I wasn't sure I would enjoy 'Diana: Princess of the Amazons' at first. It was an impulse buy on Amazon along with 'Anti/Hero'. Even though I love Wonder Woman and Shannon and Dean Hale, I was worried that this particular product would be too kiddie and boring for me, with not enough understanding of the Wonder Woman character and mythos. The first seemingly banal several pages didn't exactly win me over.
But the more I read, the more invested I became. Super invested.
'Diana: Princess of the Amazons' is a simple story, but it has nice surprises up its sleeve. An eleven-year-old Diana is lonely amongst the busy adult women on Themyscira, so she makes a friend, a girl like her, out of clay, as she had been built out of clay herself. Things inevitably go wrong.
But more twists and complexities are incorporated into this premise than one might expect. The whole comic is auroral, lovely and sweet. There is action and magic. It is never boring.
In my opinion, it does junior Diana, who is not yet Wondy, superb justice.
Anyone who remembers being a child, especially a lonely child, can relate to Diana, a princess and the only child on her secluded island, which is meant to be a paradise for all its Amazons. An athletic, outgoing and growing girl amid her Amazon "aunties", Diana just wants to play; to share her games, hobbies, interests and explorations with someone her age and who has her free time. She wants someone to truly understand her, and she feels her invariably working mother, Queen Hippolyta, doesn't care for her much.
Children need attention for a reason. Playtime and creativity among both adults and kids is healthy; it's good for their nature and development. It's part of being loving, comforting, supportive, and just there for the kid. Don't let them think they have to do certain things alone, and solve their problems on their own, and that they can't tell anyone anything. Work is important, and so is helping others; and so is making sure children know that they are loved.
'Diana: Princess of the Amazons' is like a junior version of 'Wonder Woman: The True Amazon' by Jill Thompson. The young, clumsy, and (understandably) naive and pressurised Diana gets into trouble a lot, and ends up inadvertently endangering others. She wonders if she is a "true" Amazon throughout: she will receive her answer in more than one way.
It is a great little story for kids, with meaningful morals and themes. Each character is gorgeously drawn (I don't think I've seen a blonde Hippolyta before, and she is stunning, if too young-looking), as are the various wonderful set pieces of Themyscira. There is diversity in that some Amazons are dark skinned and curvy (though, again, the artwork makes many of the adults look like they could be teenagers). Symbols, figures and monsters from Greek mythology are harmonised excellently. And there is not a single male character present.
This DC children's graphic novel - a story of Wonder Woman as a little girl, and the start of her heroics - is bright, colourful, adorable, touching, and charming. It is wholesome entertainment, about family, companionship, compassion, love, understanding, forgiveness and mercy. Plus it contains cute animals, such as cheetah cubs, and there's an 'Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld' reference! I had already fallen in love with the book by then, but that alone sealed the deal with my recommending it with all my heart.
I wish for a Wonder Woman/Amethyst crossover comic now! They fit perfectly together! Diana, princess of the Amazons, and Amethyst, princess of Gemworld - make it happen, DC!
Final Score: 4.5/5
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