anything DC does, Marvel does, too), questioning her reality because so many stories have been told about her. She ponders the different Wonder Woman iterations from the different universes and it makes her feel confused and unmoored, feelings that are reflected in the illustrations (it looks like the artists, inkers, and colorists change from page to page, sometimes panel to panel, though I don't know if that's really what they did or if it's just drawn to look that way to show said confusion - side note, her hair is different in practically every panel, which pissed me off), and she just wants to go home but she can't find her way back to Themyscira so she gets help and then she goes shopping and then she has to have a conversation with Steve Trevor about how she was dating Superman for reasons and then I gouged my eyes out with a pencil because I don't want anymore of this crap.
So Wonder Woman still sucks, in general, and I'm going to have to stick solely to Renae De Liz's version if I want to survive these stories.
Added fun:
Who wore this face better? Wonder Woman or Noel Fielding?
Yeah, yeah, I tricked myself into reading this because I was so enamored with The Legend of Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Origins and I thought maybe, just maybe, all the writers were aligning with that story even though I saw the "DC Universe Rebirth" written across the cover of this one and I knew that couldn't be anything good.
And it's not.
We're back to Wonder Woman for guys with this one. Art focuses on bodies, not faces, so there are a ton of awkward expressions. Wonder Woman appears to suffer from painful gas in many of the panels. Perhaps it's a migraine. Whatever it is, she is not comfortable.
Seriously, guys, she doesn't feel well at all.
This story did take the female friendship thing I'd liked so well in the other WW and ran...right into girl-on-girl territory. No, nothing happened but, man, the hypersexualized physical encounters between Diana and Barbara Ann Cheetah are just...it's more than erotic friend fiction, here. I rolled my eyes. A lot.
My friends and I do not casually pose like this. Ever.
As for the story, Diana's on the Wanda Maximoff train (anything Marvel does, DC does also but anything DC does, Marvel does, too), questioning her reality because so many stories have been told about her. She ponders the different Wonder Woman iterations from the different universes and it makes her feel confused and unmoored, feelings that are reflected in the illustrations (it looks like the artists, inkers, and colorists change from page to page, sometimes panel to panel, though I don't know if that's really what they did or if it's just drawn to look that way to show said confusion - side note, her hair is different in practically every panel, which pissed me off), and she just wants to go home but she can't find her way back to Themyscira so she gets help and then she goes shopping and then she has to have a conversation with Steve Trevor about how she was dating Superman for reasons and then I gouged my eyes out with a pencil because I don't want anymore of this crap.
So Wonder Woman still sucks, in general, and I'm going to have to stick solely to Renae De Liz's version if I want to survive these stories.
Added fun:
Who wore this face better? Wonder Woman or Noel Fielding?
March 30, 2018
I'm here to admit I was wrong. When I first read this book, everything seemed silly, over-wrought, and convoluted. But now that I've re-read it after not only learning more about Wonder Woman, but also reading the second volume Wonder Woman, Volume 2: Year One, enjoying it, and realizing that it must be read in tandem with this one, I've come to appreciate this effort a bit more! Now, while I do feel like it's still a little too much for a novice Wonder Woman reader, I can see what Rucka has been trying to do. The two volumes have interconnecting issues, with the odd issues in the first book being the present day tale that parallels the Year One origin story told in the even issues collected in the second volume, and are definitely best read in publishing order, so if you're interested in this, you should probably read Wonder Woman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1, which collects the two books in original issue order. But Diana's entire conflict and confusion in the story is a result of the events in DC Rebirth, which corrected some of the changes made to Diana's origin in the New 52 universe. So you have to be familiar with that as well. See what I mean by complicated?
So although it could've been more accessible, I must admit that this volume isn't the piece of trash I thought it was.
____________________________________
Original Review:
Oh man, this was bad.
I don't have a whole lot to say about this because I barely can recall what actually happened in it, and most of that wasn't even really a coherent story. Wonder Woman has a little existential crisis and wonders about her origins and her place in the world. She's a demigod that's been around for half a century, you'd think she'd already know that. And then she fight's a couple of random monsters and has a constant back and forth with a whiny Cheetah and pines over Steve Trevor once again.
Maybe I needed to have more of a familiarity with Wonder Woman stories to appreciate this more?
Anyway, this one was terribly boring, I didn't care at all and barely finished it. If there's anyone out there that can recommend great Wonder Woman books I'll totally love suggestions. I was thinking about Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia and maybe the New 52 stuff? I don't know.
So although it could've been more accessible, I must admit that this volume isn't the piece of trash I thought it was.
____________________________________
Original Review:
Oh man, this was bad.
I don't have a whole lot to say about this because I barely can recall what actually happened in it, and most of that wasn't even really a coherent story. Wonder Woman has a little existential crisis and wonders about her origins and her place in the world. She's a demigod that's been around for half a century, you'd think she'd already know that. And then she fight's a couple of random monsters and has a constant back and forth with a whiny Cheetah and pines over Steve Trevor once again.
Maybe I needed to have more of a familiarity with Wonder Woman stories to appreciate this more?
Anyway, this one was terribly boring, I didn't care at all and barely finished it. If there's anyone out there that can recommend great Wonder Woman books I'll totally love suggestions. I was thinking about Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia and maybe the New 52 stuff? I don't know.
October 13, 2022
Not bad at all and I always had a thing for Liam Sharp’s artworks since the 90s, sadly this was just a decent, nothing short of remarkable, volume of Wonder Woman’s Rebirth for me.
Maybe I was expecting something more after reading excellent Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman, Volume 2: Year One, previously released second volume of this run, but you have to read it before this one so I was lucky they were recently reprinted here in Italy for cheap and in the correct reading order, but I digress.
Besides, I think that adapting this storyline to film could have been a far, faaaar, better Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) movie.
Change my mind.
February 18, 2019
So yeah, after reading Year One and re-reading this volume, I am bumping my rating up to three solid stars. Still not exactly excellent, but a much better read when you have the context of Year One. And hey, Cheetah was in this volume, too! I totally forgot about that. I kinda get the feeling that it's also going to be an even better read after Volume 4, which is supposed to have even more backstory and context for the events of this book, but we'll see about that.
