Wonder Woman #8 review

[Mart]

I hope no one minds a new thread - the preview thread is already so long that I thought an obvious point at which anyone who's read the book chirp up might make sense. Feel free to merge, Mods!

In short, still not the Wonder Woman series I'd like to see, but for what it is, a great issue. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang provide a novel take on the Underworld, put Diana front and centre, keep up the hints that Hermes isn't what he seems, maintain the creepiness throughout and provide a sharp, satisfying cliffhanger. Good dialogue, sublime art ... best issue yet, I'd say.

And if anyone wants (cos no one needs it!) a long version of that first par, I've reviewed Wonder Woman #8 at my blog.

[slvn]

I hope no one minds a new thread - the preview thread is already so long that I thought an obvious point at which anyone who's read the book chirp up might make sense. Feel free to merge, Mods!

In short, still not the Wonder Woman series I'd like to see, but for what it is, a great issue. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang provide a novel take on the Underworld, put Diana front and centre, keep up the hints that Hermes isn't what he seems, maintain the creepiness throughout and provide a sharp, satisfying cliffhanger. Good dialogue, sublime art ... best issue yet, I'd say.

And if anyone wants (cos no one needs it!) a long version of that first part, I've reviewed Wonder Woman #8 at my blog.

Thanks, Mart! Great review. I'm looking forward to the issue even more now, if that's possible.

Were there any hints on what kind of deal Hades is going to offer? The end of issue 5 seemed to suggest that his goal was to force Diana to help him win the throne of Zeus. I wonder if he'll want her to help in some specific way, like giving him the Guns of Eros so he as his secret weapon, or turning the Amazons in to his own personal army, or even (most creepily) taking the place of Hera as his "queen of heaven."

Or maybe, as has been guessed before, he wants to trade Zola for Diana's mortal life? Not sure what he would really gain from this, unless it would mean Diana (or at least her mortal part) becoming his most powerful servant and soldier and building block.

I know the solicits have teased an Orpheus scenario, but I have a hard time seeing Hades saying "sure, you can take Zola back as long as you don't look at her," unless he's really just taunting her and he plans to make it impossible for Diana not to look at Zola. Maybe that's how Diana gets "shot through the heart"; Hades shots her with a gun of Eros and makes her fall in love with Zola, so that she can't resist turning around and gazing upon her. :)

[Mart]

Oh, the deal is laid out ... I just thought I should stop there, leave some surprises! Let's just say, you're a sharp cookie!

[sberg1]

I hope no one minds a new thread - the preview thread is already so long that I thought an obvious point at which anyone who's read the book chirp up might make sense. Feel free to merge, Mods!

In short, still not the Wonder Woman series I'd like to see, but for what it is, a great issue. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang provide a novel take on the Underworld, put Diana front and centre, keep up the hints that Hermes isn't what he seems, maintain the creepiness throughout and provide a sharp, satisfying cliffhanger. Good dialogue, sublime art ... best issue yet, I'd say.

And if anyone wants (cos no one needs it!) a long version of that first par, I've reviewed Wonder Woman #8 at my blog.

Man I have to wait til Friday to get this but I am so pumped; the preview alone was amazing. I am so excited to read this! Great review

[Rob_Olivera]

I started Digital with number 7, so I could download it before getting off work to read it on the iPhone, but I'd rather wait to read it on the Pad instead! It sounds exciting. I just can't imagine Wonder Woman adhering to any demands from Hades! If it isn't what he threatened at the end of issue 6 then what is the point of him saying it? And what is the point of Diana traveling to the underworld if she's going to comply with ANY of his demands? This was a bust-out mission, not a bargaining one. She could've done that while they were face to face in London.

Oh well.. a few more hours and I'll read it! LOL.

[slvn]

I started Digital with number 7, so I could download it before getting off work to read it on the iPhone, but I'd rather wait to read it on the Pad instead! It sounds exciting. I just can't imagine Wonder Woman adhering to any demands from Hades! If it isn't what he threatened at the end of issue 6 then what is the point of him saying it? And what is the point of Diana traveling to the underworld if she's going to comply with ANY of his demands? This was a bust-out mission, not a bargaining one. She could've done that while they were face to face in London.

Oh well.. a few more hours and I'll read it! LOL.

Mart only says that Hades offers a deal, right? Not necessarily that she takes it--we'll see. I imagine she'd only take it if she thought she'd otherwise be unable to get Zola out alive. Maybe Hades has some kind of trump card that will make the rescue even more difficult, or impossible, than she and Hermes anticipated. (What that would be, I don't know Maybe Zola ate a pomegranate.) Hero that she is, Diana would probably be most prone to take the deal if it involves some kind of self-sacrifice for her friend.

[Maximum Impact]

She's such a naive idiot, and she had to be rescued by Hermes not once but twice. I also didn't like how she was willing to give Hades Eros' much beloved property. Who is she to give away something she borrowed temporarily? Then she turned around and got shot by the very gun she gave away. Damn that was stupid, and her bracelets were completely ineffectual. The dead souls under the statues and the one with the maggots in his mouth were cool images though. I don't get why everything has to be a riddle and the dialogue is so stilted and there seemed to be letters missing. Once again for two issues in a row Wonder Woman jumps to conclusions and looks the fool for it, the wisdom of Athena is definitely missing from her power set.

