An Amazon is Never Alone
Cover to “Wonder Woman #29” (published January 21st, 2026) written by Stephanie Williams with art by Jeff Spokes.
Cover art by Jeff Spokes.
Following the events of the Island of Mice and Men arc, Wonder Woman has reached her limit and returns home to Themyscira. Series regular writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere briefly step away from the book, as Stephanie Williams and Jeff Spokes fill in for this installment. What starts off as a much-needed moment of relaxation and spiritual rejuvenation turns into something much darker. The story inches ever closer to the inevitable "Wonder War" that the series has been teasing for some time. We will be breaking down the issue and delving into my thoughts as a whole, so stay nearby, friends!
Warning: This article will contain spoilers for “Wonder Woman #29”.
A True Meaning of Strength
A weary Wonder Woman reaches the end of her rope as she returns home.
We begin our issue by returning to Paradise Island itself, Themyscira, home of the legendary Amazons. Wonder Woman arrives on its shores with her daughter, Lizzie, in tow, having just helped liberate an entirely different island from the clutches of Mouse Man. She’s soon greeted by Queen Nubia, but Diana’s knees start to buckle soon after that. She’s forced to acknowledge that she’s lost, having been fighting non stop since her beloved, Steve Trevor, was killed. Diana mournfully says that Lizzie deserves joy, not a mother drowning in shadows. As strong as Diana is, she can’t keep going. She doesn’t know how to be enough. Furthermore, what kind of Amazon admits she can’t do this alone? Nubia gently replies to her question with the response, “the honest kind”.
Even the strongest of us need help from time to time.
Nubia and Diana (and Lizzie) are soon joined by Philippus. She reminds Diana that she has forgotten that no Amazon was ever meant to carry the burden of the world alone. When she stumbles, she can rest easy knowing that a thousand hands are here to steady her.
Philippus tells Diana to let her sisters take care of her and Lizzie both. She also wishes to show the infant daughter of Diana that she belongs to something larger than herself.
Yara Flor arrives, joined by Cassandra Sandsmark, and Donna Troy: Wonder Girls united.
Themyscira loudly announces the arrival of Wonder Woman as she is soon greeted by her extended family in the form of Yara, Cassie, and Donna. Yara does not mince words as she remarks that Diana looks like hell. More Amazons, such as Bia and Clio, join her to tell her that she and Lizzie alike are overdue to rest to regain their spent spirit.
Diana reluctantly agrees to take some much-needed rest as she hands Lizzie over to her sisters. She briefly wonders what will happen should Lizzie need anything, but Donna gently cuts her off. She reminds Diana that Lizzie will have no less than six of the fiercest women in existence to fight over who gets to help her. Diana then agrees to take her momentary leave so she can center herself for the sake of them both.
This…actually kinda make sense?
As the Amazons head to the temple, they note that Lizzie is refusing to eat and that her spirit is decidedly agitated. Yara suggests that perhaps what Lizzie wants is to witness combat. After all, she has Amazon blood flowing through her veins and will someday become Wonder Girl, just as Yara, Cassie, and Donna have done before her.
There is some debate on whether or not actually sparring in front of the infant girl is a good idea. However, Donna agrees with Yara and believes it is a good idea for Lizzie to witness strength in action.
Nobody likes a backseat driver or sparring partner, Yara.
We head towards the coliseum as Donna and Cassie start to spar with one another, creating a friendly exhibition between the first and second Wonder Girl. They trade some friendly, albeit slightly heated, boasts as Yara loudly throws in her two cents concerning the technique of Donna.
Lizzie does not seem to be any calmer than before and begins loudly crying as Cassie says their sparring is not working. Yara, frustrated, exclaims that it is not working because Lizzie needs to see real passion and fire, not stiff choreography. Cassie takes exception to this, shouting that she has divine blood, and it does not get more passionate than that. Donna retorts that Lizzie needs to see that real strength is built, not given.
Each of the Wonder Girls hurls pointed insults at one another in very uncharacteristic manners.
Lizzie’s cries grow stronger as the trio of Amazons begin battling one another, growing fiercer and angrier with each passing second. Their barbed words grow more personal and mean-spirited as the sisters rage against one another. Despite the warning that something is feeding their anger, Yara, Cassie, and Donna do not relent, fighting with more and even more fervor.
It is noted that something is feeding their rage and binds them. The unnatural cries of Lizzie reach their apex, and it is revealed that while she is not the source of whatever power drives the sisters to be at each other's throats, she is the catalyst for it.
Queen Nubia stops the battle before it goes any further.
Just as all hell looks to break loose, Queen Nubia arrives to put an end to the shameful display. Her commanding presence is enough to shake the Amazons out of whatever had seized their minds as they bow their heads in shame. Donna reveals that the things she said came from somewhere dark, somewhere she had thought she had buried.
Nubia acknowledges that the three of them have sparred before and without this venomous poison, alluding to the fact that their words could not have sprung from their hearts alone. Recognizing that something or someone preyed on their doubts and weaknesses to be turned against them, they all feel a cold, unnatural wind blow through Themyscira as Lizzie suddenly lets out a fearsome laugh.
