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Wonder Woman (1987) (Single Issues) #218–226
Wonder Woman: Mission's End
Wonder Woman may have regained her sight, but her troubles are far from over!
In the midst of INFINITE CRISIS, the Amazing Amazon is forced to battle the Man of Steel — leading to an incident that will forever change her relationship with Superman.
Collects WONDER WOMAN Vol. 2 #218–226
In the midst of INFINITE CRISIS, the Amazing Amazon is forced to battle the Man of Steel — leading to an incident that will forever change her relationship with Superman.
Collects WONDER WOMAN Vol. 2 #218–226
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
324 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,493 books1,925 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 21, 2012
Sometimes I wonder what the writers of ongoing monthlies think when editorial decides that they need to shelve all of their storylines and characters and instead work on the yearly crossover event. In this case, Infinite Crisis. (Bits of this I've actually read two or three times, in Superman: Sacrfice and The OMAC Project.) More than anything, I'm left feeling sad that Rucka couldn't have gone out in the series the way he might have liked to, with his own storylines. That said, he does as good a job as anyone can with the task of leading into Infinite Crisis. However, the last issue in this collection may be one of my favorite things I've seen Rucka write about Wonder Woman: a retrospective of Wonder Woman's career and relationship with Superman, framed by covers from a superhero tabloid (World's Finest, of course). I especially liked the earliest scene, with a Diana new to patriarch's world and still learning English. I believe that was Rucka's last issue on Wonder Woman, and it was a good way to go.
June 12, 2017
This book comes at the tail end of the abysmal crossover that was so abysmal it took multiple simultaneous crossovers to explain. Following -- or maybe sort of happening alongside -- Infinite Crisis, The OMAC Project, and Superman: Sacrifice, Mission's End wraps up Rucka's run (mostly based in the Greek mythology side of WW) with a scattering of issues in which she fights a robot army.
The main plot, as near as I can figure it, is that Batman has made a planetwide surveillance system to monitor his superfriends, which then got taken over by a supervillain instead. WW, seeing no other option, killed said villain in a twist that is not entirely out of the realm of possibility for every iteration of WW ever, but certainly out of bounds for the peace 'n' love version of the character that Rucka has been cultivating.
And honestly I am not totally against a storyline in which you get to know a protagonist, and then reveal hidden depths that change the nature of the protagonist's story. I am also, as a rule, not against robot armies. Robot armies can be dope!
But like, could this giant crossover have been executed any poorer? I am pretty sure no. When you get into the territory of each separate sub-series of the crossover repeating panels and dialogue in different order from one another, so that it is a literal impossibility to find a reading order, so that you are sort of meant, at best, to buy a million comics in order to sort of read around a story that at the same time demands reading everything in order to form a complete understanding of that story's narrative, that's when you know you're in bullshit city. The fact that the collected runs of these titles don't even make sense when put in order is perhaps the clearest indicator of their failure.
The fact that Rucka wrote about half of the involved crossovers also means that he's not an innocent pawn in the machinations of DC's ambition. He had a chance to make all this work! And instead he just poops the friggin' bed.
I think that, thematically, there is some nice stuff in Mission's End. Rucka does a decent job of bringing the Greek pantheon back for one last tête-à-tête, and there's an attempt to relate the totally unrelatable robot-army-story to the rest of his past run that, I think, at least seems like it could have worked in a pitch meeting. The art continues to get more gorgeouser, and there's some mildly satisfying handwaving toward the importance of WW's role in the DCU that isn't entirely unearned.
But also there's a random Cheetah story that goes less than nowhere, a Superman story that attempts to put the entire WW continuity into one timeline (always a terrible idea), and of course, the fragmented shitstorm of killer robots that makes very little narrative sense.
If I was going to recommend Rucka's run to someone (which, ultimately, I probably wouldn't), I think that Mission's End is a must-skip. The previous volume, Land of the Dead, basically ties up most of what Rucka was trying to do, with only a few annoying, ignorable loose ends that tie into this book.
But ultimately, I think I'm going to keep looking for a WW run that makes me go "Yowza!" because this isn't really it. Rucka's run takes at least ten issues to get off the ground, and uses the last eight to dig itself a grave. That leaves around ten (maybe twelve) issues of okayish material when all's said and done. We can do better.
The main plot, as near as I can figure it, is that Batman has made a planetwide surveillance system to monitor his superfriends, which then got taken over by a supervillain instead. WW, seeing no other option, killed said villain in a twist that is not entirely out of the realm of possibility for every iteration of WW ever, but certainly out of bounds for the peace 'n' love version of the character that Rucka has been cultivating.
And honestly I am not totally against a storyline in which you get to know a protagonist, and then reveal hidden depths that change the nature of the protagonist's story. I am also, as a rule, not against robot armies. Robot armies can be dope!