July 8, 2017
When DC relaunched their whole line-up last year with Rebirth, it was clearly a response to the fans’ negativity towards The New 52, a five-year-long reboot that removed the decades of continuity of which many adored. Taking note from Geoff Johns when he penned DC Universe: Rebirth #1, Greg Rucka – who wrote a run of the character during the early noughties – revisits Wonder Woman by acknowledging the different interpretations of her origin and stating that all that was a lie.
As with many of DC Rebirth’s first volumes, this begins with a Rebirth #1, with Wonder Woman narrates her life story from her birth that is either birthed from clay or the love between Queen Hippolyta and Zeus, to her time during The New 52 where she became the God of War after Ares. Throughout this issue primarily drawn by Matthew Clark, it sets up an interesting dilemma for Diana as she questions her own reality and sets out on a journey to discover behind The Lies.
During the course of this volume, Wonder Woman travels to Africa in search of Cheetah in order to locate Themyscira and in exchange for her enemy's help, Diana agrees to kill the god Urzkartaga and end Minerva's curse. Despite this initial set-up of Diana going through an existential crisis as well as trying to rekindle her relationship with Barbara Ann Minerva, who is now her animalistic nemesis, the adventure she goes on isn’t that interesting with her fighting a series of goons to then a giant monster, whilst not at all getting any answers about her questionable reality.
Known for his work on 2000 AD and fantasy illustrations, Liam Sharp is an unconventional choice for superhero comics and based on his art here, I am conflicted. On the one hand, he knows how to draw female characters without looking sexualised, such as Wonder Woman who, despite her armoured physicality, has a graceful presence, whilst Cheetah is both beauty and beast. On the other hand, despite its stunning African setting, the visuals (coloured by Laura Martin) are far too grim for a Wonder Woman comic and there are a number of pages where it looks like he should be drawing Swamp Thing.
Even though he tries to contemporise aspects of the Wonder Woman mythos, such as oddly turning Etta Candy into Amanda Waller, Greg Rucka never fulfils in giving us answers about why is this really happening to our favourite Amazon warrior princess. Obviously, Rucka is playing the long game, but this is not a promising start for newcomers who wish to read the adventures of Diana Prince.
As with many of DC Rebirth’s first volumes, this begins with a Rebirth #1, with Wonder Woman narrates her life story from her birth that is either birthed from clay or the love between Queen Hippolyta and Zeus, to her time during The New 52 where she became the God of War after Ares. Throughout this issue primarily drawn by Matthew Clark, it sets up an interesting dilemma for Diana as she questions her own reality and sets out on a journey to discover behind The Lies.
During the course of this volume, Wonder Woman travels to Africa in search of Cheetah in order to locate Themyscira and in exchange for her enemy's help, Diana agrees to kill the god Urzkartaga and end Minerva's curse. Despite this initial set-up of Diana going through an existential crisis as well as trying to rekindle her relationship with Barbara Ann Minerva, who is now her animalistic nemesis, the adventure she goes on isn’t that interesting with her fighting a series of goons to then a giant monster, whilst not at all getting any answers about her questionable reality.
Known for his work on 2000 AD and fantasy illustrations, Liam Sharp is an unconventional choice for superhero comics and based on his art here, I am conflicted. On the one hand, he knows how to draw female characters without looking sexualised, such as Wonder Woman who, despite her armoured physicality, has a graceful presence, whilst Cheetah is both beauty and beast. On the other hand, despite its stunning African setting, the visuals (coloured by Laura Martin) are far too grim for a Wonder Woman comic and there are a number of pages where it looks like he should be drawing Swamp Thing.
Even though he tries to contemporise aspects of the Wonder Woman mythos, such as oddly turning Etta Candy into Amanda Waller, Greg Rucka never fulfils in giving us answers about why is this really happening to our favourite Amazon warrior princess. Obviously, Rucka is playing the long game, but this is not a promising start for newcomers who wish to read the adventures of Diana Prince.
March 7, 2017
This was just okay. I really wanted to like this more.
Rucka is jumping through hoops to fix the fucked up history Diana was given in New 52 Wonder Woman. When Azzarello decided to get rid of the "made of clay" origin and shove more of the gods in, a lot of people were pissed. He took an inherently feminist origin and made it about Hippolyta getting in on with Olympus' most famous man whore (and rapist depending on your mythos). I enjoyed some of that run but I get why Rucka would want to return Diana to what she was originally. She is a symbol of female empowerment from a society made up entirely of strong women. I appreciate his dedication to her history.
However, I don't always love the way he tells Wonder Woman stories. He tends to give us more of other people reacting to Diana and less Diana.
This begins with a very lackluster issue where Diana realizes that she's been lied to. The whole issue is her making her way through a jungle (?) and going over all the lies she's believed over the years. She has to search for the truth and she thinks that truth is in Themyscira. This portion is okay. Nothing super special, but it's okay.
She ends up searching for Cheetah to get there, or at least I think that's why she went looking for Barbara Ann. Unfortunately, the entirety of this arc with the misogynistic god did fuck all for me. I wasn't interested in Barbara Ann or the rambling magic words to bring the god back at all.
I enjoyed the stuff with Etta Candy and Steve Trevor (holy shit is he attractive in this book) more than a lot of the Wonder Woman stuff. Steve Trevor was funny and gorgeous and he believes in Diana so much. It was wonderful to see.
I enjoyed the mall scene and the nods to the writers and artists that have come before this series.
That was really it. There wasn't a ton for me to like about this series and that's a shame. Rucka's a legendary writer but this series, so far, didn't really do anything for me.
I'll definitely keep reading the series but I'll probably just borrow it instead of buying it.
Rucka is jumping through hoops to fix the fucked up history Diana was given in New 52 Wonder Woman. When Azzarello decided to get rid of the "made of clay" origin and shove more of the gods in, a lot of people were pissed. He took an inherently feminist origin and made it about Hippolyta getting in on with Olympus' most famous man whore (and rapist depending on your mythos). I enjoyed some of that run but I get why Rucka would want to return Diana to what she was originally. She is a symbol of female empowerment from a society made up entirely of strong women. I appreciate his dedication to her history.
However, I don't always love the way he tells Wonder Woman stories. He tends to give us more of other people reacting to Diana and less Diana.
This begins with a very lackluster issue where Diana realizes that she's been lied to. The whole issue is her making her way through a jungle (?) and going over all the lies she's believed over the years. She has to search for the truth and she thinks that truth is in Themyscira. This portion is okay. Nothing super special, but it's okay.
