Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Wonder Woman #797 Review

   
Written by: Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad
Art by: Amancay Nahuelpan
Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by: Pat Brosseau
Cover art by: Yanick Paquette (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 21, 2023

Wonder Woman #797 continues the War of the Gods as Diana finds her deal with Hera was nothing but a lowdown dirty trick, but a mysterious stranger arrives to lend a hand.

Is It Good?

Wonder Woman #797 is... not bad. I'm not sure what it means when Cloonan and Conrad finally get their storytelling act together only AFTER the announcement that Tom King is taking over the title in a few months. Regardless of the reason, it's working. This issue isn't great, but it's moving in the right direction.

When last we left Wonder Woman, she accepted a deal from Hera to ascend to godhood in exchange for saving the lives of the Amazons and Themysicra. Now, we see the deal was a trick, and Hera hangs Diana out to dry (literally) on the Promethean Cliffs. With the help of a hooded stranger and a certain Asgardian squirrel, Diana manages to escape the cliffs and get back to Themyscira just in time to head off Hades's arrival with an army of the dead.




On the whole, this issue is not bad. The pacing is energetic, the dialog/narration is solid, and the action moments are gripping. The scope and scale of the Gods' assault on the world feel massive, and Wonder Woman gets pushed back on her heels more than once, requiring assistance from others. In effect, this issue does a great job of getting the reader to care about Diana and root for her success against overwhelming odds.

What's not so great? Not once does anyone stop the hooded stranger to identify himself. It's an obvious question that's simply ignored, contrary to what any reasonable person would do. If the intention is to keep up the mystery of his identity for as long as possible, ignoring his secrecy is the wrong way to do it.




Next, Ratatosk makes a guest appearance out of nowhere to help in Diana's rescue, and the cameo comes off as a contrived plot device. Ratatosk explains why, but the explanation is weak.

Once Diana arrives in Themyscira, the dialog turns into a validation fest. "You're the greatest", "No, you're the greatest." Enough bones have been made about validation dialog, and it's well past time Cloonan and Conrad stop repeating bad habits.

There is one more surprise. Amancay Nahuelpan is back on art duties for the second time on this run (the last appearance was WW #750), and the art looks fantastic. The character designs pop, the camera angles are dramatic, the action is thrilling, and Bonvillain's colors are immaculate. The art looks great, almost on par with Dan Mora's work on World's Finest (that's a high compliment).




About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Wonder Woman #797 follows Wonder Woman's escape from Hera's clutches while the Gods begin their assault on humanity. The art is top-notch, and the story moves with a quick pace and plenty of action. Despite a few flaws, the War of the Gods is shaping up to be a decent adventure.

7.5/10

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