Comic Review: Wonder Woman Dead Earth #2

Wonder Woman Dead Earth #2

DC Comics

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer

Wonder Woman Dead Earth #2 continues Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s post-apocalyptic Wonder Woman story in bloody, terrifying fashion. This second installment sees Wonder Woman take charge of the surviving humans, after freeing them from despotic control in Book One, and leading them on an exodus to her home of Themyscira.

Dead Earth Book Two’s story is quite good; with so few human survivors left following the nuclear crisis mentioned in Book One, the stakes feel high and are enhanced by the presence of the monstrous creatures that attacked just before Diana’s revival in Book One. Diana’s decision to bring the last humans to Themyscira seems like a natural choice given the world that Johnson has built and the plot thread allows him to address part of the major question raised in this series: humanity is all but gone, but where are the rest of Earth’s inhabitants? While Johnson hasn’t revealed all the secrets of this world –the purpose of Diana’s hibernation, for instance –there are some pretty satisfying answers here. The buildup of tension from the moment Diana and friends arrive on Paradise Island is fantastic and a highlight of the miniseries so far.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s art is sort of a semi-misfire. Johnson’s pencil work is detailed and stylized in a pretty appealing way but the tone that the art presents through its heavy black inks, especially in his figures, is almost cartoonish. It clashes slightly with the post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world tone of the story. Johnson’s work on action scenes, combined with the vibrant colorwork from Mike Spicer, help to alleviate the problem a little. Diana’s monster battles in both Books One and Two have been pretty gory and violent, and have overall been a better match for the Black Label than the series’ slower moments. Diana’s nighttime escape from Themyscira is another strong point; this moment combined with the issue’s story beats make it a solid read.

Wonder Woman Dead Earth #2 overall is an impressive second of three entries in the Black Label miniseries. Daniel Warren Johnson presents a compelling, tragic, and energetic story. While Johnson’s art style doesn’t quite fit the tone of the story, he excels at action and atmosphere, aided by strong colors by Mike Spicer. Dead Earth #2 offers a good read on its own and a strong lead-in to the series’ upcoming penultimate issue in April.