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Wonder Woman (2011)
Wonder Woman, Volume 3: Iron
Wonder Woman has finally discovered her heritage, as well as all the family that comes along with it. However, as she digs deeper into her familial tree, there's as many Gods that are willing to lend her a hand as there are those that would do her harm. WW continues on her search for her friend Zola's baby, not knowing who she can trust. So when she discovers New God Orion at her doorstep, is he here to help her--or destroy her?
Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS) and illustrators Cliff Chiang and Tony Akins blend superheroics with ancient mythology in this critically acclaimed graphic novel WONDER WOMAN VOL. 3.
Collects issues #0, #13-17.
Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS) and illustrators Cliff Chiang and Tony Akins blend superheroics with ancient mythology in this critically acclaimed graphic novel WONDER WOMAN VOL. 3.
Collects issues #0, #13-17.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2013
61 people are currently reading
1616 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,298 books1,106 followersBrian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
October 7, 2020
(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Soap-operatic, it feeds off the milk of family dysfunction, and amasses its fellowship by empathy and common cause.
Notes: Soap-operatic, it feeds off the milk of family dysfunction, and amasses its fellowship by empathy and common cause.
June 12, 2017
3.5 stars
I'm not ready to take back all of the ugly things I said about Volume 1 because I'm still disappointed in DC's reboot of Wonder Woman.
But this volume is pretty decent.
Now, I still hate the art, and I still hate the way quite a few of the gods are drawn. Poseidon is the worst offender, in my opinion, because he looks like a cross between an octopus and a frog.
Frogtopus?
My best guess is that they didn't want any confusion between him and Aquaman.
And in that regard?
Well, I'd say they achieved their goal.
Ok. Iron starts with a flashback.
*insert wavy/blurry lines here*
Thirteen year old Diana meets up with War, and he decides to take her under his wing and secretly train her to fight like a boss.
Why?
Well, he thinks she may the 'The One' to do...something.
Anyway, it's not important right now.
What is important is that he and Diana eventually have a falling out over killing a minotaur. Or more specifically, her unwillingness to kill the minotaur while he was unconscious.
And....End Flashback!
Present day Wonder Woman is still trying to find the magical baby. Or at least find Hermes, who betrayed them in the last volume, and took the baby. She's also trying to deal with Hera and Zola going for each other's throats every five minutes.
In case you don't know, Zola is the baby's mother. Zeus (now dead) is the baby's father. According to a prophecy, Magic Baby is potentially the kid who will bring about the end the world, or something like that.
Wonder Woman runs around trying to find some of her other half-siblings, believing they can help her find Hermes. The freaky sand chick with the skeleton arms was awesome!
Meanwhile...
Cassandra helps dig a scary demi-god, who calls himself First Born, out of the ice.
You can tell he's going to be a problem right off the bat because he eats the first rescuer he sees...
Before he can gobble up anyone else, Frogtopus pops up out of the water and swallows First Born.
Well, they both monologued for a bit before Poseidon slurped him up.
Somehow, I doubt that's gonna stick.
Enter Orion and the New Gods.
Orion has been sent on a mission by his father to destroy Magic Baby before he can do whatever it is that he's supposed to do.
Naturally, Wonder Woman kicks his ass, and they become fast friends.
Sort of.
In the meantime, Hera and Zola go bar-hopping and run into a few of Hera's kids. Including War.
Have I mentioned that even Hera's kids hate her?
Diana, Lennox, and Orion have a freak-out moment when they realize that those two are missing. Fortunately, Orion is able to track them to the bar before anything interesting can happen.
Zola, determined to show how stupid she is, attempts to stab War.
I still think Zola is possibly the worst new character...ever. All she needs is a trucker hat, a Coors Light, and one black tooth to complete the white trash image that oozes off the panel at you.
Blech.
I guess her heart was in the right place, because she was under the impression that he was going to try to hurt Diana.
Of course, he wasn't. Zola's just a redneck idiot.
On the upside, War agrees to help Diana find the baby.
Why?
Well, I'm not going to tell you...
Also reviewed for
I'm not ready to take back all of the ugly things I said about Volume 1 because I'm still disappointed in DC's reboot of Wonder Woman.
But this volume is pretty decent.
Now, I still hate the art, and I still hate the way quite a few of the gods are drawn. Poseidon is the worst offender, in my opinion, because he looks like a cross between an octopus and a frog.
Frogtopus?
My best guess is that they didn't want any confusion between him and Aquaman.
And in that regard?
Well, I'd say they achieved their goal.
Ok. Iron starts with a flashback.
*insert wavy/blurry lines here*
Thirteen year old Diana meets up with War, and he decides to take her under his wing and secretly train her to fight like a boss.
Why?
Well, he thinks she may the 'The One' to do...something.
Anyway, it's not important right now.
What is important is that he and Diana eventually have a falling out over killing a minotaur. Or more specifically, her unwillingness to kill the minotaur while he was unconscious.
And....End Flashback!
Present day Wonder Woman is still trying to find the magical baby. Or at least find Hermes, who betrayed them in the last volume, and took the baby. She's also trying to deal with Hera and Zola going for each other's throats every five minutes.
In case you don't know, Zola is the baby's mother. Zeus (now dead) is the baby's father. According to a prophecy, Magic Baby is potentially the kid who will bring about the end the world, or something like that.
Wonder Woman runs around trying to find some of her other half-siblings, believing they can help her find Hermes. The freaky sand chick with the skeleton arms was awesome!
Meanwhile...
Cassandra helps dig a scary demi-god, who calls himself First Born, out of the ice.
You can tell he's going to be a problem right off the bat because he eats the first rescuer he sees...
Before he can gobble up anyone else, Frogtopus pops up out of the water and swallows First Born.
Well, they both monologued for a bit before Poseidon slurped him up.
Somehow, I doubt that's gonna stick.
Enter Orion and the New Gods.
Orion has been sent on a mission by his father to destroy Magic Baby before he can do whatever it is that he's supposed to do.
Naturally, Wonder Woman kicks his ass, and they become fast friends.
Sort of.
In the meantime, Hera and Zola go bar-hopping and run into a few of Hera's kids. Including War.
Have I mentioned that even Hera's kids hate her?
Diana, Lennox, and Orion have a freak-out moment when they realize that those two are missing. Fortunately, Orion is able to track them to the bar before anything interesting can happen.
Zola, determined to show how stupid she is, attempts to stab War.
I still think Zola is possibly the worst new character...ever. All she needs is a trucker hat, a Coors Light, and one black tooth to complete the white trash image that oozes off the panel at you.
Blech.
I guess her heart was in the right place, because she was under the impression that he was going to try to hurt Diana.
Of course, he wasn't. Zola's just a redneck idiot.
On the upside, War agrees to help Diana find the baby.
Why?
Well, I'm not going to tell you...
Also reviewed for
September 26, 2013
Brian Azzarello’s take on Wonder Woman in the New 52 has been to really hit the Greek mythology angle hard so that his WW comics are full of Greek gods like Zeus, his wife Hera, and their many children, including illegitimate kids. It’s this latter that has been the driving force of the series so far. Zeus had yet another baby with a human woman which got snatched away as the vengeful Hera, intent on killing off any woman who sleeps with her husband, tried to kill both baby and mother. Wonder Woman stepped in, saving Zola (the mum) and has been helping her find her baby. But others are on the hunt to kill this baby before it grows up and fulfils its destiny - of destroying humanity!
