The concepts behind Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 are brilliant. It truly helps create a sense that this world is run-down. Like Wooton spray-painted over Johnson’s work. Many of the sound effects have a graffiti type feel to them. Nothing on this dead earth is easily won. Wooton adds to the gruff atmosphere in this way. Wooton’s lettering stands out amongst other works for having a more handwritten feel. Will Diana be dangerous in the future of this series, perhaps? Wonder Woman looks flushed throughout, giving her a similar look. A horde of monsters try and break into the camp, and they are colored the same way. We see abominations wandering the wasteland, cast in a reddish-purple tone. With yellows and purples, he creates a sense of danger and evil. With dark greys and blacks, Spicer gives a feeling of death and stagnation.

Spicer’s coloring opens the door to this dark world. The silences speak louder than words, and Johnson’s art is proof of that. They don’t need to have deep conversations upon meeting each other. They don’t need to cry on one another’s shoulders.

We can see the pain of their existence in their faces. We can see there was a nuclear holocaust. Johnson sets the scene so beautifully with his art the exposition provided by the characters is excessive. Interesting because he kind of steps on his own work throughout. It’s interesting that Johnson pencils and inks his own work here. Johnson’s concepts truly are brilliant, but he needs to trust them more. If every question she has is met with an immediate answer, the mystery dwindles. The very idea of having Wonder Woman out of her element is what makes this story so compelling. Sometimes it’s better to know when not to answer a question. It’s one of those cases where half of the dialogue could be cut out. As soon as Wonder Woman breaks out of her cryogenic chamber, she’s met with constant oversharing and clumsy exposition. Yet Johnson seems to be pushing his characters to get to know one another artificially. Setting Diana in a post-apocalyptic wasteland feels like a match made in heaven. Johnson’s concepts for the series are brilliant. While it’s off to a rocky start, this series still has great potential. The overloaded pages draw away from the brilliant concept and artwork. Written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson, with colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Rus Wooton, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 rushes to be the story it wants to be.

Wonder Woman by Daniel Warren Johnson