Wonder Girl #1 Review

 

You CAN Go Home Again

Written By: Joëlle Jones

Art By: Joëlle Jones

Colors By: Jordie Bellaire

Letters By: Clayton Cowles

Cover Art By: Joëlle Jones, Jordie Bellaire

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 18, 2021

Let's wind the clock forward just a little bit. If you see Future State, you've gone too far. Okay, that's it. That's the spot. Yara Flor is your not-so-average young woman coming to visit her native Brazil after being raised by her aunt in America. When she steps foot on her native soil, all the powers of Heaven and Earth suddenly are awakened to the fact that an ancient deal is about to broken, and it spells doom for everyone, including the gods.

Was It Good?

Future State: Wonder Woman which cast Yara Flor in the titular role was this reviewer's highest-rated comic of the Future State bunch. This issue is the first issue in a new series, but this comic appears to be continuing the success of Yara Flor from Future State.

The artwork is gorgeous. The story does what a good comic should do, which is let the art tell the story by keeping the narration and dialog compact and essential. This looks and reads like a high-quality story, and DC would do well to replicate this model with its other titles.

What's It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

We begin with a flashback scene to Yara as a little girl. She, her mother, and a small group of Amazons are surrounded by soldiers in a jungle on fire. Yara manages to get away with the woman who would raise Yara as her aunt, but her mother doesn't survive.

Years later, Yara is on a plane trip to take a tour of Brazil. From the way she talks about Brazil to her fellow passengers, she appears to have no memory of the place or why she left in the first place. But then something happens.

As soon as Yara steps foot on Brazilian soil, queens, gods, and superheroes across the DC multiverse feel a tremor that signals something that should not have happened has happened. Without saying so, it feels like the entire DC universe knew Yara was never to come back to Brazil, and now that she has, some sort of bargain or pact has been broken.

The description sounds epic, and it is. What's remarkable about this issue is how big it all feels in a typical 22-page comic without massive splash pages or grandiose monologues.

As Yara begins her tourist trip (and saves a car driver during an accident) the magical forces throughout the realms and kingdoms send their lieutenants to stop Yara or kill her before whatever calamity her absence prevents returns.

Again, Yara appears to be oblivious to any of this until her tour group takes a trip to Iguacu Falls where Yara gets her first encounter with the magical forces that will shape the rest of her life.

Bits and Pieces:

Wonder Girl #1 is a fresh and engaging take on the Wonder Girl using the best character to come out of Future State. The art is gorgeous and it works seamlessly with the dialog to tell an epic story that begs you to continue into the next issue.

9.5/10