The summary above is for the entire series, not just this book. We’ve had 3 volumes now of Wonder Woman chasing this baby and the storyline is starting to feel really stale. In comparison to Snyder’s Batman, Snyder has written a massive Court of Owls storyline, the Death of the Family storyline, and now Zero Year, while Azzarello has been stuck on the one storyline for the same length of time: WW chasing a baby while getting to know her strange dysfunctional family of gods.
It wouldn’t be so bad if Azzarello was doing new things with the plot but the story in this book doesn’t feel like things have moved much since the first book. Hera is now mortal – and that’s about it. Still chasing the baby. Still getting to know her brothers and sisters. I’m not criticising the writing (which is perfectly fine), I just wish Azzarello would finish up this storyline and move on to something more fresh and exciting. This storyline has never felt very interesting since the first volume, and now we’re on volume three and it hasn’t improved. At this point, I really want to see WW do something else, leave the family behind, the baby, and do anything – anything! - else.
But if the storyline is too static, the setup feels overfamiliar. The mythological content and the focus on bizarre family members who’re also gods feels too much like Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. Dream and his siblings are basically Diana and her siblings, their relationships basically the same, while Sandman also explored the mythological angle in its stories more originally and cleverly than Azzarello does with Wonder Woman. I get that people like these kinds of stories, but Wonder Woman’s a superhero, not Percy Jackson!
I liked the opening issue of a 12 year old Diana as she went on heroic quests to obtain valuable artefacts as tribute to her mother, then went into training with Ares, god of War because it shows Azzarello’s commitment to continue building up the character’s background. Plus the story is pretty good, showing Diana’s personality develop as she makes changes that show us why she’s heroic and not a villain - it’s good solid character building. Although I will say that later in the book when Orion slaps her ass, Diana whirls about and says “hey!” angrily instead of clocking him in the head, which she would do. It’s an uncharacteristic move that didn’t sit right in the story, even though it’s revealed later that Orion wasn’t just being sleazy.
An explanation for why Diana didn’t punch Orion for slapping her ass could be that Orion is Diana’s love interest, and therefore Diana let him get away with it because she fancies him. It’s not a massive stretch of believability as he looks like a Calvin Klein model and Diana is, well, a goddess. It’s just that it’s all so predictable – of course he’s the love interest, he’s handsome and smiles a lot. Zeus’ first child who stands around in the ice of Antarctica for much of the book looking scary and menacing, killing things, is the bad guy – again, predictable.
Wonder Woman is a character I would love to enjoy reading about if she only had a series I was actually excited about. Unfortunately, Volume 3: Iron, continues the uninteresting story of Wonder Woman, her extended family, and a doom baby as it’s done since Volume 1. Maybe it’s time for a new creative team and direction for the character?
The summary above is for the entire series, not just this book. We’ve had 3 volumes now of Wonder Woman chasing this baby and the storyline is starting to feel really stale. In comparison to Snyder’s Batman, Snyder has written a massive Court of Owls storyline, the Death of the Family storyline, and now Zero Year, while Azzarello has been stuck on the one storyline for the same length of time: WW chasing a baby while getting to know her strange dysfunctional family of gods.
It wouldn’t be so bad if Azzarello was doing new things with the plot but the story in this book doesn’t feel like things have moved much since the first book. Hera is now mortal – and that’s about it. Still chasing the baby. Still getting to know her brothers and sisters. I’m not criticising the writing (which is perfectly fine), I just wish Azzarello would finish up this storyline and move on to something more fresh and exciting. This storyline has never felt very interesting since the first volume, and now we’re on volume three and it hasn’t improved. At this point, I really want to see WW do something else, leave the family behind, the baby, and do anything – anything! - else.
But if the storyline is too static, the setup feels overfamiliar. The mythological content and the focus on bizarre family members who’re also gods feels too much like Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. Dream and his siblings are basically Diana and her siblings, their relationships basically the same, while Sandman also explored the mythological angle in its stories more originally and cleverly than Azzarello does with Wonder Woman. I get that people like these kinds of stories, but Wonder Woman’s a superhero, not Percy Jackson!
I liked the opening issue of a 12 year old Diana as she went on heroic quests to obtain valuable artefacts as tribute to her mother, then went into training with Ares, god of War because it shows Azzarello’s commitment to continue building up the character’s background. Plus the story is pretty good, showing Diana’s personality develop as she makes changes that show us why she’s heroic and not a villain - it’s good solid character building. Although I will say that later in the book when Orion slaps her ass, Diana whirls about and says “hey!” angrily instead of clocking him in the head, which she would do. It’s an uncharacteristic move that didn’t sit right in the story, even though it’s revealed later that Orion wasn’t just being sleazy.
An explanation for why Diana didn’t punch Orion for slapping her ass could be that Orion is Diana’s love interest, and therefore Diana let him get away with it because she fancies him. It’s not a massive stretch of believability as he looks like a Calvin Klein model and Diana is, well, a goddess. It’s just that it’s all so predictable – of course he’s the love interest, he’s handsome and smiles a lot. Zeus’ first child who stands around in the ice of Antarctica for much of the book looking scary and menacing, killing things, is the bad guy – again, predictable.
Wonder Woman is a character I would love to enjoy reading about if she only had a series I was actually excited about. Unfortunately, Volume 3: Iron, continues the uninteresting story of Wonder Woman, her extended family, and a doom baby as it’s done since Volume 1. Maybe it’s time for a new creative team and direction for the character?
June 24, 2015
Iron is Azzarello’s 3rd Wonder Woman collection and I haven’t been disappointed yet. This Volume starts out with a nifty little throw-back issue that’s half tribute to early Wonder Woman comics and half a recounting of Diana’s history with the Greek god, War. When I first opened this issue I was skeptical, not being a fan of old school comics, but don’t let that first impression fool you, it fits right in with the rest of Azzarello’s previous stuff.
Then it’s on to the First Born. Azzarello has shown a knack for writing frightening characters throughout his career in books like 100 Bullets and Joker. The First Born is no different. Scary as balls. I mean "you really don’t wanna run into this guy in a dark alley” scary. Considering his origin, it’s no shock he’s a Bad Mother Fucker. And the first scene, when he meets the good Dr. Duerson, is a great introduction to the character. Oh, and ladies, he's sans pants for issue or so. Azzarello lookin' out for the home-girls. Respect.
Couple of other highlights included the gods having a pool party (and yes, Aphrodite is there and she’s rockin’ her birthday suit). Marco…..never mind.
Diana goes looking for another one of Zeus’ little bastards, Siracca (not a hot sauce) and might be sorry she found her. That Zeus must be one manwhoribilicous dude. No wonder he just disappeared, his child supports gotta be through the roof. Liked the cool little nod via word balloon to Supes and 100 Bullets in the one scene too
Orion finally makes his first official appearance and I’m diggin’ the New 52 version of him. Not to much different from the old one. I warmed up to him after his guest spots on the Justice League cartoons and he’s pretty much true to character with that guy. He’s also one of the few that could get away with slapping Diana on the ass and not end up in traction. Heh, he called her “Legs”.
