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Wonder Woman (2011)
Wonder Woman, Volume 6: Bones
THE EPIC CONCLUSION!
As the War on Olympus rages on, the fearsome First Born ascends as its God-King and Wonder Woman is locked in a desperate battle with him for the destiny of all immortals. But Olympus must fall, and its rightful ruler must be restored—and she must make a decision that will affect the lives of those she loves most!
The acclaimed, New York Times best-selling team of Brian Azzarello (JOKER, 100 BULLETS), Cliff Chiang (GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY), and Goran Sudžuka ( THE LAST MAN) astonish complete their epic runs with the story of what remains when a mad god reigns in WONDER BONES (collects issues #30-35 and a story from SECRET ORIGINS #6)!
As the War on Olympus rages on, the fearsome First Born ascends as its God-King and Wonder Woman is locked in a desperate battle with him for the destiny of all immortals. But Olympus must fall, and its rightful ruler must be restored—and she must make a decision that will affect the lives of those she loves most!
The acclaimed, New York Times best-selling team of Brian Azzarello (JOKER, 100 BULLETS), Cliff Chiang (GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY), and Goran Sudžuka ( THE LAST MAN) astonish complete their epic runs with the story of what remains when a mad god reigns in WONDER BONES (collects issues #30-35 and a story from SECRET ORIGINS #6)!
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
23 people are currently reading
1330 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,294 books1,109 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 239 reviews
October 11, 2020
(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: Eschewing the real world, it goes full sword and sorcery, innerving pathos and woe with the primal viscera of myth.
Notes: Eschewing the real world, it goes full sword and sorcery, innerving pathos and woe with the primal viscera of myth.
January 27, 2018
A really good conclusion to this story!
October 15, 2015
It's finally over!
And I'm going to grudgingly admit that Azzarello's Wonder Woman grew on me. I'm not sorry that he and Chiang are done, but this was a very solid ending to their run.
Everything comes to a head with First Born on Olympus, and the Final Battle was worth the wait, in my opinion.
Remember, this is coming from someone who isn't a huge fan of this title, so maybe hardcore fans feel differently?
Ok, but THIS ? This made me laugh!
God, I hate Birthday Cake Head god. This incarnation of Hades couldn't die fast enough. Blech!
I did love how it seemed as though every single loose thread was tied up by the end. One of the characters I'd dismissed as unimportant in a much earlier volume came back to play a pivotal role at the end, and I was so impressed I wanted to start cheering.
Well done!
Like the rest of the volumes, this is nothin' but Greek stuff. And these are old school Greek gods, so they're heavy on the smiting and gory punishments...
But, like I mentioned, this was so solid. Wonder Woman is a badass, but she's got her core personality of mercy and kindness intact. If nothing else, Azzarello has that part down pat. Even though I didn't fall in love with the storyline or hardcore Greek setting, I always felt like he managed to do an incredible job with her. I have to extend some huge kudos to him for writing her with such respect.
The ending?
Whoa! Nice twist, buddy!
Not gonna spoil it, but will say I didn't see it coming. And there's nothing I love more than an author being able to put one over on me.
But I still loathe that swamp rat, Zola.
I can't...Ugh.
Guess I also have to give Azzarello kudos for creating the most annoying, stupid, redneck, truck stop hookerish character ever! Even with that ending, I still hate her hillbilly ass. *vomits*
Pleasepleaseplease let her disappear from the DCU.
And I'm going to grudgingly admit that Azzarello's Wonder Woman grew on me. I'm not sorry that he and Chiang are done, but this was a very solid ending to their run.
Everything comes to a head with First Born on Olympus, and the Final Battle was worth the wait, in my opinion.
Remember, this is coming from someone who isn't a huge fan of this title, so maybe hardcore fans feel differently?
Ok, but THIS ? This made me laugh!
God, I hate Birthday Cake Head god. This incarnation of Hades couldn't die fast enough. Blech!
I did love how it seemed as though every single loose thread was tied up by the end. One of the characters I'd dismissed as unimportant in a much earlier volume came back to play a pivotal role at the end, and I was so impressed I wanted to start cheering.
Well done!
Like the rest of the volumes, this is nothin' but Greek stuff. And these are old school Greek gods, so they're heavy on the smiting and gory punishments...
But, like I mentioned, this was so solid. Wonder Woman is a badass, but she's got her core personality of mercy and kindness intact. If nothing else, Azzarello has that part down pat. Even though I didn't fall in love with the storyline or hardcore Greek setting, I always felt like he managed to do an incredible job with her. I have to extend some huge kudos to him for writing her with such respect.
The ending?
Whoa! Nice twist, buddy!
Not gonna spoil it, but will say I didn't see it coming. And there's nothing I love more than an author being able to put one over on me.
But I still loathe that swamp rat, Zola.
I can't...Ugh.
