Wonder WomanBy: Greg Rucka
Fresh from my disappointment with one of Mike’s recommendations (which is really the only time he ever let me down about a book), I was loath to ask for anyone’s suggestions about what I should read next. After fending for myself for a couple of weeks (and crossing a couple titles off of my growing list of books), I finally asked Rob’s opinion about my next book. “Have you read any Wonder Woman?” No was my reply, I had skimmed passed all of her titles, something about the costume was off putting. He put The Hiketeia into my hands and sent me on my way. Less than twenty- four hours later, I was back and asking what was next.
In the Hiketeia, we watch as Danny abases herself before Diana in the old rituals. Diana offers up her hospitality and has Danny help her as an aid. The furies watch over everything as Diana puts herself between Batman and Danny twice. She can only be released from the Hiketeia by Danny, so she must fight her friend over and over. And just when you think that things can’t get any more awesome (she puts her foot on Batman’s head to keep him from fighting), we watch as Batman goes down on his knees to beg Hiketeia from Diana.
Needless to say, I was hooked like a junkie. I ripped through the next five books like they were nothing (a true sign of if I like a book). I think Greg Rucka really knows the character. He shows every facet of her life, from fighting forest fires to writing a book to bringing a new assist into her world. She’s made human by her love of all people. She faces down a group called “Protect our Children”, an Anti-Wonder Woman group. She fights Medusa and the Cheetah. She is even blinded by the venom of Medusa.
And just when you think that things couldn’t get any worse for her, Max Lord takes control of Superman, making him believe that Doomsday killed Lois Lane and that Diana is Doomsday. We get to witness something horrifying, Superman without reservation. He does everything in his power to kill Wonder Woman and we get to see just how bad ass she is. Superman breaks her wrist and all she does is pull her bracer down to hold it in place while she plans and moves on. She does get the lasso around Max Lord and gets him to tell her how to break his hold of Superman. And the only thing to do is kill him, which she does. That really shows how different she is from Superman and Batman. Neither one can really go the distance to save society, the Joker escapes time and time again, killing, but Batman never puts him down.
There is tons of backlash from this event, Max Lord had Brother Eye recording every second of it. I highly suggest following the entire unfolding of events in the other books it appeared in (one of which is Manhunter). I totally enjoyed the wild crazy run Greg Rucka had on Wonder Woman, and I know Scotty will eventually talk me into reading all of the newer stuff. If nothing else, writing this has renewed my love of the character and made his job easier. In fact, bring it on Scotty, just let me finish the pile of books you lent me first.
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