Crazy little brawl between the First Born and Poseidon shows us just what F.B. is made of.
Bunch of artists put in time on the volume. Chiang does the heavy lifting, but he does get a hand from Tony Akins, Dan Green, Goran Sudzuka, Amilcar Pinna, and good ole’ Rick Burchett. All of their work is consistent and no one stood out as a stinker to me. Chiang is still my fav. I failed to mention the dope little sketchbooks included at the end of these hardcover editions. Nice way to top off the books.
If you like the other Wonder Woman stuff that Azzarello’s done, you’ll probably dig on this.
Get this review and more at:
February 11, 2017
Rereading Azzarello's run of Wonder Woman only makes the experience better. Even though it is not as engaging and frenetic as the first two volumes, Wonder Woman: Iron still gets a five-star rating from me. Azz can seamlessly merge two different sets of characters together, the old gods and the new, into one cohesive story where technology meets magic.
I also love the interplay between the characters. It is interesting to see how Hera, a goddess in the previous volumes, become a mere mortal. She, together with Zola offer comic relief in an otherwise very serious tone of the story, I mean .
It's on! First Born vs. Sea!
The third volume of Wonder Woman shows no signs that it is slowing down. I highly suggest that you start reading this amazing series.
I also love the interplay between the characters. It is interesting to see how Hera, a goddess in the previous volumes, become a mere mortal. She, together with Zola offer comic relief in an otherwise very serious tone of the story, I mean .
It's on! First Born vs. Sea!
The third volume of Wonder Woman shows no signs that it is slowing down. I highly suggest that you start reading this amazing series.
November 8, 2022
Zeus' children really put the fun in dysfunctional. Another highly entertaining and engaging volume. The family drama continues to escalate, with several new players being added into the already chaotic mix. Wonder Woman shines yet again, with Azzerello's depiction of the iconic warrior slowly becoming one of my favourites. With unexpected team ups and twists, it's a roller coaster of a ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
December 10, 2021
This one was another epic one!
It starts off with a flashback to Diana's childhood days when she trained with Ares and I love the story where her compassion rises and even moved the god of war but he considered her a failure and well move to present day we see Diana looking for the child and battling SIRACCA one of her siblings, and well I love the story how she wins the day with compassion and I love the whole family coming together!
Plus going to her brother Milan who can see things and well he is teamed up with Orion of the new gods and there they go together to Demeter to search for the gods but before that Ares also comes in and its a good battle between the two and seeing Hermes there was something but they kinda missed out on not giving us a battle between the two siblings but regardless War wins the day and I love the way it happens but knowing what comes ahead I like the build up thats happening with him and also the subplot with the FIRSTBORN is amazing and its gonna be an epic battle when it happens!
This was another solid volume and we explore more of Diana's siblings and family line and showing the inner politics of it all and Diana learning some crucial things about her family! The art gets better with every volume and the future threats to come are gonna be epic and finally Zola's baby is finally here and that panel where she holds the baby is <3!
It starts off with a flashback to Diana's childhood days when she trained with Ares and I love the story where her compassion rises and even moved the god of war but he considered her a failure and well move to present day we see Diana looking for the child and battling SIRACCA one of her siblings, and well I love the story how she wins the day with compassion and I love the whole family coming together!
Plus going to her brother Milan who can see things and well he is teamed up with Orion of the new gods and there they go together to Demeter to search for the gods but before that Ares also comes in and its a good battle between the two and seeing Hermes there was something but they kinda missed out on not giving us a battle between the two siblings but regardless War wins the day and I love the way it happens but knowing what comes ahead I like the build up thats happening with him and also the subplot with the FIRSTBORN is amazing and its gonna be an epic battle when it happens!
This was another solid volume and we explore more of Diana's siblings and family line and showing the inner politics of it all and Diana learning some crucial things about her family! The art gets better with every volume and the future threats to come are gonna be epic and finally Zola's baby is finally here and that panel where she holds the baby is <3!
July 13, 2015
I didn't write reviews of the first two volumes because I hadn't formed a strong opinion of this particular WW run, and I don't have a long history of WW comics, anyway, but I can say this is my favorite volume so far. My skimming of other reviews seems to indicate one will like this or not on the basis of its grounding WW's origin in Greek mythology, WW as an Amazonian, the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. I was initially sort of indifferent about it but I like it primarily because of Azzarello's research and writing, and I find the premise both original and not completely surprising. It's not that this will nw become the definitive WW, but it's interesting and as I said, well done for what it is. This is, as Sam Quixote indicated, less a story about WW than a family story, something along the lines of Gaiman's Sandman, though the story and characters pale in comparison (I'll just say, of course, but that's a high bar, and these characters are still interesting).
So: I really like it pretty well, as I like the myth angle, and it's surprising too that this particular version is set apart from other superheroes. Usually when other male superheroes are present she isn't always quite central, and here she is the main event, especially for the final showdown. Another reviewer pointed out her disappointment that WW always needs help by her brothers in this run, but that isn't always true, and not at the very end, and besides, this is a family, collaborative, venture, this run, so that was okay for me.
I don't love it, but the writing and family interactions are engaging. And I do like WW in it.
So: I really like it pretty well, as I like the myth angle, and it's surprising too that this particular version is set apart from other superheroes. Usually when other male superheroes are present she isn't always quite central, and here she is the main event, especially for the final showdown. Another reviewer pointed out her disappointment that WW always needs help by her brothers in this run, but that isn't always true, and not at the very end, and besides, this is a family, collaborative, venture, this run, so that was okay for me.
I don't love it, but the writing and family interactions are engaging. And I do like WW in it.
January 1, 2022
Pretty sure the artwork describing Ares, the God of War, looks like writer Brian Azzarello. And that’s cool, I make myself look like The Dude, so rock on Brian.
This GN begins with an issue looking back on Diana’s youth, when she was trained by Ares, and a confrontation with the Minotaur. Best part of this is Azzarello’s writing that pays loving tribute to the style of comic book writing of the 40s and 50s.
The rest of the book is a continuation of Diana’s quest to find Zola’s baby, meeting more of her half siblings, more Olympian intrigue and the discovery of Zeus’ firstborn who is disturbing in a lot of ways.
Fun.
This GN begins with an issue looking back on Diana’s youth, when she was trained by Ares, and a confrontation with the Minotaur. Best part of this is Azzarello’s writing that pays loving tribute to the style of comic book writing of the 40s and 50s.
The rest of the book is a continuation of Diana’s quest to find Zola’s baby, meeting more of her half siblings, more Olympian intrigue and the discovery of Zeus’ firstborn who is disturbing in a lot of ways.
Fun.
August 15, 2020
I think that wraps an arc -- or at least a sub-arc. Let you know on the next go-around!
August 10, 2015
Can we hurry up with the damn baby story already?
In this volume, Wonder Woman is now trying to find Zola's baby (who could possibly bring on Armageddon) because it has been stolen. At this point, I'm getting real tired of Zola and this baby. Three volumes now! This felt like a soap opera. Not a terrible story for a soap but still nothing I really gave a shit about.
So Wonder Woman spends a bunch of time working with some of her demigod brothers and sisters, including a SUPER cool sand/air girl who has a lot of reason to hate Hera.
