Review: WONDER WOMAN #61 Asks “Where is The Love?”

Wonder Woman finds her love with the Goddess of Love.

Wonder Woman faces off against the God of War once more. Amidst a civil war in the small nation of Durovnia, Ares serves his own form of bloody justice. Diana, trying to find Steve Trevor in the conflict, fights to stop Ares. The only thing that is able to stop the fight is the crying of a child. Before the battle, Ares used a missile to destroy a tyrant-supporting village, to which a baby is the only survivor. This lone survivor shakes Ares to his core, causing him to leave the nation to its war. Meanwhile, Steve Trevor finds another god amongst the ruins of the country: Aphrodite. What does the goddess of love have to do in Durovnia?

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

While Wonder Woman goes off to help civilians stuck in the crossfire, Steve Trevor speaks to Aphrodite. The pair begins to talk about love and war, with Aphrodite being sick of it. She notes that love has only caused more pain than anything else. Steve counters her argument by pointing out it’s easier to be brave for love. This goes on for a bit before Steve convinces Aphrodite to help him find Diana.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman is in the capital, protecting those caught in the crossfire. Two of the innocents turn out to be the grandchildren of the Prime Minister. Seeing a way to end the fighting, she takes the kids to their grandfather, hoping to find peace.

This isn’t a great issue, but it’s not terrible either, mediocre at best. While it’s fantastic to see Wonder Woman in action, the conversation between Aphrodite and Steve is dull. I’ve heard the connection of love and war before in many other stories. This one adds nothing new except it gives Steve some weight to the story.

If this was a twist, turning the goddess of love into a villain, it could have been great. However, soon after, she throws aside her stance to help Wonder Woman. This team up is kind of cool, but I just see wasted potential. Wilson is a fantastic writer, and the pieces are there. It just can’t quite mesh together to achieve greatness.

Art:

This is where the comic takes a massive leap in quality. Xermanico takes over illustrating the issue, and every character looks fantastic. While I may not have been a fan of Nord’s style, I did enjoy the designs, which are now perfected. Wonder Woman and Aphrodite stand out thanks to the masterful illustrations, as well as a certain character at the cliffhanger ending. Add that with Fajardo Jr.’s excellent colors, and we have a great looking book.

Conclusion:

While there are fun bits sprinkled throughout, this wasn’t a great issue. The debate on love and war was dull and a chore to get through. The action was fine, but there wasn’t enough to keep any reader satisfied. The art, however, is a significant improvement and I hope it stays for the rest of the run. Here’s hoping the story can get on that same level in the coming issues.