Wednesday, December 28, 2011

2002 DC Direct Justice League Animated: Wonder Woman Maquette



JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED: WONDER WOMAN MAQUETTE
Sculpted by Karen Palinko
Pre-solicited; in stores March 13, 2002.

DC Direct presents its first ever line of Maquettes, beginning with the JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED: WONDER WOMAN MAQUETTE! Featuring the super-heroes as they will appear in the exciting new Justice League WB Animation series appearing on the Cartoon Network in the Fall of 2001. Throughout 2002, DC Direct will exclusively produce Maquettes of all the characters from the JLA Animated series including: Martian Manhunter, Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Flash, and Batman…at a very affordable price! Stands approximately 9 1/8" overall on a base. Packaged in a 4-color box.

Retailers, please note: The JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED: WONDER WOMAN MAQUETTE is manufactured to order, so only limited quantities may be available for reorder. Final product may differ from image shown. This item is pre-solicited. Orders must be placed with those for December-released product, solicited in next month's issue of Previews.

FC, Maquette $89.95

Sunday, December 25, 2011

2002 DC Direct Wonder Woman Snowglobe



WONDER WOMAN SNOWGLOBE
Sculpted by Tim Bruckner; designed by Terry Dodson
Advance-solicited; in stores February 27, 2002.

Wonder Woman, Amazon Princess and warrior for peace, is featured in the dynamic new WONDER WOMAN SNOWGLOBE! Poised for action, her bracelets raised to ward off the bullets of her foes, the WONDER WOMAN SNOWGLOBE is set upon a Greco-Roman-style base decorated with the Golden Lasso, sword, battleaxe and helmet of the Amazing Amazon's arsenal. The WONDER WOMAN SNOWGLOBE stands approximately 7 7/8" high x 3 3/4" wide x 3 3/4" deep. Packaged in a 4-color box.

Retailers, please note: The WONDER WOMAN SNOWGLOBE is manufactured to order, so only limited quantities may be available for reorder. Final product may differ from image shown. This item is advance-solicited. Orders must be placed with those for November-released product, solicited in this month's issue of Previews.

FC, Snowglobe $79.95

Friday, December 23, 2011

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Marat Mychaels

Click To Expand & Enlarge


A.K.A. Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his back-up, apparently...

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Huntress #2 (January, 2012)



Between the garbage strike and the general Italian permissivo atteggiamento, the Huntress had an easy time sneaking into a polizia station to access their computers. While eating a stale (but still delicious and vastly superior to stateside) sfogliatelle, Huntress learned that the men she'd beaten had been murdered. This limited her ability to connect them to the head of the sex trafficking ring, but they happened to be picked up by the same undertaker. A (dubiously uniformed) female officer caught the Huntress and chased her off with several gunshots.

Mr. Moretti relieved some tension with one of his recent acquisitions, then assured a mafia representative on the phone that the violent "pervert... leather type..." wouldn't interfere with any more business.

Huntress pinned the sleeves of the undertaker to an upright coffin, a pretty questionable feat for a crossbow, then extracted information from him by threatening his genitalia (with just the one bolt this time.)

Helena met with those newspaper people, who I guess were named Alessandro and Christina, over coffee and pastries. How does she keep her figure? Probably by keeping her human contact down to two pages of exposition about Moretti's gun running and sex trafficking. "...We need to break the connections... Before all the refugees from the Arab revolutions get caught up in them, and trade life under dictatorships for lives in brothels."



On a ship at the docks, Huntress beat up two whole guards, one of whom was beating on a human slave first, then drove all the girls off in a schoolbus while blowing up the ship with an explosive arrow.

The next day, Helena spied on Moretti as he traveled from his villa to a small boat. She fired a tracer crossbow bolt at the ship, then tracked it with a handheld GPS. "I really don't like men who use little girls... See you soon, Moretti. This hunt isn't over."

"Crossbow at the Crossroads: Part Two" was by Paul Levitz, Marcus To and John Dell. I liked it better when it was called "Crossbow at the Crossroads: Part One." It's like they just rearranged the pages. It still looks good, and I'd like to give a shout out to Andrew Dalhouse for managing softer, feminine coloring suited for a purple-clad vigilante without undermining the darker aspects of the story. However, that story has not progressed in the slightest, and reads like a silly '80s action movie without a sense of stakes or accomplishment for the protagonist. There's even a mild, halfhearted exploitation vibe. The Guillem March cover is this comic in a nutshell: an otherwise attractive image marred by an incompetently positioned bo staff obscuring the heroine's face. I want to like it, but it undermines itself in obvious ways.

New 52's Day featuring Wildstorm

Sunday, December 18, 2011

2008 Mark Texeira Wonder Woman Commission

Click To Enlarge


One of my longtime favorite artists and characters, though not a combination I always enjoy. Tex has a particular take on women that's a bit too-- what's the word I'm looking for-- '80s hair metal whore-- to suit the heroine's superheroine. Here though, I love Diana's slight smile and gentle, realistic (referenced?) face. She's also got those thick, well muscled Harry Peter legs, and isn't especially eroticised or stand-offish. A damned nice piece, offering a Wonder Woman with more human spirit than most. My girlfriend printed this out and taped it to a filing cabinet she surrendered to me, along with other art, so it's become a fixture of my blogging workspace.

Friday, December 16, 2011

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Alex Ross

Click To Expand & Enlarge


It ticks me off that Alex Ross favored Johnny Come Lately members Superman and Batman over Aquaman and the Manhunter from Mars, but at least he didn't shoehorn Captain Marvel or Plastic Man in there again. Wonder Woman is also front and center, a big win for the Amazing Amazon!

Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Sensational Comics for March, 2012



Sensational Links:



Wonder Woman
WONDER WOMAN #7
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 B&W Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
On sale MARCH 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.
Remember the myth of Orpheus? Wonder Woman certainly does. And we hope she’s learned its lessons well, because someone she dearly loves is in Hell’s clutches – and she’s the only one who can mount a rescue mission! But Hades has no mercy, even for his own family – in fact, especially for his own family – and he doesn’t intend to let her walk out of his domain without paying a terrible price!
Uncle Ayholes?

JUSTICE LEAGUE #7
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by GENE HA and GARY FRANK
Cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:25 Variant cover by GARY FRANK
1:200 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE
On sale MARCH 21 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.

Now that the team’s origin story is complete, starting with this issue we shift to the present-day Justice League! What has changed? Who has joined the team since? Featuring artwork by Gene Ha, the story also reintroduces the team’s greatest champion: Steve Trevor!

Also starting in this issue: “The Curse of Shazam!” featuring a story by Geoff Johns and art by Gary Frank! Discover Billy Batson’s place in DC Comics – The New 52 as we reveal his all-new origin story!

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
Is it just me, or is this cover kind of funky and slight for a Lee/Williams joint? Gene Ha's preview pages were some of the worst I've seen from him, as well. Still, an emphasis on Wonder Woman stuff piques my interest, and I'm very interested in Gary Frank on Captain Marvel...

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #25-26
Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art by MIKE S. MILLER, HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
Cover #25 by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover #26 by HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
#25 on sale MARCH 7
#26 on sale MARCH 21 • FINAL ISSUE
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Lex Luthor and the remaining super powered heroes on Earth have sprung their trap on Brainiac...and the real war begins! The events in this issue will be talked about for years to come!
The battle that DCUO Legends has been building to for over a year is finally here: Brainiac versus The Man of Steel! But will even Superman be powerful enough to stop this universal evil? And what stunning role will Lex Luthor play in the events? Find out in the stunning series conclusion!

JUSTICE LEAGUE VOL. 1: ORIGIN HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
On sale MAY 2 • 176 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Comics superstars Geoff Johns and Jim Lee make history with the first hardcover collection of a DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 series! In a universe where Super Heroes are strange and new, Batman has discovered a dark evil that requires him to unite the World Greatest Heroes! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg unite for the first time to form the JUSTICE LEAGUE! Don’t miss the thrill-a-minute hardcover collecting the first six issues of the best selling comic!
This should be good for what, a half-hour's entertainment value?

WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1: BLOOD HC
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by CLIFF CHIANG and TONY AKINS
Cover by CLIFF CHIANG
On sale MAY 30 • 160 pg, FC, $22.99 US

The first six issues of the critically acclaimed new WONDER WOMAN series are collected in hardcover! Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, has kept a secret from her daughter all her life – and when Wonder Woman learns who her father is, her life will shatter like brittle clay. The only one more shocked than Diana by this revelation? Bloodthirsty Hera – so why is her sinister daughter, Strife, so eager for the truth to be told? Superstar writer Brian Azzarello creates a new direction for one of DC’s best-known heroes, with spectacular art by Cliff Chiang and Tony Akins!
I'm still resistant. Everybody use the comments to convince me to buy this thing.

SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS VOL. 2 HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY and BOB ROZAKIS
Art by MIKE VOSBURG, RICH BUCKLER, DICK DILLIN, ALEX SAVIUK, JOE ORLANDO and others
Cover by RICH BUCKLER
On sale MAY 16 • 208 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Don’t miss this second helping of tales of villainy from SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #11-15, DC SPECIAL #27, DC SPECIAL SERIES #6, SUPER-TEAM FAMILY #13-14, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #166-167 and a story from CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE #2.
I bought the first volume based on solicitation copy recycled from an aborted Showcase Presents volume that stated all these issues were to have been included there. Obviously they were not, including the previously unpublished final story. I've got to decide whether I want to punish DC fir screwing me, while punishing myself by not getting a rare story finally completed (?) in full color...

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ALL-STAR SQUADRON VOL. 1 TP
Written by ROY THOMAS and GERRY CONWAY
Art by RICH BUCKLER, DICK GIORDANO, JERRY ORDWAY, ADRIAN GONZALES and DON HECK
Cover by JOE KUBERT
On sale APRIL 18 • 528 pg, B&W, $19.99 US
In these stories from JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #193 and ALL-STAR SQUADRON #1-18, the All-Star Squadron has been founded on Earth II by the lost heroes from the JSA to stop Per Degaton from delivering mystic weapons to the Axis powers!
I'll have a tough time turning this down, assuming I even can!

Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark)
TEEN TITANS #7
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 B&W Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale MARCH 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

Are the Teen Titans ready to stage an assault on N.O.W.H.E.R.E.? No way! But as Red Robin explains to the rest of his team, they’ll have to rally to save the Superboy from certain death. And through all of this, only Solstice learns a secret Red Robin has been hiding that could tear the team apart just as they have finally come together!

TEEN TITANS: PRIME OF LIFE TP
Written by J.T. KRUL
Art by NICOLA SCOTT, EDUARDO PANSICA and others
Cover by NICOLA SCOTT and DOUG HAZLEWOOD
On sale APRIL 11 • 200 pg, FC, $19.99 US
Collecting TEEN TITANS #93-100! Strange disappearances on an archeological dig prompt Wonder Girl’s mother to ask the team for help – but they’ll have to defeat an ancient menace first! With new teammate Solstice at their side, the teenaged heroes must drive demonic forces from our world or be conquered!
One of the few pre-boot trades I think is viable, thanks to Damian Wayne douchieness and sweet art.

Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)
TINY TITANS #50
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
On sale MARCH 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E • FINAL ISSUE

In this awesome 50th issue, questions are answered! Mysteries are solved! The Tiny Titans may be one step closer to becoming Super Heroes! This issue may change your life! Plus, it’s highly recommended by Franco’s mom!
Final Issue? That'll break some hearts.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Rob Osborne

Click To Enlarge


It's the Fetal League of Utero: J'Onn J'Onzz, Hal Jordan, Diana Prince, Barry Allen and Arthur Curry!

