4PointOh
02-13-2008, 10:53 AM
And then I saw something miraculous, impossible. The child sat up. The newborn. The first night of her life, the first thing seen with her open eyes was her mother drawing blood. She neither cried nor turned away. Inexplicably, I felt proud of her.
Well! Where do I begin? I’m a bit stunned to have learned that on the very night of her birth, Diana had conscious awareness. She opened her eyes, sat up, and understood what she was seeing. She took it in and was unafraid even after four of the most fearsome Amazons to ever walk the face of the earth attacked Phillipus with a fleet of arrows and stormed Hippolyta’s chamber. According to the new reading of Diana’s origin as illuminated by Gail Simone, Diana was Gangsta from the moment she was born. Go 'head, Ms. Diana!
I must say that the “What You Do Not Yet Know” portions of “The Circle” story arc have been the most compelling, the most emotionally resonant. The Circle, Alkyone in particular, are such complex antagonists (I hesitate to use the word “villains”). They’re conflicted, acting both in their best interests and against them. What do they have against Diana, whom they refer to as “The Dragon”? It’s so simple that it’s brilliant: Diana threatens the Sisterhood with Motherhood. Motherhood is an infection that Alkyone simply can’t endure, and we see why: she hesitates when she sees Diana’s infant face. She can’t bring the sword down. And toward the end of the story, she tells Diana, “You…you could have been mine.” Envy is poison, so you must eliminate its source.
Also, what are we to make of the golden eagle which comes to Diana’s rescue and whose cries awaken Hippolyta just in time to foil The Circle’s plan? Whose avatar is that? Athena’s? And what does it foretell?
Oh, by the way, do you want to know how Philomela was blinded? She was on the wrong end of Hippolyta’s sword. Diana had to inherit her gangsta from somewhere!
Diana makes pretty short work of the Nazis. Quite simply, as her mother lay dying as a result of the Nazi attack, Diana goes into full-fight mode—taking names and kicking ass all along the Themysciran shore. Nazis may be beasts, but they’re not that stupid. They know they are no match for the Amazon princess unleashed. They surrender. But of course, they couldn’t be Nazis without one last moment of wrong-headedness:
Nazi soldier: We…with the Society’s help, we got here once. We could find you again, Amazon.
Diana: You could. I wouldn’t. The Megalodons have your scent now, Nazi.
Translation: Come through these waters again and the sharks will rip you to shreds. And if they don’t, I will.
Then The Circle attacks. We learn that their weapons (the sword, the bow and arrows, the trident, and the clubs) are god-created.
God-created???
Are the gods aware of what The Circle intend to do? They created weapons that they knew would kill Diana? Why? Why would the gods who created Diana, who gave her powers that rival their own, also want her murdered? Do they fear her? If so, why? Can we draw conclusions about which gods are involved in this murderous plot based on the weapons manufactured? Do the bow and arrows belong to Artemis, the clubs to Hercules? Does the sword belong to Hephaestus, the trident to Poseidon?
The Circle took Hippolyta while Diana was busy fighting the Nazis. They use Hippolyta to draw Diana into the woods threatening to burn Hippolyta in effigy. They subdue Diana with their mystical weaponry, but they don’t kill her because they want to do things “the old way.” So Diana uses the blood from her wounds to mark her face with a crimson “W.” Then she prepares for battle (I love when Diana is in whip-ass mode!).
Alkyone, meanwhile, has taken Hippolyta to a mountain altar as Diana makes quick work of Philomela, Myrto and Charis (Oh! Their roles as Amazons are revealed on the first page; first interesting tidbits!) now that she knows what she’s up against. Diana confronts Alkyone, defeats her, and then asks for peace. Hippolyta, now awake (her wounds weren’t fatal after all), tells Alkyone that Diana wasn’t the monster she imagined her to be, that she was a blessing to the island and the Amazons. Alkyone refuses to believe this and, after the tender, revealing moment I mentioned in the second paragraph, she cuts Diana’s abdomen with the mystic sword and then leaps into the churning ocean below. In the watery shadows, a shark swims.
Diana tells us in epilogue that she searched the waters, but could only find blood (I’m certain it’s the shark’s). The rest of The Circle are re-imprisoned (though what’s to prevent the traitorous gods from freeing them is beyond me). Some of Diana’s simian fellows stay behind to stand guard of Hippolyta. There's also a hint of Diana’s animosity toward the Olympians in a moment that should have been a full scene:
The first thing she asked me before falling into slumber was why I bore the standard of an outsider god. I told her how our own gods had almost let out people pass forever. Why do we continue to worship them? Why do we bow, against all they have done to us? "Because they gave me you, daughter," she said.
What isn't clear is whether Diana is referring to the events of AMAZONS ATTACK (in which case, the Olympians are subdued and are being impersonated by the gods of Apokolips) or events prior to AMAZONS ATTACK. In either case, I'd love some elaboration on Diana's new thoughts and conclusions about the gods she used to love and worship (and who used to love her--in their way).
