Written by Andrew Fontana
Wonder Woman #59 continues the strong work that G. Willow Wilson and Cary Nord began earlier this month. Wilson, like Brian Michael Bendis and incoming Aquaman writer Kelly Sue Deconnick, is a longtime writer for Marvel, and some of those sensibilities that she honed in her time there have made their way into her interpretation of Princess Diana.
The inaugural “Just War” arc seems poised to completely deconstruct Wonder Woman in a way that only a Marvel writer can. Wilson’s fresh approach still has a few kinks, sure, but her script has enough heart and imagination to keep readers clamoring for the next issue.
Wonder Woman #59 asks one question of its central character: is Diana’s compassionate conception of justice enough? Diana abhors violence employed against the weak and innocent, that much is clear. But as the newly heroic Ares notes: is the line so clear? Ares has no qualms about being ruthless in his pursuit of Justice. He wars against not only those who commit evil, but those whose indifference makes that evil possible.
Taken out of the context of superhero comics, Ares-style justice tackles that structures that make injustice possible, whereas Diana only focuses on the symptoms. She “takes arms” against others that have already done the same. G Willow Wilson centers the entire issue, and the larger arc, on the moral dilemma that Ares poses Diana.
It’s a testament to Wilson’s script that she keeps things entertaining while raising such questions. Everything moves at a brisk place, bouncing between the A plot and the thread concerning Olympian refugees seamlessly. The b plot, while not as strong as the main story, manages to entertain. Cary Nord’s pencils do an excellent job of bringing all this together. Her pencils and Fajardo’s bright colors fit the bright Mediterranean setting like a glove. The weakest bit of Nord’s work is Diana herself. Nord’s Diana is a bit too petite looking for a battle-hardened Amazonian warrior, but there’s still a chance for the creative team to nail her visual representation.
Rating: 8.0
