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Wonder Woman (2016)
Wonder Woman, Vol. 4: The Four Horsewomen
Join critically acclaimed writer Steve Orlando in his return on a new installment of the epic Wonder Woman lore we all know and love.
Now that Cheetah has gained control of Themyscira, Wonder Woman must return home for a final showdown. Does she stand a chance against this scholar-turned-monster whose sole purpose was to enter this mythical realm?
Immerse yourself in tales from Diana's past, present, and future by some of the greatest storytellers in the business--including Colleen Doran, Mariko Tamaki, the Teen Titans: Raven team of writer Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo, and legendary Wonder Woman creators returning to the character, including Gail Simone and Greg Rucka!
As Wonder Woman's epic "Year of the Villain" battle comes to a close, the path is paved for new challenges ahead. Join the adventure as the Amazon Princess unravels the secrets and lies of the Amazons, finds unexpected alliances, faces off against the dark and powerful forces of Warmaster and the Four Horsewomen, and much more!
Wonder Woman Vol. 4: The Four Horsewomen collects Wonder Woman #82-83, Wonder Woman #750-758, and Wonder Woman Annual (Rebirth) #3-4.
Now that Cheetah has gained control of Themyscira, Wonder Woman must return home for a final showdown. Does she stand a chance against this scholar-turned-monster whose sole purpose was to enter this mythical realm?
Immerse yourself in tales from Diana's past, present, and future by some of the greatest storytellers in the business--including Colleen Doran, Mariko Tamaki, the Teen Titans: Raven team of writer Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo, and legendary Wonder Woman creators returning to the character, including Gail Simone and Greg Rucka!
As Wonder Woman's epic "Year of the Villain" battle comes to a close, the path is paved for new challenges ahead. Join the adventure as the Amazon Princess unravels the secrets and lies of the Amazons, finds unexpected alliances, faces off against the dark and powerful forces of Warmaster and the Four Horsewomen, and much more!
Wonder Woman Vol. 4: The Four Horsewomen collects Wonder Woman #82-83, Wonder Woman #750-758, and Wonder Woman Annual (Rebirth) #3-4.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
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133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 10, 2021
Steve Orlando comes in and finishes off G. Willow Wilson's Year of the Villain story with Cheetah. There's a bunch of smaller stories. Then there's this Four Horseman story. The impetus for the story was interesting but half baked. Warbringer's character is too easily deceived and flips on a dime towards someone who has cared for her since she was a child. It just didn't feel right to me. The way it was written it would have been better to have her magical weapon influence her into hating Wonder Woman. Armageddon's character is the same way, to blame Wonder Woman for what her parents did makes no sense. Phantom Stranger was also way out of character in this book. I guess that's my biggest problem with Orlando's writing. He's OK with subverting a character's nature to support his story.
The art was a mixed bag. Jesus Merino did the most issues and those are great. But there were 7 or 8 other artists on this book to keep up with the bimonthly schedule and some of it really clashes.
Unfortunately DC didn't include the backup anniversary stories created for issue #750, not did they include all those great through the decades variant covers.
The art was a mixed bag. Jesus Merino did the most issues and those are great. But there were 7 or 8 other artists on this book to keep up with the bimonthly schedule and some of it really clashes.
Unfortunately DC didn't include the backup anniversary stories created for issue #750, not did they include all those great through the decades variant covers.
April 16, 2021
A villain from Wonder Woman's past combined with a threat from her present brings her into conflict with a friend she thought she'd saved once before. But absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder, and in this case it breeds contempt - enter the Four Horsewomen!
This bumper trade collects all of Steve Orlando's second mini-run on Wonder Woman, including two annuals (hopefully, the solicitation text only has #3 but #4 wraps up the cliffhanger so fingers crossed) and a story from the oversized issue 750. Orlando draws from Wonder Woman villains past to form the Four Horsemen, including a Rebirth version of an old enemy, twisted nicely to fit with the current Leviathan status quo.
There are also a few shorter stories near the beginning of the run, while the Four Horsemen bubble away in the background, including tying up the last few plot points from G. Willow Wilson's run with the Cheetah, and a Maxima story that amused me. The Valda two-parter is probably the weakest of the run, mostly because she's insufferable.
Even though there's a lot of throwing down in these issues, the heart of it remains Diana's compassion and kindness. She never gives up on the idea of love and stopping her enemies through ways that aren't just violence, which is such a fundamental Wonder Woman trait that so many writers get wrong. The ultimate conclusion is a tad rushed, probably because Orlando had to make way for another writer fairly quickly, but this trade feels like a complete story in and of itself, much like Orlando's last run.
