Read our review of Wonder Woman #5 from DC Comics, written by Tom King with art by Daniel Sampere and Belén Ortega.
We reviewed the book on the Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!
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Wonder Woman #5 Review:
In the latest issue of Wonder Woman, our title character is getting ready to go to war against The Sovereign. To do so, she’s trying to convince her allies to stay away — but it doesn’t work. And in the backup story, Trinity races the Supersons on kangaroo-back.
Host Alex Zalben kicked things off owning up to “being kind of hard on every issue of this book” so far. While he’s appreciated “the craft put into it, and Daniel Sampere’s art has been great, I’ve had a hard time connecting with it. This is the issue that got me… Seeing it through the lens of Yara Flores, Cassie, Donna Troy… Gave it a real emotional grounding, because these characters have a history with each other that was played out really well. the last page was perfection, I was so happy with that. And then these backup stories, I’ve loved across the board, and this was another really, really good one. I’m all-in on Wonder Woman now.”
Pete LePage agreed, adding, “this is such a great issue.” He loved the idea of Wonder Woman going toe to toe versus her fellow warriors in skill challenges, but the backup was “just awesome… A lot of fun, and very bright, a cool difference between the main story and [the backup]. Tom King is just killing it, and I’m enjoying it.”
Justin Tyler compared the book to the late, lamented McDonald’s burger the McDLT, which had a cold side and a hot side that you added together separately. “Tom King understands structure, and he’s great at putting it together in this book…. Well-structured.”
Tyler, however, was unsure what the point of the backups were in the larger story, with Zalben explaining the framing device of the series is the imprisoned Sovereign telling Trinity the story of how he lost to her mother. “So my assumption is the backup stories are walking us up to that point, that they’re showing us the history of Trinity.”
Zalben further speculated that there are twists to come, specifically that, “I don’t think she is actually Wonder Woman’s daughter… Two issues back, we found out the Amazon… who went on a rampage and killed a bunch of dudes in a bar was pregnant. I think this is that Amazon’s daughter, and Diana ends up adopting her.”
Wonder Woman #5 Official Synopsis:
THE ACCLAIMED SERIES CONTINUES! If the U.S. government can’t stop her, then who can?! As Sargent Steel retreats to gather deadlier forces, the Wonder Girls call on Diana, begging her to lay down her lasso. Will she see the truth before it’s too late? Plus, Trinity invites the sons of Batman and Superman to Themyscira for a contest they’ll never forget!
