DC Comics – Page 14 – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #6 (1987)

May 28, 2020May 27, 2020carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Remember the final conflict between Wonder Woman and Ares in the 2017 movie? You will see their literary conflict in this old Wonder Woman comic book drawn by the legendary George Perez which I’m about to review.

Before getting to the review, Ares in real life is the Greek deity of war and one of the Twelve Olympians. Within the realm of DC Comics’ superhero universe, the character was very similar to the real-life counterpart and made the first literary appearance in Wonder Woman #1 way back in the early 1940s.

In 1987, when Wonder Woman got rebooted along with the rest of the superhero universe of DC Comics (the Post-Crisis era), George Perez led a revision of the Wonder Woman mythos with a stronger emphasis of Greek mythology in mind. In Wonder Woman #1 of the Post-Crisis era, the deities of Greece were introduced and Ares stood out clearly among them given his nature for conflict. As if that was not enough, Ares appeared in a dark battle armor with a helmet clearly hiding his face (with red-colored eyes) which easily made him the most menacing deity of them all in Olympus.

Having reviewed Wonder Woman #5 (1987) which showed how Ares and his forces influence people of man’s world to engage in war with each other, the stage is set for Wonder Woman and Ares’ featured encounter in Wonder Woman #6 published in 1987 by DC Comics with a story co-written by George Perez and Len Wein. Perez illustrated the story with ink work done by Bruce D. Patterson.

Early story

The story opens with a television news broadcast about the brewing tension that could lead to a war. The public is informed about the sudden takeover of a federal missile base organized by renegade military personnel led by an Air Force general. Over at the Soviet Union, a similar takeover of a missile facility got reported.

The narrative then shifts at the American military base where Wonder Woman, Julia Kapatelis, Steve Trevor, Etta Candy and Matthew Michaelis just witnessed the arrival of Ares whom the traitorous general Samuel Tolliver referred to as master. Tolliver has several renegade soldiers carefully watching the heroes with guns pointed. Michaelis find the situation getting more insane which draws a response from Ares.

Julia (who researched a lot about foreign cultures and deities), Etta and Steve struggle to believe what they just witnessed. The presence of Ares, the deity of war in Olympus, is too much for them. As Diana whispers to Julia, Ares responds referring to her as Queen Hippolyte’s daughter. As soon as Areas disappears into thin air, Tolliver tells everyone that he will launch the doomsday missiles once he reaches the master control room.

Very quietly, Etta Candy opens a pouch behind Steve Trevor and pulls out to handy canisters. She passes one to Michaelis…

Quality

*Follow Wonder Woman’s journey into the unknown!*

I’m pleased to say that the high quality of storytelling, characterization, art and spectacle that started since issue #1 has been well maintained here. Like the previous issue, this one is loaded with spectacle as it is a continuing story about tackling Ares and his influence on people engaging more in conflict instead of being calm and reasonable. When it comes to spectacle, there is a nice mix of fantasy battles and military action.

The highlight here, as already made obvious by the cover of this comic book, is the battle between Wonder Woman and Ares. To make things clear without spoiling the story, I should say that their battle together was executed differently from what was showcased in the 2017 live-action movie. To describe it here, I’d say it has a strong fantasy approach on presentation plus emphasis on Greek mythology. If there were any similarities between the literary Wonder Woman-Ares battle and their cinematic battle, it would be exposition done by Ares explaining details to Wonder Woman why he is doing what he’s pursuing, complete with visuals of how his influence impacts the people of man’s world. Ares’ poison of conflict also has a Cold War flavor here which is not surprising since this comic book was published during the 1980s.

Conclusion

*Wonder Woman acts before the situation grows worse.*

Wonder Woman #6 is a great read! There simply was no slowdown nor a single hiccup with the engagement level of this comic book. With a little over twenty pages of content, this one was loaded with great stuff and its concept was indeed epic. If the battle between Wonder Woman and Ares in the 2017 movie astonished, then their conflict in this comic book will deliver the same impact to you. This one is a true Wonder Woman literary classic and its story even raised the stakes when it comes to Princess Diana’s existence and her mission in man’s world.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #6, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition cost $25 and $51 respectively.

Overall, Wonder Woman #6 (1987) is highly recommended! The conflict between Wonder Woman and Ares should encourage you to replay the acclaimed Wonder Woman movie of 2017.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #5 (1987)

May 20, 2020May 19, 2020carlocarrasco

There is nothing like witnessing the development of a pop culture icon like Wonder Woman with modern society in mind. After completing Crisis on Infinite Earths in the mid-1980s, DC Comics restarted their entire superhero universe opening lots of opportunities to reintroduce their superheroes, super villains and other characters to readers updated with the times. The Post-Crisis Wonder Woman involving the legendary George Perez and other creators saw the Queen of Superheroes updated with the 1980s in mind.