Guess I also have to give Azzarello kudos for creating the most annoying, stupid, redneck, truck stop hookerish character ever! Even with that ending, I still hate her hillbilly ass. *vomits*
Pleasepleaseplease let her disappear from the DCU.
January 21, 2018
The Women’s March, 2018
“It is our duty to win! We must love each other!”—A marcher
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/us...
“I am the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. I am the God of War. I am Wonder Woman. But I need be only myself.”
Early on, Diana was all “I’m tired of being a girl,” resistant to becoming the strong Goddess she needed to be, in this mythological rendition of the Wonder Woman story by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang.
But as expected, Diana becomes Wonder Woman, in an all-action, all-the-time Grand Finale that has her accept her destiny, in a show down with the twisted First Born to establish the rightful place for the Last Born, Zeke, with Zola, his mom. More than any other superhero, Wonder Woman asserts the power of love, though in this series it is decidedly tough love.
WW has seen “what kind of monsters we gods create when love is denied”
which requires her to both fight as the Goddess of War and also say to Zola,
“When given choices, should we not choose love above all else?”
I write this on the day of the day of Women’s March, 2018, which had again hundreds of thousands of people, mostly women, as it should be, on the street in the name of love and humanity, willing to fight (and vote) for those principles. What a day to finish this series!
And: In many feminist iterations motherhood has occupied a complicated place, but in this tale, it is upheld as a crucial part of the solution, via the protection of Zola and Zeke.
And the idea of “submission” in Wonder Woman? It’s not a submission bound in chains, here, but a submission that is “faith in the strength of others” including a commitment to her fellow Amazons on Paradise Island, and her fellow Olympian gods (that includes some men). It's a kind of submission that people need to make for the planet to survive, setting aside some of their individual wants and submitting to the idea of the social, and the greater needs of humankind. Getting out of bed and out of the couch and on to the streets, to fight for just causes.
There’s some highlights: A revelation regarding Zola. Cassandra’s little sojourn in Hell. A surprise from Strife, near the end. Well, the conclusion isn't al that surprising, but it is satisfying, and there’s a few surprises along the way. This is not a traditional origin story for Wonder Woman, but it is powerful in places and endorses Diana as a powerful woman. I liked it very much.
“It is our duty to win! We must love each other!”—A marcher
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/us...
“I am the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. I am the God of War. I am Wonder Woman. But I need be only myself.”
Early on, Diana was all “I’m tired of being a girl,” resistant to becoming the strong Goddess she needed to be, in this mythological rendition of the Wonder Woman story by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang.
But as expected, Diana becomes Wonder Woman, in an all-action, all-the-time Grand Finale that has her accept her destiny, in a show down with the twisted First Born to establish the rightful place for the Last Born, Zeke, with Zola, his mom. More than any other superhero, Wonder Woman asserts the power of love, though in this series it is decidedly tough love.
WW has seen “what kind of monsters we gods create when love is denied”
which requires her to both fight as the Goddess of War and also say to Zola,
“When given choices, should we not choose love above all else?”
I write this on the day of the day of Women’s March, 2018, which had again hundreds of thousands of people, mostly women, as it should be, on the street in the name of love and humanity, willing to fight (and vote) for those principles. What a day to finish this series!
And: In many feminist iterations motherhood has occupied a complicated place, but in this tale, it is upheld as a crucial part of the solution, via the protection of Zola and Zeke.
And the idea of “submission” in Wonder Woman? It’s not a submission bound in chains, here, but a submission that is “faith in the strength of others” including a commitment to her fellow Amazons on Paradise Island, and her fellow Olympian gods (that includes some men). It's a kind of submission that people need to make for the planet to survive, setting aside some of their individual wants and submitting to the idea of the social, and the greater needs of humankind. Getting out of bed and out of the couch and on to the streets, to fight for just causes.
There’s some highlights: A revelation regarding Zola. Cassandra’s little sojourn in Hell. A surprise from Strife, near the end. Well, the conclusion isn't al that surprising, but it is satisfying, and there’s a few surprises along the way. This is not a traditional origin story for Wonder Woman, but it is powerful in places and endorses Diana as a powerful woman. I liked it very much.
June 28, 2015
It’s official. The First Born has earned a permanent place among the most depraved villains the DCU has to offer. He is just a one fucked-up, twisted son of a bitch. Cassandra finally gets what’s coming in this one. I almost felt bad for her. What is it with all the eating each other? And I don’t mean that in the fun way. F.B. follows up by remaking Olympus to his liking and then starts his crusade to destroy the remaining Greek pantheon. Wouldn’t wanna be’em. And come on dude, she's your half-fuckin-sister.