She ends up searching for Cheetah to get there, or at least I think that's why she went looking for Barbara Ann. Unfortunately, the entirety of this arc with the misogynistic god did fuck all for me. I wasn't interested in Barbara Ann or the rambling magic words to bring the god back at all.
I enjoyed the stuff with Etta Candy and Steve Trevor (holy shit is he attractive in this book) more than a lot of the Wonder Woman stuff. Steve Trevor was funny and gorgeous and he believes in Diana so much. It was wonderful to see.
I enjoyed the mall scene and the nods to the writers and artists that have come before this series.
That was really it. There wasn't a ton for me to like about this series and that's a shame. Rucka's a legendary writer but this series, so far, didn't really do anything for me.
I'll definitely keep reading the series but I'll probably just borrow it instead of buying it.
February 8, 2017
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. EDIT: I also received a copy from Netgalley.
Not bad, not good, just sort of middle of the road. Artwork was okay. The biggest issue I have with this volume is that it feels incomplete. There is simply no resolution to the main plot. The subplot with Cheetah was good, and it pushed the story forward, but again, there was no answer to "The Lies" tormenting Wonder Woman.
Not bad, not good, just sort of middle of the road. Artwork was okay. The biggest issue I have with this volume is that it feels incomplete. There is simply no resolution to the main plot. The subplot with Cheetah was good, and it pushed the story forward, but again, there was no answer to "The Lies" tormenting Wonder Woman.
January 14, 2017
Re-review:
So I read these as single issues. Not knowing the graphic novels would be skipping every other issue. So this is just current time WW. Which still ain't bad but not a 4 star. Close to a 3, maybe 3.5 by the end. I still enjoyed the end result of current time WW. Especially the final two issues. We get some answers on Steve X Diana, and also the final moment in the last issue is like "Oh shit" moment we've been waiting for.
I'ma keep what I said below but I'm about to do my review of Year One, and let me tell you something, you won't wanna miss it. This one though is fun and still gets a 3-3.5 out of 5.
-----------------------------------------------
Whoa, who knew I'd love this one so much?
So the first issue reads in current time. Something isn't right, Diana goes deep into the forest to find her old "friend" while Steve and his buddies get kidnapped trying to find WW. It's pretty basic stuff, and the first issue was pretty but didn't love it.
Then we get into issue 2. Year one for Diana, and it's amazing! So then the next few issues bounce from Year one to modern. It's great, because the current stuff gets better and better (issue 3 being the best current issue so far) while the Year One stuff is just wonderful every issue.
Watching our awesome Amazon learn about the world, her own, and then the one we live in is great. She's wide eye, happy, and full of joy and happiness. Where's the current storyline is obviously darker, and she's on a mission, and not looking nearly as happy as she once was.
I really enjoyed seeing the two stories play out next to each other. I can't wait to jump into volume 2 and this is the first time I signed on to read a Wonder Woman series. I may have to go back and read the New52 run too and Greg's old WW run after this.
So I read these as single issues. Not knowing the graphic novels would be skipping every other issue. So this is just current time WW. Which still ain't bad but not a 4 star. Close to a 3, maybe 3.5 by the end. I still enjoyed the end result of current time WW. Especially the final two issues. We get some answers on Steve X Diana, and also the final moment in the last issue is like "Oh shit" moment we've been waiting for.
I'ma keep what I said below but I'm about to do my review of Year One, and let me tell you something, you won't wanna miss it. This one though is fun and still gets a 3-3.5 out of 5.
-----------------------------------------------
Whoa, who knew I'd love this one so much?
So the first issue reads in current time. Something isn't right, Diana goes deep into the forest to find her old "friend" while Steve and his buddies get kidnapped trying to find WW. It's pretty basic stuff, and the first issue was pretty but didn't love it.
Then we get into issue 2. Year one for Diana, and it's amazing! So then the next few issues bounce from Year one to modern. It's great, because the current stuff gets better and better (issue 3 being the best current issue so far) while the Year One stuff is just wonderful every issue.
Watching our awesome Amazon learn about the world, her own, and then the one we live in is great. She's wide eye, happy, and full of joy and happiness. Where's the current storyline is obviously darker, and she's on a mission, and not looking nearly as happy as she once was.
I really enjoyed seeing the two stories play out next to each other. I can't wait to jump into volume 2 and this is the first time I signed on to read a Wonder Woman series. I may have to go back and read the New52 run too and Greg's old WW run after this.
March 4, 2021
Even though this is technically volume 1 in the series I found it helpful that I'd read "Year One" already.
"Wonder Woman: The Lies" takes place in the present and has Diana dealing with memory loss - I guess that's what happens when your character gets rewritten too many times...
I pretty much enjoyed this volume. The story was good, with ancient jungle gods and mysterious secret organizations, and the artwork gorgeous. The only thing I didn't like was Steve's beard (I guess not every Steve can pull off that style, looking to you Infinity War Cap) XD
Diana felt very in character and the traits for that I love her stood out: she always wants to help, wants to avoid fighting and bloodshed. Instead, she believes in peace and love.
Even though it wasn't as good as "Year One" I liked this volume and I'll definitely continue with the series!
"Wonder Woman: The Lies" takes place in the present and has Diana dealing with memory loss - I guess that's what happens when your character gets rewritten too many times...
I pretty much enjoyed this volume. The story was good, with ancient jungle gods and mysterious secret organizations, and the artwork gorgeous. The only thing I didn't like was Steve's beard (I guess not every Steve can pull off that style, looking to you Infinity War Cap) XD
Diana felt very in character and the traits for that I love her stood out: she always wants to help, wants to avoid fighting and bloodshed. Instead, she believes in peace and love.
Even though it wasn't as good as "Year One" I liked this volume and I'll definitely continue with the series!
February 28, 2017
I wanted to LOVE this book. I love Wonder Woman, haven't liked the last two writers on the book, and really enjoyed Rucka's previous run on the title. That I only liked it, and really liked some parts, is kind of disappointing. I like that Rucka seems to be playing with sweeping away the (in my opinion) entirely unnecessary changes that were made by previous writers, and I still really like the way he writes Diana herself. But this first story was merely ok, and felt oddly rushed. There's a really big change to a major character, and while I appreciate the way Rucka handled those changes, I still kind of feel like there could be more space devoted to the actual change and especially the aftermath.
