Wonder Woman #772: I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Part three of Diana’s adventures in WonderLand, I mean Valhalla, and the creative team of Cloonan, Conrad, and Moore are continuing this Homeric adventure in the land of the fallen Norse warriors, shaking up Diana’s world, while keeping up with the mythical energy that you’d expect to surround Wonder Woman.

The story picks up where it left us last issue, with Diana emerging from the Leggs Egg (I’m almost 100% dating myself with this reference), inside Nidhogg the World Serpent’s belly, where she gets a helping hand finding the key to the Valkyries dream house from the mystery benefactor who’s been helping her try to remember herself every time she dies. The benefactor is finally revealed in this issue, and while I thought it might be this person, I’d wish it was someone else (not a bad reveal, I just wanted more grandeur). We see more of Dr. Psycho, and his shenanigans, but it doesn’t feel like he’s the brains behind Diana’s current memory and power loss. Maybe a pawn, but who’s ultimately in charge… I have no idea.

Clooney and Conrad are certainly putting their stamp on this run, and their characterization of Diana is a breath of fresh air. Something that Wonder Woman’s book has needed for quite some time. Giving us a more down to earth version of Diana than what we’re used to, they’re giving us the mythical without trying to be repetitive of runs gone by. They deliver fun takes on characters like Thor, and Odin, with this former behaving like a complete douchebag, which is fair, because mythical Thor was a douche. While Odin is more like a lovable old drunk, who’s secretly there to get Diana from point A to Algiz (that’s how you pronounce Z in old Norse). 

The pacing is brisk, and energetic, Diana gets a lot done in each installment, which is both a blessing and a curse for this book. It’s a blessing because we’re not subjected to a ton of nonessential filler on this quest, but we’re being deprived from getting more scenes with Siggy, Ratatosk, and Old Man Wednesday (that’s one of Odin’s aliases) to develop them more. Every issue makes me just want MORE. I hope that after we finish with this epic, the team will give us more storylines and interactions with the Nordic pantheon, as both allies and antagonists, Clooney and Conrad have just made them fun enough for me to want to see more of these characters on a regular basis.

Now let’s talk about Travis Moore’s art this issue—stunning. DC has done it again with this artist, I just hope we won’t fall back into the pattern of getting a phenomenal artist on the book, who then is replaced by another artist who just isn’t of the same caliber after two or three issues. It’s been happening for decades, and it’s frustrating. Diana is a part of the Trinity, and DC should market her title that way. (Although I would not be adverse to having Clooney pulling double duty and do an issue or arc – her WW is gorgeous. Take a look).