Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #6 // Review
Superhuman heroism comes in many different forms. It isn’t always a matter of defeating a villain in a flashy action sequence DC Digital First presents a couple of endearing glances at nontraditional superhero stories in Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #6. Writer Jeff Parker and artist Aneke give Diana the task of calming a Valkyrie in “Gundra The Great.” The issue’s second feature has writer Steve Pugh challenging Wonder Woman into a conflict with children in “Wolf Cubs.” The second story is drawn by Marguerite Sauvage with inks by Travis Lanham. The shrewd, compassionate, problem-solving edge of Diana’s temperament is given an enjoyable outing in a couple brief tales.
Diana has been notified of aggressive superhuman action along the border between two Eastern European countries. When that action turns out to be the activity of a single displaced Valkyrie, Wonder Woman must act with tact. Elsewhere in a tale set in the ‘80s, Diana finds herself pitted against a group of children struggling to make a life for themselves in an era of increasing income inequality. Sometimes problem-solving is simply a matter of talking to people. Physical action serves as a prelude for more sophisticated interactions in a pair of stories that once again illustrate that Wonder Woman is as good with a handshake as she is with a fist.
Parker’s conflict between powerful warriors graces the page with a whimsical sense of humor. Over the years, the Lasso of Hestia has been used countless times to advance the plot of a story as villains are forced to tell the truth. Parker allows Diana to use the Lasso as a mystical icebreaker in an impressively clever interaction between Amazon and Valkyrie. Pugh’s story could have launched itself into some pretty dark territory with Wonder Woman confronting criminal children. Pugh’s exploration steers pretty clear of deeper political implications of the conflict Wonder Woman is facing in the second story. There’s a real missed opportunity there, but given the relatively short length allotted for the story, Pugh does an excellent job of crafting a very distinctive tale.
Aneke plays with traditional Wagnerian visuals for the appearance of the Valkyrie in the first story, which is a bit trite, but totally understandable. Aneke doesn’t quite manage the delicate nuance of drama with the level of dramatic depth it deserves, but the overall flow of the action in her work is robust and beautiful. Sauvage’s work on the second story is clever. It’s nice to see Wonder Woman in the classic costume. Her style echoes ’80s Wonder Woman artist Ross Andru’s style with a cleaner line-work and soft pastel-like coloring occasionally punctuated by a tasteful field of Ben-Day dots.
Agent of Peace continues to develop a sharp rhythm in a series of immensely enjoyable standalone stories. The overall theme of instilling peace without aggression is really, really cool, when guided along by stylish Diana’s grace. There’s so much traditional superhero fare on the comics page that is so desperately trying to cast superhero conventions from a freshly skewed angle. At its best, Agents of Peace is managing to do that with a refreshingly casual approach to storytelling.
