Ricky Church reviews Wonder Woman #9…
“THE LIES” part five! Diana takes another step closer to discovering the truth…and the mysterious Godwatch responds!
Now that her adventure through the jungle is over, Diana had a much quieter chapter in Wonder Woman #9, one which focused more on re-establishing relationships between Diana and some of her long time supporting characters. It was a nice break from the action that also tied into ‘Year One’s interlude in Wonder Woman #8 as the search for Themyscira continued. Because of the character work done here, Wonder Woman #9 is one of the best issues of the series thus far.
Greg Rucka has shown over and over again how well he does with a quieter chapter and this is no exception. Rucka really nails all the character’s interactions and differentiates their dialogue enough that none sound the same. Seeing Diana reconnect with Etta Candy and the former-Cheetah was pleasant, especially after the recent ‘Year One’ issues that show the beginning of their friendship.
In the last few years Diana and Steve never really had the same relationship they shared prior to The New 52, but that is something Rucka has slowly been changing. Their conversation at the end was heartfelt and emotional and maybe even a little meta-commentary on The New 52 as Diana even said she wasn’t sure why she was romantically involved with Superman. Still, it was nice to see them back together again and Rucka’s interesting comment on Wonder Woman, that she is good at loving people, but not very good at romance.
Liam Sharp’s art is, once again, a highlight of Wonder Woman. He’s able to give Diana a different presence when she’s in and out of her Amazon outfit. There’s a great two-page spread that shows the effect Wonder Woman has among the general public. It’s also a lot of fun finding the Easter eggs in this spread, such as Sharp’s depiction of various creative teams that have previously worked on Wonder Woman. Diana’s meeting with Steve is particularly nice to look at thanks to Laura Martin’s colours as Diana and Steve are set against a colourful beach and sunset.
One aspect that was somewhat distracting at the beach, though, was how Diana’s hair or face seemed to change slightly from panel to panel. For instance, in one panel her hair is free and flowing, but in the next some of it is pulled back in a ponytail. As for the facial work, some of it seems to be a nod to other artist’s work on the character; one panel seems to emulate Frank Quitely while another looks inspired by Frank Miller. Its not exactly off-putting, but just seems a little inconsistent.
Wonder Woman #9 is one of the best issues of Diana’s Rebirth era thus far for its examination of her closest relationships. Rucka also brings back a character from his pre-New 52 run that makes for an intriguing development while ending on an interesting cliffhanger. Sharp’s art and Martin’s colours make the visuals stand out despite a couple small inconsistencies, continuing Wonder Woman’s standing as one of the best looking comic books DC is publishing right now.
Rating: 8/10
Ricky Church
Originally published October 29, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