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Top 20 Wonder Woman Covers of the 1980s



It was the best of time, and the worst of times. Wonder Woman had some of her finest covers while the sales (and by some accounts, the stories) were at an all time low. Volume One was finally cancelled, and volume two launched with great fanfare and a beloved artist... who felt the need to write the book, and for far longer than he drew it. I have a complete set of that second volume, but there are chunks of years that I have yet to force myself to read.

Case in point, the cover above to Wonder Woman #3 (April, 1987.) Look, George Pérez is one of the greatest artists in comic book history, and the man earned his pay for a lot of covers. It's just that his frontpieces for Wonder Woman were often milquetoast compared to the rest of his work. This is a perfect example. A woman just flew out of the sky, and a street full of pedestrians barely slow down to rubberneck. Steve's napping, Diana's staring blankly, and even the villains in the color hold seem only mildly interested. Finally, this is occurring in a city park, yet the statue's still standing and the trees are not on fire. In comic book terms, it's positively prosaic.

Honorable Mentions


20) DC Comics Presents #32 (April, 1981)

This is the first major instance of Superman kissing Wonder Woman that I can recall, and while it's cool that they do it in front of their crappy longtime significant others, I still hate like hell when this happens. Thanks to the spoiler presence of Eros and a dull layout, this is the shocking revelation on the cover to The National Enquirer about some D-lister you didn't know was still alive, much less cared about.


19) Wonder Woman #22 (November, 1988)

A nice George Pérez cover of Diana flying at the reader while twirling her lasso. Clouds. Birdies. Interaction with the logo. Nice. Just... nice.


18) Wonder Woman #314 (April, 1984)

Gil Kane provided a batch of swell covers during this period, and here demonstrates how to do a detailed cover without the subject being overwhelmed by background elements. However, Wonder Woman's stance is weak, and the battle seems static where it needs movement.


17) Wonder Woman #18 (July, 1988)

Nothing says "horror" like stripping a hero of their trademark logo. I get that these are scary monsters and there's a young woman to protect. It's got stark down as well. Just... I don't like seeing Wonder Woman cower before a threat, and I could never picture Superman or Batman being put in that position.


16) Wonder Woman #286 (December, 1981)

This one gets the job done. You get the location, the principles, the conflict, and the emotion. Good body language, too. It's just weird to me that Ross Andru + Dick Giordano registers in my brain as Buckler, instead.


15) Wonder Woman #264 (February, 1980)

This one is cool by being uncool. There's a horses ass, rocket-propelled horseshoes, a heinous bandito stereotype, and Wonder Woman being dragged at the ankles by a whip over the streets of Washington. The kinky humiliation fantasy echoes Marston and establishes misogyny as the true adversary of the day. Curiously, Andru + Giordano registers in my brain as Garcia-Lopez this time.


14) Wonder Woman #1 (February, 1987)

The prototype overly rendered George Pérez cover. He always seemed to be overcompensating for the lack of recognizable, conventional characters in this series by drawing casts of dozens amidst multiple "exciting" scenarios. I can't distinguish any of the generic Greco-Roman goddesses from one another. I don't know why Diana's legs are being spread apart by a dubiously functional battleax. What's with the spear and partially painted Captain America shield? Do I need to see the rush of semen building within Heracles as he prepares to feed himself to Hippolyta? There's cavepeople and a cavern of souls and another Hippolyta and three other Dianas and Ares and Ares' house and some wench that twisted up Heracles and dammit Pérez keep the combo platter down to five items or less. Well no, he instead let it spread to a triple gatefold a year later and way to many samey-same regular covers.


13) Wonder Woman #303 (May, 1983)

This Gil Kane piece falls on the opposite side of the spectrum. It's a simple single figure laid over a bust. I really don't need to see the bullets deflected by the bracelets traveling several yards past the logo. We need more here.


12) Wonder Woman #305 (July, 1983)

A really nice convention sketch tarted up with repeating logos. Nice the first time, but the same gimmick was recycled multiple times within a single year, as seen above.


11) Wonder Woman #8 (September, 1987)

Much better. It's still busy, but the images within each letter reflect chapters in the story, and their lack of color prevents them from drowning out Wonder Woman. It's much more fun to see Diana presenting the floating heads of her new super friends than random unimpressive deities in translucent robes.


10) Wonder Woman #308 (October, 1983)

Andru & Giordano looking like *gasp* Ross Andru. What a dynamite, kinetic piece! The Amazing Amazon deflecting bullets from an off-panel Black Canary which chases an Elongated Man around an intricate computer room. This is detail done very right.

9) Wonder Woman #31 (June, 1989)

Positive Pérez pattern progresses. Here we use silhouettes with iconic accents to sell a savage battle ahead.


8) Wonder Woman #307 (September, 1983)

Zeus is the star of this cover, and very nearly too much Zeus for Comic Code Authority approval for sale to minors. However, the scale of Zeus and his easily recognizable lightning bolts illustrates the accomplishment of Wonder Woman to evade them with Steve Trevor in tow. The best of the Gil Kane covers.

7) Wonder Woman #302 (April, 1983)

This one mixes the cool with the drip. Nice central figure, allusion to bullets & bracelets, incorporation of symbol as design element, and fumetti background. Disorganized cockeyed perspective, ugly background color, gratuitous signature, and wonky unaided flight. Good with the bad.


6) Amazing Heroes #106 (November, 1986)

Pérez's Amazing Heroes magazine covers tended to be better than those for the series, as he seemed freer to experiment with style and technique. Also, due to the space required for copy, Pérez kept it simple. An attractive central image of a womanly Diana alongside a full body shot in her new armor with the lasso acting as a design element. Done.


