Dark Connections and Darker Divinity: Wonder Woman #46

The following is my review of Wonder Woman #46, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

When it comes to the ancient mythologies, the major themes often reflect distinctly human traits. Gods, demigods, and everything in between tend to highlight extremes and embellishments of these traits. The modern superhero genre frequently utilizes the same approach, forging heroes that embody powerful traits that reflect the best and worst of humanity. In that context, Wonder Woman reflects the best of mortals and gods alike.

Unlike the traits embodied in Superman or Batman, Wonder Woman's story is closely tied to that of the Olympian gods that she and her fellow Amazons worship. Much of her power, persona, and heritage stem from the stories of these gods that go back to ancient times. Sometimes, they empower Wonder Woman and drive her forward. Other times, they present her with adversaries and conflicts. In recent times, her struggles under James Robinson utilize a little of both.

There are a great many upheavals going on in Wonder Woman's life, both as high-profile hero in the DC Universe and on the personal front. After being reunited with her long lost twin brother, Jason, she goes through a bit of an adjustment period, having lived much of her life under the assumptions her mother, the gods, and her Amazon sisters instilled. More and more of those assumptions are now coming into question. The events of Dark Nights: Metal and her recent dealings with Grail have Wonder Woman at another crossroads that may result in more than just shocking family revelations.

While secrets and lies are a frequent catalyst in mythology, ancient and contemporary alike, Wonder Woman #46 lays the groundwork with conflict more relevant to Wonder Woman's recent personal struggles. Between discovering her long-lost brother and watching Barbara Minerva transform into Cheetah again, she's already familiar with divine melodrama, albeit on a smaller scale. James Robinson keeps the scale small at first, but it steadily escalates.

It starts with Cheetah's escape. It's sudden, violent, and brings her face-to-face with Veronica Cale, the woman most responsible for Barbara Minerva becoming Cheetah again. On the surface, it presents itself as simple revenge scheme in the mold of John Wick. That's how Wonder Woman approaches it when she enters the picture, but it gets distinctly less simple from there. That tends to happen whenever gods, new and old alike, get involved.

Parallel to Cheetah's story, Diana's twin brother, Jason, follows his own plot that reunites him with his adopted father, Glaucus. Like Cheetah's blood-soaked revenge story, his starts out simple. Rescuing his adopted father from people intent on studying the biology of immortals doesn't break much new ground. As with Diana, though, that changes once some divine details emerge.

Unlike Diana, though, Jason's story is still new and has a few lingering plot holes. Robinson doesn't overlook them, but doesn't give a full answer either. Jason's emergence within Wonder Woman is already heavily influenced by the Olympian gods. His connection with them is a bit less certain compared to his sister, if only because he's shown a tendency to be far less responsible. The hints dropped by Glaucus also indicate that they've influenced Jason more than he thinks.

This provides an ominous backdrop once the impact of Dark Nights: Metal catches up to the story. It's somewhat abrupt, hitting Diana both literally and figuratively as she tries to deal with Cheetah. Most stories involving gods and god-like beings tend to evoke powerful passions throughout the mortal masses, especially among those expected to provide worship. Anything that disrupts that worship is an attack on their very soul.

The passions, in this case, have little to do with piety. True to ancient mythologies that highlight the importance of the gods, their absence or lack of influence leaves the world of dangerous and prone to chaos. This is where Dark Nights: Metal starts spreading its influence and Wonder Woman is on the front line. Being a demigoddess, herself, it's fitting that she finds herself drawn into the chaos. An agent of that chaos even ends up being a familiar face who bears a familiar red cape and symbol on her chest, which further raises the stakes.

Wonder Woman #46 takes its time to set up a new plot involving the Old Gods, the emerging Dark Gods, and how it all effects Wonder Woman, someone's whose story involves battling divine chaos every other week. The connections between Diana's recent clashes and Dark Nights: Metal are subtle, but relevant. However, they're too subtle to generate much impact, aside from the last couple of pages. While the story is full of bloody battles and divinely-fueled chaos, it still moves too slowly to really test Wonder Woman in a meaningful way.

