DC Comics 2016
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Liam Sharp
Coloured by Laura Martin
Lettered by Jody Wynne
Steve Trevor finds himself trapped in the heart of Urzkartaga’s darkness, with Wonder Woman and Cheetah the only hope of rescue for him and his men. But how far can Cheetah be trusted?
I understand the rumblings around the interwebs that I hear regarding this series but for me I’m a staunch believer that this is as interesting, exciting and compelling as the series has ever been. That being said i’m not a fan of the racial swapping of characters but in this instance Etta’s portrayal at least as the heavier woman in a position of rank and power well that I do enjoy seeing. So it’s nice to see that at least part of what makes her who she is is still intact.
The opening with Etta and Sasha, whom I’m going to assume is Bordeaux from Checkmate fame, and how they talk about what’s happening and the connection that Diana and Steve have was wonderfully done. In such a short amount of space Greg can pack in some absolutely strong writing, development and characterization and that’s great to see.
Also the way he’s able to tie in the same theme the girls talk about into what is happening with Steve and his captor is why I think that his work becomes so influential over time. It’s not just that either because as the story flows into the further conversation between Diana and Cheetah the same theme permeates. It’s like he’s found a way to script this so that Diana isn’t the only one who can “turn a phrase like a poet.”
In case you are wondering the theme of which I’m referring and to which this book started out on is that of the Gods. Diana knows her memories have been messed with, cannot get back home to Themyscira nor can contact her patrons so she’s on a journey of self-discovery which has led her here. Steve’s captor has his own fascination with his god Urzkartaga. The god theme is strong with this one and it’s appropriate and interesting to explore different beliefs from different areas.
Liam can be considered something of a demi-god here with the quality of work he’s producing. I mean the creativity in page layouts, the attention to detail and his ability to convey so much emotion, feelings and desires, not mention downright creepiness, is astounding. What he and Laura are doing with the interiors can’t be beat.
There are plenty of surprises that occur in this issue and they are wonderful to see. Plus with this god Urzkartaga and how he’s portrayed it’d be a good time for Swamp Thing to appear as well i’d love to see how he, the Green, the Parliament of Trees all fit into the world where Gods are real. I also hope that we’ll see more of the workings of organisations such ARGUS, Checkmate and the other spy types that are currently operating, though maybe not Omacs. Tying in all aspects of Wonder Woman’s past into the series is something that is important to see and while she may not be Diana Prince of the War Department that part of her will never be forgotten.
I’m a huge fan of the writing, story direction, characterization and of the stellar interiors in re-creating a cohesive and solid background once again that these folks are bringing us.