The art on this run of Wondy has been...inconsistent, to say the least. It's a hodgepodge of artists so that they can manage the twice monthly schedule, so we end up with contributions from *deep breath* Miguel Mendonca, Jan Duursema, Max Raynor, Gleb Melnikov, Jesus Merino, Ema Lupacchino, V. Ken Marion, and Jack Herbert across these 13 issues. They're all fine - Merino's probably the one who has made his mark on the title the most, whereas the others rotate in and out as needed for a fairly generic overall style.
*claps hands* Let Steve Orlando write Wonder Woman properly! *claps hands again*
Every time he gets an arc, he does impressive things, and then it gets taken away from him almost immediately so he doesn't get to expand on anything. This arc, combined with his previous run The Enemy Of Both Sides, shows just how well he gets Diana, and he really should have been more than just a fill-in arc writer.
This bumper trade collects all of Steve Orlando's second mini-run on Wonder Woman, including two annuals (hopefully, the solicitation text only has #3 but #4 wraps up the cliffhanger so fingers crossed) and a story from the oversized issue 750. Orlando draws from Wonder Woman villains past to form the Four Horsemen, including a Rebirth version of an old enemy, twisted nicely to fit with the current Leviathan status quo.
There are also a few shorter stories near the beginning of the run, while the Four Horsemen bubble away in the background, including tying up the last few plot points from G. Willow Wilson's run with the Cheetah, and a Maxima story that amused me. The Valda two-parter is probably the weakest of the run, mostly because she's insufferable.
Even though there's a lot of throwing down in these issues, the heart of it remains Diana's compassion and kindness. She never gives up on the idea of love and stopping her enemies through ways that aren't just violence, which is such a fundamental Wonder Woman trait that so many writers get wrong. The ultimate conclusion is a tad rushed, probably because Orlando had to make way for another writer fairly quickly, but this trade feels like a complete story in and of itself, much like Orlando's last run.
The art on this run of Wondy has been...inconsistent, to say the least. It's a hodgepodge of artists so that they can manage the twice monthly schedule, so we end up with contributions from *deep breath* Miguel Mendonca, Jan Duursema, Max Raynor, Gleb Melnikov, Jesus Merino, Ema Lupacchino, V. Ken Marion, and Jack Herbert across these 13 issues. They're all fine - Merino's probably the one who has made his mark on the title the most, whereas the others rotate in and out as needed for a fairly generic overall style.
*claps hands* Let Steve Orlando write Wonder Woman properly! *claps hands again*
Every time he gets an arc, he does impressive things, and then it gets taken away from him almost immediately so he doesn't get to expand on anything. This arc, combined with his previous run The Enemy Of Both Sides, shows just how well he gets Diana, and he really should have been more than just a fill-in arc writer.
February 18, 2021
I don't really know how to feel about this. In the first part we still get to read about Cheetah, and her path of destruction in Themiscyra. But honestly, I hated the artwork. Really not the style that I'm used to for Wonder Woman and it was a bit annoying to me. But the artwork of the second part of this volume was absolutely amazing again!
We get to read a bit about Valkyries here, and as I'm a big fan of Norse mythology and since I've been trying to read up on this recently, I really enjoyed this in the DC verse! However, they were brought to the comics for a very dark past of the Amazons, one which I'm still not sure about what the truth now really is? It never actually became clear to me if the Amazons or the Valkyries were in the wrong for that war? But, Diana once again is amazing. And we get to see Donna Troy!! Who I absolutely love and would like to read more about.
We get to read a bit about Valkyries here, and as I'm a big fan of Norse mythology and since I've been trying to read up on this recently, I really enjoyed this in the DC verse! However, they were brought to the comics for a very dark past of the Amazons, one which I'm still not sure about what the truth now really is? It never actually became clear to me if the Amazons or the Valkyries were in the wrong for that war? But, Diana once again is amazing. And we get to see Donna Troy!! Who I absolutely love and would like to read more about.
May 8, 2021
Basic plot: Egged on by the Dark Fates, Warmaster gathers her Horsewomen to try to invade and destroy Themiscyra.
This was a longer story, with a lot of issues and a giant special involved. As a result, there were a lot of artists involved, a lot of shorter stories to fill in time gaps, and while most of the story was written by only 1 person, there were other authors involved. It was a lot. Some of the art was fantastic, but at least one of the artists in the big special has a style I absolutely do NOT like. The inconsistencies were frustrating.