But like, could this giant crossover have been executed any poorer? I am pretty sure no. When you get into the territory of each separate sub-series of the crossover repeating panels and dialogue in different order from one another, so that it is a literal impossibility to find a reading order, so that you are sort of meant, at best, to buy a million comics in order to sort of read around a story that at the same time demands reading everything in order to form a complete understanding of that story's narrative, that's when you know you're in bullshit city. The fact that the collected runs of these titles don't even make sense when put in order is perhaps the clearest indicator of their failure.
The fact that Rucka wrote about half of the involved crossovers also means that he's not an innocent pawn in the machinations of DC's ambition. He had a chance to make all this work! And instead he just poops the friggin' bed.
I think that, thematically, there is some nice stuff in Mission's End. Rucka does a decent job of bringing the Greek pantheon back for one last tête-à-tête, and there's an attempt to relate the totally unrelatable robot-army-story to the rest of his past run that, I think, at least seems like it could have worked in a pitch meeting. The art continues to get more gorgeouser, and there's some mildly satisfying handwaving toward the importance of WW's role in the DCU that isn't entirely unearned.
But also there's a random Cheetah story that goes less than nowhere, a Superman story that attempts to put the entire WW continuity into one timeline (always a terrible idea), and of course, the fragmented shitstorm of killer robots that makes very little narrative sense.
If I was going to recommend Rucka's run to someone (which, ultimately, I probably wouldn't), I think that Mission's End is a must-skip. The previous volume, Land of the Dead, basically ties up most of what Rucka was trying to do, with only a few annoying, ignorable loose ends that tie into this book.
But ultimately, I think I'm going to keep looking for a WW run that makes me go "Yowza!" because this isn't really it. Rucka's run takes at least ten issues to get off the ground, and uses the last eight to dig itself a grave. That leaves around ten (maybe twelve) issues of okayish material when all's said and done. We can do better.
February 2, 2012
Wonder Woman returns to her usual standard of excellence with this amazing addition to her book series.
August 27, 2012
This is an epic conclusion to Greg Rucka's arc on Wonder Woman as well as a key transitional piece to a subsequent run. That's the thing with comics, there's always more back story, more analog hypertext routes to follow.
In this case, I'd start this arc from its beginning in Wonder Woman: Down to Earth. Then read the Wonder Woman graphic novels: Bitter Rivals, Eyes of the Gorgon, Land of the Dead, and then Mission's End.
There's some crossover with the Infinite Crisis storyline in Mission's End. It's not critical to have read it first, but if you find yourself wanting to more about OMACs, try The OMAC project. I only happened to read some of those when backtracking from a different run of Wonder Woman.
Mission's End is really the book I was looking for last year when I read Wonder Woman: Who Is Wonder Woman? and didn't get some key references. Though Who Is Wonder Woman? is the start of another run, Mission's End contains key turning points that carry over.
I really enjoyed Rucka's view of Diana as ambassador and superhero sans the secret identity. Overall a nice collection of character driven stories.
In this case, I'd start this arc from its beginning in Wonder Woman: Down to Earth. Then read the Wonder Woman graphic novels: Bitter Rivals, Eyes of the Gorgon, Land of the Dead, and then Mission's End.
There's some crossover with the Infinite Crisis storyline in Mission's End. It's not critical to have read it first, but if you find yourself wanting to more about OMACs, try The OMAC project. I only happened to read some of those when backtracking from a different run of Wonder Woman.
Mission's End is really the book I was looking for last year when I read Wonder Woman: Who Is Wonder Woman? and didn't get some key references. Though Who Is Wonder Woman? is the start of another run, Mission's End contains key turning points that carry over.
I really enjoyed Rucka's view of Diana as ambassador and superhero sans the secret identity. Overall a nice collection of character driven stories.
February 10, 2017
Some of the issues feel weird where they are placed. I wonder if I missed a tie-in event or something. The vast majority is solid.
May 19, 2020
I need to begin by saying I did not care for the OMAC plotline. At the time, I thought it had a lot of potential, but I did not care for the direction it took in the long run. Between the violation of the former JLI, the absurd self-righteousness of Superman and Batman through the whole debacle, and the single-minded fanaticism of Brother Eye, it just did not work for me at all.
That said, the Infinite Crisis stuff did fold into the story Rucka was telling much more organically than it did in many other titles at the time. You could argue that it was because he was one of the architects of the crossover, but that would ignore how badly his concurrent Superman run suffered. I do not know how much Rucka's vision changed with the development of The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis and whatever the plans for Wonder Woman editorial were hatching, but I do feel that the storyline evolved, especially after the Medusa arc. The Veronica Cale arc was left hanging; it is unlike Rucka to simply drop a plotline . (Cale got a new job in 52, but her abrupt abandonment in the pages of Wonder Woman implied that she had more to do but there just weren't enough pages.)
