Wonder Woman has returned to Themyscira. She has taken a brief moment to reflect after the return of the Gods. She doesn’t get much time to rest though, Cheetah has come to the island to steal the source of the Amazon’s longevity and power.
The Positive
The last arc for Wonder Woman was a trying affair as she had to deal with the losses caused by Donna Troy, so it’s nice that this issue opens on a quiet moment of reflection. I enjoyed the small details like her sitting on the beach with her toes in the water. We also get a return of her more classic costume, maybe this is her vacation outfit.
The peace doesn’t last as she is told of an attack on the island and the serenity of the first few panels is juxtaposed with a grisly scene of Amazon warriors dead on the beach and later with the discovery of a survivor from Donna’s purge of the men. He is injured and scared, hiding in the forest.
I enjoyed the various ways that the gods played into the story, both Wonder Woman’s role as a god and the other gods. She can’t prevent Cheetah from stealing the source of their longevity but Cheetah is forced with a choice, and Cheetah becomes the source of her own undoing.
The Negative
Initially, I was confused as to whether or not Wonder Woman was still the God of War since Ares and the others had returned at the end of the last issue. By the end of the issue, it’s slightly more clear but at the beginning I wasn’t sure.
I enjoyed the way the issue resolved itself but it seemed weird since Wonder Woman didn’t really have to do anything, the story would’ve ended the same way regardless if she had been there or not. Wonder Woman learned a lesson, but Cheetah still would’ve been stopped either way.
The Verdict
This is a good stand-alone issue as the character resets for the next story arc. Like the best Wonder Woman stories, there is a lesson to be learned here for all involved about the use of power, even if she didn’t have to actually intervene to resolve the issue.