The story itself dragged. The sheer number of issues involved means that the story was parsed out in dribs and drabs. I've never had so much trouble trying to finish a WW story. Von Gunther was an interesting character, and the Dark Fates are definitely creepy. Diana was true to character, but the story somehow never felt like it came together. I can't even peg why beyond the sheer length of the arc. I've read longer arcs, though, so that shouldn't have been a factor.
This was a longer story, with a lot of issues and a giant special involved. As a result, there were a lot of artists involved, a lot of shorter stories to fill in time gaps, and while most of the story was written by only 1 person, there were other authors involved. It was a lot. Some of the art was fantastic, but at least one of the artists in the big special has a style I absolutely do NOT like. The inconsistencies were frustrating.
The story itself dragged. The sheer number of issues involved means that the story was parsed out in dribs and drabs. I've never had so much trouble trying to finish a WW story. Von Gunther was an interesting character, and the Dark Fates are definitely creepy. Diana was true to character, but the story somehow never felt like it came together. I can't even peg why beyond the sheer length of the arc. I've read longer arcs, though, so that shouldn't have been a factor.
May 6, 2021
This lengthy collection is a mixed bag, not least because of the changes of artist through its length. There is a single overall plot arc, concerned with the Fates trying to cause trouble for WW and throwing various villains at her, although for the most part they're in the background. Thus we start off with a story about Cheetah hunting down Amazons, move through WW moving to Boston and encountering a time-travelling female knight, and eventually towards the showdown with the titular horsewomen, led by Paula von Gunther.
It improves as it goes along, as Orlando finds his footing, but even then there are odd one-off stories inserted into the run - a visit to an alien planet and a rather nonsensical fight with the Phantom Stranger both feeling very much shoe-horned in. The primary theme is truth, represented, of course, by the lasso, and with a number of characters fighting against it for various reasons. While there's rather a lot of fighting, Orlando does try to emphasise WW's compassion as well, with her trying (often not very successfully) to deescalate situations and giving villains the chance to redeem themselves.
So, not terrible by any means, if a little clunky in places... and mostly, just rather uneven.
It improves as it goes along, as Orlando finds his footing, but even then there are odd one-off stories inserted into the run - a visit to an alien planet and a rather nonsensical fight with the Phantom Stranger both feeling very much shoe-horned in. The primary theme is truth, represented, of course, by the lasso, and with a number of characters fighting against it for various reasons. While there's rather a lot of fighting, Orlando does try to emphasise WW's compassion as well, with her trying (often not very successfully) to deescalate situations and giving villains the chance to redeem themselves.
So, not terrible by any means, if a little clunky in places... and mostly, just rather uneven.
July 19, 2022
I had high hopes for this book, since I thought Steve Orlando had a better grasp on Diana's voice and character than G. Willow Wilson did, and man were those hopes dashed. What happened here?
The character of Warmaster has an interesting backstory (essentially being a failed protégé of Wonder Woman), but it goes downhill from there with plenty of old foes from previous continuities showing up with little backstory or explanation of why they hate Wonder Woman so much. A shame considering I looked up many of their backstories online and they all sound pretty fun! An evil Wonder Woman created by the Titans of Greek myth? Cool! A sentient golem made out of dirt from sites of massive genocides? That's incredible! But all that info does is just put into focus how much of a mess this book was.
TLDR: Lots of squandered potential that makes me want to go read older stories instead of push forward reading new ones.
The character of Warmaster has an interesting backstory (essentially being a failed protégé of Wonder Woman), but it goes downhill from there with plenty of old foes from previous continuities showing up with little backstory or explanation of why they hate Wonder Woman so much. A shame considering I looked up many of their backstories online and they all sound pretty fun! An evil Wonder Woman created by the Titans of Greek myth? Cool! A sentient golem made out of dirt from sites of massive genocides? That's incredible! But all that info does is just put into focus how much of a mess this book was.
TLDR: Lots of squandered potential that makes me want to go read older stories instead of push forward reading new ones.
June 24, 2021
2’5⭐️
July 18, 2021
this was enjoyable but SO scattered. it's all over the place in terms of a story. honestly i blame the year of the villain and dark nights death metal. I didn't hate either event but big events like that tend to fuck up ongoing series and make them less continuous.
enjoyed the art mostly aside from how Cheetah was drawn. she just looked....wrong. something was off. can't really explain it.
if you're keeping up with the series still read this volume but be warned it's all over the place.
enjoyed the art mostly aside from how Cheetah was drawn. she just looked....wrong. something was off. can't really explain it.
if you're keeping up with the series still read this volume but be warned it's all over the place.
