Review: Wonder Woman Vol. 6- Bones

June 4, 2019 ComicBookWire

Quick Summary

Pros: The excitement and fun that has been present in previous volumes is back. The narrative is well written and brings the current saga to a satisfying conclusion. The moral accompaniment is well done. The artwork looks beautiful.

Cons: Many of the fights here seem to lack consequence.

Overall: This volume delivers on the promises of its predecessors and gives readers a conclusion that makes the entire series even better. It has exciting action, gorgeous artwork, and wraps up the entire saga in a way that is sure to satisfy. In general, this collection continues things in a way that simply makes sense and is fun to see play out. It also proves that this series is worth finishing, for anyone who has already started to series, and proves that it is worth starting, for anyone who has yet to read a volume.

Story

The conclusion to the epic storyline stretching across this Wonder Woman series is crucial in providing justification for five volumes of setup and anticipation. If the conclusion is a flop, it retroactively tarnishes the appeal of the five prior volumes. However, if it is successful, it solidifies the run as something memorable and something fans can go back to for years to come. In this review, we’re happy to say that Wonder Woman Vol. 6: Bones is the conclusion that fans have been waiting for.

This volume, written by Brian Azzarello, is strong right from the get-go. It immediately captures the sense of action, adventure, and general excitement that have been so present in the past five volumes. It then goes on to conclude Wonder Woman’s present journey in a way that makes sense and wraps up nearly every loose end. There is even a satisfying moral message that accompanies the story. All in all, this is a very worthwhile conclusion to a comic that has been fantastic from start to finish.

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Like past volumes, Bones is able to almost immediately capture the sense of excitement that has made this series so entertaining. It centers around an incredibly epic battle between the evil forces of the First Born and the combined hosts of Themyscira and Olympus. This battle sees Orion fighting the Minotaur, Amazons fighting demons, and the mechanized creations of Hephaestus mowing down anything in their path. There are also unexpected twists, like the return of Hippolyta or Wonder Woman’s decision to remove her bracelets, that honestly gave me chills as I was reading. In general, the narrative here is very exciting all around.

However, the true positives in Bones come from the volume’s place as the conclusion of Brian Azzarello’s run on Wonder Woman. This volume finally reveals that Zeke is actually the reincarnation of Zeus, brought about to see the end of various prophecies. This twist is rather unexpected but fits perfectly with the comic’s greater narrative and is a great way to justify everything that has been going on. This volume also witnesses the defeat of the First Born. This defeat is handled well and leads to a genuinely epic end to the saga.

There is also an inspiring moral message that runs through the background of this comic. Wonder Woman’s story centers around accepting who you are as a person and not forcing yourself to be something you are not. Meanwhile, the First Born’s story centers around the necessity of finding meaning in life in order to avoid being drowned in despair. Both stories are compelling in their own way and feel satisfying as the volume closes.

If there is a problem in Bones it is that many of the fights seem to lack consequence. There are several places where characters are nearly beaten to death but are either healed or able to push through the pain almost immediately after. The first time this happens it feels tense and dramatic, yet subsequent occurrences simply become predictable and rob the scene of its drama. It makes it feel like the book is trying to generate cheap tension without actually taking any risks.

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Art

Much like the story, the artwork in Bones continues this comic’s high level of quality. Cliff Chiang’s final work on Wonder Woman manages to look as good as ever while continuing to innovate. There are pages here where the structure plays a big part in making sure the action sequences or battles are as exciting as possible. There are also splash pages that perfectly emphasize a surprising turn of events or an expected reveal. Meanwhile, innovations occur as characters’ clothing change to more appropriately reflect shifts in the story and fresh new character designs are introduced. In general, the visuals in this volume look fantastic and are a wonderful way to end a highly successful saga.