Wonder Woman 2021 Annual has a new threat for Amazons that also threatens Wonder Woman! It has a stunnig cover by Mitch Gerards of a girl in the same pose as a Wonder Woman painting in a museum. This seems to be a spin off of Wonder Woman #25 (2008) which had on girl posing as Wonder Woman on a poster against a wall. “The Exhibition” is by the writing team of Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan. Andy MacDonald is the artist who also worked on Wonder Woman #774. It opens at the National Gallery of Art which is at the National Mall. Etta Candy is on a bench checking her phone when a stranger asks about a “timekeeper device.” He is a pale man, in a black suit with sunglasses. I’m getting shades of Paul Bettany’s Silas in The da Vinci Code (2006). Etta, is of course kind to strangers, and offers him to sit on the bench. He calls himself Altuum and his eyes beneath the sunglasses are pink.
This moves to a bank with police cordoning off a hostage situation, Wonder Woman walks up to an officer to get the situation, and then has them wait for her signal. She brings up her shield to block gunfire along with her bracelets. The masked robers react to Wonder Woman on the scene and open fire on her. She shatters the door and gives them a warning. Wonder Woman loops her lasso around a machine gun which slams into the temple of another robber. Ouch! One of the gunmen surrenders and another is about to shoot him, but Wonder Woman lassos him. Back at the bench, Altuum calls himself the “Sole survivor.” Akin to a vengeful Superman. Then, Etta gets a call from work. A gunman with a scuba google and ski mask is about to shoot the hostages. A Zack Snyder’s Justice League situation. He points the machine gun barrel at a woman’s head and then shoots in a red panel.
Wonder Woman has pulled the woman away with her lasso and deflects the bullets with her shield. She throws the shield at his face, note that Wonder Woman has incredible strength, even holding back this could put him in the hospital for weeks. The last robber shoots, but Wonder Woman still strikes the gunman’s face, weeks?, it would be a month. The robber tries to surrender, but Wonder Woman says the time for mercy has already ended. The police get their signal with the bodies of the robbers are tossed to the street. Wonder Woman turns over hostage medical attention to the police. Etta meets with Diana, now in a red dress, adn tehy head to the museum, but Etta has a call to return to work. Diana sees the reflection of Altuum in the door. Inside, the exhibition, “Themyscira Through a Lifting Fog.” The artwork and displays look fascinating, I’m hoping something maybe small scaled shows up at a con or display for the third Wonder Woman movie.
The tour group enjoys the docent’s presentation. I would think there would be some interactive displays and ways for young girls or women to learn the Amazon ways. The docent shows a large print of the first photograph of Wonder Woman that she says is blurry, it should be black and white. The flattery embarrasses Diana and she moves away from the group to talk to Altuum. He knows she is Diana. Altuum hints that he has been on the island. This opens to a two panel splash of Themyscira, with a large, walled city, very Minas Tirith with a circular tower in the center, mountains, a temple area in the center, and another city at the other end of the island. Altuum says his people where underwater north of the Isle of Healing. He tells her that he was waiting for Diana to die since he says he can defeat all of the other Amazons! Altuum hints at a war that will have “sister against sister.” This all is leading to “Trail of the Amazons”?
This is a back and forth with Altuum and Diana, he insults and brings up her mother, until Diana activates the fire alarm to evacuate the building. It’s on! Altuum brings up his people, the Enki, this immediately made me think of Enkidu, the wild man helper to the mythological Gilgamesh. Actually, Enki is the Sumerian Lord of the Earth, this would displace them with the Greek gods. Diana tosses the bag and her sandals to give Altuum a right cross. This is not held back, this is a full force punch. He kicks her striking Diana’s collar bone and sending her smashing into a wall. Diana later says that Altuum was holding back, he ends the conflict in a dangerous way. At a cafe, Etta and Diana talk, it’s gotta be Etta going to Themyscira. Diana gets a text from Altuum that sends her to Themyiscra for another battle. I think he wants the Amazons see him defeat their champion on her own ground.
Four Lassos of Truth out of Five!
#WonderWomanAnnual, #TheExhibition, #MitchGerards, #MichaelWConrad, #BeckyCloonan, #AndyMacDonald, #EttaCandy, AltuumTheSurvivor, #Enki
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