We have now reached the final issue of the “Children of the Gods” arc and what an odd trip it has been. Starting with the death of Hercules, Wonder Woman finally comes face to face with her long-lost twin brother, Jason. As an infant, Jason was taken away from Themyscira by the last Argonaut, Glaucus, to hide him from the vengeful Hera. As the twins grew up apart, both train under legendary Greek heroes to become skilled in combat. Jason over time grew envious of his sister and betrayed her, allowing Grail and her father, Darkseid, to defeat her. Before the pair of dark gods takes her life force, someone steps in to fight Darkseid. Diana and Jason’s father: Zeus.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
This issue is 99% fight scene… and I am perfectly okay with that because it is an epic fight. Zeus and Darkseid coming to blows might be one of the most epic battles I have seen this year. Diana trying her hardest to get to her father, desperately trying to help, was heartbreaking to witness. The fight was so full of emotion and action, you don’t realize how quickly it’s going.
Despite my love of this fight, the ending is somewhat of a letdown.
First, when all the smoke clears, we are left with a hasty wrap-up. This is supposed to be a conclusion to this arc, answering any unanswered questions and allowing for an open “what’s next” question to be asked. We don’t really the weight of the fight’s results or are left with questions for next time. It feels as if the writers want an epilogue to further explore this, but have to move on to the next arc.
Second, the ending shows that all of the destruction could have been avoided if Wonder Woman called the Justice League. As this is her solo title, writers would need to have Diana do most of the heavy lifting, but this isn’t Ares, The First Born, or any Wonder Woman villain. This is Darkseid, the villainous god that the Justice League was formed to fight. Three members of the League could have shown up almost instantaneously, but Wonder Woman still would fight Darkseid alone. This oversight drags down the entire issue, which considering how epic the fight was, is a damn shame.
Art:
A comic book fight is nothing without good art and the team went all out on this issue. The pencil work of Carlo Pagulayan and Stephen Segovia gives fantastic designs to Zeus and Young Darkseid. They are unique versions of the characters that I have personally never seen before. The faces of all the characters across the board are done extremely well. They are bursting with emotion and help set the tone for the issue.
The colorwork of Romulo Fajardo Jr. is superb, going hand-in-hand with the pencils. The vibrant colors of every attack and the shadows they created made each attack feel powerful. It was beautiful and scary all at the same time.
Conclusion:
While the between these two powerful gods was fun, the issue overall was average at best. The fight was amazing, almost Fight of the Year worthy, but when you take a step back, you realize that’s all the issue had. As this is the creative team’s first arc, the repercussions will probably develop over time. As it stands, this issue was a “meh” ending to a “meh” opening arc.