A manipulative and insidious threat, Eris is a formidable foe for Wonder Woman herself.
Our issue draws to a close as it is revealed that one of the oldest and most dangerous foes of the Amazons, the Goddess of Discord and Strife herself, Eris, has set upon the island. Sensing that now is as good a time as any to strike, she lurks in the shadow of the coliseum. She is intent on causing Diana and her sister as much torment as she possibly can, namely through preying on the insecurities and pride of the would-be protectors of Lizzie.
It Really Takes a Village
An exhausted Wonder Woman returns home.
Series scribe Tom King and his regular artist Daniel Sempere are taking a well-deserved break, much like Wonder Woman herself, handing over the reins to Stephanie Williams and Jeff Spokes, respectively. Williams is certainly no stranger to Wonder Woman and her tapestry of supporting characters, so she is a welcome fit to the title to fill in for King. She has certainly done her homework, seamlessly picking up from where he had left off.
We have known for some time that Diana has not been herself lately, and who could blame her; she lost Steve and is now a mother to their child, whom she formed from clay. This issue addresses the obvious pain and anguish of Diana and, more than that, moves to offer a balm to her pain. It touches upon a topic that is relatable to most people: being unwilling or unable to ask for help.
Wonder Woman is one of the strongest characters in DC—and arguably in fiction, period—and even she needs a reminder that it is okay to lean on others. It is a powerful and beautiful lesson, especially when you take into account that Diana has another life she is responsible for in the form of her baby. To that end, there is no one better to attend to the needs of Diana and Lizzie than her Amazonian sisters, and, as such, we are treated to the three Wonder Girls.
It is always a joy to see them appear in the pages of Wonder Woman. Over the course of the last decade or so, it feels like DC has really tried to expand the lore and mythos of Wonder Woman to the degree her Trinity counterparts have enjoyed. I will say that I was under the impression that Yara cannot fly, so perhaps the page where she appears is just artistic flair, but it certainly appears as if she descended from on high. It is a minor quibble, but it is something I noticed.
Donna Troy stands alongside her sisters in arms as they sense that something is very wrong on the island.
In addition to Yara, Cassie, and Donna appearing, we are also met with Queen Nubia, Bia, and Clio. Williams is quite familiar with these characters, especially given her Nubia and the Amazons limited series. Their placement here in the story makes a lot of sense and helps provide some much-needed exposition, whereas the Wonder Girls make up the bulk of the actual action on the page.
I appreciate that they give Diana the kind of compassion she currently does not carry for herself and display the kind of love, wisdom, and strength for which the daughters of Themyscira are best known.
Ultimately, I feel as if this issue gives everyone—both the characters and us, the readers—some time to decompress following the Island of Mice and Men arc and the general events of the ongoing series itself. We certainly need it with everything that has happened so far. We still have not even gotten into the Matriarch, the newest villain of Wonder Woman, being hyped up, outside of brief time jumps into the future.
I did find it jarring that the Wonder Girls would be so quick to be at each other’s throats. I understand this is literally due to Strife manipulating them, but on their island and with their respective mental fortitudes called into question, I feel as if they succumbed a bit too quickly. That said, at its heart, this issue is basically a bunch of super-powered warrior women babysitting an infant that will one day also become a super-powered warrior woman. The premise is fantastic, to be honest.
The deep rooted insecurities of each of these women are brought boiling to the surface.
The art, courtesy of Jeff Spokes, is certainly unique and not the style to which we are accustomed in this run of Wonder Woman. The skyline of Themyscira is perhaps more mythic than we have seen in a long time. The emotions of each woman presented in this comic are clear and defined, even when they are plagued by uncertainty.
But where this issue really shines in terms of art is in the fight sequence. The pacing here is deliberate and purposefully done. We see what starts as a friendly sparring session to better calm young Lizzie devolve into a bitter brawl between literal demigoddesses. The intensity builds and builds as the verbal barbs feel arguably more painful than the strikes the Amazons are swinging with. Each move in their duel feels perfectly calculated, and it evokes the mindset of the greatest warriors on the planet, which is fitting.
Final Thoughts and Review
The Amazons stand united once they realize they’ve been duped.
Issue #29 of Wonder Woman takes a brief break away from the sprawling narrative of Tom King. In doing so, it gives Diana herself a much-needed moment to center herself after a series of traumatic events. As such, it shifts the spotlight away from the titular heroine and toward her beloved sisters and her queen.
The Wonder Girl trio carries the book and serves as adequate replacements for the time being. They are perhaps slightly less adequate as babysitters, but I will cut them some slack.
Final Review: 8/10
Lizzie is in good hands…provided her aunts don’t try to kill one another in the process.
The main creative team and their star take a momentary reprieve, which gives the book a nice moment to decompress alongside its heroine. Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, and Yara Flor return to the title to carry the load away from their sister, which ultimately pays off for everyone involved. Wonder Woman #29 shows us that babysitting the child of the greatest heroine in the world is anything but simple in a surprisingly tender yet exciting issue.