Wonders Never Cease in the Black and Gold 2026 Special
Cover to “Wonder Woman: Black and Gold 2026 Special” (published January 14th, 2026) by various writers and artists.
Cover art by Cliff Chiang
Following in the footsteps of the previous Black and Gold special, some of the best and brightest writers and artists in the industry come together to tell a series of four standalone stories featuring the Amazon Warrior herself, Wonder Woman. This anthology serves as a great entry point to newer fans of Wonder Woman as well as being a welcome treat to older fans of the favorite daughter of Themyscira. I shall be breaking down the premise of each individual story and delving into a review of each of them, followed by my thoughts on the issue as a whole. All that said, let us get to it!
Warning: Spoilers for Wonder Woman: Black and Gold 2026 Special follow!
Decent Docent
A museum in Washington is celebrating its annual Wonder Woman Day, with a lucky winner chosen to participate in a meet and greet with the heroine herself.
Our first story in the Black and Gold 2026 Special is "Decent Docent," crafted by Tom King and Mitch Gerads with Clayton Cowles on letters. We open in the midst of "Wonder Woman Day" within a museum that has been dedicated to celebrating the Amazon Princess at approximately 12:00 PM. The focus of our tale is on Penny, a nine-year-old who wins a contest to meet Wonder Woman herself, and Coy, the head docent at the museum. Penny is naturally a huge fan of Wonder Woman and is all too excited to meet her favorite hero. However, as excited as Penny is to meet Wonder Woman (her new best friend), it appears the Princess of Themyscira is delayed.
We cut to see an image most bizarre: the classic villain of Wonder Woman, the Crimson Centipede, is armed with no less than ten handguns. He has one for each hand because he is a centipede, naturally, as he declares war on the filthy hives of humanity called Washington. Coy informs Penny that Diana is unfortunately delayed, but Penny remains in good spirits and is more than willing to patiently wait for the heroine. We see Wonder Woman effortlessly lay out the Crimson Centipede as Penny and Coy pass the time having grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Coy inquires just what it is about Wonder Woman that makes her the favorite of Penny. Penny replies with the fact that she is strong and protects everyone, which is something she emulates especially when it comes to dumb bullies such as her schoolmate, Josh.
Penny remains in high spirits after being told Wonder Woman is running a tad late.
As the two finish their lunch, Coy is informed that Wonder Woman is delayed again as we watch her contend with another classic villain in the form of the Paper-Man! The sequence here is fantastic as we see Wonder Woman literally fighting through comic panels and using the art brought to life by Paper-Man to weave and dodge through the page itself before ultimately defeating the two-dimensional enemy. All the while, Penny is still in high spirits. She again displays patience and is happily content to wait for Wonder Woman as she happens to be drawing Wonder Woman taking on Paper-Man at the same time.
It soon hits after 5:00 PM as Coy double-checks with Penny if she is fine waiting, as Diana has once more been held up. And again, Penny is more than happy to wait. Coy reveals that his shift ended an hour ago, but he too is more than happy to wait as he does not want to miss Wonder Woman meeting her new best friend.
Coy is a real one for waiting alongside Penny.
We get a brief montage of Wonder Woman stopping a bank heist, battling Angle Man, and saving a cat from a tree (the classic test of super heroism) as Penny finally sighs, resigning herself to the fact that meeting Wonder Woman just was not in the cards for today. It is now 9:09 PM as Penny looks at the massive portrait of Wonder Woman in the museum and says that it would have been cool to meet her, but she understands that she likely had to save over a million billion people (even the dumb ones like Josh). Just as Penny is about to throw in the proverbial towel, she is met with the arrival of Wonder Woman herself. The Princess graciously thanks Penny for being patient and embraces her as her new best friend, drawing the story to a heartwarming and wholesome end.
Comic books are made for moments like these.
Last Flight
While all of these stories can easily fit into continuity, this specific tale certainly references the loss of Steve Trevor, which is a development still being felt in the pages of the current Wonder Woman ongoing series.
"Last Flight" is next up, written by Alyssa Wong with art by Karen S. Darboe and letters by Steve Wands. Whereas "Decent Docent" was a lighthearted story, this story takes on a decidedly more somber atmosphere and tone. We are immediately met with Wonder Woman tending to the grave of Steve Trevor, who sadly was killed not terribly long ago in the pages of the mainline Wonder Woman series. As Diana muses on the brief fleeting lives of mortals, she fondly reflects on how Steve shifted the loneliness she felt as someone who is practically immortal. She describes his presence as soaring alongside her like a blazing shooting star.
