Review: Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade : A; "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes."
Warning; Gratuitous content, graphic violence, nudity
Diana, living in Man’s world as the ambassador of Themyscira, as well as a vital member of the Justice league is feeling the Blues. Perhaps due to being away from her home, mother and sisters for long, or perhaps because of the spectral present of the Erinyes, the three sisters of vengeance.
The reason for their presence becomes apparent, when, one night, a young woman named Danielle Wellys, comes to Diana’s doorstep, and invokes the ancient Greek ritual of Hiketeia. She submits herself, her life and entire being to Diana; in exchange, she begs for protection and sanctuary.
Being the kind & honorable Amazon that she is, Diana accepts, without asking the girl’s circumstances, taking her under the Amazon’s protection. Little did she know, this act would inevitably put her in cross paths against one of her friends and comrades. Both of them resolute in their own convictions, one to protect, the other to seek justice, they will stand in opposition for what each believes.
Also judging her, are the Erinys, the three Greek sisters of Vengeance, who shadow Diana closely, to see if she adheres to the tenets of the Hikateia and if not, to exact terrible retribution upon her.
REVIEW:
Introduction
Despite being one of the Canonical Trinity of the DC pantheon, I’ve always felt that Wonder women has often been underrepresented compared to her colleagues in the Triumvirate. Which is not to say there aren’t enough WW titles out there; there are.
It’s just, there are not as many works out there that can get to the core of the character. Unlike Batman with works such as ‘The Dark Knight Returns’, or Superman with ‘All Star Superman’, titles which are able to deconstruct Diana Prince’s character and motivations are not many. Everyone has their favorite Batman/ Superman series which come immediately to mind, with wonder women you’d have to take a minute.
That is such as shame really, as Wonder woman is a character who is steeped in Religion, Mythology, Feminism and a healthy dose of BDSM, the type that is associated with tolerant sexuality and exploration.
Hence why, this year I’ve been attempting to delve more into the mythos of Wonder women, and her popular stories. I’ve found some great gems such as ‘Wonder Woman: Dead Earth’, & ‘Wonder Woman: Black and Gold’. It’s only fitting I thought, to revisit one of the earliest stories which got me hooked on the character.
Story:
After accepting the ancient Greek ritual of Hiketeia, Diana prince finds herself honor bound to protect Danielle Wellys, a woman on the run from the law. This naturally puts her in confrontation with Batman, her longtime friend and ally. With Bruce doing his damnest to bring a criminal to justice, while Diana standing in his way honoring her own brand of justice. Two friends, two paragons on opposing sides of a conflict, this has all the markings of a Greek tragedy in the making.
One thing you have to note is that, despite having two of DC’s heavy hitters in the same story, this Series is not a punch 'em all. Sure, there is conflict, and the duo do exchange blows, but Greg Rucka’s Hiketeia is very much driven by its narrative elements.
He makes great use of the depth of material present in Diana’s character backstory, her Hellenic upbringing in Themyscira, her strict adherence to the laws of Olympics, and her kind, empathetic and benevolent character which cannot stand to see someone suffer.
“Written, unwritten, new, ancient, social, religious… we are slaves to laws. Each builds upon others, forming the lattice we call civilization. And every law fits a hierarchy… Murder, for instance, is more egregious than littering. Hiketeia is Law. Hiketeia is a ritual, It is never to be ignored. Like all ritual, it has rules. Like all ritual, to break the rules is sacrilege.”
Standing opposing her is Batman, himself a knight of the lady justice, one who is an indifferent arbiter who is an enforcer of the long arm of Lady Justice. He understands the mind of the criminal and what forces people to commit crimes. He might even empathize with their situation. But he never sympathizes with them.
His role, the darkness in which he inhabits, and the evils of humanity which he has to face on a daily basis, has left him with just the sanctity of his own creed to fall back to. Which might as well as be summarized by ‘All men are equal before the law’. By believing in the system of justice, in the ability of humans to better themselves, he is able to hold onto his humanity, and resist the final push which would turn him into one of the monsters which he is always hunting.
Having an unassailable belief in right & wrong, and an unyielding moral core, Batman is able to stare long into the abyss, and not turn into a monster himself. But for that to work, he has to treat everyone the same. Regardless of her circumstances, Danielle Wellys committed the crime of murder, and it is his responsibility to see to it that she is brought to justice. And Wonder Woman standing against him as an obstacle to that mission, is not enough to deter him, or give the criminal any form of leniency. For him is a compulsive & pathological need to worship at the altar of justice, in a bid to retain his grasp of right and wrong. The same need that makes him save a homicidal maniac like the Joker again and again. The same need that keeps him on the right side of the moral spectrum.
Diana, for her part, is more forgiving, more understanding. She is a hero in her own right, but before that, before becoming Wonder Woman, she was a tried and true warrior Amazon of Themyscira. She has faced things much much worse than common criminals or mentally deranged clowns. She has seen and fought creatures of myth, of nightmare, challenged the gods themselves in what she believes to be right.