5) Wonder Woman #269 (July, 1980)

Princess Diana pulls a Hal Jordan. She's quit before and been fired even more, but never with such panache.


4) Wonder Woman #9 (October, 1987)

Pérez cracks the top five, once again by not overdoing it. He cleverly incorporates Wonder Woman and her logo in a way that allows Cheetah to demonstrate her hostile intentions in a provocative manner. It's also a nice callback to a Rick Buckler '70s cover with a considerably more intimidating take on the villainess.


3) Wonder Woman #329 (January, 1986)

While Diana looks a tad squat here, and that background coloring is kind of ugh, the image still makes me want to read this story. "48-Page Final Issue!" A Crisis tie-in that likely mattered! Diana leading an army of fantasy warriors while still being Wonder Woman (no armor, no edged weapons, etc.)


2) Wonder Woman #298 (December, 1982)

A rare Frank Miller cover so bold that it dares you to claim you aren't dying to read the story inside. Plus, it set up some sweet Ray Harryhausen action. Hypocritically, this image is also pretty much everything I decry with my #1 choice...


1) Wonder Woman #306 (August, 1983)

José Luis García-López, Dick Giordano, color holds, the Invisible Jet, the Magic Lasso, unabashed patriotic iconography... This cover represents everything that was awesome and fun about the Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman that successive creators keep trying to "fix" with their bull$#!+ "realism."

Their Top Covers of the 1980s

Monday, December 5, 2011

1991 Wizard Magazine #9 Unused Wonder Woman cover art by Bart Sears

Click To Enlarge


Bart Sears was one of my favorite artists for a lot of years, and this was the man in his prime. Wizard didn't figure they could sell a Wonder Woman cover though, so if I recall correctly, she got bumped by Venom. Ah, the '90s. A few years later, the cover was printed inside the magazine during a rundown of rejections.

Friday, December 2, 2011

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Gene Ha

Click To Expand & Enlarge


Wow! A lushly rendered piece in which Donna Troy uses her Trojan Cry against Wonder Woman. Wait-- what?

Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

DCnÜ Wonder Woman design by Jim Lee from Justice League #1 (October, 2011)



WONDER WOMAN: There was much debate on Princess Diana's leg wear. This one denotes some deadly accessories.

I don't mind the lazy lack of stars, and I don't mind the armored chest plate. I always mind the need to give Wonder Woman friggin' deadly weapons. The short shorts look cheap, and I prefer the pants when they show up. I hate the black boots, which make little sense design wise. Matching her hair, I suppose?

New 52's Day

Saturday, November 26, 2011

2011 NYCC Wonder Woman Color Commission by Mike McKone

Click To Enlarge


These scans are enormous, so be sure to check them out in their full glory! How about those starred bracelets, eh?

Mike McKone's TwitPics

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Voodoo #1 (November, 2011)



The Voodoo Lounge in New Orleans had a tradition of allowing its most popular erotic dancer to go buy the working name of "Voodoo." The mixed race stripper dancing for dollars was earning her rank. A pair of undercover agents were watching the show up close. Tyler Evans was all stubble and sunglasses, enjoying the show while paying lip service to his assignment. Jessica Fallon was disgusted by his attitude and breach of protocol, and excused herself.

Tyler bribed a waitress to learn "Voodoo's" real name was Priscilla Kitaen, that she was a loner who'd been working the lounge a few months, and that she was "real popular with the guys from the military base." While dancing, Voodoo had shown a rare interest in Tyler.

Jessica Fallon had brushed past some underage punks on her way out of the strip club, and their leader demanded an apology. Her Black Razors lighter should have been warning enough, but when the thugs persisted, Fallon kicked their asses.

Backstage, one of the girls was looking for a last minute babysitter. Pris declined, as she was uncomfortable around children. The stripper admonished Pris for not standing by a sister in their surrogate family. Like the multiracial gang from earlier, that was either another magical fictional construct, or the stripper was just totally trying to con Pris.

Pris worked at the club to try to learn about people, men especially, with their defenses down. "I'm still getting my feet on the ground. But I want to travel. I still have so much to learn.



In a private room, Voodoo began giving Tyler Evans a lap dance. He was trying to break the "no hands" rule, so she put them in straps on either side of his chair. Pressed for information, Pris volunteered her name and a back story involving a dead mother, missing father, and the loneliness of growing up mixed race. Tyler called b.s. He'd been surveying Voodoo for weeks, and research had determined that she was an alien who had either been surgically altered or could shapeshift. His superiors wanted to know who she was working for, and what secrets she'd gleaned from the local "soldier boys" with her limited telepathic abilities.

Tyler ignored a cell phone call from Jessica, who left a voice mail. Despite his being a stupid jerk, Jessica felt guilty for running out on her partner, and didn't want to spend the night drinking alone in her cheap motel room. Voodoo asked about the call, and Tyler explained that his partner would be furious if she knew what he was doing. "But I'm not a rules guy, I'm a results guy. So I'm offering you a chance to turn yourself in... before we have to bring you by force. If that happens, you go into that military compound down the road, and you never come back out. We'll strap you to a table... and I'll have them open you up, cutting out pieces just to see what happens."

Pris kept telling Tyler to look at her, probably because she needed his direct attention to apply her telepathy. It makes a good excuse for her running around bare-breasted. In his mind, she saw a grisly vision of doctors with bloodied smocks performing the kind of xenomorph vivisection Tyler had alluded to. Voodoo refused Tyler's demand, shapeshifting into a saurian creature and tearing into his flesh with her claws. Leaving his corpse in the private room, Voodoo quit the club. She then transformed into Tyler, and called Jessica back. "...I'll be right over."