WTF Hera?!
I liked the powers of some of WW's siblings so that part was cool but all the drama between Zola and Hera got old really, really fast. We get a lot of interaction between those two as well as the other members of the family (all of whom hate Hera for reasons that become very apparent) and it just feels like constant family drama. I mean, at least the baby problem gets deal with but I was very ready for it to be done by the end of the volume.
And then we get an introduction to the First Born, the oldest of Zeus' children who has been buried in the ice in Antarctica for millennia. He's the clear bad guy in the story, what with his immediately eating people that help him and then stomping around in a fight with Poseidon. I prefer my villains a little more...nuanced so I can't say I was super excited about him. But maybe he'll liven things up a bit so I'll hold off on judgements for a bit.
And last and definitely least, we get the introduction of Orion. I don't know if he's a character with previous history, I assume so, but I had absolutely no idea who he was or what the deal with the Source thing was so I was alternately confused and annoyed with his character. He spends a lot of time being the handsome man (also kind of a jackass) who Diana is clearly reluctantly attracted to and it was all just transparent and annoying. But anyway, he's around to kill Zola's kid if he ends up likely to cause Armageddon so I'm sure we'll get that conflict soon. I honestly would have preferred it if Wonder Woman had punched him in the face.
Ah yes, being referred to as a body part is SO hot.
Overall, not a bad story but WAY too much family drama for my taste. With any luck, we can move onto something more interesting than constantly rescuing Zola and her baby after this.
In this volume, Wonder Woman is now trying to find Zola's baby (who could possibly bring on Armageddon) because it has been stolen. At this point, I'm getting real tired of Zola and this baby. Three volumes now! This felt like a soap opera. Not a terrible story for a soap but still nothing I really gave a shit about.
So Wonder Woman spends a bunch of time working with some of her demigod brothers and sisters, including a SUPER cool sand/air girl who has a lot of reason to hate Hera.
WTF Hera?!
I liked the powers of some of WW's siblings so that part was cool but all the drama between Zola and Hera got old really, really fast. We get a lot of interaction between those two as well as the other members of the family (all of whom hate Hera for reasons that become very apparent) and it just feels like constant family drama. I mean, at least the baby problem gets deal with but I was very ready for it to be done by the end of the volume.
And then we get an introduction to the First Born, the oldest of Zeus' children who has been buried in the ice in Antarctica for millennia. He's the clear bad guy in the story, what with his immediately eating people that help him and then stomping around in a fight with Poseidon. I prefer my villains a little more...nuanced so I can't say I was super excited about him. But maybe he'll liven things up a bit so I'll hold off on judgements for a bit.
And last and definitely least, we get the introduction of Orion. I don't know if he's a character with previous history, I assume so, but I had absolutely no idea who he was or what the deal with the Source thing was so I was alternately confused and annoyed with his character. He spends a lot of time being the handsome man (also kind of a jackass) who Diana is clearly reluctantly attracted to and it was all just transparent and annoying. But anyway, he's around to kill Zola's kid if he ends up likely to cause Armageddon so I'm sure we'll get that conflict soon. I honestly would have preferred it if Wonder Woman had punched him in the face.
Ah yes, being referred to as a body part is SO hot.
Overall, not a bad story but WAY too much family drama for my taste. With any luck, we can move onto something more interesting than constantly rescuing Zola and her baby after this.
November 22, 2014
It's been a year since I first got on the Azzarello/Chiang bandwagon, and I've been following all my friends' reviews of the WW ongoing and admiring the staying power of this vision and execution to really capture so many people's imaginations.
And in a time when DC editorial makes so many bow down to the altars of Batman and Justice League, for this to stay inoculated against that disease is pretty admirable. Don't know how Brian & Cliff have pulled it off but I'm back in - especially now that I've seemingly hooked Sara on this sweet pleasure.
That zero issue retro story was...pretty great, actually. I feel pretty burned lately by the "retro story" after having been forced off of Deadpool - of all great shallow comics! - after Duggan & Poehsen shat the bed all over one of my favourite fun characters, in no small part due to their increasingly tired treatment of bad jokes and, I dunno, lazy writing in the retro stories they published during their run?
By comparison Azzarello & Chiang do such a great job of capturing the essence of Wonder Woman, and of kids comics, *and* of retro 50's comics - that I would seriously want to see them do this as an earnest ongoing. Shocked the hell outta me, let me tell you.
Meeting another sibling or two of Diana's is a great addition to the pantheon Azz has cooked up - and when we see the words on the wind, they give us comics nerds a great little Easter egg - did anyone else notice "In this briefcase are one hundred"? I almost missed it, and then smiled (even though I've never followed that series to its conclusion - shame on me).
The most enjoyable thing about this book is how familiar the family (especially the bastards) of Zeus is towards each other, how much of a family they really are to one another. The snipes, the jibes, the hinted-at histories - it's all so, rich with personality.
While I enjoyed the various artists on this book, it's not like I wouldn't appreciate all Chiang all the time.
And in a time when DC editorial makes so many bow down to the altars of Batman and Justice League, for this to stay inoculated against that disease is pretty admirable. Don't know how Brian & Cliff have pulled it off but I'm back in - especially now that I've seemingly hooked Sara on this sweet pleasure.
That zero issue retro story was...pretty great, actually. I feel pretty burned lately by the "retro story" after having been forced off of Deadpool - of all great shallow comics! - after Duggan & Poehsen shat the bed all over one of my favourite fun characters, in no small part due to their increasingly tired treatment of bad jokes and, I dunno, lazy writing in the retro stories they published during their run?
By comparison Azzarello & Chiang do such a great job of capturing the essence of Wonder Woman, and of kids comics, *and* of retro 50's comics - that I would seriously want to see them do this as an earnest ongoing. Shocked the hell outta me, let me tell you.
Meeting another sibling or two of Diana's is a great addition to the pantheon Azz has cooked up - and when we see the words on the wind, they give us comics nerds a great little Easter egg - did anyone else notice "In this briefcase are one hundred"? I almost missed it, and then smiled (even though I've never followed that series to its conclusion - shame on me).
The most enjoyable thing about this book is how familiar the family (especially the bastards) of Zeus is towards each other, how much of a family they really are to one another. The snipes, the jibes, the hinted-at histories - it's all so, rich with personality.
While I enjoyed the various artists on this book, it's not like I wouldn't appreciate all Chiang all the time.
April 5, 2019
Story: Holy shit, talk about picking up in terms of stakes. So last we saw the baby taken by one of Diana's friends. However, now we get some backstory of how Wonder Woman trained with War as a child. After the backstory we're introduced to "The First" who's been buried and forgotten by the gods. However, he has rose, and he is really fucking pissed. Think like Kratos from god of war. Then we have Diana teaming up with War to go save the baby but we have new characters coming in left and right to come to a final confrontation.
Art: The art is a really nice upgrade. The fight scenes are great, the emotional moments work really well, and everything is really easy to follow. Surprised this is the same artist as everything is easier on the eyes now...maybe new colorist?
