REVIEW: ‘Amazons Attack’ Issue #1

Amazons Attack #1 is published by DC Comics, written by Josie Campbell, art by Vasco Georgiev, colors by Alex Guimaráes, and letters by Becca Carey. Nubia and the Amazons from other regions must get to the bottom of the copycat attacks and the world of men that have turned on the warrior women.

This issue is better read alongside the main Wonder Woman series, as all the events leading to it are based on what happened there. The book deals with the ramifications of those events, proactively moving to prevent more catastrophes. The issue is structured well, with the most important exposition happening early, thus giving the book freedom to move forward. Nubia travels to the States to meet with the President, but events soon derail. As soon as the Queen of the Amazons lands, the pace of Amazons Attack #1 intensifies. It becomes a chase that cannot stay still for long. Every location is hostile, and reasoning becomes impossible. The world-building of the Amazon politics and history is established as they move, superbly merging action with expanding the storyline. The topic is still serious, but this comic is much more positive and energized than Wonder Woman, moving much faster. There is a real unpredictability as to who will enter the book and the direction the characters will go. By the end of the book, a great team has been gathered that features a varied cast, not all of them coming from Themyscira.  

The cast Campbell brings to center the story around is interesting, with multiple representatives from various aspects of Amazon life. At the core is Nubia, taking responsibility for the whole race. But some subsets mean that the actions of Diana, Nubia, or the copycats don’t just spell disaster for Paradise Island. The Esquecida and Bana-Mighdall have started to sense trouble, with premonitions of further danger from the copycats. The dialogue between these groups is intriguing. Those from the other communities have a different mindset and attitude toward Nubia due to the rising tensions between Amazons and the United States. It creates an interesting chemistry within the group, meaning Nubia’s word isn’t mindlessly followed, as it could be if the entire cast featured solely denizens of Themyscira. 

One of the members enters late in the book but is the most intriguing of the group. Their connection to the Amazons is created through origin and spirituality, not their blood. Even in danger, the script has a lot of humor. The bickering and quirky characters are the source of this, and the outsider introduces more fun than the Wonder Woman comic.

The art is fantastic. What is instantly recognized when opening the comic is the attention to detail on all of the characters. There are representatives from all three Amazon tribes, and the armor looks unique and stunning. Georgiev fills in the plating with intricate and immaculate designs. When the main characters are off and running, the artist captures the speed and panic of the moment well. The panel layout shrinks and tilts and magnifies the action sequence’s intensity and pace. The personality of the four principal cast members is amazing, and so much of it is portrayed through body language. If they are over-excited or awkward, their body frame expands or shrinks to fit the moment.

The colors are phenomenal. The awe that the armor designs inspired is partially created through the talent of Guimaráes. The gold is rich and regal, with a depth in the metal that also manipulates the sense of shape. The danger that changes those around the Amazons is identified mainly through the colors, with an orange glow that overthrows them. For the rest of the issue, trouble occurs where that orange can be seen. The lettering is extremely easy to read.

Amazons Attack #1 is an energetic expansion. It takes what King ignited in Wonder Woman and shows how it affects everyone else. The pieces must be picked up, but this comic is more than an extension. The copycat attacks and the consequences felt across the three Amazon tribes are explored further. The characters are just as enjoyable, with more responsibilities and vulnerabilities than Diana has. The general pacing and the tone provide the book with more positivity, but there is still intense drama within the plot and the dialogue. Where Wonder Woman rightly focuses on the most famous Amazon, she has been alone and has not communicated with any of her sisters in that series yet. But here, in Amazons Attack, the dialogue within the larger cast is its biggest strength.

Amazons Attack #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.