Wonder Woman: Evolution #3 – Stephanie Phillips, Writer; Mike Hawthorne, Penciller; Adriano Di Benedetto, Inker; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The first of three Wonder Woman books out this week, this stand-alone miniseries has been mostly a psychological study of Diana’s commitment to humanity—on a cosmic scale. With Diana serving as humanity’s representative in a trial, she’s forced to witness a recreation of the horrors of World War II as she argues humanity has a capacity for good. I could quibble that she’s a little too quick to violence herself at some points, but the issue has a really strong hook as Diana is reunited with her former friend turned enemy Silver Swan. While she’s initially sure that this is just another illusion created by the mysterious, unknown masterminds, the appearance of another vision indicates this is anything but. Much like Diana, we’re consistently kept guessing over what’s real and what isn’t, and the cliffhanger brings into stark relief just how psychologically harrowing that is.
Wonder Woman #783 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Vita Ayala, Writers; Marcio Takara, Skylar Partridge, Artists; Tamra Bonvillain, Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorists
Ray – 8/10
Ray: It’s chaos all around in an action-packed issue as Diana and Deadman face off against an army of mirror-Dianas. Pitting Diana against herself and having these doppelgangers defaming her image right after she returns is an intriguing way to kick off this storyline, and a new villain is introduced this issue with an obsession with Diana. At the same time, we’ve got Dr. Psycho plotting behind the scenes and unleashing a threat of his own—a new Shining Knight, in thrall to the mad doctor. This masked knight makes an impressive foe, but also seems to have some hidden layers. While the action is strong, the best part of this issue is probably the long-awaited reunion between Diana and Steve Trevor, although it’s odd that it seems to take place after next month’s issue of Nubia.
The backup by Ayala and Partridge also has some strong moments, as the different clans of Amazons debate their next move. Artemis, loyal to the Bana-Mighdall but obviously holding ties to Themyscira, makes an intriguing wild card. This issue is just largely people sitting around and talking, but it helps to flesh out just how complex the rifts that will lead to Trial of the Amazons are. With four different WW books right now, it’ll be intriguing to see how they converge.
Nubia and the Amazons #4 – Vita Ayala/Stephanie Williams, Writers; Alitha Martinez, Darryl Banks, Mark Morales, Inkers; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: This is maybe the most ambitious book in the Wonder Woman line, as it often spans thousands of years of Themysciran history. The island is in flux, as Medusa has escaped her imprisonment and possessed one of the Amazons, leading to no shortage of blame and finger-pointing. Nubia tries her best to defuse tensions, but lurking in the background is the question of whether Medusa was a victim herself at the start, and if it’s ever too late to make up for a historical mistake. Flashbacks to Nubia’s time as guardian of the door also reveal a lost romance for her, in an intriguing twist. It’s great to see same-sex relationships front and center in this book, and the internal politics of the island are highly intriguing. It does still seem like it’s largely place-setting, but the conclusion sends Nubia off on a solo quest that leads to some spectacular visuals and a strong cliffhanger.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
