Amazons Attack #5

Can this get anymore confusing ? Well...

SPOILERS AHEAD


Last issue had Superman flying off with Supergirl and Wonder Girl while the president was left with the army. This issue opens with Lex news saying and showing Superman personally delivering the president to a base at Mount Weather. Yeah, continuity continues to be bad in this series. The president blames the two teens for the whole thing, which is sadly true. Sure the attack might have happened whether they were involved or not but they made it easier when they could have protected A-F-1.

Can you say that a forcefield that only keeps people from entering and leaving is classified as a diabolical weapon? According to the text at the bottom of the news feed Amazons are still killing people (decapitation is mentioned) along the perimeter despite the superheroes all being there. Superman thinks about how he made sure Kara and Cassie didn't accidentally kill the president. But when he arrived they (well Cassie) were defending the president from Amazons. Did he know of their intentions of kidnapping him before that? How? Why did he assume they might accidentally kill him?

Superman and other heavy hitters are on the outside of the forcefield while Batman is inside. Wonder Woman, despite saying she wasn't going to bother to save Nemesis because she had a war to win apparently went after they kept her from fighting her mother. I'm not sure why this series keeps acting like the Bana aren't Amazons. They are just different sects of Amazons and all of them except for Donna Troy, are engaged in the war in some fashion.

Karna talks to Grace about the Bana and naturally it doesn't add up with other canon in Wonder Woman lore. She claims the Bana were forced out of paradise to live in the desert. No, Anitope the sister of Hippolyta took those that were also outraged that the gods wouldn't let them get revenge on Heracles and his men after what they suffered at their hands. Details vary but Antiope and her subjects left. Karna does get a little right, mortal men they joined with did technically betray them (Circe created that situation though) and the gods did abandon them in a fashion. Swearing revenge on the other Amazons has never been a thing, at least not for centuries. The Bana never tried to seek the others out before Diana found them and their city was destroyed.

I will give this one part a little leeway though as I think Karna is purposely twisting the story for Grace. She reveals that Grace is part of the Bana, Grace instantly believes her, takes a few panels to walk away then return. Grace claims she can't just believe it and needs time but her "family" line already shows she's been swayed. Diana is suddenly teleported inside the forcefield and Batman nonchalantly praises how strong Nemesis is. It just really feels like he's being built up so he can be her new boyfriend. It's so forced. Maybe it's also states because no one is rushing to save him.

Diana wonders why Bruce isn't more surprised about her appearance and how he returned so fast. He just wants to know how she managed it since the shield keeps others out. He deduces that it's magic yet he brushes away Diana's experience, obviously, we all know what an expert on magic Batman is. He figures out what Diana can't, that it's Circe. Diana believes Circe is dead despite usually being hard to fool thanks to the lasso of truth. Gotta love the silent panel of Diana and Bruce staring at each other after Diana says Circe is dead. It's like Batman can't believe she's so gullible.

Because this Amazon event has very little to do with Wonder Woman (seriously) Superman tells Grace that Karna is to blame for terrorist acts. Despite going on about how their always there for Grace, family, etc. Karna instantly turns on her the second her truthfulness is questioned. Grace is a superhero and could free herself, Superman has super speed yet both are powerless in the face of a small dagger held to Graces' throat. She uses this time to pass through the forcefield and Superman doesn't looked surprised. Truly his blank almost bored expression shows how alarming this is. To highlight that she's evil Karna stabs Grace just because she can.

So what was the plan before this? Karna said they were looking for Grace then that effort is wasted for this?

Karna and Hippolyta meet and to the shock of no one they've been working together. Which was talked about already even if they tried to pretend the Bana were playing their own game. Circe monologues to a random guard she plans to kill just so we the audience can see her talk. Of all the heroes Batman confronts Circe. BATMAN. You know, the powerless human who shouldn't be able to fight a powerful magic user. If Diana can't fight her then Zantanna should but for some unfathomable reason she's able to give Batman magic words to use to defeat Circe. Even though Zantanna couldn't take the forcefield down she's able to give a non magic user magic words to depower one of the most powerful magic users in the DCU.

Not only is that ridiculous and insulting to more female characters it's just plain lazy. Can't think of a way to defeat Circe without using Diana? Batman did it. Sure he has no idea how it works or where it came from but he easily defeats one of the competitors for Diana's arch enemy faster than Diana can. He informs all the heavy hitters that the shield is down and for some reason Hal is in space despite being part of the fight. Did he get bored and decide to circle the Earth when he couldn't get through the shield?

Hippolyta apparently isn't aware of her surroundings and doesn't realize the shield is down. Superman attacks with other heroes acting as wallpaper behind him. Circle is powerless but still monologues to herself about everyone preparing to kill themselves. Grace laments losing her "family" when Diana arrives telling her to join the fight that Grace can't hear for some reason.

One more issue to go.