Even though Princess Diana and her fellow Amazons clearly expressed themselves in English to use readers, it turned out within the comic series that English was not their native language. In fact, Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters all spoke Themysciran which is derived from Greek. Fortunately for Diana, she met someone who could understand her and communicate well. The language barrier is just one of the challenges Diana had to go through as she discovers man’s world.

We can now rejoin Wonder Woman and her journey of discovery in man’s world with this look back at Wonder Woman #5, published by DC Comics in 1987 with a story co-written by George Perez and Len Wein. Perez’s art was inked by Bruce D. Patterson.

Early story

The story begins in Themyscira where the Amazons wait as Menalippe (their oracle) tries communion with their deities. One of the women expressed worry that the god of War – Ares – continues to gain power across the world. Even as she tries, Menalippe could not figure out the signs from their gods and Queen Hippolyte is eager to find out something about her daughter Diana.

Beneath Mount Olympus, Apollo remains in dreamless sleep. The women, in the presence of Hermes, remain uncertain about what has been going on. An ancient is near them.

In man’s world, war and chaos spreads. Steve Trevor appears in the television news as a rumored spy of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Wonder Woman makes waves in the news as a result of her battle with Decay…

Quality

*Wonder Woman and the supporting players.*

Unsurprisingly, the very high quality of art, storytelling and characterization that started since issue #1 is well maintained by the creators in this comic book. What I love in Wonder Woman #5 aside from her continued journey of discovering more of man’s world and interacting with more with Steve Trevor (plus Etta Candy and other supporting characters) is the strong shift into the realm of fantasy which is full of action and other forms of spectacle!

For the plot, George Perez and Len Wein made a fascinating story that had a nice mix of Greek culture, fantasy and contemporary military battles. There were layers of intrigue as the creators made clear how Ares and his minions from the spiritual realm (related to Olympus and their deities) influenced mortals to fight each other so fiercely without even pausing to be clam and reasonable. This raises the stakes for Wonder Woman who is still adjusting to man’s world.

On characterization, each character here is well-written and clearly defined as believable individuals. The interactions between Wonder Woman and the others (plus their interactions in between themselves) are very rich to read and analyze.

When it comes to spectacle, this one is really loaded and, at the same time, much more imaginative! The shift from man’s world into the realm of fantasy (specifically a location often inaccessible to mortals) gave this comic book a fantastic atmosphere! There is a lot to enjoy here.

While it is not surprising that George Perez excellently illustrated this comic book, I should mention that his use of multiple panels per page here is quite clever. While using more than five panels per page is considered excessive by today’s standards, Perez managed to tell clearly the story and took time to control the pace. The spectacle scenes are fast but never disorienting. The character development and worldview scenes are never boring to look at.

Conclusion

*One of Ares’ sons influencing the world into war.*

Undoubtedly, Wonder Woman #5 is a great comic book. Elements of militarism, fantasy and Greek mythology were excellently blended here and ultimately it presented Wonder Woman’s personal development and interaction with the supporting players with a lot of depth. At this stage, her interaction with Steve Trevor as well as Julia Kapatelis really blossomed here.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #5 (1987), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition costs $26 and $51 respectively.

Overall, Wonder Woman #5 (1987) is highly recommended!

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #4 (1987)

May 16, 2020May 14, 2020carlocarrasco

There is no doubt that George Perez’s famous handling of Wonder Woman (that became a key part of the Post-Crisis era of DC Comics) is influential for other creators. Over at Comic Book Resources, I read a 2017 article in which Wonder Woman movie director Patty Jenkins confirmed that Perez’s work on the Queen of Superheroes helped influence the movie.

Below is what Jenkins said in response to CBR’s question involving George Perez:

I think it was the fact that he expanded the role of the gods. It was always there — nothing he did contradicted what William Marston did and created, I think it only expanded upon and fleshed out who the gods are. What that relationship is, and how that works. What was a wonderful thing for us to take from.

I personally love the Wonder Woman movie and truly Gal Gadot IS Wonder Woman! As George Perez’s work on the Queen of Superheroes was influential to the director, it is clear that he set the standard on presenting Wonder Woman to the world.

With the movie and history talk over, we can now proceed on revisiting the Post-Crisis era of DC Comics with this look back at Wonder Woman #4, published in 1987 by DC Comics with a story by George Perez and Len Wein (script) and art by Perez (inked by Bruce D. Patterson).

Early story

The story begins with Wonder Woman carrying Julia Kapatelis and her daughter Vanessa moving away from the villainess Decay (daughter of Medusa) as a huge portion of the Kapatelis home collapses. As expected, the next-door neighbors got disturbed and went out of their homes to see what’s going on.

While taking a break just out of the rubble, Julia checks on Vanessa and asks: “What has that monster done to her?”

