Review — ‘Wonder Woman’ #757: Sins of the Past

Wonder Woman #757 – Steve Orlando, Writer; Jesus Merino, Penciller; Vicente Cifuentes, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist

Ray – 7.5/10

Ray: With only two issues to go in Steve Orlando’s Wonder Woman run, there is a lot to wrap up and many twists yet to come. That’s both the biggest strength and the biggest weakness of this issue, which kicks off with a flashback to the initial war between the Amazons and the Valkyries millennia ago. As Paula Von Gunther’s ruthless ancestor is defeated and exiled from the island by Hippolyta, she’s greeted by a mysterious cloaked man who has a message for her. In the present day, Paula and her minions have invaded Themyscira, and the Amazons are occupied by the seemingly unstoppable Genocide. While it’s very good to see Maggie again after she mostly disappeared following G. Willow Wilson’s departure, I’ve never found Genocide a particularly intriguing villain. She’s just a female Doomsday with more green, and that’s basically the role she plays here as she takes blows from the entire Amazon army.

More compelling is the showdown between Diana and Paula, as Diana’s determination to save her former friend is pushed to its limit. I also enjoyed the interplay between Diana and Donna, although Donna’s vague characterization during her entire time in the DCU continues to haunt her. There’s a good message here about the ability of propaganda to poison a mind, as Paula battles to overcome the programming she’s been fed about the Amazon’s guilt in the massacre of the Valkyries. But ultimately, there are no easy answers here, and the appearance of a much more powerful figure at the end comes out of nowhere. Diana’s battle shifts from stopping Paula to saving her, and she goes up against a seemingly unbeatable foe on the last page. It all feels sort of random, without any real buildup to this plot. I like what it’s going for, but the execution isn’t up to some of Orlando’s best DC works.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.