REVIEW: ‘Wonder Woman,’ Issue #766

Wonder Woman #766 is published by DC Comics, written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Steve Pugh, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letters by Pat Brosseau. Having lost her sight, Diana is forced to be led by Maxwell Lord as she stumbles through a land twisted created by Count Vertigo’s latest scheme. Will she be able to compensate for her denied sense and defeat Vertigo. And does Lord intend to do more than simply guide Diana to her goal?

Change in people is a tricky thing to judge. When someone has a history of destruction and treachery at what point does one know they are good? When can trust truly be earned back? Or is it fair if they can never have that trust that they, of their own volition, have broken? For one whose greatest quality is often described as mercy, this must be an extremely tough judgment to make. But, Diana still needs to make such judgments. And if she has chosen wrongly, it is more than just herself that may pay the price.

Jumping back into Wonder Woman #766 is an odd moment for me. The last time I saw Diana and Maxwell Lord in the same comic panel Diana was snapping Lord’s neck way back in Infinite Crisis. That Diana is trusting Lord to be her guide while her sight has failed her is a leap of faith I cannot even imagine. But hey, she is a superhero. They are supposed to do stuff I cannot imagine.

As Diana struggles through the twisted landscape created by Vertigo’s stolen Lord Enterprises technology she begins to see things, but not as she would expect to. As the outlines of objects, some real, some not, begin to fill the blackness of her sight she begins to suspect the Lasso of Truth is trying to speak to her. But what it is saying is currently beyond her comprehension.

During Diana’s journey through Wonder Woman #766, she recalls a day during her training on Themyscira. How she was trained with a blindfold to heighten her other senses. To learn not to be so dependent on her eyes. And perhaps a small lesson about acting to overcome a problem instead of simply griping about it.

As the duo comes under fire from Vertigo’s minion Lord rushes Diana to the walls of a nearby castle. When they arrive at their destination Diana quickly discovers she has lost Lord. As Vertigo arrives to confront our heroine we are treated to a truly impressive moment as Diana prepares herself to knock the latest obstacle that expects to stop her out of the way.

The art of Wonder Woman #766 delivers its plot excellently. Even without her eyes, Diana is never shown to be an ounce less than what one expects of her. She might not quite radiate her full confidence as she walks blindly behind Lord, but nor does she ever appear broken or defeated. It will take more than losing her eyes to defeat the hero that Diana is. Artist Pugh seems fully aware of this fact and delivers all her strength accordingly.

The art is further enhanced with the excellent colorwork on the part of Fajardo. This is especially true of the panels that depict her strange vision. While these panels are not groundbreaking per se, they deliver the effect beautifully. Lastly, Brosseau’s letters deliver a nice variety of color and style to the fonts used to deliver both the dialogue as well as the various sound effects throughout the story. It guides the reader through its panels far smoother than Lord guides his charge.

All in all Wonder Woman #766 delivers a strong start to the upcoming story arc. I look forward to seeing how Wonder Woman will overcome the challenges to come.

Wonder Woman #766 is available now wherever comics are sold.