It still makes the necessary connections and establishes a foundation for a divine conflict that will bring new, but familiar contributors to her struggle. Whether they'll help or hinder her efforts remain to be seen. One of ancient mythology's most common themes, aside from gods impregnating mortal women, involves how determined gods are at maintaining their godly status. Those who worship them can be just as determined and if Wonder Woman #46 is any indication, she'll may end up fighting both.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Evil Wonders: Wonder Woman #33

The following is my review of Wonder Woman #33, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

No matter how dysfunctional a family is, there's usually some kind of sentiment binding it together. That sentiment isn't always healthy. Many sitcoms, good and bad alike, are built on that kind of dysfunction. Add gods, demigods, and superheroes to the mix and that dysfunction takes on a level that even the trashiest prime-time sitcom can't match. Wonder Woman's family may not have that kind of dysfunction, but whenever gods and demigods enter the mix, it usually means she'll eventually start punching something.

Wonder Woman's family already has its share of complications, thanks largely to an origins story that is still muddled between clay figurines and Zeus not being able to keep it in his pants again. The events of Darkseid Wars adds another complication in the form of Grail, who is basically the anti-Wonder Woman. As the daughter of Darkseid and a self-professed daddy's girl, she exists to spit on everything Wonder Woman stands for while looking more menacing than any illegitimate offspring that Zeus could ever sire.

Grail is one of those characters who has the potential to be a true nemesis to Wonder Woman. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. Wonder Woman really doesn't have anyone on that level who isn't a renegade god or demigod. Grail, after taking down the entire Justice League in Darkseid Wars, can challenge Wonder Woman on every conceivable level. Wonder Woman #33 finally puts Grail in that position and James Robinson makes the most of it.

Darkseid War introduced Grail, but offers little insight into who she is and what motivates her. She never comes off as an overly complex character. There's no effort to craft some elaborate story about how she ends up on the path of evil. Her father is Darkseid. Evil is literally in her blood and she doesn't even try to avoid that. She embraces it. Like Lex Luthor and the Joker, she is not in conflict with who she is. She's evil and she's fine with that. That kind of self-awareness may be basic, but it's oddly refreshing in an era where too many villains try to come off as tragic figures.

That simple, streamlined persona helps move the story along. Wonder Woman #33 isn't just about establishing Grail as someone who can battle Wonder Woman without relying entirely on played out themes from Greco-Roman mythology. It's about tying her story into Wonder Woman's world, specifically the ongoing conflict with her long lost brother. Again, Wonder Woman's divine brands of family dysfunction are complicated, but that makes Grail's simplicity all the more appropriate.

Like Wonder Woman, much of Grail's story revolves around her family. She isn't just driven by her dark heritage. She actively works to protect and preserve it. The recent events surrounding Dark Knights: Metal puts Darkseid in a strange, but vulnerable position. After his defeat, he reverts to the form of an infant and it's up to Grail to play the role of mother to her father. It sounds weird, but when Greco-Roman traditions involve multiple instances of incest, infidelity, and unholy unions, it barely raises an eyebrow.

Grail still embraces this role. She never shows any hesitation or reservations about helping Darkseid return to form. She's just like him, wanting nothing more than to spread death and destruction to everything she touches. Even when aiding her father means murdering various demigods, mostly the many illegitimate children of Zeus, she does so without a second thought. She never sees it as evil or inconvenient, for that matter. She's just an evil daughter helping her evil father.

This makes for plenty of brief, but brutal moments that reinforce the extent of Grail's persona. She is evil to the core and that doesn't bother her in the slightest. While this goes a long way towards establishing her as a menacing villain for Wonder Woman, it doesn't make for too compelling a plot. Wonder Woman #33 offers a great many insights into Grail, at least with respect to her role in the ongoing story surrounding Wonder Woman's brother. Beyond that, though, there aren't many complexities or revelations.

