Princess Diana—Wonder Woman—is a hero to the world. But there are those who see her very differently. And one of those, Veronica Cale, the leader of the all-powerful Godwatch, will stop at nothing to use Diana to get what she wants: revenge on the gods themselves!
As the story unfolds from year to year, bridging the gap between the YEAR ONE story to present day, Wonder Woman faces off against not just scheming Cale, but also the powerful witch Circe and her own former friend Barbara Ann Minerva, now known as the Cheetah!
The celebrated run from writer Greg Rucka (GOTHAM CENTRAL) ends with WONDER WOMAN VOL. 4: GODWATCH, with art from Bilquis Evely, Mirka Andolfo and Nicola Scott. Collects stories from WONDER WOMAN even issues #16-24 and WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1.
Greg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
DC really dropped the ball here. Read in the order they were released, the story in volumes 3 and 4 make complete sense. All of these flashback stories are needed for volume 3 to make any sense. Plus the epilogue for volume 3 is in this volume. Splitting apart every other issue made sense for volumes 1 and 2. They were self-contained stories. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for volumes 3 and 4. They are reliant upon one another to tell a cohesive story. Rucka's done some great writing here. It was just ruined by a terrible editorial decision.
Received a review copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The final two arcs in Rucka's Wonder Woman Rebirth run are much more interconnected than the first two, so the decision to split these arcs into separate trades seems even more jarring. Ideally, these 12 issues should be read in their numeric order and collected in one single book. Alas, we have what we have, and the actual finale to this story will be collected in Volume 3, which I will review as soon as that final issue will be released in a couple of weeks.
But anyway, I really enjoyed both 'The Truth' and 'Godwatch'. Rucka brings everything full circle in these two arcs. Godwatch in particular is, again, more of a backstory, but now it's the story of Veronica Cale, the villain. And I really liked it. She's not your typical one-dimensional bad guy, there is some depth to her conflict with Diana, and the resolution of their rivalry was quite original and unexpected.
The Cheetah sublot, though, was really one-note, and basically the same as in Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies. I just don't understand why she had to go through all this again, and blame it all on Diana.
Still, I am really impressed by Rucka's work here. This is some of his best writing in superhero genre, aside from Gotham Central — which, admittedly, wasn't too super-heroic. And this is by far the best Rebirth title, which isn't saying much, but is still quite an achievement. If only it wasn't so poorly structured...
I LOVED Year One first part. I gave it a very very high 4. This? The later half? Just feels decent.
So now we have the cheetah origin which feels extremely rushed and kind of lifeless. We also see how grief can ruin someone to the point they become a monster themselves. This is kind of to show who Diana really is and how she handles being a God on earth protecting us while also dealing with her personal issues, especially with Cheetah.
Good: Overall the art stays very strong. It was the strongest part in the first half, and still very very high here. The cheetah fight at the end was vicious and really entertaining. I also enjoyed the dinner scene a lot.
Bad: The two gods in here are kind of boring and did nothing for me. Also what the fuck was that rushed origin with Cheetah? Like a two page turn. I was just...just no.
Overall this was a weaker second half. I wanted to love it but came out going Meh. It's good but could have been great. Oh well, sadness.
This continues Diana's early adventures that inform Wonder Woman, Volume 3: The Truth, and works in tandem to close out Greg Rucka's Rebirth run. We get a really compelling look at the tragic origin of the villain Veronica Cale and Godwatch here, as well as a look at Cheetah's great origin and how it relates to Cale. Some interesting stuff in this one! As you can tell if you read my reviews of the different volumes, I enjoyed the story arcs that take place in the past more than I did the present day ones but ultimately, I really enjoyed what Rucka did here, bringing Wonder Woman into the Rebirth world with a bang! Make sure to read this story as part of Wonder Woman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 for the best issue by issue reading experience the way it was intended, instead of separated into these individual volumes.
I am going to be blunt. Godwatch should have been Bitchwatch. Since the events all revolve around Dr. Veronica Cale. She is pretty much a bitch. She hates Wonder Woman. No idea why other than she is beautiful and powerful. So when Demios and Phobos steal her daughter's face (um yeah you read that right) Dr. Cale embarks on a quest to betray Wonder Woman and eventually free the Twin God's father- Ares, the God Of War.
Along the way we see Dr. Cale try all sorts of ways to get Diana to reveal secrets. Wonder Woman helps a Chimera, doesn't help Dr. jane become the Cheetah and learns to speak better English. It was not terrible but nothing I would ever read again. I am not going to waste much of a review on this one.
This is mostly in the past where we see what happened to Veronica and her daughter and how Phobos and Deimos are involved and the first birth of Cheetah and how it was Cale and Dr Cyber who created this enmity between Cheetah and Diana and I love how the writer brings it together and then you have the coming of Circe and her first battle with Diana and it was not that epic but still enjoyable.
