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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Wonder Woman and the Furies #1 - Aug. 2011

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Comics Weekend "Part One: The Arrangement" by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Scott Clark, and David Beaty.

It's been a big, busy week for the Sea King, both in and out the universe we all know. Last week, in Emperor Aquaman #1, we saw what Aquaman became once he was pushed far past the brink. Here, in Wonder Woman and the Furies #1, we see some of what transpired that led to the terrible events in Rome:
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Diana and her friend Phillipus are having a race. It ends in a remote part of Paradise Island, where we see Diana has a small boat hidden away. She years to see some of the "wonders" of the world, so she implores her friend not to tell Diana's mother Hippolyta of her daughter's risky adventuring.

Diana ventures out, and is delighted to see evidence of a Man's World, like a cruise ship and a jet plane overhead. She doesn't see the slithery green tentacle rising up from out of the water:
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A month later, Hippolyta offers an olive branch to the Atlanteans, as a thank you for rescuing and mending Diana. Two of Atlanteans royal family, Orm and Garth, tend to believe the worst about the Amazons, but claim they have changed their views.

Diana then addresses the two peoples with an announcement:
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Flash forward, and reporter Vicki Vale is covering the world-shaking news of these two peoples merging. She mentions rumors that not everyone is thrilled with this union, and we see that that's true: Orm is trying to talk his brother out of it even as the wedding commences!

Arthur is disappointed his brother can't see the benefit of uniting these two peoples. He's even more disappointed Garth did not even bother to attend.

For the Amazons' part, Hippolyta is thrilled with her daughter, showing a maturity and judgment that befits a future queen. Her Aunt Pentheslea, like Orm, dismisses the whole thing as "politics."

Arthur and Diana meet at the altar, when Diana sees something out of the corner of her eye: an armored figure holding a spear. Before she can react, the spear is launched:
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Inside the Atlantean armor is not an Atlantean, but the Amazon Artemis! Garth confronts her, but Artemis is too fast for him: a few kicks, and Garth is knocked out.

A few moments later, Artemis emerges with Garth dressed in the Atlantean armor, claiming he is the assassin! She throws the body onto the floor:
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...to be continued!


Whew! In a lot of ways, Aquaman plays as big a role in this series than he did in his own Emperor Aquaman book.

Arthur and Diana's first meeting is taut and well-executed ("We met over a Kraken", Diana gushes), and I thoroughly enjoyed all the political intrigue. Its logical--and a little sad--to realize that there will be people, no matter what universe, who don't want peace, no matter what.

Not wanting to get too sucked into the Flashpoint mega-crossover, I had planned on only getting the main book and Emperor Aquaman. But after reading this first issue, I'm adding Wonder Woman and the Furies (best girl-group name ever, BTW) to the list!
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6 comments:

Wings1295 said...

Does seem to be just as much an Aqua-book as a WW-book. Very cool, and glad to see it wasn't Arthur or Diana who started this, but those behind the scenes.

Joe Slab said...

Awesome issue!!! The political intrigue is reminiscent of "the Tudors". Having Orm & Artemis revealed as the conspirators behind the Atlantean/Amazonian war that engulfs Flashpoint was a stroke of genius!

Excellent creative team on this book as well. #WIN!

Oh, and I hope Garth gets better ;)

Tempest127 said...

Oh goodie---Garth gets kakked AGAIN?! I'm getting pretty sick of this crud! What did my boy ever do to anyone to deserve being treated like this?

Diabolu Frank said...

Wow, Scott Clark's art actually looks pretty good here. I hated his Firestorm stuff in Brightest Day, so this is a pleasant surprise. I'm not familiar with Pentheslea, so let me consult my encyclopedia... Ah! She's from Wonder Woman ('80s series) #33, a heroine to the Bana-Mighdall. She was supposed to have died in the Trojan War, and clearly the Banas never split from main branch of Amazons, so the chronological changes go WAY back. Arthemis was always a hardliner, so her participation also makes sense. Clearly, Abnett and Lanning are fans, and it shows. Kudos!

Jason Garner said...

I enjoyed this issue for the most part, but like Tempest127, I was really disappointed to see Garth used as a plot device. I hope that there is a place for Tempest in the DCU come September.

owen1 said...

Great issue, glad I bought into the whole Flashpoint think. The political goes on was really well done.And the young Diana and Arthur looked great. If only they had meet this way in a kinder gentle DC universe. How knows. and yes it was as much an Aqua book as WW. He is really getting a lot of face time. I hope come this fall that DC relizes his real potential and not just as a foil in a Subway ad!