The simplicity of Grail's character may help move the story along, but it offers little else, in terms of intrigue. She has a problem, namely her father's nascent state. She has to solve that problem by killing the many demigods that Zeus sired when he kept thinking with the wrong head. She goes about solving that problem with the kind of gratuitous violence that would make any evil father proud. There's not much more to the story beyond that.

There are some characters whose evil nature needs to be belabored every now and then. Grail established during Darkseid Wars that she is not one of them. Anyone who has Darkseid for a father doesn't need that kind of effort. While giving her a defined role in Wonder Woman's ongoing narrative is important, Grail doesn't get much depth beyond that. For her to truly become the Lex Luthor or Joker for Wonder Woman, she needs more than just a desire to help her father.

Wonder Woman #33 still succeeds in exploring Grail, demonstrating just how menacing a threat she can be to anyone she faces, demigod or not. Robinson skillfully guides her into a collision course with Wonder Woman while the artwork of Emanuela Lupacchino provides the necessary brutal imagery to that journey. More than anything else, that journey ensures that any pending clash between Grail and Wonder Woman will carry a lot of dramatic weight.

The family dynamics for both Wonder Woman and Grail, as dysfunctional and divine they may be, create a unique appeal that feels right at home in the bizzare, yet lecherous world of Greco-Roman mythology. Wonder Woman still embodies the higher values that mythos, but Grail is set to embody the worse. The fact she can do all of this without being the bitter offspring of Zeus makes that feat all the more remarkable.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

The Wonder of What Wonder Woman Embodies: Wonder Woman #10

The following is my review of Wonder Woman #10, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

There are some origin stories that don't need to be retold again. The story of how Bruce Wayne lost his parents or how Clark Kent lost his home planet are so overplayed that there's really not much new to add to the narrative. We, the audience, get the message. We know why Bruce Wayne is Batman. We know why Clark Kent is Superman.

With Wonder Woman, however, the situation is different. Despite being the third pillar of DC's mighty trinity, her origin story is one of the few that DC Comics doesn't overly belabor. The setup is already established. Wonder Woman's basic history of growing up on an island of immortal women and rubbing elbows with Greek gods is easy to grasp. Anyone with access to Wikipedia can glean those details.

What Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott are doing with Wonder Woman in DC Rebirth takes it a step further. Conflicts in the present are used to explore elements of Wonder Woman's past. One issue covers the past. One covers the present. It sounds disorganized on paper, but in the grand scheme of things, it fits together into a fairly cohesive narrative.

It's not a re-imagining. It's not a reboot or a retcon either. In many respects, it's an overdue dose of depth. Despite 75 years of history, the Wonder Woman mythos is sufficiently vague to permit a certain level of refinement. Wonder Woman #10 takes advantage of that opportunity and adds a level of refinement that brings out the best in Wonder Woman.

There are no vindictive gods, shape-shifting monsters, or invading aliens in this narrative. In fact, Wonder Woman does surprisingly little fighting in this issue, but given how she seems to fight a new god, alien, or monster every other day, it's a refreshing and overdue change of pace. Instead, the story gives us a glimpse into Wonder Woman's past, focusing on her early exploration of man's world in its simplest form, namely by taking a trip to a local strip mall.

Granted, this a strip mall in America is hardly the most comprehensive insight into man's world, but it's fitting in that it doesn't make a terrible impression. Sure, there's excessive noise, rampant consumerism, and gaudy advertising displays, but there's nothing so horrifying that it would inspire an island of warrior women to purge the world of testosterone. Steve Trevor and Eta Candy even introduce her to margaritas. That's as good an impression man's world could make without something deep fried and dipped in chocolate.

This helps create a uniquely balanced tone for Wonder Woman #10. Rucka doesn't attempt to make Wonder Woman's impression of man's world too extreme. There's no emphasis on violence, rampant gender inequalities, and oppressive patriarchy. The world in which Wonder Woman explores never comes off as a beer commercial or a bad sitcom from the late 1950s. It actually makes the case that man's world is worth exploring and protecting.