The plot: Brother Eye is pissed that Wonder Woman killed Max Lord (with cause), so it broadcast the killing without context to everyone with a screen to help discredit her. Wonder Woman surrenders herself to the Hague to clear this mess up legally. Cheetah attacks, for some reason. Then thousands of OMACs invade Themiscira and Wonder Woman breaks her house arrest to help the Amazons. Faced with a choice between eternal warfare with the patriarch's world and death at the hands of the OMACs, the Amazons petition their patron gods to remove Themiscira from the Earthly plane. Wonder Woman stays behind. Then the Greek Gods themselves withdraw from the Earthly plane. Wonder Woman then gathers the remaining embassy team and dissolves them with a group hug and a generous severance package, and flies off, telling the people outside that she will never abandon them. That would have been a great bittersweet ending, but there was one more chapter that served as a coda, visiting the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman throughout their respective careers, which was fine.
The best thing about Rucka's Wonder Woman was that Diana stayed true throughout the whole thing. She embodies the best of her people in the same way that Superman embodies the best of "our" people. She is steadfast and caring and will do what she thinks is right regardless of what anyone thinks about her, whether it is Superman, Batman or her own patron goddess Athena. While she is a warrior, she is more importantly a teacher and an inspiration, and Rucka got that in a way that not everyone does. And THAT is why I gave his entire run 5 stars despite having quibbles with certain plot points or character beats.
That said, the Infinite Crisis stuff did fold into the story Rucka was telling much more organically than it did in many other titles at the time. You could argue that it was because he was one of the architects of the crossover, but that would ignore how badly his concurrent Superman run suffered. I do not know how much Rucka's vision changed with the development of The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis and whatever the plans for Wonder Woman editorial were hatching, but I do feel that the storyline evolved, especially after the Medusa arc. The Veronica Cale arc was left hanging; it is unlike Rucka to simply drop a plotline . (Cale got a new job in 52, but her abrupt abandonment in the pages of Wonder Woman implied that she had more to do but there just weren't enough pages.)
The plot: Brother Eye is pissed that Wonder Woman killed Max Lord (with cause), so it broadcast the killing without context to everyone with a screen to help discredit her. Wonder Woman surrenders herself to the Hague to clear this mess up legally. Cheetah attacks, for some reason. Then thousands of OMACs invade Themiscira and Wonder Woman breaks her house arrest to help the Amazons. Faced with a choice between eternal warfare with the patriarch's world and death at the hands of the OMACs, the Amazons petition their patron gods to remove Themiscira from the Earthly plane. Wonder Woman stays behind. Then the Greek Gods themselves withdraw from the Earthly plane. Wonder Woman then gathers the remaining embassy team and dissolves them with a group hug and a generous severance package, and flies off, telling the people outside that she will never abandon them. That would have been a great bittersweet ending, but there was one more chapter that served as a coda, visiting the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman throughout their respective careers, which was fine.
The best thing about Rucka's Wonder Woman was that Diana stayed true throughout the whole thing. She embodies the best of her people in the same way that Superman embodies the best of "our" people. She is steadfast and caring and will do what she thinks is right regardless of what anyone thinks about her, whether it is Superman, Batman or her own patron goddess Athena. While she is a warrior, she is more importantly a teacher and an inspiration, and Rucka got that in a way that not everyone does. And THAT is why I gave his entire run 5 stars despite having quibbles with certain plot points or character beats.
October 7, 2013
Review cross-posted (with graphics!) at: http://mgbookreviews.wordpress.com/20...
Synopsis
Wonder Woman, the superhero, the diplomat, and the princess of an entire culture, comes face-to-face with the conflicts inherent in her many roles in Mission’s End. Her task has been to bring a message of peace and diplomacy to the world outside of Themyscira, but this work has been complicated by the fact that she spends so much of her time defending Earth from terrifying threats. When a new villain arises who is able to control Superman and use him as a weapon, Wonder Woman determines that the only way to protect the planet is to kill this enemy. However, she faces extreme backlash from both her fellow heroes, as well as the civilian population of Earth. How can someone supposedly devoted to peace bypass all systems of justice and act in such a vigilante manner? On the other hand, was there any other rational choice?
