Wonder Woman #35 Review

Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang offered a compelling vision starting with their very first issue. It was focused on questioning Wonder Woman’s role in the world, asking how she could balance her penchant for violence with virtues of love and mercy. All of this was accompanied by the absolute best new designs of the entire New 52 line and some incredibly well composed action sequences. Azzarello and Chiang have been a dynamic pairing from the very start. In their final issue they bring all of the same elements together again, bringing the story full circle.

Wonder Woman has featured an ever-widening scope as it has continued. The story moved far beyond the exploits of Diana alone in order to incorporate the classic Greek pantheon, the bastard children of Zeus, and even Kirby’s Fourth World. Here the story returns to its roots. With most of the expanded cast provided with a conclusion in the previous issue, Wonder Woman #35 is able to focus almost entirely on the same set of characters who appeared in the first issue.

That sharp focus allows for the recognition of just how much each of these individuals has grown and changed over the course of the series. The various betrayals, defeats, and hard choices of their journey have clearly taken a toll and shaped who they are. Now in the final moments, when everything is at stake, their growth is tested. It’s tense and uncertain. Besides the titular character, no one is safe. Ever since the death of Lennox, midway through the series everything has felt more dangerous and that is never truer than in these final moments. Azzarello has invested almost as much time in Zola and Hermes as he has Diana herself, so their outcomes feel every bit as important.

The design elements in this issue are every bit as good, but what is most striking about Chiang’s work here is its emotional resonance. Artwork carries readers through the smaller emotional beats just as well as the big, action-driven ones. There is a callback to Wonder Woman #0 that ensures even this minor detail is easily understood and incredibly potent. It is a highlight of the issue and one that brought a few tears to my eyes. Emotions are as high as the stakes and Chiang ensures they feel that way. When Diana is shown to be furious or deeply afraid, her face bears all the weight of those emotions and demands empathy.

Wonder Woman #35 is the end of an era for the character, but it is not one that will soon be forgotten. Over the course of three years, Azzarello and Chiang have reshaped the Amazonian warrior and given her a story that stands side-by-side with the absolute best of superhero comics. They have provided her with a consistent mythos, an endearing supporting cast, and some of the nastiest villains in comics. Wonder Woman is a comic that is good to the very last page and will be remembered for a long time to come.

I can think of no better foundation for this character to grow upon in the 21st Century.

Read the full review on Comicbook.com here