The Heroine with 1,001 Faces - a Look at the Heroic Journeys of Heroines

The only reason I purchased this book was because I happened across it while scrolling through "Nancy Drew" items on Amazon.  The description of the book on the website claims the author "explores how heroines ... have flown beneath the radar even as they have been bent on redemptive missions."  The description goes on to cite examples, "[f]rom Bluebeard's wife to Nancy Drew, and from Jane Eyre to Janie Crawford, women have long crafted stories to broadcast offenses in the pursuit of social justice."  Based on this, I felt the book might have some valid research material about not just Nancy Drew, but the representation of women in general in folklore, fairy tales, and fiction through the ages, and so I bought it.  I do not regret buying the book, because even though the chapter with Nancy Drew does not spend a lot of time on the sleuth, it does offer up some interesting views on the character, the books, and the relationship with the stories and the writing of them.

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces is authored by Maria Tatar, who is a professor at Harvard University and who has written books on folklore, German studies, and children's literature.  In the introduction to the book (which is an astounding 15 pages in length - the longest introduction I have ever seen in a book!), Tatar readily states that this book is in response to Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949), which purported to study "the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths" (The Hero with a Thousand Faces).  But, as Tatar appropriately points out, Crawford's book focuses solely on the journey of the male hero.  "What about the women?" Tatar asks on the first page of her introduction.  Whereas Crawford posed the answer that question with the thought that  women are "the mother of the hero; she's the goal of the hero's achieving' she's the protectress of the hero..." (p. xii).  Tatar indicates that the goal of her book is to look at these myths, folktales, and heroic journeys from a different point of view, and thereby showing that the women in these stories were on their own journey, spurred on by their curiosity to seek justice and right wrongs.  It is Tatar's belief that women have their own heroic journey, not with swords and violent battles, but with words and wiles and a wealth of other non-violent means at their disposal.

Nancy Drew is not discussed until Chapter 5, "Detective Work: From Nancy Drew to Wonder Woman."  This is due to the fact that Tatar relates her studies in a chronological fashion, starting with the earliest myths and folklore and working her way forward to the present time, with female detectives, magic wielders, and super heroes.  However, the chapter starts off with a look at characters from the television series, Sex and the City and Girls.  I get the sense that Tatar is trying to connect these characters as writers to the investigative work done by detectives; however, the connection feels tenuous at best, and I don't think the author accomplishes her goal.  It is not until nine pages into the thirty-eight page chapter that Tatar actually gets to the discussion of female sleuths.  Even then, Nancy does not fully get discussed until the twelfth page, where Tatar begins a section on "The Mysteries of Nancy Drew, 'Best of All Girls Detectives.'"  She opens with a fact I did not realize - the year that Nancy Drew debuted (1930) also happens to be the same year Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth, Miss Marple, made her first appearance!  

Tatar gives some brief background on the creation of Nancy Drew by Edward Stratemeyer and his hiring of Mildred Wirt (Benson) to write those early stories of Nancy Drew.  She even references the citing by many Supreme Court Justices and other influential women of Nancy Drew as their source of inspiration and encouragement to pursue their careers of choice.  Tatar looks at Nancy Drew from the standpoint that in addition to her desire to seek justice for others, she does so while embodying "the ethics of care."  She cites to a comment made by George Fayne in The Sign of the Twisted Candles, in which Nancy's friends remarks, "You are always putting yourself out to do a kindness for somebody or other who simply doesn't count in your life at all."  It is Tatar's position that while Nancy Drew works to ensure law and order are followed, she never does this at the expense of others (p. 210).  The young sleuth may risk her life time and time again to help those in need, she always does so with a kind word.

The author then posits the question of why the Nancy Drew (and Hardy Boys, as well as other similar series) books were banned from libraries. While Tatar fails to directly answer the question, she does point out that despite these attempts to keep the books out of the hands of children, it only seemed to fire up their desire for the books all the more (p. 211).  She theorizes that when reading books, we are doing exactly the same thing as the detective in the story - we are "[d]ecoding mysteries, sorting out the truth, finding meaning" (p. 211); and thus, when young readers pick up a Nancy Drew book, they are doing the same exact things that Nancy is doing in the book.

What honestly piqued my interest the most about this section of the book is Tatar's comparison of the stories involving "ownership" and "legitimacy" with how the books were written.  She looks at the fact that a number of the mysteries involve stolen or lost items that need to be found and returned to their original owners with the manner in which Stratemeyer farmed out his outlines and plots to ghostwriters, who in turn provided completed books for which they had no ownership right to (even though the work was their own).  As she states, "Dual authorship had a built-in rivalry between a public face (Carolyn Keene a/k/a Edward Stratemeyer) and a secret ghostwriter (Mildred Wirt Benson), and the books themselves reproduce that rivalry by putting their heroine on the trial of counterfeiters and thieves, those who appropriate the property that rightfully belongs to others" (pp. 212-13).  Tatar even wonders if perhaps Benson "somehow wrote her own struggle with authorial identity into the series (consciously or not), turning Nancy into a sleuth who uncovers, among other things, true identities, the genuine article, the real thing?" (p. 213).  While I don't know that I would answer that question in the affirmative, I do admit it is something interesting to think about.

Tatar wraps up her section on Nancy Drew by discussing how her longevity and legacy has inspired so many strong female characters that have come after, specifically looking at Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books and films.  She even goes so far as to say that Hermione "exceeds Nancy's passion for justice by becoming a social activist who founds ... an organization designed to advocate for the rights of an oppressed group" (p. 215).

The author's look at Miss Marple, Wonder Woman (of whom she claims has certain detective-like skills and stories that fit the archetype), and other modern detectives provides for some interesting insight into those characters; but, for me, it was the seven-and-a-half pages about Nancy Drew that drew my attention. Seven-and-a-half pages out of a 290-page book is certainly not a very large part by any means, but I suppose when you are covering decades' and centuries' worth of material, we can be grateful she devoted that much space to our favorite female sleuth.

(As far as the rest of the book goes, I did attempt to read the chapters, but to me, a lot of the material felt like it was repetitive.  It seemed to go over the same theories and observations, but simply applied them to different characters and stories throughout history, and I became a bit bored with it all, so I skimmed through it.)

 

RATING:  7 heroines who are much too flip out of 10 for looking at women in literature (myths, folktales, and fiction) through a new lens, and showing their accomplishments within their own heroic journeys!

Wonder Woman - the Earth Two Adventures (DC Comics, 1977-78)

Okay, I know I don't normally do reviews of any ongoing comic book series, as it would take quite a bit of time and space to review hundreds of issues of the same series.  However, back in the late 1970s, DC Comics made the decision to take the Wonder Woman comic book in yet another new direction (let's face it - the character of Wonder Woman has had more face lifts than every actress in Hollywood combined!).  At the end of 1975, ABC aired a television movie, The New Original Wonder Woman, featuring Lynda Carter in the title role.  The movie was set in World War II and featured Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and General Blankenship.  It did well enough that in April 1976, two more specials were aired.  They did so well, ABC ordered more episodes, which aired during the 1976-77 television season.  So, DC Comics changed the direction of their comic book to mirror that of the television show, and returned Wonder Woman to World War II.  How did they do that, you may ask?  Well, easy - they shifted the focus from the Earth-1 Wonder Woman (present day) to the Earth-2 Wonder Woman (set during the second World War)!  And if you don't under the Earth-1 / Earth-2 references, well, I'm not going to explain them here - go look it up on the internet (true comic fans will understand easily what I am taking about...)