Curiously, however, Wonder Woman is not alone in the cemetery as Xanthe makes her presence known. A relatively new character in the DC tapestry, Xanthe is a spirit envoy who protects the world of the living while tending to the spirits of the dead. We soon find out that Diana had invited Xanthe here to aid her. Specifically, Diana wants to ensure that the folded paper plane she made reaches Steve in the spirit world, as Steve vowed that he would someday make his way back to Diana. Xanthe is more than happy to serve as a guide to the spirit world for the sake of Diana as she opens up a portal to the spirit world.
I really don’t know why people insist on lying to Wonder Woman LMAO
We see a beautiful series of panels that takes us to the hometown version of the spirit world of Xanthe, a beautiful Chinatown-like bazaar complete with various vendors and onlookers. Diana is amazed by the incredible scenery, noting that the spirits of the dead do not appear to be restful, to which Xanthe explains that this specific afterlife is where the dead come to live. Xanthe also explains how they should move quickly, as the spirit world will eat away at the essence of a person if they are not dead. After all, Wonder Woman may not be mortal, but she is definitely alive, which potentially makes her a prime target and a delicacy to some of the spirits here.
One vendor catches the eye of the duo as they offer potential answers to Wonder Woman and her companion. Diana inquires if the snake-like spirit vendor knows of Steve Trevor, to which they respond that they vaguely recognize the name. The vendor even offers to lead the Amazon to his whereabouts (in exchange for a little bite of her tongue). This, of course, goes wonderfully as one might expect, as Diana is quick to use the lasso and practically strangles this creepy snake-man and compels him to tell the truth. To this, the vendor admits they have never heard of the guy.
Frustrated, Diana and Xanthe take their leave. The two compare their respective natures as being transcendent of life and death itself simply by existing, with Xanthe literally being half dead and half alive and Diana being immortal. Diana explains that the two are not so different given how Xanthe chooses to stay and to help others rather than succumb to the isolation and hopelessness many other beings fall prey to. To that end, Xanthe, like Diana herself, chooses love despite how painful it may be. As Diana helps some of the denizens of the spirit world, she catches a fleeting image of Steve himself before chasing after him. Xanthe warns that the geography of this section of the spirit world is unrecognized by her and that what Diana saw might not be what she believes she saw. But Diana is aware of this, and if there is even a chance, she has to see it through.
Diana and Xanthe give chase in the spirit world.
The two meet up with Steve as the deceased lover of Diana expresses amazement that she traveled all the way to the spirit world just to find him. But Diana is much too wise to fall for such a base deception. She quickly reveals that "Steve" is actually a fox-like spirit who has been watching them since they arrived in the spirit world. The fox spirit viciously attacks, intent on consuming the soul of Diana as it torments her with manifested forms of Superman, Batman, and Batgirl, taunting her all the while. The fox spirit gleefully rips apart the paper plane of Wonder Woman, which was the message she intended to use to lead her to Steve, and tells her that she will never see her lover again.
Naturally, this prompts a very decisive reaction from Wonder Woman, who proceeds to beat the complete and utter crap out of this spirit. After the fact, she tells the spirit that nothing it said is anything she has not already told herself. It is true that mortal lives are fleeting and fragile, but it is that same fact that makes them precious, which is why she chooses to embrace love in the brief moments she has with mortal kinds. Defeated, the fox spirit admits they never laid eyes on Steve and merely pulled his likeness from the memories of Wonder Woman, just as they pulled her fears out.
The fox spirit vanishes, telling Diana she will not find him in the spirit world. Xanthe expresses sorrow for the two of them being unable to find Steve in the spirit world, but Diana somehow still remains hopeful despite that fact. She is glad they searched anyway, and she says that she cannot fulfill the promise of Steve for him and that she trusts that he will do so himself. Our story ends with the two departing the spirit world as we see the fragments of the destroyed paper plane reform themselves and fly off, which indicates that the journey of the lovers between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor is far from over.
Despite not having found Steve, Wonder Woman doesn’t lose sight of hope and trusts that he will make his way back to her.
The Truth Unreal
A group of desperate passengers sail towards the Island Unreal as Wonder Woman listens in.
"The Truth Unreal," written by Steve Orlando with art by Rossi Gifford and letters by Pat Brosseau, takes us to Lake Superior as a boat filled with passengers all wearing humble hoods over their clothes sail towards the Island Unreal. There is a sense of palpable excitement among the passengers as they cannot wait to arrive on the island. Among them, a woman asks just why they all seem to be so excited to arrive at the island, to which another replies that the state of the world and beyond is just so bad, so awful, that no one can even say what is real anymore.
