By Hunter T. Patrick
Wonder Woman is probably one of the most overlooked characters in comics. As the greatest female superhero hands down (sorry Gwenpool) she is rarely spoken of in the same way as Batman or Superman are. The movie helped Wonder Woman in being a character who deserves the spotlight. I am guilty of always overlooking Wonder Woman, but it is hard not to when Superman and Batman have so many adaptions between them, and even Iron Man has more than Wondy. People can even name more quotes from Groot then Wonder Woman. I began to appreciate Wonder Woman thanks to her epic rebirth run, and Liam Sharp has helped tremendously for my love for Diana.
Do not let the name fool you; this is a Wonder Woman story. Previous issues have shown Batman completely out of character for being scared and wanting to try to abandon a group of people. This issue does not show this side of Batman luckily, but it is still a comic about Wonder Woman and Celtic mythology. Batman and Wonder Woman have the least explored relationship out of the Trinity, so it is great to see that explored. This issue sadly does not explore that, and it keeps to the Celtic story. Funny enough this is a comic about Celtic mythology more so than the interesting dynamic between Batman and Wonder Woman, and that is the biggest fault with the series and especially this issue. Celtic mythology just does not work for the series.
This whole issue is just Celtic mythology. Batman and Wonder Woman, despite being the titular characters, are just background, the name is so misleading as the first three issues are more Wonder Woman than Batman, and now both do not even feel like a protagonist. If you are a fan of Celtic mythology and wanted a book about that and not a Batman and Wonder Woman team-up, then you can easily enjoy this book. This issue is the biggest disappointment thus far with Liam Sharp being able to help Wonder Woman reach great new heights but instead is once more overlooked sadly.
As much as it was a chore to read, the artwork was not. The artwork is, simply put, breathtaking. As much as the Celtic overpowers the characters, it is the art, and it is why the book should be read (if not for Batman or Wonder Woman). Sharp does some amazing things with the design and colors. Everything looks so beautiful, and it is because of that the score is where it is. It would get an average rating, but the artwork looks too perfect (and the score would be perfect if the story did not weigh it down so much. There is a rumor Liam Sharp will next be the artist on Green Lantern and be with Grant Morrison, if this rumor is true then we will get Liam Sharp and his best with everything Sharp has shown in this issue. Each issue gets better and better with the artwork, and if this keeps up, then the finale will be one of the comic’s most beautiful issues ever. Let’s hope this issue’s story was just necessary filler.
Score: 4/5
The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman #4
DC Comics