Dr. Psycho has chosen a champion to defeat Diana. He’s going to find considerable difficulty when he finds out that Diana isn’t a single target, thanks to the shadowy efforts of another mysterious villain in Wonder Woman #783. Writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad launch Diana into a fight between a knight and a seemingly endless army of herselves in an issue dynamically drawn by artist Marcio Takara with color by Tamra Bonvillain. Writer Vita Ayala and artist Skylar Patridge close out the chapter with the third part of a story building up to the big Wonder Woman crossover.

Dr. Psycho gives a champion the helm that casts Golden Age hero The Shining Knight against Wonder Woman. By the time he arrives to engage Diana in combat, she’s already got her hands full. She, Deadman, Etta Candy, and Steve Trevor deal with a fragile swarm of identical Wonder Women who are endangering innocent people. When THAT conflict reachers Wonder Woman and the Knight, her would-be executioner is forced to make an important decision. Elsewhere, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall are discussing matters in the wake of an attack by a manticore. Delicate tactics are discussed in the next chapter in the lead-up to The Trial of the Amazons.

Cloonan and Conrad have found a delicious balance between conflict, peril, action, and wit in a deeply enjoyable 783rd issue of Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman regains a bit of her swashbuckling poise in a battle with the Shining Knight that is complicated by a flurry of Wonder Women. It’s a fun combination of elements supported by a fun cast. Steve meets Diana for the first time since her return from the dead. Deadman meets Steve for the first time. Diana finally gets a solid fight on familiar ground. It’s just what she needed. It might be just what her comic book needed too. Ayala’s dialogue-heavy political drama ends the issue with a deep discussion between Artemis and a few other Bana-Mighdall Amazons. It takes a little while to find direction, but when it does, implications for the upcoming Trial of the Amazons become a bit clearer.

Takara’s art zips across the page in an issue that is firmly rooted in action. The cloud of beautiful and sinister Wonder Women continues to make its impact. Takara’s design for Shining Knight looks impressively heroic. The kinetics of the battle between Knight and Wonder Woman are fresh, fun, and remarkably witty. So much of the issue takes place on a rooftop with nothing but sky in the background. Bonvillain is a steady hand at giving a rich texture to the skies over Washington DC without clashing against the action in the foreground. The total effect is pleasantly atmospheric. For her part, Patridge does a good job of finding a layout for a seven-page dialogue that still manages to engage the reader visually.

Cloonan and Conrad have found an appealing rhythm for Wonder Woman that embraces the strength, heart, and confidence that make her such a fun character. The supporting cast is peppered with more than enough personality to keep everything appealing around the edges, and even the hero-being-used-as-a-villain trope feels novel and interesting. The back-up lead-in to the big Trial of the Amazons crossover is starting to pick up some interesting rhythm as well.

Grade: A+