If you have not been keeping up with Wonder Woman, then you are perhaps missing out on one of her best story lines in years. Gail Simone does an amazing job capturing the warrior spirit of the character, yet has been able to add a level of vulnerability to the displaced Amazonian princess giving her a more balance. Issue #37 continues to revolve around the upheaval of Themyscira and its newly appointed king, Achilles. Following the events of " Rise of the Olympian," Achilles now rules over both Amazon, and Olympian alike, as ordered by Zeus. Having been confronted, and once again defeated, Achilles shows Wonder Woman the depths at which he will go to keep her from interfering in Zeus' plan. Explaining to the princess that her mother's ( Hippolyta) life will be forfeit should she continue to appose Zeus. Although Achilles seems to be an honorable warrior at heart; his unwavering devotion to Zeus and the poisonous manipulation of his newly appointed Queen, Alkyone; have set him on a collision course with Wonder Woman.
Achilles may be one of the most prominent and over looked characters to come out of 2009. His loyalty and dedication reminds me a lot of Captain America. He is the quintessential "good soldier." He truly believes he is serving the greater good and is dedicated to the future of the Amazons and Olympians. Unlike Ares, Alkyone, or even Zeus, Achilles has no hidden agenda which makes his character very compelling. Will he eventually see what is unfolding behind the scenes and play the role of hero? Or will he remain foolishly devoted to the Gods? It is a very interesting sub plot. As we see in this issue, he hangs on Alkyone every word and is completely trusting of her council. Which actually makes a lot of sense, cause despite Alkyone's deep seeded hatred for the Dragon (Wonder Woman), she ultimately believes what she wants is best for Themyscira. It makes sense for Achilles to see their union as a politically strategic move more then a union of love.
Meanwhile, the Amazon women continue to become mysteriously pregnant despite never having known a man's touch; which some believe is a blessing from the Gods. We also see the return of Artemis and a small group of her soldiers, who had previously been held captive after losing her memory (see Secret Six "Depth," issues 10-14). I am curious to see how Artemis reacts to the recent developments. Her character has been through a lot lately and it does not appear as if she will be getting a break anytime soon.
After being visited in a dream by the now deceased Ares; Wonder Woman decides that she will no longer let her adversaries use her love for her family and innocent lives as a weapon against her and returns home. Upon her arrival, she finds Achilles waiting for her. The new King has a surprise in store for the displaced Amazon princess, her sister, Donna Troy. Who blames Wonder Woman for the death of her family. Fiercely the two go back and forth in a highly charged battle. I was actually really impressed with the way Gail Simone portrayed Donna Troy although I admit, I do not know much about the character. I felt that her appearance really added some star power to the issue. I wont give the rest away but the ending is somewhat shocking and will leave you eagerly anticipating issue #38.
All in all this was a really good read. You can feel the build up to something climatic and Gail really brings each character's personality into view. From the honor but duty stricken hero Achilles, to the vengeful yet displaced patriotism of Alkyone, she really captures what each character is feeling and what drives them. I give Wonder Woman #37 a 3.5 out of 5.