I have to say, I'm glad that I'm reading this in the collected version, and not in single issues. It seems that there are two stories running in the book right now, and this is the story in the odd numbered issues. The even numbered issues will, I suppose, be in the next collection. Because this would not be at all obnoxious if you were a monthly reader.
I have to say, I'm glad that I'm reading this in the collected version, and not in single issues. It seems that there are two stories running in the book right now, and this is the story in the odd numbered issues. The even numbered issues will, I suppose, be in the next collection. Because this would not be at all obnoxious if you were a monthly reader.
July 17, 2017
I think the author undertook a thankless task here by outright embracing the endless confusion entailed by 75+ years of continuity, em, whatever DC calls it, but despite some gorgeous art in places it maddens rather than intrigues, and also (to my mind) undermines WW's greatest foe (Cheetah) as just another victim of male machinations as opposed to an evil entity in her own right. With this title now under my belt, too, I'm beginning to come around to the seeming consensus that Rebirth is a bust, in general.
April 18, 2020
So another day another Rebirth issue done and dusted like others said this issue also doesn't explain anything about rebirth thingie but still it was a nice read and as usual I flew through the book, this begins with Diana expressing doubts about her memories and tries to enter few divine places but can't and then something, something, something, Cheetah etc.
The art was very much varied in some panels it's breathtaking, in other places it's passable and in multiple places it's downright ugly. Story was fine and I noticed that this contained the odd numbered issues like 1, 3, 5, 7 and it continued the story so was the story broken every other issues in the normal run 1 had different end 2 had different beginning and end, 3 picks after 1, 4 picks after 2 etc. Well this collection was good time to jump onto the next volume Year One let's see how that fares up.
I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
The art was very much varied in some panels it's breathtaking, in other places it's passable and in multiple places it's downright ugly. Story was fine and I noticed that this contained the odd numbered issues like 1, 3, 5, 7 and it continued the story so was the story broken every other issues in the normal run 1 had different end 2 had different beginning and end, 3 picks after 1, 4 picks after 2 etc. Well this collection was good time to jump onto the next volume Year One let's see how that fares up.
I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
August 20, 2021
This was a fascinating volume and I loved it.
I remember reading it when it was coming out but its mostly about rebooting the N52 version of Diana as we find that her origin and her adventures there was a lie and then she faces off against this truth and she teams with Cheetah to defeat the god Urzkartaga who had cursed Barbara-Ann and so Diana needs to fight that guy and also save Steve and other trapped women in the process. Moreover we find what Etta has been upto and a changed status quo. Future enemies like Veronica cale are here and its gonna be epic and a great romantic reunion between the two but when she discovers the truth of Themysciria its gonna change her world forever.
It was a great volume and like totally changed her world in a good way and I like how the writer explains it and some scenes even without reading it are read better. Plus I like how he redeems Cheetah in a very interesting way and their friendship is so well read and finally Steve and Diana reunited, one of my fav couples and this was a cherry on the top but the main is the art which is good and detailed and mythic almost and makes this title so much better.
I remember reading it when it was coming out but its mostly about rebooting the N52 version of Diana as we find that her origin and her adventures there was a lie and then she faces off against this truth and she teams with Cheetah to defeat the god Urzkartaga who had cursed Barbara-Ann and so Diana needs to fight that guy and also save Steve and other trapped women in the process. Moreover we find what Etta has been upto and a changed status quo. Future enemies like Veronica cale are here and its gonna be epic and a great romantic reunion between the two but when she discovers the truth of Themysciria its gonna change her world forever.
It was a great volume and like totally changed her world in a good way and I like how the writer explains it and some scenes even without reading it are read better. Plus I like how he redeems Cheetah in a very interesting way and their friendship is so well read and finally Steve and Diana reunited, one of my fav couples and this was a cherry on the top but the main is the art which is good and detailed and mythic almost and makes this title so much better.
February 13, 2017
More like a 3.5 star read, but I find myself up-rating simply because it seems headed in a direction I might come to eventually love (unlike the whole Olympian pantheon/God of War business circa New 52). I also seriously enjoyed that this one used Cheetah in such an unexpected way. However, as much as I've always loved the idea of Wonder Woman as a character, it will take something really special in terms of execution to get me completely invested. I haven't found that feeling in any of the older comics either, they all seem to be just slightly off the mark -- or extremely far from it, in variously horrifying/ridiculous ways. Overall, a refreshing change but it gets a giant WE'LL SEE from me personally.
January 11, 2022
Rebirth? Or Retread?
Meh.
I’ve only read a handful of books from Greg Rucka so I was not sure what to expect, but I’m more familiar with Liam Sharp’s fine work and so I opened this GN collection of the first few issues of the WW rebirth start with some optimism.
Sharp’s art was pretty good but not his best work and I just did not get excited about the storyline at all. I can appreciate that Rucka and team may have been providing a foundation for the Rebirth reset and this could get better, but I’m not in.
Meh.
I’ve only read a handful of books from Greg Rucka so I was not sure what to expect, but I’m more familiar with Liam Sharp’s fine work and so I opened this GN collection of the first few issues of the WW rebirth start with some optimism.
Sharp’s art was pretty good but not his best work and I just did not get excited about the storyline at all. I can appreciate that Rucka and team may have been providing a foundation for the Rebirth reset and this could get better, but I’m not in.
April 19, 2019
Okay, finally, a Wonder Woman comic I’ll read volume 2 of... but it’s far from perfect.
What’s it about?
In a more meta take on Wonder Woman she’s confused about who she is. All the time lines, multiverses, etc. have gotten her brain confused about who she is and what the hell has and hasn’t happened. Out on a self discovery adventure, she goes!
Pros:
The story is interesting, partially because of how different of a superhero comic this is. It is so unique. I would have expected this sorta story from Vertigo more than I would have expected it from main line DC, I actually think this would appeal to many people who aren’t usually superhero fans because of that.
The art is quite impressive, gives the story a nice tone and really pops out for the reader.
There is quite a bit of action. It is very intense, exciting throughout and a tad though not overly more bloody than I expected from a Wonder Woman comic. I like that. One of Rucka’s strong areas is definitely action scenes.
This book is less predictable than many superhero comics because of the unique take, I definitely appreciate that.
There’s some social commentary that is pretty well written. Sometimes I get worried commentary on things such as feminism will get to that cringey SJW level, fortunately aside from a few iffy lines it doesn’t and still brings a powerful message of female strength so I like that.
