Wonder Woman #14: That’s the Power of Love

Wonder Woman #14 feels like an entire story arc condensed down into one issue but somehow never feels rushed. The issue starts with Wonder Woman lamenting the loss of Steve Trevor, which will make any reader wonder if they missed him dying at some point. Did it happen in the previous arc or the Absolute Power event? Well, those questions will come naturally; however, as the issue goes on, it evolves into a time jumping narrative, capitalizing on the “fifty-two weeks” later that was established in the DC All In issue that kicked off this newest publishing initiative.

Tom King has proved his naysayers wrong in several ways with his Wonder Woman series. One of the common complaints about his writing is that it is often self contained and better relegated to out of continuity mini-series, or series that are only tangentially connected to continuity but are mostly removed. In fourteen issues, King has had to incorporate story elements from the Dawn of DC as well as the line-wide Absolute Power haunt which served as an interruption for his main ongoing narrative. In the tie-ins he wrote for the initiative, he explored Diana’s relationship with her Justice League Dark costarts, Damien Wayne, and Steve Trevor. These all seemed somewhat meaningless at the time, producing some fun one off stories that seemed disconnected from the rest of his arc. But that all is turned on its head in Wonder Woman #14, revealing that it all mattered.

In Wonder Woman #14, King explores the events of the fifty-two weeks after Absolute Power which sees Diana’s battle with the Sovereign become more personal. The work done in the three tie-in issues comes full circle here as the revelations that Diana makes about herself and her relationship with others, especially Steve Trevor, come full circle in the way she handles his untimely demise at the hands of the Sovereign. This all leads up to the well publicized birth of Trinity, which ties very well into Wonder Woman lore and shows that this situation was well thought out and not just for the sake of doing something different.

Wonder Woman #14 also sees Daniel Sampere’s return to the book after he stepped away for the Absolute Power tie-ins. Sampere continues to prove that he is a top two artist over at  DC, drawing one of the most beautiful issues of the year. Part of the reason that the pacing works so well here is because Sampere makes the moments that need levity look so gorgeous. At one point, Wonder Woman attempts to retrieve Steve Trevor from the afterlife, leading to a full page reveal of him on a boat as Wonder Woman swims up from the river. Normally, an issue that is so full of content as this would not have time for a full page dedicated to one moment; however, Sampere uses this to focus on what the story is actually about, showcasing the tender moments and highlighting the events that are the most important.