Wonder Woman #33 appropriately feels like a myth. Wonder Woman, Trinity, and Diana descend into hell and seek out the Fates to put the world back the way it should be, and along the way we’re told about the power and the majesty of the characters.
That’s simultaneously the coolest and most disappointing part about this issue: there’s a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. A quick brawl with Charon halfway through the issue makes for a good change of pace, but otherwise it’s just the calm before the storm which is, frankly, how the entire “Wonder War” arc has felt so far.
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But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s dial things back and talk about the structure of the book. After last month, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air to have a linear story being told from A to Z and making sense all along the way. It’s a journey for the three characters, but like so many issues in this run so far, the narration is frustratingly obscured until the end of the book.
There’s discussion of Wonder Woman, this living legend, but we’re not sure who’s talking. With no point of view, it’s hard to get a read on if this narration is uplifting affirmation of her power and capabilities, or a snide retelling of her pride before a fall. That ambiguity is fun at times but ultimately frustrating since you’re without a real POV to anchor yourself to.
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But then there’s the art. Holy smokes, the art. Daniel Sampere’s pencils here are simply stunning. I want Sampere to draw the next big DC event. Hell, I want him to draw Garfield. The stoicism found on everyone’s face is beautiful and really amps up the seriousness of this story, making it look as grand as it all feels. While the few action scenes here are choreographed well and look badass, it’s the quiet moments that really shine.
The sadness on wonder Woman’s face. The look of defeat on Steve’s. The posture of apology from Trinity. These quiet moments are so loud with expression, it’s almost too much to take in at times.
These moments are accentuated by the brilliant colors of Alejandro Sanchez, who makes the mythical setting feel surreal and magical. The soft purples and blues of the River Styx are drowned out by the ominous hum of green Kryptonite as the Matriarch tortures Superman. It all has this larger-than-life feeling, and at times almost acts more like a score, telling you how to feel when you’re not sure, which I wasn’t during a pretty heated exchange between Wonder Woman and Steve.
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Story wise, it feels like we’re finally done establishing the world of this future-tense story and finally getting to the action in it. The final page promises a confrontation between the Matriarch and Wonder Woman, so maybe this third issue of the arc really was the last breath you hold before going under.
So much of this issue in particular works well because the creatives involved are exceptionally talented. While I’m frustrated with how this story is being told, I’m not going to sit here and say that Tom King doesn’t write compelling dialogue between the characters. Even if it does feel like this arc could be cut in half, that’s half as many Sampere pages, which I’m not okay with.
Wonder Woman #33 meanders a bit but never falters. In a backwards telling of Orpheus, Wonder Woman, Steve, and Trinity descend into hell and can’t look back on the world they’ve left behind, the friends they’ve lost. With the promise of conflict to come, Wonder Woman #33 seems to be where the story shifts from an interesting world to one where Diana finally takes action.
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