Showcase Presents Wonder Woman vol. 3

[Randy Jackson]

This volume reprints Wonder Woman #138-156 All stories are written by Robert Kanigher, and drawn by Ross Andru. So, I picked this up hoping that the stories from Volume 2 would get better, or at the very least keep pace in quality with the previous stories. I guess I was wrong. Showcase Presents Wonder Woman vol. 3 wallows in some of the worst excesses and clichés of comics, particularly in two areas: * As the volume begins, zero effort is given towards any attempt to explain how Wonder-Tot, Wonder-Girl and Wonder Woman can co-exist in the same time and place. In fact, they all sleep in the same house. * Another suitor--Bird man--is added to the list of rivals for Diana's hand, and things just become more and more ludicrous, particularly in terms of why Diana would bother putting up with any of them. Consider that seemingly their only excuse to be in these stories is to get into deadly danger and give her someone to rescue, and you'll understand why they become unbearable. Couple those two issues with the lack of a single compelling story and you'll start to understand just why this is so hard to read. Most comic characters really rely upon their supporting casts to keep the comic interesting, but there's really no one of interest here besides Diana and her mother. There are one or two appearances by Athena and Aphrodite, but even then those characters are portrayed with either a complete lack of personality, or seemingly have multiple personalities suited for the story at hand. Unless you're a completist or interested in the historical aspects, this volume can safely be ignored.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

I have a nostalgic fondness in characters like Wonder Tot, but I suspect that if I actually read any of those stories again, she'd become intolorable even faster than Superbaby,

I do like the Kanigher-verse craziness of WW, WG, and WT all hangin' out together.

[Randy Jackson]

Oh trust me, it's not Wonder Tot who becomes unbearable--it's the dunderheaded men around the various incarnations of Diana that ruin the stories. The only real problem I have with the three Diana's hanging out is the lack of explanation--really, they're the strongest and most interesting characters in the collection.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Not having read any Wonder Woman stories from that era, I'd like to ask: Does the co-existence of Wonder-Tot, Wonder-Girl and Wonder Woman in the same time and place really NEED to be explained?

[Randy Jackson]

Considering they are all the same person, maybe. At least Kanigher used to try, however.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

If I had the power to do so - and a time machine, of course - I'd have handed Wonder Woman over to Mort Weisinger, his team of writers and Curt Swan and said, 'write her as Superwoman'.

Esentially what Julius Schwartz did in the 70's.