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Reviews tagging 'Bullying'
Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jason Arthur, Jill Thompson, Mariko Tamaki
1 review
tinkeringcheck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The art in this book is gorgeous. It's colourful, it's flowing, it's expressive, and all in a watercolour painted style that is honestly the most beautiful I've ever seen in a graphic novel. As an artist, I was taking notes! And I loved the artist's explanations of how they went about each page.
Unfortunately, it's totally mismatched with a story that just wasn't for me. It's a Wonder Woman origin story that really leans in to what could possibly get Diana capital "B" banished from the island and doesn't pull its punches. Calling this version of her spoiled would be an understatement. She literally has a gory body count of innocents by the end. I couldn't help thinking that - while the writer had some courage to go this way - it just wasn't enjoyable to read. This Diana is a terribly irredeemable spoiled brat who causes innocent people to be killed and then gets herself banished. The End. She was someone I loathed by the last page, not someone I wanted to root for or see redeemed.
Plus the tone seemed really strange to me. It has a fable-esque narrator and simple dialogue which almost seemed aimed at the young end of young adult. But it's FULL of death and blood and gore and insinuations of rape and blegh. I'm just not sure who the audience was supposed to be. Obviously this is subject matter that can be found in YA fiction - which is where I found this at the library - but it's not usually paired with a "don't be selfish kids" flavour of narrator talking down at you.
And if you came here expecting wlw representation, forget it. Dianaobsessively stalks a woman who doesn't even want to be her friend and then kisses her dead corpse after getting her killed. Which doesn't exactly scream romance or, y'know, consent. If it'd been a man doing this it would've been overtly creepy!
So yeah, 5 stars for the art... 1.5 for the story.
Unfortunately, it's totally mismatched with a story that just wasn't for me. It's a Wonder Woman origin story that really leans in to what could possibly get Diana capital "B" banished from the island and doesn't pull its punches. Calling this version of her spoiled would be an understatement. She literally has a gory body count of innocents by the end. I couldn't help thinking that - while the writer had some courage to go this way - it just wasn't enjoyable to read. This Diana is a terribly irredeemable spoiled brat who causes innocent people to be killed and then gets herself banished. The End. She was someone I loathed by the last page, not someone I wanted to root for or see redeemed.
Plus the tone seemed really strange to me. It has a fable-esque narrator and simple dialogue which almost seemed aimed at the young end of young adult. But it's FULL of death and blood and gore and insinuations of rape and blegh. I'm just not sure who the audience was supposed to be. Obviously this is subject matter that can be found in YA fiction - which is where I found this at the library - but it's not usually paired with a "don't be selfish kids" flavour of narrator talking down at you.
And if you came here expecting wlw representation, forget it. Diana
So yeah, 5 stars for the art... 1.5 for the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, War, Classism, Violence, Animal death, Death, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Stalking
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