Cons:
The characters aren’t interesting. I don’t know why as much as I like the character in various films, cartoons and other comics but Wonder Woman tends to not be interesting in books where she’s the main character. In this, while the story is unique, Wonder Woman just felt like a generic superhero. The villains are kinda average, nothing we haven’t seen before. Steve and Etta are just kinda bland as are most of the other characters.
The dialogue doesn’t work. There are a lot of cringey and/or cliche lines throughout.
The Diane and Steve thing is weird in this and doesn’t work. I’m not gonna go on too much about this but it’s DEFINITELY complicated and I didn’t care for it.
Overall:
Good book, I’ll add volume 2 to my reading list. It’s not amazing though. If you want a unique, sorta meta take on Wonder Woman it’s a good one for you, if not I don’t really see why you’d bother. It’s like if Wonder Woman landed in a strange, interesting but not quite amazing Vertigo comic so it should definitely interest some but it’s not quite in the great category, at least in my opinion.
4/5
[AFTER REVIEW SONG PARODY!]
(First time trying this, have a few ideas though hopefully not too many, don’t want to annoy you guys)
(Warning: strong language and fourth wall breaking)
(Read in the tune of Time is Up by Poppy)
Over at DC
At the publisher where they make me
I woke up confused
Dizzy from the rewriting
It’s a reboot again?
Oh my gosh, I don't even know
It's a mystery
Everything around me's so crazy
Am I your hope?
Am I a war-bringer or your deliverer?
Oh my gosh, I don't even know
I need to find some things and find out ‘bout me
And every re-writing has got me so lost
Oh, I will still survive when I find my life
And the truth is found and yes I shall know
All the time lines are fucked, ooh woo hoo
All the time lines are fucked
My story’s all messed up, ooh woo hoo
My story’s so messed up, so messed up, so messed up
All the time lines are fucked
The story’s all messed up
Sure eventually I will find out more things about me
I cannot believe
My life is confusing
In a multiverse mess, finding out myself is my hope
Comics history, feminism, TV and movies
In my legacy
I am kind of impressed
As I am on this quest
Oh my gosh, how have I not known
I‘m searching for the keys of my history
And every reboot has gotten me confused
As I wonder why I ask who am I
And the multiverse is just a big hoax
All the time lines are fucked
All the time lines are fucked
All the time lines are fucked
My story’s all messed up, all messed up, all messed up
Cause the time lines are fucked, ooh woo hoo
Cause the time lines are fucked
Oh my gosh it’s messed up, ooh woo hoo
Everything’s been messed up, been messed up, been messed up
Cause the time lines are fucked
All of it’s been messed up
All the time lines are fucked
What’s it about?
In a more meta take on Wonder Woman she’s confused about who she is. All the time lines, multiverses, etc. have gotten her brain confused about who she is and what the hell has and hasn’t happened. Out on a self discovery adventure, she goes!
Pros:
The story is interesting, partially because of how different of a superhero comic this is. It is so unique. I would have expected this sorta story from Vertigo more than I would have expected it from main line DC, I actually think this would appeal to many people who aren’t usually superhero fans because of that.
The art is quite impressive, gives the story a nice tone and really pops out for the reader.
There is quite a bit of action. It is very intense, exciting throughout and a tad though not overly more bloody than I expected from a Wonder Woman comic. I like that. One of Rucka’s strong areas is definitely action scenes.
This book is less predictable than many superhero comics because of the unique take, I definitely appreciate that.
There’s some social commentary that is pretty well written. Sometimes I get worried commentary on things such as feminism will get to that cringey SJW level, fortunately aside from a few iffy lines it doesn’t and still brings a powerful message of female strength so I like that.
Cons:
The characters aren’t interesting. I don’t know why as much as I like the character in various films, cartoons and other comics but Wonder Woman tends to not be interesting in books where she’s the main character. In this, while the story is unique, Wonder Woman just felt like a generic superhero. The villains are kinda average, nothing we haven’t seen before. Steve and Etta are just kinda bland as are most of the other characters.
The dialogue doesn’t work. There are a lot of cringey and/or cliche lines throughout.
The Diane and Steve thing is weird in this and doesn’t work. I’m not gonna go on too much about this but it’s DEFINITELY complicated and I didn’t care for it.
Overall:
Good book, I’ll add volume 2 to my reading list. It’s not amazing though. If you want a unique, sorta meta take on Wonder Woman it’s a good one for you, if not I don’t really see why you’d bother. It’s like if Wonder Woman landed in a strange, interesting but not quite amazing Vertigo comic so it should definitely interest some but it’s not quite in the great category, at least in my opinion.
4/5
[AFTER REVIEW SONG PARODY!]
(First time trying this, have a few ideas though hopefully not too many, don’t want to annoy you guys)
(Warning: strong language and fourth wall breaking)
(Read in the tune of Time is Up by Poppy)
Over at DC
At the publisher where they make me
I woke up confused
Dizzy from the rewriting
It’s a reboot again?
Oh my gosh, I don't even know
It's a mystery
Everything around me's so crazy
Am I your hope?
Am I a war-bringer or your deliverer?
Oh my gosh, I don't even know
I need to find some things and find out ‘bout me
And every re-writing has got me so lost
Oh, I will still survive when I find my life
And the truth is found and yes I shall know
All the time lines are fucked, ooh woo hoo
All the time lines are fucked
My story’s all messed up, ooh woo hoo
My story’s so messed up, so messed up, so messed up
All the time lines are fucked
The story’s all messed up
Sure eventually I will find out more things about me
I cannot believe
My life is confusing
In a multiverse mess, finding out myself is my hope
Comics history, feminism, TV and movies
In my legacy
I am kind of impressed
As I am on this quest
Oh my gosh, how have I not known
I‘m searching for the keys of my history
And every reboot has gotten me confused
As I wonder why I ask who am I
And the multiverse is just a big hoax
All the time lines are fucked
All the time lines are fucked
All the time lines are fucked
My story’s all messed up, all messed up, all messed up
Cause the time lines are fucked, ooh woo hoo
Cause the time lines are fucked
Oh my gosh it’s messed up, ooh woo hoo
Everything’s been messed up, been messed up, been messed up
Cause the time lines are fucked
All of it’s been messed up
All the time lines are fucked
June 4, 2017
D.C.: *hands me a bouquet of beautiful flowers with a written apology for everything they've done to me over the years*
July 1, 2017
Diana , why are you keeping me up waaaay past my bed-time?