Suddenly, Decay rises from the rubble and answers Julia’s question directly stating she will do the same thing to her and Wonder Woman. Decay has Wonder Woman’s tiara with her.

Decay’s appearance scares many onlookers. Wonder Woman tells Julia to keep the neighbors back. Decay says that she came only for the symbol of Wonder Woman’s power (the tiara specifically) which she will use to symbolize her power. Decay then flies away.

Before flying off, Wonder Woman tells Julia that she will return with a cure for her teenage daughter whose body got heavily wrinkled by Decay…

Quality

*I hope Wonder Woman 1984 and future Wonder Woman live-action movies will have more hard-hitting action scenes like this.*

Once again, George Perez and Len Wein crafted another excellent Wonder Woman comic book that is timeless and symbolic. While Wonder Woman #3 marked Princess Diana’s arrival in man’s world, this comic book marked her first-ever battle in the same world complete with disturbance on the local society. Take note that at this point, Wonder Woman still has yet to understand and speak English and she has not fully adjusted to the local culture and society. She also just befriended Julia, the university professor and only person who could communicate with her by talking in Greek. Even with all the trouble caused by Decay, Wonder Woman’s heroism laced with love and compassion backed by her Amazon values remains intact and this aspect alone makes this comic book worth reading.

Apart from focusing on Wonder Woman and the supporting players, the comic book gives a close look at what has been happening at Mount Olympus where the Greek gods and goddesses discuss the situation of Princess Diana. There are also a few scenes set in the American military base wherein Lieutenant Etta Candy secretly does detective work to find out what caused the anomaly that led the higher-ups to suspect Steve Trevor of wrongdoing.

As for the artwork, George Perez’s work here is excellent as expected. When destruction is shown, there is a strong sense of danger. When hard superhero action occurs, there is a lot of impact shown! I just love looking at scenes showing Wonder Woman saving people from certain death. Also there were some really powerful executions of action here (involving Wonder Woman) that I wish future Wonder Woman movies will someday replicate.

Conclusion

*Wonder Woman striving hard to go after Decay, the monster responsible for the destruction seen here.*

Wonder Woman #4 of 1987 is excellent! Apart showing the first time ever that Wonder Woman engaged in battle in man’s world, this comic book also has an intimate look on how Princess Diana struggles with focusing on her mission while adjusting to the local culture and making sure that evil beings from her culture would not succeed in destroying the people of man’s world.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #4, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition cost $25 and $51 respectively.

Overall, Wonder Woman #4 (1987) is highly recommended!

A Look Back at Catwoman #50 (1997)

May 12, 2020May 10, 2020carlocarrasco

I want to make things clear that I’m not really a fan of Catwoman, nor am I a big fan of Batman and other DC Comics characters related to the Dark Knight. While it is a fact that I grew up reading comic books and watching some episodes of the live-action TV series as well as varied animated series featuring Batman, I did not see much of him encountering Catwoman.

I got to watch the movie Batman Returns in 1992 showing Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer as Batman and Catwoman. Unsurprisingly Catwoman gained prominence in pop culture as a result of that movie. In 1993, DC Comics launched the monthly series of Catwoman.

Recently, I reviewed Web of Spider-Man #100 which showcased the iconic Spider-Man wearing a suit of armor. As the 1990s was a decade of excess which includes armors as a superhero comic book trend (or fashion craze), it was no surprise that DC Comics had Catwoman featured in armored form.

That being said, we can now take a look back at Catwoman #50, published by DC Comics in 1997 with a story written by Doug Moench and drawn by Jim Balent.

Early story

The story begins with Catwoman moving on the rooftop at night. Suddenly a small rocket is fired hitting a chimney near her knocking her out temporarily. After recovering and checking the area near her, she gets hit by Cyber-Cat (first appeared in Catwoman #42). As it turns out, Catwoman knew something about her having worked with Syntex but Cyber-Cat tells her that she’s worker for herself.

Driven by deep anger, Cyber-Cat moves at Catwoman who tries to escape. Catwoman gets hit and suffers slashes on her skin as a result of Cyber-Cat’s vicious attacks. Now losing some blood, Catwoman makes a desperate leap to another building across the street and barely makes it leaving Cyber-Cat behind.

“Run, thief—but your run can’t last forever! I found you once, and I won’t rest until I do it agains—to finish what this night started! And remember –every time you cast your cowardly shadow across a roof…you’ll never know which gargoyle might come to sudden life,” Cyber-Cat tells Catwoman across the gap. “You’re finished, thief! Dead already!”

Badly wounded, Catwoman manages to find her motorcycle at an alley and drives on the way back to her hideout…

Quality

*The money shot by Jim Balent! Check out the unrealistic look of the armor.*

I should say that Catwoman #50 surprisingly has depth and a nice combination of spectacle, characterization, intrigue and even some detective story elements. Don’t let the cover fool you into thinking this is a shallow and terrible comic book.