"Keeping Secrets" was by Ron Marz and Sami Basri. I read a lot of too-literal reviews who though Voodoo really was a spy who committed premeditated murder. I thought it was pretty clear Pris was responding to Tyler's aggression, and upon realizing his own murderous intentions (likely involving her damnation regardless of her answer to his summons,) acted in self-defense (long term, anyway.)

Voodoo was my favorite member of WildC.A.T.s after Alan Moore's writing made me care enough to actually select any one member over another. Pris had started out as an earthy character unaware of her half-alien parentage who was dragged into the super-hero game. She ended up abandoned by her supposed friends in an extraterrestrial ghetto, and became something of a revolutionary leader in a bid to gain basic rights for her adopted people. The important thing was that she was a relatively normal person who, thrust into extraordinary circumstances by an unfamiliar heritage, rose to become a hero. Here, Voodoo is a trope-- the sex-ah alien on the run from the big bad government, Sil for the super-set. I don't mind the story, and the art is appealing, but it's such a complete 180° on the character as I knew and appreciated her that I'm ultimately turned off. It seems clear this isn't a launch by creators who are interested in the established character, but a premise grafted onto a preexisting trademark.

New 52's Day

Friday, November 18, 2011

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Anthony Castrillo

Click To Expand & Enlarge


Full color Byrne influenced spectacle emphasizing the DC Trinity and that rarely seen convention known as "backgrounds."

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sensational Comics for February, 2012



Sensational Links:


Wonder Woman
WONDER WOMAN #6
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by TONY AKINS
Cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

Hades and Poseidon both have designs on the kingdom their brother Zeus left behind, but Wonder Woman doesn’t intend to let their turf war decimate the realm of man! It’ll take a big lie and some help from the mystery man known as Lennox to stop a holy war from breaking out – but what does Lennox know that Wonder Woman doesn’t?
Uncle Ayholes?

JUSTICE LEAGUE #6
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:25 Variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
1:200 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE
On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.

The Justice League is united at last against Darkseid! The awesome consequences of this high-stakes battle will resonate within the series for years to come! Geoff Johns and Jim Lee end their historic first arc with a bang!

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of the issue.

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #23-24
Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art by MIKE S. MILLER, HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
Cover #23 by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover #24 by HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY

In the aftermath of a failed and deadly assault on Brainiac’s mothership and a costly betrayal that will set the stage for a massive invasion of Earth...are there any heroes left to save humanity? #23 on sale FEBRUARY 15

And in issue #24, Luthor has hatched a plan that, with the help of the Justice League, might just save the world...but since he’s the most wanted man on Earth, how can he execute it?#24 on sale FEBRUARY 29

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

ABSOLUTE FINAL CRISIS HC
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by J.G. JONES, CARLOS PACHECO, DOUG MAHNKE, MATTHEW CLARK, JESUS MERINO, CHRISTIAN ALAMY, MARCO RUDY, TOM NGUYEN and others
Cover by J.G. JONES
On sale JULY 18 • 400 pg, FC, 8.25” x 12.5”, $99.99 US

The mind-blowing event from 2008 is collected in this spectacular new hardcover collecting FINAL CRISIS #1-7, FINAL CRISIS: SUBMIT #1, FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #1-2 and the FINAL CRISIS SKETCHBOOK, all written by Grant Morrison!
What happens when evil wins? That’s the devastating question Superman, Batman, the Justice League and every other super being in the DC Universe must face when Darkseid and his otherworldly legion of followers actually win the war between light and dark.
This oversized, slipcased hardcover comes with its own pair of 3-D glasses!
Try to enjoy Diana showing up toward the end with a dog face and accomplishing nothing, not unlike most of those Morrison/Porter JLAs.

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS VOL. 2 TP
Written by TONY BEDARD and MARV WOLFMAN
Art by HOWARD PORTER, MIKE S. MILLER, LIVESAY and SERGIO SANDOVAL
Cover by ED BENES
On sale MARCH 14 • 192 pg, FC, $19.99 US

This volume collects issues #8-15 of the twice monthly series as the heroes and villains of the DC Universe must form an uneasy alliance to combat the threat of Brainiac! As the battle rages on, tension rises not only between Lex Luthor and the heroes, but also between members of the Justice League!
Yeah DC, save this for perpetuity.

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: JIM APARO HC
Written by BOB HANEY • Art and cover by JIM APARO
On sale APRIL 4 • 512 pg, FC, $49.99 US

DC collects Aparo’s classic run on THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD in hardcover for the first time! These stories feature Batman’s team-ups with Robin, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Teen Titans, Deadman, Wonder Woman, The Demon, The Joker, Aquaman, The Atom and many others, from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #98, 100-102 and 104-122.
I'd probably enjoy this more than every other one of these books combined.

Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark)
TEEN TITANS #6
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard cover in a wraparound format.

In the aftermath of their battle with Superboy, the Teen Titans make a horrifying discovery: Kid Flash has been knocked out of synch! If they are going to save their teammate, the badly beaten and battered teens need to sneak into the New York branch of S.T.A.R. Labs – which means that this issue guest-stars none other than Virgil Hawkins, a.k.a. Static! But if the team was hoping to use the lab for some downtime, they are going to be disappointed, because now they must battle a new, young team of supervillains known only as 2.0! All this and the debut of Kid Flash’s new costume!

Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)
TINY TITANS #49
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO • Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
On sale FEBRUARY 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E

It’s time to meet…the Squishy Titans! The pink blob Plasmus! The futuristic pet Proty! The stretchy Offspring! The diabolically dirty Clayface! Who’s the squishiest? Who’s the stretchiest? Join us as the Squishy Titans welcome a mysterious new member from the Orange Lantern Corps!