It fits nicely with the overall tone of DC Rebirth in that the narrative isn't overly focused on dark and dire themes. There's still room for hope, understanding, and justice. Those are all among the highest qualities that Wonder Woman embodies. She's not just this tough warrior woman in a tiara who fights aliens and renegade gods alongside Superman and Batman. She stands for her own set of values, embodies them to the utmost, and looks great while doing it.

She eagerly interacts with total strangers, embracing them regardless of their age, gender, or ethnicity. She's not at all put off by the sight of men interacting with women, children making unfiltered comments about her attire, or the woefully impractical shoes that some women wear. Wonder Woman has any number of opportunities to be offended or appalled, but doing so would require her to be overly petty.

Such pettiness is the antithesis of what Wonder Woman values. She loves and embraces everybody. She's willing to give others a chance and she's not going to be politically correct about it. These are all powerful values that Wonder Woman has always embodied to some degree, but there have been too few stories that explore how she shaped these values upon coming to man's world. It's still a story not nearly as familiar as Kryton exploding, but it's a story worth exploring.

Wonder Woman is less a warrior and more an ambassador in this issue, but that's not to say the hard-nosed warrior in her is completely muted in Wonder Woman #10. She does get a chance to fight. She does get a chance to protect the innocent. Granted, it's not against rampaging titan or an agent of Darkseid, but she still gets to be the wonderful hero she is at heart. It's not exactly an epic battle in which the outcome is in question. This is Wonder Woman fighting in a crowded strip mall after drinking a margarita. It can only be so epic in that context.

Despite the limited scale of the fighting, there's still some meaning and depth to the conflict. This isn't just some random attack meant to fill Wonder Woman's hard-nose warrior quota. It's an attack that has ties, albeit vaguely, to the events taking place in the present. In terms of tying Wonder Woman #10 into the larger narrative that has been unfolding since the DC Rebirth relaunch, this issue does succeed, albeit barely.

The ties to a larger narrative may be limited, but Wonder Woman #10 still succeeds in its most important task. It highlights a period in Wonder Woman's story that is poorly developed and in need of greater depth. This issue gives us that without belaboring the parts we already know.

Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott are crafting a large, ambitious story that jumps around multiple time periods, puts a modern spin on a classic superhero mythos, and highlights the core values of an iconic character. It still feels like something that's too convoluted on paper, but they somehow find a way to make it work. That is a wonder, in and of itself.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Godhood, Womanhood, and Humanity: Wonder Woman #35

The following is my review of Wonder Woman #35, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

What does it mean to be a goddess? What does it mean to be a warrior? What does it mean to be a mother, daughter, or woman? These are all some of the profound questions that Brian Azzarello has been exploring since his run on Wonder Woman began at the onset of the New 52 relaunch. These questions have been the main driving force in the battles that Wonder Woman has fought. While she hasn't had many clear answers, she has confronted many challenges that have made it very difficult to be the Wonder Woman that inspires feminists and perverse male fantasies alike. And despite plenty of complications and allies/enemies/frenemies, she has always risen to the occasion.

This ability to keep fighting, even in the face of gods and the deranged offspring they sire, is part of what makes Wonder Woman who she is. Since this series began, she has been in a constant fight against an endless horde of gods, demigods, and monsters attempting to ascend to the throne of Olympus. At times, it has been like Game of Thrones, but with less full-frontal nudity.  

Wonder Woman #35 is supposed to be the end of that fight. However, it does not unfold like a heavyweight title fight that people overpay to see on pay-per-view. It's a fight that highlights everything that makes Wonder Woman more than just a woman and a warrior. Essentially, it exposes what makes her so wonderful.

