Wonder Woman #62 // Review
Wonder Woman vs Ares! This time, it’s political! Wonder Woman #62, written by G. Willow Wilson, with art by Xermanico, and colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr., concludes The Just War arc, and does so in spectacular fashion. Previously, Diana was drawn into a war in the small country of Durovnia, after her lover Steve Trevor disappeared on a mission there. When she arrived, she discovered that Ares, now devoted to “Justice”, was fanning the flames of the conflict. Finally finding Steve in the care of Aphrodite and a handful of other mythical creatures, they made their way to Durovnia’s Prime Minister, so they could get him to commit to peace talks with the rebels. Unfortunately, Ares is not down for peace, and he’s come to take the Prime Minister’s head.
Wilson got off to a rocky start with Wonder Woman’s character, but course-corrected quickly, reaching new heights of excellence in this very issue. In a major throwdown between Diana and Ares, the readers are treated to Ms. Prince’s personal philosophy, and legitimate reasons as to why she might have an edge in a fight against the God of War. Not only is this one of the best clashes ever put to page between these two titans, but Wilson is able to find that perfect balance of Diana being a skilled warrior, and wanting nothing but peace, within it. Any Wonder Woman writer can show her being capable of great violence, but a great Wonder Woman writer will show the effects that violence has on her. Wilson has achieved that greatness over the last few issues.
Wilson has also brought back a couple classic characters in Wonder Woman’s mythos, with the additions of Ares and Aphrodite. Ares threatened to be a rehash of a villain trying to do the right thing, but in a very villainous way, at the beginning of the story, but Wilson manages to leave the God of War in an interesting place by the end. Aphrodite, while being a God of note in the past, has never been truly fleshed out in a Wonder Woman comic. Wilson takes full advantage of that, offering up a Goddess who questions her role in the world, and emerges as the unlikely voice of reason in the middle of a war. It’s unclear if Ares will be around regularly at this point, but thankfully, it seems that Wilson is planning on making good use of Aphrodite in her run.
Xermanico proves he is an ideal Wonder Woman artist with this issue, giving the readers powerful images throughout, especially when it comes to the epic battle between Diana and Ares. If DC doesn’t have him locked down on this book for the foreseeable future, they’re making a big mistake. Fajardo, a veteran on this title by now, turns in amazing work, as usual. Any artist would lucky to have him color their work, because he really knows how to perfectly compliment pencils, while adding something invaluable of his own to the page.
Overall, this was a perfect conclusion to an arc that started off a little weak. Chalk up that uneven beginning to Wilson getting her bearings, though, because she finished with strong, and has managed to lay a solid foundation for what will, hopefully, be a long run. If you’re a fan of Wonder Woman done right, stick around to see where this story is going. People will, no doubt, be talking about this run in a few months’ time.
