Wonder Woman #759
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Pat Brosseau
What a good comic book. That’s really the thing with this issue; it’s just a good, solid comic that demands attention be paid to it because it’s going places and wants you along for the ride. It shows a lot of promise as a new creative team takes over. It lays the groundwork not just for the coming story arc but also future stories. It allows the characters, and especially Diana, to shine. Maybe most importantly, this comic allows Mikel Janin to shine.
C'mon, this looks marvelous
And does he ever. This comic looks phenomenal. While Janin is best known for his time on Batman working with Tom King, this issue feels more like Grayson. That’s likely due to Janin adapting his art to the tone of the writing. There is certainly much more fun to be had here than in those Batman stories. Beyond just everything being clear and rendered beautifully, there are a ton of little details that make the work exceptional. For instance, it’s mentioned in the script that Diana has too many vases and nowhere to put them in here new apartment but Janin goes above and beyond to ensure that there is a truly absurd number of vases. Later, when Diana and her new friend, Emma, go shopping, Diana has to spring into action to save some lives. This sequence looks fantastic but the one panel showing Diana quickly slip out of her (rather large) heels is the standout.
This is the reaction shot to stuff going down
The story is incredibly easy to follow even though Janin uses some fun and potentially confusing layouts. Of course, that’s helped by Bellaire and Brosseau who make it simple to follow the action. Bellaire, a regular collaborator with Janin, brings the fun in his colors. They are light and happy. Except in the scenes involving Max Lord. There Bellaire uses more harsh reds, blues, and blacks to indicate the fun is over and shit is going down. Brosseau, for his part, takes an extremely gentle approach to guiding the reader through each page. His placement of narration boxes and speech balloons perfectly guide the eye through each layout and often helps smooth the transition between pages.
As for the story these artists are telling, it’s quite fun. Tamaki is a talented writer that shines here. Max Lord’s narration ruminating on the nature of good and evil captures both his and Diana’s characters perfectly. The comic explains exactly why Diana is a great hero before having the (presumed) antagonist muddy the waters and challenge that idea. That’s a strong setup to explore. Diana’s actions throughout back up everything the narration says about her. From leaping into action with hesitation to save lives to the way she displays understanding and immediate acceptance of Emma’s condition, which, by the way, is handled well here. She has memory issues. Issues that real people face, not Comic Book AmnesiaTM type issues. Its handled gracefully here and provides a nice form of representation for people that rarely, if ever, get it.
Max Lord is, as ever, Max Lord. He’s an evil genius that can control minds. He is also, as noted in his narration, the hero of his story. That is a common approach to writing villains in forms of media but there is something about Lord that just makes it feel more genuine than some others. Maybe it’s the writing. Or the art. It’s likely a combination of both coming together in that uniquely comic book way. Whatever it is, it is chilling and effective here.
All aspects of this comic come together to create what is
one of the freshest comics DC is putting out at this time. Will that continue?
No one can say but this team inspires trust. With this issue they may as well
demand it. It is a statement: This comic is going to be fun, adventurous, and
courageous. You can get on board or not. But if you choose not, you’re going to
miss out.
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