August 19, 2022
I’m going to do my best to review this fourth volume of Wonder Woman, but I feel like I’m definitely going to miss some things as a ton of stuff happened. The Gorilla Grodd storyline was very random, but not horrible. I always welcome seeing the Cheetah, but for some reason this storyline was lacking. I think Cheetah’s motives of killing the Gods is a little weak. I understand she wants Diana to forge her own path, but I don’t think killing them would answer anything or be a realistic expectation that she would have.
I also think the writers did Aphrodite dirty. I won’t spoil anything, but I was excited to see her, just wish there would’ve been a bit more. I also felt there was a missed opportunity with Maggie’s character throughout the volume. I love the idea of a woman from man’s world going into Themyscira to live and learn their ways, but it needs to be expanded more.
After the Year of the Villain storyline with Cheetah though, I was so hooked with the rest of the volume! The Iron Maiden storyline was random like the Grodd one, but I wasn’t mad about it.
The best and most consuming portion of the volume involved Warmaster (aka Paula von Gunther)’s tirade against Wonder Woman and all Amazons. I felt the story was so solid and I loved the reimagining of all the classic Wonder Woman rogues gallery. It was great to see more villains come back. Wonder Woman gets a bit of a bad rep because people say her rogues are lacking. I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but I think it’s mainly due to missed opportunities. The characters are great, the writers just don’t always utilize them in the best way.
I will admit, while it was fun to see Armageddon, Devastation, and Genocide, those characters did somewhat take a back seat as Paula’s horsewomen. I didn’t mind though because Paula is a great villain and one of Wonder Woman’s oldest. I really hope we see her again and they do more with her. I think the greatest Wonder Woman villains are the ones that are foils to Diana, and Paula is just that. They are not very different, but their methods are completely foreign to one another. They also used to be friends which is an important trait that comes with any great Wonder Woman villain.
I also appreciated the appearance of many LGBT themes. I think all of Wonder Woman’s gay fans have felt included in her narrative for a long time. I mean a community of only women is a pretty welcoming vibe for us, but it was nice to have her stories really celebrate that. We see this in the Princess Maxima storyline, which was random as well, but fun nonetheless. And there were more visible LGBT characters than ever before. This made me so happy. As did the invisible space ship. Yes you heard me correctly, sorry one spoiler.
And last, but certainly not least, I also need to freak out about the return of Donna Troy to the series! I was so happy to see her come back and I love the way she first appears in this series. Such a bad ass! It was nice to see her by Diana’s side, as well as Nubia. If they could’ve thrown Artemis in there, I would’ve been in heaven! I think stories like this one are key to continuing Wonder Woman’s success in comics as well as strengthening some faults her series is accused of. I highly recommend this for any Wonder Woman fan, especially if you’ve read her comics before. There will be plenty of Easter eggs for you in this volume.
I also think the writers did Aphrodite dirty. I won’t spoil anything, but I was excited to see her, just wish there would’ve been a bit more. I also felt there was a missed opportunity with Maggie’s character throughout the volume. I love the idea of a woman from man’s world going into Themyscira to live and learn their ways, but it needs to be expanded more.
After the Year of the Villain storyline with Cheetah though, I was so hooked with the rest of the volume! The Iron Maiden storyline was random like the Grodd one, but I wasn’t mad about it.
The best and most consuming portion of the volume involved Warmaster (aka Paula von Gunther)’s tirade against Wonder Woman and all Amazons. I felt the story was so solid and I loved the reimagining of all the classic Wonder Woman rogues gallery. It was great to see more villains come back. Wonder Woman gets a bit of a bad rep because people say her rogues are lacking. I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but I think it’s mainly due to missed opportunities. The characters are great, the writers just don’t always utilize them in the best way.
I will admit, while it was fun to see Armageddon, Devastation, and Genocide, those characters did somewhat take a back seat as Paula’s horsewomen. I didn’t mind though because Paula is a great villain and one of Wonder Woman’s oldest. I really hope we see her again and they do more with her. I think the greatest Wonder Woman villains are the ones that are foils to Diana, and Paula is just that. They are not very different, but their methods are completely foreign to one another. They also used to be friends which is an important trait that comes with any great Wonder Woman villain.
I also appreciated the appearance of many LGBT themes. I think all of Wonder Woman’s gay fans have felt included in her narrative for a long time. I mean a community of only women is a pretty welcoming vibe for us, but it was nice to have her stories really celebrate that. We see this in the Princess Maxima storyline, which was random as well, but fun nonetheless. And there were more visible LGBT characters than ever before. This made me so happy. As did the invisible space ship. Yes you heard me correctly, sorry one spoiler.
