Wonder Woman #800 Review

Writers: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Tom King
Art: Joelle Jones, Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales, Nick Robles, Todd Nauck, Skylar Partridge, Cully Hamner, Jen Bartel and Daniel Sampere
Colors: Jordie Bellaire, Tamra Bonvillain, Jen Bartel and Tomeu Morey
Letters: Pat Brosseau and Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $5.99
Release Date: June 20th, 2023

It’s a milestone issue as Wonder Woman hits number 800! In Wonder Woman #800 we get an ending and a beginning, as the “Whatever Happened to the Warrior of Truth?” story ends, as well as Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad’s tenure on the book. Also, we get a prelude to Tom King’s upcoming run on the new Wonder Woman book, a story that jumps into the future, where we’re introduced to Diana’s daughter Lizzie, the new Wonder Woman. It’s an issue worthy of the number 800, filled with many great moments, as well as a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come.

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The Story

The main story in Wonder Woman #800 is the conclusion to the “Whatever Happened to the Warrior of Truth?” story started last issue, as Diana, trapped in the Dream Realm, has various encounters with figures from her “family” such as Wonder Girl, Donna Troi, etc.. as a trio of Oracles try to help her find her way out. This story definitely has the feel of a final issue, with Diana discovering things about herself she never knew and revisiting many characters we’ve seen over the last few years. It gives us more of an insight into the supporting characters than into Diana herself, because we see them all through her eyes. As Diana journeys through the Dream Realm, Yara Flor, Donna Troi and Cassie Sandsmark all make appearances, and like the different Robins that Batman has mentored over the years, the three Wonder Girls all have starkly different personalities that are on full display here.

I’ve been a huge fan of Yara Flor since she first appeared, and she shines especially bright in her sequence (drawn epically by her creator Joelle Jones). In the most touching sequences of the book, Batman and Superman appear in different scenes, Diana helping them both and showing once again how beautiful and deep the friendship is between the trio. The scenes between Diana and Bruce Wayne are especially wonderful and makes me wish for a “World’s Finest” book that featured Batman and Wonder Woman instead of Batman and Superman (sorry Clark!). The backup story features Tom King’s prelude tale that will lead into a new Wonder Woman book coming later this year. It jumps ahead about 30 years in the future, where we see Damian (now an adult and taking over the Batman identity) and Jonathan Kent rendezvous with Lizzie Prince, Diana’s daughter who has taken over the Wonder Woman identity. The three go into an ancient danger-filled cave to get answers to questions Lizzie has been seeking for some time.

The trio have great chemistry together, much like their parents, but with some subtle differences. Lizzie seems more quick-tempered and eager to fight than her peace-loving mother and Damian seems so dark as Batman that he makes Bruce Wayne look like Blue Beetle by comparison. I have to admit though, I’m loving Damian’s Batman costume, it’s a fantastic design. It retains the core elements of Bruce’s original outfit but has adjustments that fit Damian’s personality to a T.

I may not like Lizzie’s personality much, but her costume is terrific. Not only is it unique and stunning, it looks practical too. I never understood why Diana wore a costume that left a good part of her body uncovered. Lizzie’s costume covers most of her body and she has reinforced protection in various places. She looks how I always imagined an Amazon should look. The story itself is merely a setup for the upcoming new Wonder Woman book, but it sets up a nice cliffhanger and gives us some great moments between the trio. I hope in the new book we get to see more of Lizzie, Damian and Jonathan doing missions together. Heck, I’d even like an issue of them just sitting around knocking back some brews and complaining about their parents!

The Art

Wonder Woman #800 has a vast array of artists and the art is dazzling throughout the book. The various art styles meld together nicely throughout the book. Daniel Sampere’s work on the backup story is promising and I look forward to seeing more of his work on the new Wonder Woman book. He gives each of the trio of heroes a distinct visual style and personality in the way they stand and their facial expressions.

Final Thoughts

Wonder Woman #800 ends this chapter of Diana’s story in a touching way, reinforcing what makes the character so unique and special after all these years. The backup story is equally excellent and is a great setup for the next Wonder Woman book to come. Recommended.