Review: The Legend of Wonder Woman #1
The Legend of Wonder Woman #1
Written and Drawn by: Renae De Liz | Inks and Colors by: Ray Dillon
In a lot of ways, Wonder Woman is a pure presence. Strong and fierce, her mix of power and grace is not easily matched. Unlike her DC trinity counterparts, however, there hasn't been a bevy of time devoted to her younger days. The Legend of Wonder Woman, by writer and artist Renae De Liz and inker and colorist Ray Dillon, attempts to put a light on this often lost time, with mostly positive results.
Immediately noticeable is the charming artwork on display. Bright and lush colors on ultra crisp lines serve the setting well. Even the gutters on the book are tied into the mythic theme, with cloud wisps swirling around the panels.
While there aren't changes across the board, I did feel some subtle changes to the origin story I'd seen before, but that isn't a bad thing. In fact, I feel like I could hand this book to just about anyone looking to get into the character and they would be pretty much up to speed. It takes place in the world of Greek myths, without suffering from over-saturation. The myths provide a setting and a sense of history without being a crutch. That said, I did feel as if this was the most flawed I've seen Hippolyta portrayed. Typically she is presented as the ultimate Amazon, with the strictest of codes. Here she is presented as a fine ruler, but with such an unfulfilled longing for a child that it costs some of her sisters their lives. Whether you appreciate this take on the character is quite subjective, but I think I prefer the more human elements presented here than in past takes.
A few other things of note before we end. The team introduces an aspect of Diana that I really hope gets explored further. Since she came from the Earth (clay specifically), it seems she has a weird sort of connection with it, which comes into play later in the story. This was something I never really thought of before, but it makes complete sense. Other than than, I have to say Alcippe made quite an impression on me, and definitely will serve as inspiration for Diana in the days ahead.
I enjoyed this book a great deal, and whether or not you felt that Wonder Woman needed a retelling of her origin, this one is off to a good start.