Wonder Woman has battled Sovereign in two different ways, and in Wonder Woman #10, it’s round 3. First, the Lasso of Lies was forced on her, but she relented. Then, she was isolated for an extended period, but she relented. In Wonder Woman #10, Diana must face off against her greatest rival, Cheetah. It’s a very revealing issue, as Tom King promised us on the AIPT Comics podcast.
Wonder Woman #10 jumps between two plots. The first involves Wonder Woman waking up on a mysterious island where Cheetah waits. The second involves the Wonder Girls attempting to find and fly Wonder Woman’s invisible jet. These two plots balance comedy, action, and the ongoing intensity of Sovereign’s captions.
And boy, does Sovereign not know how to shut up. Blue caption boxes highlight his tactics and purpose in thrusting Diana against Cheetah. Once again, he overestimates elements, which bring out some surprise. While he chatters on longwindedly, albeit insightfully at times, Diana fights for her life.
Artist Daniel Sampere shows Cheetah’s ferocity quite well, balanced with Wonder Woman’s surefootedness and make-it-look-easy fighting style. By the end of the issue, Sampere makes you believe these two characters are equally matched when Wonder Woman’s weaponry is removed. The battle is fierce, yet Sampere shows Wonder Woman isn’t fighting with anger. When the fight nears its end, King swoops in with dialogue that further cements Wonder Woman is heroic on another level.
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There’s also a compelling argument made about superhero foils. Lex Luthor and Joker are mentioned in the same breath as Cheetah, and the argument is quite sound. It’s one of the more interesting elements conveyed in the issue and comes from Sovereign’s monologue in the captions. They run long at times, but they make interesting points. Connecting the dots to the point about nemesis and why Wonder Woman is fighting Cheetah on the island at all, and we have yet another example of King showing how Wonder Woman is more valiant than any other hero.
The Wonder Girls are delightful in this issue, teasing one another or remarking on things like siblings would. Sampere captures a lot of their charm through facial expressions, which are lively and vibrant. Bonus props to Sampere for drawing these women inside an invisible flying jet and making it look realistic.
This issue continues the ongoing backup stories featuring Trinity, who is around five or six years old. Belen Ortega draws a super-cute Trinity complete with a Robin costume and green tutu. The story centers on Trinity trying to fly a kite while Jon and Damian bicker. The bickering is downright hilarious as they argue about their approach to things or even what they teach Trinity. The story culminates in a return for an important character King wrote in Batman that should give folks a nice kick.
Wonder Woman continues to be the best superhero comic written today. There’s a wholesomeness in how it conveys her heroism and strength, which end up being her greatest superpowers.
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