The saga began with Wonder Woman 228, in which the present day Wonder Woman of Earth-1 is suddenly faced with a Nazi plane being piloted by the mysterious Red Panzer.  When the Panzer uses a strange ray to return his ship home, he inadvertently brings Wonder Woman with him - to Earth-2 in the past!  There, we get the obligatory hero vs. hero fight due to a misunderstanding, until they stop long enough for the Earth-1 Wonder Woman to explain who she is and how she got there.  Together, they defeat the villain, and while Earth-1 Wonder Woman returns home, the comic stays on Earth-2 with the "golden age" Wonder Woman who battled Nazis in the second World War.  Written by Martin Pasko and beautifully drawn by Jose Delbo and Vince Colletta, the issue provides readers with a smooth transition to this alternate Earth and time, giving readers a brief, but easily understood description, of the differences between the two Earths (Earth-1 featuring the modern Justice League, Earth-2 featuring the golden age Justice Society).  Being a huge Justice Society and Earth-2 fan for as long as I have been reading comics, this jumping on point was pure excitement for me!

 

While the next issue concludes the Red Panzer story, issue 230 features a one-part tale starring the Cheetah as the villain of the story - and not just any Cheetah, but the original, Golden Age Priscilla Rich Cheetah, wearing her signature yellow and brown-spotted costume.  Only, this time, Cheetah is sporting some new claws that could do serious damage to Wonder Woman!  The story by Pasko, with art still by Delbo and Colletta, hearkens back to those Golden Age tales of woman vs. woman, where Wonder Woman must use her wits to defeat the villainous Cheetah (who has learned her secret identity in this issue).  It's a solid story with beautiful art.  I must say, the Delbo/Colletta collaboration truly was the perfect teaming for Wonder Woman, and while some other amazing artists have come and gone over the years, I still think Delbo/Colletta's issues are some of the best to appear in the pages on this comic.

The next two issues guest-star members of the Justice Society (after all, the book is now set on Earth-2 during World War II, which is the time when the JSA truly shined).  Sadly, Delbo had stepped away from the art chores and the new ongoing artist was to be Bob Brown, who penciled issue 231 with Colletta still inking. Brown's art was not that far off from Delbo's, but Wonder Woman just did not have the same appearance (partially, I think, due to the way Brown drew her hair).  The story centers around an Egyptian goddess, who turns out to be an alien from beyond the stars and who has her heart set on turning Steve Trevor into the man she once loved.  In order to do so, she has to eliminate anyone who can stop her, which includes the members of the JSA, as well as Wonder Woman.  It was great seeing the JSA in these issues, even if they only played in short scenes (after all, this is WW's comic, and so she as to be the focus of the story).  Sadly, though, Bob Brown took ill after the first issue, so artist Mike Masser stepped in to pencil thee second part of the story in issue 232.  There is a distinct difference in the art style, but I think my joy in seeing the JSA helped me overlook that difference.  Sadly, though, this was the last story written by Martin Pasko, as he moved on to other titles.

With issue 233, Gerry Conway took over the writing chores, starting off with a two-parter involving a villain who could control sea-life.  Kinda makes me wonder why Wonder Woman didn't simply call on Aquaman to help her out (although, in the 1970s, I'm not sure if DC was even acknowledging an Earth-2 Aquaman).  What is interesting about this tale is the fact Conway introduces two children - a brother and sister - who Wonder Woman rescues (their father is the villain who redeems and sacrifices himself at the end to save Wonder Woman).  They show up briefly in the next story (beginning with issue 235), but there is no real follow up with them after that.  I wonder if Conway had some plans for them that fell by the wayside, or that were derailed by editorial dictates, or if they were simply throw away characters that carried on farther than most.  I suppose we will never know at this point.  In any event, this two-part story also had a new artist in Don Heck, as it was revealed that Bob Brown had passed away due to his illness, and thus, the book would need a new artist.

Fortunately, Jose Delbo was available, and he returned to the art chores beginning with Conway's second two-part story beginning in issue 235. Not only does this two-parter see the introduction of a new villain named Armageddon, but it also guest stars Dr. Charles McNider (otherwise known as the JSA member, Doctor Mid-Nite!).  The doctor helps out Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor in both his medical persona and his superhero persona, which was rather nice to see, since we rarely saw the JSAers during that time outside of their costumes and heroics.  Conway continued his run with a third two-parter, this time bringing back a blast from the past - the REAL Diana Prince!  (Huh?  You mean you didn't know Wonder Woman was not the REAL Diana Prince?  Go back and read her original stories!)  Yes, Conway played off of the Golden Age origin of Wonder Woman by bringing back Diana Prince, who thinks Wonder Woman's alter ego is a spy who has stolen her identity.  Thus, when they meet, Wonder Woman has to reveal her origin (a nice way to integrate the Earth-2 Wonder Woman's origin into the run) and explain why Diana Prince has no recollection of giving Wonder Woman her identity to use.  The villain in the story, Kung the Assassin, was pretty much a throw-away villain who, as with the villains in the previous stories, redeems himself by the end.

Beginning in issue 239, Conway looks back at more of Wonder Woman's roots by bringing back the Roman gods, particularly Mars, the god of war!  Delbo and Colletta continue their run as artists, as Conway has Wonder Woman face off against Mars' lackey, the Duke of Deception - who makes Wonder Woman see things that are not there, leading the U.S. military to believe Wonder Woman has turned traitor to America!  Only the Flash (Jay Garrick, not Barry Allen - remember, this is Earth-2 still) is on the scene and once he figures out what is happening, he has to help his fellow JSA member before she does real damage to her reputation and the country!  I have to wonder if Geoff Johns didn't take a queue from Conway's story here when he wrote the Power Girl mini-series in the early 2000s (which featured Power Girl being taunted by the Psycho-Pirate into remembering her Earth-2 past by creating false visions around her, causing her to react against people no one else could see).  That would sort of make sense, since Conway helped revive All-Star Comics back in the mid-'70s, and he co-created Power Girl, and to mimic this story written by Conway would be a nice homage.  In any event, it was great seeing the Golden Age Flash in the story, and quite frankly, the cover to issue 240 by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez is probably one of my all-time favorite Wonder Woman covers.

By issue 241, with a cover date of march 1978, the television show had already entered its second season, in which Wonder Woman was updated and brought into the present.  Thus, there was debate raging in the letters columns of Wonder Woman as to whether the character in the comic should remain the Earth-2 Wonder Woman during World War II, or whether they should return to stories of the Earth-1 iteration in the present.  The story in issue 241 would be Gerry Conway's last story, and it features guest artists Joe Staton and Dick Giordano.  I've always loved Joe Staton's art (his run in All-Star Comics during the late '70s, as well as his work on the Huntress back-up stories in Wonder Woman during the '80s are some of the best), so I enjoyed seeing his take on Wonder Woman.  The story is a bit different from the previous tales, as it is narrated by the Spectre and finds Wonder Woman fighting not only a super-powered thief named the Bouncer, but unknowingly evading a killer named Sumo - formerly known as the Super Samurai, who she battled in the Superman vs. Wonder Woman giant tabloid-size comic from around that time.  Again, like so many of Conway's stories during his run, Sumo redeems himself, sacrificing himself to save the life of an innocent.

