WRITER: Greg Rucka
PENCILERS: Drew Johnson / Rags Morales / Justiniano / J.G. Jones / James Raiz
INKERS: Ray Snyder / Walden Wong / Sean Phillips / Mark Propst / John Livesay / Michael Bair
COLORISTS: Richard Horie / Tanya Horie / James Sinclair
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2017
FORMAT: Trade Paperback — Color — 320 pages
ISBN / EAN: 978-1-4012-7117-6 / 9781401271176
COLLECTED ISSUES: Wonder Woman (1987) #206-217 / The Flash (1987) #219 — originally published 2004-2005
NOTE ÉDITORIALE
Greg Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman from 2003 to 2006 is widely considered one of the definitive modern treatments of the character — alongside George Pérez’s foundational 1987 relaunch. Rucka approached Diana as a diplomat, an ambassador and a warrior simultaneously, grounding the series in mythological depth while expanding her role in the wider DC Universe. He won the Eisner Award for Best Story for “Down to Earth” (collected in Vol. 1), the opening arc of his run.
This second volume picks up in the aftermath of “The Witch and the Warrior,” the arc that saw Themyscira devastated. The central arc here is “Eyes of the Gorgon” — one of the most celebrated sequences of Rucka’s entire run. Medusa, revived through Ares’ machinations, poses a threat unlike anything Diana has faced: her gaze is an absolute weapon, turning any living being permanently to stone. The confrontation between them, broadcast live before a worldwide audience, leads Wonder Woman to make a sacrifice that will define the rest of Rucka’s run and fundamentally change Diana’s relationship to her heroism and to the world she protects.
The volume also includes “Land of the Dead,” in which Wonder Woman escorts Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) to the underworld, and a crossover with The Flash that pits Diana against Zoom and the Cheetah — one of her most persistent and psychologically complex adversaries.
Drew Johnson is the primary artist on the main arcs, delivering clean, strong figure work that serves the mythological grandeur of the storyline. Rags Morales contributes to several issues, and J.G. Jones provides cover work of extraordinary quality throughout the run.
This 2017 DC Comics collection is part of the reprint series that finally made Rucka’s full run available in collected form — alongside Vol. 1 (Wonder Woman #195-205) and subsequent volumes.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Wonder Woman (Princess Diana) — At her most complex in this arc. The sacrifice she makes during the Medusa confrontation is one of the defining moments of her character in modern comics.
Medusa — The Gorgon revived. Her weapon — her gaze — forces Diana into an impossible tactical situation that can only be resolved through extreme personal cost.
Ares — God of War, the architect behind Medusa’s revival. His manipulation of events from the shadows drives the mythological stakes of the arc.
Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) — Teen Titan and Diana’s protégée. Her journey to the underworld alongside Diana deepens her character considerably beyond her Teen Titans appearances.
Cheetah (Barbara Minerva) — One of Wonder Woman’s most psychologically resonant adversaries, present in the Flash crossover arc alongside Zoom.
PARUTION: 2017 Sept. ÉDITEUR: DC Comics COLLECTION: DC Comics TPB VERSION: Comics v.o. PERSONNAGES: Wonder Woman
