A New Origin Emerges in “The Legend of Wonder Woman #1” (Review)

Jan 13, 2016

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LOWW_01_D_SFCoverThe Legend of Wonder Woman #1
DC Comics

Written by: Renae De Liz
Art by: Renae De Liz, Ray Dillon
Color by: Ray Dillon

Wonder Woman has definitely been on my mind lately thanks to Batman v Superman, and I have been hungry for a story to really invigorate my interest in the character. The current Wonder Woman run at DC is great but I really wanted to get back to basic with the character and explore her from the beginning. The Legend of Wonder Woman was the perfect choice for this endeavor as its a new origin for the character from the ground up. This couldn’t have come at a better time for DC as Wonder Woman’s origin has always been a little clay like itself, soft and pliable.

The Legend of Wonder Woman #1 tells us the story of how Diana come to be. Renae De Liz does a fantastic job of keeping classic elements of Diana’s original origin while injecting her own new and interesting twists. Truth be told after issue 1 I think I already prefer Renae’s origin. It’s dense without being overly complicated. We get to see the idea of Diana grow through the burden of Hippolyta’s immortality and her desire for some semblance of mortality.  As Hippolyta appears to reach her breaking point, her wish is granted by the island of Themyscira and Diana is born. De Liz tells this story in a style and pace that is both visually striking and extremely engaging. Wonder Woman’s origin while clearly defined and easily understandable, still has an air of mystery about it that only hooks you more.

The Legend of Wonder Woman #1 (2015) - Page 17

Renae De Liz and Ray Dillion may have the definitive Wonder Woman origin on their hands as together they are creating something special. The art alone is a sight to be hold as it is stunning and vibrant. Every panel is a picturesque look into Greek mythology while character designs are realistic and never overly sexualized or disproportionate. Top to bottom from the writing to the art work I found everything in this comic to be beautiful.

The Legend of Wonder Woman explores the origin and early years of Diana prince. A tale we haven’t really heard before, and as her stock grows with her impending live action debut, De Liz and Dillion are delivering the perfect origin to accompany it. Wonder Woman’s origin has always been tricky and I think these creators have finally cracked the code.