DC made the decision at that point to return Wonder Woman to the present, and so the tales of the Earth-2 Wonder Woman would come to an end.  Issues 242 and 243 saw Jack C. Harris step in as the new writer on the series, with Delbo on pencils still and new inkers Joe Giella (issue 242) and Frank Chiaramonte (issue 243).  His first issue was a special tribute to the end of World War II, which immediately took off in a completely different direction by having alien spaceships show up, kidnapping and transforming humans - starting with Steve Trevor! - into carbon copies of what they deem to be the "perfect" human.  Wonder Woman, of course, has to convince the aliens that humans are better with the unique, individual natures, and by the end of the issue, she is able to return everyone to their original forms.  The last page provides a send-off for General Blankenship, Steve Trevor, and Etta Candy, as they reveal what they will be doing now that the war is over ... and it also gives a sneak peak at the villain of the final issue of this Earth-2 run:  the Angle Man!  Thus, issue 243 sees the Angle Man, an adversary of the Earth-1 Wonder Woman, accidentally transporting himself into Earth-2's past, and it's up to the Wonder Women of both Earths to stop him!  The Earth-1 Wonder Woman, of course, must make everyone forget her presence (as the World War II versions of these characters had no knowledge of the multiverse), and she takes the Angle Man back to her own Earth, where the final page shows Wonder Woman in the Justice League satellite, reading a newspaper from Earth-2 that she inadvertently brought with her, revealing that her Earth-2 counterpart managed her life pretty well after the war and wondering if she can do the same on her own Earth...

I thoroughly enjoyed this 16-issue run of Wonder Woman, as it allowed me to revisit the original Earth-2 that I sorely miss.  The fact that DC followed the television version in some aspects (such as using General Blankenship instead of General Darnell, and the fact that Etta was not a short, chubby sorority girl) did not bother me, as the military personnel could easily change, and Steve and Diana could have been reassigned to work under a different general during the war.  Yes, Etta's appearance is a little more difficult to explain away, but hey!  I was just happy to see Earth-2 in print!  Of course, talking about Etta, there is one subplot involving her becoming engaged to a slippery character named Pierre Machand - a man Wonder Woman did not trust at all - that was dropped when Harris took over as writing.  Not really sure where Conway was going to go with that, but with the time jump between issues 241 and 242, that story simply disappeared without even a quick sentence or two to explain why Etta never married him!

 

Even after the Silver Age stories revealed the existence of the Golden Age characters still living on Earth-2 (as well as the Crime Syndicate on Earth-3, and the Freedom Fighters on Earth-X, and the Shazam family on Earth-S, and so on), other than the short-lived revival of All-Star Comics, we did not really see any ongoing series that featured Earth-2 characters on a regular basis.  And once Crisis hit, and the multiverse was destroyed (albeit temporarily, since it was reopened with Infinite Crisis and the countless crossovers DC has had over the last 40 years), we have yet to see any ongoing series focusing on the characters of Earth-2 (other than the short-lived Earth-2 series that came out with the "New 52" books, which quickly disappeared and has never really been mentioned since).  So, these World War II stories by Pasko, Conway, and Harris thrilled me to no end, and left me nostalgic for the "glory days" of comics from the 1970s and early '80s, which to me were some of the best comic book stories every written.

RATING:  10 super-secret vials of life-saving liquid out of 10 for taking me back to a time when comic stories were truly fun to read and satisfying a long-waited need for stories from Earth-2!

WW84: Wonder Woman - The Junior Novel

The Wonder Woman '84 (titled "WW84") film came out three years ago (back in 2020).  As with the first film, there were plenty of merchandising that came out with the film, including a junior novelization of the film.  Unlike the first film, however, there was no adult novelization (which surprised me).  Since I pretty much collect all things Wonder Woman, I picked up the junior novel when it came up, and it has sat up on my "to-be-read" shelf ever since.  Having seen the movie, I knew the reading the book would feel a little redundant - but, I also knew that sooner or later I'd pick it up and read it just to see how it compares with the film.  And it pretty much was what I was expecting.

WW84: Wonder Woman is an abridged version of the movie, just as the junior novelization of the first movie was.  The original film was adapted by Steve Korte, while this one was adapted by Calliope Glass; however, Glass did not do any better of a job than Korte did with the original.  There are quite a number of elements from the film - important elements to the story! - that are missing in the book.  Now, I can understand when you are writing a book aimed at younger readers, you might want to leave out any adult content (such as scenes of a sexual or intimate nature, or scenes of harsh violence); but I don't understand leaving out elements that are important to the plot.  It leaves the story lacking and incomplete.

For example, in the opening scene, in which a young Diana is ready to compete in the Amazon games on Themyscira, Glass leaves out a very important part that results in Antiope stopping Diana before she can complete, and possibly win, the game.  In the film, Diana is knocked off her horse, and so she cheats by taking a short cut to catch up with her horse and stay ahead of the other contestants.  Thus, it makes sense when Antiope catches her and stops her from throwing the spear at the end, because she has to learn the lessen that she cannot take short cuts  cheat in order to win at something.  Sometimes it's just not meant for her to win.  Yet, that element of the story is omitted from this novelization, and so when Antiope snatches her out from victory, it doesn't make sense.

There's also the story of Steve Trevor's return.  The book follows the story with regard to Diana's wish for her one true love to return; however, the book completely ignores the fact that his return is in the form of taking over another man, whose life and identity disappears when Steve takes over the form.  Instead, Steve merely wakes up and is there, with no mention of this other man.  Readers also lose out on Maxwell Lord's son, who plays a pivotal role in his part of the story.  He is nowhere to be seen in this book.

And, just like the junior novelization of that first film, this book completely leaves out the final climactic battle, instead ending on the part where Diana and Steve are getting ready to stop Maxwell Lord and Barbara Minerva, while at the same time preventing the world from entering a nuclear war.  That final battle is important on so many levels, with the redemption of Lord, the complete conversion of Minerva over to the Cheetah, and Diana's ultimate sacrifice.  Young readers get none of that.  And while I'm all for not wanting to spoil the ending of a movie, this is a novelization, and as such, it should have the full story, regardless of how abridged.  Leave out the cheating, leave out the son, leave out the stolen identity - but leave out the ending?  No, sorry, that just doesn't work for me.

The book does include eight pages of color photos from the movie, so that is one saving grace.  Otherwise, this book feels much less than what it should be and is a big disappointment.

RATING:  5 wish-granting citrines out of 10 for, at the very least, giving young readers a portion of the story.

World's Greatest Super-Heroes - a DC Comics 100-Page Super-Spectacular

I have wanted this comic book for such a long time.  I remember seeing images of it and people talking about it for years, but I've never been able to find a copy (at least, not at a reasonable price that I was willing to pay!). Thankfully, at a recent comic book convention, a dealer had a not-quite perfect copy (but still fully in tact with no tears or rips and no pages missing) for a very reasonable price - so I bought it!  The reason I wanted it is because it truly does feature the world's greatest super-heroes:  The Justice Society of America!  That's right - while many consider the Justice League the world's greatest super-heroes, ever since I met the JSA way back in 1980 in that classic JLA/JSA/New Gods cross-over, I have been in love with them.  The idea of an alternate earth where the super-heroes did grow older, where they had children, where some of them died fascinated me to no end - particularly when I was introduced to my favorite all-time comic book character, the Huntress (the grown daughter of the Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman!).  Thus, ever since that time, I have hunted down and read pretty much every possible appearance of the JSA that I could find - and this is one of the comics that I have never been able to get my hands on - until now!

 

DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular featuring World's Greatest Super-Heroes! (for only 50 cents back in 1971!) is a reprint issue, giving readers of the early 1970s an opportunity to read (or re-read, as the case may be) stories starring the Justice Society and some of its members from the 1940s, '50s, and '60s.  The book opens with the two-parter "Crisis on Earth-One!" and "Crisis on Earth-Two!" from Justice League of America issues 21 and 22 (Aug. and Sept. 1963, respectively).  The stories that follow are those of individual members of the JSA - The Spectre, Johnny Quick, the Vigilante (not the Marv Woflman/George Perez version), Wildcat, and Hawkman with Hawkgirl.  And, yes, I realize the Vigilante was never truly a member of the JSA; however, he was later included in the All-Star Squadron in the 1980s, so it could be said he was later retconned into the group of Earth-Two heroes!