Loved this one.
But before I tell you how much I loved this comic , can I just address something.
Reading the DC Rebirth is quite confusing to me at this point as I have no prior knowledge or background on any of these characters. I'm just taking the stories as they are and hoping they grow over time and I get to experience a bit more of the characters history and origin.
(It's not like they don't touch the subject , but it is very vague to a newcomer).
ANYWAY!
Back to the story.
I really, really enjoyed this one. Significantly more than I enjoyed Harley Quinn, Volume 1: Die Laughing. It was way more organized and carried a single story/adventure through the whole volume.
Even though Harley is meant to be spontaneous and all over the place I don't really know how well that translates to the page in that GN. It's a bit much.
Wonder Woman (a.k.a Diana) is a very serious and troubled Character. Not as open and easy to understand as others. I find myself wanting to relate to her because she is so serious but it would be cool to see a crack in her emotional armor.
There are a few things that I am still awaiting answers to.
Cheetah was a really cool character but I did have to do some quick research on her origin and condition. Her story has changed so dramatically over time that it's best to just refer to the newer stuff.
I also wonder about the timeline of Cheetah's condition. It plays a big factor in her desperation to rid herself of this curse.
All-in-all super cool story. Very dark and a gripping ending. Will 100% pick up the next volume.
...Like , 100%
Loved this one.
But before I tell you how much I loved this comic , can I just address something.
Reading the DC Rebirth is quite confusing to me at this point as I have no prior knowledge or background on any of these characters. I'm just taking the stories as they are and hoping they grow over time and I get to experience a bit more of the characters history and origin.
(It's not like they don't touch the subject , but it is very vague to a newcomer).
ANYWAY!
Back to the story.
I really, really enjoyed this one. Significantly more than I enjoyed Harley Quinn, Volume 1: Die Laughing. It was way more organized and carried a single story/adventure through the whole volume.
Even though Harley is meant to be spontaneous and all over the place I don't really know how well that translates to the page in that GN. It's a bit much.
Wonder Woman (a.k.a Diana) is a very serious and troubled Character. Not as open and easy to understand as others. I find myself wanting to relate to her because she is so serious but it would be cool to see a crack in her emotional armor.
There are a few things that I am still awaiting answers to.
Cheetah was a really cool character but I did have to do some quick research on her origin and condition. Her story has changed so dramatically over time that it's best to just refer to the newer stuff.
I also wonder about the timeline of Cheetah's condition. It plays a big factor in her desperation to rid herself of this curse.
All-in-all super cool story. Very dark and a gripping ending. Will 100% pick up the next volume.
...Like , 100%
February 7, 2018
It's hard being a Wonder Woman fan. I'm a huge fan of both her and Supergirl but while the latter is having a Renaissance since her reintroduction into the DCU after decades of mishandling, Wonder Woman is in an odd space. Still, Gal Gadot's movie portrayal has given her prominence she's not had in decades. So, that has encouraged DC comics to try to undo the literal decades of bad handling which has caused her to be rebooted dozens of times.
The problem with Wonder Woman in comics is not the character herself. Generally, fans have an idea of who Diana Prince is, which is better than some superheroes. However, there's generally nothing else they can say about her. Who are her supporting cast members, who is her love interest, who are her rogues, and so on. Recently, she had a bunch of EVIL Amazons and the origin as the daughter of Zeus.
So what is the reboot of Wonder Woman to rescue her from this crazy story of evil Amazons and Zeus' daughter. Well, basically, Wonder Woman had been deluded by the gods (and they can do that) so that she never returned from Themyscira after her first departure. Everything since then has been a fake delusion designed to keep a secret about the island, well, secret. The book also reintroduces Steve Trevor as a love interest. This shouldn't be surprising but Steve actually hasn't been Wonder Woman's boyfriend for like thirty years. It's like finding out Superman had been with Lana Lang instead of Lois Lane since 1986. Wow, thirty years. That makes me feel old.
Steve Trevor is re-imagined as a forward thinking Special Forces soldier who doesn't always read as authentic (would he really talk about Toxic Masculinity during a survival situation) but is still the kind of Steve Rogers-esque good guy who we could imagine Diana falling for. Cheetah is re-imagined as a friend of Diana and someone she wants to save, which she does by breaking her curse by the evil god who abused her. Given I never liked "Cheetah cursed by misogynist god" as an origin, I hope she gets her powers back from a more interesting way. We also have Diana basically say the rather wise, "Yes, I dated Superman Steve but that doesn't mean I loved you less. It's just, I loved someone else."
Basically, this is a continuity reboot graphic novel and while it's sweeping away a lot of garbage and restoring the iconic version of the Amazons, I'm not sure that's a great story by itself. Still, Diana FEELS in character and that's something I can rarely say.
The problem with Wonder Woman in comics is not the character herself. Generally, fans have an idea of who Diana Prince is, which is better than some superheroes. However, there's generally nothing else they can say about her. Who are her supporting cast members, who is her love interest, who are her rogues, and so on. Recently, she had a bunch of EVIL Amazons and the origin as the daughter of Zeus.
So what is the reboot of Wonder Woman to rescue her from this crazy story of evil Amazons and Zeus' daughter. Well, basically, Wonder Woman had been deluded by the gods (and they can do that) so that she never returned from Themyscira after her first departure. Everything since then has been a fake delusion designed to keep a secret about the island, well, secret. The book also reintroduces Steve Trevor as a love interest. This shouldn't be surprising but Steve actually hasn't been Wonder Woman's boyfriend for like thirty years. It's like finding out Superman had been with Lana Lang instead of Lois Lane since 1986. Wow, thirty years. That makes me feel old.
Steve Trevor is re-imagined as a forward thinking Special Forces soldier who doesn't always read as authentic (would he really talk about Toxic Masculinity during a survival situation) but is still the kind of Steve Rogers-esque good guy who we could imagine Diana falling for. Cheetah is re-imagined as a friend of Diana and someone she wants to save, which she does by breaking her curse by the evil god who abused her. Given I never liked "Cheetah cursed by misogynist god" as an origin, I hope she gets her powers back from a more interesting way. We also have Diana basically say the rather wise, "Yes, I dated Superman Steve but that doesn't mean I loved you less. It's just, I loved someone else."