Poseidon and Hades seem to have formed a fragile alliance trying to figure out a way to stop the First Born or at least save their own skins. Diana and her friends have retreated to Paradise Island to regroup after the bloodbath at end of the last volume. Wonder Woman knows that there is little hope of her standing against this monster alone. Luckily, she has friends, and the god of War starts putting together a plan to finish the First Born’s reign atop Mt. Olympus.
Some favorite moments include Cassandra’s penance in Hell, Strife’s change of heart, the final clash between Diana’s and F.B. armies, and a long-time companion is revealed to be much more than first thought. A couple of other surprise appearances by some other characters from earlier in the story.
Another but-ton of great artwork provided by my main man, Cliff Chiang. What a fantastic job he, and all of the other contributing artists, have done on making this title work for me. Loved it start to finish.
Although I think the ending itself was somewhat predictable, I really don’t have any idea what Azzarello could have done differently to improve upon it. As always seems to be the case with all my favorite stories, it’s the journey that makes the tale an epic. Please don’t misunderstand, there was LOTS to love and a bunch of surprise twists that shocked right up to the very end. Azzarello left just enough loose ends to allow the next guy to build upon his foundation should they choose (sadly, it doesn’t look like they did) and answered enough questions for it to satisfy. Overall, Brian’s run has earn a spot alongside my other all-time favorite titles and I never thought I would ever be saying that about a Wonder Woman book. Thanks to Brian and all the great artists that contributed along the way to this GREAT story.
Get this review and more at:
P.S. I told Anne I would hook her up after the selfie I posted in my last review failed to impress. Well, here ya go Anne, just like I promised. He's Thor at least(and he's got the "Hammer" to prove it).
January 29, 2019
One of the best books to come out of the new 52. Brian Azzarello has finally managed to make Wonder Woman interesting. Many creators have tried but only Azzarello and Greg Rucka have managed to make the character work. Their approach of bringing in the whole pantheon of Gods and modernizing them really works. Cliff Chiang's art is gorgeous. If I could rate this book higher, I would. This run is DC's best read of the last few years.
February 12, 2017
This is it, the very last volume of the epic Brian Azzarello Wonder Woman saga! Definitely, this Wonder Woman run is more than just an absolute classic, this is a modern mythology story - a story of gods and warriors and olympian battles, at par with the mythos of Greek literature.
Azzarello's Wonder Woman run ends in an anti-climactic fashion, but still it ended great.
Next to its very brilliant story is Wonder Woman herself. Azzarello has truly captured her persona. He is able to bring out different sides of her with perfect timing and execution. There she is being a god and queen of the amazons while loving even the most vile of all evils. You can feel her genuine compassion on one panel while still experiencing how strong she could be. She truly embodies the wonder in a woman.
I really love how Azzarello wrote Wonder Woman. It revolved around family in home. There's no Justice League, no Cheetah, no Steve Trevor. This is a story of Diana in her roots - with her family of amazons in Paradise Island and her crazy Olympian bloodfolk.
Sadly, oh sadly, this ends BA and Cliff Chiang's 3-year stint. Wonder Woman is now in the hands of a new creative team (or couple) and I hear news that the way Diana is being handled is not really great. Too bad!
Azzarello's Wonder Woman run ends in an anti-climactic fashion, but still it ended great.
Next to its very brilliant story is Wonder Woman herself. Azzarello has truly captured her persona. He is able to bring out different sides of her with perfect timing and execution. There she is being a god and queen of the amazons while loving even the most vile of all evils. You can feel her genuine compassion on one panel while still experiencing how strong she could be. She truly embodies the wonder in a woman.
I really love how Azzarello wrote Wonder Woman. It revolved around family in home. There's no Justice League, no Cheetah, no Steve Trevor. This is a story of Diana in her roots - with her family of amazons in Paradise Island and her crazy Olympian bloodfolk.
Sadly, oh sadly, this ends BA and Cliff Chiang's 3-year stint. Wonder Woman is now in the hands of a new creative team (or couple) and I hear news that the way Diana is being handled is not really great. Too bad!
November 10, 2022
What a finale, what a run! Delivering on the epic fight promised in the previous volume, it's a story about morals, personal development and strength. It's split into two parts for the majority of the narrative: Diana's fight with First Born and the Amazonian's fight against the First Born's Army. Both work perfectly in tandem with each other before combining for the endgame. Taking twists and turns even at the very end, Azzarello wraps up on a high.
October 9, 2020
The last few issues before the conclusion told a mediocre story, or perhaps I read this too quickly to get the nuance, but it seemed one dragging losing battle that, in comic-book logic, should not have been lost.
But then, the conclusion! Twists and swerves enough to make up for the earlier shortfalls.
But then, the conclusion! Twists and swerves enough to make up for the earlier shortfalls.