And last, but certainly not least, I also need to freak out about the return of Donna Troy to the series! I was so happy to see her come back and I love the way she first appears in this series. Such a bad ass! It was nice to see her by Diana’s side, as well as Nubia. If they could’ve thrown Artemis in there, I would’ve been in heaven! I think stories like this one are key to continuing Wonder Woman’s success in comics as well as strengthening some faults her series is accused of. I highly recommend this for any Wonder Woman fan, especially if you’ve read her comics before. There will be plenty of Easter eggs for you in this volume.
May 24, 2021
This HUGE Volume of Wonder Woman connects much of the character to the overarching events of the DCU at the time (the exception being Death Metal, which is not covered here). I'm thinking this leads into the events of Future State, but I'm not sure. Lots to cover here, so I'll give basic highlights:
- The story of Helen Paul covers a large portion of the book. Helen was rescued by Diana and given to parents who would love and care for her. The girl grew up right and eventually became an ARGUS agent, working very closely with Wonder Woman. HOWEVER... during the "Leviathan Rising" event, Helen meets Leviathan, who reveals the truth of her ancestry to her. She is actually Paula Van Gunther, Warmaster. (we'll come back to her soon)
- We get a 3 part story about Cheetah having the God Killer sword (stemming out of the Year of the Villain storyline). Battles abound, but by the end, Cheetah has escaped, Silencer and Hera have gotten involved, and the God Killer sword has been entrusted back to the Amazons. Diana gets a new sword and her bracers are reforged.
- Diana makes a new friend in Nora, who is a Boston cop and her liaison with the city and her being accountable for the damage she causes
- Two part story with "The Iron Maiden". Valda is a knight who has travelled forward in time. Though she is responsible for a murder, Diana lets her off due to her personal growth and that she was acting in self-defense.
- Princess Maxima of Almerac crashes on Earth and needs Diana's help: She is about to lose her Kingdom to a horrible man who has hidden the truth of her society's history in order to further the patriarchy. Helping stop the coronation, Maxima is allowed to prove the history and rule with her lover at her side, making their society matriarchal.
- Paula gathers some other women who have been "wronged" by Diana and they create the Four Horsewomen. All the drama comes down to establishing how belief in a story you are told can seem like the truth to you. Once peace is somewhat achieved, and Paula promises to learn from her family's mistakes....
- The Phantom Stranger shows up and tries to take Paula with him. With Diana trying to save her, the Stranger has to learn a hard lesson in forgiveness. We also learn (unknown to me) that The Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot.
- Amazons rejoin the world at large, establishing an embassy and beginning to offer their help to all
Overall, a long read but worth it. Anxious to see what will come to the comic in the future.
- The story of Helen Paul covers a large portion of the book. Helen was rescued by Diana and given to parents who would love and care for her. The girl grew up right and eventually became an ARGUS agent, working very closely with Wonder Woman. HOWEVER... during the "Leviathan Rising" event, Helen meets Leviathan, who reveals the truth of her ancestry to her. She is actually Paula Van Gunther, Warmaster. (we'll come back to her soon)
- We get a 3 part story about Cheetah having the God Killer sword (stemming out of the Year of the Villain storyline). Battles abound, but by the end, Cheetah has escaped, Silencer and Hera have gotten involved, and the God Killer sword has been entrusted back to the Amazons. Diana gets a new sword and her bracers are reforged.
- Diana makes a new friend in Nora, who is a Boston cop and her liaison with the city and her being accountable for the damage she causes
- Two part story with "The Iron Maiden". Valda is a knight who has travelled forward in time. Though she is responsible for a murder, Diana lets her off due to her personal growth and that she was acting in self-defense.
- Princess Maxima of Almerac crashes on Earth and needs Diana's help: She is about to lose her Kingdom to a horrible man who has hidden the truth of her society's history in order to further the patriarchy. Helping stop the coronation, Maxima is allowed to prove the history and rule with her lover at her side, making their society matriarchal.
- Paula gathers some other women who have been "wronged" by Diana and they create the Four Horsewomen. All the drama comes down to establishing how belief in a story you are told can seem like the truth to you. Once peace is somewhat achieved, and Paula promises to learn from her family's mistakes....
- The Phantom Stranger shows up and tries to take Paula with him. With Diana trying to save her, the Stranger has to learn a hard lesson in forgiveness. We also learn (unknown to me) that The Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot.
