Trial of the Amazons--Wonder Girl #2 // Review
Cassie Sandsmark is the daughter of a noted archaeologist. Mystery is second nature to her. As Wonder Girl, it has been left to her to figure out who killed Hippolyte--the former queen of the Amazons. Being as young as she is, she couldn't hope to untangle the complexities of a major murder in the heart of an island of mystery, could she? Cassie is put to the test in Trial of the Amazons--Wonder Girl #2. The seven-part multi-title crossover reaches its penultimate chapter with the end of a murder-mystery whodunnit written and drawn by the talented Joëlle Jones with inks by Adriana Melo. Color comes to the page courtesy of Jordie Bellaire.
Cassie is totally confident that she knows exactly who killed Hipployte. She's not intimidated by what's about to happen when she reveals the killer's identity. Meanwhile, Diana is deep within the heart of the island. Ancient architecture collapsed over her, and now she's alone in an ancient place, unable to be there to see the killer unmasked. Cassie might be in over her head if things go sideways, but she's been through a lot already, and she's ready for anything. Let the murderer be known.
As a writer, Jones has a pretty simple formula to finalize with this penultimate issue in the crossover. Cassie has assembled everyone together to let everyone know what she's discovered. It's the end of a mystery for her that hasn't had much chance to live on the comics page. Cassie walks everyone through her investigation like any good detective...finally coming upon the big reveal in a way that is very familiar to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the murder-mystery genre. It's clean. It's simple. It wouldn't be nearly as impressive as it is were it not for the work of the issues artist...who also happens to be Jones.
Jones' layouts are gorgeous. The past melds with the present as Cassie tells her story. From the periphery of the page, Wonder Woman's actions in the catacombs deep within the heart of Themyscira are given very vivid and nuanced mood even though she's scarcely given much more than a few words in the entire issue. Meanwhile, everyone assembled to hear Cassie speak has a very distinct personality that reads vividly on the page--largely in silence. As solidly as it's all rendered by Jones, the visuals would lack definition, tone and mood were it not for the soulfully brilliant work of Bellaire as a colorist.
Jones' work in the penultimate chapter is very carefully thought-out and well-executed by everyone involved. It's not over yet, though. The story concludes in just a few weeks. It's difficult to imagine everything being tied up in a single issue. There's the big, final threat to be dealt with and, of course, the fate of Hippolyte's murderer. The final chapter of the crossover will likely lead to more resolution as the month progress.