February 6, 2017
3.5 Stars
It is not a secret that I struggled with this series, but I have to say that I ended up liking and enjoying Azzarello's run so much more than I was anticipating. This final volume was epic, sure, a bit predictable, but the journey from the last two volumes were exciting and pretty amazing. What I loved the most was how Azzarello connected some threads and some old characters came back to the final battle. It was great seeing his vision of the Greek pantheon and his modern take on the story of Wonder Woman.
Finally, in this volume, Diana feels like the main character of her own story and it's such a nice thing seeing her struggling, but remaining herself the entire time. Even with the burden of her new position in Olympus, even when the Amazons don't trust her, she never loses her way. This character is treated with respect, and there's a well-constructed picture of who Diana is at the end of this series and I have to say, she's now one of my favorite DC characters and I wouldn't have thought I'd be saying that before.
So, in Volume. 6, the final battle against the First Born is here. This guy has some serious issues, now that he's on the throne, Olympus is a creepy, morbid place. Dianna on the other hand is preparing her own army, sadly the Amazons don't trust her. Diana has learned a lot being away from Paradise Island and she's ready to change the ways of the Amazons, but the majority of them reject these new ideas and Diana's place as the leader. Some old faces come back and they all will participate in this final confrontation.
I really enjoyed this volume, the ending was a bit predictable and some things resolved more easily than I was hoping for, but there were a few small things that took me for surprise and that's always nice. Some good revelations, some interesting developments. It was a good run, but I have to say, I'm happy it ended here.
Overall, this epic story went to places I wasn't expecting to. Like I said before First born is a creepy fucking dude and he pushes the gore a lot. Not that I'm complaining, Chiang's artwork works perfectly in this title. Such a nice surprise too, given the fact I didn't like some character designs when I was reading the first volume. But the artwork is spectacular and it provides so much to the overall enjoyment of this series. Also, the covers are stunning, I pretty much want all of them as posters on my wall.
I don't think I will be continuing this title with the new team that took over, but I will be looking for new WW stories so if you have anything to recommend me, please go ahead. Like I said before, I'm quite surprised with how much I enjoyed Diana's character and I'm really interested in reading more of her.
It is not a secret that I struggled with this series, but I have to say that I ended up liking and enjoying Azzarello's run so much more than I was anticipating. This final volume was epic, sure, a bit predictable, but the journey from the last two volumes were exciting and pretty amazing. What I loved the most was how Azzarello connected some threads and some old characters came back to the final battle. It was great seeing his vision of the Greek pantheon and his modern take on the story of Wonder Woman.
Finally, in this volume, Diana feels like the main character of her own story and it's such a nice thing seeing her struggling, but remaining herself the entire time. Even with the burden of her new position in Olympus, even when the Amazons don't trust her, she never loses her way. This character is treated with respect, and there's a well-constructed picture of who Diana is at the end of this series and I have to say, she's now one of my favorite DC characters and I wouldn't have thought I'd be saying that before.
So, in Volume. 6, the final battle against the First Born is here. This guy has some serious issues, now that he's on the throne, Olympus is a creepy, morbid place. Dianna on the other hand is preparing her own army, sadly the Amazons don't trust her. Diana has learned a lot being away from Paradise Island and she's ready to change the ways of the Amazons, but the majority of them reject these new ideas and Diana's place as the leader. Some old faces come back and they all will participate in this final confrontation.
I really enjoyed this volume, the ending was a bit predictable and some things resolved more easily than I was hoping for, but there were a few small things that took me for surprise and that's always nice. Some good revelations, some interesting developments. It was a good run, but I have to say, I'm happy it ended here.
Overall, this epic story went to places I wasn't expecting to. Like I said before First born is a creepy fucking dude and he pushes the gore a lot. Not that I'm complaining, Chiang's artwork works perfectly in this title. Such a nice surprise too, given the fact I didn't like some character designs when I was reading the first volume. But the artwork is spectacular and it provides so much to the overall enjoyment of this series. Also, the covers are stunning, I pretty much want all of them as posters on my wall.
I don't think I will be continuing this title with the new team that took over, but I will be looking for new WW stories so if you have anything to recommend me, please go ahead. Like I said before, I'm quite surprised with how much I enjoyed Diana's character and I'm really interested in reading more of her.
August 14, 2015
OK is this the end?
Right. So that was an entirely silly storyline. I didn't care for it, I know I'm in the minority, but whatever.
Cliff Chang did some cool art, but I really liked the covers most of all.
It's just one overly long bad family reunion slash Jerry Springer episode...
Zeus fucked a lot of girls without protection. Had lots of kids, surprisingly no one has done a story where he gets sued for child support. That would be awesome. Thor got sued by Roxxon, so this could happen!
I didn't care about this at all. By the end it wasn't even worth keeping track of the body count. The final reveal was like oh ok...that's gross and weird, but Makes sense for the Greek Gods.
I'm glad WW got so much popular attention on this run, it is a good thing for the character and women heroes in general. Sadly, Zach Snyder will turn WW into an anorexic who plays second fiddle to Bats/Supes, but oh well.