Enjoyment. I really dug a lot of this volume. Super intrigued by the "First born" character and his fight scenes are vicious as hell. Watching Zola and Hara get along is funny as hell. Wonder Woman being a badass warrior here works well. The dialogue is a huge jump up here and plenty of lol moments mixed with great emotional bits.
What I didn't enjoy: Maybe still confused on a lot of new character. Sometimes introduced at a rapid rate.
Overall, super fun. I loved a lot of this volume and can't wait for volume 4. Time to head to the library! A 4 out of 5.
Art: The art is a really nice upgrade. The fight scenes are great, the emotional moments work really well, and everything is really easy to follow. Surprised this is the same artist as everything is easier on the eyes now...maybe new colorist?
Enjoyment. I really dug a lot of this volume. Super intrigued by the "First born" character and his fight scenes are vicious as hell. Watching Zola and Hara get along is funny as hell. Wonder Woman being a badass warrior here works well. The dialogue is a huge jump up here and plenty of lol moments mixed with great emotional bits.
What I didn't enjoy: Maybe still confused on a lot of new character. Sometimes introduced at a rapid rate.
Overall, super fun. I loved a lot of this volume and can't wait for volume 4. Time to head to the library! A 4 out of 5.
December 12, 2022
Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade: A; A Dysfunctional family of Gods
Brian Azzarello's run on the new 52 version of Wonder woman continues to be a slow burn. As I expected on reading Volume 2, it's the sort of story which starts off slow, and then starts building up more and more steam as the narrative progresses.
His treatment of Diana, her Olympian heritage, as well as whole of the Gods, to be this sort of dysfunctional family, really makes for some great character moments.
Once again, the stand outs have to be the God of War, as well as the Queen of the Gods. War is such a world-weary old man, who has grown tired of the countless millennia of conflict which he perpetuates, as a course of his role, and by his mere existence. You are made to question, how much is too much, as a conceptual entity defined by conflict, has grown tired of it.
Then there is Hera, who, true to her mythological origins, plays the role of the vamp, who's out to reign righteous vengeance on those poor souls who engaged in dalliance with her wayward husband. But underneath, we see this scarred individual, who is sort of stuck in this never-ending cycle. Of being cheated on, getting enraged, spreading vengeance on the perpetuators, all the while forced to keep living with the chief cause of her grief.
Zeus was never my favorite god from the Hellenic Pantheon but seeing the sort of bitter broken person that he has turned Hera into, sort of makes him even more verse. Pretty impressive, since we haven't even seen his character on screen.
Bringing together this whole colorful, broken, antisocial family members is Diana, who, with the latest son of Zeus as a connective tissue, manages to ring the family together, in some semblance of peace, however briefly that might last.
While in the background, the game of thrones continues, as prophecies are spoken, plans are made, machinations ensue, the various factions view for the throne of Olympus, and an ancient evil stir from the underbelly of the earth.
Definitely one of the better Wonder Woman runs of the recent years; I'd recommend it to any fans of the DC pantheon and fantasy.
Brian Azzarello's run on the new 52 version of Wonder woman continues to be a slow burn. As I expected on reading Volume 2, it's the sort of story which starts off slow, and then starts building up more and more steam as the narrative progresses.
His treatment of Diana, her Olympian heritage, as well as whole of the Gods, to be this sort of dysfunctional family, really makes for some great character moments.
Once again, the stand outs have to be the God of War, as well as the Queen of the Gods. War is such a world-weary old man, who has grown tired of the countless millennia of conflict which he perpetuates, as a course of his role, and by his mere existence. You are made to question, how much is too much, as a conceptual entity defined by conflict, has grown tired of it.
Then there is Hera, who, true to her mythological origins, plays the role of the vamp, who's out to reign righteous vengeance on those poor souls who engaged in dalliance with her wayward husband. But underneath, we see this scarred individual, who is sort of stuck in this never-ending cycle. Of being cheated on, getting enraged, spreading vengeance on the perpetuators, all the while forced to keep living with the chief cause of her grief.
Zeus was never my favorite god from the Hellenic Pantheon but seeing the sort of bitter broken person that he has turned Hera into, sort of makes him even more verse. Pretty impressive, since we haven't even seen his character on screen.
Bringing together this whole colorful, broken, antisocial family members is Diana, who, with the latest son of Zeus as a connective tissue, manages to ring the family together, in some semblance of peace, however briefly that might last.
While in the background, the game of thrones continues, as prophecies are spoken, plans are made, machinations ensue, the various factions view for the throne of Olympus, and an ancient evil stir from the underbelly of the earth.
Definitely one of the better Wonder Woman runs of the recent years; I'd recommend it to any fans of the DC pantheon and fantasy.
October 10, 2014
I'll give it this: It's better than Vol. 2, for sure.
I'm still up in the air about this one, but I think I'm leaning towards there was just enough good to outweigh the bad stuff. Can I give it 2 and 3/4 stars? It's better than 2.5 but not quite 3...
My thoughts seems somewhere closer to Anne's Review mixed with Sam's than it is with Kris'...but that's the beauty of our gang, we can all have different opinions yet still get along!
Honestly, Zeus has way too many kids. Like seriously, is this guy the Octomom of Olympus? I've studied Classics a fair bit, and know some things, but this comic just takes it to insane levels. OK so pretty much this is a very long, drawn out Jerry Springer/Maury episode:
I really didn't care for a lot of the artwork here, which I know some of my Shallow Budz will agree with...Cliff Chang is the artist credited for most of the work (ie. on the Cover) but he only really draws 3 of the issues. His stuff in #0, the Flashback/Origin issue is some good stuff, and he gets to draw the first appearance of the New Gods, and Orion in particular, that we've seen in New 52. However, the other stuff feels hobbled together like someone ran out of time, or Cliff didn't answer his phone in time for the deadline, so some dude sitting around DCU was told to draw.
As if there weren't enough going on, we're introduced to THE FIRST BORN who is, of course, Zeus' first child. He was sooo evil that he was buried in Antarctica's ice 7000yrs ago...Um..ok sure.
He's of course dug up by scientists, because what else are scientists good for in comics, but ushering in great lost evils from the past (bit of a clichéd crutch here). Oh, and on top of it? One of the scientists is yet ANOTHER child of Zeus' (so half-sib to WW, First Born, the New Baby, and the rest of them).
Had enough yet? No? OK well, we're going to throw in the Soothsayer child of Zeus, a homeless blind man who can summon swarms of insects and see EVERYTHING. Turns out he's besties with Orion, before anyone else on Earth knew who Orion was.
What would you say if I told you...there's another child of Zeus we get to meet as well?
Ya, that's what I figured. Me too. Can you imagine how many stockings Santa has to fill at the Zeus Household every year? Jeebus! (Apparently, there's ONLY 7 of Zeus' bastards around...from the 20th Century!!! and new baby makes 8 (the only 21st Century one...so we think!)
So anyhowzers...New Baby is going to destroy Olympus and the world...but so is this First Born fella...and they're broheims! Maybe they can work together? No? OK.
There's a cool panel in #0 where War (who's actually Diana's half brother...I know right? Didn't see that one coming...) yells about how awesome he is, and it's actually the titles of the first 4 volumes of this series:
Subtle little plug there Mr. Azzarello...I see what you did there...
