By Cat Wyatt

Issue 39 is the second in what I assume are three issues involving the Silver Swan. When we left off a crushed fan named Vanessa had cracked under her disappointment of being abandoned (how she saw it at least) and became the villain the Silver Swan. She attacked and killed a family that Wonder Woman had recently saved, knowing that she would rush to check on them when she heard something was wrong (much like she had done for Vanessa in the early days after her own rescue). It’s understandable how to someone like Vanessa this would only add fuel to the fire.

So this issue basically starts off with a fight, which makes sense considering the whole last issue was building up to this. I have to admit; I’m surprised by how effective Vanessa’s weapons are. I would never have expected her wings to be capable of cutting, though it’s a very clever move on her part. I’m still curious about where she got her outfit (which grants her the ability to fly), but I’m willing to overlook that for now.

 I love the juxtaposition and design changes for Silver Swan, the ‘good’ design versus the ‘bad’ (aka evil murdering) one. In her original designs (which really were just the fantasy drawings of a kid who loved her favorite hero very much) Silver Swan was all white, with soft edges around the wings and a simple outfit to complement them. In her current Silver Swan getup, it’s all silver in black, with an intricate bodysuit and sharp silver wings. We already know those wings are capable of cutting as well as flying. An interesting choice, to say the least.

Despite the pretty horrific crime that Vanessa has already committed (remember, the murder of the family and all) Diana is holding back while fighting her – she still hopes to save Vanessa. To her, they’re still friends. She knows she hasn’t been around as much as she should have been, but that doesn’t mean Vanessa should be acting in this way (of course – this wasn’t a logical jump to have made, even when as hurt as she was). Diana made a point that I hadn’t considered – that the chip Vanessa received, the one that enabled her to walk again, is messing with her mind. That very well may be true. We don’t exactly know anything about the tech being used, or even what company designed it. So it’s entirely possible.

While our ladies are distracted by fighting one another, other events are being put into motion. It shouldn’t be any surprise that Dark Seid is on the move still – they spent too much time building him up for them to have dropped him so quickly. They’re clearly working to establish him as one of her recurring villains.

Meanwhile, Jason is coming to terms with who he is and what he could (rather, should) be doing with his life. While Diana actively works to save the world day in and day out, he’s hidden himself away or been partying. There’s been no running out to save the innocents for him; unless you count that one fight where he helped Diana a few issues ago. While I agree with the decision he ultimately made, I feel that perhaps some training would have helped? Then again, he was trained by Hercules – I guess I just feel like because I haven’t seen it he didn’t receive that much, which is an incorrect assumption. And when you look at it, Diana pretty much threw herself into the first fight she saw as well, so clearly it’s in their blood.

This was an interesting issue. I’m not sure if Silver Swan will become a major (or at least repeating) villain for Wonder Woman, or if things will get fully resolved next issue. I could see this going a number of different ways. Perhaps Diana successfully rehabilitates Vanessa. Maybe she kills her (by mistake, most likely), or takes her out in another manner. If it’s non-lethal, it’s up in the air for if Silver Swan returns. It’d really be up to the writers when it comes down to it. I wouldn’t mind seeing her again – she has an interesting perspective as far as antagonists go. After all, hate and love are so closely tied to one another.

The artwork was pretty decent for this issue, as it has been lately. I still love the design of the Silver Swan (but I said that already). It was nice seeing Diana have to fight a flying opponent – you don’t get to see that every day. I particularly enjoyed the storm that Jason conjured – more accurately I love the way the artist chose to portray it.

Score: 4/5

Wonder Woman #39
DC Comics