Wonder Woman #753 Review

by Carlos R. on March 11, 2020

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Max Raynor
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Lettered by: Pat Brosseru
Publisher: DC Comics

Wonder Woman #753 continues Diana’s team up with Valda, this issue is done well, but I’m left to wonder if this arc could have benefited from an extra issue to further develop Valda and Diana’s relationship. They become fast friends and their dialogue is great, but it doesn’t feel as earned as it could.

Now that the inevitable hero vs hero fight is out of the way, we can continue on our journey. Diana and Valda come upon the beast we met at the end of the last issue. Much of this book is dedicated to defeating the chromium creature to, hopefully, aid Valda in returning to her time. We also continue to follow Warmaster on her quest to assemble her Horsewomen to confront Wonder Woman.

Diana and Valda’s camaraderie gives off Legolas and Gimli vibes in this issue and I’m all for it. Their previous challenge to defeat one another transitions to how many people each can save. Their banter is great and Wonder Woman’s instruction and reassurance to those she saves are subtle additions to the dialogue that convey who’s who even when the characters are off panel. I think this arc could have benefitted from an extra issue to really develop their relationship, but instead we move from fight to fight and Valda’s choice at the end of this arc is stripped of any emotional investment.

I’ve enjoyed the series thus far but have to nitpick at the pacing. Warmaster’s, Detective Nunes’, and Diana’s arcs are all weaving together, but not in a very meaningful way. Warmaster needs 4 Horsewomen and she’s had little to no resistance in acquiring the ones so far and Diana keeps stumbling into plot devices, which diminishes her agency. Orlando has a knack for writing Diana, and it’d be great if he could take his time in these setups, otherwise the conclusion we’re building up to is in danger of having a lackluster payoff.

Raynor and Fajardo’s artwork was the best part of the previous issue, and they still do a great job here, but there are some points where their work falls short. My biggest complaint lies in character postures. I expected a bit more from this medieval kaiju battle after the previous issue, but here, Diana and Valda’s fluid-like movements are swapped for mostly heroic posing. However, the art team shines on the Warmaster portion of the story, Armageddon is massive in her first appearance in this issue and dwarfs Warmaster. The ferocity in her attacks shows with each strike and Warmaster can only hang on for dear life after being caught off guard.

We come to the end of the Iron Maiden arc in this issue, and though it closes this chapter on a fitting note for Diana and Valda, the pacing cuts us from establishing an emotional connection with Valda. The art suffers, possibly from such a rapid release schedule, but still has lots to offer.
 

Our Score:

6/10

A Look Inside