It's a real shame.
It's a shame that the excellent Legend of Wonder Woman by Renae de Liz and Ray Dillon has been canceled. I will not go into the coming and goings of the falling off between DC and the authors but I will express my disappointment. This volume, collecting all of the online issues, is not only one of the best stories starring my favorite comic book character, Diana of Themyscira, but a fine good comic at that.
Renae de Liz, the writer, chooses (or DC chose for her) to, once again, retell the origin story of Diana, transporting the mythos back to its original time period, the Second World War. However, there are notable differences between this interpretation and previous ones, both in form and intention.
Ranae changes the plot just enough not to feel derivative and enough to feel fresh. There are subtle modifications to the story, plot points here and there that are changed not for the sake of novelty but because the authors want to tell a good and entertaining narrative. Hippolyta, the mother of Diana and queen of the Amazons, is not exactly the same, Themyscira, her home, also - I won't number or describe all the changes because I want you to discover for yourself.
Furthermore, the pace. The slow and steady pace with which she develops the first days in the life of Diana is both a breath of fresh air and an accomplishment. In each story beat she lingers on personality development, adds little quirks to every one, while still ringing true to the archetypes, and enjoys herself in lengthy exchanges of dialogue that are entertaining and meaningful. Besides Diana, the writer spends a lot of time developing Etta Candy's personality, making her so much more than part of the WW supporting cast.
Here, slow pace doesn't mean decompressed storytelling. Each moment is filled with meaningful world-building, rich characters and trivial situations elevated to the status of mythic, simply by the amount of care dedicated to each detail. Ranae also sculpts (pun intended) a cosmogony very different from previous Wonder Woman incarnations, makes it new and, at the same time, gives a cool nod to DC fans. It's noticeable that she is (note that I use present tense - wishful thinking) trying to make a tale for the ages. And in this hardcover she delivers on that promise.
All that is relevant to the Princess of Themyscira mythology is, in some way, touched upon in these pages. Truth, above all, is one of the most prevalent parts of her message, and it shines through in this tale. The War/Peace dichotomy, so integral to WW, comes forth and is justifiable. Ranae knows her Wonder Woman.
Legend of Wonder Woman is an exceptional accomplishment. One that should continue, due to the fact that Diana deserves it but manly because this amount of love and dedication to the Wonder Woman mythos should be appreciated and encouraged. DC, please let the authors finish their story.
