Wonder Woman #786 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Jordie Bellaire, Writers; Rosi Kampe, Paulina Ganucheau, Artists; Marissa Louise, Kendall Goode, Colorists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Trial of the Amazons is in full swing now, with the three champions chosen—and Diana choosing to do exactly what she did last time and entire without approval from the Queen to compete for her own interests. After a ceremony where the three official champions are each gifted a sacred artifact from their tribe to use in the challenge (and Diana brings her sword in), things take an unexpected turn. The ancient enemy who claims to be the last of the original Themyscirans makes his move, the four champions find themselves swept away into an underground catacomb, and the three Amazon tribes quickly turn on each other and accuse each other of sabotage. Just as the villain intended.
While the Amazons are doing the enemy’s work for him, a foreign influence soon starts possessing them and making things worse. While things fall apart on the surface, surprisingly the four champions are getting along much better as they try to make their way through a disturbing realm. Is this the tournament in a new form, or something more similar? It definitely looks like the latter, with the appearance of one of the most ancient Amazon enemies Echidna. The art on this segment is particularly fantastic, and it’s interesting to see the dynamics play out. Particularly, this is the first time we’ve actually seen Yara and Diana interact. The story is charging ahead in a big way now, and it looks like we’re headed for a strong conclusion.
Then there’s the Young Diana backup, which is focusing on Diana’s complex relationship with her mother—all the more poignant given Hippolyta’s recent death. Last issue, Hippolyta seemed rather flighty as she worked her way into the greenhouse of Themysicira’s chief gardener and seemed like she was about to interfere with the harvest. But this issue shows a much more canny leader, as she subtly manipulates two important Amazons to create a better, more equitable system of doing things. It’s actually a really clever message about the art of statecraft and how it can be used as a force for good.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
