Despite arguably being DC Comics‘ most recognizableheroine and a trailblazing character for female representation in superhero movies, Wonder Woman’s comic adventures have fluctuated wildly across recent years. The Princess of Themyscira has been a core part of countless DC events (including the current Dark Nights: Death Metal storyline) and featured in some some stellar Elseworlds stories (the surreal Black Label book Wonder Woman: Dead Earth and the YA-friendly Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed both come to mind), but her canonical monthly stories has left fans wanting more. With the series’ new creative team—including writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Mikel Janin—Wonder Woman finally gives fans more, and then some. Wonder Woman #759, the debut of this new run, is gorgeously executed and subtly surprising, as it begins crafting an irresistible storyline.
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This issue follows Diana as she moves into her new apartment in Washington, D.C., quickly becoming acquainted with new neighbors and fellow citizens, including a young girl named Emma. Through a series of events that is too good to spoil here, Diana stumbles into a mysterious conspiracy impacting innocent citizens. In the process, Diana is placed in a rematch against one of her most formidable foes.
One of the best things about this new Wonder Woman arc is its unabashed focus on Diana herself, which is already highlighting what makes her such a standout superhero. While the previous runs from writers G. Willow Wilson and Steve Orlando had many positive qualities, they occasionally suffered from Diana posing as a passive protagonist, one who was being swallowed up by the events and other characters around her. While essentially none of Wonder Woman’s regular side characters and antagonists are in this issue, there’s already a sense that this creative team can handle bringing any of them into the fold in an elegant fashion, while also maintaining the focus on Diana. Although the events of issue #759 are relatively simple when summarized, Diana’s unabashed heroism and savviness are given ample opportunities to shine. The issue even acknowledges this with its seemingly omnipotent narration, which chronicles the various reasons why Diana deserves to be celebrated in the DC universe.
The issue also finds some endearing ways to humanize Diana within the modern world, a challenge that has faced essentially every contemporary Wonder Woman writer, whether in comics, movies, or television. Diana’s heart and earnestness offer a through-line in this issue, whether she’s leaping into battle to save others, or bonding with Emma on the idiosyncrasies of a popular furniture retailer. Even with an unimaginable origin story and power, Diana is presented as unabashedly authentic in our society without having to rely on “girl power” stereotypes. It is honestly unsurprising with Tamaki at the helm, with her stellar track record on superhero comics like Supergirl: Being Super and Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, and last season’s standout Supergirl episode “Alex in Wonderland.” Tamaki clearly has a knack for nuanced stories involving female superheroes, and it will be fascinating to see her take on Diana evolve in future issues.
Janín’s art clearly conveys the fresh quality of this new beginning, with every page brilliantly and tastefully rendered. Every panel is impeccably crisp, but still possesses a profound sense of kinetic energy, especially during action sequences. One of the biggest highlights of the issue is witnessing Diana’s approach to street style and casual clothes, which is refreshingly easy for fans to emulate. Jordie Bellaire‘s colors provide a beautiful compliment, bringing a modern energy while also feeling timeless. Patt Brosseau’s lettering ties it all together very well, with creative decisions that work for every kind of theme this issue presents.
With Wonder Woman #759, superhero comics’ greatest heroine gets the dynamic, canonical solo storytelling she deserves, establishing a new status quo and expertly building out her iconography and world. Tamaki’s narrative perfectly gets to the heart of who Diana is, while teeing up a compelling mystery for her to explore. The art from Janín and company summons the perfect blend of timeless and timely, and makes this issue—and all future ones—a must-read collector’s item for Wonder Woman fans. Even those who only know Wonder Woman from her appearances on the big screen should seek this can’t miss issue.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Published by DC Comics
On July 28, 2020
Written by Mariko Tamaki
Art by Mikel Janín
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Lettering by Pat Brosseau
Cover by David Marquez
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