607 — spoilers

[TripleX]

Thanks 4PointOh, Teal_Lantern and AmericanWonder!

What? Nobody's going to mention Jason the minotaurs suicide? I didn't see that one coming. Whoever said this comic is like a horror movie was dead on point. That's what I like about it, there are buckets of blood and a sense that anything can happen. No one is safe. I don't think I've seen the lasso used to actually hang someone before. It was creepy, like the nanny's suicide in the Omen. It made the golden lasso so much darker. The part about it's ability to destroy was interesting too, Diana waiting so long to use it made it appear more formidable and sacred.

I'm loving Diana's mad-face and the return of Don Kramer. His realistic art suits the book so well. Diana's beauty is always evident, but it doesn't look manufactured or contrived in his work. His Diana looks natural even with the make-up, I guess it's because her hair is so ordinary and undone. Eduardo Pansica got his stuff together too, maybe he was rushed last issue because he was by himself? What ever happened the art was way better and I appreciated it.

The skeletons were meant to be underwhelming so Diana could have her inner monologue about rage. I found it effective and exciting and enjoyed the turns of phrase. The writing was dramatic but it wasn't overwrought.

One thing this issue wasn't short on was action, it was wall to wall, from beginning to end. Cheetah was scary and seemed to be a credible threat. Giganta's handling of the stone lions was AWESOME! They drew the hell out of that scene, I dug how Giganta didn't change size, she was just a big girl like Knockout or Marvel's Titania.

This time the dark tone was balanced by Diana's compassion and the liberation of Harry (I HATE children in peril stories). I also liked Diana's maternal side showing with all the "honey's" they made her seem warm. I definitely think Orinthia was under the influence of the Morrigan, she was intentionally trying to turn Diana and lead her down the wrong path. Glad to see she was too smart to fall for it.

I loved this issue, I read it four times in 24 hours. I just wish that well drawn but unread Green Lantern story hadn't been at the end. It forced the book to come to an abrupt halt when I thought I had more pages left. Still I got more than my money's worth and the storyline is progressing nicely. It shows all the speculation about Diana's anger management issues were unfounded. This is truly the hero we know and love.

[sacstateguy]

Triplex,

The minotaur's suicide was pretty powerful for me, actually. I thought there was something poignant about it. He's the first "bad guy" in this storyline so far that I actually felt sorry for. And that scene, I felt, was designed to evoke Diana's sense of compassion for her enemies. Nice to see a villain with enough humanity in him to feel self-loathing at his wrongdoing.

I, too, am pleasantly surprised that this interpretation of Giganta apparently doesn't need to get all big and stuff to be superstrong and tough. That's interesting. Perhaps she can still grow big if she wants to but can still use her superstrength in normal size?

[trypr]

I pretty much agree with Carol and BnL on this, although I think the art on this and most of the JMS run has been poor. To me a lot of it has the feel of overposed tracework and weak/misplaced detail infilling and anatomy, especially on the faces: there have been some stronger panels, but those still tend to feel stiff and shackled to reference material. There is profligate use of bizarre toothy grins/snarls/rictuses, as mentioned.

I still enjoyed it for the plot possibilities and ideas, I like what Phil seems to be bringing to the book, I do like some of the mystery, but Diana's supposedly special brand of righteous indignation made me skip that whole fight scene: I get that she's being goaded into anger but why do we have her monologuing to herself about how firey her anger is? It seemed like a very strange piece of characterisation (like a child trying to convince themself about how "no-one" understands them) in order to belabour a point. I think I skipped some dialogue and groaned at the Amazons acting like cruel idiots, as well: "honour and virtue" are perhaps the most ambiguous principles a family could stand for. They die as depressingly easy as ever, for ancient, eternally youthful warriors :/

It caught my attention in the writing that Hippolyta "welcomed the outcasts of the Patriarch's World to her paradise, without judgement" as well. Is this a (cross-dimensional) reference to the Jiminez run, the seafarers washed up on the shore, or something else?

I'm glad Jason the Minotaur was nice, even if his fate was very dark: and committed with the Lasso, that once again robs people of their free will. I'm not a fan of either development, thematically and otherwise, in so many ways.

Also, the Morrigan still feels like a "randomly plucked from an unconnected mythological tradition and reinvented for superhero comics" villain of the month to me:

I have the (likely incorrect and fantastical impression) that someone went "Who is Wonder Woman's defining enemy in her previous origin...hmm...Ares, the God of War. But we're absurdly sensitive about the way people could construe this as gender war so what can we fit into this Ares shaped hole? Aha, a triune goddess of war! Delicious irony! But we need to link it to greek myth, so lets kill off two aspects and shoehorn an obscure greek deity into their place to make the link..and..ehm..a roman one so it doesn't look "contrived". There!".

It bothers me that the deepest the invented Triune's characterisation gets is a scene where one member elicits tears from a stone head :/ Apart from that it's all "Aah delicious war. How much pain and suffering can we inflict: muhahaha!". Even Ares had a buildup: Circe and Barbara Minerva had real character. Why for three issues did we have panels wasted on textless roof/plane/car leaping, absurdly drawn out fight scenes, and an entirely disposable miniboss instead? I keep hearing that this is an "origin story" but I just don't see anyone buying that: really. Like it as you may.

And a happy birthday as well ^_^

[brettc1]

I'm still intrigued by the fact that one of the supposed Morrigan is missing, and we still dont exactly know what was going on in Hades.

