The critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman” run by Brian Azzarello and company ended last month on a note of hope and possibility for Diana’s future adventures. That future doesn’t look too promising for the Goddess of War in the hands of Meredith and David Finch in “Wonder Woman” #36.
Written by Meredith Finch
Illustrated by David FinchPlease welcome the new superstar creative team of writer Meredith Finch and artist David Finch! As this new epic begins, the fate of the Amazons is about to be revealed, major new characters will be introduced and a new villain will arrive with enough power to defeat the combined might of Wonder Woman and her Justice League teammates! Don’t miss the start of this story that guest stars Swamp Thing! It will define what it takes for Diana to fulfill her destiny as Wonder Woman!
It’s difficult to describe the basic plot of “Wonder Woman” #36 because the issue is disjointed and lacking the basic storytelling elements to make us care about what happens between pages one and twenty. Diana is called by her fellow Justice Leaguers to help solve a destructive global environmental phenomenon. The story meanders and we never become invested in it or Wonder Woman’s plight at any point in the book. Meredith Finch gives nothing for readers to connect to with her take on Diana. The heroine delivers clichéd narration about the power of water during the opening scene and proceeds to speak with stilted dialogue for the remainder of the issue. Nothing of importance ever happens in the book and the scenes are strung together without cohesion or reason.
Diana is Wonder Woman, and one of the greatest heroes of the DC Universe. Yet she doesn’t do anything heroic in this issue. She acts reckless, and out of character, in a fight scene between her and Swamp Thing. Admittedly, David Finch’s artwork is sensational in this sequence, but Wonder Woman is prone to impulsiveness instead of asking questions before resorting to her physical strength. She’s reactive instead of proactive. That recklessness in this scene is not characteristic of Diana and only acts to squeeze an action beat, no matter how ill conceived, into the issue.
Meredith Finch is pretty green to comic book writing and this becomes glaringly apparent through the dialogue. The writer’s exchange between Diana and Aquaman is one of the issue’s most wooden. One panel during this conversation contains Diana giving Aquaman and the reader an info dump of what has been going on in her life. We get a rundown of Azzarello’s stories, the “Doomed” storyline, and a generic bit of superhero dialogue about how Diana can’t “figure out how to give everyone the time and attention they deserve.” Meredith Finch is out of her element on this book and the result is unsatisfactory characterization and plotting.
It’s very telling that the scene between Diana and Alec Holland was the only one released as a preview before the book’s release. By placing emphasis on the art, the attention was taken off the writing. The fight between Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing contains the best art of the entire issue. David Finch draws a gorgeous Swamp Thing and his Diana is beautifully drawn during this battle. Richard Friend’s inking and Sonia Oback’s coloring bring the scene to vivid life. However, the detail Finch employs in these pages isn’t consistent throughout the issue.
The inconsistency in David Finch’s art comes through mostly in his characters’ faces. In one scene, the shape and detail in one character’s face transforms so drastically from one panel to the next that she could be mistaken for being a completely different person. In the first panel, her eyes appear large and wide open while her face is square and compact. The next panels depict her as a woman with more human, non-exaggerated eyes and a slimmer face. In the scene featuring Diana and the rest of the Justice League, Diana’s face looks like it dropped in age by at least a decade. Though some of the artist’s work in this issue is premium David Finch, there are areas where his work appears rushed.
Continued belowDavid Finch also has a problem when it comes to his characters conveying emotion. In that same scene with the Justice League, each of the team’s members appear lifeless and posed for a camera. There is a lack of anything resembling concern, sadness, or depth in these heroes’ faces. In the scene that follows, the fight with Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman exudes emotion. She’s a fierce warrior and it shows on her visage. Swamp Thing even expresses emotions through his monstrous face. This particular scene is proof of David Finch’s strength as an illustrator. He’s just not applying that artistic talent in every scene of this issue.
Friend’s inks and Oback’s colors are the only aspects of the entire issue that are virtually without flaw. Friend brings depth and power to Finch’s art, even when his pencils aren’t the same quality as Friend’s inking. Oback’s colors are always beautiful and occasionally breathtaking. She brings the artwork alive with a sense of light that permeates almost every page. In the battle with Swamp Thing, light bounces off Wonder Woman and we are transported outside to experience the super-fisticuffs. The sky above Wonder Woman and Aquaman as they fly away has a watercolor texture that promises a sense of adventure that is unfulfilled in the rest of the book.
The Finches’ inaugural issue of “Wonder Woman” is underdeveloped and, once finished, leaves an empty feeling. One disjointed scene moves jarringly to the next. The shock we’re supposed to experience after viewing the last page just ends up feeling hollow. Wonder Woman is a strong and inspirational character who deserves a creative team that can communicate the complexity and unique character of Diana in compelling stories. The previous creative team did that beautifully. Although the Finches don’t disregard Diana’s new status quo, it appears they don’t know how to build upon what came before.
Final Verdict: 4.0 – “Wonder Woman” #36 is marred by its weak story and inconsistent art. The Finches don’t have a grasp on Diana’s character, which makes for a jarring and unsatisfying experience.
