Wonder Woman #772 is an Exciting But Uneven Journey

Wonder Woman’s journey through Asgard continues as she fights her way out of serpents, through dark forests and encounters a dark reflection of herself thanks to an old foe. Wonder Woman #772 features a story by Becky Cloonan and Michael W Conrad, art by Travis Moore, colors by Tamra Bonvillain and letters by Pat Broseau.

Cat Purcell: Hi Andrea! I am really looking forward to talking about Wonder Woman with you! Diana and Ratatosk have covered a lot of ground in the first few issues of this new arc, both physically and mythologically. This title has kept me excited to see where it goes next and although I could (and will) nitpick a bit, this issue didn’t change my feelings at all. Conrad and Cloonan still tell a good yarn and Moore and Bonvillain continue to blow my mind with their art.

Andrea Ayres: Cat! It has been a long time coming. I have been wanting to team up with you for a while now. I am glad you are ready to do some nit-picking because I am too. The art and colors of Moore and Bonvillain are stunning but the story is dragging for me a bit. Pacing-wise, Wonder Woman #772 was a bit of a miss for me. Is this a reinvention, or something else? Is that something else worth the reader caring about? Lot’s to discuss, so let’s get to it.

My Bile is So…

CP: So, you’re in the belly of a giant snake, encased in a huge egg, looking for a key through dead, rotting things and green slime when suddenly a nasty green gas begins to form. Quick, what do you do?

AA: Well, at first I succumb to noxious fumes. But then I make the snake regurgitate me. In this issue, we wrap up the Nidhogg quest with Diana finally laying her hands on the key through the dead.

What’s been useful about Conrad and Cloonan’s Diana is that by not remembering who she is, she is able to explore established DC Universe characters through fresh eyes. Diana not being sure of her identity means that we can explore facets of characters that may have not been known to the reader beforehand, or unexplored. They’ve been doing a fairly good job of this.

I’m sensitive to the fact that they are dealing with a significant character history here, from Diana to Thor to Dr. Psycho. It’s not easy to bring these characters onto the panel and develop a new wrinkle in their story in a way that feels like a natural narrative progression. I think that’s why I am struggling a bit with the balance. I’d love to know your thoughts on this Cat?

CP: I’m feeling similarly, Andrea. I agree it’s been fun to see these old characters, or ghosts of them, in a new light through Diana’s confused eyes. I struggle with some inconsistencies, though. I don’t mean with how their characters have been written by other authors. I mean within this same universe. Odin seems very serious all of the sudden, instead of the goofy dude in the tree. Thor is impressed and eager to fight by Diana’s side. Her memories of Arthur overlaid with fighting this Sea God left me more confused about whether it was actually supposed to be Aquaman she was now joyfully fighting or not.

DEADMAN?!

CP: Before this issue, I’d never heard of Deadman (Boston Bran) before, so that reveal simultaneously meant nothing to me and surprised me at the same time. The way he just decides to pop in and interfere with this plane of existence when Dr. Psycho has to astral project is interesting too. Is that a power difference or an inconsistency?

AA: The inconsistency you speak of makes it difficult to know if the Dr. Psycho bit is intentional or, well, not. I too had never heard of Deadman before this issue and honestly, not my cup of tea (shrug emoji). Looking back on past interviews with the writers, Diana is supposed to be “unburdened by heroism” in this series. That’s not the sense I’m getting here. In fact, this issue feels like Diana is saying it’s more of a burden than ever. It’s not a matter of continuity, it’s a matter of consistency within the narrative itself, as you’ve pointed out.

CP: That’s the sticking point that bugs me the most! Dr. Psycho tries to throw her for a loop with an “Evil” version of herself. Now complaints have been made by many (and are valid!) [should I source this, because I’ve seen it a lot] that Wonder Woman has been awfully violent lately. So, it could make sense that he could rattle her by showing her relishing in death and destruction. But the Diana we’ve seen so far in this realm has been the opposite. She’s immediately disturbed when dropped into battle in this realm. She questions the senseless violence to Siggy and Thor and is on a quest to find the missing bodies not returned by the Valkyries as well as try to fix Yggdrasil. Am I wrong in my interpretation or just not seeing it?

AA: I think what we’re bristling up against is the fact that I’m not sure this story knows exactly what it wants to be. Does it want to be serious, funny or something else? It’s not that comics can’t be all of those things, it’s that there feels like there’s a lack of confidence behind this narrative. Does it seem like the original intention was for this series to have more fun than this seems to be having? Perhaps, I’m just not personally having as much fun as I expected to have.

I know there have been mixed feelings on the blank background scenes depicting Diana waking up from dying again, but I quite enjoy those moments. When Diana says “Dead again?” I always enjoy a good bit of meta-snark regarding superhero comics, assuming that’s what it is of course.

