Wonder Woman’s battle with The Sovereign is reaching a tipping point in Wonder Woman #17, as the long-running story first featured Wonder Woman being beaten down, and now it’s her turn to beat back. Armed with the Wonder Girls, Wonder Woman #17 continues to crosscut between Diana and the baby and the Wonder Girls, taking The Sovereign’s power away one brick at a time.
Wonder Woman #17 opens with Wonder Woman punching a wall. Her fist hits, with a star to embellish her power and a nice crack. Her baby, Trinity, is by her side, as Diana keeps punching and telling Trinity how she met her father.
These scenes with Wonder Woman show that Diana isn’t simply standing by letting the Wonder Girls do her work but grieving in her own way. She’s also raising her child while reflecting on the man she loved with every fiber of her being. It’s romantic how she waxes poetic about Steve and allows the reader to grieve with her.
The scenes with Wonder Woman cuts to The Sovereign, armed with Wonder Woman’s greatest foes, as he bides his time playing chess. He continues to narrate the current situation. The Wonder Girls have taken away his money and weaponry; in this issue, it’s time to take away the location of The Sovereign’s most prized headquarters.
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Credit: DC Comics
So, The Sovereign continues to drone on about what is occurring to him while Diana tells us what we already know. It’s interesting to guess what Diana is doing, though, and The Sovereign gives some context here and there. Both elements feel quite slow, and The Sovereign says a lot that doesn’t matter much.
That said, Daniel Sampere dazzles with art and delivers excellent fight scenes. Each of the Wonder Girls gets an edge, loses it, and fights back accordingly. Each solo battle is excellent, and their teamwork to gain an edge is fun to track.
There’s also an incredible double-page splash of Giganta getting larger with Wonder Girl trying to hang on with her lasso around her neck. The detail in all the bricks, including some cool blur effects, is stunning. For all the slowness in the captions and Diana’s scenes, Sampere makes up for it with a great action sequence. Props to King for one of the coolest lines before a big splash page turn as Wonder Girl says, “Grow, b*tch.”
Wonder Woman #17 balances emotional depth and thrilling action but is hampered by a slow B-story and sometimes redundant narration. Despite these drawbacks, Daniel Sampere’s breathtaking art and the engaging Wonder Girls sequences make this issue a worthwhile read for fans.
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