It’s not looking good for Wonder Woman – not just because she’s on death’s door, but because a threat is growing its forces, and she has no idea it’s happening. In the current series by Tom King and Daniel Sampere, Wonder Woman faces a threat that demands she kneel to a monarchy that secretly rules America. The stakes are high, but in this latest issue, they’re the furthest things from Diana’s mind.
That’s because Diana is giving a little boy with cancer his final wish. Even with the politics surrounding Wonder Woman at an all-time worst place, the parents relent as their son truly loves Wonder Woman. Most of this issue is devoted to Diana taking the boy on an adventure to give him the greatest day of his life. Diana cares for the boy and truly sees him as a hero. Meanwhile, the machinations of the new villain introduced in this series turn, with news media and the government moving to make Wonder Woman their number one enemy.
This juxtaposition between stories, aided by blue captions that relate the enemy’s side of things as Diana shows the boy kindness, helps convey Diana as pure good. At the same time, the United States government is anything but. This issue does a good job of showing that the media is used to turn even the truly good Wonder Woman into an enemy of the people.
Anyone distrustful of the American government will likely gravitate towards this story. As King reveals, even our president is compromised. It’s also compelling to see how the media is manipulated, chasing the dog whistle of a story and helping to manufacture outrage. It’s pretty haunting and deeply real, given our 24-hour news media these days.
The media aspect is pretty realistic.
Credit: DC Comics
On a larger scale, this story also shows the ramifications not just Wonder Woman but all of Themyscira. Wonder Woman is just one hero, but throughout this issue, it becomes clear this is a war that’ll be taken to her shores.
Something else that works quite well is how heroic and confident Wonder Woman is in all her interactions. She never backs down from facing a father who doesn’t like her or Amazon who demands she take the boy off Themyscira. She’s otherworldly confident in her convictions, and that’s a rare thing to see in superheroes these days. There’s also a compelling and heartfelt look at gender norms, conveyed through the young boy who questions if something is wrong with him because Wonder Woman is his favorite and not baseball or Batman. Knowing this series will lead to Wonder Woman’s daughter, it’s clear as day that her characterization is motherly, and that’s an interesting concept.
Art by Sampere is great, especially a double-page layout of all the fun things Wonder Woman does with the young boy. It’s not just a day trip to Themyscira, but a ton of fun ways Wonder Woman shares the day with him in a real way. The invisible plane is also a topper of a moment, and Sampere renders it beautifully.
My only gripe with this issue is how the build-up of the U.S. going against Wonder Woman is so obvious and telegraphed it feels like it’s running in place for much of the issue. The build-up ends with the President making a statement, but it feels drawn out and not as big as it leads on. An act by the U.S. government, for instance, or a more direct response would have felt more earned than what is done here.
Capping off this issue is another wonderful adventure of Damian and Jon as they try to keep Wonder Woman’s daughter Lizzie safe. Belen Ortega gives these characters a fun animated vibe that suits their younger ages. This story brings in a familiar threat that toppled Superman, and it’s filled with geeky teenage lines of dialogue and characterization. It’s clear King knows youngsters and writes them well.
Wonder Woman #4 continues to be a complex thriller balancing Diana’s goodness with an evil that’s manipulating the American government. There are some deeply relatable elements at work here as we see the media craft an untrue narrative, especially when juxtaposed with how Wonder Woman truly is in her day-to-day life. Political theater is a true peril of our time and it appears Wonder Woman is at the center of it.
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