Wonder Woman # 20
By Koppy McFad
May 24, 2008 - 03:15
DC Comics
Writer(s): Gail Simone
Penciller(s): Aaron Lopresti
Inker(s): Matt Ryan
Cover Artist(s): Aaron Lopresti
2.99 US dollars, 32 pages
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The remarkable thing about this story is how quickly-- yet smoothly-- it makes the transition from office small talk to a fight for survival in a Viking tavern. This is a nice change from today's decompressed comics where it takes two pages for a character to walk across a corridor.
The story also makes good use of characters who were virtually forgotten a few years ago. Not just Beowulf but also Stalker, Etta Candy and Sarge Steel, giving all of them both a hard edge and a sense of humour. And rather than having Wonder Woman dominate the tale, these revived characters all get their opportunity to leave an impression on the reader. The wider plot of a dark menace looming over the horizon, threatening the real world, also gives this story a sense of mystery and urgency. Wonder Woman is in this mess for a reason and isn't just making a day-trip to Middle Earth.
The concept of this story isn't that new. Princess Diana previously encountered Siegfried, Roland and the knights of the Round Table and even Fahrd and the Grey Mouser. But the treatment of this story still makes it feel fresh and interesting.
The art is crisp and sharp. making Wonder Woman look both beautiful and powerful. It is a little too clean though, with a lack of shading and menace. But maybe it is too much to expect a sword-and-sorcery tale to look like it was done by John Buscema, Mike Kaluta or the Redondo brothers.
Perhaps the biggest omission in this story is Wonder Woman asking Beowulf if he plans to strip naked for his fight.
It would also be nice if there was some reference to Stalker's last appearance in the JUSTICE SOCIETY miniseries a few years back. Maybe in the next issue....
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