Wonder Woman #797 // Review
Diana had been granted godhood. (Kind of.) Now, she’s tied with her own lasso to a column sticking out of the Promethean Cliffs. To make matters worse, Hecate has just arrived to offer her...help. Things clearly aren’t going well for her in Wonder Woman #797. The writing team of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad begins to close out its run in an issue drawn with great dramatic impact by Amancay Nahuelpan. Color amplifies mood and power courtesy of Tamra Bonvillain. Mary Marvel makes her appearance on Themyscira in a back-up story by writer Josie Campbell and artist Caitlin Yarsky.
Wonder Woman knows not to trust Hecate. And Hecate knows when she’s not wanted. So Diana’s all alone on the Promethean Cliffs until a mysterious stranger pops in to help out. She’ll get free, but freedom comes at a price as the gods no longer protect Themyscira, which is being overrun by zombies. She might have to leave to deal with a few things off the island, which is a bit unfortunate, as Mary Marvel has specifically shown up to try to secure her help. She’d expected to meet her childhood idol. Instead, she’s fighting zombies alongside some very badass warrior women.
Wonder Woman has been tied up with her own lasso more times than could be safely counted over the years across many, many Earths. Cloonan and Conrad find a way to make the imprisonment seem fresh and interesting in a really impressive 6-page sequence. The rest of her journey is a fast-paced adventure that launches Wonder Woman into the next issue of Revenge of the Gods. Campbell’s back-up with Mary is a great deal of fun as well. The young hero’s encounter on the shores of Themyscira is a quick, little rush at issue’s end.
Nahuelpan captures Diana’s classic beauty in a new costume that looks suitably impressive. Nahuelpan amplifies Wonder Woman’s expressiveness with stunning eyes and dramatic facial expressions. The action slams into the page with quite a bit of force thanks to some rather brilliant framing and composition on Nahuelpan’s part. Bonvillain casts a moody gloom over the page that gives Wonder Woman’s gold armor a chance to really burst off the page. Yarsky gives Mary’s adventure in Themyscira an earthbound power. She’s just some girl in a Wonder Woman t-shirt who has arrived in Themyscira until she sees that zombies have shown up. The transformation to hero is that much more powerful as Yarsky contrasts it against the decaying army of zombies.
The final sprint to the end of Conrad and Cloonan’s run on Wonder Woman feels like it’s going to be an intrepid triumph. The writing team is pacing everything thoughtfully while still keeping the energy rolling. (The sudden reappearance of Ratatosk is a welcome addition to the issue as well.) Campbell’s continuation of Mary Marvel’s journey is a well-conceived back-up that integrates nicely with the rest of the issue.
