Wonder Woman #32 – Tom King, Writer; Daniel Sampere, Artist; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s a new era, as the Wonder War begins. Damian Wayne and Jon Kent are dead, the heroes of Earth have been vanquished, and only Wonder Woman and Trinity stand alone against the woman who has conquered Earth – the Matriarch. The daughter of a lost Amazon and the Sovereign, she was born in blood and rose to power to finish her father’s work – and that’s an interesting little commentary on the state of things. Much of this issue takes place in the conquered White House, as the white-haired Amazon explains to a reporter what she believes and what she intends to give to the world. She’s a terrifying villain, promising fascism and oppression with a smile, and representing a philosophy that under any other circumstance would hate her. She hasn’t had to destroy most of her opposition – she’s simply disarmed them and let them surrender with only token opposition from many.
Meanwhile, Lizzie and Diana are on a mission to Themyscira. It still belongs to an Amazon – but the Matriarch has turned it into a fortress of evil, populated by an army of Spartan guards. There isn’t all that much dialogue in this segment, but King makes what there is count. There’s an incredibly creepy series of segments where the Matriarch seemingly meets with some of the strongest, most brutal villains in the DCU, like Bane and Mongul. Is she testing her strength against them…or is she seeking a mate who is up to her standards? Given some of the dialogue about a “Woman’s duty”, it’s a plausible if unsettling option. The contrast between the action-packed scenes on the island and the dialogue-driven ones in the White House is interesting, but the end of the issue delivers a massive status-quo shift that has the potential to change everything going forward. This run continues to deliver on all levels.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
