Wonder Woman #769 is published by DC Comics, written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Steve Pugh, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr., and letters by Pat Brosseau. With Liar Liar on the loose and heading to finish what she started with the still comatose Maxwell Lord, Diana struggles to find a way to stop the young woman from killing her father while also saving Liar Liar from herself.
Nothing pulls the air out of a story lack a hollow victory. Even though the hero manages to stave off defeat, it doesn’t feel like the win was earned. When the last moments tick down, and the solution comes together, not so much because it feels like it should, but because the story wills it so. This feeling of forced victory is my one complaint with Wonder Woman #769.
With Liar Liar outside the hospital housing Lord, Diana is in desperate straights. While she might be able to win a physical confrontation with her assailant, she does not wish to harm the girl, as she is clearly suffering from delusions that are warping her reality. While she begins the fight wrapped in her lasso to shield herself from the lie of Liar Liar’s delusions, she eventually decides to remove her protection from her opponent’s powers. Diana hopes that through a better understanding of Liar Liar’s world, she may yet reach the sick woman and find a way to help her.
This struggle to pierce the veil of Liar Liar’s delusions is the focal point of Wonder Woman #769’s narrative. As her opponent’s powers pit Diana physically against mythical creatures, Diana cannot afford to slack on her emotional pleas to Liar Liar. Writer Tamaki does a great job crafting Diana’s words as she desperately attempts to reach her opponent and free her mind of the hate that fuels her. Perhaps, it is even delivered a bit too well as Diana seems to be incapable of stopping her opponent, her opponent just kind of stops on her own.
While there is a plot reason for what seems to shake Liar Liar from her fixation, it doesn’t really land for me. Given how well Tamaki pens the issue leading up to this moment and how awesome Diana’s confrontation with Lord landed just a couple of issues ago, this ending is a letdown. I sincerely hope a better resolution wasn’t shelved for the sake of expediency with the upcoming Future State storyline beginning in the next issue.
The art in Wonder Woman #769 does an equally good job of delivering both Diana’s earnest desire to help her adversary, as well as the over the top mythical nature of Liar Liar’s delusions. This strong art presentation is equally helped by both artist’s Pugh designs and the emotional portrayal of Diana and colorist Fajardo’s gorgeous colorwork. Every panel feels vibrant and alive, thanks to these two’s combined efforts.
Lastly, we have a solid lettering performance by Brosseau. With clear easy to follow lettering, the story is delivered in a smooth and enjoyable fashion.
When all is said and done, Wonder Woman #769 delivers a solid story, even if the ending feels a little unearned. The creative team’s combined work utilizes its main character’s many strengths to the fullest to craft an enjoyable story.
Wonder Woman #769 is available now wherever comics are sold.
Wonder Woman #769
TL;DR
When all is said and done, Wonder Woman #769 delivers a solid story, even if the ending feels a little unearned. The creative team’s combined work utilizes its main character’s many strengths to the fullest to craft an enjoyable story.
