Wonder Woman #786 Review

 

Let The Games Begin!

Written by: Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad

Art by: Rosi Kämpe, Becky Cloonan 

Colors by: Marissa Louise

Letters by: Pat Brosseau

Cover art by: Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain

Cover price: $3.99

Release date: April 12, 2022

Wonder Woman #786 (aka Trial of the Amazons pt. 5) begins the tournament to decide the Amazon Champion when the Mother of All Monsters shows up to interrupt the trials.

Was It Good?

Surprisingly, Wonder Woman #786 is the most coherent and action-packed issue in the Trial of the Amazons event so far. So on that count, it's a positive. However, the clunky dialog, substandard art, and general lack of direction for the event drag the rating of this issue down to the depths of Tartarus.

Let's talk about the good points. The overall event suffers from an extreme lack of trials when you consider it's called the Trial of the Amazons. Here, things get moving. The contestants are named, and each receives a unique item that may be used only once during their trials to show how they exemplify the best Amazonian spirit. It's still not explained how or why Diana is allowed to participate (despite not representing any specific tribe) other than an offhand comment stating she's earned the right to participate.

Also, there is no mention of the contest or its rules. How do you decide who wins? What are the Trials???

 

However, as soon as the trials begin, a servant of darker forces, Altuum, blows his horn which causes a cave-in, pulling all the contestants underground. The contestants are forced to work together to fight ancient evil and escape. Again, all the entries in the Trials event so far have been very dialog heavy and not focused on building momentum, but at least on these points, this issue is an improvement.

 

On the downside, the dialog is clunky, (again) there is no explanation about the nature of the trials and how a winner is selected, and the worst part of this issue is the inconsistent art. For a DC comic focused on the most majestic, regal, and beautiful characters in the DC Universe, the art in this issue is downright rough. There are two artists on this issue for pencils and inks, and the handoffs are apparent, with one drawing hand notably weaker than the other.

 

Bits and Pieces

Wonder Woman #786 is the strongest issue in the Trial of the Amazons event in terms of moving the story forward and forgoing the endless conversations and meetings. Unfortunately, the dialog is clunky, the transitions between multiple artists severely reduce the art, and shockingly little is revealed about the Trials or the hidden Big Bad of the event.

6.5/10