 

Anyway, that opening story with the first historic cross-over of the JLA and JSA is always a treasure to read.  "Crisis on Earth-One!" re-introduced the Justice Society of America to young readers of the 1960s who may have never heard of that team (since its last appearance was back in 1951 with the cancellation of All-Star Comics).  By this time, the Flash of Earth-One had already discovered the existence of Earth-Two and its super-hero counterparts, but the two teams had yet to meet.  But when the villains of both Earths find a way to switch places in order to commit crimes, the JLA and JSA find themselves at a disadvantage - not only do they not know these other Earth's villains, but the ne'er-do-wells have set a trap to ensure the JLA and JSA cannot defeat them!  The two-part story continued into "Crisis on Earth-Two!" and allowed the Green Lanterns of both Earths to free the kidnapped Flashes and ultimately defeat the Crime Champions of two worlds.  The words of the Earth-Two Hawkman at the end of the story are oh-so-prophetic:  "We're going to keep in touch! There's no telling when we may be called upon to join forces again!"  And join forces again they did, every year in an annual team-up that saw them eventually meet up with a number of other teams, including the Seven Soldiers of Victory, the Freedom Fighters, the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Shazam family, the stars of the Old West, the New Gods, and even the All-Star Squadron!  Gardner Fox likely had no idea what an iconic story he had written, one that still resonates with fans more than 60 years later!

The Spectre's story, from More Fun Comics issue 55 (May 1940), is the oldest reprinted story in this comic.  With art by Bernard Baily, the story finds the ghost of vengeance battling another spirit who walks the Earth, only this one is spreading evil.  It seems he may have met his match, but a last minute trick enables the Spectre to turn the tables on his nemesis and imprison him for all eternity in solitude - a fate the villain had planned for the Spectre!  The author of the story is not identified, but an online search reveals the writer as Jerry Siegel, one of the creators of Superman!

The next tale features Johnny Quick and His Magic Formula in "Stand-In for 100 Convicts." from Adventure Comics issue 190 (July 1953).  I really enjoyed this story, as (a) I like the character of Johnny Quick, and (b) it was a creative story.  A prison warden agrees to release 100 criminals from prison on the belief they will not return to a life of crime - but when $100,000 worth of diamonds disappears, it seems the criminals have gone back to their old ways.  Johnny is on the case, but he discovers that only one of the criminals has gone bad - the others are searching for the bad seed, hoping that by bringing him back in, they can prove they have changed.  Johnny agrees to help and must distract the warden and the police in order to give the criminals a chance to find the one who stole the diamonds! Using his speed, Johnny tries to pretend to be all 100 of the released criminals, a pretty nifty trick!  Even though it is only six-pages in length, the story is full of action and dialogue (and, in today's comics, this would probably be spaced out into a six-ISSUE story, rather than just six pages).  The artist is identified as Ralph Mayo, but online sources indicate Hy Mankin was the artist, and Don C. Cameron was the writer.

Next up is the Vigilante and his little sidekick Stuff in a story titled "The Galleon in the Desert!" (from Action Comics issue 146 (July 1950).  I'm not going to lie here, I did not read this story.  The Vigilante is not a character that interests me, and while the art of the nine-page tale was actually pretty good, I just didn't have the desire to read it.  It was written by Joseph Samachson and drawn by Dan Barry.

The Wildcat story, however, I did read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  "Crime Wore a Costume!" is actually an unpublished Golden Age story that never saw print before this comic, which made it a special treat.  The artist is identified as Jon Chester Kozlak, and I discovered online the writer was Bob Kanigher.  The story finds Ted Grant and his boxing contender, Mike Bailey, putting in a holiday appearance at a local department store when a group of Santa-wearing criminals try to escape with all the contents of the jewelry department! Ted quickly changes into Wildcat to fight the criminal Santas, and Bailey steps in to help, unmasking Wildcat's nemesis, the villainous Huntress (not the Batman and Catwoman's daughter from the late '70s, but the tiger-striped one from the Golden Age who Roy Thomas eventually renamed "Tigress" in his Young All-Stars series).  She sets up a number of traps for Wildcat, including a very nearly beheading; but, Wildcat manages to outwit the feline thief and flip her right into the hands of the waiting police.  

This issue wraps up with a tale of Hawkman and Hawkgirl from The Brave and the Bold issue 36 (June/July 1961) titled "Strange Spells of the Sorcerer."  Story by Gardner Fox and art by Joe Kubert, the Hawks find themselves battling a noted magical authoriy, Konrad Kaslak, and unknowingly the sly woman, Mavis Trent.  It must be noted that this Hawkman and Hawkgirl are the Katar and Shayera Hol of Thanagar - the Hawks of Earth-One!  It's a silver-age tale that was published just 10 years prior to this reprint and is only one of the two stories that originally appeared in that issue of The Brave and the Bold.  The story is a bit darker in tone and color than its Golden Age predecessors, and it is also longer than any of the previous tales (other than the JLA/JSA two-parter).  It's interesting that with all the other stories in this issue focusing on Earth-Two characters, they would end the issue with the Earth-One Hawks.

The wrap-around cover to this reprint issue is a masterpiece drawn by comic legend Neal Adams and features a conglomerate of heroes from both Earth-One and Earth-Two (interestingly, the front cover features mostly Earth-One heroes, while the back cover focuses mostly on Earth-Two heroes).  While I didn't really need it, I do like the fact that DC included a handy guide on the inside back cover to all of the characters who appeared on the cover.  This likely helped the readers back in 1971 who did not recognize many of the Earth-Two characters. I find it interesting that when identifying the characters, those who have doppelgangers on both Earths are identified by their Earth (such as Superman of  Earth-One and Superman of Earth-Two), but characters who have no doppelgangers are simply identified by their name (such as Mr. Terrific and Wildcat).  Black Canary is the only character identified as being from both Earth-One and Earth-Two, since she originally came from Earth-Two, but crossed over and stayed on Earth-One in one of the annual JLA/JSA crossovers.  There is also interspersed among the stories "A Checklist of DC Super-Heroes" (appearing on pages 35, 51, 97, and 98), which not only lists a number of the characters used by DC at the time, but provided the characters' first appearances.  The list is in alphabetical order and includes many well-known characters as well as some obscure characters such as Air Wave (first appearance in Detective Comics #60, Feb. 1942), Bwana Beast (first appearance in Showcase #66, Jan/Feb 1967), the Ghost Patrol (first appearance in Flash Comics #29, May 1942), and a number of others.  For me, this guide was a lot more informative than the character guide on the inside back cover!

Overall, this was a great issue of reprints and one I am absolutely thrilled to now have in my collection!

RATING:  10 museum animals brought to life out of 10 for keeping the Justice Society of America and its members "alive" for readers of every generation to read, fall in love with, and enjoy!

Diana and the Underworld Odyssey - The Second of the Wonder Woman Adventures

I have been a fan of the Wonder Woman character ever since I sat in front of the television on Saturday mornings with a bowl of cereal watching Super Friends, and later, watching Lynda Carter spin around on the TV and change into that red, blue, and gold spandex costume with the golden lasso.  I have been faithfully reading the comics since around that same time, so it's obvious that I've been following the adventures of Wonder Woman for over four decades.  In that time, I've seen a lot of change and a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of different interpretations of the characters - some good, some bad; some memorable, some I'd like to forget.  Of all the different versions of Wonder Woman that have appeared through the years, there are few that have captured the true essence of the character and beautifully incorporated the Greek mythology into her story.  George Perez is definitely one of the first who springs to mind, as his run on the Wonder Woman comic is probably one of the absolute best ever (second only to the original stories by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter.  But I am going to have to add author Aisha Saeed onto that list of creators who truly know the character of Diana, as this second book in the "Wonder Woman Adventures" proves.