- Amazons rejoin the world at large, establishing an embassy and beginning to offer their help to all
Overall, a long read but worth it. Anxious to see what will come to the comic in the future.
August 5, 2022
Wonder Woman is run through the wringer in this compilation. A young girl she’s watched over from childhood suddenly turns violent and vengeful. No, it’s not Silver Swan. It’s an orphan girl whose dead parents were Neo Nazis. You can understand why Diana would keep such knowledge from her. But Helen Paul doesn’t.
Overwhelmed with the memories and vicious deaths of her Valkyrie ancestors, killed in combat by the Amazons of Themyscira, she sets out on a course of vengeance. To that end, she gathers up similarly walking wounded women who might bear the mighty Amazon a grudge and urges them to vent their rage against Diana. These women become the titular horsewomen and their ultimate goal are the Themysciran Amazons themselves.
The fighting ranges all over as Diana seeks to learn the truth behind their attacks. As always, she prefers peace to violence and bends over backwards to bring justice and enlightenment to others without killing. She uses her lasso as much as her sword in yet more renewed attacks by a Cheetah armed with a newly forged Godkiller sword to the megalomaniacal ape leader Grodd to the aforementioned horsewomen.
The emphasis is mostly on women in this volume (although there are a few males of various species treading their way across Diana’s path). It’s a wonderfully female-centric volume as women display various aspects of their nature. Whether nurturing, tough, tearful, rage-filled or probing, these women aren’t shy about voicing their desires, stances or opinions. It makes for a rich and varied tapestry.
There is a story in this volume that will appeal to the LGBTQIA+ crowd. For a woman who grew up on an all-woman island, I’ve seen few stories that allow Diana a female love interest. This story hinted at such a love affair with an alien princess, the runaway Princess Maxima. Maxima prefers the love of women to men and it seems she might have an eye on Diana…
The plot presents a deceitful prince who has spread the lie that only a king and queen can rule the planet of Almerac. But Princess Maxima has found the true history of the royal rulership and it’s a race against time to prove the would-be king a base deceiver before he ascends the throne.
The story is surprising, original, tender and political. There are fisticuffs but also clever maneuvering as Diana suggests a more elegant solution than punching their way through royal guards. When it’s all over and the dust has settled, the new queen has some sage advice for Diana about pursuing her own heart’s desires. But that’s for another volume.
Overwhelmed with the memories and vicious deaths of her Valkyrie ancestors, killed in combat by the Amazons of Themyscira, she sets out on a course of vengeance. To that end, she gathers up similarly walking wounded women who might bear the mighty Amazon a grudge and urges them to vent their rage against Diana. These women become the titular horsewomen and their ultimate goal are the Themysciran Amazons themselves.
The fighting ranges all over as Diana seeks to learn the truth behind their attacks. As always, she prefers peace to violence and bends over backwards to bring justice and enlightenment to others without killing. She uses her lasso as much as her sword in yet more renewed attacks by a Cheetah armed with a newly forged Godkiller sword to the megalomaniacal ape leader Grodd to the aforementioned horsewomen.
The emphasis is mostly on women in this volume (although there are a few males of various species treading their way across Diana’s path). It’s a wonderfully female-centric volume as women display various aspects of their nature. Whether nurturing, tough, tearful, rage-filled or probing, these women aren’t shy about voicing their desires, stances or opinions. It makes for a rich and varied tapestry.
There is a story in this volume that will appeal to the LGBTQIA+ crowd. For a woman who grew up on an all-woman island, I’ve seen few stories that allow Diana a female love interest. This story hinted at such a love affair with an alien princess, the runaway Princess Maxima. Maxima prefers the love of women to men and it seems she might have an eye on Diana…
The plot presents a deceitful prince who has spread the lie that only a king and queen can rule the planet of Almerac. But Princess Maxima has found the true history of the royal rulership and it’s a race against time to prove the would-be king a base deceiver before he ascends the throne.
The story is surprising, original, tender and political. There are fisticuffs but also clever maneuvering as Diana suggests a more elegant solution than punching their way through royal guards. When it’s all over and the dust has settled, the new queen has some sage advice for Diana about pursuing her own heart’s desires. But that’s for another volume.
