A Look Back at Wonder Woman #3 (1987)

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Like anyone of you guys and gals reading this, I’ve been limited to staying mostly at home as a result of the community quarantine imposed by the local authorities in response to the Coronvirus disease COVID-19 that started in China and has since turned into a global pandemic. Many people lose their jobs and have no income. Varied industries have been shut down. People are struggling to follow local authorities while there are some depending on relief goods (food, water and essential supplies) released by their respective governments or by charitable organizations.

The pandemic affected the entertainment industry too. As such, the much-awaited threatrical opening of the Wonder Woman 1984 movie had to be delayed by Warner Bros. from June 2020 to August 2020.

While waiting for the big movie to come out, let’s take a nice look back at Wonder Woman published by DC Comics in 1987 with a story co-written by the late Len Wein and the legendary George Perez who worked on the art (inked by Bruce D. Patterson).

Cover
The cover by George Perez.

Early story

The story begins with Wonder Woman and Hermes arriving in the City of Boston in the United States. While flying in the air, princess Diana expressed her amazement of the city finding it exquisite and yet so disturbing. Even as Hermes cautions her from judging the people of man’s world, he states that man appears to have lost his way on Earth which makes him afraid and vulnerable to the influence of Ares.

He tells Wonder Woman that he led her to man’s world so that she could end the madness Ares has been causing on the people. Together they fly off to pursue the next objective.

2
Wonder Woman and Hermes arrive in Boston.

Meanwhile at the Hanscom Air Force Base, a general arrives to check on Steve Trevor who is recovering from the incident that happened at Themyscira (in issue #2). As it turns out, Trevor is under arrest as he is wanted for questioning in relation to the shocking murder of another general. It was also stated that Trevor returned without the jet he used….

Quality

If there is anything that stood out for me personally in Wonder Woman , it is the wonder that comes with discovery which was greatly pulled off by Len Wein and George Perez. As Wonder Woman arrives in Boston, observes how strange the society is to her and how she adjusts to the place and people around her, I got very engaged along the way. What Wonder Woman discovers and learns, I discovered and learned as well. In some ways, her discovery of man’s world (through Boston) reminded me of what I experienced during my first arrival in San Francisco, California decades ago. It should be noted that the dialogue is very rich continuing nicely from what was started in issue .

9
Wonder Woman and Julia Kapatelis slowly communicating with each other. 

Like in the first two issues, there is also a nice build-up of suspense which is connected with the fusion of both fantasy elements and Greek mythology. This comic book cleverly reminds readers what is happening behind the scenes in the fantasy realm (within the story that is) just as Wonder Woman and the people in man’s world move on with their respective exploits. Such suspense is very well used on adding depth to the plot while paving the way for sub-plots.

Also worth mentioning here is the introduction of professor Julia Kapatelis and her teenage daughter Vanessa as supporting characters who will prove to be crucial to Wonder Woman’s adjustment into their society. Personally, I just love the way the creators showed that Wonder Woman does not speak English and had yet to learn the language which added some depth into her first encounter with Julia.

Conclusion

I really had a great time reading Wonder Woman . This is a significant comic book as it marked Wonder Woman’s first arrival in man’s world during the Post-Crisis era (after Crisis on Infinite Earths) and a true modernization of the icon as well as her literary story during the Reagan years. As many true Wonder Woman fans already know, George Perez’s leading on reintroducing Wonder Woman in the 1980s is better and more dramatic than the Golden Age Wonder Woman.

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Steve Trevor recovering and Wonder Woman and Hermes arrive at Harvard University.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman (1987), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $24 while the newsstand edition’s near-mint copy is priced at $51. As for the edition that does not have the month printed on the cover, the near-mint copy is worth $77.

Overall, Wonder Woman (1987) is highly recommended!


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