Of all the new faces introduced to the DC Universe starting during the Future State publishing initiative, Yara Flor, the heir apparent to the legacy of Wonder Woman., was arguably the most well-received. While Future State has since largely come to an end, Yara has resurfaced during the current Infinite Frontier era, headlining her own series, Wonder Girl, helmed by creator Joëlle Jones. And this opening issue of this new series, Jones blends fantasy influences with Gen Z sensibility as Yara leaps back into center stage to hopefully stay.
With Diana Prince currently separated from the rest of the DCU, trapped in a faraway realm at the start of Infinite Frontier, Yara claims her own superhero destiny. Having been raised in the magical land of Boise, Idaho, far from her home country of Brazil and the secret sect of Amazons located in the unexplored regions of South America, Yara returns to Brazil to rediscover her roots. But unbeknownst to Yara, her return home has been prophesied, putting her dangerously on the radar of myths and monsters as she takes a major, unknowing step closer to claiming her superhero destiny.
Jones previously developed a strong voice for Yara writing her initial, headlining appearances during Future State, but this story isn’t following Yara as a confidant hero that has settled into her role as Wonder Woman. Instead, this is a story that starts with a Yara just before she becomes the superhero she was always meant to be, and Jones’ tale is one of a young woman finding herself and her place in the wider universe around her. With that in mind, Jones is moving at a more deliberate pace after a fiery prologue while weaving in fantasy elements that are poised to pay off in a big way in the immediate future, as Yara learns more about the life that she left behind as a child her past quickly catches back up to her in Brazil.
Jones reunites with longtime collaborative partner Jordie Bellaire on colors, with the two bringing the fantasy fury at the start of the issue to draw readers in and remind them of the stakes before focusing on more grounded visuals as Yara’s story truly takes off years later. This is an issue that has Yara discover just how far down the rabbit hole goes and, as she learns more and more about this magical world in Brazil, Jones dials up the fantasy elements accordingly. And Bellaire’s choice in color palette here is lush and vibrant, even in the quieter moments, to highlight just how colorful and full of life Brazil is as it welcomes Yara back while setting the stage for more fantastical things to come as Yara dives deep by the issue’s end.
For those impressed by Yara upon her introduction during Future State, Wonder Girl provides that vital piece of establishing her origins and connections to the gods as a young child. This as much a coming-of-age story as it is one involving a fantasy-oriented superhero, and Jones continues to weave a strong introduction to the character as she crafts her backstory. If Diana Prince is a character that was raised among the Amazons and with her birthright always in sight, Yara is one that is discovering her destiny as she rediscovers her home, making for an interesting twist on the Wonder Woman mythos as the character makes her fuller debut.
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