Sirk TV Graphic Novel Review: WONDER WOMAN - EARTH ONE VOL. 1 [DC Comics]

The idea of a life lived without challenges is the focus at the center of "Wonder Woman - Earth One Vol. 1" [Grant Morrison/DC Comics/144pgs]. The notion of a protected royalty is balanced with the lore of the Athenian. The angle of the psychology and relationships that these Amazonian women have with no men around come into play and actually very much integrate the socialization of how they present themselves. Diana as the daughter of a goddess is very much protected but because of how her father is (Hercules), there is a sense of wanton adventure and perhaps a need to prove herself. She, in fact, goes against her betrothed of sorts and bests her in battle to gain use of the infamous invisible jet, which is almost her mainstay. What causes problems is the essence of fate which has a man landing on the island by chance after his fighter jet crashes. Diana's mother always was able to see the ways of man through a magic portal showing television signals. Diana ends up taking the man secretly back to modern civilization but does not understand the structure of a patriarchal society. What is decidedly interesting is the hard edged element of Diana as Wonder Woman here. She sees the entire modern civilization as uncivilized and, by extension, unpure. This identity of almost Aryan proportions using a gender standard gives a different spin. The Amazonians and especially the world has a heightened almost Alex Ross vivaciousness that gives a lurid unworldly feeling to the proceedings even as everything is bathed in an intrepid light. As a bridge story to a modern Justice League, this is an interesting myth that very much works well despite its anti-thesis to many other comics exploring this realm. This however is a darker characterization which truly reflects Wonder Woman as she would see the world.B+

By Tim Wassberg