Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #4 – Andrew Constant, Paul Azaceta, Sina Grace, Andrew MacLean, Sherri L. Smith, Writers; Nicola Scott, Paul Azateca, Leonardo Romero, Andrew MacLean, Colleen Doran, Artists; Annette Kwok, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Five more stories of Wonder Woman this month from some of the best writers and artists in the industry. How does this month’s slate shake out?
First up is “Prayer” by Andrew Constant and Nicola Scott. This is a beautiful story of man vs. nature—except the nature is an ancient beast, a griffin who grew old and dangerous until it attacked a family in their campervan. Diana is forced to fight the creature in its death throes, but once it’s gone, she chooses to pay tribute to the creature’s life rather than the sad way it ended up. It’s another great example of how Diana fights with compassion above all else.
Paul Azateca goes solo on the next story, “Amazing.” This is a cute slice-of-life story that begins with an ordinary event—a young girl annoying her older brother by pretending to be Batman. But her favorite hero changes in a hurry when Wonder Woman shows up in a battle with Giganta—who destroys the apartment building, forcing Diana into a hurried rescue of the kids. It’s a slight story, but it also has some stunning realistic art in the battle scene.
Sina Grace and Leonardo Romero give us something very different with “Whatever Happened to Cathy Perkins?” It shows Diana catching up with the title character, a minor supporting player from Diana’s cult-favorite kung-fu ’70s comics. The two reunite and reminisce, with Cathy now an old woman—but the flashbacks soon take a very dark and physical twist. The reveal here is a poignant look at what it truly means to be alive and to live a meaningful life.
I never expected to see Andrew MacLean, the gonzo creator of “Head Lopper,” doing a DC story, and his installment “Love Failed” is suitably bizarre for this indie talent. It’s dense, as MacLean’s work usually is. As Diana follows a work friend into a bizarre cult, she discovers that it’s less a scam and more something supernatural and eldritch. The art is unlike anything else we’ve seen in this book, and MacLean draws bizarre creatures like no one else.
Finally, it’s Sherri L. Smith and Colleen Doran on “Wing Woman.” It’s the story of a female pilot in WW2 named Delia Burns. She’s on a non-combat mission when she comes under Nazi fire and is headed to a watery grave—until Wonder Woman comes to the rescue in her invisible plane. The plot here is just a brief snapshot, but the writing is excellent and suspenseful, and the art is absolutely stunning.
Another great issue all around, with no weak links and some unique talent.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
