Review: Wonder Woman #10
Wonder Woman #10 by writer Tom King, artist Daniel Sampere, & colors Tomeu Morey serves as the final act in the ‘Sacrifice’ arc ahead of DC’s upcoming Absolute Power event. The issue’s main story focuses on two plots which converge by the issue’s end: 1) the Sovereign banishing Wonder Woman to an island where he had a kidnapped & deprived Cheetah waiting; & 2) the Wonder Girls attempting a rescue mission while trying to figure out how to use the invisible jet.
I've loved King's run so far (& love his work in general), but his past excellence on this run makes this issue feel like a bit of a let down even — though it was still a good issue! King introduces a compelling thought experiment centered on superhero foils via one of the Sovereign's increasingly excruciating monologues. He posits that the Batman/Joker & Superman/Lex Luthor relationships can be reduced to the fact that they're mere foils over singular spectrums. The thought experiment starts to fall apart when it transitions into a means of proving the Wonder Woman/Cheetah relationship is more complex. Yes, these two definitely have a different relationship, but the explanation didn’t feel earned. I thought King's writing for the Sovereign here was too heavy-handed and that's saying something given how drawn out the Sovereign's monologues have been!
This was also the first issue where it felt like the Sovereign's plan wasn’t actually as big of a threat to Diana as he, nor King, tried to make it seem. Even though we've seen Diana overcome everything he's thrown at her so far, her trials always had a level of credibility that made you think Diana really did have to dig extra deep for something special saved in the tank to overcome the odds. Did the Sovereign really think sending Diana for a solo fight against an opponent she's beaten multiple times would be the solution to his Wonder Woman problem? The math didn't math. I never once thought she was in trouble, nor did the ultimate resolution teach us anything new about her resolve. King has already emphasized that Diana's true power isn't in her physical strength. It's a great point of differentiation compared to other super heroes, but did we need to be reminded once again so soon?
Daniel Sampere's art continues to soar in this series. He brilliantly choreographs the issue's epic battle, comparing Cheetah’s animalistic ferocity with Diana's elegant fighting technique. He adds beautiful detailed environments in the background to complement his detailed character designs and action sequences. He also draws one heck of an invisible jet! It's a unique tack, fully embracing the invisible aspect of it in every regard. Tomeu Morey’s colors also does a lot of work in establishing the story, helping to tell the passage of time with a change in palette. Together, these two make this book look like a million bucks.
The backup story again centers on Lizzie, Jon, & Damian. Similar to the main story, this entry also wasn't my favorite compared to others we’ve gotten. The bickering between Jon & Damian felt redundant to arguments we’ve seen between the two, but I did love their solution which resulted in a fun cameo! What I will never tire of is Belén Ortega's designs for young Lizzie. Her costume is absolutely adorable and if someone doesn’t turn it into a real-life Halloween costume this year I will be so disappointed.
Rating: 7/10
