Wonder Woman #4 – Tom King, Writer; Daniel Sampere, Belen Ortega, Artists; Tomeu Morey, Alejandro Sanchez, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: As war is brewing, Tom King pays homage to one of the most beloved comic book stories of all time—directly from the competition. “The boy who collected Spider-Man” was a short that saw Spider-Man reveal his secret identity to a young superfan—who was dying of cancer. This time, it’s Diana who is visiting a dying young fan, a boy who wants nothing more than to spend a day with her and see Paradise Island. Of course, this poses some challenges—namely, that no men are allowed there, no matter how young or vulnerable. This is a quintessentially Wonder Woman story, in which no rule will stop her from doing what’s truly right, and it also features some beautiful dialogue from her young friend about his fears.
But where there’s light and hope, there is also darkness—as war is brewing. The death of the young soldier who was forced to commit suicide by the Sovereign last issue is being used for propaganda, as he’s turned into a martyr by the sadistic mad king and his allies. Tom King clearly understands propaganda, and it’s terrifying to see it in action—especially when we see how the President is little more than a pawn to this mysterious new villain. Each issue of this series really feels more like a single-issue play that still fits into a larger spot, and this one might be the best of the lot so far. King writes a pitch-perfect Diana, one who is standing alone against a fast-spreading darkness that’s all too familiar.
But for something much lighter, the Trinity backups continue to be a complete delight. In this one, Lizzie is now 13 and being watched in the Batcave by Jon and Damian so she doesn’t get up to teenage antics. But they don’t play close enough attention, and then the next thing you know she’s been taken over by Black Mercy. As the two boys bicker over how to save her, Lizzie is caught in a fantasy world where she’s Wonder Woman and the two boys are fighting to impress her. These segments are much more breezy and silly than King usually writes, and I’m loving it.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