Right. So that was an entirely silly storyline. I didn't care for it, I know I'm in the minority, but whatever.
Cliff Chang did some cool art, but I really liked the covers most of all.
It's just one overly long bad family reunion slash Jerry Springer episode...
Zeus fucked a lot of girls without protection. Had lots of kids, surprisingly no one has done a story where he gets sued for child support. That would be awesome. Thor got sued by Roxxon, so this could happen!
I didn't care about this at all. By the end it wasn't even worth keeping track of the body count. The final reveal was like oh ok...that's gross and weird, but Makes sense for the Greek Gods.
I'm glad WW got so much popular attention on this run, it is a good thing for the character and women heroes in general. Sadly, Zach Snyder will turn WW into an anorexic who plays second fiddle to Bats/Supes, but oh well.
December 12, 2021
This was pretty fun!
The last war is here and we see the first born making his move conquering the Underworld and then taking on the Olympus and so Diana and the Amazons must team up to take down this threat and stop the army of the FB and its really well done, the way they come together and great moments for Aleka and Dessa and then they all team up to take down this threat and such a great moment for Diana as she fights FB and the truth of Zola and Zeke revealed and that was a great twist for sure!
I loved this volume as it has so much more revelations and the fight could have been more "war of fists" but then again good thing that Diana chose and well it will be interesting to see the consequences of all this and her new role as one of the Gods of Olympus. Plus the art was so good throughout this run and just is perfect! <3
The last war is here and we see the first born making his move conquering the Underworld and then taking on the Olympus and so Diana and the Amazons must team up to take down this threat and stop the army of the FB and its really well done, the way they come together and great moments for Aleka and Dessa and then they all team up to take down this threat and such a great moment for Diana as she fights FB and the truth of Zola and Zeke revealed and that was a great twist for sure!
I loved this volume as it has so much more revelations and the fight could have been more "war of fists" but then again good thing that Diana chose and well it will be interesting to see the consequences of all this and her new role as one of the Gods of Olympus. Plus the art was so good throughout this run and just is perfect! <3
April 28, 2019
The first born is now the king of hell.
Wonder woman is the queen of the amazons.
THE FIGHT BEGINS!!!
This is pretty badass finale. I wish it was a little better at the very end. The fights are good but feel a bit...rushed? I wanted to get more epic speeches and build up. Give me my superhero moments damn it! But the twist at the end, the world building, Diana growing as a person? All that is great. This was a damn fine run, and easily Azzarello best written story I've read so far.
As a run it's a easy 4 out of 5. This one is also a 4 out of 5. Great job Azzarello!
Wonder woman is the queen of the amazons.
THE FIGHT BEGINS!!!
This is pretty badass finale. I wish it was a little better at the very end. The fights are good but feel a bit...rushed? I wanted to get more epic speeches and build up. Give me my superhero moments damn it! But the twist at the end, the world building, Diana growing as a person? All that is great. This was a damn fine run, and easily Azzarello best written story I've read so far.
As a run it's a easy 4 out of 5. This one is also a 4 out of 5. Great job Azzarello!
August 11, 2015
Feels weird being in the minority on this, but I'm not sad this is over.
I had hoped for a super epic conclusion that would change my mind on the entire series but unfortunately I'm still pretty ambivalent on this one. In volume six, the building battle with The First Born finally comes to pass and Wonder Woman is the only one capable of saving everyone. She must first bring the Amazons over to her side of things and then prepare for all out war.
The First Born gets increasingly more fucked-up in this volume, what with the continued eating of people and/or making them eat each other. Oh, and the building of towers of corpses/body parts.
And it wouldn't be an Azzarello Wonder Woman volume if Zeke wasn't stolen or had his life threatened so had to check that box AGAIN. For fuck's sake, that's what, like the twelfth time the kid has had to be rescued?! At this point I really just wanted the story to end with him and his mother getting drop kicked off a cliff. I know it probably makes me a terrible person to enjoy that image but sweet Jesus am I tired of those two characters, especially Zola.
And the end...it wasn't bad, but...so damn predictable. I'm not sure how Azzarello could have ended it differently, but I still wasn't a huge fan. Just really sums up the entire series for me. Not bad, but not anything I fell in love with.
So the best I can really say is that it's worth picking up if you're a Wonder Woman fan and don't mind hearing yet another Greek hero story. Just wasn't my cup of tea which is super frustrating cause I really wanted it to be.
I had hoped for a super epic conclusion that would change my mind on the entire series but unfortunately I'm still pretty ambivalent on this one. In volume six, the building battle with The First Born finally comes to pass and Wonder Woman is the only one capable of saving everyone. She must first bring the Amazons over to her side of things and then prepare for all out war.
