Fight To The Finish
Written By: James Robinson
Art By: Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Marco Santucci, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 25, 2018
It's time to end this arc and see if this can make the whole Darkseid ordeal worthwhile because while I loved the idea of finally meeting Jason and the idea of Darkseid gaining his power back after being reborn into a baby in the Darkseid War, nothing ever seemed to feel right during James Robinson's run of this title and that has bothered me each and every week that this series would come out. Maybe........ just maybe, it will all come together here and I can say that I was completely wrong about everything. Yeah, I don't see that happening, but still, I hope for the best. Let's jump into this issue and see what Mr. Robinson has in store for us. Let's check it out.
Amazons are being turned into Parademons and it's up to Jason to breach the portal and put a stop to Grail's schemes, while Wonder Woman continues to take on Darkseid........... and really that's about all you get here. Yeah, we have some great moments that we've been waiting to see since Jason was first introduced in this series, but overall, we haven't had enough of the character to really know what's up with him at all. The best thing that we actually get from him in this issue that feels right for what we've been shown so far is when he enters the portal to Themyscira to act all heroic and once he gets there and sees all the Amazons fighting their sisters turned Parademons, he has no idea what he is supposed to do.
Yeah, we get more of the same with this issue, but with some nice moments thrown in that aspect at least allows this issue to stand taller than what we've gotten previously, but the conclusion to the issue where the power of love conquers all might have made a bigger impact if we had dealt with Darkseid more and knew about how he was using the power of the gods to recreate himself, but since it just was something that was there and we moved on from it, the way that our hero saves the day in the end comes off just a little too quick and a little too hokey when it should have been something that felt powerful in the end.
All in all, we get some decent set up for things to come, a look at Themyscira and Aries' prison, some almost emotional moments, but it just didn't hit hard enough to make this run so far worthwhile and I was more left wondering what would become of the Amazons turned Parademons because even if they are able to be turned back, because of the rules, they shouldn't be allowed to go back to Themyscira, which is just a bum deal. The art in this issue was pretty great, but everything just comes to a head way too fast here and for the amount of issues we had leading up to this, that just feels unacceptable and I hope that Wonder Woman can begin feeling more like the book that I used to love now that we can put this behind us.
Bits and Pieces:
While there are some stand out moments in this issue, the majority of it felt rushed and forced to a conclusion that could have been so much more if the book didn't waste its time doing nothing for months and months and that just makes me angry. Overall though, the art in this issue was great and I look forward to see what this sets up, but this issue just wasn't what I wanted it to be.
6/10
Well, this arc of Wonder Woman is the textbook example of how to take something that is exciting in concept and then fall flat on the execution. This issue has a great emotional moment where Jason and Hippolyta meet, but it's ruined in the fact that it feels rushed. It had a great moment where Diana finally overcomes Darkseid and avenges her father and siblings, but it's ruined because the way she did it was kinda of hokey. What really the difference between all the other attacks Diana has given Darkseid and the "love tap" she did at the end? Grail is beaten but it's done basically offscreen, so we as audience really didn't get to enjoy her getting her comeuppance. Is this what it feels like to be a fan of Batman right now? To see interesting ideas executed in a manner that sucks all the coolness out of them? Nonetheless, I agree with Eric completely. This wasn't a bad issue by no stretch of the imagination but I was expecting so much more. That being said, I am looking forward to the "Dark Gods" arc.
ReplyDeletebatman is like this!!! Heck, being a fan of most of the DCU is getting like this!
DeleteYep. What you said, Eric. If this story had been paced properly, all these big moments would have had an emotional impact. As it stands, it is a rushed conclusion that just feels hollow and empty. So disappointing.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who at thought Jason was a good or even a remotely interesting idea to begin with clearly have about as much imagination as Mr. Robinson here. Wonder Woman doesn't need a male relative to make her interesting anymore than Batman needs a sister to make him interesting. Both a father and a brother don't add anything to her, especially since she's had zilch reason to have a relationship with either of them. If they wanted more males, a nicer story is to have a young man or boy idolize her heroism and become Wonder Boy. Or a male friend/brother of her female friends. Not everyone involved in Diana's world has to be blood related to her. In fact that makes most of the interactions less special and more obligation.
ReplyDeleteAnd just the name "Jason"---is generic and boring. I don't know what Johns was thinking of giving him a name that is shared by a popular member of the Bat universe. I get the "Argonauts" thing if he was the actual Jason from legend, but he isn't. I mean this dude was set up to be forgotten but editorial had to schlep us through a long grueling run for this reckless twist setup in Darkseid War. So the fault's on Johns too. If he had a solid idea with the guy he should've written the damn comic in the first place, instead of dropping it on Rucka or Fontana or Robinson to tackle and passing it on as another element that will permanently damage the Wonder Woman mythos and make her even more susceptible to more retcons.
But it is funny how a comic that was supposed to be about mothers and daughters and sisterhood becomes more of a sausagefest than anything. And that's pretty insulting to the legacy of the character. Wonder Woman ever since the N52 has been geared more towards DC fans who didn't care about her in the first place--(because I guess not enough males to relate to, because the only reason they seemed to like the new Wondy is because her origin and powers finally involved being created by a man) and now DC has done all they could to alienate the fans who actually did care about what she stood for, by constantly making male-centric Wonder Woman stories.
Also story hint: if you want us to care about a father figure, don't make him Zeus. He's an absentee douche canoe dad that Diana would have no reason other than a writer's stupidity to at all care about his opinion of her. In fact, Steve Trevor was set up as a better father figure to Jason than Zeus ever was. Because I don't know about any of you guys here, but I tend to care a lot more about people involved in my life than those whose who never were.
I think maybe there was some other story here at some time, but it is a pile of garbage now. I agree that Zeus being their father isn't the greatest since he is a big douche and really, will never be around, but that seems like what they want. I really don't know anymore! DC needs to change up something fast!
Deleteasdas
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