Wonder Woman The True Amazon HC Jill Thompson NIP Shrinkwrapped Award Winning

Description

WONDER WOMAN THE TRUE AMAZON HC

PUBLISHER DC Comics
WRITER/Art/Cover Jill Thompson
128 pages, FC Graphic Novel

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon is Jill Thompson’s original graphic novel reimagining of the early years of the Amazon Princess Diana, who would grow up to become Wonder Woman. This fully painted graphic novel is unlike any Wonder Woman tale you have ever read, told as only Eisner Award- winning writer/artist Thompson could.

When young Diana has the fawning attention of a nation, she grows spoiled. But a series of tragic events take their toll, and Diana must learn to grow up, take responsibility, and seize her destiny. Steeped in the mythology of this iconic character’s original conception, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers.

It’s a fresh, stand-alone interpretation of the most famous and iconic female superhero of all time and the fulfillment of a dream project by one of contemporary comics’ most acclaimed creators.

Acclaimed for her work with Neil Gaiman’s THE SANDMAN, DEAD BOY DETECTIVES and more, Jill Thompson fulfills her dream project of bringing readers this new perspective on the Amazon Princess. Starring in her own feature film next year, Wonder Woman is at the forefront of media attention, and this long-awaited story is highly anticipated by fans of both the character and the creator.

First off, this is very different from the traditional approach we often find from DC comics. This reads more like a storybook, each panel very beautifully painted with many bright vibrant colors. The writing feels like a traditional fantasy almost, or a children’s book except it’s aimed for an older audience. There’s some language and a scene where things go horribly wrong and people are injured in a horrific way, blood ensues but never gratuitously. It is this moment, and numerous other places, where the art is allowed to show a beautiful scene and no words are needed.

As for the story itself, the development of Diana from a spoiled child to one who is sent out on a quest of redemption is a pleasant new take on Wonder Woman. Honestly I didn’t think I’d care for it, but around the time the climax came, I really appreciated it, especially the relationship between Diana and her mother who finds herself wondering where she went wrong.

This book is for those who want a different take. A colorful, vibrant take. I’m really happy we also got a ‘From Pencils to Color’ feature at the end, as well as some other notes. As someone who wants to get into watercolor, it’s really nice to see the beginning stages of the artwork.

With its focus on narration rather than dialogue and its fully painted, lush yet neatly structured artwork, Jill Thompson’s Wonder Woman: The True Amazon does not exactly feel like your typical contemporary comic book. In fact, it hardly feels like a comic book at all, more like an illustrated old-school storybook. It’s an effect that works well in the context, as it somewhat removes Wonder Woman from the other heroes of the DC Universe, highlighting the Amazon’s ancient roots in Greek mythology.

So what is Wonder Woman: The True Amazon all about? Well, it basically re-imagines the origin of Wonder Woman, specifically her childhood and youth on the mysterious, paradisiacal island of Themyscira. As the island’s only child, Thompson’s Diana grows up spoiled and develops a self-important, vain, irresponsible personality. It is not until her personality flaws cause a major tragedy that she finally becomes aware of them, takes the opposite path, and ultimately evolves into the hero we know today.

At its core, then, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon aims to provide the protagonist’s legendary devotion to peace and harmony with a concrete psychological foundation, something along the lines of Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben trauma: hubris breeds tragedy breeds heroism. And in psychological terms it kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

978-1401249014

Near mint condition, 1st printing. Shrinkwrapped.