Wonder Woman: Warbringer: The Graphic Novel

by Leigh Bardugo, Louise Simonson (Adapted by), Kit Seaton (Illustrator)

Overview

She will become one of the world's greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Leigh Bardugo, this graphic novel adaptation brings to life Diana's first adventure beyond the hidden shores of Themyscira.

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn't know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401282554
Publisher:	DC Comics
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	386,048
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse. With over three million copies sold worldwide, her Grishaverse spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars—with more to come. Her other works include the forthcoming Ninth House and short stories that have appeared in The Best of Tor.com and the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Wonder Woman: Warbringer the novel: 

"Feminism is the invisible jet powering this literary revamp of the Amazon princess." —The New York Times Book Review 

"You’ll enjoy this book whether you’re a fan of Wonder Woman comics, the Wonder Woman movie, Leigh Bardugo, or just YA lit in general." —Hypable 

"Warning: This novel about the young super hero crossing paths with a seemingly ordinary—but seriously powerful—girl may result in multiple fist pumps." —Seventeen

From the Publisher

12/06/2019

Gr 7 Up—DC's most dynamic heroine returns to the paneled page in this graphic adaptation of Bardugo's 2017 novel. Molded from clay and animated by goddesses, Diana, Princess of Themyscira, is, unlike her battle-tested Amazon sisters, "hollow and breakable." Desperate to prove herself, she enters a footrace but veers off a cliff to save an imperiled ship on the horizon. When she brings Alia, the wreck's sole survivor, to shore, earthquakes rattle her idyllic homeland and Amazons fall inexplicably ill. Alia is a Warbringer, descended from Helen of Troy and shadowed by death and desolation. Facing exile and chaos, Diana and Alia must travel into the world of men and bring the Warbringer bloodline to an end. Simonson and Seaton's joint effort combines key elements of superhero comics, movies, and texts. Although word and image aren't always perfectly balanced, the script judiciously filets Bardugo's dense original. The fast-paced, witty, action-packed narrative chugs along with cinematic verve, ably balancing lore, characterization, and distinctive sequences. Each character—especially Alia, of mixed black and Greek parentage, and Nim, her fat, fierce, funny, and fiendishly intelligent confidante—has ample space to express their individuality. While most illustrations are subsumed by blue-gray wash, the palette flares red and orange when things grow especially intense—an effective and clever device. VERDICT Every exceptional aspect of Bardugo's novel—especially her ethnically, emotionally, and experientially inclusive cast—shines here. Simonson and Seaton present many models of female strength for reluctant readers, comic geeks, and Wonder Woman fans.—Steven Thompson, Sadie Pope Dowdell Library, South Amboy, NJ

School Library Journal

2019-10-25
A graphic adaptation of Bardugo's (Ninth House, 2019, etc.) 2017 novel of the same name.

Diana was molded from clay by her mother, Hippolyta, and given life by the goddesses. Because she was made and did not earn her place in Themyscira, Diana is determined to prove herself to her mother and her fellow Amazons by winning the race to Bana-Mighdall. Midway through the race, Diana witnesses a ship exploding and sets aside her desire for victory to save a girl, Alia. When Alia's presence on the island wreaks havoc, Diana learns she is a Warbringer, cursed to bring death and destruction everywhere she goes. Diana and Alia flee Themyscira, return Alia to New York City and, with the help of Alia's brother and two of their friends, work to break the curse. The introduction of necessary background information doesn't always flow well with the conversation bubbles, and red-outlined text boxes showing Alia's thoughts feel insufficient for the introduction of a second narrator. Well-paced and funny, where this adaptation stands out is in the illustrations that show people of color in a nuanced way. The cast is diverse—Diana appears white, Alia and her brother are biracial (black and Greek), their two friends are cued as South Asian, fat, and queer and Afro-Latinx respectively. Readers need not have read any other Wonder Woman stories to enjoy this one.

Diana's lasso of truth shows this one is a winner. (Graphic novel. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews