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Diana Prince: Wonder Woman #3
Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, Vol. 3
This third volume of Diana Prince's early 1970s adventures collects WONDER WOMAN #190-198 and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #204! In these tales, Diana gets lost in an alien dimension, stops a barbarian horde from invading Paradise Island, nearly becomes the bride of a tyrant and more!
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2008
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About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,757 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 12, 2017
I bought a cheap copy of this from FP as I enjoyed the 40s Wonder Woman so much I thought I'd try the 70s. Oh Dear! I don't think anyone should look at Wonder Woman and decide what would make the story really great is if she stopped being a superhero and instead was taught martial arts by a man. Cause you knew Wonder Woman from Paradise Island could really be improved was a male mentor! Not only that but he was the worst of Asian stereotypes. His name was I Ching FFS! Which you know would be just like calling an English or American person Bible!
There was a standard pulp adventure which was ok. An adventure where she worked in a shop and the bad guy was a Vietnam vet! A case of mistaken identity where she was in a "foreign" land and found her double, and there were a few good feminist turns of phrase. There was one where she went to the Inn of the White Horse (not pale horse) and her male mentor figured everything out and fought, she kicked ONE GUY! Then there was her teaming up with Superman, despite not being a superhero any more, so was largely left out of the action.
Overall it just doesn't feel like Wonder Woman or even cool Diana Prince. She was just some generic woman in a white outfit that was good at martial arts. I definitely won't be buying any more!
There was a standard pulp adventure which was ok. An adventure where she worked in a shop and the bad guy was a Vietnam vet! A case of mistaken identity where she was in a "foreign" land and found her double, and there were a few good feminist turns of phrase. There was one where she went to the Inn of the White Horse (not pale horse) and her male mentor figured everything out and fought, she kicked ONE GUY! Then there was her teaming up with Superman, despite not being a superhero any more, so was largely left out of the action.
Overall it just doesn't feel like Wonder Woman or even cool Diana Prince. She was just some generic woman in a white outfit that was good at martial arts. I definitely won't be buying any more!
November 16, 2022
I understand the thinking behind this at the time but it's odd to read now. Doesn't seem like Wonder Woman and having to have a 'handsome guy' every story is just kind of annoying. But the art is good and the inking by Wally Wood was a nice surprise.
January 16, 2016
These collections keep getting better, I must say. Volume 3 of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman was the most entertaining volume so far, containing much less of the issues that plagued the previous two volumes (rampant sexism and racism) and a great deal more of pure, energetic action and adventure. Again and again, Diana Prince proves that even without the awesome powers of Wonder Woman, she can still hold her own in a fight, all the while wearing a groovy outfit and a kicky pair of shoes! (Seriously, some of the shoes these guys drew are totally awesome; I want someone to replicate them so I can wear them, too.) The weakest link is the story where Diana is once again teamed up with Superman (Journey to the End of Hope): at a student rally in 1971 that gets violent, a shooting death there somehow causes the world to end up in total ruins 200 years later; so a super-computer sends probes into the past to find the two most superior human specimens through computer dating(!). How does this super-computer do this? By the ability to
implant thoughts
in humans--don't ask me how. These humans were I Ching and Perry White, who convince Diana and Clark to fill out the computer dating applications so that they might come together at the right place, at the right time, for the super-computer to bring these two superior humans (never minding the fact that Superman isn't human) to the future in order to prevent this one potential eventuality. Yeesh! Thing is, the computer dies before giving them detailed information on who they must save, so they go back in time with only a general idea; when they get back to the rally, they manage to save the life of a student who matches the computer's description, yet someone else, a guard who also resembles the computer's description, gets killed. Was that the person they were supposed to save? As Superman so desperately says in the last panel,
they'll never know until it's too late!
It's so clumsy and heavy-handed, even for the crunchy, granola '70s. I just barely stopped my eyes from rolling right out of my head.
The one thing that bugged me, that continues to bug me is the insistence on using the introduction of "Diana (Wonder Woman) Prince" on every story. Yes, I realize this is a collection of issues, but still, even those who had missed an issue between June of 1970 and February of 1971, for example, would still know and completely understand that Diana Prince is, was, and will always be the alter-ego of Wonder Woman. That fact doesn't need to be drilled into the reader's head every. Single. Time.
The one thing that bugged me, that continues to bug me is the insistence on using the introduction of "Diana (Wonder Woman) Prince" on every story. Yes, I realize this is a collection of issues, but still, even those who had missed an issue between June of 1970 and February of 1971, for example, would still know and completely understand that Diana Prince is, was, and will always be the alter-ego of Wonder Woman. That fact doesn't need to be drilled into the reader's head every. Single. Time.
