WONDER WOMAN VOL. 4: WAR by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, and Goran Sudzuka
Collects Wonder Woman #19-23
The latest volume of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's
Wonder Woman sees The Amazon Princess and her cohorts continue to shield Zeus' latest bastard child, now named Zeke, from the vile machinations of the Greek Gods. This time around, she must also contend with Zeus and Hera's first born, The First Born. Every supporting character has something to bring to the table, be it the weathered alcohol guzzling Ares or the lovable rough-and-tumble Lennox. Seeing them all try to assimilate into modern day society is pretty amusing, especially Hera.
It's not just the Greek Gods that give Diana a headache in this volume. The New Gods make their presence felt as well. Orion plays a significant role and has a budding romance with Wonder Woman that is seemingly independent of the rest of The New 52, where she is publicly known to be dating Superman. It was stated by Azzarello at a convention that he wasn't entirely thrilled with the Superman relationship because it contradicted his plans. There's a chapter in this book that I would dub "A Fistful of Orion" and you will see exactly why when you come to that part. Highfather's design is pretty nifty and in keeping with what we know Fourth World beings to look like in The New 52. New Genesis itself is beautiful and relatively close to the classic interpretation.
What I really love about this iteration of Wonder Woman is that it captures everything the character should be. Azzarello gives us a compassionate warrior who gives quotes worthy of being emblazoned on T-Shirts. A standout scene would have to be her battle with Artemis in which she lectures her on how power is not to be abused. It's evidenced throughout that inter-family relations with these folk are more about politics and guile than love. Speaking of Artemis and her kin, I really fancy how Chiang visually reinterprets the Greek Gods. He takes the very idea of their patronage and gives it a fresh spin.
The First Born, whom I spoke of earlier, is the main threat of this volume and is quite the brute. He reminds me of a monstrous professional wrestler that gets a dominant heel push upon his arrival. It's only fitting that Diana, a genuinely compassionate being, combat a being of pure hatred. It all culminates in a grandiose battle in which Ares (or War, if you prefer) summons an army consisting of every soldier who ever lived. It's a spectacle, to say the least. I won't spoil all the details, but Wonder Woman becomes the new God of War upon the battle's conclusion. This addition to her mythos should make for some very interesting storylines.
Although I recommend reading the previous volumes to better familiarize yourself with the supporting characters and status quo, I believe this can be enjoyed as a standalone experience. Be forewarned, however: you will likely want to read more of Azzarello and Chiang's saga. Their run will soon come to a close and will be able to be consumed as a complete work.
Wonder Woman is undoubtedy one of the best titles of The New 52 and deserves every accolade is receives.
Score: 9/10