There's also what appears to be a burn on Dr. Strange...Lennox (the Stone Gollum-like brother) finds Milan (the seer/blind/homeless vagrant one) and comments that his place is a regular "Sanctum Stanktorum"...I kid you not....don't really know if that's a knock, or an in joke? Odd for New 52 titles to reference the (vastly superior) competition, especially when they're trying to get new readers...but oh well, DC never made much sense anyhow.
Art complaints: First Born changes his appearance from Chang to the other artists to such a degree, it's almost another character. I HATE that.
Dio - Dionysus, another of the Gods, is drawn to look like Gambit's younger metrosexual brother.
Other problems: Orion is a Jack Kirby original, but here, he's made to look like a sort of sex-obsessed airhead model. Don't get me wrong, he can kick ass, but ya. Zola, the Trailer Trash Dimwit, is an entirely unnecessary character. She loves her baby, but she's only there because Zeus knocked her up. Hera has my vote to wipe the floor with her (when they fight, it's pretty white-trash catfighting...I half expected a wading pool of pudding to show up). If they'd killed her off, I'd have far more interest and motivation for Diana to avenge her and protect the baby. Also, it is pointed out what a big motley crew she's got with her, if she's so wonder-ful, why does she need so much help? It doesn't really help her case to be seen on the same pedestal as the other 2 members of the DC Holy Trinity (Supes and Bats).
Of all the stuff going on here, the most compelling story is that of War, the one who trained Diana as a child, and is now an old man, and what his motivations are and where his loyalties really lie.
So, you can see I didn't like a lot of things here, but I felt like this is where we bottomed out (or last volume) and started to get better by the end. I'm hopeful for Vol. 4
Get this review and more at:
I'm still up in the air about this one, but I think I'm leaning towards there was just enough good to outweigh the bad stuff. Can I give it 2 and 3/4 stars? It's better than 2.5 but not quite 3...
My thoughts seems somewhere closer to Anne's Review mixed with Sam's than it is with Kris'...but that's the beauty of our gang, we can all have different opinions yet still get along!
Honestly, Zeus has way too many kids. Like seriously, is this guy the Octomom of Olympus? I've studied Classics a fair bit, and know some things, but this comic just takes it to insane levels. OK so pretty much this is a very long, drawn out Jerry Springer/Maury episode:
I really didn't care for a lot of the artwork here, which I know some of my Shallow Budz will agree with...Cliff Chang is the artist credited for most of the work (ie. on the Cover) but he only really draws 3 of the issues. His stuff in #0, the Flashback/Origin issue is some good stuff, and he gets to draw the first appearance of the New Gods, and Orion in particular, that we've seen in New 52. However, the other stuff feels hobbled together like someone ran out of time, or Cliff didn't answer his phone in time for the deadline, so some dude sitting around DCU was told to draw.
As if there weren't enough going on, we're introduced to THE FIRST BORN who is, of course, Zeus' first child. He was sooo evil that he was buried in Antarctica's ice 7000yrs ago...Um..ok sure.
He's of course dug up by scientists, because what else are scientists good for in comics, but ushering in great lost evils from the past (bit of a clichéd crutch here). Oh, and on top of it? One of the scientists is yet ANOTHER child of Zeus' (so half-sib to WW, First Born, the New Baby, and the rest of them).
Had enough yet? No? OK well, we're going to throw in the Soothsayer child of Zeus, a homeless blind man who can summon swarms of insects and see EVERYTHING. Turns out he's besties with Orion, before anyone else on Earth knew who Orion was.
What would you say if I told you...there's another child of Zeus we get to meet as well?
Ya, that's what I figured. Me too. Can you imagine how many stockings Santa has to fill at the Zeus Household every year? Jeebus! (Apparently, there's ONLY 7 of Zeus' bastards around...from the 20th Century!!! and new baby makes 8 (the only 21st Century one...so we think!)
So anyhowzers...New Baby is going to destroy Olympus and the world...but so is this First Born fella...and they're broheims! Maybe they can work together? No? OK.
There's a cool panel in #0 where War (who's actually Diana's half brother...I know right? Didn't see that one coming...) yells about how awesome he is, and it's actually the titles of the first 4 volumes of this series:
Subtle little plug there Mr. Azzarello...I see what you did there...
There's also what appears to be a burn on Dr. Strange...Lennox (the Stone Gollum-like brother) finds Milan (the seer/blind/homeless vagrant one) and comments that his place is a regular "Sanctum Stanktorum"...I kid you not....don't really know if that's a knock, or an in joke? Odd for New 52 titles to reference the (vastly superior) competition, especially when they're trying to get new readers...but oh well, DC never made much sense anyhow.
Art complaints: First Born changes his appearance from Chang to the other artists to such a degree, it's almost another character. I HATE that.
Dio - Dionysus, another of the Gods, is drawn to look like Gambit's younger metrosexual brother.
Other problems: Orion is a Jack Kirby original, but here, he's made to look like a sort of sex-obsessed airhead model. Don't get me wrong, he can kick ass, but ya. Zola, the Trailer Trash Dimwit, is an entirely unnecessary character. She loves her baby, but she's only there because Zeus knocked her up. Hera has my vote to wipe the floor with her (when they fight, it's pretty white-trash catfighting...I half expected a wading pool of pudding to show up). If they'd killed her off, I'd have far more interest and motivation for Diana to avenge her and protect the baby. Also, it is pointed out what a big motley crew she's got with her, if she's so wonder-ful, why does she need so much help? It doesn't really help her case to be seen on the same pedestal as the other 2 members of the DC Holy Trinity (Supes and Bats).
Of all the stuff going on here, the most compelling story is that of War, the one who trained Diana as a child, and is now an old man, and what his motivations are and where his loyalties really lie.
So, you can see I didn't like a lot of things here, but I felt like this is where we bottomed out (or last volume) and started to get better by the end. I'm hopeful for Vol. 4
Get this review and more at:
January 12, 2021
This comic was not one of my favorites. Would like to read more comics with Wonder Woman though.
February 17, 2015
Wonder Woman was one of my favourite titles in the new52; I felt it was one of the only titles to really have a firm understanding of what could be accomplished in rebooting a series.
But this volume felt empty and lightweight to me. Devoid of exposition and skimpy on the action. The artwork didn't even feel complete, as if someone slapped some colour on a few rough drafts and then published it.
A big dip in quality from the first two volumes.
3/5
But this volume felt empty and lightweight to me. Devoid of exposition and skimpy on the action. The artwork didn't even feel complete, as if someone slapped some colour on a few rough drafts and then published it.
A big dip in quality from the first two volumes.
3/5
May 29, 2016
Another great volume! So this volume is part three of the stretched out story line I have really been enjoying! Based on how the volume ends, I'm assuming the next volume will be a new story? Anyway. this volume had a very unique style, of being very dark and gritty in some parts and still being very funny in others, its a style, the movies should adopt to get the MCU fans to shut up, haha just joking, or am I? Anyway we get to see some new characters, we get introduced to The First Born, a new villain added from The New 52, and we get introduced to Orion from New Genesis, who I liked more then I have in other books and cartoons! And as always, Wonder Woman herself and Strife are the real stands outs! Can't wait to read the next volume!