September 11, 2016
So I definitely liked this one a little bit more than the first two volumes. I hated the first two volumes.
I liked the different story lines a little bit more this time. The battle of Chalandor was pretty awesome. I did like the story about Angela and how Wonder Woman was able to keep Tony from murdering Eddie, but still was able to get some vengeance. I even liked the story with the Haunted Inn, it kind of had this Hitchcock/Time Zone aspect to it. Even the story about her looking like the princess was kind of amusing. I didn't really like the story with Superman and the computer from the future. That was a bit deflating. The last story with the Prime Minister though wasn't too bad.
I felt like with this volume they were slowly reclaiming the Wonder Woman in Diana Prince. Especially with her upping her kicking ass moments. I think this might be a good turn around. I really didn't like the idea of Wonder Woman running a frivolous boutique. That's just who my Wonder Woman is.
I liked the different story lines a little bit more this time. The battle of Chalandor was pretty awesome. I did like the story about Angela and how Wonder Woman was able to keep Tony from murdering Eddie, but still was able to get some vengeance. I even liked the story with the Haunted Inn, it kind of had this Hitchcock/Time Zone aspect to it. Even the story about her looking like the princess was kind of amusing. I didn't really like the story with Superman and the computer from the future. That was a bit deflating. The last story with the Prime Minister though wasn't too bad.
I felt like with this volume they were slowly reclaiming the Wonder Woman in Diana Prince. Especially with her upping her kicking ass moments. I think this might be a good turn around. I really didn't like the idea of Wonder Woman running a frivolous boutique. That's just who my Wonder Woman is.
August 5, 2025
The third volume of "Diana Prince, Wonder Woman" is an improvement over Volume 2. Mike Sekowsky, who earlier had taken over writing duties from Denny O'Neill, finally figured out that Diana Prince was the star of this series, not whatever male partner she had for that particular issue. In these stories, the focus is squarely on Diana.
Not that there are any shortage of male partners in this collection. We get Ranagar, the Barbarian; Tony Petrucci in a return appearance; Prince Rupert of Daldonia; James Arnett, a mystery writer; and none other than Superman in a team-up story first published in "World's Finest." But in the stories from the "The New Wonder Woman" comic, she takes the lead in each adventure. She's the one making decisions, coming up with battle plans, acting as the true heroine that she is.
The major exception in this volume is the Superman story. She really has very little to do in that one. She demonstrates her mastery of judo, karate and kung-fu by beating up a couple of street thugs. But her skills are no match for Superman's powers. He's the one who can fly through a "space-time gap," is invulnerable to ray-blasters and can smash through sealed metal portals. No amount of martial arts mastery can really compete with that.
While the individual stories in Volume 3 are an improvement over the Volume 2 stories, they're all over the map in terms of genre and tone. It's as if Sekowsky had no idea what kind of stories to write for Diana Prince, so he ended up providing a smorgasbord. We get a three-part sword and sorcery tale (beginning with "Detour"); an urban melodrama ("Angela"); a parody of "The Prisoner of Zenda" ("The Prisoner"); a horror story ("The House that Wasn't") and a secret-agent adventure in which Diana, who had resigned her commission as a Lieutenant with Army Intelligence, is called back into service for a special assignment ("Target for Today?").
Each of these stories has its merits (although I could have done without the "Prisoner of Zenda" pastiche), but the Wonder Woman series itself appears directionless with these stories. In a comic book series, the occasional story that breaks format can be fun. But if there's no set format to break it was a bit much to ask readers in the early 1970s's to shell out 15 cents for each issue (later increased to 25 cents) not having any idea what kind of story they would get that month.
To add insult to injury, the cover for one of 25 cent issues is one of those symbolic covers that comic book readers hated so much at the time. It shows Diana in shackles, her Mod clothes ripped to shreds, a target painted on her back, with a sniper rifle pointed at her. Needless to say, nothing like that happens in the actual story. It is a story about an assassination attempt, but Diana isn't the target and the assassin doesn't use a sniper rifle.
The question that we always asked ourselves after buying a comic book like that was: "Why didn't they write a story to match the cover, instead of the one they did write?"
Not that there are any shortage of male partners in this collection. We get Ranagar, the Barbarian; Tony Petrucci in a return appearance; Prince Rupert of Daldonia; James Arnett, a mystery writer; and none other than Superman in a team-up story first published in "World's Finest." But in the stories from the "The New Wonder Woman" comic, she takes the lead in each adventure. She's the one making decisions, coming up with battle plans, acting as the true heroine that she is.
