Wonder Woman #17 is written by Tom King and published by DC. Artwork is by Daniel Sampere, colours by Tomeu Morey and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Sampere and Morey.
Wonder Woman #17 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
The Battle of Wonder begins! After revealing the Sovereign and his plans to the entire nation, Wonder Woman sends in her girls to wage war against his army. Will these sidekicks have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with their mentors’ most fearsome foes?
Review
The final showdown between Diana and the Sovereign continues to draw near. Wonder Woman enters 2025 with yet another issue which draws heavily on Diana’s supporting sisters to show a united front against the oppressive King of the United States of America. With just two issues to go until this arc draws to a close, can Tom King’s politically-driven story make good on its promise of an epic showdown?
King’s approach to the storytelling in Wonder Woman continues to be unorthodox. Particularly given that we’re in the finale throes of the arc. Once again the lions share of the action is given to each of the Wonder Girl’s. We’ve seen them really come in to their own in the last few months and that’s reflected neatly in the Sovereign’s narrations this issue. As with previous chapters, each of the Wonder Girls has a target to take down. This time it’s the inner circle of Diana’s villains with whom the Sovereign has aligned himself in the vain hope of remaining protected.
The gradual change in Sovereign’s narrations continue to be the narrative driving force steering towards issue #19’s conclusion. It will be interesting to see the story collected together tracing the journey from issue one through to where we are now. The change has been somewhat gradual but can really be felt in statements referencing their impending “downfall”. I have to admire the subtlety in King’s pacing of this story. It’s deliciously devilish. With each issue we take little more than a step forwards whilst craving seeing this grotesque villain meet his end.
PREVIEW PAGE 1
It’s the decision to keep Diana separate from her sisters and the action which endures as King’s most bold creative choice. It’s not that Wonder Woman is squandering its headliner. Quite the opposite. Whilst Diana seems preoccupied with her newborn child I think this is merely subterfuge. Through her lullaby we learned of the Wonder Girls first strike against Sovereign. Almost like a General, commanding the troops from the safety of base camp. So seeing her absorbed in telling baby Elizabeth the story of how she met Steve Trevor, whilst carving a statue of his likeness, feels a little too obvious. Is she saving herself for the final volley? Will the Wonder Girls call Diana in to breach the White House, now the only safe haven left in the Sovereigns arsenal?
With King it’s almost impossible to tell. I have often found his writing to be unpredictable and for that I’m always grateful. This story has never been typical of Wonder Woman story. More so than under any other writer in recent memory. It’s also great to see King circling back to the political undertones which overshadowed the opening issues of this run. The outlaw of Amazons from American soil was a huge statement to make in issue #1 so bringing that back via the location for the final showdown feels right.
PREVIEW PAGE 2
I feel like a broken record when talking about the duo of King and artist Daniel Sampere. But Sampere does such a wonderful job of bringing King’s stories to life. Wonder Woman’s America feels so lived-in and grounded in the reality of a politically fractured country. The absurdity of seeing these god-like women fighting equally absurd villains is completely normalised by the sheer ease with which it’s brought to the page. Whilst I’m longing to see Diana back in action, each of the Wonder Girl’s scenes is enough to satiate my appetite… for now!
Verdict
With Wonder Woman #17 Tom King is slowly steering us towards the conclusion of his first arc. There’s so much courage and enthusiasm wrapped up in seeing the Wonder Girls fighting back against the Sovereign. Whilst I need to see Diana getting back in to the fight, the unpredictability of King’s story and the glorious artwork by Daniel Sampere are keeping Wonder Woman high on the pull list.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
