Azzarello Deepens "Wonder Woman," The New Gods & "Brother Lono"

[CBR News]

As his New 52 take on the Amazon superheroine with artist Cliff Chiang enters its next New Gods-driven arc, Brian Azzarello has reinvention on his mind while he also preps are return to the world of "100 Bullets."


Full article here.

[The Man From Room X]

In one month, its payback time.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

I've only read the first few issues but does Diana become more layered as the story moves on? I didn't get a solid grasp of that when I read it.

[SteveGus]

Will drop Demon Knights today as well. I think it will be a long time before I ever actually buy a DC book again. Didio needs to go even more than Azzarello does.

[telcontar]

Will drop Demon Knights today as well. I think it will be a long time before I ever actually buy a DC book again. Didio needs to go even more than Azzarello does.

Except that Azzarello needs to stay.

[Gaelforce]

Sadly, this article sums up my opinion on the book overall.

When asked about the comic book Wonder Woman, it takes eight or nine paragraphs before Azzarello and Chiang even mention the character.

Year One was about building the world, Year Two was about introducing the New Gods to knock that world down.

It's that approach that goes to the core of what I dislike about the book. Ask Snyder or Morrison about their Bat/Supes books, and right off the bat they talk about the exciting plans they have for the character. Diana just seems so secondary in the thoughts of the creators of this book :(

I do love elements of the book - the take on the gods, the story itself, but the focus is clearly on introducing all these new elements to the DCU with the book acting more of a vehicle for that world building rather than focusing on the character and building up a world/characters to support her.

[nightwing1982]

One of the very few monthlies that I am getting and enjoying from DC.

As for Brother Lono, glad to know that it was the creators wanting to tell the story.

[Mark_S]

In fact, the pair are barely halfway done

I'd really like to see them finish this story before the next ice age. It's like the Peanut's strip where Snoopy decided to read War and Peace one word at a time.

[ShaunN]

Sadly, this article sums up my opinion on the book overall.

When asked about the comic book Wonder Woman, it takes eight or nine paragraphs before Azzarello and Chiang even mention the character.

Year One was about building the world, Year Two was about introducing the New Gods to knock that world down.

It's that approach that goes to the core of what I dislike about the book. Ask Snyder or Morrison about their Bat/Supes books, and right off the bat they talk about the exciting plans they have for the character. Diana just seems so secondary in the thoughts of the creators of this book :(

I do love elements of the book - the take on the gods, the story itself, but the focus is clearly on introducing all these new elements to the DCU with the book acting more of a vehicle for that world building rather than focusing on the character and building up a world/characters to support her.

I completely agree. Azzarello has been doing a good job on this book, but I've never had any sense that he has any respect for, knowledge of, or concern with the central character. And, as I've said before, I can forgive him everything he has done on this book that was disruptive and destructive, with one exception: the complete annihilation of the Amazons as characters and as a people worthy of admiration. He turned them into murderers and rapists and took away their nobility. As far as I'm concerned, the first writer who replaces Azzarello has the task of undoing a lot of what he has done, especially with the Amazons.

[Power Guy]

I completely agree. Azzarello has been doing a good job on this book, but I've never had any sense that he has any respect for, knowledge of, or concern with the central character. And, as I've said before, I can forgive him everything he has done on this book that was disruptive and destructive, with one exception: the complete annihilation of the Amazons as characters and as a people worthy of admiration. He turned them into murderers and rapists and took away their nobility. As far as I'm concerned, the first writer who replaces Azzarello has the task of undoing a lot of what he has done, especially with the Amazons.

Agreed. What Azzarello has done to the Amazons is a travesty. Marston created them to be different from their classic Greek myth interpretation. He wanted them to be shining examples of feminine accomplishment and achievement. Azzarello's man killing, baby trading savages don't even come close to that.

[Leto]

I've only read the first few issues but does Diana become more layered as the story moves on? I didn't get a solid grasp of that when I read it.

She's still a little understated, but the zero issue in particular showcased her childhood and it helped flesh out her relationship with Hippolyta and Ares.

Azarello characterizes her as shifting between stoicism and letting passion or temper take hold often.

[majormcmeat]

That all sounds great, but these-

"And we have enough stories to take it through three (years)"

"We have the story completely mapped out. There have been a few minor details that changed along the way, but we're fulfilling what we want to do. First year was establish the world. Second year was bring in the New Gods and knock the world down."

"I think every Darkseid story ends the same. How about a little love for Highfather?"

-get me particularly excited.

[thepenguin]

Yeah he's telling a good story but I'd argue I seriously don't see any layers coming off Diana or anything to suggest he has done anything revolutionary with WW herself to improve her. He's taken people off her, and made Gods dominate her book. She is no different to what many people have written before. It's slightly conceited thing to say actually that no one was reading her. Is he trying to say his WW is doing fabulously well sales wise, more than other people? I think he might be incorrect there.

[Sir Duke]

I love this interview. I love this series. I'm a much, much bigger fan of Wonder Woman than I ever thought I'd be and it's all because of Azzarello and Chiang. I rank Wonder Woman as being one of the best books on shelves today along with Hawkeye and Saga. It's good that we now have an idea of how long his run will be. Sounds like 36-40 issues is a good length for a really solid, epic run.

And because I am an anonymous person on the internet, my opinion is fact and I'm right and everybody else is wrong and I'll whine about it incessantly if you disagree.

[slvn]

Sadly, this article sums up my opinion on the book overall.

When asked about the comic book Wonder Woman, it takes eight or nine paragraphs before Azzarello and Chiang even mention the character.

Year One was about building the world, Year Two was about introducing the New Gods to knock that world down.

It's that approach that goes to the core of what I dislike about the book. Ask Snyder or Morrison about their Bat/Supes books, and right off the bat they talk about the exciting plans they have for the character. Diana just seems so secondary in the thoughts of the creators of this book :(

That seems like a bit of a selective reading of the interview, though. What about this part?:

"Let's decide first off 'What is Wonder Woman?' and then 'What's the character arc we're going to be taking her through?' We're able to fill that in with some of these mythological ideas, which I was really interested in doing. That was a take we could do to freshen up the character by reinventing the gods.

[Emphasis mine]

According to that, defining the character was not secondary but "first," or primary; and the goal was "to freshen up the character", with "reinventing the gods" just a means to that end.

Other thoughts:
--It's nice to see that the Wonder Woman-Orion fight is apparently not just an empty promise that the cover and solicit are making.
--From Lennox's thoughtful posture on that page, I bet he's considering whether Orion is right to believe that Zola's child has to be destroyed, and if so, he's probably going to be the "traitor" in 20.
--I'm surprised and excited that they seem to be planning a third year.