So yes, I’m getting me some graphic novel lovin’.

I don’t have much background in Wonder Woman and her universe; I knew that her people are Amazons, and that was about it. I don’t know whether the origin story posited here was partly or totally a reboot, etc etc. It kinda doesn’t matter, actually, at least not for my enjoyment of the story. There were obviously bits that didn’t have the emotional impact that it might for long-term fans; I could see it was devastating when friends got hurt, or turned on Diana, but I didn’t feel it as much as I might have. And I certainly didn’t have the GASP reaction that I bet others did when the Big Nasties were revealed. t did feel it, though, when the truth about Genocide was revealed; and I certainly got cranky at Zeus and his great big awesome plans for replacing the Amazons.

So yeh, thoroughly enjoyed this. The story is dramatic and action-filled and angsty in good ways. It’s not heavy on character development, but that’s partly what the pictures are for I guess. And I liked the pictures. Yes Wonder Woman has no pants, but she’s rarely posed in such a way that that’s an emphasis, or a sexy sexy thing. And there is an emphasis on the violence of what she’s confronted with, and the fact that she gets a beating is not shied away from.

Going to get me more Gail Simone WW, I think.

Speaking of Gail Simone…

This is clearly part of an ongoing story about the team called Birds of Prey, but it also works as a stand-alone story about them and their missions. I’ve not read any stories before that feature teams of superheroes going up against super villains, and have really only seen this on the screen in X-Men. I really enjoyed the way that the pictures allowed the fights to be shown both in close-up and panoramically, encompassing the entire fight – something that movies manage and that books just can’t get across in words with much impact.

I liked the characters a lot, even though I struggled to keep track of a few of them (they kinda melded together). However, Oracle really was my absolute favourite: a former Batgirl, now in a wheelchair (… well, in a wheelchair here; I know that NOW they’ve rebooted it and she’s able-bodied again) and with awesome techno-fu. And defending her team from a usurper. She’s brilliant.

Again, I really enjoyed the art – some ridiculous costumes but some not, and usually dealt with as if they’re practical, if that makes sense. I enjoyed the story, and I enjoyed the interactions between the characters too.