While this issue of Wonder Woman is fun and intriguing, the story’s focus begins to unravel.
In the aftermath of the Dark Nights: Metal event, a new pantheon of gods have stepped out of the shadows. These Dark Gods have slowly been approaching Earth and are causing mass hysteria around the globe. Wonder Woman faces off against this hysteria in the form of Cheetah while her brother, Jason, begins his quest to learn of his armor. As Diana defeats her old foe, she discovers that it isn’t just the human population that is affected by the Dark Gods coming. Just as she does, she comes face-to-face with her next challenge, Supergirl. Will Wonder Woman be able to subdue a mad Kryptonian?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
Wonder Woman has an all-out brawl with the Girl of Steel. While we don’t get an explanation of how she is affected by the Dark Gods, it is an awesome fight between two of the strongest women in the DC universe. Meanwhile, Jason meets with the Fates to learn the origin of his armor, as well as his purpose. It is revealed that the armor was made and blessed by the Greek Pantheon, giving him new powers. Zeus sensed the Dark Pantheon coming long ago and created it to have Jason help Diana.
The biggest problem in this issue is that it isn’t staying with the protagonist. While that is not uncommon, the summary above should be a clear indication of the imbalance. While Wonder Woman throws down, it’s her brother, a side character, that pushes the plot forward. Even in the ending, which reveals the Dark Gods, Jason is forced to the front while Diana is shuffled to the side. The story with Jason is an interesting one, but focusing on him when it’s not even his book seems wrong. Yes, building him as a character is good, but the spotlight is more on him when it should be shared.
Art:
The best part of the issue is without a doubt the art. Stephen Segovia is the illustrator for the issue, and he knocks it out of the park. Most of the fun from the fight between Wonder Woman and Supergirl is because of the quality of the artwork. You can feel the weight behind every blow between them thanks to the detail Segovia puts in his work. Romulo Fajardo Jr. continues to color the arc, and he continues to make the characters pop. These two work well together and gives us an incredible feast for the eyes to behold.
Conclusion:
While the fight is fun, I can’t say this was a great issue. It has its moments and does well in building the character of Jason. The art team makes the whole issue look fantastic, but even they can’t hide the problem. Even if this is Wonder Woman’s book, there needs to be a balance between our leads.
