The Quarter Bin

Remember when the biggest concern readers had for Wonder Woman was whether or not it was going to be renumbered to coincide with the six-hundredth issue, and they had that “Send Us 600 Post Cards” campaign? Ah, simpler times. In case you hadn’t heard, J. Michael Straczynski is taking over the writing duties on Wonder Woman starting next month, and in addition to containing short stories by some of the character’s more memorable creators, this anniversary issue serves as a prologue to the new direction JMS is planning for the character. Oh, and WW gets a new costume. Of course, none of that seems to matter, as this issue is more concerned with tributes than moving the character forward. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad issue though.

WONDER WOMAN #600
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, GEOFF JOHNS, GAIL SIMONE & others
Art by GEORGE PÉREZ, PHIL JIMENEZ, DON KRAMER & others
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
1:25 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant black and white cover by ADAM HUGHES
DC Universe, 56pg., $4.99 US

Consisting of four short stories and a prologue of the next major storyline, Wonder Woman #600 is a good comic, but like most anthology-style anniversary or commemorative issues, the whole isn’t as strong as the individual parts. The book opens with what could be construed as Gail Simone’s epilogue/farewell to the character (her run is ending just as Straczynski’s is beginning), though I’m sure one day Ms. Simone will find herself writing the continued adventures of comicdom’s most iconic female again. Drawn by George Perez, “Valedictorian” not only shows just how strong a grasp both creators have on the character (Perez’s WW continues to be one of the strongest depictions since the character’s inception), but the story also shows how much respect Diana has from her peers and closest non-super friends alike. Simone also showcases her deft ability to get to the heart of a character in merely a single statement with more than a dozen other DC heroines including Batwoman, the new Terra, the Question, and Ravager. Thankfully Gail’s skills are on display in a few other books as hers is a voice that makes comics a lot of fun to read. Perez does what he does best for the story, and the panels are packed with action and detail that few artists today can even come close to replicating. It’s a lot for your eyes to take in, but scanning the individual panels for the nuances of the man’s style is part of the fun, and I wish he was still working on a monthly book somewhere.

Amanda Connor both writes and draws the second story, “Fuzzy Logic,” and it’s full of the trademark humor and gorgeous art she’s known for. Curiously, Batgirl shows up for a small cameo that seems a tad unnecessary, and doesn’t add anything to the story, but it doesn’t take anything away from the narrative either. Connor’s facial expressions and body language are among the best in comics, and she displays more character and emotion in a few panels than most artists can hope to express in twenty-two pages. Louise Simon’s and Eduardo Pansica’s “Firepower” follows Connor’s tale, and while it’s not the strongest story in the book, it does do a good job showing off WW’s combat prowess. The tale is basically one big fight, and Simonson does a decent job showing just why Diana is considered one of the most powerful heroes on the planet. Pansica’s art is good, but it might have stood out a bit more were he not overshadowed by Perez and Connor. The man’s got a good eye for action, and does a solid job drawing a fight where all the combatants are flying. With a bit of a precursor story to Straczynski’s new direction for the character, Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins team for “The Sensational Wonder Woman,” which is pretty light on story as it focuses primarily on the theme and heart of who Wonder Woman is. There are two unseen narrators who guide us through the six pages rather quickly, and I’m curious to see what that’s all about. For now, we’ll just have to make do with the fact that whomever is speaking may be behind the sudden change in Wonder Woman’s life. Johns does a good enough job, but Kolins is the real star here as his ever-changing style works (ahem) wonders on the page. Michael Atiyeh’s colors are also great, and push Kolins’ pencils to a level I’ve not seen from him since his days on The Flash.

Saving the most intriguing story for last, J. Michael Straczynski’s and Don Kramer’s “Couture Shock” sets up the next arc for the character quite well. Ridiculous title aside (the new story is actually called “Odyssey”), I really like the set-up here for what’s to come. Diana is in a world that’s vastly different from the one we’re used to her occupying. She’s much younger, and doesn’t have anywhere near the powerset we’re used to seeing her wield, and it’s going to be interesting to see how JMS slowly brings her into her own as the icon we remember. Kramer’s pencils are tight, and the man handles action and introspection fairly well. I like his cocksure Wonder Woman. Even though she’s much younger, Kramer’s pencils are able to give her the strength and confidence she should always carry. There are a lot of elements at work here that are only barely touched upon, but if anyone is capable of bringing them all together it’s JMS. I like the urbanizing of the character, and I like the sewer full of mysterious cloaked advisers, but most of all, I like that DC is shaking things up trying to generate interest in a character that deserves to be at the top of the sales charts every month, but just hasn’t had that happen. I don’t know how, or if, Wonder Woman’s disappearance will be dealt with in the DCU as this new direction takes place in a different timeline, but I’m willing to give the creative team a little leeway on this one as long as the story is good. So far, it is, so I’ve got no complaints.

There’s a lot to like about Wonder Woman, and this issue shows a lot of her promise, power, strength, and character off to new and old readers alike. I hope the new journey Diana’s about to set off on can live up to all the hype that’s been generated around it because Wonder Woman is not only one of the most iconic characters of all time, she’s also never reached the same sales plateau as her male counterparts, and that’s a shame. I do wish this issue was more about the new Wonder Woman than it was about paying tribute to the old one, but I still enjoyed the book overall. I just hope JMS is able to deliver.