Wonder Woman: Blood

Wonder Woman: Blood was a surprise. Not just because I didn't know what the story was about, but because it was a present. I received Blood, along with Guts, Iron, War, and Flesh. I intended just to flip through the book, as I am currently reading Unless and I don't typically read more than one book at a time. But I couldn't put it down. There was some weird guy, with these three women drinking champagne, there was a bloody battlefield, there was an interesting gentleman with very different eyes, and there was a woman brandishing a shot-gun at him. Connecting all of this was Wonder Woman. Though really, also connecting all of this, was Zeus.

Suddenly, Diana has this woman to protect, brought to her by Hermes. Everything spins after Diana meets her. I really liked Zola and Hermes. I like the trio that they created with Diana. I'm interested to see how their relationships develop through the rest of the series. I have a feeling Zola at least, will be with Diana for a while. Also, Strife. I have mixed feelings about her. She causes a lot of death (and strife), but she's cool. She's irreverent and she understands things in a way others don't. It's definitely a love/hate relationship.

I really like the expressiveness on the faces of not just Wonder Woman, but the other characters as well. I also found the hard black lines in some of the images appealing. I also really liked the pencil sketches on the reverse side of the covers. I found the art engaging, complementing and heightening the story. I couldn't have ask for a better blend between writer and artists.

I read that there was some controversy though, when this story first came out, because it changed Wonder Woman's origin. Though I'm a little unsure whether or not I like that aspect of the story, I'm not surprised that there was a change. Isn't that what The New 52 was supposed to be? I just feel, with all the movies and new stories coming out now, changing part of a superhero's origin story is not a big deal, as long as it's not changing the essence of what makes that hero who they are. Wonder Woman is still a badass. She's tough, but caring. She is who I have come to expect her to be. MY problem with this Wonder Woman book (and the series, until Volume 7), is that there are no WOMEN working on it. I'm not saying that the men who created this book didn't do a good job, because I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I'm just saying that I wonder if that is why when Zola came out, she was wearing underwear instead of pants or shorts. So, I have mixed feelings about it.

In the end, I very much enjoyed The New 52 - Wonder Woman: Blood and I intend to read the entire series. I think it has gotten me closer to knowing this amazing superhero and made me even more excited to see what they do with the film.