WONDER WOMAN #1

Who Is Wonder Woman? Part 1

August 2006

Written by Allan Heinberg

Pencils by Terry Dodson

Inks by Rachel Dodson

Cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson

Synopsis

Her name is Donna Troy and she is the new Wonder Woman.  She responds to a call of a hostage situation:  a group called has kidnapped Steve Trevor.  Donna goes to rescue him and is attacked by cheetahs sent by Dr. Barbara Minerva.  They are attacked next by Dr. Doris Zeul (aka Giganta), but Donna is able to free them and they run into the nearby woods.  Donna uses her golden lasso to trip up Giganta, but the she is able to keep a hold of Donna as she falls to the ground.  Minerva decides to kill her.  Just then, Wonder Woman appears and tosses Minerva aside.  Wonder Woman decides it is time to stop Minerva once and for all by killing her.  Donna stops Wonder Woman, who smacks Donna and then attacks her, eventually stabbing her with her sword.  Donna says she is not Wonder Woman.  Dr. Psycho removes his disguise and tells Donna neither is she.  Elsewhere, “Steve Trevor” removes his disguise to reveal Nemesis, who is upset he lost Donna and wants to go find her.  Sarge Steel tells him he’ll have to it with a new partner.....Agent Diana Prince.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Before I even get to my review, I want to get this out of the way:  Diana is Wonder Woman.  I don’t say it in a “Hal Jordan is Green Lantern and Kyle Rayner sucks” way.  I mean, that by the time this story arc is over, Diana will be Wonder Woman.  Anyone who thinks Donna will remain Wonder Woman has got to be fooling themselves (or plain stupid).  There is no way DC would ever make Donna Troy the new Wonder Woman while Diana is not only still alive, but part of the DCU with a secret identity.  If DC really anted to make Donna the new Wonder Woman, they would have killed Diana.  But Diana is alive and therefore she will be Wonder Woman.  There, I said it.  Live with it. 

As for this particular issue, I loved it.  I thought it was great.  We had a misdirection (Donna is Wonder Woman) followed by a misdirection (Hey, look it’s Diana, but it’s Dr. Psycho) followed by the direction (Diana Prince and a new secret identity) I thought the character would go in.  For a while now I have suspected that the destruction of Themyscira and the Greek Gods leaving the world meant Diana would take a secret identity, much like she did during the Golden Age (and the tv show, of course).  This issue just confirms it.  But at the same time, I do not think they are going to sweep her past away.  Themyscira obviously was real, just as what she did to Maxwell Lord.  I loved the moment when “Wonder Woman” looked as if she was going to kill Minerva, a reminder of the way she killed Lord.  It was a very nice touch. 

I have very little knowledge of Nemesis, so I will have to wait to see what happens with him and whether or not he is a continuing character or if he will disappear soon.  I am also curious to learn how and why Donna became Wonder Woman.  Last we knew, she was in space listening to the history of the universe.  :-)

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