Creative Staff:
Story: Jason Bischoff
Art: David Williams
What They Say:
Learn how Diana earned the twin bracers that protect her from the bullets of Man’s World! “Brace Yourself” part 1 of 1.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
When you have any character that’s been around as long as Wonder Woman has, there’s a certain sense of been there and done that, a seen it all aspect, when it comes to their origins. We’ve seen so many interpretations of it over the years and new connections made to expand and enrich that sometimes it feels like no more can be added to it. But sometimes there are smaller areas that you can enhance, to focus in on and show just a little bit more that makes them even more human and accessible. It’s a little thing, but it can mean a lot in some really good ways.
With this issue, we get a pretty decent little short story overall that takes us largely back to the much younger days of Diana, when she was a child who simply radiated in a beautiful way with her wonder and innocence. The tale takes us to when Hypolita was guiding her through an important part of her upbringing, talking about the past of the Amazons and how they came to be who they are in the world. It’s an interesting and tragic tale in a way of what they were supposed to be compared to the isolation they ended up being forced into. It all leads to the real event for Diana though in she comes before a statue of Athena in the catacombs and engages in an understanding with her that leads to Diana getting her first bracer. It’s something that they all get when found worthy of being a part of the Amazons on the island, but with Hypolita’s narration, it’s given a nice bit of substance and weight to it as she watches the child grow and change with this being a huge benchmark for it.
It’s from this point that things get to be fun in a different way as Diana wants the second bracer as well, though she has a lot to learn in order to achieve it. Those are earned in combat and Diana is intent on achieving that, though Hypolita sets the goal for her of having Diana best her before she can get one. There’s a great deal of fun to be had in seeing the young Diana trying to best Hypolita over the years as there’s a lot of grins and smiles and a belief that she can do it even while still so young, but it takes years and a certain sadness and pride on Hypolita’s part as she watches her daughter grow into a young woman who eventually, as we all know, achieves that goal. It’s not the destination here that matters so much as the journey and it’s a really fun journey to watch unfold through the action, dialogue and narration.
In Summary:
While the vast majority of Wonder Woman’s stories take place after she’s entered the world of man, we do get some from time to time that delves into her time on the island. There’s a really nicely done story here that Jason Bischoff gives us which shows how the young Diana set her goals and worked to achieve them in a really cute but engaging way. It’s essentially a minor history lesson with a montage aspect, but it definitely works well and makes for a very fun read. All the more so because of David William’s artwork as he really captures the mischevious side of Diana in her youth but also the graceful beauty of the young woman she becomes as she nears her goals. It’s a very fun read and definitely the kind of very accessible piece that makes for great sharing with younger readers.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: September 4th, 2014
MSRP: $0.99
