elvisdo's Full Review: George Perez, Greg Potter Ph.D., Len Wein - Wonder...
The world of super-heroes is usually reserved as a “boy’s club”. Tell that to Wonder Woman. Somebody forget to give her the memo about it. Created by William Moulton Marston in 1940, Wonder Woman became a symbol for the liberated woman, something that was a completely foreign idea at the time.
Throughout the years she has remained very recognizable standing alongside Superman and Batman in terms of popularity. Still, despite her status, she doesn’t seem to receive as much attention as her male counterparts. Ultimately, she met her demise in the 1985-1986 Crisis On Infinite Earths as the Anti-Monitor destroyed her. Actually, she was actually thrust back through time and devolved into clay from whence she was created. Why such a drastic move? The Crisis was a way of streamlining the DC Universe and starting with a fresh new approach.
Batman was revisiting his roots with a grittier approach thanks to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One. Superman quickly followed suit as John Byrne displayed a more human Kryptonian in The Man of Steel. Wonder Woman was the last of the big three to get revised but nobody wanted to tackle the job.
Coming off the monumental Crisis On Infinite Earths, artist George Pérez was hoping to take a break from doing a monthly comic book. However, when he heard that Wonder Woman was having problems finding a creative team, he volunteered his services hoping that his name would be the draw to gain interest on the book. After all, both Batman and Superman had big name creators attached to their books and he felt Wonder Woman should get the same treatment. His gamble paid off and the Amazing Amazon was re-introduced to the world in 1987.
Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals collects Wonder Woman #1-7 (volume two) in this new trade paperback book. This is the first volume (out of four) reprinting George Pérez’s first two years on the series, and what a gorgeous collection it is.
From Clay to Warrior Princess
Greek mythology has been an integral part of Wonder Woman’s world but has never been in the forefront like this. Pérez realized that this was virtually untapped and used it to his benefit. What he got in return was something that was completely unique from both Superman and Batman.
Throughout history since the dawn of time, women have been subjected to both men’s love and hatred. It’s that hatred towards women that proves to be a problem. The souls of the women who have been brutally murdered by men have been collected under the care of the Gaia. When the time is right she will release them onto the world again.
And she does, one day when the Greek goddesses set out to create a race of women. These lost souls are reborn and the genesis of the Amazon race comes to fruition. But not all the souls are given life, at least not yet. One soul is held back for a special destiny.
That soul is Diana, the daughter of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons. Born of clay, that last soul is miraculously given life with gifts by the gods. Princess Diana will become the Amazons’ greatest champion and is sent to the outside world, or Patriarch’s world to the Amazons, to save both the gods and humans alike against the destructive ways of Ares, the mad god of war.
But this is no easy task. As a foreigner, Diana has a tough time adjusting to her new environment and even communicating with people. These obstacles start to compound when the media dubs her “Wonder Woman” and thrusts her into the spotlight. Her goal is to stop Ares, but first she has to get through his children, Phobos and Deimos, as well as their creation, the monster known as Decay. Will Diana even have the fortitude to stop the mad god before he lays waste to everything in sight?
Rebooted and Revitalized For a New Generation
George Pérez single-handedly gave Wonder Woman a true purpose and one that adopts more closely what Marston envisioned when he created the character. Along with writers Greg Potter (who scripted the first two issues) and Len Wein, Diana of Themyscira became a much more interesting character, one that didn’t conform to the ways of the superhero. In fact, she didn’t consider herself a superheroine at all but rather an ambassador of peace and teacher for the Amazons.
Her introduction to Patriarch’s World was handled superbly. She was like a fish out of water, completely out of her element, and also quite naive and innocent in nature. The slow, idyllic paradise she was accustomed was replaced with a fast-paced, noisy lifestyle. Even moreso, she only spoke Themyscirian, a variation of ancient Greek. She needed to learn English when she arrived in America.
Pérez smartly introduced a great supporting cast. Julia Kapatelis, a scholar in ancient Greek culture, and her daughter Vanessa helped Diana adjust to this new world.
Steve Trevor is still around. In fact, he was the one who almost destroyed Themyscira, albeit under the machinations of Ares. He is portrayed differently than his previous incarnation as he is now considerably older and no longer a romantic interest in Diana’s life.
There is a quite an empowering feminist tone in this book and it is clearly shown through the character of Diana. Notice that I say Diana and not Wonder Woman. The latter is really a vehicle to sell the book but it’s the characterization of Diana that makes her completely compelling. The idea of being a superhero isn’t her goal at all. It’s to promote the Amazon teachings of peace, love and equality. I know it sounds like a 1970s hippie movement but trust me when I say no psychedelic drugs are needed.
The inclusion of the Greek gods and mythology really give this book a different direction. Pérez has really done his research and it shows greatly in his meticulous drawings and dialogue. He even takes it the extra mile by making sure that he uses the proper Greek names and not a combination of the Roman counterparts. His rendering of Mount Olympus would make M.C. Escher proud and quite envious. I’ve looked at it many times over and still marvel at his imaginative interpretation.
After Crisis On Infinite Earths, I didn’t think Pérez’s artwork could get any better but I was proven wrong. I think his work on Wonder Woman is even better. It’s the combination of his detailed art and wonderful story telling that really makes this an authentic experience. I find Wonder Woman’s revamp better than even Superman and Batman’s, and it’s because this isn’t just a superhero book. Yes, the superheroics are still there but it has elements of the fantasy world that I love. There’s something very mythological to it all. The narrative is also quite different. There is a lot thought that’s put into the character of Diana and not making her into another clichéd superhero. She may be preaching peace but she is still adept in the ways of the warrior. I don’t think any other male hero could pull this off.
Wonder Woman has paved the way for other powerful and strong female heroes such as Xena, Isis, Buffy and so many others. Her importance in comicdom history is great, sometimes overlooked, and it’s not because she wears star-spangled panties. Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals is really a twofold celebration. It’s a showcase of George Pérez’s stamp on the Amazon Princess and it’s a thank-you to the character who can inspire and empower women everywhere. Without a doubt, these are some of the best Wonder Woman stories ever told.
Product Details ISBN: 1401201970
Format: Paperback, 192pp
Pub. Date: March 2004
Publisher: DC Comics
Combining inventive storytelling and breathtaking artwork, WONDER WOMAN: GODS AND MORTALS masterfully reinvigorates the legend of the world s original...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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