[Rob_Olivera]

She's such a naive idiot, and she had to be rescued by Hermes not once but twice. I also didn't like how she was willing to give Hades Eros' much beloved property. Who is she to give away something she borrowed temporarily? Then she turned around and got shot by the very gun she gave away. Damn that was stupid, and her bracelets were completely ineffectual. The dead souls under the statues and the one with the maggots in his mouth were cool images though. I don't get why everything has to be a riddle and the dialogue is so stilted and there seemed to be letters missing. Once again for two issues in a row Wonder Woman jumps to conclusions and looks the fool for it, the wisdom of Athena is definitely missing from her power set.

Oh Well, I haven't read it yet but now I know what the deal was! "Gimme the guns, b*tch!" LOL. What is the God of hate, going to do with Love guns?!

[Maximum Impact]

Oh Well, I haven't read it yet but now I know what the deal was! "Gimme the guns, b*tch!" LOL. What is the God of hate, going to do with Love guns?!

Although he's a candleheaded munchkin Hades wants a wife very badly. I think he shot her so she'd fall in love with him. He needs someone to put out his fire and Hera, Zola and Diana aren't willing to do the deed.

[Rob_Olivera]

Although he's a candleheaded munchkin Hades wants a wife very badly. I think he shot her so she'd fall in love with him. He needs someone to put out his fire and Hera, Zola and Diana aren't willing to do the deed.

Umm.. he's 4 feet tall, and she's 6-feet. She'll never know he was "there". LOL. Great, another Dr. Psycho. If Eros's love guns are not replaceable like Hera's mirror pool (apparently, or she wouldn't have been that angry) I'd say Wonder Woman just made another God-Enemy by giving away his tools.

[Auguste Dupin]

Nice issue. Azzarello takes a classic mythological tale (the journey to hell) and puts his own twists into it, as usual. Hades (the place) was kinda creepy and the idea that dead people take the form they want to is kinda neat. As for Wonder Woman, she takes charge and do the travel as on her own as she could, like a true cow boy (although she is a....Greek like .......Warrior.....Woman......yeah my analogy didn't work, I know). Hermès is no pushover either and has his first badass scene since the reboot.
As for the twist, well....let's just say that what will happen next issue is going to be......interesting?
(Now, why Hades did what he did......He may be a god, but he's just a man? Or he's going to use this opportunity to convince Diana to finally keep her end of the bargain).

[SteveGus]

Were there any hints on what kind of deal Hades is going to offer? The end of issue 5 seemed to suggest that his goal was to force Diana to help him win the throne of Zeus. I wonder if he'll want her to help in some specific way, like giving him the Guns of Eros so he as his secret weapon, or turning the Amazons in to his own personal army, or even (most creepily) taking the place of Hera as his "queen of heaven."

Or maybe, as has been guessed before, he wants to trade Zola for Diana's mortal life? Not sure what he would really gain from this, unless it would mean Diana (or at least her mortal part) becoming his most powerful servant and soldier and building block.

I know the solicits have teased an Orpheus scenario, but I have a hard time seeing Hades saying "sure, you can take Zola back as long as you don't look at her," unless he's really just taunting her and he plans to make it impossible for Diana not to look at Zola. Maybe that's how Diana gets "shot through the heart"; Hades shots her with a gun of Eros and makes her fall in love with Zola, so that she can't resist turning around and gazing upon her. :)

Call me Cassandra.

Yes. I don't see any point in this exercise other than to systematically twist or corrupt Marston's concepts. The Amazons are first reverted to savagery, then eliminated, then their character is assassinated. Diana runs to Hades to save Zola as a result of divine intrigue rather than attempt to restore her whole people's humanity; then we're told why they're not worth the bother. When Diana tries to be the inspiring leader, she falls on her nose.

I suspect that the ultimate goal is to turn Wonder Woman into a villain, or at least an antihero, with a new home base in Hades and perhaps new death-based abilities. What I've read so far, I consider an act of vandalism.

The chief subject of curiosity the story so far raises in me is, "what next can Azzarello do?" What further degradations can he wreak on the character and her world?

I can see him revealing that the Amazon sex piracy and the life force draining was somehow necessary to keep Amazons alive, Diana included. I can see Diana becoming some kind of sex vampire, adding the Liquid Sky superpower to her repertoire. I fully expect Diana to be making some kind of deal with Hades that will make her the champion of death and turn Hell into her base of operations, now that Themiscyra has been destroyed. I don't want to see these things happening, but they seem completely consistent with Azzarello's revisions to the mythos.

[Auguste Dupin]

Call me Cassandra.

But if you're Cassandra, that means we have to not believe you, even if you ever end up being right, you know?
Well, then, okay Cassandra.....I just don't believe you.

[Seant]

I also didn't like how she was willing to give Hades Eros' much beloved property. Who is she to give away something she borrowed temporarily?

She didn't actually borrow them, Hephaestus gave them to her to borrow-- which makes me think Hades and Heph conspired on the outcome, or that Hades asked for a favour from Heph.

Great issue. Beautiful and moody.

[slvn]

Oh, the deal is laid out ... I just thought I should stop there, leave some surprises! Let's just say, you're a sharp cookie!

Thanks--yeah, I was close! Except for the "falling in love with Zola" part.