With the outside world in peril, Princess Diana of Themyscira must leave
her island paradise to do battle against Ares as he threatens to plunge Earth
into darkness. She must depend upon the help of Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and
archaeologist Barbara Ann Minerva to navigate Man’s World and overcome the God
of War’s malicious influence.
Wonder Woman Volume 2: Year One collects
Wonder Woman issues 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,
12 and 14, written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Nicola Scott.
When it comes to Wonder Woman, DC’s Rebirth initiative served as a
much-needed palate cleanser for the character. Greg Rucka and artist Liam Sharp
got the character back on track with TheLies, while Rucka’s partnership with Nicola Scott resulted in a revised
take on the iconic character’s origins. Where The Lies was about undoing the damage done to Wonder Woman during
The New 52, Year One is about
providing a modern and definitive origin for her. There’s just one problem –
she already has one. Though it’s been 30 years since George Perez rebooted
Wonder Woman’s origins following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, it remains a classic and is thus
difficult to top.
If there’s one thing that is consistent about Year One it’s Rucka and Scott’s acute understanding of Wonder
Woman. It is a character-centric arc that plots her development as a naïve princess
of a hidden island to a self-assured superheroine. Diana doesn’t have all the
answers and she makes mistakes, but she also has the guts and bravery necessary
to save the day. In a similar vein, Barbara Ann Minerva ends up being a
standout character in her role as Diana’s pseudo-mentor. She’s really the one
character who helps Diana understand Man’s World and it adds a really
interesting dimension to her as she’d been consistently portrayed as a
near-irredeemable villain prior to Rebirth. Rucka and Scott also incorporate
Diana’s patron gods into the story, even going so far as to make them crucial
to the final conflict. That said, Year
One never quite manages to re-capture the magic of Perez’s iconic origins.
Though the character work is strong and the overall tone is engaging, it’s
remarkably light on action and the stakes are not quite as high as they were in
the 1987 reboot.
Year One is buoyed by Nicola Scott’s
flawless art. She draws readers in with her lush, detailed pencils. In many
ways, Scott falls into the same titanic camp as George Perez and Phil Jimenez with
her work. I’ve long said that Scott is one of the best when it comes to drawing
Wonder Woman. She understands the costuming, the body language, and the
optimism of the character better than most. She’s also adept at differentiating
characters from one another, which is something many comic book artists often
fail to do. I especially love how striking Queen Hippolyta is. I’d also be lying
if I said I didn’t appreciate the fact that she gives us copious amounts of
panel time of Steve Trevor in various stages of undress. It’s a really
fascinating way of subverting the male gaze by catering more to a female (and
gay male) gaze. It’s brilliant.
Wonder Woman Volume 2: Year One is
a commendable redo of Wonder Woman’s origins. It’s accessible and entertaining
with gorgeous artwork throughout. Though it’s light on action, it has a lot of
great character moments that are enough to draw readers in. There have been
many creators in recent years who have tried their hand at revising Wonder
Woman’s origins – some have been successful (Renae De Liz), while others have
been wildly off base (Grant Morrison). Thankfully, Rucka and Scott sit
comfortably in the success end of the spectrum.
RATING: B+
