Wonder Woman #52 & #53

Artemis teams up with Diana and the new Aztek.

SPOILERS AHEAD


These issues were a lot of fun and very entertaining. Diana was awesome and Aztek had a fascinating story. Artemis wasn't as important and I think the plot could have worked without her.

I actually liked the issues for the most part but I do have problems with them. If I didn't mention what bothered me I wouldn't have much to say but I know it will sound like I hate it all once I go through it. Rest assured this is the best Diana I read in awhile and Aztek was great. I enjoyed the concept of Atalanta too even if she wasn't in it as much.

Continuity and canon are serious flaws in these issues. I can't speak for the Aztek lore yet but I can where the Amazons are concerned. Diana claims Atalanta is her great aunt while Artemis claims she is the sister of Antiope. Which would make Antiope the great aunt of Diana too...except she was Hippolyta's sister. That makes her Diana's aunt not her great aunt. Even the movie mentioned that. It's confusing that Atalanta looks like she aged. Diana's people don't age, at least they didn't. The Bana-Mighdall did in old canon but Atalanta should be dead if she was around when Antiope founded the B.M. Amazons.

Can Atalanta go back to Themyscria? I thought no one could return if they left? Maybe that changed?

The Bana-Mighdall are nomads? Sure they were in early days but the term "Bana-Mighdall" was coined because it meant something like village of women. In old canon it had been around a long time before Diana came around. The sandstorm was put in place to protect them.

The Bow of Ra stuff isn't right. I've never understood how writers can reference something that's only really been in one story arc and get it wrong like this. It happened with the Untitled and it happened with the bow. Diana makes it sound like Akila died because of the bow's power. It burnt her, drove her mad but ARTEMIS is said to have killed her. In fact she did it twice. We've seen Akila still use it better than Artemis does here. But the main point of Artemis' plot in that arc was that she was the only one worthy enough to use the weapon. It chose her, she used it with no ill effects! Now it burns her for no reason just so the three of them can work together to fire it.

Artemis is seen summoning it twice yet she can't use it? That's bullshit. She's the only one that can fire it. Was the only highlights picked from RHATO "Akila was once her lover, the Bana-Mighdall live in Qurac, the Bow of Ra is with Artemis now, Artemis is sort of the Shim'Tar and she's brash"?

I did find Artemis a little off in characterization, I would have appreciated her being a bit more witty at least. I'm not sure why she'd randomly picks bar fights to amuse herself with a challenge. She seemed pretty focused even before joining the Outlaws. I have no idea who "he" is but it's not Jason like so many said. Her role is mainly to be abrasive towards the other two and have a powerful weapon. Well another one as the ax is one too but I guess no one else remembered that?

This is fine if you're new to Amazon lore but it might bug you if you're an Artemis/RHATO fan. I'm not sure why Orlando is writing Bana-Mighdall lore. As far as I know he's just a fill in for WW and Lobdell writes Artemis in RHATO. Although I mostly enjoyed this I'm apprehensive about the B.M. Amazons stuff that's coming.

I'm not sure who the queen is. Maybe someone from the original canon? The B.M. Amazons didn't have a queen under Lobdell, it was implied that the Shim'Tar would lead them.



Say What?: Artemis repeatedly calling the Aztek helmet cute feels off.