The Good
There has been a lot of talk recently about the character of Wonder Woman and how she is supposedly “tricky” and difficult to handle. However, after reading this Rucka volume of her comic, I cannot actually see how this is the case. Rucka delivers a well-crafted character who fulfills a unique role in the DC universe. Wonder Woman is kind and compassionate, but also a warrior who can act harshly when needed. She’s dedicated to her position as a superhero, but also works hard as a diplomat and political figure. She’s a woman with a lot of responsibilities, and, unlike the other two parts of the DC trinity, she lives her entire life in the public eye. This Wonder Woman is an interesting and nuanced character to read about, and she’s ready to admit that being one of the good guys means that sometimes you have to do terrible things to serve the needs of peace.
The Wonder Woman comics have also been criticised for having boring and unmemorable villains. However, Cheetah’s introduction in this volume is positively chilling. She’s a woman turned into a half-cat creature who craves raw human flesh. She’s smart, fast, powerful, and otherworldly, so exactly what makes her a boring villainess? The OMAC are terrifying in their number and single-mindedness, and even Checkmate is a frightening foe because of their ability to infiltrate and grow close to the superheroes they are so dedicated to bringing down. The only reason that villains from Wonder Women’s books are not more well-known is because DC does little to promote her books.
Mission’s End was also a good example of how a superhero comic can have consequences that don’t involve the death of a major character or the reboot of a universe. In this book, anti-superhero forces are attempting to undermine the position of associations like the Justice League, and their machinations push Wonder Woman into a situation where she must kill an extremely dangerous man even though she knows that this action will make it almost impossible to carry out her duties. However, the book ends with Wonder Woman recognising that her mission must change, not truly end. She grows without becoming too cynical, and retains her dedication to helping the people of Earth. Things are challenging and complicated for her, but I didn’t leave the book with a bleak perspective. In fact, I was hopeful!
Finally, the art in this volume is rather solid. It’s a good example of traditional superhero art, and Wonder Woman herself is well-proportioned and not even wearing heels! I really enjoyed the deep and rich colours used in this volume. They were bright when the story called for it, but also managed to be dark and sinister when needed.
The Bad
One of the central complaints that I had with this book could be applied to many superhero graphic novels: continuity. When you are looking at a character like Wonder Woman, she’s embedded in an entire universe of other superheroes. Consequently, it’s understandable that sometimes Wonder Woman’s story will crossover with that of other DC characters. This sort of mixing of books, however, should be carefully balanced. It is difficult for readers to keep track of the long histories of singular characters, and adding stories from different series makes this even harder. This particular volume of Wonder Woman is paired with a Superman story as well. In order to make sure that readers know what is going on, there are pages in the middle of the book dedicated to summarizing these other comics. If you want a complete view of Mission’s End, therefore, you need to seek out several single issues of Superman. As a reader, these summaries are frustrating, and it can be difficult to find a long ago released single when you’ve picked up a trade several years later. If the story was important enough to be summarised, it should be important enough to be included in the volume whether or not it was a Wonder Woman single.
Finally, while the art is mostly solid, you do get some very unfortunate design flaws. For example, Circe wears a truly hideous lace-up bustier that boggles the mind when one tries to figure out how it stays up (her own special spell, perhaps?). There are more than a few gratuitous shoots of half-dressed women, but fortunately, these are not so common as to become entirely grating.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been on a Wonder Woman kick recently, and Mission’s End has been my favourite book so far. I enjoy the fact that Wonder Woman is a diplomat in this part of her timeline, and I feel as if Rucka understands the complexities of this character torn between the conflicts of a warrior culture that believes so strongly in peace. Wonder Woman herself receives a lot of deep characterisation, and the story line shifts dramatically without a descent into gritty angst. Looking at all of the different authors that I have sampled so far (Simone, Heinberg, Picoult, and Azzarello), Rucka’s Wonder Woman canon is my preferred era of the Wonder Woman stories.
Synopsis
Wonder Woman, the superhero, the diplomat, and the princess of an entire culture, comes face-to-face with the conflicts inherent in her many roles in Mission’s End. Her task has been to bring a message of peace and diplomacy to the world outside of Themyscira, but this work has been complicated by the fact that she spends so much of her time defending Earth from terrifying threats. When a new villain arises who is able to control Superman and use him as a weapon, Wonder Woman determines that the only way to protect the planet is to kill this enemy. However, she faces extreme backlash from both her fellow heroes, as well as the civilian population of Earth. How can someone supposedly devoted to peace bypass all systems of justice and act in such a vigilante manner? On the other hand, was there any other rational choice?
The Good
There has been a lot of talk recently about the character of Wonder Woman and how she is supposedly “tricky” and difficult to handle. However, after reading this Rucka volume of her comic, I cannot actually see how this is the case. Rucka delivers a well-crafted character who fulfills a unique role in the DC universe. Wonder Woman is kind and compassionate, but also a warrior who can act harshly when needed. She’s dedicated to her position as a superhero, but also works hard as a diplomat and political figure. She’s a woman with a lot of responsibilities, and, unlike the other two parts of the DC trinity, she lives her entire life in the public eye. This Wonder Woman is an interesting and nuanced character to read about, and she’s ready to admit that being one of the good guys means that sometimes you have to do terrible things to serve the needs of peace.
