WONDER WOMAN #174
"The Witch and the Warrior, Part One"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer/Pencils: Phil Jimenez
Inks: Andy Lanning, Lary Stucker & Marlo Alquiza
Colors: Trish Mulvihill & Heroic Age
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Now this is a far more palatable crossover as compared to other recent efforts from DC.
Phil Jimenez decides to follow up the three-month "Our Worlds at War" crossover event in the various DC Universe titles with a major event of his own, bringing together a wide variety of heroes and villains from through DC continuity. For longtime fans like myself, it's a lot of fun, and it should serve to whet the appetites and imagiantions of new, younger readers.
Circe hatches a master plan to snub her nose at Wonder Woman's ideals, and it involves taking the island of Manhattan hostage. Men, including super-heroes, are transformed into beasts, and female super-villains are brought in to hunt them like game. Wonder Woman, still overcome with grief over the death of her mother and the strained status of their relationship at the time, summons together the world's super-heroines for an all-out assault on Circe and her legions of allies.
Though the use of three inkers makes for some inconsistencies in the art, overall, Jimenez's work, despite being an obvious George Perez riff, continues to impress. The level of detail in his work brings the magical and unimaginable alive, and his characters are thoroughly expressive and emotive. The plot isn't the only aspect of the book that evokes the notion of a crossover. There are specific panel layouts that mirror some we would have seen in 1985 in Marv Wolfman and Perez's Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this issue is how accessible the story is. Jimenez makes this new story arc thoroughly easy for new readers to understand. The narration provides a lot of information -- about "Our Worlds at War," the title character's origins, what she stands for, and more -- without seeming overwhelming or intrusive. Given the story's connections to a number of different comics, both recent and from days gone by, it is a surprisingly good jump-on point for those curious about the character and Jimenez's work.
In the same way that this week's Joker: Last Laugh #1 is light, super-hero fun, so is this issue of Wonder Woman. This is a little better, truth be told, though, because there's something more to it. The opening pages have a greater relevance in the light of the events of Sept.11, and the central conflict -- Circe versus Wonder Woman -- stems from one's rejection of the other's faith in humanity, love and peace.
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