Although the last issue of Wonder Woman looked at Diana's past and how she first met Steve Trevor, the latest issue brings Diana's story back to present day.
When readers last saw Diana, she was traversing a jungle to confront Cheetah to ask for help. Wonder Woman's mind is torn, with two separate stories competing in her head about who she is and where she came from: is she a child made of clay or the child of Zeus?
In Wonder Woman #3, Diana admits to Cheetah that she's lost her way to Themyscira and seeks her former ally and enemy for help in finding it again.
The story here by Greg Rucka takes a more emotional turn than previous issues: Cheetah is now cursed and destined to serve a god only known as Urzakartaga. Although Diana continues to call Cheetah by her human name, Barbara Ann, it's evident that Cheetah has a major internal battle with who she is now and the person she once was, almost similar to Diana's own struggle. The battle within both Cheetah and Wonder Woman feel real in the writing and dialogue.
The story alternates between this and Steve Trevor as he seeks out the truth of a war-torn country, which has taken him to the same part of the world. He also soon learns about Urzakartaga, and it's likely that, at some point, he will find himself reunited with Diana. The anticipation of that (especially with each issue of Wonder Woman alternating between past and present) increases with each part of the story.
Although these stories feel familiar (Cheetah struggling with her humanity and Diana's appeal to Barbara Ann), it still feels new here, and readers will find themselves eagerly awaiting what's next. It's a great set-up to a story that will find Wonder Woman rediscovering herself, as new readers learn who she is and old readers remember what makes her so great.
The artwork by Liam Sharp, with colors by Laura Martin, serves this story's emotion, too: Diana's facial expressions in particular seem heartfelt and all too real. Cheetah's tears will weigh heavily on the reader's soul, while the jungle setting with its heavy black lines and deep colors hints of an evil that the reader has not yet seen. This carries through in Steve's foray into the jungle and the truth that lies there, too.
Wonder Woman #3 is available now on comic book store shelves and online.
Story
★★★★★
Art
★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
