Thursday, February 1, 2024

Re:tro Re:view - Wonder Woman #3!

Wonder Woman #3 has Diana facing Sgt. Steel, but then faced with a truth that is tied to the Sovereign! Re:cap - Wonder Woman #2! Diana, in her half-mask, duels a helmeted Amazon in an  arena! Her opponent is a champion who fought in a number of battles. In the present, Wonder Woman faces the legions of armed forces sent by Sargent Steel with Colonel Steve Trevor next to him. The narrator, the mysterious Sovereign, knows of Diana’s original origin made of clay and New52 origin as daughter of Zeus. He mentions that there is a hint of truth in the fables. The veteran Amazon asks for Diana’s name, but she refuses to give it and is struck through by the Amazon’s sword! Wonder Woman shouts at the attack of tanks and riflemen. Steel is amused. Diana pulls the sword free and now wields both of them pointing at the Amazon’s neck. She asks for her opponent’s name.  

Steve Trevor reports that all of the forces are defeated by Wonder Woman. The Amazon is about to remove her helmet. Steel screams in frustration. The Amazon says her name, Emelie, this is the Amazon that sparked the Amazon Safety Act at the beginning of Wonder Woman: Outlaw! The cover of Wonder Woman #3 has Diana before the image of her shield punched with bullet holes as she swings her Lasso of Truth. The cover artist is Daniel Sampere who is also the interior artist. Wonder Woman: Outlaw Part 3 is by Tom King and Sampere. A large panel of the Southhide Defense Industries building looms as Wonder Woman walks towards the entrance. The narration by The Soverign says they understimated her. We see the company’s motto as to the side Wonder Woman asks for Sargent Steel. 


The receptionist is busy working on a crossword puzzle made up of past Wonder Woman comic artists! She knows that this is the headquarters of the Amazon Extradition Entity (A.X.E.) led by Steel. He mentions their security and then looks up stunned. Diana is very calm and formal and the receptionist gives up Steel’s office number. At the mansion of The Sovereign, his narration notes that “we”, another person in the elderly body?, were once in the White House? Luthor was once president. Doctor Psycho tried to take the identity of George Washington. He mentions the Sun King, a super villain, but I think this is just a pseudonym for another character. The elderly, bald man wears a blue suit and yellow scarf. Ares had blue and yellow armor. His butler, Campbell, announces Private Delgado. 



The Marine private is looking at an antique gun, his host says it was the gun that killed Lincoln! His host explains that their (speaking in plural) grandfather was given the by their great grandfather. He mentions that Private Delgado will be also remembered by history. In a series of similar panels, Wonder Woman ascends in an elevator with a security guard whom she easily knocks out as the muzak plays. Men in tactical suits with M-16 rifles ready for the elevator’s arrival. The Sovereign boasts that they have ruled for three centuries. Wonder Woman takes off her tiara and then throws it! 


More similar panels as the tiara strikes the armed team, Wonder Woman yawns, deflects a bullet with her bracelet. Then, she walks out with the men unconcious on the floor. A last gunman threatens her and then is knocked out by her tiara and she walks on. This is the Neo and Trinity office fight from The Matrix (1999), but with a superhero! She has defeated an army of jets, tanks, and soldiers, a few riflemen are not a threat. Private Delgado takes hold of a baton that The Sovereign says he was a prince in the 60’s and his father used it as punishment. He asks Delgado about facing Wonder Woman in the last battle. 


Delgado replies that he didn’t have problems retreating from a superhero. He takes out his “most prized possession”, the Silver Lasso, one of the Three Lassos of Fate that we first saw with Trinity in Wonder Woman #800! The Sovereign says they must both hold it. We go from a closeup to pull back of Steel’s office door with more unconscious soldiers at the broken piece of door as Wonder Woman says she is there to talk. We see in a splash page Wonder Woman casually sitting as Steel has a gun to her! The narration has The Sovereign talking to Trinity and poses questions about her father. This leads to the greatest mystery about the new hero! 



The back-up story, “World’s Finest” Part 1 is by Tom King and Belén Ortega. The artist provided the cover art for Sensational Wonder Woman #6 (2021). At Wayne Manor, we have the argument of Damian Wayne, son of Batman, and Jon Kent, son of Superman. They were previously the duo, the Super Sons of Tomorrow. Jon says he can hear a dam breaking, but Damien tells him about their promise. Meanwhile, we have the unhappy Lizzie dealing with the crumbs in her mac and cheese. This is Trinity as a five year old girl. She demands cheese pizza from her guardians. 


She throws her Mac and cheese splattering on Damian’s face! Lizzie happily repeats his swear word. Damian is of course worried what Lizzie’s mother would think, Jon super speeds away, and Damian curses. In the Batcave, Damian is restless and wants to take out the Batmobile while Batman is in “another universe.” Lizzie is there as Wonder Robin! They encounter Killer Croc which was also mentioned in Trinity's first appearance! I really like the Adventures in Babysitting (1987) hijinks with our favorite superhero kids. Wonder Woman #3 gets closer to The Sovereign’s plan with Trinity at the center of it. Plus, Wonder Robin! 


Five Lassos of Truth out of Five! 


#WondeWoman, #WonderWomanOutlaw, #TomKing, #DanielSampere, #Sovereign, #SargentSteel, #SteveTrevor, #Emelie, #Campbell, #PrivateDelgado, #SilverLasso, #WorldsFinest, #BelenOrtega, #DamianWayne, #JonKent, #Lizzie, #WonderRobin, #KillerCroc   

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