I really liked how it followed the epilogue and has Diana and Cheetah final fight and showing Cale as a tragic figure and is she wrong, like which parent won't go to extreme ways to save their child and shows Greek gods in a new way. Plus the first team up of Diana, Clark and Bruce which was good. This was a good volume and explores this Godwatch and Cale's past and compliments Vol 3 really well and makes for a great read with tremendous art. Loved this one!
Although I would consider this to be the year of Wonder Woman as her cinematic solo feature was an absolute delight and a huge success, her recent adventures in the pages of DC Comics haven’t quite reached that success in quality. After 25 issues, Greg Rucka has departed from the title and thus the fourth volume features the remaining issues that mark not so much the end of his run, but oddly the middle.
This volume is a bit anti-climatic as it goes back to fill in some story that happened before the big events that occur in volume 3. As such, we already know where it is going, so it's not as interesting as it could be. Also, one of the issues in this volume has art by Mirka Andolfo, whose art is very inconsistent. I'm hoping that this series gets back on track with the next volume.
[Read as single issues] Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman run kind of ended in the previous volume, but this storyline runs basically in tandem with The Truth, so it's best to read both of them together. I think I mentioned that in my review for Volume 3; if I didn't, I should have.
Anyway. Told almost entirely in flashback, this arc details the first meetings between Diana and Veronica Cale, Cale's reasons for hating Diana, and how she, Doctor Cyber, and the Cheetah are all twined together and tied to Diana's fate. This really informs the conclusion of The Truth, to the point where it really won't have as much impact if you haven't read this volume too.
Bilquis Evely handles all of the art in these issues from what I remember, and she's got a timeless quality about her that really fits this time period; it looks classic, but modern enough that it won't put off modern readers.
You really need this to make Rucka's story complete - if you've read v1-3, 4 is a no-brainer.
I liked this, though I wanted to like it more but the editing was disjointed - or at least felt that way to me - throughout the volume. One of the strengths was Veronica Cale going to questionable lengths to help her affected tween daughter, which may strike a chord with the parental readers. Also, Circe being summoned to cause trouble as usual ( "You wanted a witch, you got a witch." ) was a highlight, as was a wordless cameo appearance by a frustrated Bruce Wayne at a fundraiser.
Godwatch is an interesting read because it fills in many of the gaps from Volume 3. Rucka's "Rebirth" run is alternating from "present" to "past" with each volume. Volume 1 takes place in the present. Volume 2 in the past, 3 back in the present, and now 4 is about seven years ago in the past. It's a captivating format because Rucka gets to play with what is revealed when. For example, volume 3 showed the "rebirth" of Cheetah, whereas volume 4 details her original transformation. We learn how "Dr. Cyber" came to be, as well as why Phobos and Deimos are dogs. We even meet Circe for the first time in the "Rebirth" initiative. My only issue with the book is that it undoes much of what Azzarello established in his Wonder Woman run--a run that, to me, is one of the all-time best. However, Rucka has a great handle on Wonder Woman and always provides engaging, articulate reads.
This one was a little hard to keep track of as the storyline jumped ahead and skipped major events. I’m guessing since this is where the two storylines of the alternating volumes catches up, the missing parts are in the other volumes. Still really enjoyable and the art is incredible. I’m in love with Jenny Frison’s variant covers!
A phenomenal run and a reorienting of Diana back to what she's suppose to be.
World: The art is great and full of character, this series since Rebirth with Scott and Sharp has been fantastic. The world building is absolutely amazing. Not only do we get great world building for Diana in the Annual but we get Cale world building. Simply amazing.
Story: What can I say? This is the culmination of Rucka's Rebirth run and it's simply amazing. Not only was he able to deal with her convoluted origin, tell a fresh origin for all of Diana's main characters, he's also set very firmly what Diana is for his books and also the DCU. Batman said it best in the Annual "we have a lot of catching up". But I digress, I'll talk about Diana later. This arc was amazing because Rucka made sure we knew who Cale and Barbara Ann are. So much time is spent with them that they are fully formed and this arc is all about their origins. The entire Rucka run has been about characters and this is just an extension of it. The two parallel stories are melded together and the end is poetic and so very Wonder Woman I can't explain without spoiling it. This arc was just amazing.
Characters: This Diana is a beacon of love for the DCU and with what Tomas and Jurgens is doing with Supes it's good to read DC again. It's so hopeful it's so positive I'm so happy. Diana is all we want and someone we strive to be and it's great. That does not make her flawless and a Mary Sue, she's real, she's flawed but her ideals are inspiring and that's what makes her so great. Rucka you did good. Cale, what can I say? We got a fully formed and deep character and it's not stupid and mwaa haa haa at all. She's complex and riveting to read. This arc was her story of breaking bad...well not so much breaking bad but it's about love also. Love has been the focus of the series no matter what form it takes.
