Warning! Spoilers for Justice League: Last Ride #1
The Justice League is going on their final mission, but unfortunately Wonder Woman doesn’t have a lot to do as their adventures come to a bitter end. Even though she is a founding member of the team, her part has suddenly become minimized and relegated to the background.
Previously the most iconic and powerful group of superheroes in the DC Universe, the Justice League has fallen on hard times in Justice League: Last Ride #1, written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Miguel Mendonça. After the League is broken beyond repair and the heroes have broken apart, a cosmic crime is causing them to cross paths with one another again. Although they have continued to harbor bitterness and animosity toward the idea of working together, it seems as if an official League revival is around the corner. However, it doesn’t seem that everyone will join in the same capacity.
Despite being a central component of the DC Trinity alongside Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman is neglected in the Justice League’s last adventure. Sadly, Diana Prince is essentially a bystander to ongoing events as the League fails to properly reconvene. Instead of remaining on equal footing with the Flash or Superman, Wonder Woman acts as if their drama is beneath her. As she declares that she doesn’t have the patience to babysit men, a past traumatic event is alluded to. In her encounter with Superman, she tells him, “If people are in danger, they’ll help. It doesn’t matter what their childish differences might be.”
Although it feels like a missed opportunity to ignore the DC Universe’s most prominent female superhero, the disdain she has for her former super friends is building suspense. Theoretically, if the reason for the team’s split turns out to be justifying Wonder Woman’s reluctance to be involved in the debut issue, she might not feel like such a waste. Regardless of any such reveal in the series’ future, Diana holding a grudge and denying her part as the optimist that fans know her to be feels wrong and out of character. Still, Chip Zdarsky has made himself known as a writer capable of nuance in the past.
Since the conflict that initiated the League’s split appears to stem from Batman and Superman having a disagreement, Wonder Woman feels like a passive audience member. It’s currently unclear why the rest of the heroes have even been pulled into the drama. Despite being featured in a few panels, her role has been drastically minimized compared to previous Justice League stories. If Diana is meant to represent stability on the team, she should have more to contribute than a few passing jabs at her fellow former members of the Justice League.