Creative Team – Stephanie Williams, Leah Williams, Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira, Belén Ortega, Romulo Fajardo Jr, Triona Farrell, Clayton Cowles, Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey
Published by DC Comics
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The Story
In Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War – The Matriarch Issue #1, we see the journey of Lyssa of Themyscira, AKA The Matriarch, as she takes on her journey through hell itself. To be more specific, it’s actually the River of Fire that she must endure. The River of Fire is filled with the souls of the people she’s killed, whether they’re heroes or villains. The Matriarch must confront each one, each with their own lesson to teach her. However, is she willing to learn, or will she stay on her path, filled with the false confidence of convincing herself that she’s been right all along?
This comic was very emotionally driven, and it was beautifully written by Stephanie Williams and Leah Williams. With most characters, this path that’s packed with the souls of your sins would be enough to turn them away. It would be enough to see the wrong in their motivations. But not The Matriarch. Lyssa is headstrong in her ways and holds her diluted values close to her chest.
The Matriarch Issue #1 had me desperately wanting for Lyssa to see the error of her ways. Maybe for her to stop and realize that she’s the problem, not the people who offered her love and comfort. If we’re being completely honest, I found The Matriarch so frustrating throughout the story with how she wasn’t able to see how wrong she was. As frustrated as I was, I feel like that’s a testament to how well this was written. I was able to emotionally connect with this story and stay in those emotions throughout the comic. The Matriarch had me hoping for the best outcome for her, but time and time again, she proved to be someone who’s long past salvation, and that precisely the way she wants it.
Hats off to the writers because I was glued to this issue from beginning to end. Along with The Matriarch and her battle of her past killings, we’re also treated to some excellent cameos of characters we just don’t get to see enough of. Without spoiling any of them, I can confidently say that DC fans will absolutely love this comic.
The Art
This creative team is ridiculously stacked! When you have Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira, Belén Ortega, Romulo Fajardo Jr, Triona Farrell, and Clayton Cowles all on the same issue, you can bet that you’re going to love the artwork. In The Matriarch Issue, the artists perfectly capture what makes the River of Fire so hauntingly beautiful. There’s a looming feeling of loneliness that clouds over The Matriarch, even with the souls of the damned right below her. With each character that shows up to remind Lyssa of the sins of her past, you’re given a cameo that’s beautifully drawn with linework that nails down the feeling of terror and revenge. The colors lean heavily into the darker tones along with the deep red theme of the river. For such a dark issue, there’s a ton of vibrancy that helps differentiate the flashbacks to a much more innocent time in Lyssa’s life to where she is now, fighting off the souls of the people that’s died by her hands. The lettering was masterfully handled! There’s two inner dialogues happening at once, one of which you can tell clearly is The Matriarch’s and the other being filled with disdain. Through and through, this was a beautiful issue that was drenched in emotion. 10 out of 10 to the artists who made this a powerful issue.
Final Thoughts
Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War – The Matriarch Issue #1 was definitely not what I expected but was even better than I assumed. This was emotionally driven to the point that you find yourself emotionally connected to The Matriarch and all that follows her down the River of Fire.
Overall Grade – 10/10
Let me know in the comments below what you thought of this issue!
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This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War - The Matriarch Issue, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!
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