Diana returns home for a surprise party. Kal, Wally, Hal, Donna, Cassie, Plastic Man and some woman with brown hair who I’m unfamiliar with are in attendance. Also in attendance is Etta Candy, who we discover is a double agent Diana had infiltrate
I’m usually against six issue arc because they seem unnecessarily drawn out, but I think Gail could have used the additional two issues to flesh out some of the things that happened off-panel. What’s missing here?: a private moment between Diana and Hippolyta; why did Diana leave her mother on the island? Why didn't she stay? Is the island still cursed by Granny's shield? Diana’s reaction to her mother’s decision to color the true circumstances of her birth; an explanation of Etta’s conversation with the weirdo in Diana’s apartment (she mentions it to Diana as an aside). Also, the fight scenes could’ve been as epic and grand as the prose if Terry and Ron had panels and panel and panels to be free and fierce.
Speaking of the art, I felt as though something was lost here. I am a huge, huge fan of Terry and Rachel Dodson. Their work is so plush and luscious and textured. But Gail’s script, particularly for this issue, required something much more active, biting, intense, quick, and sharp. The Dodsons are a bit static here. There are some questions as to what is transpiring during the Nazi fight scenes (did Diana actually lasso someone standing behind her without looking?). Ron Randall almost achieves what Gail’s story requires, but he also falls a bit short. His storytelling here isn’t as clean or as crisp as I had hoped it’d be; there is one scene where it is apparent from the narrative that Myrto is supposed to be removing the trident from Diana’s arm, but it looks instead as though she is preparing to throw it. Additionally, there is a scene where Diana is throwing the trident—javelin-style—at Philomena and it is headed directly for her face, but in the very next panel, the three members of the Circle are charging Diana and the trident is nowhere in sight. We can, of course, assume that Philomena somehow avoided the weapon and the three re-grouped to go after Diana, but it would have been nice to have one panel to complete the logical flow of action. These are minor complaints that and I think that Aaron Lopresti’s style will address them. Then again, I know much more about writing than I do about art….
There’s still the question of what being born under a Hunter’s Moon means. Diana is left asking that question at the end. It seems to me that Hippolyta would have been the perfect person to answer all of those questions were she not recovering from her injuries. So I anticipate that mother and daughter will have to converse, and soon.
Despite some minor bumps, this story maintained its trajectory. It was still energetic and quick-paced, and still infinitely intriguing. It will, however, leave you asking more questions than it answers. And perhaps that’s for the best.
Well! Where do I begin? I’m a bit stunned to have learned that on the very night of her birth, Diana had conscious awareness. She opened her eyes, sat up, and understood what she was seeing. She took it in and was unafraid even after four of the most fearsome Amazons to ever walk the face of the earth attacked Phillipus with a fleet of arrows and stormed Hippolyta’s chamber. According to the new reading of Diana’s origin as illuminated by Gail Simone, Diana was Gangsta from the moment she was born. Go 'head, Ms. Diana!
I must say that the “What You Do Not Yet Know” portions of “The Circle” story arc have been the most compelling, the most emotionally resonant. The Circle, Alkyone in particular, are such complex antagonists (I hesitate to use the word “villains”). They’re conflicted, acting both in their best interests and against them. What do they have against Diana, whom they refer to as “The Dragon”? It’s so simple that it’s brilliant: Diana threatens the Sisterhood with Motherhood. Motherhood is an infection that Alkyone simply can’t endure, and we see why: she hesitates when she sees Diana’s infant face. She can’t bring the sword down. And toward the end of the story, she tells Diana, “You…you could have been mine.” Envy is poison, so you must eliminate its source.
Also, what are we to make of the golden eagle which comes to Diana’s rescue and whose cries awaken Hippolyta just in time to foil The Circle’s plan? Whose avatar is that? Athena’s? And what does it foretell?
Oh, by the way, do you want to know how Philomela was blinded? She was on the wrong end of Hippolyta’s sword. Diana had to inherit her gangsta from somewhere!
Diana makes pretty short work of the Nazis. Quite simply, as her mother lay dying as a result of the Nazi attack, Diana goes into full-fight mode—taking names and kicking ass all along the Themysciran shore. Nazis may be beasts, but they’re not that stupid. They know they are no match for the Amazon princess unleashed. They surrender. But of course, they couldn’t be Nazis without one last moment of wrong-headedness:
Nazi soldier: We…with the Society’s help, we got here once. We could find you again, Amazon.
Diana: You could. I wouldn’t. The Megalodons have your scent now, Nazi.
Translation: Come through these waters again and the sharks will rip you to shreds. And if they don’t, I will.
Then The Circle attacks. We learn that their weapons (the sword, the bow and arrows, the trident, and the clubs) are god-created.
God-created???
