It’s turning out to be quite the year for Wonder Woman. DC’s premier superheroine is not only celebrating her 75th anniversary but she also made her big screen debut and is one of the most anticipated titles in DC’s Rebirth initiative. But as all of this has been going on, DC’s digital first team have been doing their part for the character with the Legend of Wonder Woman. Now, as this series comes to an end, we see if it was a book worthy of Diana Prince?

Publisher: DC Comics (Digital First)
Writer: Renae De Liz
Artist: Renae De Liz (art), Ray Dillon (inks/colours/letters)
Price: $0.99/£0.69 per issue from comiXology

Our rating: [star rating=”5″]

The Legend of Wonder Woman retells the origin of Princess Diana of Themyscira, the mortal only daughter of Queen Hippolyta as she tries to find her place on the island away from her destined role as the future queen. However, Diana’s life soon takes a dramatic twist when dark forces invade her home, culminating in the arrival of the mysterious Steve Trevor. Therefore, Diana, armed with magical artefacts gifted to her from her mother, must venture into Man’s world to return Steve to his rightful place while travelling from America to war-torn Europe to find the source of the dark forces plaguing her people. It is a mission which will shape her destiny, one where she can only succeed by becoming the Wonder Woman!

The Legend of Wonder Woman is an incredible series. Writer Renae De Liz has done tremendous work here, forging a story which, while not part of the character’s current, New 52 continuity, takes much of the characters golden age origins and gives them a modern twist, resulting in a tale which feels magical, hopeful and quintessentially Wonder Woman. This series is equal parts action and heart and nowhere is this better shown than in Diana’s relationship with Steve. Of course, the same can be said with many characters as De Liz writes every major player, from Diana and Steve Trevor to Hippolyta and Cheetah all the way to the tremendously written Etta Candy and the Holliday girls, perfectly, making each one so engaging it doesn’t fail but to keep readers immersed, even when the tale lulls during the odd issue.

Of course, the writing isn’t all that makes The Legend of Wonder Woman great as De Liz’s art equals her writing efforts with some fantastically solid work. De Liz’s art thoughout the series, coupled with Dillon’s inks and colours, is so vibrant and bright with a slightly dreamlike hue that, even during the scenes with the oncoming darkness, the style is just pitch perfect for the story it is telling. But where she excels is the character depiction, in particular Wonder Woman herself, who just imbues real golden age sentiment from the moment she appears in her famous costume, and Etta Candy, who’s entire look is perfect for the confident character written. Couple this with the more fantastical elements of the art, such as Diana’s guardian spirit in unicorn form or the emergence of the Titan and even the army of the dead, then De Liz more than proves her worth from beginning to end.

While a second volume of this title has already been announced, reading The Legend of Wonder Woman in its entirety is so fulfilling that it will prove the announcement as well deserved. If you ever want to get an understanding of, or even fall in love with, the character of Wonder Woman then you would do far, far worse than to start here. In fact, this essential read would definitely be the perfect place to start.