The post-Rebirth Wonder Woman series kicked off with a question: what is the truth? Truth is an essential element of Wonder Woman. Her lasso, the Golden Perfect, compels those bound by it to tell the truth. Diana herself has even at one point been the goddess of truth. The series began by calling Diana’s past into question – was she molded from clay and given life by the gods, or was she the daughter of Zeus and a god herself? Was she loved by her sister Amazons, or derided? She also found herself apparently unable to return to Themyscira, even though she thought she had been back there many times before. This Rebirth run, then, would be about Diana attempting to tell fact from fiction when it came to her life and her history.
Somewhere along the way, though, it became about much more than that. It became about a mother desperate to save her daughter. It became about a pair of warriors in love who could never get the timing right. It became about a scholar who couldn’t find her place in the world. And as it became about those things, the importance of the ‘fact-finding’ portion of the story seemed to move off to the side. The characters took the story where they wanted it to go. Yes, Diana was still searching for the truth, but she was also, as she has always done, putting the needs of others ahead of her own needs. The result was a tale that may not have led to the definitive answers it seemed like it was going to initially, but that ultimately ended up in a far more satisfying place than simply answering questions.
With a script by Greg Rucka and art by both series regular artists, Liam Sharp and Bilquis Evely, Wonder Woman #25 serves as more of an epilogue than a culmination to the various threads running through the title for the past year. The team more or less wrapped up the capital-p Plot over the last couple of issues. This issue sees the characters handling the fallout. As he has done from the beginning, Rucka grounds the events of the comic firmly in the characters themselves. His work with Diana, Steve Trevor, and Etta Candy is as strong as ever, and the interaction between Diana and Steve is particularly touching. After going through hell for the past year, it’s nice to see the two of them get a happy ending.
It’s with Veronica Cale, though, a character Rucka created during his first run on the title over ten years ago, that he shines. Cale is as complicated a character as you’re likely to find in comics, almost entirely thanks to Rucka’s years of work on her. It’s hard not to worry, with this being the team’s final issue on the title, that this is the last we’ll see of Veronica Cale, but even if it is she’s given a solid send-off.
On the art, Liam Sharp and Bilquis Evely are superb as always. Sharp has been on the book since the beginning, while Evely took over alternating art chores from Nicola Scott six months ago. Here they alternate scenes, and their styles flow together side-by-side remarkably well. Originally set to draw half of the annual, Sharp makes up for the missed opportunity to draw Batman and Superman there with a great scene featuring the whole Justice League. Some of his best work is his scenery, where it’s a lush forest or a spacious apartment. He infuses every panel with mood and depth. Evely is a superstar in the making, displaying shades of Jim Cheung and Ivan Reis throughout her run on this book. Her lines are clean without being boring, her style distinct without being overly stylized. If DC is smart they’ll put both of these artists on other big titles as soon as they can.
With Wonder Woman #25, Rucka, Sharp, Evely, and Co. leave Diana in a stronger place than she was when they found her. Did they answer all of the lingering questions? Not exactly, but they did answer an important question that hadn’t been asked at all: how will these answers change who Wonder Woman is? The answer is simple: they won’t. The clarity and confidence with which these creators approached one of DC’s most iconic heroines sets her on a solid path for whoever picks up the ball next. Wonder Woman will continue, and there will certainly be other great runs on the title. But for now, let’s savor this one just a moment longer.
