I have not read any of this run of JLD but I think I can catch up pretty fast. I have continued reading the issues of Wonder Woman after last week’s introduction to mod Diana Prince and have been enjoying where that story is going.
Yeah, the JLD issues aren’t that long. Let us know what you think of the Witching Hour when you get to it.
The mod Diana Prince story was pretty fun. The art is well preserved too. Really great colors. Maybe we’ll revisit that run if you say it continues to be enjoyable.
I’m really glad someone figured that Wonder Woman needed to lead some team, some where. When I saw that it was JLD, I though “huh” but really quickly you realize she’s perfect for the team.
Second, i thought this team was weirdly put together, mostly Manbat, but it definitely works. The team has gelled well. Manbat’s contribution using magic was well played. Bobo has grown on me; as a magical creature, he makes a lot of sense. And he drinks bourbon (or so sayeth my head canon).
Third, actually i got nothing; i just wanted a third to give this post more weight
Yup, I always thought Wonder Woman should lead a team. I like seeing her as the leader of the Justice League (one of the aspects I truly enjoyed of the JL movie), but fans will always prefer Batman or Superman heading that title. It’s cool seeing her lead the DC Super Hero Girls and if they made a version of Wonder Woman leading an all female hero team, I’d be so down for that.
JLD wasn’t something I ever really thought about Wonder Woman leading until the JLD animated film came out. It made no sense to me for Batman to be there, and there was even a scene where Wonder Woman showcased her magical knowledge. That’s when I was like, “Wait a minute.” So, when this title came out with Diana at the center and it got some backlash for it, I thought it made sense. She was created through magical means, her villains tend to be magical (Circe, Faust, etc.) and her weapons are magical. Many of her supporting characters are magical. I was sold right off the bat (Man-Bat in this is adorable as heck and needed to be on the team).
I only read a couple of the comic “news” websites for announcements and stuff, so didn’t know there was backlash. Which problems means a handful of loud obnoxious people on the internet. For the most part, I think that stuff is over covered. If you believed the press about people being upset Captain Marvel would have made no money (I thought it was okay, but kinda dull and disjointed). Anyway, if you don’t like Wondy on JLD go fly a kite. And I stand by that.
I don’t read comic gossip websites. It was mostly on social media sites. It wasn’t even just one or two sites, but across the board. Even on certain sites where you can readcomics and they have comments sections (which I have never visited ever especially not before DCU existed). People really weren’t having it, but it died down because the book is just too good to deny.
It’s beyond me why anyone would waste their time commenting about how horrible something is. Just don’t read it, but that’s me. Anyway, Go Wonder Woman!
What have been some of your favorite elements of this series generally and these two issues specifically?
I’ve really liked seeing them explore the nature and mechanics of magic and how it works in this universe, and seeing things thrown, erm, upside down. Diana and Zatanna as the agents of chaos was really fun, especially Bald Punk Diana (who knew she had a look like that before Death Metal?) and Zatanna no longer being confined by speaking words exactly backwards.
Are there any characters that you weren’t drawn to before that you have come around to more because of this series?
Hmm…Man-Bat was a character that I was kind of take or leave before. He’s in the past been one of those characters where you basically just get the same exact story over and over again. I like how Tynion and crew kept what was cool about him before but let him evolve into something more – I don’t think it’s nearly as effective as Clayface’s back in his Detective run, but still damn fun.
Is there something that you want this series to explore in future issues?
As interesting as they are, I really want to see the team fight more than just the mechnizations of the Upside Down Man. I get that this was a theme that the JL books were doing at the time – JL with the Legion of Doom and Odyssey with the Ghost Sector – but I’m ready to see them tackle different threats.
What is a character dynamic/pairing that you’d like to see more of in this book?
Hmm…I think I want to see more of Swamp Thing interacting with the team in general, because it feels like he’s kind of outside the team still. Hell, he’s interacted more with John than any of the other members.