June 29, 2017
Seeing how I loved the previous two volumes I was a bit disappointed with this one. So, Diana is trying to get Zola's baby back and in order to do so is tracking all her brothers and sisters (born from Zeus) so they can unite and help her. Apollo is trying to reunite brothers and sisters to fight the baby. A woman has brought back the First Born who ends up engulfed by Poseidon. And none of the three stories was that great...
October 22, 2017
C'est toujours bien mais... j'espère que l'histoire va avancer un tout petit peu plus, ou qu'on apprendra plus de choses rapidement.
April 5, 2020
i like the story & the plot overall; i just think it had poor execution. & the art is... meh. 3/5
March 12, 2023
Well written and, as stated in my previous review, easier to read than other Azzarello’s books but it needs to speed up to keep me interested.
WW discovers her new "family" of gods and half-gods and so far each more or less seem as bad as the other. Makes me appreciate being a lone child all the more, indeed.
Zola has downgraded to dumb redneck and WW is so impetuous she seems close to cross that line herself.
The unnamed real antagonist is nothing but a ball of condensed hatred. He might have reasons but he’s so ott I don’t see why I should care.
And now there’s playboy Orion, conveniently popping up because plot needs a byway.
The first issue with a preteen WW taught by War and showing what will become her true qualities is actually good and don’t be (too) afraid by the above; the overall plot is not so bad. I just wish characters were a bit more engaging and that Azzarello’d shift gears. Three volumes to catch a single baby might be overdoing it.
WW discovers her new "family" of gods and half-gods and so far each more or less seem as bad as the other. Makes me appreciate being a lone child all the more, indeed.
Zola has downgraded to dumb redneck and WW is so impetuous she seems close to cross that line herself.
The unnamed real antagonist is nothing but a ball of condensed hatred. He might have reasons but he’s so ott I don’t see why I should care.
And now there’s playboy Orion, conveniently popping up because plot needs a byway.
The first issue with a preteen WW taught by War and showing what will become her true qualities is actually good and don’t be (too) afraid by the above; the overall plot is not so bad. I just wish characters were a bit more engaging and that Azzarello’d shift gears. Three volumes to catch a single baby might be overdoing it.
October 11, 2014
That's it, Mr Azzarello. You just lost a reader. I must say I'm not surprised, I've bought the first 100 bullets and I couldn't even finish (I will givevit another go, but... meh).
But here's why you lost me:
Orion's sexism just put me off completely. Calling wonder woman "legs", slapping her bum... Nope. And then people are amazed that such a small amount of women is into comics. Well... TAH-DAH!!! Prime example.
The plot was ok (hence the 2 stars instead of 1) but still too Jeremy Kyle for my taste.
I might give this another go once I'm not offended anymore, but I think this is goodbye for now.
But here's why you lost me:
Orion's sexism just put me off completely. Calling wonder woman "legs", slapping her bum... Nope. And then people are amazed that such a small amount of women is into comics. Well... TAH-DAH!!! Prime example.
The plot was ok (hence the 2 stars instead of 1) but still too Jeremy Kyle for my taste.
I might give this another go once I'm not offended anymore, but I think this is goodbye for now.
September 17, 2013
FAN-FRICKEN-TASTIC this is the best comic DC is putting out right now
March 19, 2019
This third volume of the Wonder Woman New 52 series concerns Wonder Woman struggling to adjust to several things. First there is the fact that she is the last Amazon, then there is what happened to her mother, but she is also adjusting to the fact that she has a whole slew of siblings (they share a father-Zeus), but the newest one of those siblings has been stolen by Hermes. Diana has promised the child’s mother, Zola that she will find and return him.
Oh, and Hera is human.
But has discovered ice cream, so there’s hope there.
Yet, there is this First Born of the gods running around trying to kill everything. He hangs with Cassandra. Or to be more exact, she hangs with him, and what is with her neck?
One thing I love about this series is the way that the Greek gods are portrayed. There’s War, who is an old man; Aphrodite whose face we never see; Hephaestus, who has cool arms; the twins Apollo and Diana are quite wonderful. And Hades. Hades is awesome.
Orion and the New Gods also make an appearance.
In one sense, this story ARC is a quest story, the object being finding Zola’s baby, whose sex Zola doesn’t even know for the child was snatched at birth. The story is really about relationships. This collection includes the story of Diana’s training at the hands of her uncle War. It is a pretty good short story about teacher and student. The story is important for what occurs later in the ARC.
One of the relationships that is centered is that of Wonder Woman and Zola. Zola might be a woman in distress, but she is far from helpless. Diana might be a kick ass super-hero but you would also want Zola in your corner. She also stands up to Hera, asking why Hera attacks the children and lovers of Zeus instead of Zeus himself.
The most powerful though is the story of Sicora, a child of Zeus whose help Wonder Woman must get if she is to find the child. Sicora’s story and actions, and Wonder Woman’s response to them is just heart-rending. The use of the cost of being a child of a god is so starkly shown multiple times in this volume. It is quite nice to see that aspect of Greek myth being used.
Oh, and Hera is human.
But has discovered ice cream, so there’s hope there.
Yet, there is this First Born of the gods running around trying to kill everything. He hangs with Cassandra. Or to be more exact, she hangs with him, and what is with her neck?
One thing I love about this series is the way that the Greek gods are portrayed. There’s War, who is an old man; Aphrodite whose face we never see; Hephaestus, who has cool arms; the twins Apollo and Diana are quite wonderful. And Hades. Hades is awesome.
Orion and the New Gods also make an appearance.
In one sense, this story ARC is a quest story, the object being finding Zola’s baby, whose sex Zola doesn’t even know for the child was snatched at birth. The story is really about relationships. This collection includes the story of Diana’s training at the hands of her uncle War. It is a pretty good short story about teacher and student. The story is important for what occurs later in the ARC.
One of the relationships that is centered is that of Wonder Woman and Zola. Zola might be a woman in distress, but she is far from helpless. Diana might be a kick ass super-hero but you would also want Zola in your corner. She also stands up to Hera, asking why Hera attacks the children and lovers of Zeus instead of Zeus himself.
The most powerful though is the story of Sicora, a child of Zeus whose help Wonder Woman must get if she is to find the child. Sicora’s story and actions, and Wonder Woman’s response to them is just heart-rending. The use of the cost of being a child of a god is so starkly shown multiple times in this volume. It is quite nice to see that aspect of Greek myth being used.
January 10, 2019
I think what keeps me from loving this run is the fact that there's way too much going on, and it's so obviously written by men. Every time they start to focus in on a character, it switches to someone else and I can't even always remember everyone's name. There's also something to be said for how Diana is treated by men in the story - they objectify her and it's really obvious that this is coming from the male gaze. I am going to finish this series because I'm interested in it, but Diana as a character really deserves better.
June 20, 2017
Some new twist and a few new players show up in this addition as the battle for Zeus's throne continues.
December 4, 2013
This book was graciously given to me by DC Comics through NetGalley for an honest review. I am more than happy to review DC’s books because when it comes to comic books I am clearly a DC fan. I have enjoyed quite a few books by other publishers and I don’t limit myself, DC just seems to have the best writing and art work in my opinion. All of my favorite superheroes are DC characters and I enjoy reading all the different stories and crossover events. Wonder Woman may not be on the top of my list but I have really liked reading her story in the past.
