Review: Wonder Woman v2 #147-150

            After unleashing the villain Devastation upon the world, the Titans of myth lead an assault on the various pantheons of Gods in order to acquire sole ownership of the heavens. Naturally, the only thing standing between them and victory is Wonder Woman.

            Eric Luke continues to impress with this four issue arc entitled “Godwar.” He opens the first issue on a humorous vignette wherein he has Wonder Woman criticize the Golden Age depiction of her character by poking fun at the fact that Wonder Woman’s motivation back then was the love of a man. It’s a cute little moment that serves to show us how far the Amazing Amazon has come. After that, the plot quickly develops and we have the Titans of myth waging war on the Olympian Gods and their victory leaves Wonder Woman powerless. She teams up with the champion of the Hindu Gods, Rama, when the Titans set their sights on conquering Mount Mandara. Rama is, in essence, a male Wonder Woman in that he was given his abilities by the Hindu Gods. This would have been a more effective character had Luke not used such a similar narrative with his character Devastation. As such, it leaves the reader with a feeling of déjà vu. Still, Luke deserves credit for crafting an interesting storyline wherein he utilizes different mythologies and weaves them together in a story that ultimately serves to promote the message that everyone is entitled to their religious beliefs and that there is room for all religions.

            Yanick Paquette returns for the first two issues of the arc. They’re easily the two most visually dynamic of the arc where each panel is equally as dramatic as the next. His Wonder Woman is gorgeous and his Titans are menacing. Rick Burchett takes over for issue #149 and simulates a style like Paquette’s but ultimately comes across as too cartoony. Matthew Clark concludes the arc with the super-sized #150. He makes Wonder Woman look a little childish and his art can be too busy at times.

            “Godwar” is a riveting arc sure to impress mythology buffs and is a self-referential Wonder Woman tale that asks the essential questions about the character and her motivation while showing off the fact that no one else kicks ass quite like she does. While it seemed a bit rushed at some points and Rama bears some similarities to Devastation in origin and purpose, the arc was a fun read with lots of action.

Grade: B