Wonder Woman #796 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Jordie Bellaire, Writers; Amancay Nahuelpan, Paulina Ganucheau, Artists; Tamra Bonvillain, Kendall Goode, Colorists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: This is basically the last issue of the current run, before it dovetails into an event comic tie-in with G. Willow Wilson’s Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods. And that means this issue has a LOT to cover. Eros, revealed as the mastermind behind Diana’s recent troubles, has launched a war against Washington DC. As the Titan Hyperion rampages through the city, Steve Trevor and Siggy battle against the massive beast. Diana, meanwhile, is occupied by a mob of people in love with her courtesy of Eros’ poisoning, which is a lot less fun than it sounds. Cheetah and Etta Candy are the issue’s funniest pair, as it seems like Barbara’s face-turn might actually be sticking around—but it’s Yara Flor who faces the biggest challenge.
Yara has been oddly out of focus since she was introduced, but this series reunites her with the twisted God who was obsessed with her in her short-lived solo series. Eros makes a genuinely creepy villain whose stalker tactics are all too familiar, and it’s great to see him get his comeuppance in an unexpected way. But as the issue ends, we see one major character meet an unexpected end, and another enter the fray in the form of a shocking alliance with Hera. This run has been fairly chaotic, jumping from setting to setting regularly, but it’s been a while since this franchise made such good use of the character’s mythological roots.
While the main series is strong, the Young Diana backup has been an unexpected highlight of the entire run. With charming cartoon-like art from Kendall Goode, this story of Diana’s coming of age long before she leaves the island has been a great look at her relationship with the rest of the Amazons. For this final issue, Diana is preparing to attend a ceremony honoring the fallen Amazons, but first she encounters the twisted Persephone—one of the most enigmatic figures in Greek mythology. This story is nicely melancholy, ending the backup on an ambiguous but hopeful not.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
