Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Rebirth Wonder Woman #1 Review

By Zak Edwards
June 22, 2016 - 13:22

I haven't read Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman run from the early 2000s, but after reading Wonder Woman #1, extra special Rebirth edition, I am inclined to do so, especially after writing this review. Not only does the Princess Diana here command respect, she seems to know it. The real reason I want to go back, though, is because Rucka makes a solid case for history.

History, for comics, is a tricky thing and no other event has wrestled with it as much as Rebirth, at least on the marketing front. Yes, many events in comics revolve around history or legacy to some extent, but Rebirth is trying to recapture history, not simply play off it. Geoff Johns started this whole event with a very meta discussion about what the New 52 lacked, at least for some, and made an argument that legacy, that history, matters.

While some series have already struggled to capture the three elements at play in Rebirth (the pre-New 52, New 52, and Rebirth itself), Rucka makes weaving history into his Wonder Woman story effortless and almost breezy. Her world feels lived in. She’s tracked by government organizations. People have a vested interest in knowing what she’s up to, and yet Diana exudes enough power that no one feels like they can give her orders. Even when beset on all sides by enemies in the jungle, her enemies know they best keep their distance until ordered otherwise. For a relatively new reader like me, history is often an annoyance. Here, it draws me in.

It’s no secret that comics have been getting shorter while staying just as thick. At 20 pages now, down from 22 (and 24, etc.), many first issues can feel either jam-packed or empty because of time constraints. Rucka strikes the balance, however, weaving together three plots seamlessly while giving each character their time in the spotlight. For the amount of content Rucka manages to put into this issue, it never feels dense or busy. Rather the opposite: pages are open and inviting, due in part to Liam Sharp’s paneling and gorgeous detail, but also thanks to Jodi Wynne’s lettering. Rucka also knows when to hand the reins off to his artistic team, and when he does, the book is beautiful.

The idea of history isn’t just in the writing, either, it’s drawn onto every page by the very talented Liam Sharp. His painstakingly drawn backgrounds come to life in Diana’s sequence especially, where the dangerous and bewitching jungle sits against her bright colours and flawless features. The jungle is old. Tree roots mix in with long-forgotten skulls. Centuries of moss grow over everything. Diana is surrounded by it, it seeps into everything around her and makes for a gorgeous backdrop, not unlike Rucka’s story itself.

To mention the art without mentioning Laura Martin’s colours would be to completely miss the point. Deep, dangerous greens run against Diana’s bright blue and red costume. Etta Candy’s world is bathed in the blue light of the television screen. But not everything is bathed in deep colours. Martin knows when to pull back as well, offering a more washed out palette for Steve Trevor desert operation.

My only complaint with the art is, I would imagine, mostly out of the actual art team’s hands. While Wonder Woman is running two stories simultaneously for its biweekly run (“Wonder Woman: Year One” starts in two weeks with the second issue), the extra pressure can be seen in the pages here, and it does the book itself no service.

The art moves from beautiful splash page to beautiful splash page, but the pages in between lack consistency. This is especially true for Wonder Woman herself, who’s only consistency, even in the splash pages, is her costume. She seems to have at least five different faces during the issue, with only her clothing choice and long black hair giving her any sort of definition.

The problem lies with her skin, believe it or not, and its made obvious when juxtaposed with splash pages of Steve Trevor. Wonder Woman’s porcelain skin offers no definition and her facial structure changes almost panel to panel. Steve’s skin, blessed with some world-weary wrinkles, gives the rest of his face definition. He looks more consistent as a result.

tl;dr review: Wonder Woman #1, the Rebirth version, is an excellent first issue of a series and a compelling argument to head into Diana’s back catalogue. The art, while inconsistent, is gorgeous.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12