THE NEW TEEN TITANS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by MARV WOLFMAN, GEORGE PEREZ, MIKE W. BARR
Art by GEORGE PEREZ, ROMEO TANGHAL, KEITH POLLARD, JIM APARO, MIKE DECARLO and DICK GIORDANO
Cover by GEORGE PEREZ
On sale APRIL 18 • 736 pg, FC, $75.00 US

The New Teen Titans battle threats large and small in this massive hardcover collecting NEW TEEN TITANS #21-40, TALES OF THE NEW TEEN TITANS #41-44, NEW TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1- 2, TALES OF THE NEW TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #3 and BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #5.

Betrayal comes from one of their own when it’s revealed that their teammate Terra is secretly working for the Titans’ deadly enemy, Deathstroke the Terminator.
This is a FANTASTIC volume. Excepting the Trigon arc that launched the deluxe format series, all the very best art and stories or in this collection. The creme de la creme

JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL TP
Written by J.T. KRUL • Art by DIOGENES NEVES, FABRIZIO FIORENTINO, MIKE MAYHEW and others • Cover by MIKE MAYHEW
On sale MARCH 21 • 224 pg, FC, $17.99 US

The Justice League of America must bring in Green Arrow for murdering the villain Prometheus in this title collecting JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL SPECIAL, GREEN ARROW #31-32 and THE RISE OF ARSENAL #1-4!
Hello, cameos.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: DARK THINGS TP
Written by JAMES ROBINSON • Art by MARK BAGLEY, JESUS MERINO and ROB HUNTER • Cover by MARK BAGLEY and ROB HUNTER
On sale MARCH 28 • 192 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Out of BRIGHTEST DAY comes this tale of the JLA (from issues #44-48) and JSA (from issues #41-42)! With the release of the Starheart, magic goes wild – and new metahumans emerge!
A JLofA Softcover.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE RISE OF ECLIPSO HC
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by BRETT BOOTH, JESUS MERINO, JESSE DELPERDANG and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale APRIL 25 • 192 pg, FC, $22.99 US

Eclipso returns in these tales from JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #54-60 and JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #43. And now, he’s going to take down the heroes who have defeated him so many times before! With his army of both heroes and villains under his hypnotic thrall, Eclipso may have the team’s number. Will the combined might of Batman, Donna Troy, Blue Lantern Saint Walker and even the all-powerful Spectre be enough to stop him?
A JLofA Hardcover. Gah! I'm choking on all these releases!

FLASHPOINT

FLASHPOINT TP
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by ANDY KUBERT and SANDRA HOPE
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
On sale MARCH 7 • 176 pg, FC, $14.99 US
The red-hot, sold-out five-issue miniseries from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert is on its way in trade paperback!

This is Flash Fact: When Barry Allen wakes at his desk, he discovers the world has changed. Family is alive, loved ones are strangers, and close friends are different, gone or worse. It’s a world on the brink of a cataclysmic war – but where are Earth’s Greatest Heroes to stop it?

It’s a place where America’s last hope is Cyborg, who hopes to gather the forces of The Outsider, The Secret 7, S!H!A!Z!A!M!, Citizen Cold and other new and familiar-yet-altered faces! It’s a world that could be running out of time, if The Flash can’t find the villain who altered the time line!
There is an absolute tsunami of this garbage all in one month, and I don't know who wants it, I've diverted the flow to run down the bottom of this post. Isn't it great that Wonder Woman is in every pointless bit of it?

FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT FEATURING WONDER WOMAN TP
Written by TONY BEDARD, JAMES ROBINSON, DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING
Art by ARDIAN SYAF, VICENTE CIFUENTES, EDDIE NUNEZ, JAVI FERNANDEZ, SCOTT CLARK and DAVID BEATY
Cover by ED BENES
On sale MARCH 14 • 272 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Don’t miss this Wonder Woman volume collecting EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1- 3, OUTSIDER #1-3, LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #1-3 and WONDER WOMAN AND THE FURIES #1-3

Not a dream, not an imaginary story, not an elseworld. This is Flash Fact: When Barry Allen wakes at his desk, he discovers the world has changed. Family is alive, loved ones are strangers, and close friends are different, gone or worse. It’s a world on the brink of a cataclysmic war – but where are Earth’s Greatest Heroes to stop it?

FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT FEATURING BATMAN TP
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO, J.T. KRUL, JIMMY PALMIOTTI and PETER MILLIGAN
Art by EDUARDO RISSO, MIKEL JANIN, JOE BENNETT, GEORGE PEREZ, FERNANDO BLANCO, SCOTT KOBLISH and JOHN DELL
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
On sale MARCH 14 • 272 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Don’t miss this Batman volume collecting BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1-3, DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1- 3, DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1-3 and SECRET SEVEN #1-3.

FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT FEATURING SUPERMAN TP
Written by MIKE CARLIN, REX OGLE, DAN JURGENS, SCOTT SNYDER and LOWELL FRANCIS
Art by RAGS MORALES, PAULO SIQUEIRA, GENE HA, EDUARDO FRANCISCO, DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by GENE HA
On sale MARCH 14 • 256 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Don’t miss this Superman volume collecting WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #1-3, BOOSTER GOLD #44-47, THE CANTERBURY CRICKET #1 and PROJECT SUPERMAN #1-3.

FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT FEATURING GREEN LANTERN TP
Written by PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE, ADAM SCHLAGMAN and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by MARK CASTIELLO, BEN OLIVER, FELIPE MASSAFERA and IBRAIM ROBERSON
Cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA
On sale MARCH 21 • 224 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Don’t miss this Green Lantern volume collecting HAL JORDAN #1-3, ABIN SUR #1- 3, FRANKENSTEIN AND THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1-3 and GREEN ARROW INDUSTRIES #1.

FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT FEATURING THE FLASH TP
Written by SEAN RYAN, STERLING GATES, ADAM GLASS and SCOTT KOLINS
Art by IG GUARA, OLIVER NOME, RODNEY BUCHEMI, JOEL GOMEZ, SCOTT KOLINS and JOSE MARZAN JR.
Cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
On sale MARCH 21 • 256 pg, FC, $17.99 US
Don’t miss this Flash volume collecting GRODD OF WAR #1, KID FLASH LOST #1-3, LEGION OF DOOM #1-3, REVERSE FLASH #1 and CITIZEN COLD #1-3.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Justice League: Cry for Justice #7 (April, 2010)



Prometheus' master plot involved shunting most of DC's hero-specific fictional cities to other dimensions in order to inflict emotional trauma on the caped psyche, but that didn't pan out as intended, and instead just one heroic hometown shook to pieces. As many heroes as able descended on Star City, a quake-riddled shambles. The wanton destruction pleased Prometheus, regardless of his plans' broader failure. Donna Troy made the scene, without the slightest sign of her wounds, lifting debris over her head with bent wrists. Who knew the JLA Satellite had a purple healing ray installed? Donna Troy located the female archer Speedy, who was supposed to be watching Lian Harper instead of chasing the Electrocutioner. Flying back to Roy's apartment, they learned Green Arrow and Black Canary had already found the little girl's body.

Dr. Midnight worked to save Roy Harper's life. Various heroes tried to locate and disarm Prometheus' devices, while others aided Star City's distressed citizens. Only half of this effort saw much success, as Prometheus had already accounted for all the heroes' powers and abilities in defusing his plot-bombs. A similar accounting prevented anyone from successfully interrogating the villain.

Prometheus, bound securely to a chair, made a simple demand with a smile. "Free me and the death ends." The crew in the satellite couldn't make that decision alone, so a teleconference was established for other heroes to have a voice. Hawkman was adamantly opposed. Black Canary didn't see a choice. Wonder Woman said, "I don't bargain with killers." Jay Garrick saw a greater good at stake, as did Starman. Starfire and Animal Man couldn't reach a decision. Congorilla was in favor, Vixen said "don't!" It was a speech by Green Arrow that convinced everyone that the living were more important than principles or justice for the dead. Prometheus gave up his secret codes, then walked.

Prometheus returned to his otherdimensional hideout and the drooling Ira Quimby. Somehow, Green Arrow had followed him there. An emerald bolt pierced Prometheus' brainpan. Oliver Queen declared, "Justice." The seventh and final chapter of Cry For Justice, “Justice” was by James Robinson, Scott Clark, Mauro Cascioli and Ibraim Roberson with David Beaty.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

1999 Wonder Woman painting by Joe Jusko

Click To Enlarge


Joe Jusko Thursday

Sunday, November 6, 2011

2009 "The Wonder Woman" Watercolor by Shelton Bryant

Click To Enlarge


"Wonder Woman comes ready for action on a 8 by 12 acid-free watercolor sheet (140lbs )."

Shelton Bryant

Friday, November 4, 2011

10 WONDER WOMAN Stories Worth Checking Out



Newsarama had another one of their little countdown features, this time involving Wonder Woman, and good 'ol Luke sent me a link. "10 WONDER WOMAN Stories Worth Checking Out" is really more like "10 Wonder Woman trades available for order at Amazon." Since there aren't that many trades available in total, it strikes me as a bit fussy to trim a selection of twenty or so down to ten. I also don't entirely agree with the choices, and could in fact see them as being off-putting to the new Wonder Woman reader. I've decided to offer a bit of commentary on the matter.

10) SPIRIT OF TRUTH
I was getting over Alex Ross before Kingdom Come wrapped, but I understand that a lot of people love his painted art dearly. However, Ross did five(!) of these self-important Treasury-sized one shots with Paul Dini in which super-heroes tackle real world problems and fail to address them. The Justice League of America one is easily the best, since it comes closest to a legit super-hero story with action and adventure. The other four have melded together in my brain as one massive, mealy PSA. This one had something to do with Wonder Woman being unable to represent all the women of the world because she wears a thong instead of a burka, or something. It's preachy and somber and your basic drag, so go in for the art or pass it by.

9) CHRONICLES - BOOK 1
The zany, cheeky Golden Age stories of creators William Moulton-Marston and Harry G. Peter are what separated Wonder Woman from all the other heroines of the day that nobody remembers today. She wasn't the first, just the best-- the most fun and weird and exciting of the lot. When Marston died, the life went out of the book, and decades of half-hearted Robert Kanigher Silver Age scripts are the reason Wonder Woman comics are looked upon with jaundiced eyes today. I don't know how many Chronicles collections are available, but the same material is available in volumes of Archive Editions. Be forewarned though, these stories are illogical and kinky, and a bit of an acid trip. If that doesn't sound appealing, keep your distance.

8) CHALLENGE OF THE GODS
The second volume collecting George Perez's Post-Crisis relaunch of the book. I assume this collects #7-12, which would include the great "Time Passages" the recaps the earlier issues in a way that's more involving than the actual issues, as well as the debut of a savage new Cheetah. "Challenge" itself is also a pretty good read, playing with the character's new history and showing what a dick Zeus is. I believe there are two more volumes collecting "the entire" Perez run, meaning only the issues he drew, since he wrote the title for five years. Honestly though, the writing petered out before the art did, so this is probably where your collecting should end.

7) JLA: A LEAGUE OF ONE
It's easy to forget this story on a Wonder Woman countdown because of the JLA branding, and that would be a shame. It's the best Wonder Woman original graphic novel ever made, which is almost a meaningless statement, but still. It's also an excellent introduction to the character and beautifully painted by Christopher Moeller. Plus, she kicks a bunch of super-heroes square in the ass. Easily the best recommendation on the list.

