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> Wonder Woman > Volume Three > Issues 1-44 > Issue 3 (558)
Comments: |
Delays continued to plague this book and its release dates were constantly
shifting. In fact, Heinberg was actually re-writing elements of the book as
he went along, further adding to the time taken between one issue and the next!
Diana herself takes front and centre stage in issue three and the supposedly
"New" Wonder Woman i.e. Donna, hardly makes an appearance! We also
finally get to see who has been behind all the enhanced villains as Diana confronts
her old enemy Circe.
As Heinberg continues to explore who Wonder Woman is as a character, we see
some of the frustrations fans have held since "Infinite Crisis", echoed
by both the characters of Hercules and Circe. They both independently lecture
the Amazon Princess on how she has seemingly abandoned everything she stands
for and has become a self centered, shallow individual concerned only for her
own private life. While this is an interesting exploration, the huge time frame
between each issue makes the story flow cumbersome. After the deep, thought
provoking and adult perspective given to the character by Greg Rucka, this
version of Wonder Woman is all style but no real substance.
Following the initial hype of Heinberg's arrival and what he would bring to
the Wonder Woman book, there so far had been little to justify why he had been
given so much leeway by DC with submission deadlines. There had certainly been
nothing revolutionary or indeed revelatory about his version of "Wonder
Woman" - apart from the novelty factor of her running around as "Agent
Diana Prince". In my own opinion, the book read pretty much like a "by
the numbers" comic book.
The artwork of Terry and Rachel Dodson is very pretty but at times it is very
hard to make out what is going on in each panel, due to there being so much
going on. Still, there is no denying that Diana looks beautiful as drawn and
coloured by them.
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Plot Summary: |
Hercules
proceeds to deal with the villains as Diana leads the injured Nemesis out of
harms way. Once he is safe, Diana rushes back to aid Hercules but he tells her
in no uncertain terms that her help is not wanted. He brings Giganta crashing
down, frees Donna and then deals with the attacking Cheetah. Diana checks on
the dazed Donna who is somewhat surprised to see it is really Diana looking
down at her.
Just then Doctor Psycho appears and tries to get into Diana's mind but before
he can even start. Hercules sends him flying with a powerful punch. He then
pins the dwarf down with his sword raised, preparing to strike but Diana pulls
the God off, allowing Psycho together with the other villains to disappear into
thin air taking Cassie and Donna with them.
An enraged Hercules tells Diana that this is all her fault and proceeds
to lecture her on how she has abandoned her mission and role. He explains that
the Gods have now sent him to act as their champion on Earth. She tries
to respond that she has not renounced her mission at all - just the means
by which to carry it out. But Hercules replies that if she thinks simply pretending
to be someone else is all it takes, then she is very much mistaken. He tells
her she has walked away from those that need her, just when they needed her
most. She has entrusted her duty to apprentices whose very lives are
now in danger because of her actions. He tells her that he will sort
out her mess and find her friends without her help.
As he walks off, Diana tells Nemesis that she has other ideas.
They then return to their HQ where Diana briefs Nemesis on Hercules. He decides
that Hercules now falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Meta Human
Affairs and needs to be investigated further.
A short while later she and Nemesis sneak into the Greek Embassy, which Hercules
has now made his new residence. They enter just in time to see Hercules being
zapped by powerful magical forces and watch as he is turned into a Minotaur.
They are then themselves attacked by other Bestiamorphs and Nemesis is also
turned into an animal. Diana finds herself alone and confronted by her arch
enemy Circe!
Diana sees Cassie and Donna hanging in chains nearby and tells Circe to free
them as she is the one the witch really wants to punish. Circe
replies that in fact she wants to help Diana. She continues to explain
that if Diana does not want to be Wonder Woman anymore, she does not have
to be.
As Diana fights her way through the Bestiamorphs to reach her friends, she tells
the witch she does not need her God given powers and that in fact, she never
even called herself "Wonder Woman" - that had just been the name the
Press had given her. Circe responds that it was nevertheless a powerful symbol
which she has duly wasted pursuing a personal agenda. As Diana tries to free
her friends she is zapped by Circe's magic and finds herself in chains too.
Circe reminds the captured Diana that she had traded her soul to gain the power
of Hectate. She had then used these powers to become the immortal avenger of
all wronged women. In that case, Diana asks, why does Circe not fight with
her instead of against her. The witch replies that the only one Diana
is fighting for anymore is herself. Thousands of women were being beaten,
raped and murdered because they had nobody to fight for them - and all because
Diana was too busy being a superhero to be their champion. And now Diana is
not even a superhero anymore - she is just pretending to be human.
With that, Diana is blasted by Circe's magic and is shocked to find she has
been turned into a normal human being. "Well Guess what", Circe smiles,
"You don't have to pretend anymore!"...
To be continued...
