Wonder Woman #18 cover *SPOILERS*

**FIFTY-TWO (52)** · 12-09-2012, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by tunneler

The target audience for the Wonder Woman comic according to DC is males 18-34 so it makes sense for there to be lots of violence in the comic since most males like violence in their comics. Making Wonder Woman stand in a pool of blood is also more appealing to the target audience because it makes her edgier and more realistic.
Also Wonder Woman has always had a history of violence back from the original comics when Marston made her kill some Japanese soldiers who were attacking some people in their planes.

Well, the cover tells me one thing: Ares wants to retire/die, and he's trained Diana to be the new god of war.
Wherever Ares walks, he leaves footsteps of blood. That's what Chiang is highlighting in the cover more than anything; Diana's bloody feet walking Ares' path.

**slvn** · 12-10-2012, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by FIFTY-TWO (52)

Well, the cover tells me one thing: Ares wants to retire/die, and he's trained Diana to be the new god of war.
Wherever Ares walks, he leaves footsteps of blood. That's what Chiang is highlighting in the cover more than anything; Diana's bloody feet walking Ares' path.

Yep. But how does he plan to get her to walk that path, after he found, when she refused to kill the minotaur, that she was an unsuitable disciple for him?

Here's a long-shot theory: he plans to change time so that Diana will have been more hardened and ruthless by the time he tries to begin grooming her as his successor.

The solicit for 17 says that Orion's reason for helping Diana recover Zola's baby will lead to a monstrous betrayal. Well, we know that Orion's mission is to prevent a threat to time itself, right? So maybe Zola's baby has some kind of power that can be used to affect time. The monstrous betrayal would involve War using Zola's baby to try to chnnge Diana's past and personality. Possibly War's means of doing this has to do not only with the baby but also with a motherbox, which is why it was important (according to one of the script pages shown at NYCC) to show that War possessed a motherbox.

The grown-up Diana's sad expression would probably suggest that his plans failed; either he manages to change her past but, in the present-day, she now regrets whatever bloodiness she was manipulated into; or she kills War, to protect Zola's baby, before War can change her past, so she is his designated successor but is no more inclined to take up his role than she ever would have been.

Lotech--I can understand finding the quantity of blood gross and unappealing as a cover image, but I don' think it says anything about whether Wonder Woman still stands for high values. We've already seen the Wonder Woman embraces love and mercy and rejects the ways of war. She's someone who as acted lovingly towards an uncle who tried to perpetually consume her and a sister who has trying to kill her. The cover seems to show us a young Diana as War would have liked her to be, but the grown-up Wonder Woman doesn't look too happy about it, right?

**John Ossie** · 12-10-2012, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by The Man From Room X

Really cool stuff.

Gorgeous work from Cliff Chiang yet again.

Agreed I love Cliff's work.

**FIFTY-TWO (52)** · 12-10-2012, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by slvn

Yep. But how does he plan to get her to walk that path, after he found, when she refused to kill the minotaur, that she was an unsuitable disciple for him?

Here's a long-shot theory: he plans to change time so that Diana will have been more hardened and ruthless by the time he tries to begin grooming her as his successor.

The solicit for 17 says that Orion's reason for helping Diana recover Zola's baby will lead to a monstrous betrayal. Well, we know that Orion's mission is to prevent a threat to time itself, right? So maybe Zola's baby has some kind of power that can be used to affect time. The monstrous betrayal would involve War using Zola's baby to try to chnnge Diana's past and personality. Possibly War's means of doing this has to do not only with the baby but also with a motherbox, which is why it was important (according to one of the script pages shown at NYCC) to show that War possessed a motherbox.

The grown-up Diana's sad expression would probably suggest that his plans failed; either he manages to change her past but, in the present-day, she now regrets whatever bloodiness she was manipulated into; or she kills War, to protect Zola's baby, before War can change her past, so she is his designated successor but is no more inclined to take up his role than she ever would have been.

Hmmmm, interesting theory you got there.

**Tiberious** · 12-10-2012, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by tunneler

Maybe it will be revealed that Wonder Woman was grateful to Ares for his help in the past and she agreed to be his wife and they had sex and got some children. After this she got a divorce because she got bored of looking after the children and left the island after telling the Amazons to take care of the children. The Amazons probably killed the male child and trained the female child to be an Amazon. Wonder Woman joined the Justice League and started dating Superman.

I would be a lot more into this if she herself killed the children. Handed them all swords and hacked them into pieces in an attempt to make Ares love her. He was upset that she destroyed his children and she offered to make more with him. He leaves her because he realized that without her bracers, she's crazy. She put the bracers on, leaving the island to fall for Superman because he is capable of creating the most destruction (which is the secret to really turning Wonder Woman on).

**Tiberious** · 12-10-2012, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by slvn

Yep. But how does he plan to get her to walk that path, after he found, when she refused to kill the minotaur, that she was an unsuitable disciple for him?

