Wonder Woman #23 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 Daniel Sampere and Tomeu Morey.
Wonder Woman #23 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
After the thrilling conclusion of Diana’s fight against the Sovereign, she discoversthe battle for peace has only just begun. The rogue Amazon, Emilie, has fled to a mysterious island overrun by mice and a tyrant most foul. Can Wonder Woman save her fallen sister and baby before they fall into the wrong hands? Only Mouseman knows!
Review
Actions speak far louder than words as Wonder Woman returns to comic book stores today. Tom King’s spirited take on DC’s original Amazon princess begins a new arc. One which continues to focus on Mouseman, the villain at the centre of last month’s brilliant flashback issue. King and artist Daniel Sampere are showing their synergy as the art does just as much talking as the dialogue to establish a new location which we’re only just beginning to explore.
Last month we witnessed the first time Wonder Woman met Mouseman. King neatly tied the story back to happier times for Diana and Steve Trevor. He also established a connection between Mouseman and The Sovereign which allows this new arc to become part of the series’ overarching narrative. But without that ongoing story smothering any standalone elements or hampering any new readers from jumping in to the series. Kicking off this brand new arc is a tantalising moment when we first see words which echo throughout the book. “Mouseman knows” and “mice have ears”. Two phrases which are the backbone of Mouseman’s not-so-secret island community. It starts out an intriguing tease but soon becomes troublesome as King begins to fill in the gaps. But cleverly even though the visual cues give away some of the oppression the residents, there’s still plenty of story being held back for next month and beyond.
King neatly bobs back-and-forth between Diana setting up her mission and events on the island. On the Watchtower Diana interacts with Stephanie Brown before Mister Terrific cuts down her request for an official sanction. Of course we all know she’s unlikely to follow orders. Particularly with Etta Candy in potential danger on Mouseman’s island. On the island itself we are introduced to Mouse-life through a young girl with whom Diana will eventually come to interact.
Given this island isn’t a well established location in the DCU it makes sense that King would use this issue to set it up. What I hadn’t anticipated was the fact there would seemingly be no free speech. The choice to repeat key Mouse-phrases over and over came as a real surprise. It instantly shifts all of the heavy lifting to Sampere’s artwork as we see this new character going about their daily life. It’s so unnerving to see these people going about their daily lives never speaking a normal word. The visual cues are what betray the fact Mouseman must be an unruly leader. Sampere imbues most panels with some kind of unease. It might be a glance between characters or a piece of body language. But the tension is there throughout which is no easy feat.
That’s not to say there aren’t moments which outright confirm the tyrannical nature of Mouseman’s regime. A scene featuring a citizen being dragged from their car and beaten is more than enough to tell us Wonder Woman needs to stop this man. But in actuality we know she’s really only going to the island to find Etta. I’ve always applauded King for not giving away too much too soon and this new arc continues that wonderful tradition.
There’s plenty of mileage left in the tank as Diana arrives on the island. The cliffhanger to Wonder Woman #23 certainly leaves a lot of room for interpretation whilst we wait for next month. But it also perfectly positions this issue as setup with the story now able to hit full speed moving forwards. Given how much groundwork needed to be laid for what’s to come, the pacing could easily have dragged this month. But that’s to the intriguing setup it never feels anything less than a page turner.
Verdict
Wonder Woman #23 sets up a new arc in a very unexpected way. King and Sampere have always been a dynamite duo. But to see them working together in this way, leaning so heavily on art over dialogue is yet another example of how Wonder Woman has become more experimental, freeing itself from comic book convention.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