The First Born gets increasingly more fucked-up in this volume, what with the continued eating of people and/or making them eat each other. Oh, and the building of towers of corpses/body parts.
And it wouldn't be an Azzarello Wonder Woman volume if Zeke wasn't stolen or had his life threatened so had to check that box AGAIN. For fuck's sake, that's what, like the twelfth time the kid has had to be rescued?! At this point I really just wanted the story to end with him and his mother getting drop kicked off a cliff. I know it probably makes me a terrible person to enjoy that image but sweet Jesus am I tired of those two characters, especially Zola.
And the end...it wasn't bad, but...so damn predictable. I'm not sure how Azzarello could have ended it differently, but I still wasn't a huge fan. Just really sums up the entire series for me. Not bad, but not anything I fell in love with.
So the best I can really say is that it's worth picking up if you're a Wonder Woman fan and don't mind hearing yet another Greek hero story. Just wasn't my cup of tea which is super frustrating cause I really wanted it to be.
September 8, 2015
Azzarello and friends bring Wonder Woman's seminal New 52 run to a close as all of the plot threads come to a head. It's an enjoyable finale that ties up every loose end and brings back every character from the entire run for the final battle against the First Born. The themes that this run has explored and the new positions that it's put Diana into really make it something special, and it's definitely a defining run for the character.
Yes, there are a few little problems with this final trade; the First Born goes down far too easily, and there are a few hand-wavey moments that sort out some plot points too quickly, and the actual ending itself is less of an ending and more of an open ended conclusion - maybe one more issue could have made all of the difference, but I think as usual DC's timing of their stupid ass events have meant that things don't always end the way we want them to.
The artwork remains flawless, and the fact that both Cliff Chiang and Goran Sudzuka aren't credited on specific issues just goes to show how well the two artists gel together.
An excellent, if flawed, end to an amazing run. Let's see what follows this.
Yes, there are a few little problems with this final trade; the First Born goes down far too easily, and there are a few hand-wavey moments that sort out some plot points too quickly, and the actual ending itself is less of an ending and more of an open ended conclusion - maybe one more issue could have made all of the difference, but I think as usual DC's timing of their stupid ass events have meant that things don't always end the way we want them to.
The artwork remains flawless, and the fact that both Cliff Chiang and Goran Sudzuka aren't credited on specific issues just goes to show how well the two artists gel together.
An excellent, if flawed, end to an amazing run. Let's see what follows this.
February 21, 2015
I loved this run from beginning to end. Many have tried to update Wonder Woman for the modern era and failed. Others have also tried to give her a supporting cast and a reason to exist, or adversaries that were worthy of her strength / courage. Azzarello and Chiang were able to accomplish all of this in 35 issues and set a high standard for others to follow. Unfortunately I don't think the creative team that follows will be able to match it.
The people behind the Wonder Woman movie would be wise to use a lot of this material for their story.
The people behind the Wonder Woman movie would be wise to use a lot of this material for their story.
April 26, 2018
A fitting end to a great series, I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork and writing throughout this story of greek gods, mythology and of course my main girl Diana. This volume in particular is gruesome and brutal, which is exactly the removal from the spangly-outfit superheroes I've been craving. I'm glad to have seen this series through from beginning to end.
June 30, 2017
So... what now? I am falling in love with all the gods and goddesses, and with Diana's humanity despite being a goddess herself. The trick is not to forget who you are :)
January 29, 2019
Well, that settles it. This was the best New 52 series by a mile. It's also one of the best mainstream superhero comics I've read in a long time. There were a few bumps along the way, and the story stalled ever so slightly in the previous volume, but this finale brought it all home. This series is genuinely a home run.
Beyond the excellent characterization, dialogue, and art, the thing that set this series apart was its detailed story. Azzarello really planned everything perfectly, laying the groundwork for this ultimate showdown for many previous issues. And at 35 total issues (give or take an annual or so), it's the perfect length to tell an epic story without becoming too bloated or repeating ideas.
Snyder's Batman gets a lot of attention as a New 52 standout, but I ultimately don't think it can hold a candle to this. Where that series kind of plods along and has to find new ideas as previous ones fade out, Wonder Woman just moves. As the pieces start to fall into place, it only gains steam, staying on course and maintaining a consistent tension without ever losing the heart or humor that keep it from ever feeling too proud of itself.
Really, I loved this. Can you tell? This is seriously the only comic series in years I can remember reading and being sad when it was finally over. I want more, but that's what a good series does: it goes out on top. And this one certainly did.
Beyond the excellent characterization, dialogue, and art, the thing that set this series apart was its detailed story. Azzarello really planned everything perfectly, laying the groundwork for this ultimate showdown for many previous issues. And at 35 total issues (give or take an annual or so), it's the perfect length to tell an epic story without becoming too bloated or repeating ideas.
