Comic Review: Wonder Woman #58

Wonder Woman #58

DC Comics

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Cary Nord

Inconsistency has been Wonder Woman’s biggest enemy since Greg Rucka finished his run. Since issue #25, the series has struggled with poor characterization, a messy script, or unflattering art. All of these issues don’t necessarily appear at the same time, but that just makes the series even more frustrating. The announcement that G. Willow Wilson will take over the script has made me feel more optimistic about the character than ever before.

“The Just War” is Wilson’s first arc with the character, and it focuses on the return of Ares. To start, I will say that this issue has some of the best-written characters that the series has seen in some time. Even in an issue full of war, Wilson still manages to squeeze in a few strong moments for the cast, especially Diana. While Diana and Ares get to shine, I will admit that I would have liked to see more of a few other characters. Grail is interesting in the little time she gets, and I especially loved a moment between Diana and Steve (Even if it was short-lived). Diana feels as righteous as she should be without being overbearing and avoids cringy dialogue.

While the characters shine, the story doesn’t necessarily do enough to excite. The issue mostly felt like a guide, pulling the reader from location to location. The pacing was a bit rough, but it didn’t prevent the issue from being enjoyable. Nothing overly compelling or surprising occurs, which is probably my biggest complaint about this issue. Fortunately, we are only one issue in, and it seems that Wilson has a lot piece to place around with. If the next few issues are well executed, it will be easy to forget the minor flaws here.

It’s unfortunate, but I don’t think Cary Nord’s art really works for Wonder Woman. There many panels where Diana just doesn’t look like herself or Wonder Woman. The character often doesn’t feel strong, and the art style almost feels like it changes throughout the issue in a jarring way. The inconsistencies remove the accessibility that this issue needs in order to be a perfect jumping on point for new readers. Still, the action looks fantastic, and Wonder Woman’s movements practically flow through the panels. I only wish the characters could look as great as the action does.

I enjoyed this issue, and I can’t help it but feel optimistic about Wilson’s run. I can live with the small pacing hiccups because we rarely get to see this character written so well. If this arc goes in the right direction, this will be a memorable Wonder Woman story and a fine starting point for new fans.