Actually, just talking about that event in the Underworld makes me think how fractured this story seems to be, and I dont think its just in terms of the transition from JMS to Phil Hester. The first four issues actually seemed to have little value at this point, other than to retrieve the lasso - and frankly, I expected that to more momentous. Considering the number of mythological collectibles the Morrigan were surrounded by in their lair, it seems unusual that they would let the Colonel go running around with the Amazons most sacred treasure.

It was established in 603 that Diana can see souls, so its nice to see that concept continued here, though we still dont know why she can.

But getting back to the whole Hades enigma, I dont think the Morrigan are the key players here. They dont seem either powerful or clever enough to have manipulated this alternate reality switch, which makes me think they themselves are being played.

[dupersuper]

will the killing never stop?

I'm kinda' wondering who will be left for WW to lead when it comes time for her to become this prophecied leader...

[zryson]

I'm kinda' wondering who will be left for WW to lead when it comes time for her to become this prophecied leader...

exactly, its like this is the all-new wonder woman but who will be left standing by the end and will anybody care? it reminds me of a horror film --- diana i will be right back (insert murder of said character). hey diana, i am going into the kitchen, want a drink (insert another murder of a character). diana sits on the lounge wondering where everybody has gone?

also why is it so hard for this comic to get decent consistent art? just check out the credits for the latest issue ---

[brettc1]

Does anyone have any ideas on who the two characters are in the mosaid BEHIND Diana and the other Amazons? One looks to have a triangle set in his forehead.

Also did you notice the third member of the Morrigan is conveniently partially hidden? But they look to have brown hair and olive skin.

Of course, I have no memory of Diana ever facing these freakshows before, let alone leading an Amazon army against them - so perhaps this is the event that led to to the alternate reality being created?

And the more I look at the words and faces of the three Amazons telling Diana to destroy Jason's soul, the more suspicious their behaviour seems.

[Lynda_Carter]

I loved this Issue and I have loved EVERYTHING that has come from Phil Hester as far as Wonder Woman, I have not enjoyed Wonder Woman THIS much since Greg Rucka was on the book! Keep up the amazing work Phil!

[Kevenn]

When I read this issue, I appreciated Diana's compassion for Jason. I appreciated her strong devotion to the little boy. But my biggest overwhelming impression that I got from this issue, was an an editor "Wrap this $#it up!"

[Lynda_Carter]

Triplex,

The minotaur's suicide was pretty powerful for me, actually. I thought there was something poignant about it. He's the first "bad guy" in this storyline so far that I actually felt sorry for. And that scene, I felt, was designed to evoke Diana's sense of compassion for her enemies. Nice to see a villain with enough humanity in him to feel self-loathing at his wrongdoing.

I, too, am pleasantly surprised that this interpretation of Giganta apparently doesn't need to get all big and stuff to be superstrong and tough. That's interesting. Perhaps she can still grow big if she wants to but can still use her superstrength in normal size?

Didn't you say just last month that the book was so dark and bloody that it made you want to slit your wrists?

[trypr]

Does anyone have any ideas on who the two characters are in the mosaid BEHIND Diana and the other Amazons? One looks to have a triangle set in his forehead.

Also did you notice the third member of the Morrigan is conveniently partially hidden? But they look to have brown hair and olive skin.

I did. We've been told, within the comic, that the third member of the Morrigan is "the Greek, Enyo", so it's her (in some form). Macha & Badb seem to be ignored; though having Anann as a rampaging war deity is simplistic too. I think this depiction of the Morrigan does a disservice to a complex archetype of the divine feminine.

It seems likely that the occlusion was deliberate, so it's presumably someone we the audience would recognise but Diana and her sisters will not. And yes, to the brown hair and olive skin. I'd guess her prior incarnation (?) was killed; perhaps in that battle. The mosaic also references the Wonder Woman #1 cover.

...and triangle. Hmm. Ah, I see, you mean the mosaic opposite the one they are looking at. I have no idea. The one at the bottom makes me think of Dick Grayson, but it could be anyone.

[TripleX]

Didn't you say just last month that the book was so dark and bloody that it made you want to slit your wrists?

Yeah I said it was so depressing I wanted to slit my wrists, but you have to look at in context of the overall review. I also said I like darkness.

[Scott Taylor]

Interesting that the Morrigan are "grooming" Diana to become one of them. I liked this issue. Glad the cat didn't get killed.

[brettc1]

I did. We've been told, within the comic, that the third member of the Morrigan is "the Greek, Enyo", so it's her (in some form). Macha & Badb seem to be ignored; though having Anann as a rampaging war deity is simplistic too. I think this depiction of the Morrigan does a disservice to a complex archetype of the divine feminine.

It seems likely that the occlusion was deliberate, so it's presumably someone we the audience would recognise but Diana and her sisters will not. And yes, to the brown hair and olive skin. I'd guess her prior incarnation (?) was killed; perhaps in that battle. The mosaic also references the Wonder Woman #1 cover.

I agree - JMS would have done better to buy some copies of 2000 AD from the 80's and 90's and read SLAINE.

I'm not so sure about her being dead though - we have only the evidence of a throwaway line for that, and combined with the apparently deliberate hiding of her appearence this issue I suspect a twist.

[Finganforn]

I'm kinda' wondering who will be left for WW to lead when it comes time for her to become this prophecied leader...

Ama-Zombies