Review: Wonder Woman, Volume 4: War
Wonder Woman, Volume 4: War by Brian AzzarelloMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rating 5 out of 5 | Grade: A; In the grim world of the Olympian Gods, there is only Waaaar!
Never did I think that Brian Azzarello’s run of Wonder Woman, which started off on such a lowkey note, would eventually snowball into something spectacular. I stand by my assessment that this run is a slow burn, something which you can appreciate, only across all the 4 volumes.
Because in many ways, it reads like a Greek Epic, with new characters' allies and enemies being introduced and killed off, and the main roster of characters undergoing changes to their status quo, as well as their personality.
Once again, my favorite character of the lot is Hera, who is a long way off from the scorned, vindictive wife of Zeus, who’d resort to any decree of violence to exact her vengeance. Events of prior volumes have turned her powerless, trapped in the realm of men. But being mortal is not all that bad for her.
Under the protection of Diana & co, she is living amongst humans, experiencing the mortal world with all its goods and bad. It also appears that, being relieved of the position of being Queen of Olympus, also mellowed out her personality.
Now no longer needing to worry about her husband’s infidelity and the power struggle in Olympus, she is starting to mend fences with Zola whom along with her child she tried to assassinate. In doing so, Hera is able to gain some closure, in regard to the millennia long saga of Zeus being a piece of shit husband and father.
Right alongside her is War, the world-weary old man, who seems to breed conflict wherever he goes, yet is too tired and depressed about the role which he is assigned. As befitting his hunched down, perpetually drunk, sullen eyed appearance, it seems like he would gladly trade his role to another, if it only means he can feel something good for once in his long life.
I love how, in contrast to the usual depiction of war/ Ares in the DC canon, this version is not the Alpha jock that gets off on perpetuating his namesake. He seems almost wizened, like the veteran soldier, who has seen and experienced enough shit in conflict, to know that the battlefield holds no joy or glory, just pain and resentment.
(view spoiler)
More than plot or narrative, what carried this story forwards are the character, and how they interact with Diana. And what can be said of the protagonist herself. While the rest of the supporting characters are going through dealing with their own demons, or succumbing to them, Diana is there in the center, and like the ideals that she embodies, she stays true to her goal, of keeping Zola and her child safe.
There are times where she, like any good character, has a crisis of conscience, fears, doubts, failures. But even as she is confronting them, she is also moving forwards, towards her duty to the mother and child. Even when faced with the might of Olympus, her own divine siblings, the maniacal first born, or even when tempted with God hood, she stays true to her ideals. And thus, by merely staying true to her nature, she becomes the pillar of support and inspiration for those around her. Which is a glorious sight to behold.
The Plot
The Plot of Volume 4 centers around the eventual confrontation between Diana’s ‘Baby Guardians’ vs the ever-increasing armies of the First born, with Apollo & his faction taking pot shots in between.
Unlike the first three iterations, Volume 4 really ramps up on the action scenes and events. Over the course of the story, we see Diana and co face off against the Olympians, to her being thrashed by the First born, then being saved by Orion and taken to New Genesis and then back, until finally confronting the First born and his forces in an epic showdown.
But despite this mind-numbing amount of development, the story is able to keep pace, and we’re never feeling lost as to what is happening. All the players are accounted for, and reunite in the final act, and get to show off their respective strengths.
We also have our first real casualty from the side of the good guys, as Lennox, Diana's half-brother with a rocky exterior and a heart of gold, sacrifices himself to let the others escape from the First born. He won't be the last to die.
In between, the group travels to New Genesis and encounters All Father, the leader of the New Gods. Seeing All-Father sort of reminded me that we’re in a new 52 story. Gone is the wizened Gandalf like sage leader of New Genesis. Instead, the new 52 version of All Father is a militaristic leader who rules New Genesis with an Iron fist and looks like he could physically duke it out with his arch enemy Darkseid.
But he is not a one note sour puss who wants to control everything. While strict and cold to a decree, we do see glimpses of his wise nature reflect beneath the harsh exterior. He is more akin to the real-world USA, who is willing to do a lot of terrible things, but under the belief that it is in service of the greater good.
One particular part of the story is where he directs events in a way that Orion has to choose, between either his loyalty to All-Father and New Genesis, or to his camaraderie with Diana and the ragtag group. He obviously choses the legs, ahem, I mean Diana, but All-father doesn’t seem too frustrated at the choice that his son made. Rather, he seems bemused that Orion chose to forge his own path, instead of staying under his shadow.
The team comes together in the broken ruins that First born had made London into, for a final confrontation. From there it’s a straight-out brawl, with Diana releasing the restriction placed by her bracelets and unleashing her full power to pummel and defeat the First born. But not without an assist from War.
All through the series, War was portrayed as this world-weary old man, with the entire burden of the world bearing down on his aged shoulders. He was someone who had seen so much that he now just wanted to lie down and welcome eternal sleep. Yet still he lumbered on, the final embers of the warrior spirit in him, demanding a fitting stage for his final battle. To die and be taken to the Hall of the Heroes. And showcase his true might to those non-believers.
In the battle against the first born he found his venue. And in Diana, he found the instrument who would satisfy his life’s desire. In an unexpected conclusion, Diana (view spoiler) The scene is very reminiscent of the battle between King Bradley vs Fu & Buccaneer, and was cathartic, showcasing the unspoken bond between War & Diana, master & pupil, one warrior to another.
The volume ends with the Firstborn becoming captive to Apollo’s faction, Zola & her child safe for the foreseeable future, and War being carried by Diana across the river Styx to the realm of Hades. Quite moving stuff.
The Art
Being the most action heavy out of all the Volumes so far, this volume also has some quite spectacular and engaging Art scenes, capable of conveying the fear, horror, desperation, wonder, sense of urgency and melancholic catharsis which comes at the end of the story.
There is this clear distinction in the art style, between the futuristic chrome inspired architecture of New Genesis, contrasted with the ruins of the surface world. As well as between new Genesis and the rustic everyday settings on earth, especially during the Firstborn’s invasion.
It’s simple, with clean yet defined lines and dark coloring, which is able to keep you immersed in the setting. One would think that transitioning from the fantasy heavy setting of the Olympian gods to the more sci-fi themed environment of new genesis would mix as well as oil and water. But the artists are able to mesh them well and transition to and fro, that you’re never left with a sense of dissonance.
Being the protagonist, Diana benefits greatly getting some of the best action scene panels, as well as the brilliant full-page covers. The very final page of the Volume, one which closes the story, is poetic, aesthetically pleasing, heartwarming yet at the same time having a melancholy tone, bathed in Golden hour with a sense of finality and loss. In short, inspired stuff.
In Conclusion, Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman has been moving from strength to strength, with each volume building upon and adding new elements to the story. Make sure to give it a read, for a story that is fully immersed into the mythological world of Wonder Woman and shows off the best parts of the character’s world and setting.
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