The brokenness of the world has gotten to be too much, but they no longer have to live like that. Instead of being tired of having to endure the world and its ills, they can instead allow the man who leads the island to handle everything and to define what counts as real. We see that Wonder Woman, revealed to be the person who inquired about the destination of the ship, is certainly a far cry from convinced concerning the supposed savior who dwells on the island.
Anton Unreal is another one of Wonder Woman’s oft forgotten foes that has been reimagined in today’s era of DC story telling.
We get an up-close look at the apparent savior, revealed to be Anton Unreal, who is yet another classic villain of Wonder Woman reimagined in the current era of comic books. Traditionally, Anton was portrayed as being a hypnotist manipulator, but here he seems to be instead simply a very charismatic cult-like leader with a powerful message. And his sermon is uncomfortable to say the least.
Anton remarks that choice is powerful and allows one to act upon the world, but he notes that the world itself has let them all down time and time again. He asks those in attendance how they might free themselves from the system that has failed them and asks them to reject choice, to reject the world itself, and to accept the peace that is Anton Unreal. He claims that he alone will shoulder the burden of making choices and goes on to claim that they all did not abandon reality, but rather reality abandoned them.
The expressions of the faithful are those of enraptured glee as they are all too willing to surrender their very freedom of choice and thinking for themselves in exchange for peace of mind. Anton welcomes them with open arms, claiming in return he asks only for open minds as he reaches the peak of his self-aggrandizing sermon.
The true power of the Lasso is its ability to effectively transport both Diana and the one ensnared by it into a demiplane known as the Golden Perfect.
Having heard more than enough, Wonder Woman reveals herself among the crowd and ensnares Anton with the Lasso of Truth. She confronts the wolf in the clothing of a sheep, having heard enough of him preying on their fears and insecurities. She denounces him and declares him no longer the master of this fiefdom he has created for himself. He resists the Lasso, but it is of no use as the two are transported within the Golden Perfect, a demiplane of reality that exists within the Lasso itself, where only the truth can survive.
She remarks that Anton has enthralled these people and that it goes deeper than mere hypnosis. It is a wish and a way out for them. But ultimately, what Anton is offering is a lie. He claims freedom but demands total obedience. And yet, Anton is not so easily swayed. He retorts that it is Diana who is the liar, as she simply cannot accept that he offers the people freedom from choice and the burden of consequences.
To the horror of Diana, she realizes that the delusions of Anton are so deep that they have become his truth. His psyche summons various nightmarish creatures that threaten to overwhelm the Amazon. Anton cries out how his truth rages on in his defense, to which the Princess of Themyscira retorts that they are certainly trying to. She rallies quickly, vanquishing his inner demons as she tells him that while Anton is speaking his truth, he is not speaking the truth.
In a rousing speech during the battle with the delusions of Anton made manifest, she tells us all that the world cannot be abandoned or turned away from. She explains that manipulation is not liberation, subservience is not freedom, and that choice is no shackle at all. She concludes that he is no savior at all, but simply a man. Diana and Anton emerge from the realm of the Golden Perfect. In the here and now on the island, Anton finally succumbs to the power of the Lasso. He breaks down as he admits he is not a savior and how he lied.
Even when faced with the truth, some people, unfortunately, cling to the lies.
Sadly, even the admission of this fact by Anton is not enough. His followers refuse to believe what they are hearing, even from the words of Anton himself. They convince themselves that it is a trick or perhaps a test, with some of them even accusing Wonder Woman of forcing him to say all of this. Anton grimly remarks that his lies have pulled them down further than even he went, noting that they do not trust Diana and they do not believe him.
Undeterred, Diana says that they have not drowned yet, which prompts one of the followers of Anton to respond with an emphatic "so what?" This person clearly does not care if they even are drowning in lies. But Diana merely responds that they are in need of a lifeline, and there is none stronger than the truth. Our story ends as Diana sits among Anton and his followers, and we are left with the hope that perhaps she can reach them.
Fittingly enough, the quote from the ancient Greek poet Sappho at the end of the story hits pretty hard when you look at the subtext and the parallels between the story and what is going on in the society of today: "Although they are only breath, words which I command are immortal."
Peach Thief
A young Diana takes on a peculiar case…
"Peach Thief" is our fourth and final story, written by Jordie Bellaire with art by Paulina Ganucheau, colors by Kendall Goode, and letters by Becca Carey. Given the heavy themes from the previous story, this story is decidedly much lighter and more upbeat, providing a perfect way to bring this special to a close. We head back in time to the days of young Diana, many years before she left for the World of Man. Diana is writing to her Aunt Antiope regarding the current developments on Themyscira, namely Queen Hippolyta introducing a new forum where the denizens of the island approach the throne and ask for assistance in resolving their various problems.
