After a mysterious Amazonian is accused of mass murder, Congress passes the Amazon Safety Act, barring all Amazons from U.S. soil. To carry out their plans, the government starts a task force, the Amazon Extradition Entity (A.X.E.), to remove those who don’t comply, by any means necessary. Wonder Woman #1 kicks off a hell of a new direction for the classic character.

Written by Tom King, Wonder Woman #1 is an intriguing start to the new volume and new creative team. I’ll admit, I’m not a long time reader of the series so my knowledge is slim, the direction feels fresh, smart, and something new and different for the character… though not new and different overall.

With a government hating and fearing them and an agency created and assigned to round them up, Wonder Woman #1 has some parallels to a certain line and plots from another publisher, but in today’s divisive world where Wonder Woman #1 resonates is a bit different.

King goes heavy on the xenophobia and more importantly misogyny. The shocking opening leaves only men murdered which fuels a man vs. woman and secret agendas to destroy men conspiracy theories. It echoes the delusions of some in the real world and attacks on feminism by extremists. King seems to mine the current zeitgeist a bit, using it to fuel a storyline which not only focuses on gender but the concept of immigration as a whole, something that is regularly attacked by nationalists and bigots in our real world. The story reflects and echoes our reality but gives us some hope too.

The comic could easily have been dark and brooding but King is smart enough to not only emphasize that the opening salvo is the act of one individual but reminds us over and over the beacon that Wonder Woman is. While that reminder could have come from more than just women, it shows that through these dark clouds some light still shines through and at some point those clouds will part.

The art by Daniel Sampere helps with the “brightness” of it all. With color by Tomeu Morey and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the comic is beautiful to look at. Tension, action, heart, and sadness, ooze from the page as we’re delivered a rollercoaster of ups and downs in the narrative that the art nails every beat. Even the most shocking moments are delivered in a way that they exude more sadness than anything else, tugging at the heart of readers. It’s a fantastic choice visually, giving us empathy and sorrow than outright over the top trauma.

With a mysterious new villain whose reveal not only makes sense but delivers a “why hasn’t this been done before?” vibe, Wonder Woman #1 is an amazing start that adds a massive boost to a series that’s sure to excite some and divide others. It’s not afraid to wear everything on its sleeve with a debut that’s sure to get folks talking and create a hell of a buzz. This is one to not sleep on and miss out!

Story: Tom King Art: Daniel Sampere
Color: Tomeu Morey Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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