The first novel in this series featured Diana's first trip away from Themyscira and gave her an adventure that helped establish not only her strength and determination, but gave glimpses into her true power and her destiny.  This second novel, Diana and the Underworld Odyssey, further develops Diana's budding powers and drops more hints not only as to her future as Wonder Woman, but also her connection to the gods themselves.  The story opens mere days after the conclusion of the first book, as the Chara festival reaches its conclusions, and Diana must say goodbye for another year to her friend, Sakina.  Diana feels a sense of unease, and she stays on her guard after the events of the last book - but her mother assures her that everything will be fine.  Until, of course, it's not...

First, Sakina disappears before she can get to her ship to leave the island.  Then, Diana is attacked by a mysterious cloaked figure who seems almost intangible - a figure that is intent on kidnapping her.  Then, as if that weren't bad enough, the island comes under attack by a strange ship that should not have been able to locate the island with all of its cloaking spells and other protections - and Diana is the only one that can defeat the ship.  During all of this, however, her mother, Antiope, and the other Amazons want to lock Diana away for safety, something Diana cannot understand.  After all, hadn't she proven her capability of handling herself after she rescued a young boy and escaped the clutches of a demon from another island?

 

So, when the goddess Artemis arrives on the island and agrees to take Diana to the safety of a secret location of the gods, her mother agrees, despite Diana's wishes to stay and help defend the island.  But maybe they are right?  Maybe the island will be safe if Diana is not there, since the demon had told her "he" was after Diana - whoever "he" may be.  The next thing you know, Diana is standing before the gods, telling her story of battling the demon who kidnapped the young boy and tried to kidnap her and Sakina.  Diana learns that a malevolent force is kidnapping a number of children, all of whom have special abilities.  Then, Hades arrives.  And he completely discounts Diana's story and calls her a liar.  Before you know it, the gods are arguing, and Diana is sent outside with another young girl who is at the island.  And, yes, wouldn't you know it, they get attacked, and the girl is kidnapped and taken away before Diana can save her.  Diana knows what she must do, and thus begins her journey across the ocean and to the River Styx so that she can make her way into the underworld, the realm of Hades, where the Sakina and the other girl are currently being held.  And Diana has until midnight to rescue the girls, and that's only a few hours away!

 

Saeed writes a fantastic adventure into the underworld, putting Diana through one challenge after another - battling the sea serpent Hydra; fending off a dangerously deceptive Siren; getting past the vicious three-headed Cerberus; convincing the judges who guard the way into the underworld to allow her in; figuring out how to unlock the cage holding her friends without a key (which she lost before ever making it to the River Styx);   defeating the monsters who keep watch over the captured children; finding the strength to open Doom's Doorway that will lead her and the others back to Themyscira; and ultimately facing off against Hades, the very god of the underworld.  And while this young version of Diana certainly has her doubts and fears, Saeed manages to beautifully portray Princess Diana's true nature as she overcomes those doubts and fears to stand up and face head-on every challenge put in her way, proving without a shadow of a doubt just what a Wonder Woman this young girl really is!

Oh, and let's not forget Diana's new friend, Liara, who helps her on her journey through the underworld.  She is present at the hatching of a young dragon, who immediately has a connection with Diana (being the first thing she sees when she hatches), and so she sticks by Diana's side through thick and thin during the entire adventure.  In some ways, it kind of reminded me of the connection Kitty Pryde had with Lockheed back in the day in the X-Men and New Mutants comics.  I almost wish Liara would stick around, as I'd love to see a fully grown Liara come to the aid of the adult Diana (as Wonder Woman) - what a force of nature these two would make!

The final adventure of this trilogy is coming sometime this year, and it's a shame there are only three books to this series.  I've enjoyed the stories so much, and would love to read more adventures of this young Diana!

RATING:  10 antique Rumzis out of 10 for providing Wonder Woman fans with a look at her past adventures while staying true to her character.

Diana and the Island of No Return - The First of the Wonder Woman Adventures

Not too long ago, DC Comics published a young reader graphic novel featuring a child Diana (who would grow up to be Wonder Woman), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. More recently, the Wonder Woman comic published monthly by DC Comics has added back-up stories featuring a young Diana that have been in the same vein as the graphic novel, and they have been fun to read. Now, Random House has published the start of a series of novels, the Wonder Woman Adventures, which feature a twelve-year old Princess Diana who is desperate to begin training, so she can be a strong, fierce Amazon like all of her sisters.  And author Aisha Saeed gives readers a fantastic first adventure that sets Diana's course to become the greatest Amazon of them all!

Diana and the Island of No Return finds young Diana awaiting the arrival of her friend, Princess Sakina, for the Chara festival, which is one of the rare times visitors are ever allowed on Themyscira.  Soon, Sakina, along with hundreds of others, arrive for the festivities.  What none of them realize is that one of the boats carries a stowaway - and the young boy who dares to come to this island paradise will set in motion a chain of events that will take Diana, Sakina, and the boy Augustus away from Themyscira to the island where the chariots of the gods are created - an island that is now being controlled by a demon - the very demon who sent Augustus to Themyscira to bring back the young princess Diana!

Saeed tells a wonderful little tale of friendship, trust, honor, strength, and determination.  Diana so desperately wants to be an Amazon warrior, but her mother, the Queen, refuses to allow her to train. But when all of the Amazons are put under a spell, Diana and her friend, Sakina, must leave Themyscira with Augustus to his home island, where they must find a way to defeat a demon whose goal is to capture Diana and take him to whomever "he" is that hired him.  And to even get to the demon, Diana and her friends must face countless dangers on an island now filled with traps, face off against the islanders - Augustus' own people! - without hurting the mind-controlled people, and overcome a villain that can take over one's mind simply by speaking to them!  Sounds easy, right?  Well, for a grown-up Diana who has her full powers and the knowledge and skills of decades of training, sure.  But for a youthful young princess who has yet to train and who does not even know the full extent of who she is or what she can do - let's just say, it's going to be an uphill battle - literally!

While I do take some exception with a lot of the current slang and American phrases used by Diana, Sakina, and Augustus (where would these three even learn of these phrases), overall the story is thoroughly enjoyable and definitely keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end.  And Saeed certainly captures the essence of who Wonder Woman is - even if she isn't quite a woman yet.  This is the type of story that DC needs to take heed of - a character-driven tale that features an big baddie that must be defeated, seemingly overwhelming odds, a lot of innocents in danger, a huge climactic battle, a few tricks and surprises along the way, and a lesson learned by everyone by the end of the story.  This is what comic books used to be.  The stories do not need to be uber-dark and violent to be exceptionally written and fun to read.

Plus, it's obvious that Saeed is planting seeds for future stories - such as, who is the "he" that hired the demon to capture Diana?  Who wants her so badly?  What is trying to escape Doom's Doorway under the island?  And will Diana discover the truth about her newly discovered abilities that allowed her to climb the side of a mountain and break metal bands as if they were nothing?  I guess we will have to wait for book two, and other future books, to discover the answers to these questions.

I can't end this post without talking about the beautiful cover to this book. The fantastic cover art is provided by Alessia Trunfio.  I'm unfamiliar with the name, but her rendition of a young Diana standing at the edge of the island, the tumultuous waves of the ocean crashing down before her as lightning strikes in the background - the scene is so alive, you can almost feel the wind, hear the waves and the crackle of electricity.  I would definitely love to see Trunfio do more Wonder Woman art - it's a shame she was not permitted to do any internal illustrations for the book.  That is probably the only thing that could make this book more perfect than what it already is!

