Review: Wonder Woman #7
- Written by Christian Hoffer on Friday, March 23 2012 and posted in Reviews
A review of the latest issue of Wonder Woman!
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Credits & Solicit Info:
Remember the myth of Orpheus? Wonder Woman certainly does. And we hope she's learned its lessons well, because someone she dearly loves is in Hell's clutches – and she's the only one who can mount a rescue mission! But Hades has no mercy, even for his own family – in fact, especially for his own family – and he doesn't intend to let her walk out of his domain without paying a terrible price!
Written by: Brian Azzarello
Pencilled by: Cliff Chiang
Inked by: Cliff Chiang
Cover Color by: Cliff Chiang
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Review:
In Wonder Woman #7, Diana, Hermes and Lennox, accompanied by Eros, visit Hephaestus, the god of the forge, to arm themselves for a trip to Hell. While there, they discover a shocking secret of the Amazons, namely that there are male Amazons working in the forges of Hephaestus. While I won't spoil the most sordid details of how the male Amazons are made, the shocking secret proves to Diana just how flawed Amazon culture truly was. What really stands out in this issue is Diana's reaction to why the male Amazons are working for Hephaestus. Whereas the Amazon tribe might have rejected their brothers, Diana sees them as family and predictably tries to rescue them from a threat that might not even exist.
There's been a bit of hullabaloo about this issue, which continues the Amazon Princess's tour throughout DC's Greek pantheon. Unsurprisingly, several bloggers have protested that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's depiction of the Amazons have somehow sullied the character of Wonder Woman and demeaned her as a character. However, from what I read in the issue, the Amazon tribe's flaws only serve to strengthen Diana's character and make her stand out from her flawed sisters.
The controversy in the issue stems from the heartless and callous attitude the Amazons show to their male offspring. Incorrectly, some bloggers have claimed that this sordid revelation has diminished Diana's moral character since Paradise Island is no longer as idyllic as it was pre new-52. At the end of the issue, the Amazons' actions only serve to strengthen Diana's resolve and highlight what a great character she is. Wonder Woman has always been an independent woman and a character of principle. If anything, the fact that she flat out rejects the crimes of her people and immediately seeks retribution makes her as strong as ever.
If some overzealous bloggers refuse to see what a fantastic book this is because the creators choose to depict the Amazons as something other than perfect, than they are simply missing the forest because of the trees. Perhaps the funniest part of this latest drummed-up controversy is that the Amazons of myth also rejected their male offspring, choosing to kill them by exposure rather than letting them live. As usual, Azzarello and Chiang have knocked it out of the park with a fantastic issue that ends far too soon.
Review by: Christian Hoffer
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About the Author - BlueStreak
Christian Hoffer is the exasperated Abbott to the Outhouse's Costello. When he's not yelling at the Newsroom for upsetting readers or complaining to his wife about why the Internet is stupid, he sits in his dingy business office trying to find new ways to make the site earn money. Hoffer is also the only person in history stupid enough to moderate two comic book forums at once.
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