52 Catch Up is a series devoted to looking at issues from DC’s New 52 and seeing how they’re faring now that they’re underway, why they’re worth reading (or not), and places we hope they will go in time.

Concept:

Wonder Woman is the princess of the Amazons, the group of all female warriors from Greek mythology, but Diana also learns her father is none other than Zeus, king of the gods, and now she must contend with the knowledge of her heritage and family politics.

SPOILERS BELOW

Previously on Wonder Woman: Covering Issues #1-#6

Hera, queen of the gods, has sought out the subject of yet another of Zeus’ flings, a mortal named Zola.  Hermes, the gods’ messenger, tries to get Zola to safety, but Hera’s agents, a pair of centaurs, badly wound and cripple him, but not before he transports Zola to London where she meets Diana, an Amazon warrior and also the hero known as Wonder Woman.

Diana rushes back to Hermes’ aid and the messenger god spills what he knows about Zola’s importance as the soon-to-be mother of Zeus’ latest bastard.  Diana takes them both to Paradise Island, the home of the Amazons, for safety.  While there, the goddess Strife comes looking for Diana, convincing Amazons to kill one another using an illusion and then causing extra chaos by revealing to Diana the truth of her heritage, that she was not made of clay and magic as her mother once told her but is, in fact, a daughter of Zeus herself.

Diana feels betrayed and retreats back to London.  Hera, now aware herself of Hippolyta’s (Diana’s mother) indiscretion, exacts her revenge upon Hippolyta, turning her into clay and the other Amazons into snakes.  When Diana returns to Paradise Island, it’s too late and she discovers Hera’s work.  Meanwhile, news is spreading that Zeus has abandoned his throne and is presumed dead by many.  The god Apollo starts to make deals and consults with his brother Ares, ensuring that the god of war has no intention to win the throne for himself.

Diana, Hermes, Zola, and another child of Zeus named Lennox learn of Zeus’ absence and hatch a plan to get back at Hera.  They trick Poseidon and Hades into discussing a deal where Poseidon would rule Olympus by day and Hades by night.  Hera, who believes the throne to be rightfully hers, intervenes.  With help from Hermes and Lennox, Diana teleports to Olympus and destroys Hera’s scrying pool, severing her connection to the mortal world.  Back on Earth, Poseidon gets a good chuckle out of the deceit and departs, but Hades doesn’t take it as well and captures Zola and takes her to Hell.

High Points

Greek Pantheon: If Wonder Woman wasn’t already such a part of the DC universe, I could easily believe Wonder Woman was a grown-up version of Percy Jackson, blending the modern day with myth.  The reinterpretations of most of the pantheon are different and in a good way.  I’m unsure how many, if any, of these characters were in the character’s pre-relaunch history, but they look amazing and every time a new player enters the scene, I’m excited to see what they look like and how they behave in this interpretation.

Revised Origin: I was uncertain at first about rewriting Wonder Woman’s origin story, but I think doing so gave this title one thing that many of the New 52 titles have been sorely lacking, a fresh start.  Diana is going forward trying to adapt to this new information and becoming involved in Olympian politics, and doing so has put her on equal footing with the readers.

God Politics: Maybe I’m just excited about Game of Thrones Season 2, but the political machinations of the characters in Wonder Woman really grabbed me.  While none of the plans are too complicated, having to manipulate the other deities against one another has provided a new challenge and has made Strife true to her word.  There are two kinds of people in this family, those against you and those against you.

Low Points

Zola: Zola herself isn’t a bad character.  She has an attitude and has been the source for some great moments, but in just 6 issues she’s managed to be the damsel in distress at every opportunity.  It does make a great deal of sense since Zola is out of her league running with Zeus’ daughter and a god, but it’d be nice if the next time she’s threatened by something on the level of the centaurs that she’d actually make use of her shotgun or be able to defend herself in some way.

Poseidon & Hades: The bulk of the reimagined figures from Greek mythology look really good.  Hermes appears alien, but throw a pair of sunglasses and a beanie on him and he looks modern.  This is not the case for Poseidon, who, let’s face it, looks like a catfish, a squid, and a frog fused together; and Hades wears a gigantic candle on his head.  They both look ridiculous, especially for being two of the most powerful beings in the Greek pantheon.

Missing Pants: Am I the only one who finds it frustrating that while Superman and Batman no longer have to wear their underwear on the outside of their costumes that Wonder Woman is still forced to wear hot pants?  The original plan was for WW post-relaunch to wear pants, and there are still plenty of images out there of her doing so.  In my opinion, the pants make her look more mature and would help make her equal to her male, non-hotpants wearing counterparts.

Looking Ahead

Olympus Ruler: There isn’t a lot of movement towards this big plot point yet, but the possibility of Zeus being dead and a new ruler having to be chosen is going to eventually lead to all hell breaking loose.  Apollo has been around since Issue #1, and, though he hasn’t interacted with Diana, he’s been making political maneuvers of his own, trying to get himself closer to the throne. It’s obvious from both Hades and Poseidon’s stances that Apollo won’t be the only one fighting to be the new ruler of the gods.

New Mythology: So far Wonder Woman has focused almost exclusively on the Greek pantheon, but what about other creatures from myth, like the centaurs?  Their introduction was one of the creepiest moments in the New 52 to date, and that says something with Animal Man being one of the titles.  What other beings will Azzarello pit our heroine against and what sort of new spin will they have?

Who is Diana?: Diana is still adapting to the news regarding her heritage, and it’s likely to be a while before she’s really comfortable with her identity, be that Zeus’ daughter, Wonder Woman, or even Diana.  While she seems content in accepting Zola as her charge for the moment, at some point she’ll have to decide what she wants to do regarding her birthright, Hera’s hatred for her, and her own identity.