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Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, comic book collectors and fans of Wonder Woman and DC Comics! Happy New Year to you all as well! To start 2021, I have another Wonder Woman retro comic book review here.
Before getting to the review, I want to ask if you were able to watch Wonder Woman 1984? I have not seen it yet as the local cinemas in our part of Metro Manila still have not reopened. I have no intention to stream the new movie at all. Big movie productions like the one starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine were clearly made for the big screens in the cinemas and I am patiently waiting for the golden opportunity to watch Wonder Woman 1984 in a theater. If the nearest local cinemas won’t reopen due to this ongoing pandemic, the next best option for me is to get the movie in its future 4K Blu-ray release.
Going back to the Wonder Woman comic series of the post-Crisis DC Comics era, I reviewed issue #11 recently which saw Princess Diana enter the forbidden zone of Themyscira as she struggles to fulfil the challenge of Olympus’ deities. Meanwhile, Queen Hippolyte decides to take action by following and search for her daughter. This naturally troubles the Amazons who themselves are uncertain about what the deities have in plan for them.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Wonder Woman #12, published in 1988 by DC Comics with a story written George Perez and Len Wein. Perez illustrated the comic book with ink work done by Bruce D. Patterson.
Early story
The story begins with the armored Queen Hippolyte making her way down into the forbidden zone, with a feathered companion flying just near her. Suddenly a horde of bats surround her compelling her to defend herself. She notices that the vulture made no effort to help her which convinces her that it is there to guide.
Over at Oklahoma, Steve Trevor sits by his very old father and apologizes to him for failing to be there sooner. Tearfully he remembers the demise of his mother and the times he spent with his father growing up. Downstairs, Etta Candy examines a framed photo of Steve’s mother.
Deep within the forbidden zone, Wonder Woman is struck with disbelief as she just encountered in the flesh the one mysterious warrior whom she was named after which Queen Hippolyte and the Amazons did not discuss with her…
The mysterious warrior tells Princess Diana: I’ve waited this day far longer than you could imagine—-but if there’s anything I’ve learned here, it’s that life on the mortal coil follows a grand design! We were faither to meet, child—from the day you were born!
Quality
Once again, this is another high-quality work of art and literature done by the creative team led by the Perez-Wein duo and considering the way things were structured, this proves that they really planned this storyline early and this very comic book happens to be full of revelations relating to a notable event in the past of the Amazons.
In this particular chapter of the Challenge of the God’s storyline, Wonder Woman’s significance (in connection with events that took place before her birth) and her special bond with Steve Trevor (in relation to issues #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6) were deeply emphasized through the story of the mysterious warrior whose name is also Diana and also a native from man’s world. The mysterious warrior’s personal story and discovery of Themyscira were excellently dramatized by Perez-Wein, which is not surprising, and the narrative was carefully paced giving readers breathing space to learn the details.
Picking up from the previous issue, this comic book’s focus on Queen Hippolyte has grown larger effectively creating what is technically a solo adventure for her within the forbidden zone. Compared to her daughter, Queen Hippolyte has deeper knowledge of the history of the place and is naturally cautious with her search for Diana. I should state that the dialogue style written for the queen was very cleverly crafted. Meanwhile, the Olympus deity Pan was clearly portrayed to be the evil manipulator and clearly the Satan figure of the story.
Conclusion
Wonder Woman #12 (1988) is another excellent work by the Perez-Wein creative team. It is more than just a Wonder Woman story and more than just a well-told fantasy of the DC Comics universe, it is filled with very profound revelations that further deepen the legacy of the Amazons and Wonder Woman’s significance. As for the influences behind the design and symbols on Wonder Woman’s costume, those have been revealed in this comic book as well.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #12 (1988), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $30 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $60.
Overall, Wonder Woman #12 (1988) is highly recommended!
+++++
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