Princess Diana finds the forum to be admittedly boring, but she finds it is nice to help people. One such problem catches the attention of Diana as Lynn, a farmer in charge of the vast operation overseeing the entire island, approaches the throne with empty hands. These are hands that should be filled with glorious, glowing gold peaches! Diana asks if Lynn had eaten them, to which the horrified Lynn nearly has a breakdown over the mere suggestion. Hippolyta asks if there is some sort of "peach thief" to blame for this, to which Lynn confirms as much.
This is especially dire considering the trees have been stripped bare, and it is, in fact, Golden Peach season. This in turn, means it is nearly time for the annual cobbler of Philippus (which causes the mouth of Diana to drool in anticipation and her stomach to grumble). Amusingly, Diana boldly declares that she will find the peach thief as her mother buries her face in mild embarrassment. She emphatically states that she will grind them into dust, which prompts her mother to admonish her and tell her in no uncertain terms, "No smashing." Bummer, mom!
In the name of the moon!
Diana immediately takes the case as she and Lynn return to the valley of fruit. Clad in a costume more reminiscent of the attire she will eventually don as Wonder Woman many years later, Diana begins investigating. She finds a strange but familiar footprint by the peach trees. Diana demands some hot chocolate in preparation for her stakeout for the nefarious peach thief as she recalls how the peaches themselves came to be.
Long ago, when Persephone was taken to the underworld by Hades, Selene, Goddess of the Moon, was wounded in response. Although they were not sisters, Selene mourned for Persephone as if they were, and those tears fell every harvest upon the last fruit of the season: peaches. The tears of Selene turned the peaches golden (which causes them to shine under the moonlight) and they have been desired ever since by all of the living creatures of Hera, especially Diana herself!
Diana discovers the identity of the peach thief!
As Diana is busy writing to her aunt, a peach suddenly drops from the tree and hits her head. Then another falls, followed by another, and yet another! The young princess rises to her feet and valiantly calls out the peach thief, knowing that they are nearby; however, no one responds. The moon shines brightly overhead as we catch a glimpse of the thief in the branches moving almost faster than the eye can comprehend.
As Diana calls out for the thief to stop, she watches in awe as the identity of the culprit is revealed to be none other than Jumpa. The kangaroo companion of Diana seems all too happy to soar in mid-air with golden peaches in her mouth. Diana comically screams for her to save some for the rest of the island.
The next morning, Diana is roused awake by her mother and Lynn. She reveals that while she was not able to save all the peaches, most of them luckily survived the night. When asked if she uncovered the culprit behind the thievery, she confirms as much and notes that the thief was right under their proverbial noses. Diana plucks a peach from the tree and tosses it off to the side just in time for Jumpa to catch the tasty treat. Our story, and indeed the whole Black and Gold special, comes to an end as Diana hungrily asks if her solving the case means they can have peach cobbler now. Hippolyta happily concurs.
All’s well that ends well.
All-Star Treatment for the Amazon: Black and Gold Style
The 2026 edition of the hit concept Wonder Woman: Black and Gold returned in exceptional fashion in this anthology series of four unconnected yet stellar stories focusing on Wonder Woman. Each one offers a unique look into the world of Wonder Woman and what not only makes her tick, but also why she is a phenomenal character in the DC Universe. The teams assembled here tackle not just a different style and theme for each story, but they do so in a way that is easily digestible for any fan to come across (from diehard fans of Wonder Woman to people who only have surface-level knowledge of her at best). Much like her two close friends who round out the Trinity of DC, Wonder Woman means many things to many people (often multiple things to each individual), and this special more than captures that fact.
This sequence of Diana taking on the Paper-Man was really clever and ingenious use of panels.
The “Decent Docent” short is a great slice of life look at Wonder Woman, which is something we don’t see often in Tom King’s current mainstream continuity run. Given everything that is going down in that title at the moment (now would be a good time to tell you to click here for the latest review), it is refreshing to see Diana smile and take joy in the fact that a young girl waited an entire day just for the opportunity to meet her. The pacing was great and it’s a great reminder of how important Wonder Woman is to the civilians of the world. You get the impression that she is truly legitimately happy to meet a young fan of hers and you’re rooting for her to meet little Penny before the day is over. And Coy is a delightful supporting character here that only wants to make sure this girl enjoys her time at the museum while waiting for Wonder Woman. Mitch Geralds brings this story to life with fantastic realism and expressions that counterbalance the surrealness of Paper-Man and the absurdity of Crimson Centipede. The Paper-Man exchange is probably my favorite art sequence in the book as a whole as I am a sucker for inventive use of panels, which this has in spades.
