A lot has happened over the course of this volume, but at this point do you really need to keep following it?  Read on to find out.

The official description from DC:

Wonder Woman’s brother and sister are being held hostage by none other than Cassandra, the sadistic sibling she hasn’t even met yet! And speaking of hostages, we’re taking bets on how long chains can hold the First Born!

How far are any of us really willing to go for our family?  That’s certainly the question for the last Amazon, as she continues to wade through this polytheistic madness.  She may be the new God of War, but she’s still the icon that generations before and after this release are destined to admire.  Case and point: how she deals with her vile sister and the good brother caught in the crossfire.

Brian Azzarello pens the script and as the captain of this particular vessel he continues to impress with a simplistic narrative governed by various moving parts. There are a lot of subtle features at play here, and because of that some of the more nuanced moments get lost until the second or third read.  Considering what happens in this issue, there’s a lot to admire but I did find the conclusion to be a bit rushed even though the sequence of events spoke so clearly to each character involved.  Should be noted: that when Strife is in play that release is instantly a hundred times more entertaining.

The art by Goran Sudzuka is by far his best to date.  He captures the elements that have made this re-imagining successful, while also allowing himself some necessary freedom in order to explore his own interpretation.  From the first page to the final panel, there’s a lot to this journey but I did find a few sequences that were wobbly. As some rushed execution left vacated details with too much negative space.  But still the bulk of the pictures found here are top notch.

Wonder Woman #26 is another really good entry that keeps the exemplary standing of this awesome franchise.  Recommended.

4/5