Are the gods aware of what The Circle intend to do? They created weapons that they knew would kill Diana? Why? Why would the gods who created Diana, who gave her powers that rival their own, also want her murdered? Do they fear her? If so, why? Can we draw conclusions about which gods are involved in this murderous plot based on the weapons manufactured? Do the bow and arrows belong to Artemis, the clubs to Hercules? Does the sword belong to Hephaestus, the trident to Poseidon?
The Circle took Hippolyta while Diana was busy fighting the Nazis. They use Hippolyta to draw Diana into the woods threatening to burn Hippolyta in effigy. They subdue Diana with their mystical weaponry, but they don’t kill her because they want to do things “the old way.” So Diana uses the blood from her wounds to mark her face with a crimson “W.” Then she prepares for battle (I love when Diana is in whip-ass mode!).
Alkyone, meanwhile, has taken Hippolyta to a mountain altar as Diana makes quick work of Philomela, Myrto and Charis (Oh! Their roles as Amazons are revealed on the first page; first interesting tidbits!) now that she knows what she’s up against. Diana confronts Alkyone, defeats her, and then asks for peace. Hippolyta, now awake (her wounds weren’t fatal after all), tells Alkyone that Diana wasn’t the monster she imagined her to be, that she was a blessing to the island and the Amazons. Alkyone refuses to believe this and, after the tender, revealing moment I mentioned in the second paragraph, she cuts Diana’s abdomen with the mystic sword and then leaps into the churning ocean below. In the watery shadows, a shark swims.
Diana tells us in epilogue that she searched the waters, but could only find blood (I’m certain it’s the shark’s). The rest of The Circle are re-imprisoned (though what’s to prevent the traitorous gods from freeing them is beyond me). Some of Diana’s simian fellows stay behind to stand guard of Hippolyta. There's also a hint of Diana’s animosity toward the Olympians in a moment that should have been a full scene:
The first thing she asked me before falling into slumber was why I bore the standard of an outsider god. I told her how our own gods had almost let out people pass forever. Why do we continue to worship them? Why do we bow, against all they have done to us? "Because they gave me you, daughter," she said.
What isn't clear is whether Diana is referring to the events of AMAZONS ATTACK (in which case, the Olympians are subdued and are being impersonated by the gods of Apokolips) or events prior to AMAZONS ATTACK. In either case, I'd love some elaboration on Diana's new thoughts and conclusions about the gods she used to love and worship (and who used to love her--in their way).
Diana returns home for a surprise party. Kal, Wally, Hal, Donna, Cassie, Plastic Man and some woman with brown hair who I’m unfamiliar with are in attendance. Also in attendance is Etta Candy, who we discover is a double agent Diana had infiltrate
I’m usually against six issue arc because they seem unnecessarily drawn out, but I think Gail could have used the additional two issues to flesh out some of the things that happened off-panel. What’s missing here?: a private moment between Diana and Hippolyta; why did Diana leave her mother on the island? Why didn't she stay? Is the island still cursed by Granny's shield? Diana’s reaction to her mother’s decision to color the true circumstances of her birth; an explanation of Etta’s conversation with the weirdo in Diana’s apartment (she mentions it to Diana as an aside). Also, the fight scenes could’ve been as epic and grand as the prose if Terry and Ron had panels and panel and panels to be free and fierce.
Speaking of the art, I felt as though something was lost here. I am a huge, huge fan of Terry and Rachel Dodson. Their work is so plush and luscious and textured. But Gail’s script, particularly for this issue, required something much more active, biting, intense, quick, and sharp. The Dodsons are a bit static here. There are some questions as to what is transpiring during the Nazi fight scenes (did Diana actually lasso someone standing behind her without looking?). Ron Randall almost achieves what Gail’s story requires, but he also falls a bit short. His storytelling here isn’t as clean or as crisp as I had hoped it’d be; there is one scene where it is apparent from the narrative that Myrto is supposed to be removing the trident from Diana’s arm, but it looks instead as though she is preparing to throw it. Additionally, there is a scene where Diana is throwing the trident—javelin-style—at Philomena and it is headed directly for her face, but in the very next panel, the three members of the Circle are charging Diana and the trident is nowhere in sight. We can, of course, assume that Philomena somehow avoided the weapon and the three re-grouped to go after Diana, but it would have been nice to have one panel to complete the logical flow of action. These are minor complaints that and I think that Aaron Lopresti’s style will address them. Then again, I know much more about writing than I do about art….
There’s still the question of what being born under a Hunter’s Moon means. Diana is left asking that question at the end. It seems to me that Hippolyta would have been the perfect person to answer all of those questions were she not recovering from her injuries. So I anticipate that mother and daughter will have to converse, and soon.
Despite some minor bumps, this story maintained its trajectory. It was still energetic and quick-paced, and still infinitely intriguing. It will, however, leave you asking more questions than it answers. And perhaps that’s for the best.