Y'know, there's actually a story in this book. Too bad there's so much crap layered on top of it. First, I'm assuming that, bizarre as it seems, what with the delay in the issues and all, this is after the Manhunter appearance. The JLA is reformed. Yet the world seems to be against Diana, or at least someone in power wants the Amazon secrets. Nemesis is the only thing I really like about the book. He's drawn cute, he's written cute, and he's doing justice to the woman in peril who comes through when help is needed. Not a Mary Sue, but a Mickey Sue!
Wait. Maybe not like fanfic. More like a romance novel with all the verbal byplay we're getting between Tom and Diana. Tom and Di, sitting in a tree, k i s s i n .... wait, nevermind. The book is doing something weird to my brain, bringing out the snark in me. Let's try this again.
The art's decent. The setup for the attacking Amazons is intriguing. The only thing missing is the wonder in Wonder Woman. If this had been a book rebooting Wonder Woman, with Diana first arriving in "Man's World," I'd find this sorta believable. But not now.
Now, in Amazons Attack 1, things are clearer, because Wil Pfeifer can write Wonder Woman. He quickly establishes Circe's control over the reborn Hippolyta. Sure, we have that in Wonder Woman 8, but there's so much other stuff going on that doesn't move the plot forward much that it kinda gets lost. But here we have a lot of action and yes, as others have pointed out, these Amazons are hardcore. There's no mercy for men and if Black Lightning hadn't made it in time, the president of the US would've been killed. There are powerful images here, including the destruction of the Lincoln Memorial, and Pete Woods handles it all wonderfully. His facial expressions alone are worth the price.
By the end of the chapter, we also know that Sarge Steel isn't really Steel. There was an urgent, breathless feel to this, which was so unlike the Wonder Woman chapter. I'm eager to see how the DCU will be affected by the outcome of this new "war."
Next up: I review the goodness that is Justice Society of America 5 and the ever wonderful Catwoman. But for now, it's bedtime.
I rather liked Amazons Attack. Boy howdy, don't mess with Amazons! But mainly, because Polly is back, which is quite nice. Now she just needs to get with Wildcat, and I'll be completely content.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Wonder Woman #8 was just...puzzling. Gosh, the interplay between Nemesis and Diana was just so witty and cute, and it is obvious, that they are falling for each other...except that it ISN'T Wonder Woman for heaven's sake! It's more like an episode of "Moonlighting" or something!
She just sounds so false and out of character. I've always seen Diana as having a certain sense of regality about her, but this dialogue sounds more like Dinah than Diana to me.
By the way, did you read Blue Beetle? Fabulous!
Yeah, Sally, I agree. It's great having Polly back and the dialogue is very Moonlighting-ish.
ReplyDeleteHaven't gotten to Blue Beetle yet. It's on the stack. :)
Hi Sallyp (and Shelly!),
ReplyDeleteSally, you said, She just sounds so false and out of character. I've always seen Diana as having a certain sense of regality about her, but this dialogue sounds more like Dinah than Diana to me.
I keep returning, again and again, to the crossover WW and Flash event from Rucka's run, in which there is some cute Wittiness and no small part Odd Flirtation exchanged between them, and it seems, well, awkward and strange and cute, all at the same time, because, well, it's Diana and Wally (who already confessed in his own book to speeding up time when he first met Diana so that he stared at her for over an hour, and then he was sure she noticed; it was like crushing on your best friend's mom and the hottest girl in school, he said, or something like that).
Okay, longest sentence this side of Hawthorne. Sorry.
But my point is that a flirty Diana can work. It just falls really flat here. I mean, the scene with them in the sewer(?) tunnel? The "Hello/Hi there" scene? They're *lying in funk*. Here's a *really* great moment to comment about dirty minds, yes?
I don't mind Diana with a romantic interest. Since the JLU cartoon, I've been all about a Bat/Wonder try (although I haven't read the aborted attempt in JLA). But this just feels lacking in spark.
Ciao,
Amy
Oh yeah, flirtation is fine. But it has its place and the tone has to be right. This just seemed like it was thrown in there to be cute. It felt manipulative to me. Sort of: Hey, look at us, we're flirting!
ReplyDeleteI can understand Diana flirting, she's even done it rather well in the past. Heck, Beau Smith had her flirting with Guy Gardner for heaven's sake (and if worked!)
ReplyDeleteBut this just reads false to me. It's trying too hard, they're just too self-concious about it. There is an air of "aren't we cute? Look, we're flirting!" about it.
I'm not too sure that Diana would call Hyppolita "mom" either. Mother yes.