Saturday, October 9, 2021

Re:tro Re:view - Wonder Woman #779!

Wonder Woman #779 takes the “Afterworlds” storyline to a conclusion!, ten issues from #770, with the final confrontation with Janus!  Diana started in Valhalla and gains companions with Siegfried and her squirrel pal, Ratatosk.  She traveled through the Greek underworld, Elfhame, Earth-11 and more!  Diana has chased Janus across the Afterworlds.  The cover by interior artist Travis Moore has Wonder Woman holding the body of Deadman while Janus stands behind them!  “Afterworlds Finale” features the writing of Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan.  Deadman had opened a portal to a world of nothing.  This had Janus cutting him with her God Scraper.  In a splash page, we have a similar image from the cover.  Diana sheds a tear for Deadman recognizing the blank place where she entered after dying.  She blocks the God Scraper with her bracelet.  Janus is about to bring down the God Scarper down again, but she is stopped by Siegfried who holds back her arm.  Siegfried and Ratatosk had just arrived from the portal. 


The squirrel gives out a fierce “Rawr!”, funny! The white background seems to be easy to depict by the artists.  While Siegfried struggles with Janus, Diana’s lasso tells her to use it to compel Deadman.  She binds Boston Brand and compels him to return to life with the lasso.  It works and Deadman is back.  The lasso tells Diana to use it on Janus and she binds her upper arm.  She threatens Janus with eliminating her, but she wants to face the vengeful Janus as Diana of Themyscira!  Janus tries to cut the lasso with the God Scraper, but can’t break it.  Deadman knew of the In-Between as a meeting place for Diana’s spirit.  He realized that it is also inescapable rendering the God Scraper useless.  Janus says she only wanted to be an agent of change, but Diana judges her deeds which have been unjust.  Janus says her other male side had been tricked by her.  Janus says he found the God Scraper and that it could cut away the future.  She also spared her other half, but cut herself free from him.  I think Diana understands that the female Janus is capable of mercy.  


Ratatosk says he knew that the other half of Janus was telling lies.  It was his plan to eliminate his future counterpart.  Deadman takes hold of an invisible trapeze, he was a circus acrobat as Boston in life, and says he had lied about escaping the In-Between.  He goes to find a few gods and swings away.  Janus attacks Siegfried and cuts off his shirt.  Diana engages Janus with her sword.  Janus says she is the “God of Revolution.”  Purple threads fly and wrap around Janus.  Siegfried says they are Norns, three women fully covered by threads, and they have trapped Janus.  Great design by Travis Moore!  The God Scraper falls from Janus’ hand.  They say they can cut the Janus thread and eliminate her forever.  The decision is up to Diana.  She tells the Fates that Janus cannot be taken out of existence if they are all connected.  Zeus along with Hermes and Gudra from Asgard who has the other Janus tied with the thread arrive with Deadman.  Diana wants answers from him.  He explains that Ratatosk contacted Hermes who in turn gave the message to Zeus.  He then captured Janus II.  This Janus explains that he wanted Janus I to destroy the future so people would want to return to him in the past.  He wanted Diana as a witness to the future and he gets a fist to the face!  


The Fates are about to cut the Janus thread, but Diana wants them to atone for their actions and she will take responsibilty for them.  They leave and Diana asks Siegfried for the needle given by Odin.  Diana sews the two aspects of Janus together with the purple thread and they find mercy in returning to their original form.  Diana has the God Scraper and Hermes suggests it can be destroyed by Hephaestus.  Diana refuses to return to Olympus with Zeus and to Asgard with her friends.  Siegfried and Diana say their goodbyes and Siegfried says their story will continue.  Diana takes the God Scraper to her torso and light bursts out as she forms a portal for herself.  The Afterworlds are restored and afterlife continues.  It finishes with Ratatosk in his Yggdrasil nest with his wee squirrel children.  A very poignant end to an Afterworlds saga!  Young Diana has her reflecting on her life as she travels the seas around Themyscira with giant megalodons and hopping around on her kanga, Jumpa!  She rushes to the library to see Clio readying for the games.  Diana takes Clio to the Colosseum and then meets with her mother, Hippolyta.  “Sisterhood” is another cheerful ending by Jordie Bellaire and Paulina Ganucheau!  Wonder Woman #779 offers fantastic art and stories showcasing Wonder Woman and her place in the DC Universe (just in time for Wonder Woman Day)!        

       

Five Lassos of Truth out of Five! 


#WonderWoman, #Afterworlds, #TravisMoore, #MichaelWConrad, #BeckyCloonan, #InBetween, #Norns, #YoungDiana, #Sisterhood, #JordieBellaire, #PaulinaGanucheau, #Jumpa 

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