Jun
08
2016
0

Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1 Review

Written by: Greg Rucka

Art by: Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp

Publisher: DC Comics

The entire concept of Rebirth revolves around bringing back classic characters and restoring a sense of hope to the DC Universe. However, characters aren’t the only thing being brought back, as one of the best DC writers of this millennium makes his return to the company. That’s right folks, Greg Rucka is back, and if this inaugural one shot written by him with art by Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp, is any indication of what the series has in store, then it’s a great time to be a Wonder Woman fan.

This issue’s story involves Wonder Woman saving a woman from some bad guys, talking to herself and then fighting some clay statues. While that may not seem like the most dynamic of opening issues, Rucka deftly manages to communicate to the reader the heart and soul of Wonder Woman as a character, without relying on big twists and shocks to get there. That being said, the story does set up nicely for the launch of Wonder Woman #1 and it’s very much a book that longtime fans and new reader can pick up and enjoy. As much as there isn’t much development plot wise in this issue, we do learn some potentially key points about the nature of rebirth, as Wonder Woman herself has three conflicting origin stories and is unsure which is her true one. Chances are that the true origin will be revealed in the year one portion of the Wonder Woman series, but for now the mystery is an intriguing one.

Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp tend to the art duties with their own distinct, yet vibrant styles. Clark, who is not the artist of the upcoming series, actually draws the majority of this issue and his portion focuses on Wonder Woman’s past. As a result, he ends up drawing many defining moments of her history from different eras, and each one has its own distinct look to it that separates one from another, while also making them feel connected. Also particularly strong are his facial expressions as he captures the anguish and confusion that the script is saying Wonder Woman is feeling. Liam Sharp doesn’t end up getting a lot of page time, but his short burst is a memorable one. His art flows like a tapestry and his portion of the book is significantly darker in terms of colour and ink. Sharp’s Wonder Woman is graceful, yet ferocious, a God of War and an ambassador of peace all rolled into one; A true Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman Rebirth #1 is everything I didn’t know I wanted from this issue, as it sidesteps big twists and action pieces in favour of characterization and accessibility. For any fans of Wonder Woman, or basically anyone who enjoys a well characterized, beautiful looking book, Wonder Woman #1 is well worth the buy.