For one thing, Doug Moench carefully crafted a story bringing Catwoman and Cyber-Cat back for a new conflict together, only this time the stakes are much higher given the fact that in the previous encounter, Catwoman put Cyber-Cat to shame. This explains why Cyber-Cat is not only more determined to kill Catwoman but also train harder and use cybernetic means more efficiently.

Rivalry aside, this comic book provides a nice look as to what would happen when a professional thief like Catwoman gets involved with a technology company and causes a disturbance not only in the tech sector but also with industry investigators. Doug Moench managed to insert some scenes exploring Selina Kyle/Catwoman’s social life and her involvement with a cop (who does not even know her secret criminal identity).

As for the Catwoman armor highlighted on the cover, I really like the way the creators efficiently implemented the “Batman approach” to preparation when it comes to assembling the armor done by Catwoman’s friend. While it is predictable that the armor helped improve her ability to fight and keep up with high-tech measures used against her, I found it rather unbelievable that she is able to maintain quick reflexes, move around fast like before and still look like she’s wearing tights (same problem with Cyber-Cat who is actually Christina Chiles behind the suit).

While the realism is not really a factor here, I should confirm that this comic book sure has a lot of action scenes and attractive visuals in the expected big battle between Cyber-Cat and the armored Catwoman. Artist Jim Balent, who helped start this monthly series, confidently paced the action and delivered lots of dynamic shots of hard action.

Conclusion

Catwoman #50 is surprisingly fun to read and has enough depth to its story. It’s far from being brainless, really. With almost 30 pages of story and art, the creative team paced themselves to tell a cohesive story, add a bit of character development and then have Catwoman suited up for the big fight against the obsessive Cyber-Cat.

When it comes to executing the concept of having a hero or a villain using armor for a big conflict or special mission, Catwoman #50 easily beats the stuffing out of Web of Spider-Man #100 big time! Compared to that very disappointing Spider-Man comic book (featuring an armored Spider-Man), Catwoman #50 has more depth, is paced better, paid closer attention to detail (right down to the features of Catwoman’s armor), and has spectacle that is executed and presented better.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Catwoman #50 (1997), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $9. The near-mint copies of the deluxe, the newsstand deluxe and the newsstand editions cost $10, $22 and $17 respectively.

Overall, Catwoman #50 (1997) is recommended.

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #3 (1987)

May 9, 2020May 7, 2020carlocarrasco

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 #3 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).

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.

*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 #3, 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 #1.

*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 #3. 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.

*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 #3 (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 #3 (1987) is highly recommended!

A Look Back at Prime #2

April 28, 2020April 27, 2020carlocarrasco

As seen many times in the history of American comic book publishing, there is the ever-present male superhero with the clean short hair, a muscular build, a tight body suit and a cape. Such a superhero has the so-called classic ability to fly and as well having superhuman strength. To put things in perspective, this is the so-called Superman influence on superhero comics. Superman is undoubtedly an icon of not just American pop culture but also of the United States culture in general.

Considering Superman’s iconic status, it is no surprise that many other publishers imitated the character to add some zest into their own superhero comic book franchise. For the Ultraverse of Malibu Comics, their own parallel to DC Comics’ Superman is none other than Prime (who is also inspired somewhat by Shazam/Captain Marvel).

For this retro comic book review, we’ll take a close look at Prime #2, the Ultraverse comic book published by Malibu Comics in 1993 with a story co-written by Gerard Jones and Len Strazewski, and art by the late Norm Breyfogle. Previously, I reviewed Prime #1 which you can right here.

Early story

The story begins with teenager Kevin Green struggling heading home in the suburb at night completely naked. After Kevin falls down just outside the front door, his mother opens it and was shocked to see him naked (with some traces of green slim on his skin). Kevin could not recall what happened to him.

*Imagine yourself being naked walking home in the middle of the night within the local community.*

Shortly after, Kevin is in the hospital with his parents. The doctor could not figure out what’s wrong with Kevin and only stated that his failure to remember could be the result of psychological trauma. Alone in the room, Kevin watches TV news footage of Prime (himself under disguise) and his parents arrive. His mother tells him that he will be okay.

Meanwhile in a discreet location, two men are analyzing the recent appearance of Prime in Somalia. One of them orders the release of Organism 8….

Quality

Prime #2 is clearly a strong follow-up to the launch issue. Co-writers Gerard Jones and Len Strazewski crafted a story that took its time to flesh out Kevin Green/Prime while simultaneously building up suspense and details regarding a sinister force that has links with the government, and they won’t stop until they get their target Prime.

On character development, this comic book takes a deeper look at the private life of Kevin (who only appeared as himself at the end of issue #1) especially at his high school. Here, the school is still recovering from the damage Prime caused (including hurting the school’s coach).

