This November, Wonder Woman will step up and act as Earth's representative in a cosmic trial to decide the fate of humanity. In the upcoming limited series Wonder Woman: Evolution, writer Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn) and artist Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool) will tell a story that is a juxtaposition of grand sci-fi and Diana's core humanity.
Wonder Woman: Evolutions begins with Diana whisked away by a mysterious god-like group of cosmic entities who act as arbiters of this particular DC Universe.
"Their job is to keep all the various planets and species in check – when one gets a little too far out of line and poses a threat, they intervene," Phillips tells Newsarama. "At the moment, they see humanity as posing a potential threat not just to Earth itself, but to the cosmos. The story will explore how they serve to make their decision about humanity and why Diana is the chosen proxy."
Wonder Woman (and humanity) will be judged through a series of challenges that tax her both physically and mentally, along with a final trial.
Check out this first look inside Wonder Woman: Evolution #1, with two early pages by Hawthorne and inker Adriano Di Benedetto. Jordie Bellaire will be coloring the series.
While best known for her work on the ongoing Harley Quinn series, Wonder Woman: Evolution is actually Stephanie Phillips' second Wonder Woman tale after a short in the recent Sensational Wonder Woman anthology.
"I see writing these characters as a responsibility and a privilege. I have a responsibility to the characters that I love deeply and grew up reading to do right by them, and it's such an honor to be trusted with their stories," says the writer. "I have the coolest job in the world (apart from… you know… actually being Wonder Woman, because that seems pretty cool!)."
Before becoming a comic book writer, Phillips was a competitive Muay Thai fighter and - you guessed it - used Wonder Woman as inspiration - from custom attire to re-reading and re-watching Wonder Woman stories to get in the right mindset.
Newsarama spoke with both Stephanie Phillips and Mike Hawthorne about Wonder Woman: Evolution.
2021 is the 80th anniversary of Wonder Woman's debut, and Wonder Woman: Evolution is part of a multi-faceted celebration of the character that has included the film Wonder Woman 1984, various comic books, and the upcoming Wonder Woman Day on October 21.
Wonder Woman: Evolution #1 (of 8) goes on sale this November.
Can't wait? Make sure you've read all our recommended best Wonder Woman stories.
