As the concluding chapter in a wonderful story, I could just say see below for my thoughts. Suffice to say Tom King sticks the landing. Jones' art continues to make me sigh. So instead of just mindlessly praising this issue I found myself thinking how impossible this kind of story would have been twenty years ago.
A Batman story about time mechanics and sexual temptation all set against the hopeless backdrop of an eternal Hell dimension. Back then, the story would have been twelve issues long, all leading up to a major dramatic climax and then ending on the last page with a narrative reboot button or a hand waving It Never Really Happened Suckers. Zatanna made a spell! The Anti-Monitor had created a pocket dimension! It was all a dream! You can't believe we were actually serious!
Burned.
Which isn't to say DC won't do the same with this ongoing arc. I've been burned before. If you've read comics for any length of time, you've been burned before. For example, the Dick Grayson as Batman stories were a joy and made such narrative sense, such mythological sense, and it ended with all the gravitas of a needle scratch across a record.
If they do this with King's arc--or in any way not go through with the marriage--I will be very disappointed. But as sure as I am that will happen, I will just enjoy these issues for what they are.
Another thing: I really enjoyed Wonder Woman's depiction here. I don't read her current series and am a few years behind on JLA so I'm not sure what she's like these days. Here, I like how she speaks as if English isn't her mother tongue, eschewing contractions. Her sense of humour is also delightfully odd and individualistic. While King uses banter here for comedic effect, each interchange between Batman and Wonder Woman shows who they are as well as being amusing. There's a scene where they discuss their pets that is especially effective in this regard.
I'm guessing the current Wonder Woman is based on the movie version since that really won many people over, but I haven't seen it yet. But if this is how she's shown these days, I think it's perfect. Just like the rest of this comic.
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