This fight began when Wonder Woman crossed paths with Zola, a young woman who became the latest in the Jerry Springer style affairs of Mount Olympus found out she was pregnant. The fight can only end when the First Born, who claims to be the true heir to Olympus in Zeus' absence, is defeated. In this sense it doesn't just parallel Game of Thrones. It parallels the struggles that have plagued royalty since kings foolishly believed that power struggles wouldn't complicate family affairs. It also sets the stage for a bitter struggle that forces Wonder Woman to fight with more than just her fists.

That said, most of the story is built around the same format as that final boss battles in a Street Fighter game. Wonder Woman gets pretty roughed up by the First Born. Even Poseidon gets involved since no Greco-Roman god misses out on a chance to usurp the power of a family member. It's a struggle where Wonder Woman is badly overmatched in many respects. But instead of following the same formula that every bad sports movie has followed since the Karate Kid, Wonder Woman rises to the occasion in a different way.

While Wonder Woman is a warrior capable of going toe-to-toe with gods, aliens, and the Lex Luthors of the world, she is also capable of great compassion and empathy. In many ways, this acts as one of her greatest warriors as a weapon. And what makes the struggle in Wonder Woman #35 so satisfying is that she uses this weapon to great effect. Her capacity for mercy and compassion help change the tone of the battle at one point. It acts as a reminder that there are more ways to win a battle than just carrying a bigger sword or relying on the infidelities of the gods.

This helps set Wonder Woman apart from the other gods and demigods that surround her. She has a chance at numerous points in the battle to kill. And unlike Batman, she has no issues with killing. She's even pointed out at times that the reason she doesn't have rogues gallery that requires numerous spin-offs and sequels is because she "takes care of them" as she once described it. However, that doesn't always mean slitting throats or snapping necks. As the God of War, she is in a position to kill the First Born, but she doesn't. That alone says a lot about her because the First Born gave her plenty of reasons to be "taken care of."

In many respects, the First Born is the opposite of Wonder Woman. He will not show mercy or compassion. Even when Wonder Woman gives him a chance, he literally throws it away. She even points out his inability to understand these concepts, but in a manner far more effective and painful than therapy or counseling. That's not to say she's exceedingly kind in how she defeats the First Born. She's still a warrior. She can't be too understanding in the same way the Amish can't be too tech savvy. But she gives context to her actions, expressing faith in the ability of even the First Born to learn compassion.

It isn't just the First Born that Wonder Woman tries to beat with compassion either. She needs that same compassion to deal with a striking (and somewhat contrived) revelation about Zola and her son, Zeke. It's another situation that deals in old school royal conflicts that usually don't have peaceful resolutions. But Wonder Woman is able to inspire compassion, even among gods who aren't in a position to make use of it. That inspiration is among her greatest strengths, at least among those who haven't earned her wrath.

But as inspiring as Wonder Woman is, the characters that benefit are lacking in the same depth. The final revelations about Zola and her son are among the weakest parts of this struggle. These revelations are akin to someone being stranded on a desert island for three years only to find out there was a luxury resort with a yacht and a helicopter pad on the other side of the island. It takes away some of the humanity that has helped make Wonder Woman's struggle so compelling. While it does address some plot holes as only depraved Greco-Roman Mythology could, it feels incomplete.

That feeling of incompleteness doesn't detract from Wonder Woman's strengths, but it does detract from the story. Wonder Woman #35 is presented as a culmination of so many plots and conflicts. While it does address the major plots, it negates many of the smaller sub-plots. It still finishes the story, but only to the extent that it took the express lane in lieu of the more enjoyable scenic route. It's a story that has required Wonder Woman to utilize all her strengths for all the right reasons. For her, it's a testament to what makes her one of the most iconic characters in comics, female or otherwise.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

God of War #2 Review - Brutally Awesome

I've made no secret on this blog that I love God of War. There are just too few ways to describe the kind of awesome that Kratos and the God of War story brings to the table. With the success of the video games it's only natural that the creators would want to milk this cash cow until it was a withered hide rotting in the Texas sun. As a fan I say milk away! DC Comics and their Wildstorm division put together a nice little mini-series that takes place between the events of God of War 1 and God of War 2 while also taking a trip back into Kratos's past as a Spartan warrior. Under the pen of Marv Wolfman, the story is pretty kick-ass and by God of War standards that ranks at least ten levels above traditional kick-ass.

