mercredi 27 septembre 2017

Wonder Woman #31 Review


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There is another.

Wonder Woman #31 marks the second creative team shake-up for this series since the departure of Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and Bilquis Evely. It's notable both for marking the return of writer James Robinson to DC and for finally picking up on lingering plot threads from Justice League: The Darkseid War. It's hard to judge from this issue whether Robinson's take on Diana Prince will live up to that of Rucka and Shea Fontana, but the story itself is off to a promising start.

Diana herself is little more than a guest star in this issue, as Robinson devotes most of his attention to introducing her twin brother, Paul. Robinson is in comfortable territory here as he explores Paul's quiet, secluded life and paints a warm picture of the small town in which he's chosen to hide himself. The reveal of Paul's true nature and connection to the Greek pantheon is a little disappointing (for reasons that are tough to get into without spoiling the issue), but he does quickly emerge as a likable protagonist. Robinson also effectively ties this new character into the lingering Darkseid/Grail conflict. Fans who have been waiting for a proper continuation of The Darkseid War likely won't be disappointed.

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Even visually, this issue carries the torch from The Darkseid War well. Carlo Pagulayan is a natural choice, as he's able to render the same detailed, powerful figures and dramatic fight scenes that defined Jason Fabok's work on that earlier story. But it's not just sleek, detailed superhero visuals that make this issue pop. The early pages show that Pagulayan is also a natural working with ordinary characters and focusing on emotion and interaction. There's a nice subtlety to his work that serves as a reminder that Pagulayan is one of the most underrated artists working at the Big Two today.

This issue does leave me with concerns about how Diana will be portrayed in this arc, however. Rucka developed a very carefully honed voice for the character over the course of his yearlong run, one that reflected her foreign, isolated upbringing and naivete while also painting her as a proud, regal, confident figure. Fontana was largely successful in maintaining that voice in her brief run. But here, there's a more casual, long-winded quality to Diana's dialogue that feels out of place with the previous 30 issues. Nothing about Robinson's Diana feels wildly out of character, mind you, but some of the nuance is lacking.

The Verdict

This new Wonder Woman storyline offers a more plot-driven alternative to the previous one. For the most part, the series fares well in the transition to the new creative team. James Robinson paints a compelling portrait of Diana's long-lost brother, while Carlo Pagulayan offers a versatile blend of action and emotion in his artwork. This is a solid start for the new arc, but there are concerns about how well Robinson's portrayal of Diana herself will hold up to that of previous writers.

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