Wonder Woman and the Furies #1
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Scott Clark and David Beaty
While last weeks Emperor Aquaman chose to focus on the origins of the sinking of Europe, one of Atlantis’s big moves during their war with the Amazons, this issue goes a step further and gives us the origin of the war itself. Abnett and Lanning bring us a story that is one part politics, one part romance, and one part Shakespeare. The union of the faces of these two proud mythic races is front and center for this issue, and thus comes the war.
Fourteen years ago Diana of Themyscira left her home in search of action and adventure, curious about the wonders of the world outside the beaches of her home island. In awe of the sites she could see, even out at sea, she was unaware of the mythical sea beast coming up from under her. Thankfully a young Atlantean was there to help her slay the beast, and to save her from its venom. A month later Diana was returned, and she and the boy, King Arthur of Atlantis, announced their intent to marry to bring together their cultures for the sake of the world. And then somehow it took them another thirteen years to not only try and tie the knot, but to announce that their civilizations exist to the rest of the world. The whirlwind courtship doesn’t bother me in the slightest, as the two feel like idealistic young adults who have a desire to change the world and make it a better place. They are optimistic for a brighter future, one that they can usher in together, and considering how they are just a year later?
The second half of the book focuses on the wedding itself, just a year ago. The two ancient cultures both went public, media and dignitaries were allowed on Themyscria, and it was a huge deal. It wasn’t an ‘everyone’s happy’ sort of situation though, and by issue’s end we’ve seen just what creates the epic war between the two. To see how much these two characters change…well, how much Diana has changed from the start of the issue to the end. The events that created the breaking point are not light, and her famous rage doesn’t help matters along. There is sorrow and sympathy, but it isn’t as much for what happens to Diana so much as how it happened. Something is rotten and I’m curious to see just how exactly these events came to pass.
Scott Clark is fresh off of Brightest Day, where he was the Firestorm artist, and I really like his Wonder Woman here…well, Diana. I like the design work for the wedding, the Atlantean armor, Arthur’s robes, and especially the elegant yet simplistic gown Diana wears. As far as character works goes, the men, for the most part, have odd faces. Everyone looks a bit too aged, but the women look great. This wasn’t a problem I had during Brightest Day, and hey, it could just be the result of them being Atlanteans. There’s a brief fight at the end that looks good, but isn’t anything mind blowing or Earth shattering.
This is the first Wonder Woman book of any sort that I’ve bought since Blackest Night: Wonder Woman. Abnett and Lanning? They do a great job here putting together an interesting story featuring a character that appears far different than the one we’ve grown use to. They do an excellent job at humanizing the girl who would become Wonder Woman and showing her descent into the woman who slaughtered her way across the United Kingdom. In doing this they have pulled together a great first issue to hold in the sort of fan who, like me, isn’t likely to stay with Diana for long. As it stands, I want to know more about just why things have occurred as they have, especially if it means seeing her armies go on the rampage.
Overall?
8.5/10
