REVIEW: ‘Wonder Woman’ Issue 21

Wonder Woman Issue 21 is published by DC Comics. Written by Tom King, art and colours by Guillem March and letters by Clayton Cowles.

In Wonder Woman Issue 21, Wonder Woman is running out of time. She must solve a murder mystery on Mount Olympus or lose Batman. The second half of a whodunnit in Olympia, Wonder Woman Issue 21 has a delightful pace. The previous issue introduced the drama and the characters, giving their alibis. But now Batman is laid up, and Wonder Woman plays the detective, finding holes in those stories. She moves around the home of the gods, either riling them up or seeking answers.

The celestial Cluedo is intriguing, with so many possible culprits. Even when a fight kicks off, the pace remains calm and consistent. Nothing will impede Diana, not even those who made her and her weaponry. The real murderer of Ares isn’t quite as satisfying, feeling somewhat like a cop-out, but the story as a whole is both content and emotional.

The previous issue explored Batman’s interactions with the Greek gods, seeing an extraordinary but ultimately ordinary man tangle with gods. But now Wonder Woman Issue 21 sees the title character have a go. She is a woman who is still grieving and trying to save the life of her closest friend. So she’s angry—very angry. Diana is fed up with the food and their trickery, their toying with lives.

The figures she may once have revered and worshipped are now annoyances to her. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hephaestus, Dionysus or even Zeus. They hold answers, and Wonder Woman wants them. The dialogue is sensational, channelling the difference between Diana’s calm scariness and just outright fury, matched by godly arrogance. She has the power and the confidence to challenge that anger, and is able to physically tussle with them too.

King also showcases Wonder Woman’s vulnerabilities. Diana and Bruce’s relationship is touching and filled with depth. They are close and intimate but never sexual. They can talk as openly as they like, trusting each other wholeheartedly. This shows that Diana is much more comfortable with humans than the gods.

The art is terrific. The beauty and the majesty of Mount Olympus are fantastic. Each God has their own domain, whether it be a vineyard, a garden or a forge. That and their general design generate their personalities. Though they are immortal, there is a normality to how the Olympians look.

Aphrodite might be impossibly stunning, and Hephaestus had his tools and glasses, but they aren’t totally separate from the morals they lord over. They are also called into action more than in the lecture chapter. Wonder Woman will get answers using more physical means, a different way for each pantheon member.

The colours are stunning. The shares and the aura change depending on the scene and the god being spoken to. It gets most staggering in the final scene, mirroring the start of the previous issue. It’s so much more vibrant and captivating, and the two colors perfectly fit the characters involved. The lettering remains the same in Wonder Woman Issue 21, no matter which character is talking. This keeps it consistent and never affects legibility.

Wonder Woman Issue 21 unleashes fury onto the gods. The story shows just how inhuman the Greek Gods can be. And powering the passion of the whole issue is Wonder Woman. The previous 20 issues of this run have shown her to be calm and composed. But the gods bring out a rage in her that shows just how terrifying she is, as much a force of nature as those on Mount Olympus. And although she is as mighty as those gods, her heart lies with the heroes and humans below.

Wonder Woman Issue 21 is available where comics are sold.