I sat on this and sat on this, reluctant to read it after how much Volume 6 bothered me… but then it came up overdue at the library I work at so I had to read it and give it back! X,D

Diana and Jason are getting to know each other, and of course that comes with getting on each other’s nerves, as siblings do! Diana is frustrated that Jason says he wants to become a hero, like her, yet he continues his frivolous, excessive lifestyle. Jason is frustrated Diana won’t see that he feels he’s ready to become a hero. When Jason disappears, the note he leaves behind says he is working to become worthy of being a hero – but Diana isn’t too sure. The memory of the carnage Grail left behind is too fresh, and she is worried that she’s returned, and that he was next on her demi-god hit list. Steve has made it no secret that he doesn’t trust Jason, and thinks he went back to Grail, to Darkseid. Could it be true?

As Jason wasn’t in much of this volume, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I can understand more of why they introduced him: with Diana’s home island of Themyscira in another dimension, and Diana not able to get back home any longer, it makes sense to introduce a new familial element. Doesn’t mean I have to like it! I am worried that Jason will come to overshadow Wonder Woman in her own story, when she’s been overshadowed by her male counterparts by the same publisher for a long time. It really rubs me the wrong way.

Silver Swan was reintroduced back into the story with this volume. I’ve always thought she was an interesting villain, and the Rebirth incarnation is no exception. Vanessa Kapatelis becomes the Silver Swan upon introducing nano technology into her body, enabling her to walk again after an accident that caused paralysis from the waist down. There was a hint of a sinister force behind the Silver Swan, which will be fun to untangle as the run goes on.

What I enjoyed most in this volume was Steve and Diana’s relationship getting more of the spotlight. Steve was kind of on the back burner for a while there! It was a treat to see the mutual respect and admiration they have for each other, which is the bedrock of their relationship. The romance is there, but never takes center stage, and – more important! – never downplays aspects of either character for the sake of the romance. I, for one, hope there’s a lot more Steve and a lot less Jason going forward!

– Kathleen

Robinson, James, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, and Romulo Fajardo Jr. Wonder Woman (Rebirth, Vol. 7): Amazons Attacked. 2018.