Wonder Woman Rebirth #1 Review - The Search For Answers

There are two things that aggravate warriors to no end.

The first is being lied to. The second is not having a purpose. When combined they would make just about any warrior worth their salt quite mad, and both of these issues are at the center of Wonder Woman Rebirth #1.

Diana finds herself in the midst of a struggle for identity. She lists off her various accomplishments and endeavours, but in the back of her mind she can feel that something is off. Rucka knows this character well, and it shows in his handling of a story that could become a mess quite quickly. As a matter of fact, he uses that to his benefit, opening with a series of tales that all have been the basis of Diana's origin throughout the years.

He uses that fragmented history to give our heroine a singular purpose, and he does it by having Diana apply the lasso's power to her own mind and memories. It's an elegant way to get through the "revelation" part of all this quickly without having to resort to unnecessary exposition with multiple characters just to get us to the same place.

In an instant she knows what's been stolen, but not how, why, or by who. All of this leads to a determined and angry Wonder Woman that hasn't been seen in a while, and in a costume that greatly resembles her look in the DC Cinematic Universe. While I liked her current outfit, I can't argue that this version looks fantastic, and nicely blends her more traditional golden color scheme with some modern stylings.

The art duties on Wonder Woman Rebirth are shared between Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp, and while both have their strong points, Sharp's is the rendition I want to see more of in future issues. Part of that is the costume choice, sure, but there is an elegance to his Diana that is missing from earlier parts of the book. That seems to have been by design, and if so it worked.

By the end of the issue, Diana has a new look and a new purpose, and neither point felt less than organic. The book positions Wonder Woman in a great place for new readers to hop on board, as Rucka will explore not only her origins and history but also her rightful place in the DC Trinity and Universe overall. If he can do that with the same deft touch he used in Wonder Woman Rebirth #1, this version of Wonder Woman has all sorts of potential.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Written By: Greg Rucka

Art By: Matthew Clark (1-14) and Liam Sharp (15-20)

Inks By: Sean Parsons (1-14) and Colors By: Jeremy Colwell (1-14) and Laura Martin (15-20)