The highlight in this comic book is the exploration of the friendship between Kevin and Kelly. As such, the suspense related to the two really started to build up given the fact that in issue #1, Kevin appeared in front of her not as himself but as his superhero form as Prime. Kelly found it cool that Prime talked to her although she’s disturbed to see him seriously injure their coach. Kevin himself is struggling with the weight of not only keeping his superhero identity secret but also with the consequences of the violence he caused as Prime. Even worse, many students in his school find him a freak but Kelly remains sympathetic to him.

Visually, this is still a very good looking comic book. Norm Breyfogle’s art is very lively whether he draws out the local community that Kevin belongs to, draws the action scenes, draws the monstrous Organism 8, and emphasizing more of Prime. I also love the way Breyfogle drew the facial expressions. For the newcomers reading this, Breyfogle’s style has a cartoonish look but never backs down with comic book-style spectacle.

The spectacle of this comic book, unsurprisingly, looks very good. The action scenes show a lot of power and seeing Prime and Organism 8 hit each other is no less brutal.

Conclusion

*Norm Breyfogle’s great visuals on Kevin Green becoming Prime!*

While Prime #1 was a tremendous creative kick-off for its superhero and its own series, Prime #2 is a very solid progression. This comic book marked the beginning of the build-up of suspense as well as the friendship between Kevin and Kelly, and ultimately it was a fun and compelling reading experience.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Prime #2, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $8.

Overall, Prime #2 is highly recommended.

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #2 (1987)

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020carlocarrasco

After the end of publishing their landmark maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics gained an all-new slate to literally fill up by rebooting their entire superhero comics universe. They started the new universe (now referred to as the Post-Crisis Universe) with Superman, Batman and some others.

Then in late 1986, DC Comics reintroduced the post-Crisis version of Wonder Woman creatively led by the legendary George Perez (who was assisted by writer Greg Potter) with the release of the comic book Wonder Woman #1 (cover dated February 1987). That particular comic book retold (in great detail with Greek mythology) the origin of the Amazons who were reincarnated women (the souls of which came from women whose deaths were caused by men). The Amazons and Hippolyta (Hippolyte in this comic book) eventually got betrayed by Heracles and his men leading to a period of tremendous hardship. Beatings were obvious and rape was implied.

After getting freed, they are sent to the island of Themyscira. It was there when Hippolyta learned that she died previously as a pregnant woman. Using the clay of the island, the Amazons’ queen formed an infant girl. Then after communicating with the midwives in the spiritual realm, the soul of Hippolyta’ unborn daughter arrived into the clay child. This marked the birth of Princess Diana who would become Wonder Woman. For the newcomers reading this, Diana is the only Amazon who grew up from child to adult in Themyscira.

Right here is my retro comic book review of Wonder Woman #2 published in 1987 by DC Comics with the story done by George Perez and Greg Potter. The art was done by Perez.

Early story

The story begins in man’s world, at an American military base. Colonel Steve Trevor meets with his superior General Kohler who tells him that he has been chosen for a special mission which involves the use a new, modified fighter plane. Steve reacted that the coordinated provided lead to nothing out there. The general instructs him to shut his mouth and do what he was ordered to do.

In Themyscira, Princess Diana is set to start her first-ever mission as Wonder Woman. Her mission pits her against a god gone mad, and her mother Hippolyta and the Amazons are deeply concerned. Suddenly, the Lasso of Truth from Olympus arrives which Diana picks up. Immediately after that, the messenger of the gods Hermes arrives marking the first time in centuries that any Amazon saw him.

After a brief talk, Diana travels away with Hermes who could only guide her. They disappeared suddenly surprising the Amazons and Hippolyta who was not given an opportunity to bid farewell to her daughter.

Quality

As expected, Wonder Woman #2 has great qualities with regards to storytelling, characterization and artwork. With Greg Potter assisting George Perez, this comic book told not one but three story arcs each with a good amount of details and, amazingly, such stories were told rather efficiently complete with very believable dialogue. I’m talking about impressive writings and descriptions of the characters, apart from Wonder Woman herself, that include the Amazons, the gods and goddesses of Olympus and the American military.

The story also comes with a very nice touch of discovery which readers can easily relate with through Wonder Woman. As Diana develops and learns more, the reader gets connected with her even more. This is the Queen of Superheroes I’m talking about and the writing is truly excellent.

At the same time, continuing with what was first presented in Wonder Woman #1, this comic book also explores how much of a threat Ares (god of war) truly is not only to Wonder Woman and her Amazons but also on people in man’s world. The build-up of the tension is really nice and the pay-off is worth it.

Unsurprisingly, this comic book has great looking art. It’s done by George Perez after all supported with ink work by Bruce Patterson. Perez knows how to dramatize characters, pull of amazing shots of action and other forms of spectacle, and most of all, illustrate the very visual elements of Greek mythology complete with other visual concepts of the fantasy genre.