The Wonder Woman comics have also been criticised for having boring and unmemorable villains. However, Cheetah’s introduction in this volume is positively chilling. She’s a woman turned into a half-cat creature who craves raw human flesh. She’s smart, fast, powerful, and otherworldly, so exactly what makes her a boring villainess? The OMAC are terrifying in their number and single-mindedness, and even Checkmate is a frightening foe because of their ability to infiltrate and grow close to the superheroes they are so dedicated to bringing down. The only reason that villains from Wonder Women’s books are not more well-known is because DC does little to promote her books.
Mission’s End was also a good example of how a superhero comic can have consequences that don’t involve the death of a major character or the reboot of a universe. In this book, anti-superhero forces are attempting to undermine the position of associations like the Justice League, and their machinations push Wonder Woman into a situation where she must kill an extremely dangerous man even though she knows that this action will make it almost impossible to carry out her duties. However, the book ends with Wonder Woman recognising that her mission must change, not truly end. She grows without becoming too cynical, and retains her dedication to helping the people of Earth. Things are challenging and complicated for her, but I didn’t leave the book with a bleak perspective. In fact, I was hopeful!
Finally, the art in this volume is rather solid. It’s a good example of traditional superhero art, and Wonder Woman herself is well-proportioned and not even wearing heels! I really enjoyed the deep and rich colours used in this volume. They were bright when the story called for it, but also managed to be dark and sinister when needed.
The Bad
One of the central complaints that I had with this book could be applied to many superhero graphic novels: continuity. When you are looking at a character like Wonder Woman, she’s embedded in an entire universe of other superheroes. Consequently, it’s understandable that sometimes Wonder Woman’s story will crossover with that of other DC characters. This sort of mixing of books, however, should be carefully balanced. It is difficult for readers to keep track of the long histories of singular characters, and adding stories from different series makes this even harder. This particular volume of Wonder Woman is paired with a Superman story as well. In order to make sure that readers know what is going on, there are pages in the middle of the book dedicated to summarizing these other comics. If you want a complete view of Mission’s End, therefore, you need to seek out several single issues of Superman. As a reader, these summaries are frustrating, and it can be difficult to find a long ago released single when you’ve picked up a trade several years later. If the story was important enough to be summarised, it should be important enough to be included in the volume whether or not it was a Wonder Woman single.
Finally, while the art is mostly solid, you do get some very unfortunate design flaws. For example, Circe wears a truly hideous lace-up bustier that boggles the mind when one tries to figure out how it stays up (her own special spell, perhaps?). There are more than a few gratuitous shoots of half-dressed women, but fortunately, these are not so common as to become entirely grating.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been on a Wonder Woman kick recently, and Mission’s End has been my favourite book so far. I enjoy the fact that Wonder Woman is a diplomat in this part of her timeline, and I feel as if Rucka understands the complexities of this character torn between the conflicts of a warrior culture that believes so strongly in peace. Wonder Woman herself receives a lot of deep characterisation, and the story line shifts dramatically without a descent into gritty angst. Looking at all of the different authors that I have sampled so far (Simone, Heinberg, Picoult, and Azzarello), Rucka’s Wonder Woman canon is my preferred era of the Wonder Woman stories.
August 23, 2017
This run of Wonder Woman is fantastic. The build up in each volume is great and the climax and ending is also pretty great as well.
I really don't like how Batman responded when Diana told him about what happened with Lord. And it seems hypocritical how Clark responds to me since he literally was going into killing rages.
I think it's poignant how Diana ends up alone, and yet also not alone. She loses her sisters, her friends at the JL, and her gods but she still has her friends and those who believe in her.
I really feel like Greg Rucka understands Diana as a character.
I wasn't a huge fan that the kidnapping of Lyta is just kind of not dealt with and left open.
I also wish there had been an ending to the Veronica Cale storyline, mostly because I really hate her as a character and I wanted to see her be taken down.
I really don't like how Batman responded when Diana told him about what happened with Lord. And it seems hypocritical how Clark responds to me since he literally was going into killing rages.
I think it's poignant how Diana ends up alone, and yet also not alone. She loses her sisters, her friends at the JL, and her gods but she still has her friends and those who believe in her.
I really feel like Greg Rucka understands Diana as a character.
I wasn't a huge fan that the kidnapping of Lyta is just kind of not dealt with and left open.
I also wish there had been an ending to the Veronica Cale storyline, mostly because I really hate her as a character and I wanted to see her be taken down.
