Wonder Woman #19 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 #19 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 Sovereign took away Wonder Woman’s world, and now she has takenaway his. As their war reaches its end, the two icons prepare for battle.Who will emerge victorious? Find out as Diana’s quest for peace comes to a bloody end!
Review
Coming in to Wonder Woman’s latest issue I’m struggling to comprehend that poor Diana has been facing this uphill battle for 19 months. Okay she had to take a break for Knight Terrors and Absolute Power. but essentially it’s been the better part of two years since the U.S. government outlawed the Amazons. Due in no small part of the manipulation of The Sovereign and his Lasso of Lies. But here we are. The final showdown. Aptly taking us right in to the Oval Office just as America’s real struggle for power is also at a crossroads.
Tom King has done such a wonderful job of steering this ship. The fact it’s taken this long to reach a face-to-face showdown between Diana and The Sovereign is equal parts excruciating and exhilarating. I feel like I’ve been craving this moment. Seeing her staring him directly in the eye. In the moment I just want her to give him the swiftest, most lethal punch the old man can handle. Preferably delivered alongside some acidic dialogue about how he took away the one man Diana had truly loved. Now the father of her child. But of course King has other plans.
Wonder Woman #19 is typical of King’s run so far, it’s busy. There’s a lot to contend with as things wrap up. But it’s also razor sharp in its focus, bookended by a moment which sets up the next arc of the story in very unexpected ways. But that’s a story for another time… Across the arc King has shown a great balance between Diana and her supporting cast. Daniel Sampere’s cover for this issue is a shining example of how this book is more Wonder WOMEN and not Wonder Woman alone. Despite everything Diana has suffered she’s never been alone. But this issue rightly pulls the focus back towards her in isolation, finding a place for each of those supporting cast as a backdrop of the standoff with The Sovereign.
There’s also plenty of room in Wonder Woman #19 for Trinity. Finally the book takes the long-running narrations of The Sovereign and pulls us in to that moment. Finding him in his cell, discussing his long-running war with the daughter of Diana and Steve. It’s in these moments that we get some of the real insight in to what was going on. Are there questions over the reliability of his narration? Sure. But for the most part, thanks to the Lasso of Truth, we’ve got a pretty good idea that we’re seeing how things went down for real.
The power play in both time periods is scintillating. Whilst it feels like Diana has nothing but the upper hand against the aging icon of misogyny, he seems on a much more equal footing with Trinity. That means there’s an ebb and flow to Wonder Woman #19 which feels almost like a wave crashing on the shore of Themyscira. Just as Diana (or Trinity) pushes Sovereign out to see the waves bring him back with force. It reflects the analogy King is trying to convey through the story perfectly.
I’m spoiling nothing here. In the end The Sovereign’s motives in speaking with Trinity are fully informed by events at The White House. The power Diana takes in defeating him is meaningfully diminished by seeing the future landscape it gives way to. King has a long road ahead to bring us from this point to the dagger on the beach and Trinity’s confrontation at the jail. But it feels like there’s so much at stake and so much mileage left in the tank that the journey to get there could be thrilling.
Daniel Sampere has been an equally vital cog in bringing Wonder Woman to this level of success. We’re used to seeing Diana in huge, epic battles with gods and monsters. But what King has done with The Sovereign is really hone in to create something more personal. What Sampere has been able to do with that is pack an emotional punch. All the key moments, especially in this issue, land so well in Sampere’s style. Facial expressions go a long way to emphasising what King is trying to do. But the strength and courage of Diana and her sisters if wonderfully conveyed through Sampere’s character work.
It feels difficult to say this is an arc coming to an end. There’s so much more story to tell which will revolves around The Sovereign. Whether King chooses to stay with it until the bitter end. Or step away and allow other villains (looking at your Mouse Man) to take the spotlight for a while. There’s so much rich storytelling sitting right at our fingertips which has me excited for whatever comes next.
Verdict
A dynamic heart-stopper of a finale. The war might be over for now but Tom King has so much more story to tell…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
