Wonder Woman #800 Review: A Disappointing and Shallow Landing Point
There are few comic book characters that are as iconic as Wonder Woman. One could even argue that Wonder Woman has gone beyond merely being a superhero and has become a cultural archetype; the term "wonder woman" is often shorthand for a woman who does it all—often in the face of adversity—and makes it seem like no big deal because it's simply what must be done. Given the character's importance, one would expect that when it comes to the milestone Wonder Woman #800 the issue would feature a story befitting the character's stature. Instead, the issue delivers a long, weirdly toned trek that has nothing to do with Wonder Woman at all, missing what is meant to be a well-intentioned love letter to the iconic character to instead serve up head pats for everyone around her and once again deny one of the greatest members of DC Comics's pantheon her due.
Wonder Woman #800 concludes the "Whatever Happened to the Warrior of Truth" arc, continuing Wonder Woman's strange journey through dreams in which she connects to those closest to her to ultimately give them validation while receiving some compliments herself in the process. On the one hand, Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad give readers some lovely vignettes here. They aren't badly written by any stretch of the imagination and it's clear that they love and appreciate the characters they are addressing. But there isn't much plot and it feels very much like there isn't any purpose to it, which has been a flaw of the overall run.
Most of this run has seen a frequent recycling of the same general idea of Wonder Woman going around and around with matters of gods and her place in things, but never finding any place to land. The result is a Wonder Woman who, while stuck in this loop, seemingly has no agency of her own. She is a vehicle for the desires, needs, and plans of others while being propped up as some glorious ideal. By having her hop from dream to dream to validate the people around her—under the guise of seeking her own meaning—the issue reinforces the idea that Diana is an object in service of others, as opposed to the other major heroes, who have lives and meaning beyond their heroic purpose.
And this is perhaps what makes this issue a bit troubling when paired with the backup story by writer Tom King which introduces Trinity, Wonder Woman's grown daughter, and kicks off the next run. Trinity is already a larger-than-life character in the few pages readers see her, one that stands in stark contrast to her mother in nearly every way. There's a lot to be said about that story—it's a fun read and shows a lot of potential, but King does have a tendency to start strong and lose the thread so we will have to wait to see exactly where this goes for proper judgement—but here its real value is the light it shines back on what's become of Wonder Woman.
Diana is a character looking for the balance between service and self, but at the end of the Cloonan and Conrad run has been reduced to little more than someone who doles out cheap motivational phrases. Making matters worse is that Cloonan and Conrad make it clear that Diana chose this path – she chose to go dream to dream and give people pats on the head (metaphorically) to "refresh and heal" herself. It makes no sense and that lack of sense becomes a cloud over everything to come. Given how deconstructed Wonder Woman has become, it's a stretch to even think about how the character reaches a point where Trinity can even exist and, since she does, what kind of mother Diana will end up being. All of that Is assuming it is a story that will even be told. More than that, it's almost impossible to imagine Trinity being Diana's daughter, given how gutted the Wonder Woman character is now.
Functionally and superficially, Wonder Woman #800 is fine. The art is pretty, the colors pop, and if you don't look too closely at things, you'll come away with warm fuzzies about Wonder Woman. But therein lies the problem. While Superman and Batman both have stories and comics that dive deep into their own emotional core and needs and experiences juxtaposed with their heroic callings, Wonder Woman is relegated to merely being an ideal, a totem, or a charm who exists only to serve. Given Diana's long and complex history, it's really disappointing that this is where her story has landed for now.
Published by DC Comics
On June 20, 2023
Written by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, and Tom King
Art by Alitha Martinez, Joelle Jones, Cully Hamner, Jen Bartel, Mark Morales, Nick Robles, Todd Nauck, Skylar Patridge, and Daniel Sampere
Colors by Jordie Bellaire, Tamra Bonvillain, Jen Bartel, and Tomeu Morey
Letters by Pat Brosseau and Clayton Cowles
Cover by Yanick Paquette