Greg Rucka’s phenomenal run on Wonder Woman ends next month with issue #25, so readers are going to want to savor each chapter leading up to the finale. The main series has made some significant fixes to Diana’s backstory, and next week’s Wonder Woman Annual #1 looks at a major event that hasn’t been shown in the new Rebirth continuity: Diana’s first meeting with Batman and Superman, the other members of DC’s Trinity. As one of only a handful of writers that has written ongoing titles for each member of the Trinity, Rucka has a deep understanding of each of these characters, and he’s reuniting with artist Nicola Scott for this flashback tale. Scott drew the “Year One” origin story in Wonder Woman, and it’s great to see her back in this world for one last adventure with Diana. This exclusive preview of Wonder Woman Annual reveals Superman and Batman’s first reactions to the new heroine, and Scott’s artwork with colorist Romulo Fajardo, Jr. is as detailed and dramatic as ever.
Also included are three pages from the story by writer Michael Moreci and artist Stephanie Hans, which has Wonder Woman helping a fellow ally of Steve Trevor with the curse that threatens to destroy his village. Hans’ digitally painted artwork is stunning, particularly how her rendering changes for past and present events. The annual also has two stories in addition to the ones previewed here: Vita Ayala and Claire Roe send Wonder Woman to Markovia to stop the execution of King Shark for a crime he didn’t commit, and Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and David Lafuente pit Wonder Woman against a giant kaiju. With Wonder Woman hitting theaters next Friday, now’s a perfect time to release a one-shot spotlighting different facets of the heroine with a strong line-up of creators, and fans of the movie should seek out Wonder Woman Annual if they’re hungry for more stories about the Amazonian superhero.