A crossover for an age undreamed of.
We're currently living in a golden age of comic book crossovers. Wonder Woman/Conan is another pairing that's so obvious you have to wonder why it didn't happen years ago. But like so many recent crossover projects, this book doesn't rely merely on the novelty of its premise. It also spins a great yarn that takes full advantage of both universes.
It's hard to imagine a more fitting writer for this crossover than Gail Simone. For many, Wonder Woman is still the character Simone is most closely associated with after all these years. And while Simone's Conan-specific resume is small, she's had ample experience writing fellow wandering barbarian Red Sonja. In short, she understands the regal, powerful heroine that is Diana Prince and the dirty, mean world in which characters like Conan and Red Sonja dwell, and she knows how to combine those two disparate elements into one cohesive whole.
This first issue is fairly slow in terms of building the overarching narrative and bringing the two characters together, but only because Simone takes a very character-driven approach to the crossover. She devotes ample time to establishing Conan (still very much in the early years of his nomadic adventuring) and contrasting how his pragmatic brand of heroism contrasts with Wonder Woman's own personality. As for Diana, this is a very different take on the character, one that suits the blood-soaked world of Hyboria. Simone doesn't simply pluck her heroine out of the modern-day DCU, but revamp her in such a way that she fits the context of Conan's world. Both character make for different but equally compelling leads, and it's clear that their dynamic will make for great reading regardless of whether the stakes in this story ever grow bigger.
Lopresti has teamed with Simone before, making him an equally obvious choice to tackle this crossover. Granted, Lopresti's work is a little too clean to truly capture the grungy vibe of the Conan books. The heavy, textured coloring approach of Dark Horse Conan comics is sorely missed here. But regardless, Lopresti's sleek, powerful figures and finely rendered action more than make up for any stylistic shortcomings. There's a clear, easy flow to the many combat sequences in this issue. Lopresti is equally strong in the more subtle moments. His facial work really sells the idea that Conan is fascinated and smitten in his first encounter with Wonder Woman.
The Verdict
The recent trend of shockingly good comic book crossovers continues with the debut of Wonder Woman/Conan. While not the most fast-paced opening issue by any stretch, this book immediately demonstrates Gail Simone's whip-smart characterization and dialogue and Aaron Lopresti's clean, dynamic storytelling. Crossovers hinge more on the creative team pairing than the characters involved, and it's good that DC found such a winning combination here.
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