The laws of men, while she respects them, is not something which she considers to be infallible. Batman might see Danielle as a criminal who deserves to be brought to justice, but Diana sees in her, a good person, who due to the hand that fate has dealt her, has committed unspeakable acts. But those acts were not borne out of greed or evil, but out of righteous vengeance. In the eyes of the gods, her actions are justified. While Diana might not completely agree with her action, Danielle came to her at the lowest point in her life, seeking asylum.
Diana, the noble warrior, the guardian of the weak, the beacon of truth, cannot turn her away. Whatever the world might call right and wrong. Diana has resolved herself to protect Danielle, may Hades care for the consequences.
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Now I’ve seen a bunch of people complain as to how, during the entire story Batman gets his ass handed to him by Wonder women, and that is not in line with the uber competent nature of the Bat.
I say that is beyond the point; as I mentioned, this is not a battle royale that focuses on pitting our two characters against one another for shock value. There are no supervillains, alien invasions or planet destroying threats on the horizon. Here, the challenge that our heroes face is internal, one which has ramifications on their personal ideologies and are defined by their personal moral compasses.
Each of them are acting in a manner that makes them think they are in the right, and not for contrived reasons. Just so happens, in the grand scheme of things Diana is slightly more right than Batman.
Also, this is Diana’s story, of which Batman is a part of. She is the one who protects, she is the one who defends. She is one filled with doubts, fears and moral quandaries. The purpose is not to see who is best in a superhero versus battle. The content is king in this one, and for that, Batman does need to be seen as a (relatively) antagonistic force.
Another criticism which is levied against the series is how certain aspects of Diana’s appearance, as well as her interactions, or rather confrontations with Batman, have an almost fetishistic tone about them. Even the ritual of initiation of Hikateia, as showcases has some serious BDSM vibes to it.
”And I offer myself in supplication to you, Z. I come without means, I come without protection, without honor, without hope, with nothing but myself, to beg for your protection. In your shadow I will serve, by your breath will I breathe, by your words will I speak, by your mercy will I live. With all my heart, with everything I can offer, I beg you, in Zeus’s name, who watches over all supplicants…accept my plea”
Just remind you all, that Wonder woman as a character has her origin in the mind of one William Marston. And if his biography is any indication, he didn’t convince the character, and gave her the now iconic braces, attire and ‘lasso of truth’ with entirely innocent intentions.
It’s a whole different matter how the character of Diana Prince has evolved over the ages, and the whole getup has taken a more mainstream, paragon-like and almost aspirational symbol. But the roots of her character remain. Even in recent publication history, works such as Grant Morrison’s ‘Wonder Woman: Earth One’ have shown that writers are not hesitant to lean into the more ‘liberal’ parts of her mythos.
Having said that, even with some amounts of sexualization and femdom put on panel has only a cosmetic effect on the story, which again, very much focuses on this Greek tragedy like narrative. And seeing as how actual Greek epics had a healthy dose of Orgies (Bacchae), Incest (Oedipus) & rape (anything with Zeus), we cam take it for the creative choice that it is.
The Art
Even though I keep asserting how, despite being a superhero tale, Wonder Woman Hiketeia is mostly a story driven affair, the Illustrators have been able to set an environment befitting the dark, dreary and gloomy tone of Hiketeia.
Much of the story takes place during nights, lit by the neon glow of the concrete jungle, with a constant downpour. This reflects Diana’s inner thought processes, the way in which she feels homesick, tired and longing for her family, how she despite her reservations chose to protect Danielle, even when she has an inkling that this affair might not be as cut and dry as one thinks, or when she reluctantly puts down Batman repeatedly, despite her knowing deep in her heart, that he is just doing his job.
Even towards the end, after the climax, the mood doesn’t change, as after (view spoiler), Diana is left alone in the darkness, with only her worries and conflicts to keep her company. It paints Wonder Woman in a very sympathetic and weakened light, one which shows us the flawed person underneath that confident bravado. And I believe that does help us empathize with the character that much more.
Other scenes, those involving the Furies/ Erinys and Diana are shrouded in shadows and mystery, giving it almost a Macbethian, ‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes’ vibes to them. Their ever looming presence is a source of anxiety, both to Diana and us as the reader (although I wouldn’t have minded getting a staredown between the furies and Bats. No bets on who wins that bout)
The action, not the main focus, does serve to push the narrative forwards, and is properly executed despite the significantly darkened panels and colors.
Conclusion:
Wonder Woman Hiketeia is often cited among the best titles featuring the character, and now you know why (At least I hope). Despite not being a cup of tea for everyone, it nonetheless attempts to enter the mind of a beloved comic character, and one of the most influential comic book heroes of the 20th century. And thereby it attempts to make her all the more relatable to the readers, as well as delving into the rich lore that the character has to offer.
It’s definitely a title which you should pick up, if you are a fan of Diana Prince. It is entertaining, engaging, has great staying power, and will leave you with a lot to think about afterwards. So, Happy reading & Ciao.
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