Review by Heather Valentine

Warkiller picks up shortly after Rise Of The Olympian left off. Despite jumping straight into talking about the fate of the villain Genocide from the last volume, the opening material is a welcome break in the tension. There’s a cameo from one of the Birds of Prey, another female-led series that Gail Simone worked on before writing Wonder Woman. And it’s a fun adventure, showcasing the contrasting personalities of the two characters amongst noodle bars, silly costumes and a serious turn towards the end when a wronged party from the previous volume returns for revenge.

The book ties up many of the loose ends from Rise Of The Olympian well, though it becomes frantic towards the climax of the titular ‘Warkiller’ arc that occupies the second half. This arc is a tense read, returning to Themiscyra for a story high in conflict both interpersonal and philosophical, as the Circle try to re-force their dogma of what makes a “true” Amazon on the newly repopulated island. It occasionally retreads ground covered in The Circle a little too closely, but takes its conclusion far away enough to make for an intriguing expansion of the previous themes rather than a repeat.

The art is of the same high quality of the previous volumes, with Aaron Lopresti and Bernard Chang continuing to supply bold, consistent work in the classic superhero style. Brad Anderson’s colouring in the latter half brings an atmosphere of gloom and fear to a rain-drenched Themiscyra, as well as a scene where Diana receives an unwelcome visitor to her dreams.

Warkiller excellently pulls the series back together by delivering great storytelling that builds on the themes and conflicts raised in The Circle and the strongest parts of Rise Of The Olympian. If you’ve read and enjoyed Simone’s Wonder Woman run so far, you’ll definitely want to keep reading and pick this up. Simone’s run continues with Contagion.