Snyder's Batman gets a lot of attention as a New 52 standout, but I ultimately don't think it can hold a candle to this. Where that series kind of plods along and has to find new ideas as previous ones fade out, Wonder Woman just moves. As the pieces start to fall into place, it only gains steam, staying on course and maintaining a consistent tension without ever losing the heart or humor that keep it from ever feeling too proud of itself.
Really, I loved this. Can you tell? This is seriously the only comic series in years I can remember reading and being sad when it was finally over. I want more, but that's what a good series does: it goes out on top. And this one certainly did.
April 24, 2015
Brilliant. Top notch. Should be racking up all the top awards. Better than Gaiman's run on Sandman or Moore's run on Swamp Thing. Or at least in the same ball park. Fresh, surreal, mythic, nutso, tender and charming. You got to read this.
February 12, 2019
Ok this was a nice end to that arc !
July 5, 2015
It's the end...and the horizon looks all kinds of messed up.
This is Azzarello/Chiang's last arc for Wonder Women before moving on to other things. It has been an amazing ride and one of the most creative series in the New52. Shame that David Finch is picking up the series after this. I won't rant here about that so let's talk about this final arc, which is AMAZING!:
World: The world of Wonder Woman is fully established by now and it feels like a full circle with the story and cast ending back where the story began on Paradise Island. I won't go into the amazing art and the colors and the framing and the pacing, it's all wonderful. There were still little glimpses of the world that we've not seen but as I said all in all the wonderful world which has been building for more than 2 years is on full display this final arc.
Story: Full circle is the first two words that come to mind. No more character building no more dilly dally this arc is all action and all pay off for all the time the creative team has for laying down the groundwork of this finale. The story moves fast and the cast of characters is huge but the final moments of this book are wonderfully intimate and as I said "full circle" goes back to Diana and Zola where it all began. It's a wonderful story and leave the door wide open for the future (will not rant here about Finch...).
Characters: All of them return, all of their weird awesome mythologicalness (is that a word?). This truly is a battle of Gods and it is awesome. The characters that we've grown to love are all here and they all have their arcs to play. Everyone had their moments and development. It was wonderful writing!
This is the end, but this end could not be any better. This in my mind has been the best #35 issues of Wonder Woman in this character's long history. There were no overly sexed portrayals, no overly submissive bullshit, this was a story about a woman and her real struggle to come to gripes of who and what she is. This is amazing and anyone who wants to read mainstream big 2 books should put this on their list of how a classic character can be done well in this modern age of comic books.
Onward to the next book!
This is Azzarello/Chiang's last arc for Wonder Women before moving on to other things. It has been an amazing ride and one of the most creative series in the New52. Shame that David Finch is picking up the series after this. I won't rant here about that so let's talk about this final arc, which is AMAZING!:
World: The world of Wonder Woman is fully established by now and it feels like a full circle with the story and cast ending back where the story began on Paradise Island. I won't go into the amazing art and the colors and the framing and the pacing, it's all wonderful. There were still little glimpses of the world that we've not seen but as I said all in all the wonderful world which has been building for more than 2 years is on full display this final arc.
Story: Full circle is the first two words that come to mind. No more character building no more dilly dally this arc is all action and all pay off for all the time the creative team has for laying down the groundwork of this finale. The story moves fast and the cast of characters is huge but the final moments of this book are wonderfully intimate and as I said "full circle" goes back to Diana and Zola where it all began. It's a wonderful story and leave the door wide open for the future (will not rant here about Finch...).
Characters: All of them return, all of their weird awesome mythologicalness (is that a word?). This truly is a battle of Gods and it is awesome. The characters that we've grown to love are all here and they all have their arcs to play. Everyone had their moments and development. It was wonderful writing!
This is the end, but this end could not be any better. This in my mind has been the best #35 issues of Wonder Woman in this character's long history. There were no overly sexed portrayals, no overly submissive bullshit, this was a story about a woman and her real struggle to come to gripes of who and what she is. This is amazing and anyone who wants to read mainstream big 2 books should put this on their list of how a classic character can be done well in this modern age of comic books.
Onward to the next book!
November 2, 2015
This was a pretty fitting end to this epic tale. The only part that I'm really disappointed in is the fact that it's over. Brian Azzarello has done a magnificent job creating this new look at the modern day Olympians. There is so much left to explore with Hades and War and Apollo and all of the other stuff that has happened over these last several volumes. With the changing creative team I strongly doubt any of this potential will be addressed in a satisfying way and am not planning to continue reading.
But anyway, back to this book. It's an interesting read and I love seeing all the different levels and aspects of Diana. I'm not sure I agree with some of the things that happened, but they're interesting at least. I did like some of the character reveals and twists. I genuinely didn't see them coming most of the time. There's also some great badassery that takes place.
