We've reached the halfway point of New 52: Year One, and it seems like a good time to go back and look at some of the most outstanding series in total so far. So for the next month, I am going to choose a book each week, read all six issues, and jot down some general thoughts and reactions. This week: Wonder Woman!
When the numbers are crunched and the sales figures reach their stable plateau, the New 52 will be examined, poked, and prodded until every last ounce of data has been teased out. While most people will focus entirely on the monetary aspect of DC's 2011 gamble, there will assuredly be those that examine it from an artistic angle. I can say with a degree of certainty that, even if the New 52 is branded a failure from a dollars and cents perspective, the line-wide revamp will be dubbed a success creatively thanks to the infusion of talent and compelling products. While there are a number of such projects (including two I have already written about), I am tempted to say that the entire DCnU relaunch will have been worth it just for Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's Wonder Woman.
There's no real need to delve into Wonder Woman's history. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Diana knows that the character has struggled for traction in the time since her debut. Aside from a few high profile years at the very beginning and some success in the 1980s, comic series starring the Amazing Amazon just have not sold very well. There are many possible reasons for this but the most compelling to me is that writers have trouble creating an authentic voice and a proper setting for Wonder Woman. From her very beginning, there were seemingly inherent contradictions within her character. She was an Amazonian warrior sent on a peaceful mission to the “Man's world”. She was the daughter of the completely female world of Themyscira who fell in love with the first man she ever saw. She has all the compassion of Superman and the warrior mentality of Batman. In other words, Wonder Woman can be a challenging character to infuse with a credible voice. On top of that, she is the most famous example of a strong female character in comic books. In an industry dominated by male writers and fueled by male fans, it seems like DC Comics has rarely been sure what to do with her.
So, the fact that Azzarello and Chiang's take on Wonder Woman is so compelling and perfectly pitched comes as a great relief. From the very beginning, their comic book was very good. The first issue of the series may be one of the best, if not the best, issues of the New 52 so far and, despite a couple of slightly down issues, the complete series so far is the top book DC is currently publishing.
Along with a nearly pitch-perfect interpretation of Diana, the best thing Azzarello has done is revamp DC's version of the Greek pantheon. Wonder Woman books have a long history of including Greek-inspired mythology but Azzarello's versions are fresh and different but still instantly recognizable. Each issue so far has introduced a member of the pantheon while effortlessly juggling the interesting characters and a compelling plot.
The art has been equally phenomenal. Chiang, who will take over co-writing duties in a few months, has been quite good so far. He penciled the first four issues and they were perfect for the tone of the book. Chiang has the unique ability to infuse his stylized art with a depth many other artists cannot attain. Tony Akins did a fine job filling in for him on issues five and six, but I am eagerly awaiting Chiang's return. (Though, I have been impressed so far with DC's fill-in artist selection on some of these books. While Akins' style is not identical to Chiang's it was not a jarring difference.)
Though I realize that this kind of thing is subjective, I feel no qualms claiming that Wonder Woman is the best series to come out of the New 52 so far. It is one of the books I look forward to the most every month. Azzarello and Chiang have given Wonder Woman a compelling story and populated it with interesting characters. They have also created an authentic and feminine voice for a female character that male fans have struggled to connect with throughout the years. Wonder Woman is neither a major departure nor a complete revamp, but Azzarello and Chiang have captured what makes Diana great and given us one of the best interpretations in the character's history. I can think of no other character that deserves that more than Wonder Woman.
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