Who wants to live forever?

Wonder Woman #28
Writer: Shea Fontana
Artist: David Messina
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters: Saida Temofonte
Cover: Jesus Merino & Alex Sinclair; Jenny Frison
Editor: Brittany Holzherr; Chris Conroy; Mark Doyle
Publisher: DC Comics
$2.99

With Etta being released from the hospital following the events of the previous issue she and Diana retreat to Etta’s home for some well deserved, and much needed, rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, neither Diana’s state of mind, nor the outside world, allows for either of those things to happen.

In this issue Shea Fontana explores one of the things that always struck me as being a severe downside to being immortal: watching your loved ones die or get hurt. When you are damn near indestructible and epically long lived how do you function when the people you are closest too aren’t? As Queen pointed out, it’s really not that great when you think on it. This becomes increasingly clear as Diana realizes that Etta, who is both a sister and surrogate mother to her, Steve and everyone else she knows (with the possible exception of Barbara Ann, Clark, Artemis and Jason) are going to die long before she does. On top of that she wonders how much better, or at least safer, their lives would be without her in them. It’s an honest question for which there is no easy answer as people are responsible for their own choices, good and bad, and that includes Etta and Steve’s to stand by her side.

David Messina and Romulo Fajardo Jr do some good work here, giving us some really dynamic fight scenes and wonderful facial expressions that show off the conflict going on in Diana’s head and heart. In particular the quiet before the storm moments at the cemetery and at Etta’s apartment really show you how scared Diana is at the prospect of losing her closest friends. On top of that, as someone who’s spent an inordinate amount of time in hospitals recovering from injuries myself, Etta’s face when she finally gets something other than hospital food is perfect.

A thoughtful issue that asks some hard questions: Four headstones out of Five.