Wonder Woman #22: The Morning After

Wonder Woman #22 serves as the prelude to the next major arc of the series, flashing back to the morning after Diana and Steve’s first night together. What ensues is a very Silver Age-esque story that combines some more modern sensibilities as it seeks to showcase more of the two’s relationship and how mutual their love really was. The silver age of it all comes in with the arrival of Mouse Man, a very campy villain who will seemingly be making a comeback as a more serious threat in the present day.

This issue really feels very different from anything that has been done in this series thus far. The first major arc was a very grounded dissection of misogyny and patriarchy within the United States, while the last two issues took a break from everything to showcase a down-to-earth, directive story with Batman. Wonder Woman #22, being presented as a prelude and more campy, really separates itself from all that in a way that keeps the series fresh and unpredictable.

The main crux of the last several issues of Wonder Woman has been how Diana grieves through the loss of Steve Trevor. While this issue is a flashback story, it does feel as though it continues that exploration of grief through the memories of how Diana remembers Steve. Wonder Woman #22 puts the perspective mainly in Steve’s court, showing his struggle to request a second date with Diana, highlighting the power difference within their relationship that makes it so different from the way that the media typically portrays relationships.

The Mouse Man himself is a character most people probably will not be intimately familiar with. Wonder Woman #22 does little to delve into his backstory; however, it does mention his motivations quite a bit, most specifically his hatred for the Amazons. While the end of the issue offers an alternative perspective behind the machinations of Mouse Man’s grand speech, there is no doubt that his defeat at the hands of Wonder Woman here is something that may serve as further validation for his goals when the arc more formally kicks off.