Darkseid and Wonder Woman have gone head-to-head before. Now, they're meeting again on the battlefield of a new variant cover for Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #4. This stunning cover captures the kind of epic battle the two will certainly have if their paths cross in the future.
Matías Bergara is an Uruguayan artist who has provided art for multiple comic companies as well as for video games. With DC he has worked on issues of DC Bombshells, John Constantine: Hellblazer, and Supergirl. He has also worked for Image Comics on The Scumbag and Cannibal. Bergara was an Eisner nominee in 2019 for his work with Simon Spurrier on Coda from Boom! Studios. He recently shared this stunning new cover on social media.
On Twitter, Matías Bergara revealed a variant cover he created for Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #4. The medium he used to make it is paint and ink on paper and it is a masterful piece. Wonder Woman: Black and Gold is a six-issue anthology series currently being published by DC Comics. It celebrates Wonder Woman's 80th anniversary by bringing together many writers and artists to provide new stories centered around the Amazonian warrior.
This variant is absolutely stunning, capturing some of the iconic aspects of both characters. Wonder Woman looks positively fierce as she deflects Darkseid's omega beam. The Goddess of Truth also has a pair of wings, like she did in Wonder Woman 1984. She has her powerful foe tangled up in her Lasso. Below their fight are a pair of hounds, which could be Warhounds or Demon Dogs of the Apokoliptian Dog Cavalry. This seems particularly likely due to the piece of armor upon the canine on the rightmost side. Wonder Woman is in godly form here, being on even footing against Darkseid despite him having slightly higher ground.
Where this cover especially shines is in how it reflects the artistic style found on ancient Grecian pottery. This not only speaks to Diana's heritage as a daughter of Zeus, but it also reflects the potential intensity of this battle. After all, many Greek works from the time captured some of the greatest conflicts and heroes of history and mythology, such as Achilles, the Gigantomachy, and many of the major deities like Athena and Zeus. Considering Diana's god-like abilities and the fact that she's one of Themyscira's greatest warriors, it is fitting that she would be depicted in this way. This becomes even more true when her foe is Darkseid since he is one of the most powerful characters in DC's universe.
This cover is befitting of not just Wonder Woman's abilities, but also her legacy in comics. Eighty years is a major milestone for any character and Wonder Woman has been a long-term part of DC's Trinity of heroes alongside Batman and Superman - both of whom have already celebrated their 80th anniversaries. Wonder Woman has cemented her place in not just DC's fictional universe, but also in the company's history - and her legacy is beautifully commemorated in this cover depicting a mythical battle against Darkseid. Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #4 goes on sale September 28, 2021.
Source: Matías Bergara