[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoiler.]
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino, Carmen Carnero, Ray McCarthy, Romulo Fajardo Jr. & Hi-Fi
Summary
Wonder Woman and her brother continue their fight with Silver Swan while Steve Trevor battles Darkseid’s furies.
Positives
The cover by Jesus Merino and Alex Sinclair is really cool. I love the image of Diana’s weapons on the floor in a pool of blood; that’s a foreboding image. The cracked frame is a nice touch as well.
The interior art features pencils by Emanuela Lupacchino and Carmen Carnero, inks by Ray McCarthy and Carnero and colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Hi-Fi. Their work is gorgeous. I love Lupacchino’s pencils; she’s one of my favorite artists. The characters are so expressive which sells much of the emotion. The colors are great as well.
I think it’s really cool that this is a three issue story. There are elements that will continue, obviously, but this was a fairly tight plot by modern standards. I appreciate that James Robinson has a good sense of pacing.
Negatives
The issue is a little boring. I loved the first part of this story; I thought Vanessa was fascinating. After that, it became more of a split personality thing which is not my favorite story concept in the world. It can work but it often feels a little played out to me. Diana, in dialogue, references that this is pretty much what Greg Rucka did with Cheetah not that long ago. I think it’s because we want Diana to be compassionate and save the villain from themselves; a split personality makes that easier.
I don’t think the Steve Trevor subplot is necessary. It’s mostly an action scene of them fighting the furies. Personally, I am disinterested in the Darkseid story right now. I kind of just want it to go away.
Verdict
This is an okay issue. It looks amazing and is worth buying for the art alone. I think the conclusion is a little disappointing. I thought Vanessa was potentially great and the story became a little generic for me. Wasting time on a Darkseid subplot didn’t help either. It’s still enjoyable; the action is cool and Robinson writes Diana well but it could have been more.
