WONDER WOMAN #29

Rise Of The Olympian, Part Four:  A Changed World

April 2009

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Aaron Lopresti

Inks by Matt Ryan

Cover by Aaron Lopresti

Synopsis

In Washington DC, the battle against Genocide has ended in a blast that has destroyed the Department of Metahuman Affairs.  Shocked, Wonder Woman is uncertain what to do until Tom Tresser reminds her there are people amongst the rubble who need help.  Meanwhile, Dr. Psycho (in the body of Sarge Steel) prepares to escape.  Cheetah offers to delay Wonder Woman so eh can get away.  In the Persian Gulf, the Olympians board a Navy ship and demand to see the Captain.  In the heavens, Zeus approaches Kane Milohai to ask him to renounce Wonder Woman’s pledge to him.  Kane refuses.  Zeus attacks Kane.  Meanwhile, Cheetah attacks Wonder Woman.  Dr. Psycho tries to get away, but is stopped by the arrival of Steve Trevor, who wants to know where he can find Etta Candy.  Genocide has her.  Meanwhile, both Wonder Woman and Zeus claim victory.  Zeus takes the heart of Kane for his son. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I am finding it difficult to get into this story.  While I didn’t find this to be a bad issue, per se, I also can’t really say I was excited by the events or the cliffhanger.  The story is just there, a bunch of changes or twists to the plot that don’t seem to offer much emotional resonance.  Genocide is presented as the ultimate challenge for Diana and we are told through narrative boxes and internal monologue that this is Diana’s stiffest challenge.  Problem is, there is no reason why.  Genocide was presented as a Doomsday-like character and it shows; there is no substance to the character, no reason for being other than the wreck havoc.  I suppose you can argue that Genocide is deadly and tough, but a lot of Wonder Woman’s foes are tough.  In fact, we see it here with Cheetah, who gives Diana a good fight.  One could argue that Diana is tired and beaten, evening the odds a little bit, but I am sure there are other examples.  Yes, Genocide is tough, but if there was a reason, the character might have more of an impact. 

Beyond the problem of Genocide, we also have Cheetah, who is the mastermind behind the plot to, well I guess, to rescue Dr. Psycho.  Frankly, I am not really sure what Cheetah is up to.  Is she the one behind Genocide?  Is there something else going on?  I am not really sure, and maybe I am missing something, but it is not clear what Cheetah has done or what she wants to accomplish.  Like Genocide, we are being told this is important because Cheetah is damned impressed with herself, but I would be hard pressed to understand why she should be.  Spearheading a rescue of Dr. Psycho doesn’t seem to be that ingenious. 

The last part of the issue is the Olympians and Zeus.  This is actually, I think, the best part of the story and there is definite reasons why Zeus is doing what he is doing.  Yet, Zeus’ actions are relatively disconnected to whatever Diana is doing.  Eventually it will and I am willing to hang on until it does.  Sadly the rest of the story doesn’t quite match it. 

Origins & Omens

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

COMMENTARY

I think this may have been one of my favorites of the origins.  It is not a true origin so to speak since we don’t see how Diana became Wonder Woman, but we do see her literal birth and gather an insight into that moment when Hippolyta “birthed” her daughter.  As for the “omen,” the water scene means very little, but the pregnant Amazon and Tom walking away from Diana are curious little tidbits.  The one on the far right is probably connected to the Olympians and is the one that we will see first.  Further, there is a pregnant woman in the “omen” for Teen Titans; could it be Cassie, the one female character who would fit into both books. 

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