Maybe my concern with the narrative is actually that, as we discover in this issue with Deadman, we’re being introduced to so many characters. It’s great to see them, but it also means we don’t get to spend a lot of time with them. I’m specifically thinking of Siggy, Thor, and Ratatosk. Each has such a rich mythology and it feels like we get robbed of exploring that history. What are your thoughts about it?

CP: I love the Dead panels as well. They make it feel like a video game reset and/or a reference to the many times Odin himself has sacrificed himself to be reborn again for the world.

The mythology was immediately what got me excited for this new arc apart from Wonder Woman and this was the first issue I felt didn’t have a chance to let the lore breathe. I definitely get that Diana had a great night with Seigfried and he was a good guide on her first day, but her emotional response here felt unearned. I’ve thought perhaps that he was the same Siegfried who frequents the Prose Edda, and other Germanic tales, but now I’m not sure. I’ve seen no signs of him dying or being murdered as the result of a fight between his wife and Brunhild and we have yet to see if he’ll take on a dragon. Ratatosk has been a more constant companion. I’ve appreciated the occasional drop that he might not be telling the whole truth, but he seems legit so far. It’s hard to tell if Cloonan and Conrad are just adding new flavors to this old tale or if Odin’s comment that it’ll all connect later is prescient.

Fighting Yourself

AA: So, near the end of the issue we get the big reveal. Diana is fighting an evil version of herself in the haunted forest. Which again, there’s an element of here where Conrad and Cloonan hint at something interesting but don’t develop it. The line where Diana says she doesn’t need all of her memories to know what’s right, to know herself? I kind of loved that bit of exposition because sometimes readers of comics become obsessed with characters being exactly as they ever were.

The need for continuity is, to me, nothing more than a desire on the part of some readers for consistency that does not exist in real life. To do a bit of psychoanalysis as I am prone to do, people believe if certain elements are the same, it gives them a sense of safety and a feeling of control. Resistance to change can be a fear-based response. That control doesn’t exist in real life, it’s all a facade; part of the way we construct order out of the disarray in our life to make us feel safe in the chaos. The haunted forest kind of reads to me that way. I could be projecting…lol. It just this bit almost feels like it should have either been dropped or really explored because it feels almost thrown away from a narrative perspective. What did you think of the reveal?

CP: I was unimpressed, sadly. Not by the stellar inks and colors of Moore and Bonvillain. Those are so visually striking, it made this part the most captivating pages of the issue. But in-depth character in terms of Cizko and Diana. I agree that this felt like it fell on character elements that are irrelevant for Diana. But I’d been eager to see how Dr. Psycho would come back and this is it? He threatens Diana with this dark version of her “true self” by tempting her to STAY where she can battle all she wants to meet her base needs. Then, once she reveals it’s him behind the mirage, he threatens her that she will stay in Valhalla anyway? Did that make any sense to you, Andrea?

AA: Yes! Thank you for clarifying my thoughts on this scene. That’s what it is, it just feels like it’s not the pay-off I want. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me! There doesn’t feel like there’s an actual threat, and then it disappears anyway and we’re back on our way to Fortress Valkeryie! Which, let’s talk about that because that page was freaking fracking beautiful. Despite my overall tepid feelings towards Wonder Woman #772, that final page got me really excited. How’d you feel about the ending?

CP: I LOVED it. Odin tends to be sidelined for Thor and I’m glad they haven’t taken this route. He mentions that the Aenir and Vanir have never seen the valkyries. They’re, like, different God-tiers always squabbling with each other. So, it is a BIG deal that Diana is about to roll up on them uninvited. I have no idea where this is going to lead to next and can not wait to find out. I am drawn to Bonvillain’s colors because of their contrasting nature. she throws them together in ways that I would never think to do to inspire the exact feeling a scene should have. This last page is breathtaking in its harmonious coloring. It left me nervous and excited to see what comes in #773!

Final Thoughts

CP: Maybe I need more mythology into this one or I’m too anxious to see all of the cards this team has been hiding before they’re ready to reveal. With all said, I did enjoy this issue. The costume design is beautiful and this particular issue leaves a LOT of threads to tie into the bigger picture. I just worry too many will be left unraveled.

AA: I think this depowered version of Diana is one of the more interesting iterations of depowered superheroes, but issues with narrative pacing absolutely rob us of truly appreciating the gorgeous work of Moore and Bonvillian.

Wonderful Whims

“In my cathedral of flesh,” I love this line.
Ahh the lettering on “to eternal glory”.
I need Ratatosk to have their own spin-off series, to be honest. (yes!)
We both need a poster of Diana and Odin in front of the crystal please and thank you.