RATING:  9 gamma gazelles out of 10 for a superbly written Wonder Woman story of young Diana's pre-Wonder Woman days!

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (A DC Black Label Mini-Series)

I can't help but love female comic book characters.  Huntress, Power Girl, Supergirl, Batgirl, Batwoman, She-Hulk, Hellcat, Black Cat, Vixen, and so on.  Ever since I first started buying comics back in 1979 (I was 10 years old at the time - do the math, and you can figure out my age!), I have been drawn to the female-led comics.  It should came as no surprise, therefore, that the Wonder Woman title was one of my first comics headlined by a female superhero.  I watched her television show on TV (c'mon! who didn't see Lynda Carter and think that she WAS Wonder Woman!?!?!), and I had seen her on the Super Friends cartoon for years.  So, the transition to comic book form was not much of a jump.

Flash-forward 40-ish years. Wonder Woman is STILL being published, which for a female comic book character is a major accomplishment.  Sadly, DC does not give her the star billing she deserves - Batman gets a plethora of books every month, and Superman gets a minimum of two; but Wonder Woman? She has a single title that is nearing its 700th issue.  But, occasionally, DC offers up a mini-series starring the amazing Amazon, some good, some not-so-good, and some truly exceptional.  The most recent take on the star-spangled super-hero puts Diana in a post-apocalyptic setting where she must find her way again.

 

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth was written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson.  It is a four-issue mini-series published under DC's "Black Label" ... uh, label ... which pretty much means that the series is darker than the standard DC comics and is not necessarily in continuity with the DC Universe proper.  Basically, it allows the creators free reign with the characters, and Mr. Johnson definitely takes Wonder Woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into a future she could have never expected.

Johnson opens the first issue with a brief glimpse into Diana's past - her mother showing her of the power and hope that she has to bring to the world. But very quickly things change, when a nuclear holocaust forever changes the landscape of the Earth. Flash-forward, and a group of scavengers are out searching for food. They stumble across a hidden cave, where they accidentally crack open a glass-enclosed chamber.  Just as a horrific spider-like creature is about to attack them, a dark-haired woman of immense power jumps out of the chamber and saves them (most of them, anyway).  She is confused, and although she knows who she is, she is unsure where she is or what has happened to her.  But she recognizes the cave. And heading topside, she recognizes the skeleton in the bat costume leaning back on the couch in the crumbling mansion.  Gathering an outfit, the bat belt, and some needed supplies, she joins this group of scavengers to see what this new world holds for her...

The one thing I can say about Dead Earth is: expect the unexpected. As with any post-apocalyptic world, no one seems to trust one another, and those in power are quick to lord it over those beneath them.  Deadly monsters abound everywhere, and there does not seem to be any superheroes anywhere to be found. The truth about what happened to the Earth seems to be shrouded in mystery, long forgotten by the people who now populate it.  Diana sets about to not only create a better way of life for these survivors, but to find out the truth about what happened to all of her friends and to the world itself.  What she finds out, however, will shock the readers pretty much as it does Diana herself!

Johnson holds back no punches with this story, and not even Diana herself is 100% purely good.  There is no guarantee for anyone to survive in this story, and when the truth is finally revealed, Diana must make a choice that no one should ever have to make.  While I am not one to like all of the dark, gritty worlds that exist in comic books today (wishing for the days when comic stories were more light-hearted, more good vs. bad with little gray areas, and more fun!), I have to admit that the world Johnson has created within these four issues intrigues me.  I like the characters, I like this totally different take on Diana, and I would definitely like to see some more stories in this universe at some point in the future.  Not sure whether DC will revisit it or not, but we can certainly hope so!

Darren Warren Johnson is a newcomer to me.  I've never seen his name on any comics I've read in the past, but he definitely knows how to write a good tale.  His art reminds me somewhat of Keith Giffen's work on the Legion of Super Heroes back in the day, but it definitely fits the mood and tone of this story very well.  This is a frightening world and his art definitely portrays it as such.  This is one mini-series I would definitely recommend to Wonder Woman fans and just comic fans in general if you want a good, self-contained story to read.

RATING:  10 robot Superman out of 10 for showing the world just why Wonder Woman truly is the most powerful superhero in the DC Universe (and why she deserves a second ongoing title!).

DC Comics Secret Hero Society, Book 5 - Field Trip Disaster

Clark, Bruce, and Diana return for a fifth adventure in this world of DC Comics' Secret Hero Society. And while their supporting cast had been growing in recent books, author Derek Fridolfs takes a step back and returns to just the Big Three (or Small Three, as the case may be) in this book, as Clark, Bruce, and Diana take an unexpected field trip into the future!

Field Trip Disaster finds the future heroes pulled away from their classes - heck, from their very time! - to help the heroes of the future avert a disaster that could have devastating repercussions on the time line.  Enter: The Legion of Super-Heroes! Fridolfs introduces the 31st century superheroes into the world of young Diana, Clark, and Bruce. Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, and the rest try to help the Secret Hero Society determine exactly what it is in the 21st century that goes so wrong that is creates ripples and dangers in the 31st century.  Diana, Clark and Bruce even get their own Legion flight rings (even though Clark and Diana don't really need them), and they take classes with some very esteemed teachers (including one Booster Gold!).  Ultimately, though it is through their own standard methods of clue-finding and deductive reasoning that our three heroes figure out who and what must be changed in order to save the future.

Dave Bardin takes over the art chores for this book, making him the third artist for this series. Bardin's art, though, is very similar to the prior artists, so for the target audience, it is unlikely to make a difference. The story, was with its predecessors, is told through prose, comic panels, and fun images (such as invitations, brochures, study guides, warnings, etc.), making it almost an interactive book as you read it.  For adults, it's likely you will spend less than 30 minutes reading the book from start to finish - but it is a well-spent thirty minutes (or less) and loads of good fun!

And, just like the prior books, there is a lesson to be learned, and Fridolfs gives his readers something to think about when it comes to friendship, pride, and sacrificing one's own wants to help someone else. Plus, Legion fans will get a kick out of some of the cameos and Easter Eggs throughout the story - and those who have been reading the series from the beginning will love the time travel jaunts into some of the characters' own past stories!

If you like fun and you like the DC pantheon of characters, then you'll enjoy this series. I am hoping there are more to com, but judging from DC's cancellation of the DC Super Hero High books, and the fact that there are no solicitations for a book six on Amazon or anywhere else that I can find, I'm guessing this may be the final book in the series - which would be sad, indeed.  However, it was fun while it lasted!

RATING:  9 selfies with Booster Gold out of 10 for remembering that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman can still have adventures that are fun!

Wonder Woman Graphic Novel - Diana: Princess of the Amazons

What would Princess Diana have been like as a young child?  That is the very question that writers Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrator Victoria Ying answer in one of DC's recent graphic novels for young readers, Diana: Princess of the Amazons.  I really enjoyed the Hales' Squirrel Girl novels written for Marvel, so I pretty much assumed that this story about a young Wonder Woman (before she ever assumed that mantel) would be just as good - and I was right!

Diana: Princess of the Amazons is the story of the Amazon princess facing her greatest challenge as a young person - finding herself too old to be coddled by the adults around her, but too young to be treated as an equal to them.  So, what is a young Amazon to do? Well, Diana knows the story of her own birth: how her mother desired a child, so she formed one out of clay on the beach, and it was given life by the gods and goddesses - so, if it worked for her mother, then surely it would work for Diana so she could have a playmate, right?  Thus, Mona is "born"!

