Review: Wonder Woman #66

Although Wonder Woman has been on my pull-list for several years now and the title has been consistently well written, G.Willow Wilson has brought something to the title that has been missing for a while, vivacity. No pun intended, but Wilson bring a sense of wonder back to the pages of Wonder Woman. She does this without disregarding the more heady aspects of the character, in fact what makes Wilson’s run so captivating is that she so adroitly weaves in the mythical elements of Diana’s character with the lighter super hero aspects. Wilson has a track record of skillfully telling super hero stories full of real life drama as she did on her iconic Ms. Marvel run.
This issue begins a new arc that spins out last issues exciting narrative featuring the goddess of grudges, Nemesis. Ultimately Diana discovers that Nemesis is in the employ of her arch-rival Veronica Cale, who intends to sue Wonder Woman for property damage and assault on her employee. This kind of juxtaposition of real world dilemmas with larger than life threats has become a signature trait of Wilson’s run. In this issue Giganta only agrees to help Diana for substantial monetary compensation. It seems so out-of-place for a super villain to want money, but it adds an element of quirkiness to the character that works so well.

In the aftermath ofÂ her confrontation with Ares Wonder Woman is now faced with the appearance of several other creatures of a mythical nature, the situation intensifies when a duo of Titans in the form of living mountains begin throttling one another and stomping on everything in their path. This is when Diana, in desperation turns to Giganta. Wilson embraces the rivalry between the two instead of making this a tale of Giganta’s redemption. The chemistry this creates is so entertaining, of course there is tension, but it isn’t dark, oppressive white-knuckled tension, its fun and that is why it works so well. Wilson’s run on this title has maintain a steadily ascending trajectory, each issue improving on the last and while I thoroughly enjoyed the writers before her, Wilson has placed her mark indelibly upon Wonder Woman and I for one cannot wait for the next issue.

Although Cary Nord seems more at home on titles of a darker tone, like Daredevil or Conan, he has proven a surprisingly nice fit for Wilson’s Wonder Woman. His proclivity toward shadowy scenes, dramatically posed big action sequences and pulse pounding, tension building storytelling are all prominently displayed here in Wonder Woman, just with an influx of bright, vibrant light. Nord still has a tendency toward darker thematic elements, however he has managed to infuse his pages with precisely placed bursts of light. The action is still big, in fact it doesn’t get much bigger than a Giganta/ Wonder Woman team-up poised to do battle against a couple of mountainous Titans. Nord’s character designs are larger than life, but its his meticulously detailed backgrounds that set his work apart from most of the other super hero titles. The landscapes are lush, full of trees, the sky is an enticing balance of azure and ivory creating the perfect canvas to tell a tale of an Amazonian Princess, a giantess and more mythical creatures than a Narnian wardrobe could hold. Visually, Nord has done a top-notch turn of world creating, add Mick Gray’s precise inking and Romulo Fajardo Jr’s brilliant colors and the entire book just bursts vividly to life.

Overall, G. Willow Wilson has hit her narrative stride with this issue. Her engrossing storytelling and endearing character work bring that same magic with which she wrote Ms. Marvel to Wonder Woman. Wilson is the type of writer who lives and dies by her characters. There is a realism to them even when they are exhibiting the most amazing of super heroics. I have been an avid Wonder Woman reader for years and during that time we have seen A List talent come and go, but there is something special about G. Willow Wilson’s run. If you haven’t jumped onboard as yet I recommend making room on your pull-list for Wonder Woman. 4/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer- G. Willow Wilson
Pencils- Cary Nord
Inks- Mick Gray
Colors- Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer- Pat Brosseau