Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

 

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

DC comics have recently been publishing a new range of titles, and reprinting previous collections from their historic imprints, under the banner of DC Black Label. Much like the alcohol equivalent, the concept is that these are the top shelf stories, the good stuff, the kind of quality you’d pull out to impress your neighbours. What I find most exciting about the new Black Label titles is the freedom offered to the creative teams. DC just said “You want to write that? With that art style? Go nuts! I trust you.” And the results have been… Mixed… but I’ve enjoyed most that I have read.

Despite bearing her name, Wonder Woman doesn’t appear in the run. The three issues focus on the creation and lore of her tribe: The Amazons. One of my favourite nuggets of comic book trivia does revolve around the creation Princess Diana of Themyscira.

Charles Moulton is credited for the creation of Wonder Woman. Charles Moulton was the pseudonym of American psychologist William Moulton Marston. It’s a safe bet to say that Marston lived his life by two fundamental beliefs: Always tell the truth and enjoy what you enjoy. The prior lead Marston to invent the polygraph, better known as the lie detector machine. The later explains his almost devote advocacy of bondage sadomasochism and polyamory… Marston and his wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, shared a dominatrix, Olive Byrne. He described Diana as a combination of both women. Sheds a whole new light on the lasso of truth.

What am I reading? Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, November 2021 – December 2022, Issues 1 – 3, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott.

What’s it about? Slavery, beatings, murder, rape… being less than human all for the crime of being born a woman. The goddesses of the pantheon are sick of it. Behind Zeus’ back, Hera and six other goddesses raise an avenging army to deliver swift violent justice across the Hellenic world.

What’s good about it? I’ll never be able to say that I’ll understand the female experience, but I can feel the anger dripping of the page. Hell, nor Tartarus, hath no fury like a woman scorned. DeConnick captures something raw in her dialogue. Rage and Sorrow. Resigned to fate and refusing to go into the night. I love it!

The designs are divine. Each god or goddess is the right mix of recognisable and unknowable. The visual story telling within their forms is wonderful. For those who have read the classics you can pick up the details and understand the influences: Hera’s peacock motif, Artemis’ shape shifting, Hecate’s three simultaneous bodies . Jemenez’ pages are astounding in their abstract nature. Scott’s work is top notch, I wouldn’t want to have to draw upwards of fifty women to a page.

What did I struggle with? I found the story weakened from issue to issue. #1 was the start of the goddesses’ rebellion and the creation of the Amazons, a fantastic fan fair of flare and a story we previously have mixed exposition about. #2 was Hippolyta joining the fight and forming a contingency of mortal Amazons. Interesting, but a bit heavy on the sadness, and in truth the action we’ve seen better done before. The Wonder Woman section in New Frontier springs to mind. #3 is the fight between the Amazons and Zeus’ forces. 

#3 is a bit dull… sorry… The action is largely comprised of splash pages showing either victory or carnage. These pages are meant to instil a sense of poignancy, but to me they are a bit passive. Always visually interesting, but the realism of the artwork removes a sense of dynamism for me. It's like looking at Edward Morin's Charge of the Light Brigade, stunning, but stilted. I think its the lack of Comic-booky-tropes. Compare the death of Hercules by the Amazons, to the Mantis' death by the ants: No motion lines, no impact, the blows have little visual damage compared to the bites. I may just be a philistine though. 

In my mind, the second and third issues are a bit of a missed opportunity: I don’t really want to see how the Amazons came to Themyscira, because within the long-established history of DC comics, they have always been on Themyscira. I’d much rather more time was spent on the Amazons in the wider Hellenic world. An anthology of the Amazons doing honourable deeds and forming the mythology beneath them. Instead, we see about two battles and its wham-bam back in the status quo.

Would I recommend? Tricky one… to the more well-versed DC and Wonder Woman fan, I would say read issue one and maybe two. To those who love Greek myth, again probably only read issue one. For someone who knows little of either, go for it. For my money, Wonder Woman Dead Earth is the DC Black Label title for die hard Diana fans.