Bracing for AMAZONS ATTACK #1

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THIS WEEK: Amazons Attack #1 continues a number of story threads we’ve really been enjoying throughout the DC Multiverse! Plus, Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 is a satisfying finale…for now.

Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.

Amazons Attack #1

Writer: Josie Campbell
Artist: Vasco Georgiev
Colorist: Alex Giumaraes
Letterer: Becca Carey

Amazons Attack #1 does two things I like a lot from my shared universe mainline superhero comic books. First, it ties into one of the most exciting storylines happening elsewhere in the line — the U.S. government versus the Amazons plot launched so well in last month’s stunner, Wonder Woman #1. Second, it picks up on other plot threads from the fantastic work writer Josie Campbell has been doing with Mary Marvel, first in last year’s fantastic New Champion of SHAZAM and then more recently as part of the Lazarus Planet event.

I think the fact that both of these things are done here — and done very well — shows that Campbell and her creative collaborators just get what makes a fun mainline superhero comic. This is a book that not only ties into things that came before it and things that are happening concurrently, but does so in meaningful and interesting ways.

For those who somehow missed it, the starting premise of writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere’s new Wonder Woman run is that a mysterious amazon has been accused of murdering something like 18 men in a bar in Montana — and this accusation has turned much of the American public against the Amazons. And, of course, with the public reacting that way, American politicians are looking to benefit from it…and as a result, the government has essentially banned all Amazons from American soil — including Diana Prince.

What this book gives us is an expansion on that premise, looking at what is happening with the other Amazons that have been steadily built up within the DC Comics universe over the past two and a half years or so. We get characters not only from Themyscira, but also from Esquecida and the Bana-Mighdall. And the timing of this issue — right after Wonder Woman #1 and concurrent with Wonder Woman #2 — emphasizes that what’s happening with these characters and in this book actually matters. It’s nice that it’s not all thrown in later like an after thought.

Secondly, this book also incorporates the character that Campbell has been working with since starting to write for DC — Mary Marvel. As noted above, this book is more than just a tie-in to the main Wonder Woman comic — it’s also a continuation of The New Champion of SHAZAM, showing us where Mary and her talking rabbit are off to next. Mary has been tangled up with Wonder Woman since helping her fight Hera in Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods, and so her inclusion here makes perfect sense (even if the rabbit explains it away as she was trying to sneak into a meeting to say hi). Even so, it’s fun to see the return of the character that anchored one of the best comics DC published last year.

Of course, none of this stuff really matters that much if the book itself isn’t an entertaining read, which it is. Artist Vasco Georgiev (colored here by Alex Giumaraes and lettered by Becca Carey) delivers great, clean linework, absolutely nailing the action sequences and big moment set pieces called for by the script. Overall, it adds up to a really entertaining and fun comic with plenty of rewards for readers who pay attention to the DC line holistically. And I definitely appreciate that.

Verdict: BUY

The Round-Up

It would be a real shame if artist Chris Burnham and colorist Brian Reber didn’t get to do more Doom Patrol comics at some point. This was the main thought I had after finishing this week’s Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7, which was a miniseries finale, written by Dennis Culver with letters by Pat Brosseau. These were just such good-looking and electric comics, wherein Burnham and Reber really fought hard to be up there with the many top-tier artists who’ve drawn the franchise, from most recently Nick Derington all the way back to the earliest stuff by Bruno Premiani. And the series itself was a blast to read, starting with a strong premise before remixing some of the best Doom Patrol ideas from the past. Here’s hoping this is just the end…for now.
For people roughly my age (30-ahem-something), there was a real treat in Green Arrow #5 this week — Phil Hester and Ande Parks returned to draw the character. They were the team behind the most iconic post-Mike Grell Green Arrow comics, bridging the early 2000s runs on the character penned by big names like Brad Meltzer, Kevin Smith, and Judd Winnick. Having them drawing Oliver Queen again here feels a bit like going back to your old high school or something. It’s a fun bit of nostalgia that grows organically from writer Joshua Williamson’s plot, and melds relatively seemlessly with the work of the main series team of artist Sean Izaakse, colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letterer Troy Peteri.
Finally, Wonder Woman #2 also arrived this week, and it’s another stunner. It’s just two issues, but I am absolutely loving this new Wonder Woman run by writer Tom King, artist Daniel Sampere, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Whereas the first issue built a foundation with the run’s new premise, and paced itself to the first time we saw Wonder Woman…this one slows things down and essentially covers just one altercation between Wonder Woman and the U.S. military, moving the rest of its plot forward around the edges of that. Structurally, it’s a great followup to a dense and wide-spanning first issue, giving this run a nice tonal variety in its early days.