In Diana and the Hero’s Journey, Grace Ellis and Penelope Rivera Gaylord unite for an original graphic novel presenting a look at the younger days of Diana of Themyscira — the girl who will one day become Wonder Woman!
The wraparound narrative of the book is somewhat familiar: Diana royally messes up the preparations for the Amazons’ upcoming festival and has to make things right — and get a gift for her mom! Though couched in superhero fantasy and wacky hijinks, the main beats of Diana’s quest will no doubt feel relatable to young readers. At its core, this is a story about Diana wanting to do right by her family and find her niche in the world. Of course, like all of us, she has to make some mistakes along the way. Some readers may become exasperated by Diana’s stubbornness and boundless energy, but I found the tone of this book to be an utter delight. It’s also worth noting that this headstrong nature will one day serve her quite well as a superhero. Here though, she’s just like any other kid (albeit surrounded by mythical warriors and magic).
The book only gets richer when it digs into its true narrative hook, with Diana hearing various heroic stories as she searches for inspiration. Arranging the tale in this format brilliantly gives kids nice and neat stopping points while reading, much like an early chapter book. Of course, the book is so much fun and so beautifully illustrated that it’s very likely most readers will devour it in one sitting (much like I did).
It’s impossible not to be excited to see what’s on the next turn of the page when you consider just how pretty the whole thing is. Gaylord seem to relish the challenge afforded by the anthology-style narrative. Outside of the cartoony style of Diana’s sections of the story, there are tweaks to the form in each of the stories within the story. One sequence feels like a Grecian urn has leapt into motion, while another mimics the style of a kinetically charged action manga. These switch-ups in style are always delightfully surprising and keep each vignette feeling fresh and tailored to the storyteller. In each, the character designs and are expressive and exciting, full of vibrant life and personality.
When speaking with AIPT’s own Chris Coplan just last week, Grace Ellis said that one of the goals of the book was to not only ground Diana as a character and present a standalone tale, but also to show kids that it’s okay to take your time figuring yourself out. Ellis remarked, “Kids are still learning what kind of people they want to be, and if we can show that even Wonder Woman had some growing to do along the way, I hope that’s inspiring in its own right.” I personally think this creative team absolutely achieved what they set out to do with this book.
Diana and the Hero’s Journey is a heartwarming and charming take on the title character’s early days. It’s full of gentle messages for youngsters: We don’t always have to beat someone up to win the day, everything happens in its own time, and there’s a hero in all of us. For all of these reasons, I highly recommend this book to young readers and grown-ups alike.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.