I get what you’re saying, though in the movie’s defense, I thought they handled it very well. I think his lack of magic skills work with the team dynamic, because it gives them a different perspective, and it creates a natural way to explain the magical dynamics of things for the audience. And thankfully Batman doesn’t steal the show or take away from the other characters – like, I honestly kind of forget sometimes that he’s in the movie!
It does, though I could understand at least some of the initial worries.
For one thing, I think the omission of John and Deadman ruffled fans of the original series. In a lot of ways them along with Zatanna sort of became the “trinity” of the JLD, and not having those three together felt as wrong as not having Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman on the JL.
And another, the JLD team was, well, darker than the standard superhero teams. They got a little dirtier and were more morally grey. So the idea of putting in a true blue superhero like Wonder Woman made people think the book was going to fundamentally change. And I think it worked because the book directly addressed it and showed how she changes the dynamic, but how she still fits with the group.
Angry monkeys are scary
Very much enjoyed this JLD arc, though like @Jay_Kay I’d like to see the team move on to other types of threats. The standout elements for me were the emotional toll this fight took on some of heroes and the different type of leadership our favorite Amazon exhibits from that we normally see in JL books.
The loss of the magic lands hits Blue Devil and Detective Chimp particularly hard. Devil feels the personnel grief of seeing these people that he’s protected and he loves wiped from existence. You can feel how visceral his pain as as they simply disintegrate. Bobo’s pain comes from feeling his will never measure up to the burden Nightmaster placed on him when he handed on his sword.
I’ve also enjoyed Khalid Nassour as he tried to regain Fate’s helmet. I really hadn’t seen him as Fate much so didn’t have an opinion one way or another. I think it makes sense for someone of Egyptian heritage to be Fate considering his origin and so far I like Khalid. Kid did good.
On Wondy. She shows a very inclusive style of leadership. At times, Zatanna steps forward and seems like a co-leader. At other times Diana gives other members the chance to shine without being directed like they would if Bats were in charge.
my Get Caught Up Odyssey has begun! halfway thru this selection. this caught my eye
these are callbacks/easter eggs, right? the one more under that word bubble fragment is definitely bat related, but i don’t remember the shoulder attachments. and it is more the head that looks familiar and not so much the body.
What have been some of your favorite elements of this series generally and these two issues specifically?
I liked where this went. The conflict over magic made for a way to explain it. And that it is neither good nor evil. You can follow rules (order) to bend reality or reach out and bend it at your whim/leisure (chaos). Since the team couldn’t use order to beat order, they embraced chaos.
I also liked the flashback about the basement. Flash’s reaction notwithstanding. the Naomi splash page in her suit makes me wonder if i should revisit that title.
Are there any characters that you weren’t drawn to before that you have come around to more because of this series?
I like how Bobo has stepped up. I forgot that the other lords of order still had human hosts. that he was fighting Xanadu feels deliberate, but it was more about the exchange when he freed her from the artifact.
Is there something that you want this series to explore in future issues?
As long as it ain’t time travel, i should be good. I will let it ride as i continue my Get Caught Up Odyssey.
What is a character dynamic/pairing that you’d like to see more of in this book?
Swamp Thing with anyone other than John would certainly be good. Manbat learning magic from Zatanna might be interesting. And more Khalid (how do you pronounce it?). Period.
Regarding Batman in the JLD animated movie: my take on his presence is that as the one with no powers, and the detective, he is partly the link to the audience, especially if you are not so familiar with Deadman, Zatanna, Constantine. I liked the hurms. it wasn’t so much as a grunt, but a nonverbal audible starting in the throat. ‘Like’ under a growl, also short. The other part is to have the supernatural happening around Batman as they try to solve what is happening.
Regarding Wonder Woman as a leader et al: She is very hands off, but tactical. The situation dictates how to proceed. it is very Sun Tzu, for lack of a better term. To me, Wonder Woman is more a character with magic in her background, whether she is the child of a god or clay made animate by the power of a god. Her presence make sense to me, but I also never read the original JLD run.
1 Year of Wonder 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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