The “Trial of the Amazons” comes to an end this week with the aptly titled Trial of the Amazons #2. Artemis has been found out in the last chapter which was a big surprise. With the murder mystery out of the way, it’s now time for the Amazons to come together to fight whatever comes out of Doom’s Doorway. Sure hope they brought a lot of weapons!
The first thing you’ll notice when reading this book is how great the art is with event caliber action and detail. Drawn by Elena Casagrande, Laura Braga, Skylar Partridge, Adriana Melo, and Joëlle Jones, the book never falters even though different artists draw different pages. There are epic group shots, monsters to ogle, and plenty of fighting.
The issue itself doesn’t read quite as coherently as I hoped, which may be due to so many writers contributing. It’s hard to say either way, but the issue has some great moments, some so-so moments, and some head-scratching moments. As a finale, there are certain boxes checked so as to fulfill what was set up. That is satisfying, but it’s oddly played out at times, making the experience less than perfect.
Possibly the most confusing is how Artemis is brought back in to fight even though she was literally just proven to be a murderer of Hippolyta. There just isn’t enough page time to explore the complexity of her fighting with the Amazons but also recently killing a major figure. The sentiment is clear, but it comes off as underwritten.
What a cool beast!
Credit: DC Comics
Of course, this issue is not without great moments. The coolest moment comes later when the fight is over and Wonder Woman speaks with Yara Flor. The two share a moment and quickly discover they have very different personalities. It’s a fun scene that Jones draws beautifully. Fans will adore the armory scene, too. The creative team has great high moments that should appeal to anyone enjoying modern Wonder Woman comics.
Many of the characters have new bonds and have grown from the experience. Nubia gets to be an awesome badass while other characters learn they don’t have to be so hard and can accept others.
Another big win for the issue is the monster they must fight at the start, a shadow-looking creature seen in the preview. It’s all darkness and teeth, but there’s some good definition to convey it has shoulders and arms. The spikes that come off its back have some kind of skin or webbing that gives it an extra creepy look. It’s formidable and the visuals convey that.
Trial of the Amazons #2 ends the story arc meeting a lot of the criteria that make for a good event ender. It looks good, features great character moments, and is a fantastic villain for the Amazons to band together to fight. It also reads like some things were rushed to fit within the plot. Ultimately, though, the takeaway is growth from a variety of characters and a new dawn for many of these series.
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