Here's a long-shot theory: he plans to change time so that Diana will have been more hardened and ruthless by the time he tries to begin grooming her as his successor.

The solicit for 17 says that Orion's reason for helping Diana recover Zola's baby will lead to a monstrous betrayal. Well, we know that Orion's mission is to prevent a threat to time itself, right? So maybe Zola's baby has some kind of power that can be used to affect time. The monstrous betrayal would involve War using Zola's baby to try to chnnge Diana's past and personality. Possibly War's means of doing this has to do not only with the baby but also with a motherbox, which is why it was important (according to one of the script pages shown at NYCC) to show that War possessed a motherbox.

The grown-up Diana's sad expression would probably suggest that his plans failed; either he manages to change her past but, in the present-day, she now regrets whatever bloodiness she was manipulated into; or she kills War, to protect Zola's baby, before War can change her past, so she is his designated successor but is no more inclined to take up his role than she ever would have been.

Lotech--I can understand finding the quantity of blood gross and unappealing as a cover image, but I don' think it says anything about whether Wonder Woman still stands for high values. We've already seen the Wonder Woman embraces love and mercy and rejects the ways of war. She's someone who as acted lovingly towards an uncle who tried to perpetually consume her and a sister who has trying to kill her. The cover seems to show us a young Diana as War would have liked her to be, but the grown-up Wonder Woman doesn't look too happy about it, right?

She definitely needs to kill Ares and become the God of War.

**brettc1** · 12-10-2012, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Tiberious

I would be a lot more into this if she herself killed the children. Handed them all swords and hacked them into pieces in an attempt to make Ares love her. He was upset that she destroyed his children and she offered to make more with him. He leaves her because he realized that without her bracers, she's crazy. She put the bracers on, leaving the island to fall for Superman because he is capable of creating the most destruction (which is the secret to really turning Wonder Woman on).

brettc1 likes this

**slvn** · 12-10-2012, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Tiberious

She definitely needs to kill Ares

It wouldn't be the first time, right? Didn't Gail have her kill Ares?

and become the God of War.

Or refuse to become the God of War.

**Franklin** · 12-10-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by slvn

Didn't Gail have her kill Ares?

The death of Ares in Gail's run was pathetic and anticlimactic, and it was not at all the way one of Diana's greatest foes should meet his end.

**Franklin** · 12-10-2012, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by FIFTY-TWO (52)

Well, the cover tells me one thing: Ares wants to retire/die...

Hm. That's an interesting idea, something we sort of saw in the Sandman a long time ago, with Destruction becoming tired of its role and simply walking away, retiring to Earth.

**Outside_85** · 12-10-2012, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by slvn

It wouldn't be the first time, right? Didn't Gail have her kill Ares?

He got better only a few panels later. Hmm...it was never explained how she managed to cleave his helmet, thing was supposed to be virtually indestructible.

**brettc1** · 12-10-2012, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Franklin

The death of Ares in Gail's run was pathetic and anticlimactic, and it was not at all the way one of Diana's greatest foes should meet his end.

I agree - cut down in mid Monologue. That's what you get for not watching The Incredibles.

But seriously, it did seem that way to me too. Always made me feel there was much more to it

**Tiberious** · 12-15-2012, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by slvn

It wouldn't be the first time, right? Didn't Gail have her kill Ares?

Or refuse to become the God of War.

No. Think of how much better that would make the book and the DCU if Diana were basically Kratos. She alsmost is now but the title would definitely make it. Having her the GoW would give her the rank she needs to stand out. It would add a much needed anti-hero vibe to her. Superman could even help reign her in and keep her from killing too many. It would also explain why she keeps the bracers on instead of using that power to claim the earth as her own.

**thepenguin** · 12-15-2012, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Tiberious

No. Think of how much better that would make the book and the DCU if Diana were basically Kratos. She alsmost is now but the title would definitely make it. Having her the GoW would give her the rank she needs to stand out. It would add a much needed anti-hero vibe to her. Superman could even help reign her in and keep her from killing too many. It would also explain why she keeps the bracers on instead of using that power to claim the earth as her own.

You'd make sense if Azzarello had Superman here. Superman might as well not exist in this verse. We'll have Orion though. Azzarello thinks they perfect together. So Dog of War and God of War...perfect bedfellows.

**slvn** · 12-15-2012, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by Tiberious

No. Think of how much better that would make the book and the DCU if Diana were basically Kratos. She alsmost is now....

How is she almost Kratos now? Kratos, from what I've heard about him, would have killed the minotaur, killed Hera, killed Artemis, probably killed Siracca, and certainly not proclaimed "I love everyone" or tried to give her mortal enemy Hades the gift of self love. She seems closer to being the anti-Kratos. I know you decided early on that id she couldn't be the epitome of goodness and kindness she might as well be the epitome of violence; but I don't share that simplistic black-and-white view, and besides, she's pretty close to being the epitome of goodness and kindness.