March 23, 2018
The mix of artists definitely robbed some of this book of its power. The inconsistency of the Wonder Woman/Superman battle was maddening. Ron Randall did some nice work though.
Rucka's story is really engaging though (except the Cheetah issue, which just drug and fell completely apart in the end). He managed to use Infinite Crisis elements to complement his own stories, although I was (predictably, and through no fault of Rucka's) disappointed by the lack of ending. It all just leads into the big crossover. I hate crossovers.
I didn't particularly like the narration that Rucka insisted on using. Too often, I felt that he was beating the point to death rather than just trusting his reader to understand. How many times do we have to see the Greek gods (What the hell happened to them? I'm way out of the loop, but these weren't Perez's gods!) have to say that they've failed Diana?
Rucka's story is really engaging though (except the Cheetah issue, which just drug and fell completely apart in the end). He managed to use Infinite Crisis elements to complement his own stories, although I was (predictably, and through no fault of Rucka's) disappointed by the lack of ending. It all just leads into the big crossover. I hate crossovers.
I didn't particularly like the narration that Rucka insisted on using. Too often, I felt that he was beating the point to death rather than just trusting his reader to understand. How many times do we have to see the Greek gods (What the hell happened to them? I'm way out of the loop, but these weren't Perez's gods!) have to say that they've failed Diana?
June 22, 2018
I AM SO MESSED UP BY THIS STORY ARC, YOU GUYS!!! WE DON’T DESERVE DIANA OF THEMYSCIRA/WONDER WOMAN!!!
I can’t find the words to express how much this character means to me. I started reading this run when I was depressed over personal family issues but through these stories, I managed to find the strength and hope that things will get better. Wonder Woman helped me get through so much and I’m just so grateful.
"I have seen champions come and go. Time and again felled by their own weaknesses, their hubris, their ignorance, their base stupidity but not this one… Diana of Themyscira endures. She will always endure. And that endurance is both a strength and a weakness to her. For she will go on. At times despite herself. But she will go on." - Pallas Athena. This was one of the most powerful quotes about Diana.
I can’t find the words to express how much this character means to me. I started reading this run when I was depressed over personal family issues but through these stories, I managed to find the strength and hope that things will get better. Wonder Woman helped me get through so much and I’m just so grateful.
"I have seen champions come and go. Time and again felled by their own weaknesses, their hubris, their ignorance, their base stupidity but not this one… Diana of Themyscira endures. She will always endure. And that endurance is both a strength and a weakness to her. For she will go on. At times despite herself. But she will go on." - Pallas Athena. This was one of the most powerful quotes about Diana.
June 15, 2017
Wonder Woman vs Superman and Maxwell Lord is also one of my favorite comic moments of all time. That was the moment when I stopped liking her and started loving her.
September 12, 2018
from now on greg rucka is the only man allowed to write diana
May 2, 2019
This was good. I'm glad I read it but it was quite confusing at some points because I was not told prior that there are many volumes and issues of other comics that tie in to the storyline.
March 9, 2021
I think my lack of knowledge of the bigger events surrounding this volume hampered my enjoyment. As it was, despite some excellent moments, it felt a little disjointed.
June 7, 2025
This one is really great!
Excellent artwork and a great story.
Happy Reading, everybody!
Excellent artwork and a great story.
Happy Reading, everybody!
January 1, 2017
So good.
September 30, 2018
And so it ends.
Greg Rucka's run in Wonder Woman comics has truly been fascinating. I have read these volumes as much as I can find them and I must say that Greg Rucka has done some pretty good work. Though I have to admit that his stories are flawed, there is more of an emphasis on what people describe what Wonder Woman means instead of who she actually is.
From the moment Wonder Woman's mother died in Our Worlds at War, this collection has made attempts to make Themiscyra be involved in the world by proclaiming a republic and establishing an Embassy that is more open. Seems too political, this is a comic book, I want to be entertained.
Wonder Woman has just come from hell and back as Hades falls under Ares dominion while he and Circe resolve an issue with their daughter Lyta. An end of the Leslie Anderson and Veronica Cale partnership.
Around this time for DC Comics was the event known as Infinite Crisis, this collection brings forth her conflict with Maxwell Lord leading to the deterioration of her friendship with both Batman and Superman, as well as how the world sees her and of course OMAC droids wreaking havoc upon Themiscyra.
Haven't read much about Cheetah's existence in the Post-Crisis, so this flashback into her life is amazing for me. Rife with her jealousy and lust for power, there is no surprise why she is Wonder Woman's foe. Cruel, selfish and greedy - the exact opposite of Wonder Woman.
Then end result, Themiscyra hidden from the world but protected by the Gods not to mention Wonder Woman taking her time to hide away. Its more of a whimper than a bang of an ending but its nice. I especially love that retrospective on her friendship with Superman. I'm a big fan of their friendship - she loves him and she's saddened at how he has seen her after what she did with Maxwell Lord.
