In the recent run up to the release of the Wonder Woman movie, DC comics have released no less than 3 different retellings of her origin. The highest profile was probably Year One, written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Nicola Scott, as part of a grander narrative that Rucka was creating for the publisher’s blockbuster Rebirth initiative. I haven’t read Rucka’s entire epic, which spanned several eras of Wonder Woman’s heroic career, but I have read the ‘flashback’ issues (#2, #4, #6, #10, #12, #14) which covers her initial adventures, and are collected as the confusingly named Wonder Woman Vol 2 Year One.
Rucka’s storyline is fairly straightforward, and will be familiar to fans of the movie. Unlike the film, the plot takes place in present times, but otherwise it covers many of the same beats. Diana starts with a sheltered life on the Amazonian paradise of Themyscira, which is thrown into turmoil by the unexpected arrival of army pilot Steve Trevor. In the second act, Diana accompanies Steve back to the civilised world for some fish-out-of-water type antics, before a third act showdown with a familiar enemy from the Greek pantheon. If anything though, the climactic events are even stronger here, as Rucka ties them back to Diana’s earlier days amongst the Amazons, and ultimately manages to better demonstrate the power of her strength of will, purity and self-belief.
Nicola Scott’s artwork is phenomenal; the combination of high-panel count, light inks and rich colours for some reason reminds me of a more European style of comic presentation – it would look great printed as an over-sized hardback album. Scott’s portrayal of Wonder Woman is equally iconic and human, and she is able to non-verbally portray a rich characterisation across much of the cast. This is about as beautiful a super-hero comic as I can remember reading.
Of course, the ‘Year One’ title was first coined by DC for the classic Batman origin published 30 years ago, and this comic can’t begin to compete with the rich density of Frank Miller’s classic tale. Whereas Batman Year One was a stripped-down and uncompromising reinvention of the Dark Knight mythos, Wonder Woman Year One by comparison seems a bit like a check-list to introduce all of Diana’s trademark features. All the same, it is still a highly satisfying read and I can’t think of a better starting place for fans of the movie who are looking for a place to jump onto her print adventures.
