|
WONDER WOMAN: SPIRIT OF TRUTH
Recommended (7/10)
|
DC Comics
Writer: Paul Dini
Artist: Alex Ross
Editors: Charles Kochman & Joey Cavalieri
Price: $9.95 US/$16.95 CAN |
I'm not a big
Wonder Woman fan, never have been, but I am a fan of these oversized projects
that Dini and Ross do every year. Though they are often the comics equivalent of
an afterschool special, the artwork is beautiful and the story accessible and
fun to read even for newer fans. With DC's biggest characters being treated to
such a striking treatment, this is bound to draw casual readers into shops, and
they'll find the stories to be self-contained and beautiful, which might help
keep them there. Like the others, the story here feels a bit lightweight, but
the central idea is intriguing and the artwork is stunning.
This reminds me somewhat of the terrific Wonder Woman #170, which showed a day
in the life of Wonder Woman and gave us an idea of what this otherworldly
character did with her life. Dini makes her much more accessible, despite her
beauty, power and social status, by giving us insight into her mind. We can see
that she has problems with confidence, that every battle isn't easy for her, and
while she can deflect bullets and handle powerful adversaries, she still has to
contend with doubt and fear like everyone else.
The adoption of various
secret identities is a particularly neat idea, as Wonder Woman draws a lot of
her power from her colorful costume and ability to act in straightforward ways,
ignoring social restrictions. Seeing her work within the system, whether it's
disguised as a protester, a soldier or a Muslim woman, is an interesting new
take. Although I confess that I was hoping Dini would do a bit more with the
notion of a powerful independent woman as a heroine, something that would
terrify the more right-wing Muslims such as the Taliban.
Ross's artwork is phenomenal
as always. The photo references he uses are becoming a little more obvious, and
in some places the work looks more posed than I remember it looking, but he
still manages to convey the super-heroic in a realistic light and make it simply
breathtaking. His work on the backgrounds, such as the greens of the forest or
the bright reds and oranges of fires, is particularly impressive, and I loved
his method for depicting Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet.
Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, like the similar
projects that have gone before it, does not exist in continuity. It's a blend of
the comics and other-media versions of the character for a take that is easily
accessible and enjoyable to the man on the street or the hardcore comics fan.
The stories are not in-depth or particularly insightful, really, but they're
well-told and beautifully illustrated.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