This is actually my first time reading Wonder Woman since the New 52 started, so I might be missing some information. Still this book is pretty good at telling a story and I didn’t feel left out or confused. I was able to enjoy this even though I am just starting out. This book opens up with an old style story of Wonder Woman as a teenager. She is desperate to be the best Amazon warrior and stumbles across Ares the god of War. He then becomes her trainer determined to make Wonder Woman his greatest achievement. I liked the little history of Wonder Woman interludes. Even in Vol. 3 the writers are still trying to flesh out her character. This to me shows they want to establish Wonder Woman as strongly as other heroes like Superman, and Batman who have long detailed back stories.
This book deals heavily with Greek Mythology in a sense that it is full of different Gods and their Demi God offspring. So I never read much of Wonder Woman until Infinate Crisis struck years ago, but I don’t remember so many gods being involved in those stories. Wonder Woman is trying to return a friend’s baby who was taken by Hermes. This particular child is foretold to bring the end of time. Because of this fact one of the New Gods, Orion, from Apocalypse travels to earth to kill the child and save humanity. When he finds out the child is just a baby he then helps Wonder Woman on her search.
There is a side story going on through all of this, and here is where I might be missing some info. The first Child of Zeus is buried under the ice in the Arctic and found by explorers. He is released from his icy prison and he sets out to find his strength and armor. Could this be the child of Zeus that will end time itself? Not a bad story, but I did have a few issues with this book. The story telling was good, I like Brian Azzarello’s writing, and the art work was pretty good as well. I just wish there was more action. When I read a comic I enjoy the story, and can really appreciate the artwork, but I am also looking for some good action sequences and how well those advance the story. I just wanted more from this story.
I guess the real question here is, was this enough to make me want to read more? Yes, I will try to get a hold of Volumes 1 and 2 and try to fill in gaps I might have, and I want to see what is coming next. This book does seem to wrap up the main story quite well, but there is more that pulls you in to what’s next. This was a decent read and I am glad I requested this. I’d say a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
This is actually my first time reading Wonder Woman since the New 52 started, so I might be missing some information. Still this book is pretty good at telling a story and I didn’t feel left out or confused. I was able to enjoy this even though I am just starting out. This book opens up with an old style story of Wonder Woman as a teenager. She is desperate to be the best Amazon warrior and stumbles across Ares the god of War. He then becomes her trainer determined to make Wonder Woman his greatest achievement. I liked the little history of Wonder Woman interludes. Even in Vol. 3 the writers are still trying to flesh out her character. This to me shows they want to establish Wonder Woman as strongly as other heroes like Superman, and Batman who have long detailed back stories.
This book deals heavily with Greek Mythology in a sense that it is full of different Gods and their Demi God offspring. So I never read much of Wonder Woman until Infinate Crisis struck years ago, but I don’t remember so many gods being involved in those stories. Wonder Woman is trying to return a friend’s baby who was taken by Hermes. This particular child is foretold to bring the end of time. Because of this fact one of the New Gods, Orion, from Apocalypse travels to earth to kill the child and save humanity. When he finds out the child is just a baby he then helps Wonder Woman on her search.
There is a side story going on through all of this, and here is where I might be missing some info. The first Child of Zeus is buried under the ice in the Arctic and found by explorers. He is released from his icy prison and he sets out to find his strength and armor. Could this be the child of Zeus that will end time itself? Not a bad story, but I did have a few issues with this book. The story telling was good, I like Brian Azzarello’s writing, and the art work was pretty good as well. I just wish there was more action. When I read a comic I enjoy the story, and can really appreciate the artwork, but I am also looking for some good action sequences and how well those advance the story. I just wanted more from this story.
I guess the real question here is, was this enough to make me want to read more? Yes, I will try to get a hold of Volumes 1 and 2 and try to fill in gaps I might have, and I want to see what is coming next. This book does seem to wrap up the main story quite well, but there is more that pulls you in to what’s next. This was a decent read and I am glad I requested this. I’d say a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
April 30, 2014
Azzarello, Chiang, and friends' Wonder Woman epic continues as we learn more backstory on the Gods of Olympus, and how they tie into Wonder Woman's story, whilst the quest for Zola's baby continues and the threat of the First Born rears its ugly head. If you're this far into the series, you'll love everything equally as much as the earlier volumes. If you're reading this as your first volume of the series, you will be very lost and I think you're a bit daft for starting at Volume 3 when Volume 1 is obviously the right place to start. Duh. Also, despite having a lot more artists on this series, the overall consistency is excellent, and the book is a joy to look at despite never quite knowing which artist will draw the following page. Every page turn is a surprise. Probably not what the creative team intended, but it works.
July 13, 2018
As I'm slowly crawling my way through the desert of the New 52, Wonder Woman has become a true oasis in an otherwise pretty dry experience. Good metaphor! I'm really going for it here.
Genuinely, though, I have started really looking forward to this series each time I come around to a new volume. I'm reading a bunch of New 52 stuff in relative publishing order, so I'm kind of dragging myself through a few series here and there, and this one sits on my shelf as a reminder that there is still good in the world, and it's coming soon.
The farther Azzarello gets into his modern take on the Greek pantheon, the more I enjoy it. He keeps the plot surprising and the dialogue quick and snappy, while never dropping the heavy Greek mythological themes he's playing with.
Also, I really love the art. I know some people have complained about it, particularly since it's a little inconsistent with different artists sometimes taking over different pages within the same issue, but it doesn't bother me. I feel like Cliff Chiang's subs are fitting and feel relatively consistent with the style, and they do a great job bringing Azzarello's script to life. I'm starting to really love the weirdo interpretations of the Greek pantheon (big walrus-ocotopus Poseidon, melty-candle-head-child Hades, bloody-clothed-bearded Ares, etc.), and Azzarello does a great job letting the art do a lot of the storytelling here, rather than relying on narration or exposition.
The point is, this series is just a ton of fun. It takes a full volume to really get into what it's doing, but once you're there, it's worth sticking around. Can't wait for volume 4!
Genuinely, though, I have started really looking forward to this series each time I come around to a new volume. I'm reading a bunch of New 52 stuff in relative publishing order, so I'm kind of dragging myself through a few series here and there, and this one sits on my shelf as a reminder that there is still good in the world, and it's coming soon.
The farther Azzarello gets into his modern take on the Greek pantheon, the more I enjoy it. He keeps the plot surprising and the dialogue quick and snappy, while never dropping the heavy Greek mythological themes he's playing with.
Also, I really love the art. I know some people have complained about it, particularly since it's a little inconsistent with different artists sometimes taking over different pages within the same issue, but it doesn't bother me. I feel like Cliff Chiang's subs are fitting and feel relatively consistent with the style, and they do a great job bringing Azzarello's script to life. I'm starting to really love the weirdo interpretations of the Greek pantheon (big walrus-ocotopus Poseidon, melty-candle-head-child Hades, bloody-clothed-bearded Ares, etc.), and Azzarello does a great job letting the art do a lot of the storytelling here, rather than relying on narration or exposition.
The point is, this series is just a ton of fun. It takes a full volume to really get into what it's doing, but once you're there, it's worth sticking around. Can't wait for volume 4!
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