Wonder Woman #788
Recap
As Cizko continues to build his forces, Wonder Woman discovers that she will not have to face the threat of this new "Villainy Inc." alone. Diana is joined by friends old and new, including Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, now operating as agents of Checkmate, along with displaced Asgardian heartthrob Siegfried. But as Cizko continues to gain power and influence, will this be enough to stop the villain once known as Dr. Psycho, and uncover the dark nature of who is really calling the shots? Plus, a new chapter of the Adventures of Young Diana!
Review
It’s the second issue with Dr. Psycho’s (or Cizko, as he’s going by in this run) new Villainy, Inc.! (love this return!!!) and things are going sour for Wonder Woman and her crew. Cizko’s misogyny is on full effect here, and the crew really have a great handling on him. Some of the members don’t seem like they’d be a part of Cizko’s party, but I’m glad to see them here. Cizko is out peddling this milk geared towards men, who begin to act like they should be out marching with tiki torches and khaki pants, with their amped up aggro misogyny tendencies put on 11, and they’re out there protesting Diana. It’s a dynamic that we’ve seen before, but it strikes a bit closer to home with a rising tide of various hate groups that have gained prominence over the last few years. These are the types of characters who you’d see gaining membership to groups like the Friends of Humanity, or Sons of the Serpent, so having Diana deal with something like this, that has a touch of reality infused in it with today’s political climate being so amped up is something we’re not used to seeing.
While the issue focuses on Cizko, and the rest of VI, I keep getting drawn back to the protesters, especially when we’re getting prime time hearings of the former administration and their hand in the attempted coup, these stand-ins are striking home harder than I imagined. I’m sure we’ll see some negativity focused on these protesters from people that feel like they’re being targeted for their politics, to which I say sorry? We’ve seen comic characters go up against extremist groups before, both real and fictional, and this is no different than the groups in the past. Wonder Woman got her start fighting Nazis, so to say that this type of story doesn’t reflect the character is completely wrong. I can say it’s not something we’ve seen in a few years, but it’s not a foreign concept for Diana either.
Now, let’s get onto the art, shall we? Emanuela Lupacchino is a modern master, and one of the best artists we’ve had on Diana’s book since Rebirth, and when you have a list that has the likes of Liam Sharpe and Nicola Scott, that’s saying something. Diana’s powerful and majestic, while sensitive and emotional. She’s not just a brick uttering dialogue, she’s a goddess who has come to earth to give us a message of love. And that’s just Diana we’re talking about here, let’s not forget beef cakes Steve Trevor and Siggy, and Etta. Sigh, oh Etta. I’ve loved you since I first read the golden age issues, and that love for this character has just grown over the years. No longer is she just Diana’s comedic sidekick, she’s a kick-ass secret agent, and I’m loving it. If I had a complaint about the issues art it’d be the depiction of some of the Villainy Inc. here. ELup’s gorgeous art just doesn’t give the villains enough grit and menace they should have. Otherwise this is just another great issue under CloonRad’s belt in what looks like it’s going to be one of the most fun runs on the book in awhile.
Final Thoughts
Cizko’s taking his misogyny to the streets, and it’s all going sideways for Diana. Watch as we see what Cizko’s been planning for the last year. Meanwhile the rest of Villainy Inc. are out there making it hell for the Wondy crew. Can they stop it before their whole world topples over?
Wonder Woman #788: "I am Strong. I am Invincible. I am Wonder Woman."
- Writing - 8.5/108.5/10
- Storyline - 8.5/108.5/10
- Art - 9.5/109.5/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 8.5/108.5/10