The Good

There's a lot of fantastic scenes within this book that really keep readers invested in the characters and the over-arcing story. Dionysus and Hermes end up seeing that the souls of the dead are walking among the living, right off the bat. It's a very interesting concept that really adds a lot to the overall story, and when they get to Hell, readers are treated with the most horrifying scene, in comics, in years. Warning, it's screwed up. Cassandra is feeding Cronos, who is chained up, over and over and the food she's feeding him is coming from his stomach. It's disturbing to another level, but it makes this scene amazing.

There's one particular thing Brian Azzarello does extremely well, which is incredibly apparent in this issue. Zola's dialogue not only fits her character well, but he also uses little tricks to get her accent to come out through her dialogue. He does little things like have her say "you was" instead of "you were" to reflect the non-informal dialect of the area, and it gets to a point where her voice and accent really starts to shine through. Speech and speech patterns are a big part of this book and speech can define a character just as much as their actions.

The book continues to build toward making Themyscira a better place and moving it towards the future. The Amazons take a softer approach to things they would have killed over in the past. It's about building relationships while remaining a strong and independent nation. The book leaves the reader at quite the cliffhanger, and we're on the midst of one huge battle.

Artist Goran Sudzuka keeps getting better and better on this book, especially with the colorwork from Matthew Wilson. His style really fits the grounded, mythological storytelling provided by Azzarello and Wilson's colors are the perfect compliment. While it is a bummer that Chiang isn't on every issue, Sudzuka is a welcomed and wonderful addition to this book.

The Bad

There's little to nothing to dislike about this issue or this series as a whole. Azzarello, Chiang, Sudzuka, and Wilson have really crafted a beautiful story that is a stand out.

The Verdict

WONDER WOMAN continues to be one of the best, if not the best, books at DC. In fact, it's one of the best on-going series, period. Never has a run of WONDER WOMAN captivated me this much. It's a grand mixture of mythology and modern day storytelling which will truly stand the test of time. Azzarello, Sudzuka, Wilson, and Chiang created a series you need to read. This issue continues to build up toward the finale and it is highly recommended.

it not zola feeding kronos it Cassandra

It's still the only New 52 I really. Love the covers and the artwork as well.

It's decisively not the same without Chiang but I loved the dialogue though we could really do with some internal monologue in my opinion so that we knew what's happening in her mind. Everything's coming together nicely, can't wait for next month. On a side note, the woman feeding Cronus is Cassandra.

The chained up man was Kronos, and I think she might have been feeding him Hades.... though I'm not sure.

This is the book that brought me back to comics.

@cade_calrayn: That's the impression I got as well. Hades clothes were laying there and Cassandra mention she could still hear him screaming.

It's more disturbing than you give it credit for. He's indeed chewing/eating Hades over and over again and having Cassandra catch the chewed goop and re-feeding it to him as Kronos is always hungry. Also, it's pretty clear not only is that masticated mush Hades, he's still alive and fully conscious, and screaming in pain, since he's immortal and this is planned to be eternal. Also, Cassandra -- forced to feed Kronos his own son -- is the same lackey that was forced to eat her own henchmen.

There's a weird cannibal/meat based body horror approach to this book, seemingly. I like how it doesn't shy away from making the WW continuation of the Greek pantheon stories as twisted/dark at least as the source material (vs. our modern Western tendency to sanitize them). It gives them a primal quality that makes it different than most comics and fit the mythological tone (along with the great almost Aubrey Beardsley art style). plus, this scene is an unexpected payoff to that awesomely dramatic final panel of Hades seeing FB and seeing his candle snuffed and the scene go dark.

Best thing DC is doing!

Great issue, I particularly like how Azz is challenging and slowly neutering out the feminist subtext from the character, he really is resetting Wonder Woman for a contemporary audience.

Haven't read this series past the second TPB. Always thought the series was top knotch and it's one of the few I was truly interested in the New 52. Will check out Vol. 3 & 4 for sure.

@netshyster: If anything he is (re)establishing feminist subtext. Feminism is supposed to be about equality, not misandry or female superiority, even though some vocal feminist mouthpieces have distorted that.

@slamadams: That's really not what feminism is about at all. You've got no idea; It's a socio-political tool with a purpose in the destabilization of society and its origins in communism. Go look it up.

@netshyster: Hahahahaha

I keep forgetting that nobody knows anything these days; there are books written on this subject one of them is called Red Feminism by Kate Weigand and another is Betty Friedan and the Making of the Feminine Mystique: The American Left, the Cold War and Modern Feminism by History Professor Daniel Horowitz.

Stop being a tool, or as the political and social elite like to term us, "useful idiot(s)."

@netshyster: OMG Books! There are books? Must be true. Books have never lied.

Basically, you're desperate. The content of the books and its potential to destroy the current beliefs you have concerning Feminism have you running scared, so you turn to irrationality and general stupidity to escape the problem.

How do you know the books are lying if you've never read them or have ever been exposed to the information they contain at all?

Answer: You don't. You just don't like that they run contrary to what you think is true; what you want to believe.

What makes these particular books so untrustworthy (again, even before you've read them) and others perfectly credible to you?

Answer: Nothing whatsoever. You just fear the topic and want to deny or ignore it so you can continue to believe the things that you want to unhindered. You're on a very selective diet of information that has to conform to what you already believe, regardless of whether it's true or not. Where was that fiery incredulity when you were reading all of those pro-feminist books, or your school textbooks? How do you know you haven't been lied to your entire life?

Read the books or don't read the books, it really doesn't matter.

Basically, you're desperate. The content of the books and its potential to destroy the current beliefs you have concerning Feminism have you running scared, so you turn to irrationality and general stupidity to escape the problem.

How do you know the books are lying if you've never read them or have ever been exposed to the information they contain at all?

Answer: You don't. You just don't like that they run contrary to what you think is true; what you want to believe.

What makes these particular books so untrustworthy (again, even before you've read them) and others perfectly credible to you?

Answer: Nothing whatsoever. You just fear the topic and want to deny or ignore it so you can continue to believe the things that you want to unhindered. You're on a very selective diet of information that has to conform to what you already believe, regardless of whether it's true or not. Where was that fiery incredulity when you were reading all of those pro-feminist books, or your school textbooks? How do you know you haven't been lied to your entire life?

Read the books or don't read the books, it really doesn't matter.

@netshyster: Well, that's good to know ;)

Look, I'm for gender equality, and by definition that's feminist. I'm sure there have been plenty of assholes who have perverted it and many books written about what people have done with the definition, but it doesn't change the definition. Thinking women should get equal pay for equal work is not the same thing as shooting Andy Warhol. And I really don't care if if has roots in communism. Communism is not the evil superpower its made out to be. It's mostly a socioeconomic principle based on the best of intentions that simply doesn't work in the long run.

@slamadams: The point here is that Feminism is a sham. It's main purpose is politically motivated and has nothing to do with what you've been duped into believing is "gender equality."