Review of Wonder Woman #8

I don’t know if there’s some magic formula Tom King uses, but it boggles the mind how King can make an entire comic that’s simultaneously off-putting and boring except for two pages. Whatever dark magic King has, it’s working because this comic is repulsive on multiple levels.

When last we left Wonder Woman, she went to a space mall and… never mind.

When we left Wonder Woman in the issue before last, she fought the Sovereign’s ad hoc Legion of Doom near the Washington Monument. Diana won but passed out from injuries and exhaustion.

Now, Wonder Woman flip-flops between a fever dream where she acts as an oppressed housewife under the thumb of a misogynistic Steve Trevor and the real world where the Sovereign casually interrogates/tortures Diana as she is tied to a post with the Lasso of Lies.

Eventually, Diana breaks the bonds of her oppressive marriage as she breaks the bonds of the Sovereign’s lasso, ending on a cliffhanger that suggests the Sovereign is about to lose several teeth.

What’s great about Wonder Woman #8? The last few pages wherein Wonder Woman breaks her bonds and gets ready to crack skulls is a satisfying moment. Plus, Sampere’s art is fantastic.

What’s not so great about Wonder Woman #8? The dismissive, condescending visage of Steve Trevor is gross, and frankly, adds nothing to the story unless the goal was to use Wonder Woman to tell a heavy-handed message about the ills of a “traditional” marriage. If that was the goal, why?

The Sovereign’s misinterpretation of the Bible is, likewise, gross and also adds nothing to the story unless King intended to convey a message about how the “Bible oppresses women.” It doesn’t, but if that was the message, why?

The last major point is the Sovereign’s tedious, overlong, monotonous narration that goes on and on and on. The narration is a chore to get through.

When you add those points up, you get a comic that looks fantastic but is poorly paced, doesn’t move the plot forward more than two steps, and delivers multiple messages about the hardships of women that do nothing for the story and don’t make much sense (When has an Amazonian ever felt oppression due to the patriarchy? How would Diana know what a day in the life of a 1950s housewife looks like when King’s version of Diana talks like a Russian unfamiliar with American customs?)

This issue is gross. This series is gross. And there’s no reason to read it unless you’re a masochist.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Bits and Pieces:

Wonder Woman #8 is a slowly-paced, tedious, boring, and off-putting comic. King wastes a lot of time delivering multiple heavy-handed messages about Religion, the patriarchy, and misogyny to play out what amounts to one scene. If Sampere’s art wasn’t so good, this comic would be a total waste.

4.5/10