Wonder Woman by Tom King vol. 2: Sacrifice

Last time, writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere delivered a master class in modern superhero storytelling.  They set up a threat for Wonder Woman, in how America turned against Themyscira after an Amazon murdered several of its citizens. Yet, in showing how Diana responded to that threat, they didn’t diminish her character at all and expertly demonstrated how she would rise to confront it.  Vol. 2 isn’t quite on the same level as the majority of it isn’t given over to advancing that main story.  What we do get, however, is still pretty entertaining.

This is one of those volumes that likely read really well for people following it in serialized, monthly form.  That’s because, even for the issues that are branded as part of a larger story, every issue can be enjoyed in isolation.  It’s specifically true for the first issue, which is the only one that isn’t part of an ongoing storyline as Wonder Woman and Superman head to an intergalactic mall to try and find the perfect present for Batman’s birthday.  Parts of it are quite silly – witness the Super-manicure-and-pedicures – but still illuminate a great deal of the two superheroes’ character in their gift-giving process.  Guillem March also draws the hell out of this setting, selling everything about it impressively well.

Then comes the three-part “Sacrifice” storyline which is essentially three issues about Wonder Woman dealing with captivity at the hands of Sovereign, the secret ruler of America.  The first two issues deal with that directly, with the first being a bit more predictable about how the title character handles things, but no less satisfying when it comes to seeing how she ultimately deals with it.  The second part is better because it’s more abstract about things, framing everything in the context of Diana’s relationship to Steve Trevor.  It’s one of those things where you’ll either figure out what’s really going on before the final page, or when it finally comes around.  Either way, you’ll likely appreciate King’s caginess about how it was all presented and artist Daniel Sampere’s actual representation of it.

Then we get to the final issue of the arc which splits its time between Diana and Cheetah hashing things out on an island and Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, and Yara Flor trying to rescue their mentor.  Everything involving the former is played pretty straight while seeking to put the frenemies’ relationship into a modern context.  Everything involving the latter is quite silly, but no less entertaining for it.  The finale for this storyline ends in a fairly predictable fashion, but still manages to keep the reader invested for the storyline’s ongoing struggle against Sovereign.

Which isn’t continued in the next three issues.  These are a tie-in to the “Absolute Power” storyline with decidedly mixed results.  The first issue is easily the weakest as it involves Diana looking after some of the magically-powered superheroes (and John Constantine) of the DCU while one of Amanda Waller’s Amazo units comes looking for them.  While the fighting here isn’t half bad, as illustrated by Tony Daniel, the Dickens-quoting Amazo unit makes for a weirdly inscrutable threat.  One whose menace isn’t helped by the failure to explain how it’s able to absorb magic powers, including the Wrath of God embodied by the Spectre.

All of this is quickly glossed over in the next two issues as we get to see the story King really wanted to write:  Diana teaming up with Damien Wayne.  It’s such an incongruous pairing, but the writer makes it work in the first issue by having them trade off on the best ways to extract information from Digger “Captain Boomerang” Harkness.  Their respective failures are actually surprising to witness and eventually lead to a surprising rapprochement between the two before Digger ends the story in the only way he really could.

Then we get the final issue which is a jailbreak between the two, with added Steve Trevor.  Given what has gone on in the volume up to this point, seeing Steve in the actual flesh comes off as something that’s been earned.  We also get some fun reactions by Damien to his presence, and Diana gets to show off how she can still be a total badass without her powers.  It’s all very predictable, but still fun to see in action.

It’s even more fun to see Damien recount these events to Diana’s daughter years later in the final story from this volume “The Secret Origin of Trinity, Daughter of Wonder Woman” illustrated by Khary Randolph.  It’s a recounting of the events of the two issues that preceded it in a way that’s very favorable to the current Robin, and no less funny for it.  Randolph does a good job selling the comedy of this story, right up to and including the final page which delivers a great payoff.

If you were hoping to see the storyline from the previous volume continued in the entirety of this one, then you’re going to be disappointed here.  I’m willing to cut King and Sampere some slack, however as what was delivered instead, with the help of March, Daniel, and Randolph, was still pretty entertaining in spite of its issues.  At least vol. 3 shows no sign of having its story interrupted by event story shenanigans.