Conclusion

As it is clear it is not the launch issue of its monthly series, Wonder Woman #2 is still very significant as it marks the first-ever mission of Wonder Woman in the post-Crisis universe of DC Comics and also her first encounter with a modernized (for the 1980s specifically) Steve Trevor. Remember the first time Diana and Steve met in 2017 Wonder Woman movie? Remember how Wonder Woman reacted to see a mortal man for the first time ever as played by Gal Gadot and Chris Pine on the big screen? You will see some common elements between the film and this comic book about the two characters. Even the Amazons’ reaction to Steve alone makes this comic book worth reading and it should encourage readers to go back to first issue to understand the details about the Amazons’ culture and mindset.

*Heavy inspiration about Greek mythology, culture and arts is evident not only in the artwork by Perez but also on the script itself.*

If you are seriously considering acquiring an existing copy of Wonder Woman #2, be aware that according to MileHighComics.com as of this writing, a near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $24, while a near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $49. As for the other edition that does not have a month printed on the cover, a near-mint copy costs $77.

Overall, Wonder Woman #2 (1987) is highly recommended!

A Look Back At Wonder Woman #9 (1987)

March 27, 2020March 26, 2020carlocarrasco

Very recently, Warner Bros. announced that due to the ongoing coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic, it has decided to reschedule the release of Wonder Woman 1984 to August 2020.

While fans, geeks and moviegoers have to wait a bit longer for the much-awaited movie, we can take time out to look back to the year 1987 when DC Comics published the comic book Wonder Woman #9 written (plot) and illustrated by the legendary George Perez with scripting done by the late Len Wein.

Remember seeing Dr. Barbara Minerva (Cheetah) played by Kristen Wiig in Wonder Woman 1984? This comic book marked the debut of the post-Crisis Cheetah whose civilian personality is Dr. Barbara Minerva (her literary debut was in Wonder Woman #7). To make history short, the original Cheetah that appeared in 1943’s Wonder Woman #6 was Priscilla Rich while the second Cheetah was Deborah Domaine (Priscilla Rich’s niece). Dr. Minerva is the third and arguably the most modernized and most popular Cheetah.

With the history talk over, here we go with Wonder Woman #9!

WW9a — *The cover drawn by George Perez.*

Early Story

The story begins with a ritual performed by a short, old man with a knife. He cuts the skin of a naked woman and collects some of her blood. He uses the blood to feed a plant he believes to be a god (the plant-god). Afterwards he returns to the naked woman and covers her with the cloth.

The next morning, at another location, Wonder Woman flies happily in the air. Below her were publicist Myndi Mayer, Julia (Diana’s host and personal educator) and teenager Vanessa.

It turns out, Wonder Woman, who strongly values honor, was happy to have received a letter from Dr. Barbara Minerva. Julia however is not confident and based on her research, she described Minerva as “shady as your average weeping willow.”

Myndi, who is looking for the next great scoop, dismisses Julia’s concern and remains focused on accompanying Wonder Woman to meeting Minerva.

Quality

Apart from marking the first appearance of Cheetah (no longer a lady wearing a silly costume) in the post-Crisis era of DC Comics, Wonder Woman #9 is still a very compelling and fun comic book to read. Its great quality combined with a solid concept can be attributed to George Perez.

On storytelling, Perez and Wein delivered a solid balance between spectacle, characterization, plotting and mystery. The presentation of Dr. Minerva as an accomplished yet arrogant archaeologist is a clever concept of having her involved with Wonder Woman who in turn also has a personal interest in relics and evidences of established cultures and societies (given the Amazonian society Diana came from). Minerva’s transformation and first action as Cheetah is indeed excellent to read.

WW9b — *Diana/Wonder Woman and Dr. Minerva/Cheetah meet for the first time ever.*

Being one of the greatest comic book illustrators ever, it is no surprise that this comic book still looks great! Even though Perez used a lot of panels per page, the amount of visual details as well as the maintenance of his art style remain high.

When it comes to the first-ever battle between Cheetah and Wonder Woman, Perez pulled no punches back with the spectacle. There is a good amount of brutal action which so enjoyable to see and I can only hope that director Patty Jenkins took inspiration from the comic’s action scenes for Wonder Woman 1984 (a conflict between the Queen of Superheroes and the animalistic villainess on the big screen is inevitable).

WW9c — *Brutal action between Cheetah and Wonder Woman!*

On characterization, this comic book continued to deliver the good and believable development of Wonder Woman who is still adjusting to Man’s World. To put it short, it is not exclusively focused on Cheetah and Wonder Woman (whose encounters were the highlights). You will get to see how much Diana adjusted with modern society, what she thought about how modern society’s members perceived her and how close she got with Julia and Vanessa while still keeping strong with her Amazonian values.

