Wonder Woman #53 – Steve Orlando, Writer; Hugo Petrus, Artist; Aco, Penciller; David Lorenzo, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr., Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Steve Orlando may only be on Wonder Woman for five issues before a James Tynion IV crossover and the start of G. Willow Wilson’s run, but he’s determined to make the most of it. Picking up on plot threads from Justice League of America and surprisingly, , this issue throws the trio of heroes – Wonder Woman, Artemis, and Aztek – into a chaotic adventure. As the issue opens, they’re reunited with Amazon warrior Atalanta, but the happy reunion is short-lived. They wind up under attack from an army of winged undead warriors and battle their way through a chaotic Central American labyrinth before coming face to face with the mastermind behind the plot – Tezcatlipoca, an ancient deity. This titan manages to easily best them and seems to have the upper hand – until Artemis pulls out the Bow of Ra. This ancient artifact last destroyed her lover Akila in the Red Hood arc last year, but Artemis believes she can harness it. She’s partly right – it still takes a massive toll.
This pieces the villain’s armor, and soon the ancient God is fleeing back to the realm they came from. Although the plot can be a little hard to follow at times, keeping in line with the cosmic approach to the DCU that Orlando took in Justice League of America, it’s dynamic enough that it doesn’t matter. Hugo Petrus and Aco share art duties on this issue, but it’s rather seamless. Both deliver strong art, and some of the panel layouts are highly inventive. Orlando’s really good at creating a chaotic action scene that maintains coherence. Before the issue is over, we get a glimpse of the Gods of Hypertime. This is another plot spinning out of Dark Nights: Metal, as the fractures in the Multiverse continue to add new elements to the DCU. The battle with Tezcatlipoca is over, but the arc isn’t – next issue takes the plot back to Bana-Mighdall, where they’re expecting a heroic welcome for Atalanta, but the current leader of the desert Amazons has other plans. I’m not sure what the future holds for this title yet, but Orlando has definitely brought some adventure back to Diana’s title.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
