Now we come to the most controversial issue since Wonder Woman's relaunch. Why? Because according to some, it destroys the notion of the Amazons being feminist icons and them being this glowing example of peace and enlightenment. They were essentially the perfect, utopian society. Some even say if one does not really know Wonder Woman or is not that invested in her, only then will one not get upset. I'll share my views after I give a little summary.
To save Zola, Diana needs more allies. We meet the nephew of Hermes, Eros. Again wonderful update on the characters' design. The plan is to get more weapons as they need to make a trip to hell. Eros leads them to the forge of the god, Hephaestus.
I love the design of the God of metal,fire, technology and craftsmen. In his workshop they are attacked by a creature sent by Hades and we get to see an ability of Diana's lasso to act like a whip that can destroy metal when it is cracked. Diana also learns some things that rock her world.
She notices there are young men in the service of Hephaestus and is stunned to learn that she has "brothers" . Hephaestus tells her three times in a century the Amazons leave their paradise and go out looking for men to father children. After having sex with them, they slay them. Those who conceive, give birth. If it is a girl, there is rejoicing. If it is a boy he is taken away and given to the God in exchange for weapons.
Diana thinks she can "free" them and all will be well. With Lennox, she binds Hephaestus and tries to get the male Amazons to rise up. What comes next is a great lesson in humility. The men do not want to leave. They see themselves as artists and craftsmen and Hephaestus is...well, he is their father. He raised them when they were not wanted. They are actually happy.
So, there it is. First of all, let me say I really don't understand the furor over this. For one, we are in the middle of a story. With Olympian Gods. Who are capable of goodness as well as evil and deceit. This is a game they have been playing for eons. The story Hephaestus tells could be true or partly true or just like legends of the Amazons themselves as told by sailors...over hyped. I feel Azzarello has raised questions for us to consider here. What is a utopia? Who really are the Amazons? How can they isolate themselves and call it paradise? How can they say they know what is best for mankind? Why did they isolate themselves for so long from mankind and womankind, who encompass the real world? How can they make the claim, a race from a more savage time, isolated for centuries, that they know what is best for us when they don't know us? I loved Perez's version of the Amazons for what it was but their attitude always bothered me and Wonder Woman, Diana, is the feminist icon here. Not the Amazons. She went against the grain and fought for the right to be a hero and protect innocents. They never played that great a role in the wider DCU.
As women we still have our battles to fight for equality but it's a poor start by running down and judging a whole gender and people. Marston's Wonder Woman origin is very outdated actually. Diana did not leave or consider there was a world out there until a man fell on her island. Before that she and her sisters were happy, no doubt, to stomp grapes and play in games for thousands of years. It was a great conceit to set themselves up as proponents of peace when they stayed hidden away from the real world.
Also the idea that women must somehow not be written negatively or with flaws in order to make them important is a huge cop out. That is not feminism. Nor is it gender equality. Women are people and, like men, are capable of good and bad. The Amazons came from a time when slavery was the norm. No one blinked an eye at it. To these women what they do may have been just part of survival. It is noted that not all mothers were happy when their sons were taken. There is another complaint that Diana could never become a great hero if she was raised by these Amazons. How silly. Men and women grow up in homes with abusers and addicts, and they turn out okay. And the women are what they are. Warriors from a society out to protect and preserve their own kind and life at any cost. They care for each other. Not so much men. I wonder that people never question that the Amazons say in Perez's version, in the three thousand years, would have never encountered a male child as it has been shown in some stories they do find and take in lost girls. The seas must be conveniently discriminating.
We don't know if the story is true and I am very willing to wait to see the outcome. I am wondering if Azzarello set this up to test the reaction of readers too and reflect how judgmental we can be. And even if the tales were true, I would like to see Diana at some point teach her sisters that real living and service is not being isolated on an island and shunning men.
As for the notion if you don't know much about Wonder Woman etc you wouldn't mind...oh, what bullshit. Excuse my language but you can be a fan of Wonder Woman and love this story. It's compelling reading, it keeps the core aspects of Wonder Woman ( WW ran a boutique for god's sakes and aped Emma Peel back in the day) and is one of the best of the new 52.
I give this a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Welcome back too, Cliff Chiang. We did miss your art.
Best Panel. Diana's expression says it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment