Hmmmm…
Is it perfect? No. Is it heavy handed? Maybe at times. Is it effective? Yes. Is it a good Wonder Woman comic? Yes. Is it beautiful? Again, yes.
Wonder Woman: Earth One has been one of the best series in the Earth One label (alongside Green Lantern, the only other one worth reading). It is an attempt by Morrison to bring Wonder Woman back to her William Moulton Marston imagined roots. The primary focus of all three books has been gender, feminism, the patriarchy, war, and violence. I promise if you don’t like progressive discussions about those things you’re going to absolutely hate this and probably get real mad-online about what you read. If you approach with an open mind, maybe you’ll see things from a new point of view.
I’m honestly surprised DC is publishing this book, given people throw a fit when a comic book cover even mentions feminism. But here we are. I do not think this would have seen the light of day if being told as part of the Wonder Woman title that’s part of the monthly DC line.
While the first two volumes felt a bit uneven, I think Morrison found their way to an effective treatise on gender and love. I’m not sure if it was coincidence Morrison came out as non-binary around the time this was released but I’ll admit it helped re-shape my feelings on the series while reading this conclusion. Previously, I’d felt a bit leery that this story was coming from an all-male creative team. Some of the superhero aspects feel a bit derivative (looking at you Amazon-hunting sentinels), but honestly the superhero stuff seems ancillary here.
The art is absolutely wonderful. Yanick Paquette has been tucked away working on these books for a few years and when you dive in it’s a reminder why he’s one of the best in the business. The panel structure is unique and there are splash pages abound. There are pages that are full of dense philosophies but then Morrison will give Paquette 6 straight pages of action and the balance just feels right. Nathan Fairbairn brings wonderful colors to the table. Paradise Island is so bright and warm.
If you liked the first two volumes, definitely stay for the finale. It’s the best of the bunch. If you’re looking for a good Wonder Woman comic, I think the 3 volumes of Earth One are about as on-par with anything that’s come out in the previous decade or two. I’m not sure if my opinions about the book are too woke or not woke enough. shrugs I guess the point is that it got me thinking about them and super hero comics usually shy away from engaging in those discussions on more than a surface level.
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