Wonder Woman #35 Review

Was this time well spent? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC:

It’s the grand finale of the historic WONDER WOMAN epic by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang! Saying more would spoil all the surprises – and there will be plenty!

What an ending! It took three years to reach this point and the very first thing I want to do is congratulate the creative team who kept the story of Diana of Themyscira, in the landscape of the New 52, compelling. They challenged their audience with redefined origins, while engaging them with distinct departures from accepted lore. And, of course, the occasional twist and turn managed to keep the core of our heroine intact without cheapening her iconic image.

Brian Azzarello may not have been the first name to come to mind when the relaunch for this franchise began, but the author has achieved something that most talents struggle to do with just about any lasting character. He set a narrative course that’ll be measured against any successor, because from #1 to #35 it’s clear that the entire experience was defined by his intent without falling victim to stereotypical antics. Wonder Woman is a player in a greater universe that stands as a unique focal point not just for women but men as well. And in the end all the elements find their way home in a crescendo that screams for recognition and no doubt earns it.

Enough about the text, let’s talk about the incredible illustrations by the one and only Cliff Chiang. I’ll admit that when it comes to the renditions of our favored Amazon there really are only a handful of artists that have wowed me. And they’ve done so because they implored an empowered version that looked like a Goddess of War. And right from the start to the end no one has held a candle to the style found within these pictures. Every pencil stroke pulsates with purpose, in a landscape that needs none to entertain. Matthew Wilson also deserves credit, because the use of the wrong color palette would ruin this but instead he magnifies it.

Wonder Woman #35 is not perfect but there’s no doubt that this release exemplifies a creative team that ran to the finish while firing on all cylinders. And for that reason, plus the feeling of completeness offered here, this absolutely stands tall as a must own.