6) PARADISE LOST
These were the stories that broke me. I'd been reading the title continuously for 8-9 years at this point, and the previous two runs were pretty lousy, but I found Jimenez's writing so mind-numbingly dull that I couldn't go on. I still bought the book, and read the occasional issue, but I struggled each time. Most of this volume is preoccupied with a risible, forced team-up of the Wonder Woman and Batman families, followed by a war amongst the Amazons. Of what I've read, my only recommendation would be a guest written issue by Joe Kelly that tries to put the whole incestuous Superman/Wonder Woman "romance" to rest.

5) PARADISE FOUND
Another volume by Phil Jimenez, but I actually managed to read this one. The "Our Worlds At War" tie-ins are tolerable, even though I never saw the wisdom in the big death that caps the story, especially since it was all in service to glorifying Superman. The latter half is a Wonder Woman-centric event involving most every female metahuman in the DCU universe, which is sort of like a estrogen-fueled Crisis on Infinite Earths in the scale of its cameos, if not its stakes.

4) THE HIKETEIA
I've always found Greg Rucka's writing the be milquetoast and derivative to the point of being borderline plagiaristic. His being the best Wonder Woman writer of the past fifteen years or so says more about how wretched his company is than the merits of his work. This is an unremarkable graphic novel outside the art by J.G. Jones, specifically that provocative cover.

3) EYES OF THE GORGON
The best remembered Rucka story arc, borrowing heavily from Clash of the Titans, Saint Seiya and other sources. Rags Morales provided some sweet art on the chapters he bothered to finish.

2) THE CIRCLE
I was looking forward to Gail Simone taking over the book, as she's usually one of the best writers in the field. I feel that she was a poor fit for the character, however. It seems like every damned writer feels the need to go back to Diana's origin story and add jacked-up new wrinkles that the next writer forgets ever happened. It makes it seem like the character only ever treads water, because her story is always going backwards. This time, added distaste came from the changes being so unnecessarily grim. I've read two other Simone volumes, and it's just not her best stuff.

1) THE ANIMATED MOVIE
I think it says something that the reviewer was so desperate for material that they went outside comics for a "good" story. I'm in the minority in that I hated this cartoon, and I need to do a lengthy write-up someday to explain why. Your mileage may vary.

As I said, very little Wonder Woman material is in print, so there aren't a lot of suggestions I can add to these. I've already mocked Robert Kanigher's work, but there are four volumes of Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, and each has at least a few stories worth reading. The wacky Wonder Tot and Wonder Girl stories have a following, and the art is great throughout. Unsurprisingly, I have a deep love for Diana Prince as the New Wonder Woman, collected in four volumes of mod/retro action. She may not have powers or wear a costume, but the Diana Prince tales present an intelligent, independent, and intriguing character that is more than just a merchandising icon. I think fans of the TV show will find this series parallels Lynda Carter's adventures more closely than the crazier super-hero comics, and I may the value for your entertainment dollars highest there.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Justice League: Cry for Justice #6 (March, 2010)



Using specific vulnerabilities against them, Prometheus managed to defeat Supergirl, Starman, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Plastic Man, Black Canary, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, the Guardian, Dr. Light, and the Vixen. The Maid of Might was shot in the shoulder by a bullet with a casing forged by Vulcan and acquired from Mercy Graves. Improbably, Prometheus fired shafts from a wrist launcher that somehow managed to pierce Donna Troy's bracelets and impale her against a wall. The Amazon refused this seeming defeat, chanting "no" as a mantra while she slowly, painfully tore herself free. In the meantime, Prometheus took out Starfire, Firestorm, and Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

Green Arrow managed to draw a bead on Prometheus, only to learn that it was merely a holographic projection, and accidentally shot Donna Troy in the right thigh. Donna, who had been running, collapsed and tumbled to the floor unconscious.

Prometheus continued to plow through the Atom, Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick, and the Shade. Bleeding profusely, Donna revived and tackled the villain from behind. With swift, brutal fury, Donna ripped apart the helmet that directed Prometheus' actions, then beat him about the head savagely. The Shade ended up catching Donna by the wrist to stop her from going over the line. "My ardent dear. The last time I checked in the big book of superhero bylaws and whatnot... your kind doesn't kill. Unless you want to go down the dark lanes that I amble, I'd stop now... for the next blow will surely be his end. Besides, you've won. No need to show off."

The sixth chapter of Cry For Justice, “The Game” was by James Robinson and Scott Clark.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Justice League: Cry for Justice #5 (January, 2010)



Donna Troy tagged along with her Titans bestie Koriand'r for a swim in her 52 co-star Buddy Baker's family pool. Buddy's son Cliff wanted to swim too, but wife Ellen argued, "Kory and her friend are out there, and it's always a gamble if Kory will have her clothes on.

Donna thanked Ellen. "You're being a very generous host. Letting us hang out here... catch up, away from all the craziness." Ellen basically said that Kory was always welcome, "And if you're a friend of hers, you're welcome too."

The doorbell rang, and outside Ellen found the blue-skinned Starman (Mikaal Tomas) and Buddy's old teammate in the Forgotten Heroes, Congorilla. After suffering personal injuries through the machinations of the villain Prometheus, the pair had begun working together to track him down. The trail having gone cold, they were now seeking help from former allies. Animal Man agreed to join them, so long as they were out for justice, not blood. Starfire had worked with Starman in the "Justice League of Aliens," so she was happy to help if needed. Donna added, "Need us or not, I'm in. This all speaks to something bigger that's brewing. I'm wondering if I should call in the Titans." Possibly, but in the meantime, the quintet paid a visit to the Justice League Satellite. It turned out to have already been infiltrated by Prometheus, who had severed the right arm of Donna's former lover, Roy Harper...

The fifth chapter of Cry For Justice, “The Lie” was by James Robinson, Mauro Cascioli, and Scott Clark.