Issue two picks up where issue one left off. Kratos is now the God of War and in search of the healing Ambrosia of Asclepius. Standing in his way is the usual army of monsters that includes a giant spider that makes the one form Lord of the Rings look like a pussy. But since Kratos no Froto and monsters have a strange tendency to die horrible deaths around Kratos, it's not too big a deal. However, this is not the meat of the story. That tale is far more engaging than the usual slaughter which in and of itself would still be pretty fucking sweet.


Since the first issue, the main story is divided between Kratos's current journey and the one he went on before he became the Ghost of Sparta. This isn't the first time he's sought out Ambrosia of Asclepius. Shortly after the birth of his daughter, Calliope, he makes a promise to save her from death by seeking the healing power of the Ambrosia. Standing in his way are some pretty nasty beasts. As usual, Kratos shows his ass-kicking aptitude in taking them down, but in doing so he reveals another side to himself that wasn't too clear in the game. He may still be a mean, ruthless, bloodthirsty warrior in battle, but he is still a dedicated father and husband at heart. His desire isn't for glory this time. He wants to save his daughter and keep his promise to his wife. For a guy that doesn't have a whole lot of redeeming qualities, this offers some much needed depth that only adds to Kratos's awesome.

The only problem with this premise is that the story about his journey as the new God of War pretty much ends here for this issue. The rest of the issue is spent in the past. That's all well and good but there isn't even a mention of the other story going on. There's no parallels or past musings. While it's nice to keep things in one time, it ignores the other half of the story. Thankfully the half it doesn't ignore is still pretty fucking sweet and could easily stand on it's own.


However, Kratos won't be making this journey alone as he so often has in the games. This time he's going to have some traveling company from his Spartan brethren. Captain Nikos and a contingent of Spartans have caught up to him and seek to accompany him on his quest. It isn't out of sheer charity either (seriously, Spartans were not famous for their charity). Nikos wants to ensure that the Ambrosia of Asclepius is used for the benefit of all Sparta and not just his daughter. It seems reasonable enough, but plenty suspicious. Kratos may be a brute, but he's no fool. Even so, he does what a good Spartan is trained to do and heeds his captain's orders.


In addition to the Spartans, there are other warriors in seek of this Ambrosia of Asclepius for their own reasons. The race to this healing elixir is like a race to keys to Scarlett Johanson's panties and it's not being led on a whim. The god so Olympus are pulling the strings like they always do and it is here where the comic takes on themes that are central to the classic mythology of old.

Just as in the epics of the Illiad and the Oddessy, these gods are not shy about manipulating humans for their own amusement. Forget the merciful and compassionate shit, the Olympians are hardcore and they want to be entertained. Hades has a warrior prince named Alrik who seeks the Ambrosia to save his dying father. Poseidon thinks his warrior, Herodius, is superior because he fights to save his entire village. It's basically a divine dick-measuring contest and since Ares is one of the biggest dicks in mythology, he's got a leg up and they all know it.


Poseidon seems especially intent on not losing to Ares. Maybe it's because Ares gets to bang Aphrodite more than any other god or maybe it's because he was able to rape more boys and woman than he could (that's not a joke by the way, that was remarkably common in Greek mythology), but he doesn't want Kratos to succeed. He's willing to send a plague to the island of Thera to play this game. It goes to show just how cruel and petty these gods were and how far they were willing to go to one-up each other. If Poseidon any of them had any idea what would happen to him in God of War III he would understand. But this is still the past and he quickly sees just how dangerous Ares's favorite champion is when Kratos bitch-slaps the Satyrs.


