The Legend of Wonder Woman Chapter #18 Review

Woman of Wonder

Written by: Renae De Liz
Art by: Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: March 10, 2016

I made a promise to myself that I would catch up completely with the Legend of Wonder Woman so I can talk about how great it is on our weekly podcast and by gum, I'm going to do it!  Luckily, Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon are making it a labor of love because without a doubt, this book is the most consistently enjoyable comic that I am reading right now.  If you haven't made the plunge yet, do yourself a favor and go back to the very beginning, but if that's not your bag, I'll fill you in on what happened last issue.  Diana came face to face with the Duke of Deception and while he's not a totally unknown character, it was still a bit of a shock.  What, that doesn't make any sense to you?  Then go back to the beginning and read the whole series!  We'll wait here for you to catch up.  Okay, you're back?  It's real good, right?  I told you! Now. let's get on with the review for  The Legend of Wonder Woman Chapter #18 and see what happens next and if it was any good...


The chapter begins as Diana continues to face the undead minions of the Duke and while I was hoping the Duke himself would reappear, this is a really good consolation prize.  I said in my last review that Diana is about ready to start doing more "Wondrous" things and that continues here as she throws caution to the wind and uses her lasso to defeat the undead in a scene that by all rights should have been hokey, but put a huge smile on my face.  Of course, as all this goes down, she pretty much announces to the world that a new hero is in town and when she flies away with the troops looking on, the deal is pretty much sealed!  That's pretty much the theme of this issue and if you have been waiting for the put a pin on it moment when Diana becomes Wonder Woman, De Liz and Dillon sure have a chapter for you!

The opening scene was great, but nothing compared with what comes next.  If you have been reading my reviews, you know that Etta Candy has easily become my favorite character in this series and probably of everything else at the moment.  Why do I love her so?  Let me count the ways.  She is a brash, straight shootin', speak her mind kind of gal who also is about the most open minded character ever created.  She has stuck with Diana through thick and thin (she went to war with her, for crying out loud!) and really has asked for nothing in return.  She is the best friend everyone needs and to top it off, is one of the biggest driving forces behind everything in the Wonder Woman mythos.  Guess what?  That all continues in this chapter and I may even love her more because of it.

When Diana heads back home, she is greeted by an angry Etta who has had enough!  She wants to know everything about Diana and doesn't care how crazy it sounds.  Diana tells her everything as we get a very brief synopsis of the entire series as Etta scowls away and then...Etta believes every word and wants to help!  Best. Character. Ever.  There is an interesting bit that Diana leaves out, though, but I won't spoil what that is.

Guess what's next?  Makeover!!!  Yep, Etta convinces Diana to embrace the hero inside her and present herself to the world.  She gives her the name "Wonder Woman", comes up with the way to keep her secret identity (glasses, of course) and then sets out to design her costume.  De Liz does such a good job of good naturedly poking fun at the fact that Wonder Woman's look is ever changing (I do wish she would have given us a bit of the white jumpsuit) until she ends with...well, we kind of have to wait for next issue, but it does involve a call back to when she first came to the Outside World and makes me 100% right about yet another thing.

I love being right almost as much as I love this series.  I mention all the time that I am trying to catch up with my reviews and the reason I am struggling isn't because this book isn't good, it's because it is so good.  I keep worrying that as I gush over and over, review after review, that people will just tune me out.  Don't!  This book deserves every one's attention, whether you are a Wonder Woman fan or not.  However, if you are a Wonder Woman fan, this is something really special.  The art and storytelling are so good and really, just trust me and read a couple of chapters and let me know what you think.

Bits and Pieces:

If you have been reading this series just waiting until Diana becomes Wonder Woman, the time has come.  She has pretty much announced herself to the world and Etta Candy is there to lend a helping hand, a needle and thread and impeccable taste!  This chapter was so much fun and if it doesn't put a smile on your face, then I believe the Duke of Deception has already gotten to you.

10/10