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A review by cleheny
Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 2 by Phil Hester, J. Michael Straczynski
2.0
The second part of Odyssey is another good book, but I have to give it 2.5 stars because everything Straczynski did doesn't amount to much.
The art continues to be both good and troubling. In my review of volume 1, I spelled out what I liked but also the issues I had with Diana's breast size and facial gestures: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2279982351. My biggest problem with this volume is the lasso continuity errors. In multiple issues, Diana is depicted for (usually) several panels without it, and then, suddenly, there it is on her hip. Part 8 has some particularly egregious errors. The lasso keeps appearing and disappearing throughout a single sequence. It's such a glaring problem that I wondered if it was deliberate but, if so, the reason is too subtle for me to figure out (and I reread the volume before publishing this).
The villains aren't that interesting. The Morrigan boils down to, "we like the suffering produced by war, and we're evil." Nemesis is somewhat more interesting; she, at least, has a terrible dilemma in terms of her purpose, so her end game makes sense. I think Straczynski could have done a more interesting/nuanced take on Nemesis, but she did have some motivation that went beyond "it's my nature to be bad."
Straczynski does a good job with new takes on classic characters--especially Artemis, Cheetah, and Giganta. But I'm not persuaded about what he did with Dr. Psycho. I'm familiar with the character from the runs of John Byrne, Greg Rucka (the first one), and Gail Simone. Each portrayed him as sadistic. So what Straczynski does here doesn't work for me.
The biggest problem, however, is the resolution. In fairness to Straczynski's vision when he started this story, he probably didn't know that DC was going to reboot yet again immediately after he finished. That alone diminishes the impact of the saga. But, even if Flashpoint hadn't happened, the story isn't a gamechanger.
If the ending wasn't such a letdown, I'd give this at least 3 stars, maybe even 3.5. But, for all that this is an interesting take on Diana's evolution into WW, it ends up feeling more like a "What if" story than an important part of Diana's history. So, 2.5 stars.
The art continues to be both good and troubling. In my review of volume 1, I spelled out what I liked but also the issues I had with Diana's breast size and facial gestures: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2279982351. My biggest problem with this volume is the lasso continuity errors. In multiple issues, Diana is depicted for (usually) several panels without it, and then, suddenly, there it is on her hip. Part 8 has some particularly egregious errors. The lasso keeps appearing and disappearing throughout a single sequence. It's such a glaring problem that I wondered if it was deliberate but, if so, the reason is too subtle for me to figure out (and I reread the volume before publishing this).
The villains aren't that interesting. The Morrigan boils down to, "we like the suffering produced by war, and we're evil." Nemesis is somewhat more interesting; she, at least, has a terrible dilemma in terms of her purpose, so her end game makes sense. I think Straczynski could have done a more interesting/nuanced take on Nemesis, but she did have some motivation that went beyond "it's my nature to be bad."
Straczynski does a good job with new takes on classic characters--especially Artemis, Cheetah, and Giganta. But I'm not persuaded about what he did with Dr. Psycho. I'm familiar with the character from the runs of John Byrne, Greg Rucka (the first one), and Gail Simone. Each portrayed him as sadistic. So what Straczynski does here doesn't work for me.
Spoiler
This Dr. Psycho knows who he was and who Diana should be. He wants the world to return to the way it was, with them as enemies, because then, at least, he would be a part of her life, he would be "close" to her. This treats his previous conduct towards her and those she loves as part of a romantic/stalkerish obsession. I just don't see that in the character that I've read.The biggest problem, however, is the resolution. In fairness to Straczynski's vision when he started this story, he probably didn't know that DC was going to reboot yet again immediately after he finished. That alone diminishes the impact of the saga. But, even if Flashpoint hadn't happened, the story isn't a gamechanger.
Spoiler
The WW we know and love was possessed by Nemesis after a battle with the Morrigan. The Fates rescued a "sliver" of Diana's soul and, essentially, reincarnated her to preserve her innocence and hope. In the first climax (because, like the multiple villains, there are multiple climaxes), Diana merges with the possessed WW, freeing the latter and integrating the two versions. Now Diana is the WW of before and the Diana of our story. But the final scenes on Themiscyra don't show a different Diana than what was in continuity before Odyssey began. Yes, Diana is grateful that Paradise Island is restored and the Amazons are alive. She'll never forget that she is both Amazon and WW. But the Diana of Gail Simone's run (which immediately preceded Straczynski's) had also been separated from her mother, her people, and her homeland. She, too, had to find a way to navigate her grief. She, too, never forgets that she is Amazon and WW. So what makes Straczynski's Diana different? Nothing really. So what was the point of this reboot? There wasn't one.If the ending wasn't such a letdown, I'd give this at least 3 stars, maybe even 3.5. But, for all that this is an interesting take on Diana's evolution into WW, it ends up feeling more like a "What if" story than an important part of Diana's history. So, 2.5 stars.