Wonder Woman #26 Review - A New Era Begins

Wonder Woman #26 kicks off a new era for Wonder Woman, with a new creative team in tow. So, does it live up to Rebirth's high bar?

Spoilers incoming for Wonder Woman #26, so if you haven't read the issue yet you've been warned.

The simple answer is a bit of both. Right off the bat, Mirka Andolfo's art is simply delightful for the vast majority of the issue. Aided by the vivid colors of Romulo Fajardo Jr, Diana's world is charmingly immersive, whether in the realm of Amazons or the modern day.

There are times though that the art style clashes with the storyline's tone, like the sequence between Diana and the General. The visuals just don't mesh with the topic of conversation in this case, and it can be a bit jarring, not truly selling you on the stakes at hand. The same can be said of the issue's first pages, but then again Andolfo's sheer talent just overshadows the issue there.

As for the story itself, writer Shea Fontana is clearly setting up for much of the issue, but the good news is that she seems to have a nice handle on one of the book's core friendships, that of Diana and Etta. Trevor only makes a one-off appearance, and Barbara Ann is nowhere to be seen, so Etta seems to be the major figure of stability from the last arc to this one.

After the heaviness of Rucka's arc, it was actually refreshing to see Etta let her guard down a bit. In fact, you could say that for the book in its entirety. It was always going to be difficult to follow Rucka and company's run on the character, and steering the ship in a different direction seems to have been the right call after all.

The storyline still needs to develop a definitive "hook", but Fontana is off to a good start with these characters, especially where Diana and Etta are concerned. If you're expecting a grittier tone, this isn't it. However, if you are looking for something fresh and endearing, you've come to the right place.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.

Wonder Woman #26 is written by Shea Fontana with art by Mirka Andolfo and a cover by Jesus Merino and a variant by Jenny Frison. The official description is listed below.

"HEART OF THE AMAZON" part one! Writer Shea Fontana (DC SUPER HERO GIRLS) steps in for a new story! Wonder Woman finally takes a moment to catch her breath and attend a friend's wedding…but unfortunately, horror's followed her even there!

Wonder Woman #26 is in stores today, and you can find a preview of the issue in the gallery.

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