As a result, Poseidon gets pretty desperate and has Herodius unleash his entire army of Thera upon Kratos. Unfortunately, these are Spartans we're talking about here. In comics and in real history they are without a doubt some of the best warriors in history. They devour war the way American's devour cheeseburgers. It goes without saying that Herodius walks into a hell of a shit storm and his men pay the price.


It eventually leads to a confrontation with Kratos. Here Herodius makes the stupid mistake of trying to gain pity with this guy. He might as well try to sweet talk a hungry grizzly while kicking it in the balls. Even his laments about his people dying aren't enough to change his fate. Kratos could care less. He's out to save his daughter and nothing is going to get in his way. If Herodius's people have to die because of it, so be it.


Needless to say, Poseidon is pretty pissed and pretty emasculated as well. He basically has to endure Ares's gloating for what must be a billion lifetimes in the eyes of a god. His warrior had an entire village riding on him and he couldn't do jack shit against Kratos. In the grand scheme of things the god of the seas should have known better, but like all arrogant gods he underestimated his enemy.

Now for anyone who is familiar with mythology, it's pretty clear what happens next. A mighty god has just been humiliated by a fellow god. What's the most logical recourse? Surely beings as advanced and powerful as gods are above throwing a hissy fit like a 14-year-old girl who just realized she was twenty bucks shy of buying a new Gucci purse. Well as powerful as these beings are, logic is not one of their strong points. They overreact the same way Led Zepplin drinks. They go all out in trashing everybody and everything around them and since the Olympians are usually reluctant to flight each other, they take their rage out on humans. It's the equivilant of punching a pillow for them only doing so inflicts mass death.


The seas turn against Kratos and his men. They get thrown into a storm that makes Hurricane Katrina look like a gentle breeze on a tropical resort. Poseidon goes all out to making sure his manhood remains intact and Ares has fewer reasons to gloat. It seems kind of stupid that Kratos and his Sparten brethren would try to hold their boat, which even by Ancient Greek standards is still pretty shitty, in one piece. But they try and of course they fail. But Poseidon doesn't stop there. He has to rub even more salt in the wound because when you're dealing with the gods, if it isn't horrifically inhumane it's not worth doing. He forms a whirlpool that drags Kratos and his men into the seas. Even for a Spartan, it's not a fair fight and this is where the comic ends.

It's a nasty cliffhanger, but in a good way. The story grabs the reader by the balls (or clit if you're a woman since this is a comic full of hot, muscular Greek men) and keeps squeezing them. The excitement and action makes for a great read and the inclusion of classic Greek Mythology themes offer a real sense of legitimacy. It's not some Disney remake or a total knock-off of the original myths like in other comics. These gods share the same qualities as the ones from thousands of years ago and Kratos fits nicely into that plot. It works so well as a comic it makes you wonder if the Ancient Greeks would be fanboys today if they were still around. Except they would probably demand more comics with attractive young boys to go along with the beautiful women.

But the biggest problem with this issue is that it loses track of the story that began in the first issue. Granted, it does a nice job of fleshing out Kratos's past, but if it's not linked to the events going on in the present then what's the point? It seems like it's just telling it for the sake of telling it and not to make the connection. That's what really keeps this issue from being a strong follow-up to the first issue. That and the art was too dark. I don't mean to say that it didn't fit the theme of the book. It most certainly did. God of War is a dark story all around and the art should reflect that. However, the art here is so dark it's hard to really make out the details of what's going on at times. A little extra color would go a long way to making this comic more vibrant and graphic. A character as bad-ass as Kratos deserves nothing less.

The final tally for issue #2 is a solid 4 out of 5. The story is great and so are the themes that guide it. However, the issue was a bit too narrow with the plot. There are still four issues to go so there's plenty of time to work out the details of the other plot as well. Most God of War fans probably could care less because both stories do an awesome job of demonstrating Kratos's ass-kicking awesome. And really, that's what's most important in a God of War comic. Nuff said.