Comic Info
Comic Name: Wonder Woman (Volume 4)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Cliff Chiang/Goran Sudzuka/Tony Akins/Dan Green
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2014
Wonder Woman (4) #19
Reprints Wonder Woman (4) #19-23 (June 2013-October 2013). Apollo is out to destroy Zola’s baby, but there is a new player who needs the baby to top topple Apollo. The First Born wants Zola’s child Zeke and will stop at nothing to capture it. On the run, Wonder Woman finds help from Orion and the New Gods…but facing the First Born could prove to be a fatal game that Wonder Woman could lose even if she wins.
Written by Brian Azzarello, Wonder Woman Volume 4: War is part of DC Comics’ New 52 relaunch of the Wonder Woman series. Following Wonder Woman Volume 3: Iron, the collection features art by Cliff Chiang, Goran Sudzuka, Tony Akins, and Dan Green. The issues were also collected in Absolute Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang—Volume 2.
I’ll be the first to admit that Wonder Woman surprised me. Though I’ve always like the character and her mythological roots, I was pretty worried when I heard Azzarello was writing the series. I liked some of Azzarello’s plotting in his famed 100 Bullets, but I thought his dialogue and writing style were sloppy and poor. Wonder Woman turned out to be a fun ride.
Wonder Woman (4) #20
Wonder Woman largely exists outside of the other DC Comics. There is little mention of the Justice League, and the only characters who seem to show up in Wonder Woman are more supporting characters (like Orion). This separation has allowed Azzarello to do what he wants with the character and essentially (thus far) has almost created a strange Elseworlds storyline for the character. I like that the comic hasn’t been bogged down in the minutiae of the “Big Events” of the DC Universe.
I will admit however that the baby storyline does keep drawing on. Wonder Woman finds the baby and the baby is threatened…over and over again. I feel like the storyline on the baby needs to be finalized and that by stretching it out so long will eventually lead to a collapse of the title. I worry that the comic in truth has no direction or plan.
Fortunately, one of the things that keeps me returning to Wonder Woman is the solid art. Cliff Chiang is the primary artists and his style and visuals for the comic keep the comic interesting and fresh. It is some of the best art of the New 52 relaunch.
Wonder Woman will keep me coming back simply due to the character. Azzarello continues to apply the character to a different type of comic book storyline that works as a stand-alone comic. I hope that the storylines work on wrapping up some of the events in the next volume, and the threat of “Villains Month” and Forever Evil could interfere with the story. Wonder Woman 4: War is followed by Wonder Woman 5: Flesh.
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