Review: WONDER WOMAN #20

WONDER WOMAN #20
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Bilquis Evely and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: April 12, 2017

Veronica Cale has now spent nearly seven years trying to get her daughter back from the likes of Deimos and Phobos. It’s enough. Time to call in an expert — the witch Circe. But the power she needs to do what Veronica wants is more than she has on hand. She’ll need a hand from the unlikeliest source — Wonder Woman.

The task at hand over the past year has been monumental for Greg Rucka and the various members of the creative team — Bilquis Evely, Nicola Scott, Liam Sharp, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Laura Martin. The job to make sense of a convoluted history has a purpose. It’s not just an arbitrary exercise to please longtime fans. It’s THE important step in making sure Wonder Woman has a vibrant future, has a distinct perspective, and is foundationally sound.

But what should have been apparent from the very first, Wonder Woman herself was never the only subject of renovation. Her rogues’ gallery, long chuckled at by those who look at Batman and the Flash with wide eyes, needed every bit the loving care that Diana herself did. And it’s in this issue in particular that we see more of that development arise, in particular with Veronica Cale and the witch Circe.

Cale has almost been a backseat driver of the last year of stories, always present, but not quite getting the in-depth treatment that Barbara Ann has enjoyed in both halves of the tale. But with issue #20, I find the frustration, rage, and raw emotions, often hidden under the more stoic intellectualism Rucka invests in Cale, to be the very thing that gets me inside her head. And Evely’s presentation is the key to unlocking that door.

Inking herself for the first time in three months, Evely delivers an absolutely stunning representation of all the women in this episode of mostly talking heads, with one glourious exception involving the spellcast meant to imprison Deimos and Phobos into Cale’s previously seen Dobermans. It’s a marked difference to see the artist working on her own finishes, because she has an absolute sense of precision and sharpness that brings each character to life. Every hair, every facial line, every gesture feels so much more solid and deliberate than when inked by a second source.

It’s a stunning revelation, and supported beautifully by Fajardo’s colors, which also finally seem in sync after shifting gears from Nicola Scott’s bright and primary story to Bilquis Evely’s muted, subtler narrative.

Rucka and Evely feel so in sync in driving the differences between the multiple villainesses, and in portraying a Diana who rightly feels about halfway between Scott’s doe-eyed ingénue and Sharp’s slightly weathered beauty. For the first time, I truly feel Cale’s desperation, as well as Circe’s indignance in regard to facing Ares. Some enemies, it seems, it doesn’t pay (enough) to have.

How this story wraps up in just two months time of course leaves me nervous, giddy, and impatient all at the same time. The depth of personality Rucka and Evely are delivering with Wonder Woman #20 makes me feel like we’re just beginning to scratch the surface on Cale, Doctor Cyber, and Circle, not to mention Dr. Poison, Cheetah, and the Gods. Godwatch is a revolution for Diana’s foes, not to mention a wonderful extension of many oft ignored or abused female villains. Here’s hoping there’s much more to play with as stories converge and we move into year two of Rebirth.

The Verdict: 9.5/10

 

Authors

Related posts

Top