I love this arc and I love this run. I'm thinking which run is better, this or Rucka's previous DCU run.
Just thinking about how hopeful and loving these titles are since Rebirth makes me tear up..DC this is what I needed. This is what the world needs more of.
Wow, what an actually deep storyline. I'm impressed. I won't get into the events much except to say Wonder Woman finds herself up against more gods. Ultimately this is a story of friendship. Friendships deepened and friendship severed. First the one between Veronica Cale and Adrianna, as well as love of mother for child. Cale and Etta Candy; Cale with Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman with Cheetah. Then, finally, the book ends with the first meeting of Batman and Superman with Wonder Woman. This has been a great run so far in Rucka's Wonder Woman, bringing her mythos back in line.
It's hard for me to rate these novels since I've had to flip back and forth between them in order to read the story in order which keeps them all blended together.
If anything, I do think I liked to see the buildup of the current of the storyline more than I liked to see the storyline. I know that sounds incredibly confusing, but that's a bit how I felt about these the first time I read them.
Either way, I did like to see her continue to become Wonder Woman throughout this volume and the friendships she made continue to build. Diana is a great character that I think shines through even in this 'only okay' run.
3.5 stars because I enjoyed reading this, but it won't stick with me for long. Also, the reading order for this series is all over the place, and it doesn't help that I'm reading them in German where this isn't labeled volume 4. I'm so confused.
The art in this volume was mostly good, although I wasn't the biggest fan of how young/teenager-like Diana looked in the end. The story was definitely entertaining but I've read better.
By now I'm honestly thinking that Year One was about as good as it gets, if anyone has any other Wonder Woman must reads, please tell me.
Basic plot: Wonder Woman attempts to return to Themyscira.
There was a lot of story packed into these issues. The return of the Cheetah, fighting Phobos and Deimos, Veronica Cale, and more. The Wonder Woman stories continue to resonate. Interestingly, WW leaves behind her lasso, so I'm very curious about how its loss will affect her in the future.
First, I should note, that the separation of this graphic novel from volume 3 makes no sense. They need to be read in tandem (and should have just been one long volume). Good job DC! Learn how to organically publish your stories :l
Godwatch is all the non-Wondy perspectives behind the whole Ares disaster, and it's a fascinating set of stories that really brings me back to the old days of Rucka's Wonder Woman pre-52. This volume fleshes out all the back characters in Wonder Woman's world quite a bit, making them into actual people with reasons to what they are doing. If only DC published this in a way that would have let these stories truly shine...
Whoevers decision it was to split up 3+4 into two trades was not smart or particularly logical I enjoyed this arc once i realised that this jumped between issues and only contained the the evenly numbered ones. However if i was to read them again i would read them in the correct logical order.
DC what kind of weird game are you playing with this...
A lot of the stuff in here was good, but the way it’s collected makes no sense. Why did they do it this way?? I guess maybe someday I’ll get the single issues or read volumes 3 and 4 side by side alternating.
Okay the reading order I'm following shouldn't have put this 5 months after the previous volume, this was so confusing. Also top tip! While you can read the first two volumes back to back instead of in the issue order (if you prefered like I had), you really can't do that with this arc. It literally doesn't make sense even if you read it the trade versions back to back, I really recommend the issue order this time. I ended up having to scan over the third volume between issues pretty often, but at the very least I can say I ended up enjoying this arc. Definitely looking to the next few more though because this was a lot of work to piece together. The annual at the end was easily my favourite part!! I really love the cute little stories and especially the last one, I love that the artist drew Wonder Woman like she was an action figure? The hands were bigger and all the lines across her shoulders and hands to make her look like a toy was SO CUTE!!! I really loved that idea so I'm going to look into the artist right after this review :D
This book shows us that now all the people think Wonder Woman is a hero. Two gods, Deimos and Phobos, take away Veronica Cale's daughter's face. The gods then meet with Veronica to tell her that they get her daughter back in return for getting the location of Diana's home. Veronica funds Barbara Ann Morse's expedition where she is turned into Cheetah. Veronica then makes a deal with Circe to try and get her daughter back but it fails. We also see Diana and Steve Trevor kiss. Cheetah tries to kill Veronica but Diana stops her. It is revealed that Veronica's daughter is at Diana's home but is unable to leave. The comic ends with Bruce and Clark meeting Diana.
I enjoyed this comic. Sad that not everyone thinks superheroes are good. Everyone has their own opinion. Also sad about what happened to Veronica Cale's daughter. Glad that her daughter is okay. Hope Dr. Minerva will be able to change back from being Cheetah. Did I miss Diana and Steve being in a relationship?
Because of the weird alternating presentation of this series, this volume fills in backstory for the previous volume. Since we already know how events turn out, these stories aren't as satisfying despite being well told. The final story with Batman and Superman makes the whole thing worthwhile though.