May 18, 2021
I am going to keep this review short even though I could talk about this graphic novel for pages. This is the third time since Rebirth started that Wonder Woman has had a former friend turn into an enemy (Barbara Ann Minerva as the Cheetah and Vanessa Kapatelis as Silver Swan). Paula von Gunther becomes the Warmaster after learning of her true lineage as a descendant of Valkyries and fascists. It’s actually quite jarring how fast Paula becomes evil despite spending her entire life growing up in a well-adjusted, loving home and working alongside Wonder Woman as a member of ARGUS. Wonder Woman is able to eventually talk Warmaster down and beat her (poorly named) Four Horsewoman. My big takeaway from this whole storyline is Diana has a recurring problem with former friends becoming arch villains. At some point she needs to look inward and ask herself what she is doing wrong. To her credit, Diana admits it was her lying to Paula that started this; but that just raises new questions about why Wonder Woman would lie to begin with – even if the intentions are good. Her whole gimmick is the importance of telling the truth. Anyway, I’m getting low-key disappointed with Diana’s difficulties with even attempting to come up with lasting solutions to her villains; particularly the Cheetah. Also, the Amazons ability to fight is massively inconsistent. They were able to beat the Valkyries yet are barely able to handle Warmaster and her Horsewomen. Cheetah ran roughshod over them until Diana showed up.
October 26, 2020
This volume covers Steve Orlando’s entire second major arc in Wonder Woman and I wish I could have given this a better rating, but for as much as he got right, he also missed the mark. He does a valiant job of stepping in right in the middle of the arc that G Willow Wilson had been constructing, not only carrying it forward seamlessly but finding his own voice for the story. He also does a great job in defining his characters and letting them grow and evolve. His stories build on one another and he brings it home for a satisfying climax.
Having said those nice things about the stories, I also have to mention that there are places where the narrative is rushed and choppy, as if he suddenly had to cut out several plotlines to fit a reduced page count. And then there’s the new invisible jet. It, without the virtue of any VTOL equipment, manages to float stationary in midair and can come when called and even transform itself to a space-worthy vessel on command.
Worth a read, but be forewarned the good and the bad are evenly matched, leaving this a fairly average story arc.
Having said those nice things about the stories, I also have to mention that there are places where the narrative is rushed and choppy, as if he suddenly had to cut out several plotlines to fit a reduced page count. And then there’s the new invisible jet. It, without the virtue of any VTOL equipment, manages to float stationary in midair and can come when called and even transform itself to a space-worthy vessel on command.
Worth a read, but be forewarned the good and the bad are evenly matched, leaving this a fairly average story arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2021
Wonder Woman is constantly been a favorite DC hero of mine but from Volumes 1 to 4 of this series I've been totally disinterested.
While the art is been from average, to good to fantastic, the story has been consistently unappealing. Largely focused on mystical stuff, Themyscira or Cheetah and her godkiller sword... look I just want Wonder Woman in modern times, in a moderm DC city living her life, both as Diana in relationships and Wonder Woman as a warrior....
Frankly the current Justice League Dark is the best place to follow WW!
I also just picked up Sensational Wonder Woman and hope this is more my speed.
Unless your really into smaller mythical tales I'd avoid all these recent volumes...
I'm still collecting this main series in singles so I'll see soon if things improve.
3 stars mostly cause the art is good. Go read Justice League Dark instead.
While the art is been from average, to good to fantastic, the story has been consistently unappealing. Largely focused on mystical stuff, Themyscira or Cheetah and her godkiller sword... look I just want Wonder Woman in modern times, in a moderm DC city living her life, both as Diana in relationships and Wonder Woman as a warrior....
Frankly the current Justice League Dark is the best place to follow WW!
I also just picked up Sensational Wonder Woman and hope this is more my speed.
Unless your really into smaller mythical tales I'd avoid all these recent volumes...
I'm still collecting this main series in singles so I'll see soon if things improve.
3 stars mostly cause the art is good. Go read Justice League Dark instead.
June 13, 2022
The beginning with Cheetah was driving me crazy because many times she has declared that she wants to kill Diana and the rest of the Amazons and yet every single time Cheetah has them under the Godkiller's blade, she doesn't execute them. Give me a break.
For the rest, the story is good enough, but the beginning of it is quite dumb, in my h opinion. A woman who Wonder Woman has cared for since she was a child learns that her parents/family line were villains, and at one point Nazis, and then gets mad at Wondy for "lying" to her about it the whole time, so she becomes Warmaster or something pretty angry.
Oh, and the art is inconsistent and at some points downright bad. And hope you like The Golden Perfect lasso because that's all she uses anymore.
For the rest, the story is good enough, but the beginning of it is quite dumb, in my h opinion. A woman who Wonder Woman has cared for since she was a child learns that her parents/family line were villains, and at one point Nazis, and then gets mad at Wondy for "lying" to her about it the whole time, so she becomes Warmaster or something pretty angry.