Going back to Cheetah, the development of Dr. Minerva changing into her animalistic form is very well handled by the creators. There are enough details that explained her physical transformation and her uncanny abilities, not to mention showing her being able to give Wonder Woman a good amount of trouble. This way of modernizing the literary Cheetah is, indeed, very compelling and definitive. By reading this comic book, you will realize why this particular version of Cheetah was chosen to be part of Wonder Woman 1984.

For the collectors reading this, if you are serious on getting an existing copy of Wonder Woman #9, be aware that, as of this writing, a near-mint copy costs $77 according to MileHighComics.com

Overall, Wonder Woman #9 (1987) is highly recommended! It’s a great collector’s item too!

In ending this, watch this first official movie trailer of Wonder Woman 1984.

A Look Back at Action Comics #544

March 23, 2020March 22, 2020carlocarrasco

I just love it when comic book creators really pushed their creativity and bold concepts to make an anniversary celebration comic book fun, engaging and memorable. As seen in the history of American superhero comics, such great comic books become essential when their concept sets a new standard of quality or when it sets its series (and its featured superhero) to a new and well accepted direction (which then opens up many opportunities to keep the series and the superhero fresh creatively).

Such greatness was achieved by DC Comics and its creators with Action Comics #544 published in 1983.

As seen in the cover above done by artists Gil Kane and Dick Giordano, Superman in the background could do nothing but be surprised to see his two foes Lex Luthor and Braniac presented in doubles reflecting a change of design – Luthor getting his now iconic powered suit of armor and Brainiac having a more robotic design.

So you must be wondering…how is the quality of the story and art of this particular comic book that celebration Superman’s 45^th anniversary?

We can now start with my retro comic book review of Action Comics #544.

Early Stories

This special-sized comic book features not one but two separate Superman stories titled “Luthor Unleashed!” (written by Cary Bates and drawn by Curt Swan) and “Rebirth” (by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane).

“Luthor Unleashed!” begins with Luthor already down on the ground hurting from the crash of his aircraft and with Superman present. Even though Luthor’s already helpless, Superman flies away to an unknow destination confident that the super villain will still be there once he returns. However, Luthor got assisted by a robot of his who took him to a secret lair and rode a spacecraft going into deep space. Luthor arrives on the planet called Lexor.

“Rebirth” begins with Superman saving a lady and dog from getting hit by a car on the city street. Afterwards, he flies into space and arrives at a computerized planet that Brainiac created. Just nearby, the star of Epsilon 4 is about to go supernova which prompts him to do something so that many lives will be saved.

Quality

Visually, the art of both stories, respectively done by Curt Swan (arguably the most memorable artist to draw Superman during the pre-Crisis age) and Gil Kane is still good to look at. Both artists knew how to frame the action in interesting ways, put enough details on the people and environment surrounding Superman or Luthor or Brainiac.

When it comes to the storytelling and characterization, not only were both stories really well written, they succeeded in humanizing Luthor and Brainiac. In “Luthor Unleashed!”, the portrayal of Lex Luthor as a family man (he has a wife and a child) as well as a highly revered leader among the citizens of Lexor was excellently done. By just reading that story, it really looked like Luthor could have been a great contributor for the good of the DC Multiverse had he not been a super villain. What writer Cary Bates made clear was that Luthor’s hatred for Supermen was deeply embedded within him.

AC5441 — *Lex Luthor the husband and father.*

The story of Brainiac meanwhile was very engaging. Marv Wolfman really went all-out on portraying the death and rebirth of Brainiac who got reshaped in the form of a futuristic robot armed with his own octopus-like spaceship. What is great about this cybernetic form of Brainiac was that he not only looked more sinister but also proved to be a more dangerous super villain than before. Also, Superman’s first encounter with Brainiac in his new form is very memorable.

AC5442 — *A great debut for Brainiac in his new form.*

Conclusion

While Action Comics #544 is a celebration of Superman’s 45^th anniversary, it is truly a showcase of the two classic super villains who not only got new looks but also went on to become more challenging to Superman on a new and higher level. Before he got his iconic powered suit of armor (designed by the great George Perez), Luthor was not much of a physical challenge to Superman. Before he got his robotic body, Brainiac was not as deadly and had much less resources to be cause chaos to Superman and others. To say the least, this comic book is a true classic of superhero literature!

If you are a collector, be aware that as of this writing, a near-mint copy of the newsstand edition of Action Comics #544 is now worth $77 while its other edition’s near-mint copy is worth $39 at MileHighComics.com.

Overall, Action Comics #544 is highly recommended. This great comic book also has another thing of value: great inspiration and references that Warner Bros. should use when making a new Superman movie with Luthor and Brainiac as the super villains.