I think we can all agree as children, we were bored when we were the only child surrounded by adults, who were talking about adult subjects or working on adult things - and the moment another child our age showed up, it was immediate friendship!  Such is what happens to Diana when Mona is brought to life - or partial life, may be more appropriate, as Diana's new friend is still clay in nature, but she can talk and think and act like a child.  Diana is thrilled to have someone her own age to play with and talk to about her problems as a solitary child on an island filled with adults.  They begin to explore and to play games, and eventually, Mona starts to open Diana's eyes to how she is being treated by the adults who claim to love her.  She is ignored, she is placated, and she is talked down to - but Mona sees her as an equal and encourages her to strike out on her own; to do things she would have never dreamed of doing before...

Which, of course, leads to trouble!

Diana wants to prove she is an Amazon, an equal to all of the women on the island.  Mona knows exactly how she can prove it - unlock the door to Tartarus, as only a true Amazon can unlock the door that holds back all of the magical and dangerous beasts within.  Diana is unsure, but Mona convinces her that unlocking the door is not actually opening the door, so there is no real danger.  Yeah, I think we all know what happens next!  And, of course, there is the ultimate reveal of who Mona really is and how she came to life that may or may not come as a surprise to long-time Wonder Woman fans.   Overall, this is  sweet tale of not-quite-growing-up and learning that sometimes we really don't have to prove ourselves - we just have to be ourselves!  The story moves quickly, and the art is simple, clear and not overly cartoony (although the art is definitely aimed at the younger audience).  That doesn't mean us older comic fans can't enjoy the book, because I certainly did.

DC is finally starting to get it right with these graphic novels for young readers - there is no reason to dumb down stories and just offer silliness in order to appeal to the younger generation of readers.  This graphic novel is absolute proof that a well-written story about DC's popular characters can be fresh and appealing, yet be open for all-ages without all the dark grittiness of today's standard comics.  Well done, DC - hope to see more like this in the future!

RATING:  9 adorable fluffy animals out of 10 for revealing a very human side of Princess Diana of the Amazons in a format open to comic readers of any age!

DC Comics Secret Hero Society, Book 4 - Science Fair Crisis

DC's world of young super heroes in the Secret Hero Society continues to expand with the fourth book in this children's series.  Part prose, part comic, part notes and journals, these books have been a lot of fun to read, and it's nice to see DC actually allowing their characters to be used for stories that are all dark and gloomy.  Since I've already seen that a fifth book is forthcoming, I am hoping this means the sales have been good, and DC will continue publishing the books for young readers!

Science Fair Crisis finds the students returning to Justice Preparatory Academy for an all new year of school under the new principal, James Gordon. As fate would have it, the return to school also means a new mystery for the secret hero society to solve - who is causing all of the accidents throughout the school that threaten to affect the upcoming science fair sponsored by S.T.A.R. Labs?  The book features the return of Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince, Clark Kent, Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, and Victor Stone, and introduces readers to the newest member of the SHS, Arthur Curry (better known as Aquaman!).

The story is pretty creative, as someone sabotages the science fair projects, and poor Arthur gets blamed for the damage done to the school. Arthur is forced to leave the school, and his thought-to-be-a-sure-fire-winner science project is withdrawn from the S.T.A.R. Labs contest.  While Bruce (Batman) is quick to believe Arthur is the blame, the other children (heroes) are not so quick to agree. They believe Arthur was set up, so they decide to investigate on their own - after all, isn't that what friends (and heroes) do?

It's fun to watch the kids use their own special talents to try and uncover clues that will lead them to the real culprit - and along the way, readers will meet Lois Lane, who runs the school newspaper; see Clark become a "reporter" for the school newspaper; see Diana use her lasso of truth to try and get to the bottom of things; see Ms. Waller come on board as the new guidance counselor and truancy officer; see Barry (the Flash) get some special tutoring from Professor Zoom; and see the Secret Hero Society work together to uncover the true villain behind the caper (and it's not at all who you will be expecting - quite frankly, even I didn't see this one coming, although the clues were there!).

Pamela Lovas and Shane Clester take over the art chores for this fourth volume in the series. Not sure what happened to Dustin Nguyen or why he didn't illustrate this one - but Pamela and Shane do a great job, and the variation in style really is not that noticeable.  The story flows as smoothly as previous ones did, and the characters maintain their look (making them easily distinguishable and identifiable even without their iconic costumes).

These stories are the perfect introduction for young readers who enjoy super heroes, allowing them to read about their favorite characters without having to face the continuity-heavy, down-trodden, darkness-filled stories that over-saturate the comic book market today.  Fun, simple stories that are truly enjoyable to read - even as an adult!

RATING:  10 mysterious text messages out of 10 for making super hero school fun to read!

DC Comics Secret Hero Society, Book 3 - Detention of Doom

Clark, Bruce, and Diana return to school in Scholastic's third book of the DC Comics Super Hero Society series, Detention of Doom.  Written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Dustin Nguyen (of Li'l Gotham fame), this series has been a real delight, and this book is no exception.

(And just in case you are wondering, yes, Clark is Superman, Bruce is Batman, and Diana is Wonder Woman - DC Comic's big three, so to speak - although in this series, they are far from big - they are elementary school students in Gotham City, and, as can be expected, they must face off against villainous crimes in each story)

Detention of Doom begins with a simple award ceremony - the award for bravery, the peace prize, and even a participation award.  While Bruce is somewhat bored with the ceremony, finding the whole thing to be frivolous, it soon turns out to be anything but when Clark's award suddenly causes him to disappear!  With the help of Barry (Allen a/k/a the Flash) and Victor (Stone a/k/a Cyborg), Bruce and Diana begin to investigate what has happened to their friend.  All roads lead to Lex Luthor, but they cannot find any evidence to prove he did something to Clark.

Needless to say, the frustration gets to them, and when Diana accidentally drops Clark's award, the group of super-friends suddenly find themselves ... well, somewhere else.

I love the fact that Fridolfs and Nguyen increase the cast of these books with each volume.  What started out as just Clark, Bruce, and Diana has now expanded to include Barry, Victor, Oliver, Joker, and Harley, as well as appearances in this volume of Doomsday and Bizarro (and even a brief appearance by Bat-zarro).  The story is not dumbed down at all, despite starring the heroes as children and with a target audience of young readers; instead, Fridolfs and Nguyen tell a fun story of adventure and team-work as the super-friends desperately try to find the missing Clark and then escape from the detention of doom in this other-worldly place.

The inter-mixing of comic panels with screen-texts between the kids, as well as photos from Bruce's robotic drone and messages in Bruce's online diary, to tell the story keeps it fresh and makes the reader feel as if they are a part of the search and rescue.  And the heroes' adventure in this "phantom zone" is full of lessons on trust, team work, and patience, and it's fun to see the characters learn as they go to depend on each other's strengths, as well as compensate for one another's weaknesses.

There's obviously no doubt the heroes escape their time in detention, but the turning of tables at the end of the story will bring a smile to any reader's face.

Thankfully, I see on www.amazon.com that a fourth book is scheduled to be released in March of next year, so that pretty much tells me this series is still successful (which I'm happy to see, since so many series that I really enjoy end up getting cancelled pretty quickly).

RATING:  8 time-out rooms out of 10 for proving that detention can be just as much a learning experience as the regular classroom!

Wonder Woman: Warbringer

It seems superheroes are the big thing right now, which means there are plenty of superhero-related books coming out.  Thankfully, Wonder Woman is the first in this new line of young adult hardcover books published by Random House.  So often, Batman and Superman take the front seat, while Wonder Woman barely gets a notice.  Now, for once, Wonder Woman is leading the pack (as it should be!).