“Last Flight” is a truly beautiful story from beginning to end, from both a writing and art aspect.
Speaking of mainstream continuity, "Last Flight" happens to reference said continuity in the form of Wonder Woman trying to pick up the pieces in the wake of the death of Steve Trevor. The story here is somber but hopeful as Diana ventures into the spirit world with no guarantee she will find Steve or if he is even there.
Alyssa Wong is able to hit on what is arguably the most important development in the career of Wonder Woman to date. By bringing in Xanthe, she crafts a unique story that puts Wonder Woman in a setting we have not seen her in, fighting enemies that are typically out of her wheelhouse. It is all done so organically while remaining true to the character. The art here is my overall favorite of the issue. It looks mythic and otherworldly, which feels all the more appropriate given it is Wonder Woman and she is venturing into the Chinese spirit world. This story has the best use of the black and gold color theme of the issue, and it is simply gorgeous eye candy to behold.
This hits hard. Especially now.
"The Truth Unreal" is the most socially relevant story of the bunch and also the most depressing (for good and obvious reason). It is pretty clear to see what Steve Orlando is thinking about when you read the panels here. It does not require much digging or subtext to infer about the world of today and it being filled with manipulative "saviors" who claim they just want to help you in exchange for you to literally stop thinking for yourself, much like Anton Unreal.
I am more than positive that this message will unfortunately fall upon some deaf ears and probably elicit some strong reactions from the "keep politics out of my hobby that historically has had politics baked into its DNA from inception" crowd. However, that is okay because I have hope that this story will resonate with people who feel as if they are alone in this world filled with Antons and inform them that they are anything but alone.
The art here by Rossi Gifford is kinetic, and I have to imagine that the classical "Messianic" look from Anton is a deliberate choice that works in the favor of the story. I absolutely enjoyed delving into the Golden Perfect, which is something not many writers or artists seem to really explore when it comes to the most iconic tool of Wonder Woman. The fight sequence within the "truth" of Anton was incredibly well done and powerful.
I also have to commend the team for not having the citizens immediately realize they were duped by Anton. They showcase the very real scenario that when people are pulled from or shown the truth of the lies they have been sold by another, they will lash out in disbelief. This is uncomfortable given, well, everything, but it is necessary to show that the power of lies eventually goes beyond the liar themselves. But the final page ends the story with some much-needed hope that truth can be the lifeline people need.
This is such a great all ages story that you can share with younger readers.
Finally, with "Peach Thief," we get an all-ages appropriate story that does not concern itself with continuity or relevant themes and instead is just intent on making you smile and laugh. Jordie Bellaire has such a wonderful (heh) grasp on young Diana, and you can really believe that the future Wonder Woman would be a rascal, yet someone who truly has the best intentions of everyone at heart.
The art by Paulina Ganucheau and Kendall Goode captures a sense of whimsy and just pure genuine joy that you can appreciate regardless of age. Diana is extremely expressive and emotive, and the scenes where she is thinking with her stomach are incredibly wholesome and hilarious. The Jumpa cameo tickled me something fierce, and I think this was the perfect story to close out the anthology. It wraps everything together with a nice black and gold bow (with peach cobbler!).
Final Thoughts and Review
This book continues a time-honored tradition of standalone one-shots presented to audiences in a unique artistic format, namely that of the colors used. Visually, Wonder Woman: Black and Gold 2026 Special delivers on that front. Honestly, it more than delivers if we are being real here. Each story has a distinct voice and art style that appeals to a broad array of audiences and personal tastes. From a narrative aspect, this book produces four unique stories that each tell a tale of Wonder Woman. These stories stand on their own without needing readers to be invested in canon, though there is one story present that builds upon canon without forcing the reader to know all the details of what led to that specific point.
Final Review: 9/10
This book encapsulates everything that makes Wonder Woman, well, wonderful.
This book is a great addition to the tapestry of the storied history of Wonder Woman. Perhaps its strongest facet is the fact that it is extremely accessible to literally everyone. Whether you are just now getting into Wonder Woman through the Absolute DC imprint, have been a fan since the days of the ground-breaking work of George Pérez in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, or this happens to be your very first Wonder Woman comic period, you cannot go wrong here. Wonder Woman: Black and Gold 2026 Special is a great anthology of the greatest superheroine in comics. It will likely be a strong contender for what single book I would recommend to anyone who wants to read more about Diana of Themyscira.