Basically, this is a continuity reboot graphic novel and while it's sweeping away a lot of garbage and restoring the iconic version of the Amazons, I'm not sure that's a great story by itself. Still, Diana FEELS in character and that's something I can rarely say.
April 3, 2018
Wonder Woman. This is a character I want to love, but I just haven't read the right comics yet.
What is it? Why is this so difficult?
I guess Wonder Woman has this added thing that most heroes don't, which is that she's got the burden to be THE lady superhero. So maybe the stories are designed to please everyone, which means they are passable, but nothing super exciting.
I do think it's weird that there's so much focus on how Wonder Woman is dressed. At the risk of sounding like a complete pervo, I thought Cheetah's jugs were totally on display in this book, and that makes no sense. What is a cheetah-woman doing with boobs flopping around? Why are they fur-covered and still oh-so-shapely? What exactly is going on with that? I know I've strayed far beyond the pervo line, but flip through this book yourself, tell me I'm wrong.
Anyway, Wonder Woman's attire is the source of a lot of focus, but I gotta say, Superman runs around in what is basically body paint these days. Highlighted red over his crotch. Often complete with bulge! Crotch bulge! Why? Captain Marvel's costume is lauded, but to me it just looks like a naked chick and someone grabbed a blue pen instead of peach. But she's got full sleeves and a collar, so it's all good(?) Pardon me for being an asshole for a second. I think we give Carol a pass because she's got a hip haircut. We're like, No, she's empowered. Look at her hair! Parts of it are really short! Just ignore that her suit cups every part of her body that can be cupped.
Given the choice to run around in a skirt and bustier or body paint with my dongle painted red...I don't know, I need at least 3 beers to make a decision like that, and currently I have none beers.
I think the worst costume, hands-down, is Robin. OG Robin. It's not just the briefs, it's the little elf shoes that really top it off. At least Wonder Woman usually has cool boots.
That's the worst for me, but the worst for everyone else would be Power Girl. A boob window on me? Pale chest with wispy chest hair. Guh.
But that's kind of part of this whole thing. Wonder Woman has to be strong, but beautiful. Wonder Woman has to be complex, but also relatable. Wonder Woman has to be a goddess, but also a woman. Wonder Woman has to be real, but also fantastic. Wonder Woman has to be all these different, polarized things, and the compromise seems to be meeting in the middle, which makes for something that's a little homogenized for my liking most of the time.
I'd say, Consider:
Consider giving Wonder Woman a worthy foe. One that tests her in some significant way. Her rogue's gallery is pretty weak.
Consider Wonder Woman's unique position in being a hero who doesn't need a dual identity. What does it mean if she's Wonder Woman all the time?
Consider Wonder Woman's weakness. I don't know what that is, but characters are more interesting when they have one. And I don't necessarily mean Kryptonite. I mean, for example, Thor's weakness is that he's arrogant. That's what makes him interesting. He's a god, but he's not perfect. Wonder Woman seems pretty perfect. Consider how that might change and what that might buy you in a narrative.
Consider a Wonder Woman team-up with another hero, and the pair have no romantic interest in each other. What do we get from a team-up where we forget about the romance for once?
Consider what Wonder Woman wants. Does she want to be a superhero? Does she want to have a private life? Does she want to see the world? Does she want to go to The Moon? Does she want to eat tacos? A lot of her stories, this one included, see her sort of ping-ponged around from thing to thing, but I don't really know what she WANTS to be doing.
Consider what's at stake for Wonder Woman. It's hard with a very powerful character, but consider a story where the stakes are a little scary. Where you can tell me the premise and I'm interested.
What is it? Why is this so difficult?
I guess Wonder Woman has this added thing that most heroes don't, which is that she's got the burden to be THE lady superhero. So maybe the stories are designed to please everyone, which means they are passable, but nothing super exciting.
I do think it's weird that there's so much focus on how Wonder Woman is dressed. At the risk of sounding like a complete pervo, I thought Cheetah's jugs were totally on display in this book, and that makes no sense. What is a cheetah-woman doing with boobs flopping around? Why are they fur-covered and still oh-so-shapely? What exactly is going on with that? I know I've strayed far beyond the pervo line, but flip through this book yourself, tell me I'm wrong.
Anyway, Wonder Woman's attire is the source of a lot of focus, but I gotta say, Superman runs around in what is basically body paint these days. Highlighted red over his crotch. Often complete with bulge! Crotch bulge! Why? Captain Marvel's costume is lauded, but to me it just looks like a naked chick and someone grabbed a blue pen instead of peach. But she's got full sleeves and a collar, so it's all good(?) Pardon me for being an asshole for a second. I think we give Carol a pass because she's got a hip haircut. We're like, No, she's empowered. Look at her hair! Parts of it are really short! Just ignore that her suit cups every part of her body that can be cupped.
Given the choice to run around in a skirt and bustier or body paint with my dongle painted red...I don't know, I need at least 3 beers to make a decision like that, and currently I have none beers.
I think the worst costume, hands-down, is Robin. OG Robin. It's not just the briefs, it's the little elf shoes that really top it off. At least Wonder Woman usually has cool boots.
That's the worst for me, but the worst for everyone else would be Power Girl. A boob window on me? Pale chest with wispy chest hair. Guh.
But that's kind of part of this whole thing. Wonder Woman has to be strong, but beautiful. Wonder Woman has to be complex, but also relatable. Wonder Woman has to be a goddess, but also a woman. Wonder Woman has to be real, but also fantastic. Wonder Woman has to be all these different, polarized things, and the compromise seems to be meeting in the middle, which makes for something that's a little homogenized for my liking most of the time.
I'd say, Consider:
Consider giving Wonder Woman a worthy foe. One that tests her in some significant way. Her rogue's gallery is pretty weak.
Consider Wonder Woman's unique position in being a hero who doesn't need a dual identity. What does it mean if she's Wonder Woman all the time?
Consider Wonder Woman's weakness. I don't know what that is, but characters are more interesting when they have one. And I don't necessarily mean Kryptonite. I mean, for example, Thor's weakness is that he's arrogant. That's what makes him interesting. He's a god, but he's not perfect. Wonder Woman seems pretty perfect. Consider how that might change and what that might buy you in a narrative.