B-
Greg Rucka's run in Wonder Woman comics has truly been fascinating. I have read these volumes as much as I can find them and I must say that Greg Rucka has done some pretty good work. Though I have to admit that his stories are flawed, there is more of an emphasis on what people describe what Wonder Woman means instead of who she actually is.
From the moment Wonder Woman's mother died in Our Worlds at War, this collection has made attempts to make Themiscyra be involved in the world by proclaiming a republic and establishing an Embassy that is more open. Seems too political, this is a comic book, I want to be entertained.
Wonder Woman has just come from hell and back as Hades falls under Ares dominion while he and Circe resolve an issue with their daughter Lyta. An end of the Leslie Anderson and Veronica Cale partnership.
Around this time for DC Comics was the event known as Infinite Crisis, this collection brings forth her conflict with Maxwell Lord leading to the deterioration of her friendship with both Batman and Superman, as well as how the world sees her and of course OMAC droids wreaking havoc upon Themiscyra.
Haven't read much about Cheetah's existence in the Post-Crisis, so this flashback into her life is amazing for me. Rife with her jealousy and lust for power, there is no surprise why she is Wonder Woman's foe. Cruel, selfish and greedy - the exact opposite of Wonder Woman.
Then end result, Themiscyra hidden from the world but protected by the Gods not to mention Wonder Woman taking her time to hide away. Its more of a whimper than a bang of an ending but its nice. I especially love that retrospective on her friendship with Superman. I'm a big fan of their friendship - she loves him and she's saddened at how he has seen her after what she did with Maxwell Lord.
B-
September 2, 2016
Wonder Woman: Mission's End is the culmination of Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman story... as far as I know. The ending of it was open ended. I'm not really sure how to take it. While I enjoyed reading this final graphic novel, there were questions I had. Like what's going to happen to Jonah? What will happen at Wonder Woman's trial? Will Max Lord's involvement with Checkmate be revealed to the public?
Wonder Woman feels that she has failed, but if her staff and supporters have shown her anything, it's that her mission was successful. She has given them hope. Hope for a better and safer tomorrow. While the villains that are pitted against her and her detractors say otherwise, I think she's done what she can to the best of her ability under the circumstances of which she found herself in.
I'm just curious as to how this story ends. It was a great read, it captivated my attention and left me wanting more. Greg Rucka has told a good story and with it left it open ended for fans to speculate as to what may or may not transpire.
Wonder Woman feels that she has failed, but if her staff and supporters have shown her anything, it's that her mission was successful. She has given them hope. Hope for a better and safer tomorrow. While the villains that are pitted against her and her detractors say otherwise, I think she's done what she can to the best of her ability under the circumstances of which she found herself in.
I'm just curious as to how this story ends. It was a great read, it captivated my attention and left me wanting more. Greg Rucka has told a good story and with it left it open ended for fans to speculate as to what may or may not transpire.
March 7, 2010
I love Wonder Woman. There was a time - not very long ago - when I thought I didn't really care about her, that this wasn't my thing, but okay, I was stupid and I don't know why I thought that anyway. I love Wonder Woman.
This volume collects the final issues of Greg Rucka's run, set right before/ during Infinite Crisis. I was reading this on the train; a mistake as it turned out because at one point I felt like throwing the book at the wall in lieu of being able to punch Batman (and Superman) and their self-righteous asses. Seriously. GAH. Sanctimonious pricks. Of course, I still love them, but - Diana! Guys, stop being mean to your best friend.
Ahem. Anyway, parts upset me, parts filled me with joy and parts made me cry. And Wonder Woman endures and it awesome and wonderful and lovely. The end.
This volume collects the final issues of Greg Rucka's run, set right before/ during Infinite Crisis. I was reading this on the train; a mistake as it turned out because at one point I felt like throwing the book at the wall in lieu of being able to punch Batman (and Superman) and their self-righteous asses. Seriously. GAH. Sanctimonious pricks. Of course, I still love them, but - Diana! Guys, stop being mean to your best friend.
Ahem. Anyway, parts upset me, parts filled me with joy and parts made me cry. And Wonder Woman endures and it awesome and wonderful and lovely. The end.
July 27, 2014
Greg Rucka wraps up his amazing Wonder Woman run with a bunch of high notes. During this trade the overarching DC drama unfolds with the events of Infinite Crisis. Wonder Woman's actions have a huge effect on the world, specifically Paradise Island. Because of the huge event, there was less of Diana's supporting cast. Greg Rucka's love affair with Checkmate and OMAC is here and neither have been things I have ever cared much about. A huge drawback to me here was that bad lettering. The OMAC's word balloons were hard to read and Brother Eye's was worse. Seeing Diana's mission end the way it did was heartbreaking and beautifully conveyed by the entire art team. The last chapter, encompassing the friendship between Superman and Wonder Woman was perfect. Overall, a good read that could have been better.
