WONDER WOMAN #33

Rise of the Olympian, Finale: Monarch of Dead

August 2009

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Aaron Lopresti

Inks by Matt Ryan

Cover by Aaron Lopresti and Bernard Chang

Synopsis

After battling Genocide, Wonder Woman returns battered and bruised to Themyscira.  Just as she is found, however, the creatures of the ocean emerge from the waters to attack the amazons.  As they fight the creatures, Diana is taken to safety.  However, she refuses to stay out of the fight.  Despite being severely wounded, she joins her sisters.  Diana uses her lasso and binds the creatures together and they start to attack each other.  Meanwhile, Ares orders the retreat.  On Thalarion, the Olympians battle the creatures as well.  On Themyscira, Athena sends a message asking the Amazons to help, which they do.  Diana seeks out Ares and kills him.  The battle ends and the creatures return to the deep.  Afterwards, Zeus asks Diana to worship him once more.  Diana refuses.  Zeus demands it as her God.  Diana tells him she has no Gods and leaves Themyscira forever.  Elsewhere, Alkyone says god riddance to the monstrosity while she lovingly adores the gift Ares gave her.  A daughter of her own.  Which she calls Genocide.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I am amazed with this issue.  Not so much for how good it is, because although it is good, I would hesitate to call it masterpiece.  No, I am amazed at how well Simone put together the different plot elements into a cohesive whole.  As the story has progressed, the different elements didn’t seem to belong together.  At first I thought the whole Olympians thing was just a set up for another story, not part of this one.  It seemed to be unrelated to Genocide.  In this issue, however, it makes sense, and it all comes together.  Mostly.  There is a lot going on, but a lot of it isn’t clear, mostly I think to the fact that Simone didn’t set up what needed to be set-up.  The final confrontation between Zeus and Diana falls flat.  It requires the reader to remember that Diana switched fealty to another God at a time when she needed it.  A dead one, now, thanks to Zeus, but nonetheless, a different God.  Yet, the story didn’t really reminded us of that.  It has been forgotten, so that when Zeus demands allegiance again, it makes logical sense for Diana to reject him, but on an emotional level, it doesn’t quite click because we are not invested in this God, or in Diana’s belief of the God (does that make sense?). 

The death of Ares was shocking, not so much that Simone killed off a God (after Athena died early on in the run), but the relative ease in which the God of War was killed.  I actually didn’t realize that Ares was dead until it was confirmed in dialogue.  Sadly, it doesn’t quite make sense for Diana to be able to kill Ares so easily.  Are you going to tell me that he didn’t see it coming?  Well, I suppose, since she hacks him without much warning. Some warrior, killing a guy when he isn’t ready.

I am not quite sure I understand the final panel.  Is this supposed to be the beginning of Genocide, which leads to Gencoide eventually going back in time to fight Wonder Woman?  Which is fine, if that is what is supposed to happen, but why would Genocide need to go back in time?  Genocide wanted to strip Wonder Woman of everything that she is.  But as Genocide grew up (assuming she grew up in a normal manner), that is exactly what happened, based on how this story ends.  So why go back in time to do what has already been done, unless it is one of those time travel things in which she was pre-ordained to do it.  Or, is the second birth of Genocide, a gift from Ares after Genocide fell into the sea.  That seems to make sense (and giving it to Alkolyne), but I guess I just don’t understand either Ares’ motivations or the need to give another writer the chance to return Genocide.  It just seemed weird to me.  I think the story should’ve ended with Diana walking away, lonely and alone. 

Speaking of Diana walking away.  Actually she flies away, which makes me wonder, and I have to ask this of long-term Wonder Woman fans:  wasn’t her powers given to her by the Gods?  Couldn’t they (or more specifically Zeus) take away her powers as well?  After all, she is no longer worshipping them and therefore is no longer their champion (and, of course, raises the possibility of the Amazons or Olympians might send another champion out in to the world).  Anyway, I don’t know why, but I fully expected Diana to lose her powers. 

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