Consider a Wonder Woman team-up with another hero, and the pair have no romantic interest in each other. What do we get from a team-up where we forget about the romance for once?
Consider what Wonder Woman wants. Does she want to be a superhero? Does she want to have a private life? Does she want to see the world? Does she want to go to The Moon? Does she want to eat tacos? A lot of her stories, this one included, see her sort of ping-ponged around from thing to thing, but I don't really know what she WANTS to be doing.
Consider what's at stake for Wonder Woman. It's hard with a very powerful character, but consider a story where the stakes are a little scary. Where you can tell me the premise and I'm interested.
October 23, 2017
This was a very good rebirth/reboot of Wonder Woman. It introduces a character who I would consider Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis, although their relationship is very complicated, Cheetah aka Barbara Minerva. Also, Steve Trevor plays a big role.
I loved the artwork. While nice, the cover art doesn't live up to the wonderful illustration inside the book.
Greg Rucka is an excellent writer, and his skills are beautifully displayed in this volume. His understanding of what makes the characters tick is evident. He gets Diana, Steve and Barbara. He also examines our society in which the lives of girls and women are disregarded as not valuable, especially if they don't serve some usefulness. Barbara's character arc shows the damage that a misogynistic culture can do to a person.
I also liked how this volume delves into the Greek mythology aspects of Diana's heritage. Her father is not who she thought he was. She also realizes that the Amazons have kept secrets from her. This leads to her sense of disillusionment. Also this book explores Diana's relationship with Steve. Although I not-so-secretly ship Diana and Bruce, WonderBat, I like her and Steve together. I think the problem is that Steve is a soldier and is entrenched in the human world, whereas Diana is immortal and pretty much a demigoddess, which puts a time limit on their relationship, and they're still trying to figure all out that out.
I'm pretty happy with this first book in the Rebirth series of Diana. This is the best Wonder Woman comic I've read so far. Looking forward to reading more.
I loved the artwork. While nice, the cover art doesn't live up to the wonderful illustration inside the book.
Greg Rucka is an excellent writer, and his skills are beautifully displayed in this volume. His understanding of what makes the characters tick is evident. He gets Diana, Steve and Barbara. He also examines our society in which the lives of girls and women are disregarded as not valuable, especially if they don't serve some usefulness. Barbara's character arc shows the damage that a misogynistic culture can do to a person.
I also liked how this volume delves into the Greek mythology aspects of Diana's heritage. Her father is not who she thought he was. She also realizes that the Amazons have kept secrets from her. This leads to her sense of disillusionment. Also this book explores Diana's relationship with Steve. Although I not-so-secretly ship Diana and Bruce, WonderBat, I like her and Steve together. I think the problem is that Steve is a soldier and is entrenched in the human world, whereas Diana is immortal and pretty much a demigoddess, which puts a time limit on their relationship, and they're still trying to figure all out that out.
I'm pretty happy with this first book in the Rebirth series of Diana. This is the best Wonder Woman comic I've read so far. Looking forward to reading more.
January 19, 2018
First read: August '17; re-read Jan '18 to refresh my memory about the complicated plot before continuing with Vol. 3. (Vol. 2 was mostly flashback to origin story.)
The art is a good overall. Although sometimes there’s too much emphasis on the “rugged” in “ruggedly handsome,” and sometimes I found the amount of detail a bit overwhelming. It can be hard to focus when there’s a lot going on in a scene.
I've seen some reviews that complain about the art in different ways, and it's true that the art isn't always consistent. But I've grown to expect that in graphic novels, even if I don't understand why it happens. I thought the good art outweighed the less appealing art.
Most of the characters are female, which is interesting. Diana is definitely the focus, but it isn't as if all the other females are in a bridesmaid sort of role.
The plot was a bit murky at times. Part of it for me is a lack of pre-existing knowledge about the WW storyline. All I know is the most basic of basics. But the plot is also intentionally mysterious and confusing; the villain seems to be manipulating people's minds or possibly reality itself. I'm curious to find out what happens.
I'm sure it's traditional, but I couldn't help snickering at frenemy Cheetah's real name: Barbara Ann. It's a little difficult to find a character intimidating, even if she has claws and big teeth, when she shares a name with a silly Beach Boys song.
The art is a good overall. Although sometimes there’s too much emphasis on the “rugged” in “ruggedly handsome,” and sometimes I found the amount of detail a bit overwhelming. It can be hard to focus when there’s a lot going on in a scene.
I've seen some reviews that complain about the art in different ways, and it's true that the art isn't always consistent. But I've grown to expect that in graphic novels, even if I don't understand why it happens. I thought the good art outweighed the less appealing art.
Most of the characters are female, which is interesting. Diana is definitely the focus, but it isn't as if all the other females are in a bridesmaid sort of role.
The plot was a bit murky at times. Part of it for me is a lack of pre-existing knowledge about the WW storyline. All I know is the most basic of basics. But the plot is also intentionally mysterious and confusing; the villain seems to be manipulating people's minds or possibly reality itself. I'm curious to find out what happens.
I'm sure it's traditional, but I couldn't help snickering at frenemy Cheetah's real name: Barbara Ann. It's a little difficult to find a character intimidating, even if she has claws and big teeth, when she shares a name with a silly Beach Boys song.
February 18, 2017
When people talk about the best Wonder Woman writers, Greg Rucka is most likely to be in the top three, at the very least. So it's no wonder DC tapped him to return to Diana's character for Rebirth, because he gets her like almost nobody else does.
This volume collects issues 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, because the even issues are a different story. This is Rucka's way of approaching the Rebirth double shipping status quo, so this probably reads a lot more cohesively like this than it did in single issues.
This story focuses on Wonder Woman in the present, as she discovers that all she knows about her life and her family is a lie (hence the title), and sets out to discover the truth (but that's arc #3). Along the way she runs afoul of the Cheetah, and her old flame Steve Trevor. Hijinx ensue.
As I said, Rucka really gets Diana's character. Her compassion and understanding in the face of such awfulness is great, and her interactions with Cheetah are wonderfully written.
The art is handled by Liam Sharp, whose art I've never seen before but very much enjoy. Some of the poses get a little stiff, and a lot of this arc is set in generic jungle so it can get a bit samey, but the transitions from day to night are well handled by colourist Laura Martin.
Wonder Woman, like so many characters at DC right now, is in good hands.
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