And of course the Cliff Chiang artwork is gorgeous. I finally questioned his design for a character (Athena), but it was still nice. I also loved that he made a note in his design sketches about keeping the breastplate on Wonder Woman's armor practical. The other artists aren't as magnificent, but they work.
In all, this is an epic conclusion to this great run on a wonderful character. If you have any interest in Wonder Woman, you should check this out from the beginning.
But anyway, back to this book. It's an interesting read and I love seeing all the different levels and aspects of Diana. I'm not sure I agree with some of the things that happened, but they're interesting at least. I did like some of the character reveals and twists. I genuinely didn't see them coming most of the time. There's also some great badassery that takes place.
And of course the Cliff Chiang artwork is gorgeous. I finally questioned his design for a character (Athena), but it was still nice. I also loved that he made a note in his design sketches about keeping the breastplate on Wonder Woman's armor practical. The other artists aren't as magnificent, but they work.
In all, this is an epic conclusion to this great run on a wonderful character. If you have any interest in Wonder Woman, you should check this out from the beginning.
August 16, 2016
Ahora que lo he acabado, puedo comentarlo. Me ha dejado alucinado. Sólo conocía el trabajo de Azzarello en series de corte más realista y de cine negro, como 100 balas. Sólo había leído, en lo tocante a superhéroes, su fantástico "Joker".
Me he hecho fan de Wonder Woman. Así de claro. Es una brillante, magnífica recreación del origen de un personaje, con giros argumentales insólitos, personajes tremendamente fieles a su origen (los dioses olímpicos) a la vez que vistos a través de un nuevo prisma (especialmente Ares) y una ejecución gráfica magistral.
La portada la anuncia como la mejor de las revisiones de los Nuevos 52. No los he leído todos para opinar, pero no me sorprendería. Es una obra maestra.
Me he hecho fan de Wonder Woman. Así de claro. Es una brillante, magnífica recreación del origen de un personaje, con giros argumentales insólitos, personajes tremendamente fieles a su origen (los dioses olímpicos) a la vez que vistos a través de un nuevo prisma (especialmente Ares) y una ejecución gráfica magistral.
La portada la anuncia como la mejor de las revisiones de los Nuevos 52. No los he leído todos para opinar, pero no me sorprendería. Es una obra maestra.
May 4, 2015
Great characters! Superb writing and art! A fitting conclusion for the finest the New 52 has to offer!
June 25, 2015
A good ending to this arc. On the whole it was entertaining if not spectacular.
August 22, 2015
Gnarly! One of the most grisly scenes in comics is found within these pages. A great run, and a very different kind of comic book. Kinda sad to be at the end of this era.
March 19, 2021
A spiffingly satisfying conclusion.
Wonder Woman dons her mantle as the new God of War and leads her revived army (courtesy a kinder Queen Hera) of fierce Amazons, displaced Gods and friends in a no-holds barred battle against the Crippler of Souls/ First-Born.
There is a lot of carnage, a lot of deceit but also loyalty, a lot of soul-searching, a hella lot of violence, a multitude of loose ends being tied up and amidst it all….our heroine continuing to stand emotionally tall (even when she is battered within an inch of her life), kind and powerful. Yet another humdinger of a conclusion ties up the story with an unexpected twist.
Stellar cast, great art and superb story progression.
YES!!
June 22, 2017
What a great ending to this Olympic Story Arc.
But be warned, a few parts that were just disturbing...when the gods war, it isn't a pretty sight.
Plus I'll add one more thing, I know some of Wonder Woman's ancient storytelling history, and some of that needs to remain in the past as this icon moves forward into the new modern era.....so please, PLEASE don't follow up that one side dialogue about "loving submission" with a downward spiral into bondage storylines, I know it may have some historical accuracy, but please no... the character has moved past that for her modern fans today who grew up with Linda Carter and love the new comics and now movie, please don't take our favorite Amazon backwards to the 40's version of herself.
But be warned, a few parts that were just disturbing...when the gods war, it isn't a pretty sight.
Plus I'll add one more thing, I know some of Wonder Woman's ancient storytelling history, and some of that needs to remain in the past as this icon moves forward into the new modern era.....so please, PLEASE don't follow up that one side dialogue about "loving submission" with a downward spiral into bondage storylines, I know it may have some historical accuracy, but please no... the character has moved past that for her modern fans today who grew up with Linda Carter and love the new comics and now movie, please don't take our favorite Amazon backwards to the 40's version of herself.
June 26, 2019
This is what a conclusion should be.
It has humor. It has gods who smite. It has no romance whatsoever! But it pulls on the heart.
This was fine.
Loose plot threads are tied up. The big reveal works, and works very well. And Wonder Woman is herself.
It has humor. It has gods who smite. It has no romance whatsoever! But it pulls on the heart.
This was fine.
Loose plot threads are tied up. The big reveal works, and works very well. And Wonder Woman is herself.
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