Oh, and the art is inconsistent and at some points downright bad. And hope you like The Golden Perfect lasso because that's all she uses anymore.
June 1, 2021
**I've read WAAAAY more than I've had time to review, so... knee-jerk reactions!**
- This behemoth of a graphic novel was worth the time it took to read it--mostly classic comic book/Wonder Woman action, but that's all we need. Just give us Wonder Woman being awesome in stories that don't need to be world-ending to still be interesting.
- I'm hoping she gets back together with Steve. They're hinting at it... maybe? (Please!)
- I'm curious to see what this Amazon Embassy will mean for the DC Universe as a whole. I feel like we could have a lot of fun with the different conflicts and situations that could arise.
- This behemoth of a graphic novel was worth the time it took to read it--mostly classic comic book/Wonder Woman action, but that's all we need. Just give us Wonder Woman being awesome in stories that don't need to be world-ending to still be interesting.
- I'm hoping she gets back together with Steve. They're hinting at it... maybe? (Please!)
- I'm curious to see what this Amazon Embassy will mean for the DC Universe as a whole. I feel like we could have a lot of fun with the different conflicts and situations that could arise.
November 28, 2021
Wonder Woman needs a writer that can bring something new. This was the same plot rewritten several times. Wonder Woman apologizing for not being there for someone who only has motivation to be a villain because they think WW has abandoned them? Cheetah, Silver Swan, and more. I think Wonder Woman is not anchored right now and it turns out that hurts the story. Batman has Gotham, Superman has Metropolis, Spidey has NYC, Wonder Woman has Boston, then Brazil, then other dimensions. It creates this scattered feeling.
May 14, 2021
This is a great big chunk of a trade, which is kind of nice. It covers two larger stories, several smaller ones, and an entire character arc. There's definitely some good stuff in here, and I appreciate that Orlando leaves exactly what happened when the Amazons met the Valkyries ambiguous. But Warmaster flips on Diana unrealistically fast, and that leaves a big hole at the heart of the entire book.
May 5, 2022
Steve Orlando makes a heroic effort to tie up an absurd amount of loose plot threads, but there's no way to summarize this volume without it sounding completely bonkers. Like there's a part in the middle where Wonder Woman yells at God -- the literal Christian God -- and then no one mentions it again? There are lots of little chunks there that are fine on their own (I would have enjoyed lingering in the Maxima plot a little longer) but this does not work at all as a cohesive unit.
January 7, 2023
I actually really enjoyed the three previous volumes by G. Willow Wilson, but this one was a total letdown. The story meandered, had unnecessary characters, and the titular story was pretty short and lackluster. I haven't yet read the material that comes after by Becky Cloonan, but I hope it quickly bounces back from this. I imagine there are aspects of what happened in this volune that will carry forward in important ways though, so it unfortunately isn't so easy to skip it.
November 2, 2021
Very much a course correction after the Trainwreck that was Willow's run. Orlando does the best he can here with fixing a lot of the terrible characterizations of Diana and Cheetah but is hindered by the year of the villans linewide event of the time. Overall it was an enjoyable read and entertaining if nothing else.
June 27, 2025
writing Wonder Woman isn't easy if you remember she used honesty love and compassion as weapons too. The overall horsewomen story isn't the best but they treat Diana like a thinking caring character and that's nice to spend time with.
March 5, 2021
Such a mixed bag
August 23, 2021
I really enjoyed most of the Warmaster
Storyline abs found it easy to see her as an equal.
The cheetah story makes a little more sense to me in this format.
Storyline abs found it easy to see her as an equal.
The cheetah story makes a little more sense to me in this format.
April 3, 2022
Seriously, Wonder Woman should get her own TV series, in my humble opinion, upon reading this book!
June 12, 2022
Wonder woman gives her sword to someone right after they killed a person in a bar fight "in self defense." Not my definition of a hero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
2.5 ... it was nice to see Donna, and the 4th annual okay, but man oh man did I have higher hopes for Steve Orlando and he just continues to disappoint.
November 13, 2023
The art was good, the story was a bit meh, especially at the end. Decent read.
April 4, 2025
Another solid tale.
This one wasn’t as good as volumes 1-3 but still enjoyable nevertheless.
Happy Reading, everybody!
This one wasn’t as good as volumes 1-3 but still enjoyable nevertheless.
Happy Reading, everybody!
July 21, 2025
Infiltration mission, Godslayer sword, chaperone, time traveller, blood connected golem, the first and last attempt to de-escalate is talk. Generational grudges.
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