Author Leigh Bardugo provides readers with an "untold" tale of Diana's past - back when Diana was still a teenager, determined to prove herself, yet still somewhat unbridled and unsure.  And Bardugo takes Diana from her safe little world on Themyscria and throws her, as a teenager, into the world of today, with cell phones, computers, violence, and war.  Yes, it's another "fish out of water" story, and while the writing is quite dense, the overall story was actually pretty good - better than a lot of the drivel we are getting in the comics.

When a ship goes down just beyond the veil that hides Themyscria from the rest of the world, Diana happens to see a young girl struggling to survive.  Knowing the law of the island that forbids outsiders, Diana dives into the water and rescues the girl. But the rescue has some unexpected consequences, as the island itself fights to remove the cancer that is the girl.  Diana, keeping her a secret, seeks the aid of the mysterious Oracle to guide her choice - save the girl's life and return her to man's world (with the possibility of exile if her mother finds out), or allow the girl to die, thus saving the island and keeping the island's secrets from outsiders.

Diana, being who she is, does the only thing she can do - she saves the girl's life.

Alia Keralis lived what she thought was a normal life.  Yes, she was black, so she faced discrimination.  Yes, her family was wealthy, so she faced hatred for her so-called privilege.  And yes, she always had this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.  But nothing in the world could prepare her to learn that she is actually a Warbringer - and that the only way to save the world is to allow Diana to take her to a fabled spring that may or may not exist that would put an end to the long line of Warbringers, or to be killed!  She does not like either choice, but the more she hangs around with Diana, the more she begins to realize there are a lot of things in this world that are more real than she ever dreamed!

Thus, Bardugo pits Diana and Alia on a race against time, as they, along with Alia's brother, her best friend, and the boy she likes, head for salvation, all the while trying to avoid the army that seems determined to kill Alia and put an end to the growing violence and war in the world.  Alia finally realizes the stakes and forces Diana to make an oath - if they can't get to the spring on time, Diana will need to kill Alia to prevent what is to come.

And for an Amazon, an oath means everything...

The book is not exactly fast-paced, and at over 350-pages, it can feel cumbersome to read.  However, it definitely has its moments, and Theo and Nim are some of the best supporting characters I have seen in a while.  Plus, Bardugo stays very true to Diana's character, as someone who values peace, but isn't afraid to fight for the ones she loves.  And don't try to figure out where this fits in with the continuity of Wonder Woman's history - it doesn't fit with the movie continuity, the television continuity, or any of the comic versions - so if you read it with the goal of enjoying a good Wonder Woman story, then you'll be satisfied.

I will be curious to see if DC proffers up any other Wonder Woman novels in the future.

RATING:  8 golden lassos of truth out of 10 for reminding us all of what type of hero Wonder Woman really is.

Wonder Woman '77 meets The Bionic Woman - a Dynamite Comics/DC Comics mini-series

As a child in the '70s, I grew up watching both Wonder Woman (starring Lynda Carter) and the Bionic Woman (starring Lindsey Wagner).  Both shows featured strong leading ladies as heroes who were both super and lovely to look at, and both shows lasted only three seasons.  Coincidentally enough, both shows changed networks during their run - Wonder Woman's first season aired on ABC, then switched to CBS for its second and third seasons, while the Bionic Woman's first and second seasons aired on ABC, then switched to NBC for its third season.  Regardless of how short-lived they may have been, and regardless of switching networks, I absolutely loved both shows and both leading ladies.

As an adult, I have been fortunate enough to have met both Lynda Carter and Lindsey Wagner, and both are as nice and real in person as they are on the television shows, and both of them not only acknowledge their work, but are proud of the work they did in the shows.  Yet, in all these years, I can honestly admit I never really thought about the two of these heroes meeting.  So, when Dynamite and DC Comics announced a crossover mini-series, I got excited.  I mean, c'mon - what fanboy of the '70s wouldn't geek-out at the chance to see these two super-women team up for an adventure!

Simply titled Wonder Woman '77 meets The Bionic Woman, this six-issue mini-series offers up everything that a great comic should be - strong leading characters, a fantastic story with nasty villains from both shows, a perfect pace to keep the story going, yet highlight both characters equally, and enough easter-eggs and guest-stars to make you squeal with excitement as you read each issue!

Writer Andy Mangels brings Diana and Jaime together in the most natural of ways - a meeting of the national security organizations - the IADC, the OSI, the NSB, the FBI, and the CIA.  This, of course, means we get treated to appearances by Steve Trevor, Oscar Goldman, Eve Welch, Joe Atkinson, and Jack Hanson.  The organizations are gearing up to ferret out a new para-military organization known as "Castra."  The first issue ends with a bang, with the first casualty - Joe Atkinson!

Mangels takes readers (and fan boys!) on a fun jaunt down memory lane, as we learn that the cabal includes villains such as Captain Radl (from Wonder Woman), Dr. Franklin (from the Bionic Woman), Dr. Thiago Solano (from Wonder Woman) with Gloria Marquez, now calling herself Dr. Cyber (from Wonder Woman), Dr. Orlich Hoffman (from Wonder Woman), and Carl Franklin (from the Bionic Woman) - along with a whole new slew of Fembots (from the Bionic Woman)!  With all of these villains teaming-up for a new world-domination plan, it's a good thing Mangels doesn't leave Diana and Jaime to face these evil-doers on their own.  He brings back Druscilla a/k/a Wonder Girl - - we get reintroduced to Tina, the girl with powers - - there's Max, the bionic dog - - along with Queen Hippolyta, Nubia, Callahan, Fausta ... and on page 8 of issue 4, we see "Joanna," who Diana refers to as the mistress of the dance on Paradise Island, who called her dance the "Dance of the Zephyr Winds" (uhm, seriously - is there any child of the '70s that did not pick up on that direct Isis reference - Joanna Cameron was the actress, and "Zephyr winds that blow on high, lift me now, so I can fly!" was her cry to fly).  Oh, Mr. Mangels, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that you have made this fanboy's decade with this book!!!!

There are a number of fun surprises throughout the story, and it's great to see a team-up where the two heroes don't fight first and then become friends.  Let's face it, that gets old real fast.  Instead, Diana and Jaime hit it off from the start, and it brought a smile to my face seeing how Jaime reacts to the Invisible Plane, and later to Paradise Island.  The amount of continuity from the two shows brought into this series definitely reveals how much of a fan Mr. Mangels is of these two series.  And the ending - well, let's just say there's clearly more story to be told - I just hope he gets the chance to tell it!

The art is by Judit Tondora, with whose work I am wholly unfamiliar.  However, she manages to get the actors' faces pretty good throughout all six issues - with the exception of the Bionic Woman, Jaime Sommers.  Wonder Woman pretty much comes across as Lynda Carter in every panel, and all the supporting cast resemble the actors who portrayed them in both shows.  But Jaime, for some reason, never actually comes across as Lindsey Wagner, and I'm not sure why.  Did that bother me?  Not so much - it was a little surprising at first, but as I got more and more into the story, pretty soon the fact that Jaime did not look like Lindsey Wagner at all became a non-issue.

This book is a DEFINITE MUST-READ for anyone who grew up watching these two ladies on the television each week (or even for those youngsters today who watch the shows in rerun, or on Hulu, or Netflix, or wherever).  With beautifully rendered covers by a variety of artists, to the fun-tastic fan-loving story inside, each issue is a true treasure, and I will be keeping fingers and toes crossed that Dynamite and DC give the go-ahead for a sequel (wouldn't it be great to see the Six-Million Dollar Man brought in, as well as perhaps the Christopher Reeve Superman! egads!!!).

RATING:  10 star-spangled swimsuits and white jumpsuits out of 10 for the absolutely best cross-over story I have ever read, and probably ever will read!