The God of War may have become famous as a villain DC's Universe, but the version reborn in Wonder Woman comics is looking to put his villain days behind him. At least, that's how Ares appears to have changed in his new, heroic form.
Fans are sure to have their suspicions, even after reading our exclusive preview of Wonder Woman #59. The second part of G. Willow Wilson's "The Just War" picks up right where the previous issue left off, as Diana stands face to face with the most heroic, most flawless, and most unlikely form of Ares, the God of War. And even if she does have a soft spot for blondes, Wonder Woman is going to have some doubts that any god or goddess could become this good a hero overnight.
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The story began by leaving Ares' true motivations somewhat in question, chained up as a prisoner deep in the island of Themyscira (where he has spent more than a few centuries following his vanquishing at the hands of the Amazons). Deciding that he had realized his wrongs of the past, but felt he had served his time because of them, he ordered a fellow prisoner to slay him that he might be reborn free of those misdeeds. Now that he's pleading his return to the light to Wonder Woman, his "kinswoman," it seems he truly has learned the error of his ways.
Check out the preview pages below to see for yourselves:
The Greek mythology enthusiasts out there might raise an eyebrow or two at the idea of Ares remaking himself to be a just God, and a champion of the vulnerable - since his place in the Olympian hierarchy tends to make him the deity of bloodlust, and battlefield performance, rather than larger philosophical crusades. The two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, of course (Ares was supposed to fight Darkseid in Justice League as a defender of Earth... before playing the villain in Justice League). Still, who's to say that a war god's idea of "justness" isn't also drenched in the blood of the somewhat-less-innocent?
We'll need to see the rest of the issue before deciding how reformed or softened this new Ares really is, and whether his kinswoman Diana can call him a friend or foe. Until then, check out the full synopsis for the new issue below:
- WONDER WOMAN (2018) #59
- Published: November 28, 2018
- Writer: G. Willow Wilson
- Art: Cary Nord
- Cover: Rachel Dodson, Terry Dodson
- Variant Cover: Jenny Frison
- “THE JUST WAR” part two! It’s true, Ares has been reborn on Earth—but has he changed for the better? Of all the role models in the world, he seems to have chosen...Wonder Woman?! Diana and Steve Trevor better watch their backs, because Ares isn’t the only creature of myth to find his way to Man’s World...and he’s not the only resurrected Olympian either!
Wonder Woman #59 will be released on November 28th from DC Comics.