Check out Our Review [WITH SPOILERS] of Wonder Woman #3!
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Liam Sharp
Color Artist: Laura Martin
No creator tries to make a bad comic, I acknowledge that. That being said, the last few years of the pre-Rebirth run on Wonder Woman was quite lacking in many quality areas in my individual and miniscule opinion. But as the Wonder Woman movie trailer hit and there is more buzz around Diana than ever before, well, let’s just say that DC cannot afford to have a sub-par Wonder Woman book on the stands.
And with Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp, they do not. What DC has – and Wonder Woman #3 is a prime example of this – is a classical, intense, beautiful, genre-bending triumph.
First off, just look at Sharp’s art. Sharp is channeling his absolute best Joe Kubert while creating a pulp-jungle feel to craft a WW comic that has its own unique style. Meanwhile, Rucka is hitting us with an Edgar Rice Burroughs riff for the ages as Diana must convince the Cheetah to help her find her lost home.
Rebirth is about playing the hits, yes, but it’s also about giving us something fresh and new. This new relationship between Wonder Woman and Cheetah is indeed both fresh and new as there is a respect, but also an intense rivalry bubbling between the two classic enemies. Their scenes just have this awesome cadence as the two foes dance their timeless dance. It kind of feels that Rucka left something unsaid regarding the Cheetah in his last run on Wonder Woman, and is absolutely relishing the chance to present his version of the arch-villain. It doesn’t look like Cheetah will be in the Wonder Woman film, but if DC Entertainment gets to her eventually, Rucka is providing the road map.
Also, somewhere within all the jungle action and classic superhero business, Rucka is presenting one hell of a strange military adventure with Steve Trevor and his unit. Read those bits and tell me you’re not getting a Pellucidar or classic Challengers of the Unknown vibe off it. Trevor is in good hands with Rucka and hopefully the writer’s take will inform this important character throughout the Rebirth era.
And for real, kids, look at that art. Every panel is poster worthy and not in a self-indulgent splash page-fest sort of way. This is some Eisner-worthy stuff by all the creators involved as Wonder Woman is now poised to enter into a surge of hype and popularity. Films and other media are great, but when the comic is this damn good, something special is truly going on.
