Book Review, Graphic Novel: WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA

In WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA, a young woman named Danielle Wellys is caught by Batman after she has killed another man. Apparently Batman has been following her for some time and this is not her first victim. She’s eludes being captured by Batman and makes her way to the home of Wonder Woman (Diana Princess of Themyscira) whom she begs supplication. Diana agrees, not knowing of the deeds that Danielle has committed in the name of justice, but that were actually done with vengeance. Not long after, Batman arrives on the scene and Diana finds herself in a quandary. She has given her word to Danielle and sworn an oath, an oath that cannot be broken. On the other hand, Batman wants to bring Danielle to justice he intends to capture her, even if it means fighting with Diana, one of his oldest friends.

That is the plot, but the heart of the story is an examination of how Wonder Woman thinks. In addition it is a crucible of tempering between various opposing forces: Diana’s traditional beliefs versus her obedience to modern laws; the value of a promise versus the value of a dear friendship; the past versus the present; etc.

The story is virtually a Greek tragedy told in graphic novel form. The Furies are the Chorus and they appear throughout the story and occasionally interacting with it. Wonder Woman is the protagonist who finds herself in a difficult dilemma, brought about by a choice that she has made. Like all Greek tragedies, the entire tone and atmosphere makes it clear that this isn’t a story that’s going to have a happy ending.

There are a couple of negatives with WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA. First, is that the Diana portrayed in this story doesn’t fit with the standard norms of her character. Some of the basic scenery is there, but the woman behind the stage seems quite different from the Wonder Woman of tradition and comics past.

The second negative is that this is a far darker story than many Wonder Woman stories. Several people die and there’s quite a bit of blood. This fits in with the overall device of this story being a Greek tragedy. However, it’s another element that’s atypical of Wonder Woman tales and is likely to turn some fans away.

When I first read WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA, I didn’t like it. It was the Wonder Woman I was familiar with and it was far too violent for what I wanted to read. Recently, after having studied some Greek mythology and re-read some of the Greek tragedies, I re-read WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA and saw it in a completely different light. I actually enjoyed the story more the second time and had a far greater appreciation for it.

WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA is a good story. Wonder Woman fans will probably be evenly split between those who like it and those who hate it. Batman fans will be disappointed that his role is smaller than expected. Those who like comic books and Greek mythology, will probably enjoy the story. However, there are some who will be offended by the violence in the tale. It’s not the usual Wonder Woman fare, but it’s worth examining.

Book Review: SUPERMAN & WONDER WOMAN WHOM GODS DESTROY

Set in alternative timeline where the Third Reich didn’t lose WWII and Germany and much of Eastern Europe is still under control of the Nazi regime against a backdrop that the gods, goddesses, and monsters of mythology are actually real and have returned to meddle in human affairs, the four-part SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is one of the worst Elseworld stories I have ever read. Most Elseworld stories are kind of hooky, but charming with about as much substance as a dime-store novel. There have been a few Elseworld stories that are quite spectacular, e.g. RED SON. However, sometimes there’s an Elseworld story that attempts to be monumental but is in really just trash, such as SUPERMAN: AT EARTH’S END. SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is another.

The basic plotline begins with an elderly Lois Lane is having nightmares about Superman going around the world and joyfully killing people. She confides in her BFF, Lana Lang. Meanwhile, Superman is living in semi-exile in his Fortress of Solitude on the moon. Old Supes discovered the hidden remains of the Holocaust a few years ago and went postal. He’s been banned from even the airspace of the Third Reich with a promise that his very appearance will be seen as a declaration of war from the U.S. Anyway, Lana Lang gets kidnapped and starts having some dreams that are even more bizarre than Lois’. Lois and Clark fly to Germany to discover what happened to their mutual friend, but along the way their plane is attacked by harpies. Yes, harpies. Superman rescues the plane, but when it lands Lois and Clark are taken into custody. They meet with one of the leaders of the Reich, Adonis. Readers eventually find out that the Greek gods of mythology have tired of staying out of human affairs and want to be important again and similar to the tragedy that was the Trojan War, they’ve decided to start a conflict. The stakes are high. Superman is bewitched by Circe and turned into a centaur; Lana Lang is given the power of the Oracle of Delphi and turns young; and when one of the Greek goddesses dies after a battle with the German army, she bestows all of her powers to Lois who becomes a new Wonder Woman. The original Wonder Woman has betrayed her brethren of Paradise Island and has joined the Nazis. That’s only the first half of the story.

I read SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY because the basic premise of Superman and Wonder Woman fighting incarnations of the Greek gods was one I found interesting. However, I was appalled by the storyline in which the premise is delivered. The characterization of Superman is completely off with the Man of Steel behaving more like a troubled teenager than the hero he is. Then there’s the whole concept of the Third Reich still existing. Anytime a comic book has to fall back on a Third Reich that somehow won WWII and wasn’t defeated, you know the story is going to be bad. In fact, the only real reason I can see that this entire plot was brought about was so that Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Superman could end up in a menage a trios.

This series was written by legendary Marvel writer Chris Claremont. Claremont wrote some amazing stories for Marvel and the X-MEN, but he apparently didn’t know much about the DC universe. SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is the second worst Superman story I have ever read, beaten out only by SUPERMAN: AT EARTH’S END.

The only reason I can offer for reading this book is for the eerie prediction of Sept. 11^th from Superman’s typewriter and Lois Lane’s nightmare in the first book of the series. Other than that curious trivia, there’s no reason to waste your time reading, let alone buying this comic book story.