Diana has returned to Earth and a normal life? after traveling the Afterworlds! Wonder Woman #781 features a cover by Terry Dodson of hands holding a sword, Diana’s face is reflected in right hand gauntlet, clever, and the blade! This is all against a dawning sky. “Through A Glass Darkly Part One” features the writing team of Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan. Also, the issue features the art of Marcio Takara, one of the pencillers of DC Festival of Heroes #1 (2021) with the “Festival of Heroes” story that had Queen Nubia. We pick up Diana’s story at Washington D.C. at Robbin’s Cafe, with Diana telling her Afterworlds adventures to Etta Candy. There is also a bit of change with Diana saying Etta’s middle name is Beth with the DC Rebirth name was Etta O. Candy. The two friends joke around, but Etta is stunned at what she sees behind Diana. I like that one of Wonder Woman's best and longtime friend is there, but I would like to see Mala, her best Amazon friend on Themyscira. There has been so many complicated versions of this Amazon, but I would like to see her back.
It is a television screen of Dr. Edgar Cizko interviewed about his new book, Wonder Woman’s long time villain, and also her nemesis in the Afterworlds! Etta gets a phone call from Steve Trevor, Diana says she has been busy, and wants her to leave out their lunch meeting. Wonder Woman flies over to the station, KLTV, and crushes the hood of Cizko’s car. Doctor Psycho rolls down the car window so only his beady eyes are shown. Wonder Woman asks him about his new book, The Delusion, another of Cizko’s plans? She mentions his schemes in Asgard and has a threat for the bad doctor. Doctor Psycho lowers the window to vent his rage for all men, nice reflection of Wonder Woman in the glass! Their conversation is interrupted by a call for help. Wonder Woman flies away and Cizko takes off in the car. A crowd has gathered as a man stands at the edge of a building. Wonder Woman offers him her hand, but he says humans have problems, his dialogue is surrounded in black.
She realizes that the man is being controlled by Doctor Psycho, of course, he doesn’t want to be around Diana. Cizko has the man leap backwards, but he is wrapped by the lasso. The Doctor Psycho possessed man smiles and threatens to make all of the construction workers jump! Cizko tries to use misogyny as an excuse for his hatred of life. Then, he releases control and the man sees the danger he is in. Wonder Woman pulls him up. Next, we get three days later at a New England home. Diana knocks on the door and pale, tousled hair man who answers, is recognized as Deadman. He has a slight look of Morpheus, the Sandman. Deadman, Boston Brand, helped Diana on her Afterworlds adventures, and now possessed the man’s body. Diana explains that she is trying to work out all of the emotions of her return. Also, she has Gram, the sword that Siegfried gave to her, and Diana wants the sword back with her former ally. Deadman takes hold of the blade. Energy surges from it and then a closeup as Deadman’s eyes blaze with the energy!
He has detected the remains of Siegfried. Deadman has found a place tied to the sword and takes out a map of Scandanavia. Diana smiles saying that she will take Gram there. Deadman says he will join her to find the resting place of Siegfried. Later, in Washington D.C. Steve is at the balcony of his home at sunset and wonders why Diana has not seen him yet. He starts to drink when Wonder Woman in shadow appears with a strange voice. This Wonder Woman grabs Steve’s throat and throws him down! She looks like Wonder Woman, but has dazed eyes and a crazy smile. Shadow Wonder Woman strikes Steve until he shoots her! The bullet shatters her body, a construct. Afterwords, Steve tries to call Diana’s phone. Later we get a funny scene where Doctor Psycho knocks at a door, but the mysterious, red eyed man can not see the short man through the peephole. The villain is part comical, but also parodies chauvinism plus there is danger with this intelligent and unstable man. The blacksmith, he is bearded with the smith’s apron gives him the artifact, a guitar case(?) in exchange for money that the blacksmith later learns is not what it seems. As Diana and Boston travel via airplane, the threat of Glass Wonder Women looms!
The back-up story, “What Lies Beneath Part I”, by Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge is part of “Road to Trial of the Amazons”, the next Wonder Woman event! It starts in Quarac at the Fortress of the Bana-Mighdall. The Bana-Mighdall Amazons first appeared in Wonder Woman #29 (1989). Three women stand before the Bana-Mighdall queens, Queen Atalanta and Queen Faruka. Atalanta was introduced in Wonder Woman #52 (2018) and Faruka was in the next issue, Wonder Woman #53 (2018). The women vow to do anything to stop the evil of the world. Queen Faruka tells them to fight to the death! Artemis finds the women worthy and brings a display of weapons to present to the queens. The character, a deadly warrior that had once taken the mantle of Wonder Woman, was introduced in Wonder Woman #90 (1994). Queen Faruka starts the contest and two women struggle to get the guns. Another woman takes a staff. The queens ask her why she chose that weapon. She explains that she won’t kill a woman. She may be accepted into the Amazon sisterhood, but there are more threats to confront! Wonder Woman #781 offers two stories with promising beginnings!
Four Lassos of Truth out of Five!
#WonderWoman, #ThroughAGlassDarkly, MichaelWConrad, #BeckyCloonan, #MarcioTakara, #WhatLiesBeneath, #RoadToTrialOfTheAmazons, #VitaAyala, #SkylarPatridge
No comments:
Post a Comment