First of all, it has to be said that rotating the two ongoing Wonder Woman storylines between alternate issues isn’t working. It seemed like a bad idea initially, and while it may make sense in the long run to establish a new history for the Amazon princess in every second issue, so far it seems unnecessary. Still, as it stands, Wonder Woman #3 – The Lies Part Two is another fine piece of work.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]onder Woman continues her quest to discover the truth about herself with the aid of Cheetah. It’s an unlikely alliance, and one which is under constant strain. Cheetah herself is battling both the bloodlust which forces her to consume the flesh of human men, as well as being pursued by the followers of Urzkartaga. Meanwhile, Steve Trevor and his team of soldiers find themselves about enter the same mysterious jungle where Wonder Woman and Cheetah are fighting for their lives.
As Wonder Woman struggles to help Cheetah rediscover her lost humanity, they bond in ways which are unexpected and genuinely heartfelt. While their partnership may be mutually beneficial, it’s also the stepping stone for what could be a new friendship. But as the tension and danger increases for them, things are even worse for Steve and his platoon, who are captured by the warlord Cadulo and his monstrous leader…
Wonder Woman #3, as with the first part, is light on story. However, it’s deftly handled and once again Wonder Woman is written with a perfect blend of strength, wisdom and intelligence. She’d rather solve her problems through diplomacy and emotional understanding rather than through violence, and it serves to make her a far stronger character than other writers have presented.
However, as good as the writing is, the art is even better. With each issue Liam Sharp’s work improves, and when it starts out looking beautiful that’s saying something. The level of detail in his work is astonishing, with each page flowing like scenes in a movie. The panels, subtly separated at times of personal introspection from the characters, become elegantly chaotic when the action starts, separated by crashing overlapping borders. It’s a magnificent display showing a true understanding of the medium.
Wonder Woman continues to impress as one of DC’s best titles overall, and it’s a great display of how this character can be done right. Now the question is if it’s worth buying issue #4, or skipping that and buying issue #5 for the next part of this storyline…
