Review: Wonder Woman Vol. 3- The Truth
Quick Summary
Pros: The volume tells an engaging story with some relatable lessons within it. The way Wonder Woman’s history is retconned works well. The artwork looks great in most chapters.
Cons: The opening chapter contains disappointing visuals.
Overall: This is another solid volume and another worthwhile extension of the Wonder Woman mythos. It tells a captivating and meaningful story powered by some mostly positive artwork. It also builds on the volumes coming before it and fits well into the overarching narrative running through this series. Anyone interested in good Wonder Woman stories should consider checking this one out, especially if they have read the volumes preceding it.
Story
Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth, by Greg Rucka, is another successful volume in the Rebirth era of the Wonder Woman series. This collection takes all of the intrigue and mystery established by the past two volumes and uses it to launch a highly compelling narrative. The conflict here is exciting and interesting but also has a layer of depth and meaning that elevates it to a higher level. Plus, the entire narrative does well in firmly establishing the changes made to Wonder Woman’s Rebirth history. All in all, the story here is great.
(spoilers start here)
The main conflict in The Truth deals with the main mystery presented in the previous volume. Wonder Woman learns the secret behind the lies in her life and, because of this, is forced to face off against Veronica Cale’s forces and, eventually, the God of War’s sons. This is an epic battle that is made even more grandiose and important by all of the setup it is given in the previous two volumes.
However, this conflict isn’t just an extended bout of action and thrills, as it also has some powerful themes propelling it forward. Wonder Woman’s search for identity in the face of lies from her elders mirrors the problems faced by many young adults as they move away from a comfortable life at home to the harsh reality of the real world. I also enjoyed the fact that Wonder Woman defeats Deimos and Phobos through an expression of pure love, rather than through a cheesy fight scene.
The Truth also makes some serious strides in streamlining Wonder Woman’s history. It relegates the majority of Wonder Woman’s solo adventures as fictions created by the gods in order to prevent her from accidentally releasing Ares into the world. This firmly establishes the events depicted in Vol. 2: Year One (Review) as her definitive origin story. Though I am sad to see some of Wonder Woman’s history dismissed as an illusion, as I seriously enjoyed the first six volumes in the New 52 series, I really enjoy this streamlined version of her past.
(spoilers end here)
Art
The artwork in The Truth is almost entirely positive. Liam Sharp’s work, which forms the bulk of the visuals in this collection, is just as impressive as it has been throughout this series. It depicts scenes set in the mortal world with a sense of realism and detail that adds to the work. Meanwhile, it also depicts scenes more magically-influenced scenes with a sense of wonder and a creative approach to page structure that helps these moments stand out. The collection’s only visual disappointment comes from a seriously lackluster opening chapter from a guest artist. Overall though, this is a good-looking book.
Continuity
Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth directly continues the storyline from Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Lies (Review). This volume was also published concurrently alongside Wonder Woman Vol. 4: Godwatch and makes references to the events of that volume.
Elements of this story continue in Wonder Woman Vol. 4: Godwatch (Review).