WONDER WOMAN #750 DC COMICS
(You’re probably wondering why I’m not displaying the 1940’s cover as my backround and age make you believe that I’d go straight for the Golden Age variant. Truth is that initially the Wonder Woman of the 1960’s was my real introduction to the character. I quickly discovered and researched her backround. There was no internet back then! But I got to watch her go from standard one-piece costume Wonder Woman to powerless karate chopping Diana to weird parrallel dimension Sword and Sorcery Diana Prince and then back to classic one-piece.)
Another DC Comic title hits a milestone! And with it comes the seeminly manditory oversized issue with multiple covers. But the truth is that we should be celebrating this. Ever since her second appearance in the pages of Sensation Comics #1 (Her first appearance is in All Star Comics #8 a month earlier) this wonderous creation born of one of the most interesting creative teams has bounced back and forth with so much controversy that it is almost unbelievable. Whether the controversy being the amount of bondage, the many, many lives and deaths of Steve Trevor, or the exact story of her birth, Wonder Woman has truly earned a place among the DC Trinity of heroes. She flirted with Batman, kissed Superman, her rogues gallery is almost as fun and diverse as the Flash’s, and whether she is wearing Amazonian battle armor, a star spangled skirt, shorts or one-piece, a blue scuba suit, white fringe, or black hot pants with a s&m tube top, she is the go to for female heroes for the past 78 years. And with that much history, the creative teams here are a representation of the talents that have brought us her tales including Gail Simone, Steve Orlando, Colleen Doran, Greg Rucka to name a few. All I can add is that DC better start planning now as they only have another 250 issues before her title hits issue 1000! I give it a 9 out of 10 Grahams.
METAL MEN #4 DC COMICS
Dan Didio and Shane Davis have definately done their homework. Either that or they are hopeless comic geeks like myself. Whether it’s Gold new humanity, the return of Tina’s insecurities over Doc Magnus or a Robot convention with cameos that don’t even make sense but are super cool. Add in some great dialog about the shortcomings of Cyborg and a battle royal over who came first, DC’s Red Tornado or Marvel’s the Vision and you’ve got one hell of an entertaining book! I give it a 10 out of 10 Grahams.
RUINS OF RAVENCROFT DRACULA #1 MARVEL COMICS
While I admit that I have not been impressed with the bits and pieces of the saga of Ravencroft that Marvel has been presenting me, this one actually caught my attention. Not a reprint book, this features an original story featurning the Captain America of World War II and Bucky fighting a more classic looking Dracula. Told in flashback form through the eyes of the Winter Soldier and aflashback within a flasjback featuring a character from Cap’s childhood this one keeps your interest and provides some new information on what many are referring to as Marvel’s Arkham. Definately worth checking out. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
TRUE BELIEVERS DRACULA #1 MARVEL COMICS
Reprint or not, the famed creative team of Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer show us the proper way to show a Dracula story under the talented watch of Roy Thomas! Moody, somber, and atmospheric, these people knew how to do it right. With plenty of future plot twists, issue 24 of the original Tomb of Dracula series was definately worth reprinting. I give it a 9 out of 10 Grahams.