October 4, 2014
Why does DC hate Wonder Woman so much? There are flashes of intrigue and excitement here but the abrasive and simple "moral quandary" at its core is overblown. Wonder Woman kills max lord because he is going to use a superman under his mind control to destroy thousands of lives. THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. She gets shunned, the amazons get into a war, unnecessary sexiness happens, etc. This was misogynist drivel that actually starts out very well. My interest and enjoyment levels tapered out after the chapter on Cheetah, which is just 20ish pages of slut shaming a deeply complicated and compelling possible antihero. Barf. Diana deserves better
March 23, 2010
i absolutely love these wonder woman graphic novels. i typically don't like superhero comics, but these ones rock. they have plot, energy, true conflict and rich characters. the only thing i didn't like about this one was that it's a bunch of shorts. i always want a longer story. i'd get deep into one of the stories then it would end and i'd feel annoyed. but yeah, finally, ive found a superhero comic that i really really enjoy. i think this is the forth one that i've read. i highly recommend reading these on the airplane if you don't like flying. takes your mind off of everything.
December 30, 2012
I was so confused at the end of this book with the whole Infinite Crisis (I think?? Maybe??) thing but that's comics for you I guess. The art started to annoy in this volume. Not sure why since there's skimpy outfits throughout the entire run but I remember noticing more sexy-for-the-sake-of-titillation poses in this one. Contrary to this rating, I'd give 4 stars for the entire Rucka run on WW. It was easy to read and absorbing for this DC superhero newbie and in hindsight, the dramatic highs it reached stay in the mind while the more middling parts faded into the background.
March 1, 2017
Very soft 3, as it's closer to a 2.8. It's hard to take a book seriously that has an ambassador to the UN walking through her embassy in basically a one-piece bathing suit. The irony of this being a book allegedly about a group of Amazons attempting to live peacefully in "the patriarch's world" is unbearable. The story is fine, but the depiction of women is deplorable, as it usually is in DC's books.*
*Not that Marvel is so much better in this regard, but they certainly seem to try a bit harder, "try" certainly being the operative word.
*Not that Marvel is so much better in this regard, but they certainly seem to try a bit harder, "try" certainly being the operative word.
June 23, 2016
A solid but, unfortunately, rushed end to Rucka's run. DC's big event, Infinite Crisis, rebooted the continuity and this forced Rucka to end his run prematurely and also to add a new subplot involving Maxwell Lord that tied into Crisis. As a result he is not able to tie up all the loose ends. Despite this he is still able to tell a compelling story and Diane is really put through the ringer here, both physically and emotionally.
July 30, 2013
"They have killed my name."
Rucka's Wonder Woman series ends with a bang. All of Diana's enemies converge on her at once, trying to destroy her image when they cannot destroy her physically. She finds herself tested to the limit, and having to end her small tenure as Themysciran Ambassador after the events of the book.
This paves the way for Infinite Crisis.
Rucka's Wonder Woman series ends with a bang. All of Diana's enemies converge on her at once, trying to destroy her image when they cannot destroy her physically. She finds herself tested to the limit, and having to end her small tenure as Themysciran Ambassador after the events of the book.
This paves the way for Infinite Crisis.
April 21, 2014
A touching if rushed conclusion to Rucka's work with the Maid of Might. Diana relinquishes her work as a diplomat in the face of committing a murder others don't realize was primarily self-defense. Her perseverance in the face of loneliness, and her recommitment to being a messenger of peace, are what make her a hero here.
November 21, 2016
so - I enjoy the connected action in heaven and earth but I don't really buy the ending... and Brother Eye/adaptive nanobot-covered humans (cough cough X-Men Sentinals! cough) are unimaginative.
but hat's off to the depiction of Wonder Woman - she struggles and doubts but ultimately is impossibly hopeful despite the eternal struggle for equality and basic human rights.
but hat's off to the depiction of Wonder Woman - she struggles and doubts but ultimately is impossibly hopeful despite the eternal struggle for equality and basic human rights.
June 25, 2013
Not bad, but yet another example of an individual title being handicapped by a crossover/event, this time Infinite Crisis. Greg Rucka does a good job salvaging what he can; it truly is a shame that he was not allowed to continue his fine run beyond this arc.
May 17, 2016
Mission's End is such a bittersweet arc. Diana's gods turn their back on her and she feels utterly alone, but people still believe in her. She finds strength in that. This is Diana at both her lowest and most triumphant.
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