Shopping For Batman Was Never Going To Be Easy: Reviewing ‘Wonder Woman’ #7

With America taking on Princess Diana and the Amazons we take a welcome break from the main storyline slowly unfolding with Wonder Woman #7; a stand-alone issue in which Diana and Superman shop for a birthday present for Batman, allowing writer Tom King to flex his comedic muscles with a story clearly inspired by the classic Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons storyline, ‘For The Man Who Has Everything’ (Action Comics Annual #11) with references to Isaac Asimov’s Encyclopaedia Galactica, crossed with the self-proclaimed better selling Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. And it’s not half-bad. Y’know, given its inspiration.

We witness Kal and Diana having a rare day off and cracking each other up with their friendly, knowing banter. The bond between them, and the absent Batman, is clearly strong and illustrated thus, with an attempt as Superman to get involved in Diana’s current problems batted away. This is not that kind of issue. It’s not a recap of what has come before and it is certainly not an invitation for Superman, or any other hero, to try and force their way into her battle.

And so we have a light-hearted issue with the kind of observational comedy, even when set in the Andromeda Mall, “the largest known shopping complex in the known universe”, is universally understood. Albeit rather unoriginal in places. Just because a joke about being cut up and beaten to a parking space is transferred to space doesn’t make it any more original than the last ten times I’ve seen it. But, comedy is hard to write, and this is not a comic being judged on its comedic value. Rather, it is a comic that is heart-warming, uplifting, and one of those rare issues that put superior friendships under the microscope, probing at what makes them such firm friends, while pointing out their differences too. Something of a theme in King’s run on Wonder Woman to date. 

On art is the incomparable Guillem March. An artist who brings a statuesque beauty to Princess Diana’s depiction, especially as most of this issue sees Wonder Woman and Superman go shopping. 

It’s an upbeat bottle issue that is a good reminder of the inseparable bond the alien, the Amazon and the ex-billionaire share. And a great issue to give the readers something very different and much needed ahead of returning to the main action next issue. 

Wonder Woman #7 is out now from DC Comics