DC Comics 2016
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Nicola Scott
Coloured by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Lettered by Jodi Wynne
Diana brings Steve back home, but the reception is not what either of them expected. Amid suspicion and a looming threat, the Patrons pay a visit, and new friendships are forged.
Personally I’m a huge fan of this series and how Greg’s rewriting the origin of Diana. Yes it may not follow what’s come before but then there have been so many versions that by taking some of this and some of that and something new it’s all coming in my humble opinion very nicely. I adore the fact that the Amazons have been sequestered for so long that they are unfamiliar with English and there’s a language barrier here. I think that’s realistic and it makes sense to me and it also reinforces the fact that for all practical purposes Diana is an alien in Man’s World.
Nicola’s interiors here are stunningly beautiful. I love the way that the patrons are portrayed in these animal forms as they watch her entrance into man’s world. Keeping an eye on her and understanding that she’s going to need something extra to help her out and be who she’s destined to be. That we don’t catch on immediately and just see these beautiful creatures throughout was very well done. The whole flow of the book has such great attention to detail, the page layouts and done with amazing grace. The use of angles, perspective and backgrounds really help tell the bigger story here and it’s so nice to see.
One of the best things about this issue is how suddenly Greg ties it into the other arc. Now it makes sense why Cheetah, Barbara Ann, is being the first one she turns to in her current predicament. It’s also a wonderful way to showcase their first meeting and the understanding of what Barbara Ann Minerva means to Diana. It’s exceedingly well done and the portrayal here is magnificently handled.
Unfortunately I have to say that since Diana brought Steve back and they have no idea who she is and cannot understand her she’s immediately put in a cell until they can “sort” things out. That’s the reality of our world and how we treat outsiders, with immediate mistrust and disdain. Even with Steve vouching for her and bringing home the dead it isn’t enough and that’s a shame. Though it is nice to see Etta and how early on she meets Diana and the two form somewhat of a bond even if she does so through bars.
Personally I feel like this embodies what a more realistic view of Diana’s emergence into society would look like. It keeps a different take on how she gains her powers but still remains true to who gives them to her. She remains rooted in her culture and history and yet is making the attempt to do that which she has been chosen to do. This unlike any origin story she’s had and I appreciate that since it does, for me, incorporate aspects that have been forgotten, overlooked or dismissed and brought back in fresh new ways that seem to have a better ring of truth to them.