A race to the finish – for now.
Creative Staff:
Story: Renae De Liz
Art: Renae De Liz, Ray Dillon
Colors: Ray Dillon
What They Say:
The battle has been won, but Diana is called upon to make herself ready for war, and for her future as Earth’s protector!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The end installment of The Legend of Wonder Woman is something that’s eased by the recent news of a second volume being put into the works, which was definitely welcome after the Eisner nod the series got. With a boost in attention and hopefully new folks coming on, it’s a bit awkward that the series is coming to a close at this point and that the final installment of it is more of an epilogue than anything else. That said, what we get here is definitely solid for readers who’ve been here since the start, even if aspects of it just feel a little bit rushed. Part of it really just comes down to how youthful Diana is in this incarnation of the character and that you really have to take that into consideration for what she does.
The end of the fight against the Titan/Manhunter worked well previously and seeing the ripple effect that it has works just as good here in a different way. Diana’s mother is aware of what happened on a certain level and that has her rightly proud of her daughter but also worried for what challenges will come next. Most of that time is spent talking with Alcippe though as she makes sure that Diana realizes that she can’t just retreat from the world after all of this and still has to take a stand for what’s right. There’s some minor difficulty between the two over how much Alcippe knew of who Diana truly was, but that’s only going to go so far. I was more amused by Alicippe doing her best to try and convince Diana that the lariat may not be the best weapon and that she needs something more, like a mace. Even a small mace.
The rest of the issue works similar kinds of epilogue material that works to varying degrees. I love that Etta gets some attention for her heroics and actions while we see the rest of the Holliday Girls arrive, all of them pretty pleased with themselves as they should be. They’ve accomplished a lot and are rightly proud of it. For Diana, all of this is a good thing but she also sees that he presence will make them targets for the greater problems out there, which is what causes her to retreat from them. There are some good moments for her between Steve and Etta, but it’s a little abrupt in the end. And the same can be said for how she finds a small island to live on and operate out of, giving her the chance to do some good around the world – and with the Justice Society of America, apparently! That the war is over and much happens in the background is a bit unsettling after the time spent so far in the series, but with a nod to Etta here at the end, a second series looks to move us forward as opposed to spending more time in this particular period. Which I can’t blame them for wanting to do.
In Summary:
The Legend of Wonder Woman has been a really engaging, fun, detailed, and beautifully illustrated and colored series from the first panel to the last. I’ve pretty much raved about this book to varying degrees for the past year or so and have really enjoyed just about every issue in seeing what Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon were crafting as it moved through the various smaller arcs and the expansion into the greater work. This is a series that is the definition of a real passion project and should be one of the cornerstones for some of the best Wonder Woman tales told – especially since it’s all self-contained, making it really accessible to new fans and those not wanting to get mired in the continuity elsewhere. I can’t recommend the book enough, in its singles form and in the upcoming complete compiled form. It’s a must-own series.
Grade: B+
Series Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: June 2nd, 2016
MSRP: $0.99
