Diana's Horrific Make-Over
With the possible exception of Aquaman, none of DC's A-listers needed a reboot more than Wonder Woman. With her dated costume, somewhat silly name, and history of ridiculously fetishistic covers, Diana desperately needed a clean slate. That's exactly what she has been given, and while her costume only ended up getting a minor make-over, everything else here feels completely new.
Cliff Chiang's art is the first thing to really jump out here. More than anything, it reminds me of Marc Hempel's brilliant run on Sandman during that series's final story arc. It isn't what one would expect from a mainstream superhero comic, but it's also an unexpected choice given the much darker direction Brian Azzarello is taking Diana. Chaing's style is quirky, almost cute at times, yet in the first few pages, he is given the opportunity to show that he can go as dark as Azzarello will need him to. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that, yes, he can.
It may just be Chaing's great performance overshadowing everything else, but something about the writing in this issue felt a bit thin, and kept me from going a full five-stars for the rating. There's a lot of set-up here. We learn that Hera is looking to kill a mortal woman, Zola, for reasons that you can probably guess if you know anything about Greek mythology. Apollo also looks set to be a major character in the first arc, though just what he wants is not yet clear. Diana, surprisingly, plays a supporting role, showing up to save Zola without saying much. It's not that nothing happens, just that what does happen feels more like a prologue than a first chapter.
Nevertheless, I love the idea that Azzarello plans to take Wonder Woman in a more horror-themed direction, and that he doesn't plan to sterilize Greek mythology to reach a broader audience. It's a great way to shake things up and to give one of DC's most prominent women a more unique voice. As a result, Wonder Woman is this week's most exciting DC #1, and definitely a book to watch.