Born of a tryst between the God-King Zeus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, Diana of Themyscira was marked from birth with the power of the divine. Trained by Ares in the art of war at a young age, Diana would go on to become The God of War herself.
That is the truth as Diana has always understood it. That she was one daughter among many on Themyscira. That her powers came from her status as a daughter of Zeus. That she was merely the latest in a long line of demigods spawned to protect humanity from the evils of the world.
Yet Diana has memories—half-formed dreams that speak to her of another life.
A life where she was forged of the clay of Themyscira and a mother’s wish, with life breathed into her by the goddesses and blessings bestowed upon her that made her more powerful than any other Amazon. A life where she was the sole child on the island home of The Amazons, and thus the daughter of all as well as their princess. A life where the threat of Ares’ influence upon the world of Man spurred her to leave her home, never to return.
Turning her magical Lasso of Truth upon herself, Diana has a revelation—that everything she thought she knew about herself is a lie! It is an uncomfortable truth but one that is confirmed when Diana tries to make her way to the place she knew as Olympus and finds only ruin. Worse yet, she cannot recall the way to Themyscira!
In order to learn the truth of her origins, Diana must turn to an old friend who became her greatest enemy. The road ahead will not be an easy one, but Diana must walk it if she is to learn the truth or forever wonder who Wonder Woman truly is.
Wonder Woman: The Lies is perhaps the most revolutionary title to come out of DC Comics Rebirth initiative. With this story, writer Greg Rucka, who had a much-beloved run on Wonder Woman many years ago, takes virtually everything about Wonder Woman that was changed in The New 52 reality and chucks it into the fire, saying “No. Let me tell you how this REALLY works.”
Despite that, Rucka’s focus is upon reforging Diana’s character rather than defining the minutiae of her origin story. The tale reaffirms Diana’s status as a reluctant fighter—a warrior for peace who raises a fist in anger only after offering a hand in friendship fails. This does not mean that Diana is incapable of laying the smack down when needed and woe to those foolish enough to mistake her compassion for weakness.
Liam Sharp illustrates the action of the story beautifully. Sharp’s aesthetic is detail-driven yet possessed of a strong sense of clarity. There’s no overly complicated line work. Everything seems streamlined, with the action flowing smoothly from panel to panel. The colors by Laura Martin are rich and vibrant, easily catching the eye with every turn of the page.
This volume is rated 12+ and I believe that rating to be a fair one. There is a small amount of superheroic violence, but nothing excessively gory. There is a fair bit of adult content, with an opening scene that seems to show Wonder Woman saving several women in their underwear who were the victims of human trafficking as well as one scene of a naked woman shown in side-view, with all of her private parts obscured. There is no overt nudity, however. There’s also a subplot involving young women being abducted to serve as the brides of a god that may be uncomfortable for some, but generally there’s nothing here your average teen can’t handle.
Wonder Woman, vol. 1: The Lies
by Greg Rucka
Art by Liam Sharp
ISBN: 9781401267780
DC Comics, 2017
Publisher Age Rating: 12+
