DC Comics reviews for the week of 9/20/17

Wonder Woman/Conan #1

Among the many benefits of Wonder Woman’s new higher profile thanks to her movie: a willingness to try new ideas. Like Wonder Woman/Conan, a collaboration between Dark Horse and DC Comics.

It doesn’t take more than a glimpse at the cover to know this is going to be a quality project. Gail Simone handles the writing while Aaron Lopresti is the artist. There’s no weak link on this creative team.

There were probably a lot of ways for Simone to bring Conan and Wonder Woman together, but sometimes the simplest works best. After being promised fabulous riches for saving a prisoner’s life, Conan travels to an exotic city where pit fights are a main attraction. The prize fighter? An amnesiac Wonder Woman.

Putting Wonder Woman in Conan’s world makes more sense than vice versa. Besides, it allows Wonder Woman to fully tap into her warrior nature. Simone has the tone of classic Conan tales down. Wonder Woman doesn’t get as big a spotlight this issue, but Simone has five more issues to further explain how Diana ended up here. There’s some intriguing fantasy element as well with a pair of flesh eating crows that have other bodies and Wonder Woman’s visions. Hopefully some of their respective arch-enemies also make an appearance in future issues.

Lopresti’s art is great. His style almost makes Conan’s world look too clean and pristine, but Lopresti doesn’t shortchange any of the violence. There’s decapitations, impalements and burned faces. And that’s just in one brutal fight. Lopresti subtly references Wonder Woman’s costume with her gladiator garb. With inker Matt Ryan and Wendy Broome’s colors, the art is all around functioning at a high level.

This is an encouraging first issue that all the elements readers would want in a Wonder Woman/Conan crossover.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: DC Comics