A Look Back At Bloodshot #1 (1993)

March 20, 2020August 23, 2022carlocarrasco

You must have heard about the live-action Bloodshot movie (starring Vin Diesel) that failed to make big bucks at the box office. Then you must have learned about Valiant Comics.

To understand Bloodshot before reviewing the early-1990s comic book Bloodshot #1, here’s a look at the history of Valiant Comics.

*The cover with chromium and Bloodshot drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith.*

In the late 1980s, a team composed of former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief, former Allman Brothers Band manager Steve Massarsky and some investors failed in their bid to acquire Marvel Enterprises. Instead of letting their failure stop them, they went on to establish Voyager Communications with the backing of Triumph Capital. Voyager then created the imprint Valiant Comics which went on to launch its first titles in 1991 with Magnus, Robot Fighter (which started in the 1960s in comics published by Gold Key) and Solar, Man of the Atom (also started in the 1960s through Gold Key comics).

Subsequently Valiant’s first original superhero Rai was introduced followed by other original properties like Harbinger and Eternal Warrior. It was within the pages of Eternal Warrior #4 Bloodshot made his first appearance followed by a first full appearance in Rai #0.

Then in November 1992, the same month DC Comics released Superman #75 (The Death of Superman, Valiant released Bloodshot #1 with a cover price of $3.50 (cover dated February 1993) and a very eye-catching chromium cover of Bloodshot drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith.

Now that the history lesson is done, we can finally explore Bloodshot #1 (written by Ken VanHook and drawn by Don Perlin) in this retro comic book review.

Early Story

The story begins at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. Immediately after a man and a woman (both wearing coats and hats) performed an exchange with a briefcase, two other men (also wearing coats) reacted to them but Bloodshot jumps into the action firing his gun, taking a shot to his arm and grabbing the briefcase. Bloodshot escapes from the airport.

Behind the scenes, an old man meets with Thompson and Otomo informing them that Bloodshot was an experiment of theirs under Project Rising Spirit. The project was disrupted when a young blonde male got to Bloodshot and adjusted one of the devices. The young guy was caught by one of the operators until Bloodshot (still bald and naked) got up, attacked the personnel (freeing the young guy), gathered data from their computers and escape.

The old man noticed Bloodshot’s rampage at Heathrow Airport and was able to identify him. He issues orders to Thompson and Otomo.

“I want him returned—I do not care the condition,” he said.

Quality

Looking beyond the eye-catching chromium cover, Bloodshot #1 from the early 1990s is actually engaging and intriguing to read. While it is a superhero comic book, it sure has a dark and gritty tone as well as being noticeably grounded with reality.

With the spectacle, the action is violent and somewhat bloody. It may look tame by today’s standards but back in the 1990s, this was exceptional and it really aimed towards older comic book readers. To put things in perspective, comparing this comic book with the typical Marvel or DC Comics superhero comic book is like comparing an R-rated action film to a PG-13 action or adventure film. Don Perlin’s artwork has a nice flow when it comes to the action and the dialogue scenes.

The writing by Kevin VanHook is good even by today’s standards. I like the way he handled expository dialogue in the first half of the comic book and from that point on, the spotlight was on Bloodshot and his exploits.

There are some weak spots in this comic book. There really was no room for real character development with Bloodshot. The comic book eerily reflected the hero’s approach to doing things: no slowing down, time to take action from here. That’s not to say it is a brainless read but rather the plotting is decent and relied on the spectacle to make up for the absence of character development. That being said, Bloodshot as a hero who was a victim under his handlers, is hard to like. Based on this comic book alone, he is a rampaging killer looking as evil as the bad guys. It does not help that he is very unstoppable (because of nanites in his blood system which worked to enhance and heal him) and, at least in this comic book, there’s no real sense of danger for him.

When it comes to supporting characters like Sinclair and Malcolm, I can’t help but keep remembering Commissioner Gordon and butler Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman comics.

Conclusion

While it has some flaws in its presentation, Bloodshot #1 is still good and fun to read. On face value, Bloodshot looks like a typical macho action hero with guns but he actually has an interesting personality even though character development was badly lacking in this particular comic book. I also enjoyed the creator’s approach on emphasizing realism by using gangs and secret sinister organizations (which conduct unethical scientific experiments on people) on the background showing that Bloodshot himself is small player in a dangerous game of secret operations.

As a standalone story, Bloodshot #1 has more than enough good stuff to make up for its flaws and it is worth reading by today’s standards. This is the true value of the comic book that its flashy chromium cover does not reflect. In other words, this comic book is more than just a gimmick.

If you are a collector, be aware that as of this writing, Bloodshot #1 is worth over $40 for a near-mint copy according to Mile High Comics.

Overall, Bloodshot #1 (1993) is recommended. As a piece of amusement, the comic book is so much better than the Vin Diesel Bloodshot movie. That says a lot!

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio . Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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