I’m back for Wonder Woman #14, the DC All-In jumping-on point issue from Tom King and Daniel Sampere! This character has really prevailed through so much over the years, the girl needs a damn break. We get it, she’s THE Wonder Woman, but gods, let the woman breathe. In a bittersweet, messed-up way; this All-In issue kind of does that?
To start, I’ve always respected Wonder Woman’s character and run mainly for the accurate reference to Greek Gods and mythology. I get carried away with myself. If you’re the type of person who loves reading fantasy books – Wonder Woman is definitely a comic you can chase that high from. We’re just coming off DC’s Absolute Power Tie-In, which I would highly recommend reading despite this issue’s purpose to allow readers to jump right in. That issue is filled with so much foreshadowing for the All-In run. I think the absolute punch to the gut that this issue offers would hurt even more having read the previous events.
Full disclosure, I don’t feel this issue gives a real feel for the character since it focuses a lot on her in such a vulnerable state and I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that at all. Having fictional superheroes process real human emotions is such an important theme to have to make them relatable. Saying that, I feel if you were a completely new reader of Wonder Woman, you would be a bit confused since she is always portrayed as a strong, independent, and level-headed individual.
As I said from the start, my girl needed a break, and it shattered my heart that she had to endure something so traumatic. Grief sometimes forces us to retreat and isolate ourselves, believing we need a break from the outside world and those around us, which isn’t the healthiest way to cope. The inspiring part is finding yourself again and learning how to live with that pain. I just felt it was a little out of character for me as I’m used to her bouncing back and facing her issues head-on. When you read the issue, you can probably understand why this choice was made for her towards the end.
The slate is wiped clean, allowing Wonder Woman a new beginning, which I believe is a good start for readers who have not read Wonder Woman books before or haven’t been following along up to now. However, personally, I’d suggest reading some former books to truly get a proper feel for what the character stands for.