Thoughts on Wonder Woman Annual AKA Final Chapter of Heinberg Story

Wonder Woman Annual #1
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley

After many months of waiting, last Wednesday brought the final chapter of "Who Is Wonder Woman". Yep, the story that started in August 2006 (of technically June 2006) is finally finished. While this was no means the worst Wonder Woman story I have ever read, it also failed to take it's place in my personal hall of fame.

There are several reasons for that.

Firstly, I couldn't specifically remember the tale being told. Later on I will read te story from start to finish, but certainly I felt I was at a disadvantage reading from a foggy memory.

It also really bothered me that the story was a bit disjointed. Wonder Woman fights a lot. Her female super hero friends, plus a few of the fellas join in the mayhem to fight a "who's who" of Wonder Woman villains. The art by Terry and Rachel Dodson is flashy, but that is the extent of the emotion I felt.

Donna Troy wears the red costume that I thought she had given to Cassie. I thought that was odd. Maybe it was a "back to basics" type of shout out to the reader, but all it really did was confuse me. Why is Donna wearing her black starfield costume in current books? I am wondering how that all came about.

Heracles reverts back to type, becoming the dickhead that he is sometimes portrayed as. I am glad Diana kicked his ass, but I wasn't happy with his sexually predatory nature.

I don't like the fact that supposedly Diana loses her powers and is "human" out of costume. That is just irritating. She has shown no signs of this in current issues. What should I make of this? I personally prefer Diana to be powerful in any guise, and have always appreciated the fact that she is gifted by the gods.

Lastly, I am not a fan of the Nemesis relationship. The Amazons Attack story nailed the coffin for me on it, but I see the seeds here that already bother me. I think Diana is acting out of character in her new relationship with Nemesis, and it feels contrived at this point in time. I enjoyed her relationships with Trevor Barnes and classic Steve Trevor and felt there was a spark there. Here I don't feel it at all.

While I have many quibbles with the story itself, I do appreciate the art stylings of the Dodsons. I also feel Allan Heinberg is a talented writer. His intentions were good, but the follow up never gelled into the greatness I had so hoped for. The "Who is Wonder Woman" story was just alright for me.

That being said, I am very eager to see what Gail Simone will do on the book. I am already missing her desperately on Birds of Prey, and think that it will be hard for anyone to follow her there. Simone is extremely gifted with characterization, and from interviews I have read, she is ready to focus on Wonder Woman as a hero to be reckoned with. I am ready for a solid creative team to bring the book back into focus and give Wonder Woman a cohesiveness she has been lacking since Greg Rucka wrote the title.

What did you think?