Wonder Woman #2 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka / Artist: Nicola Scott / DC Comics Let’s begin by talking about Steve Trevor. Unlike Wonder Woman mythos staple Etta Candy (the vivacious and bubbly sorority sister turned stone cold badass in this particular incarnation), Steve’s presence has always irked me. For one, everything about his romantic involvement with Diana rings forced and false, from his corny nickname of “Angel” to Diana falling for his obnoxious posturing and sometimes downright sexist approach to flirting. Personality-wise Steve feels like the self-insert fanfiction of every fedora-wearing meninist on the internet, a WASP with a gun who has the power to get away with inappropriate remarks yet receives the loving attention of arguably one of the greatest woman superheroes in comics. In fact, if we’re being true to Diana’s character, here is a brief summary of how the first meeting with Steve should have ended:

That being said, despite the white savior complex I criticized in my previous review, I have to give Rucka praise for crafting a world in which I actually connect with Steve Trevor. One of this issue’s strong suits is its ability to crystallize the relationships of our main characters, a feat which requires caring for your supporting cast as more than plot devices or tokens. Surprisingly, Steve’s story focuses more on his friend Nick, a Black soldier with a smart mouth and a large heart. What I admire most about this interaction are the ways that Steve is neither hardened nor bitter…