The major exception in this volume is the Superman story. She really has very little to do in that one. She demonstrates her mastery of judo, karate and kung-fu by beating up a couple of street thugs. But her skills are no match for Superman's powers. He's the one who can fly through a "space-time gap," is invulnerable to ray-blasters and can smash through sealed metal portals. No amount of martial arts mastery can really compete with that.
While the individual stories in Volume 3 are an improvement over the Volume 2 stories, they're all over the map in terms of genre and tone. It's as if Sekowsky had no idea what kind of stories to write for Diana Prince, so he ended up providing a smorgasbord. We get a three-part sword and sorcery tale (beginning with "Detour"); an urban melodrama ("Angela"); a parody of "The Prisoner of Zenda" ("The Prisoner"); a horror story ("The House that Wasn't") and a secret-agent adventure in which Diana, who had resigned her commission as a Lieutenant with Army Intelligence, is called back into service for a special assignment ("Target for Today?").
Each of these stories has its merits (although I could have done without the "Prisoner of Zenda" pastiche), but the Wonder Woman series itself appears directionless with these stories. In a comic book series, the occasional story that breaks format can be fun. But if there's no set format to break it was a bit much to ask readers in the early 1970s's to shell out 15 cents for each issue (later increased to 25 cents) not having any idea what kind of story they would get that month.
To add insult to injury, the cover for one of 25 cent issues is one of those symbolic covers that comic book readers hated so much at the time. It shows Diana in shackles, her Mod clothes ripped to shreds, a target painted on her back, with a sniper rifle pointed at her. Needless to say, nothing like that happens in the actual story. It is a story about an assassination attempt, but Diana isn't the target and the assassin doesn't use a sniper rifle.
The question that we always asked ourselves after buying a comic book like that was: "Why didn't they write a story to match the cover, instead of the one they did write?"
February 7, 2021
Great artwork! Stupid stories! If you're going to turn Wonder Woman into Emma Peel, give her some sexy spy adventures! Don't send her to a viking dimension or a haunted house or a computer dating service that just so happens to match her with undercover reporter Clark Kent (only to send both of them to a wasteland future). No wonder she wanted her powers back.
March 18, 2020
A good collection of Wonder Woman stories. After she lost her powers, Diana, under the training of the blind sensei I-Ching, puts a stop to all sorts of evil, from gnarls to ghosts to sneaky murderers with face masks. Not anything spectacular, but you're getting what you pay for.
January 12, 2020
This is the time period when Diana gave up her powers. So, the stories featuring super powered or magical enemies don’t seem to be fair to make her battle.
September 12, 2020
This one was a surprise. Some numbers were still horrible and completely absurd, but others were better than expected... considering the whole story.
January 18, 2025
What is this comic?
mild spy fantasy romance
no identity
mild spy fantasy romance
no identity
April 13, 2015
Well, there were two stories I did not read 45 years ago here, and one was inked by the great Wally Wood.
Most of the rest of writer-artist Mike Sekowsky here is inked by the latte, great Dick Giordano, no slouch. His line makes Sekowsky's art more appealing.
I always liked this revamping of Wonder Woman, but it was hasty and rushed, too, and these stories are that. It is nostalgic and fun to reread them, and reading those few for the first time, I don't miss the Sekowsky run. Volume 4 features the final few stories in this run, by Denny O'Neil and drawn by Dick Giordano, the ones I thought of more highly.
Still, fun, and mildly recommended.
Most of the rest of writer-artist Mike Sekowsky here is inked by the latte, great Dick Giordano, no slouch. His line makes Sekowsky's art more appealing.
I always liked this revamping of Wonder Woman, but it was hasty and rushed, too, and these stories are that. It is nostalgic and fun to reread them, and reading those few for the first time, I don't miss the Sekowsky run. Volume 4 features the final few stories in this run, by Denny O'Neil and drawn by Dick Giordano, the ones I thought of more highly.
Still, fun, and mildly recommended.
February 11, 2016
2.5 stars. I can see why some of my friends who read this back in the day complained about how Diana eventually started just stumbling into danger. We have one story tied to her new neighborhood in Boston, a multi-parter where she gets into danger popping in on the Amazons (one wonders why they made such a big thing about the Amazons leaving if it's that easy to visit), and then random stories including a Prisoner of Zenda knockoff, a haunted house, etc. Reasonably competent, but no more than that.
April 1, 2019
This was probably the weakest volume so far. It felt like they were stretching the premise a little thin. Each issues had Diana in some new wacky scenario, not very cohesive. The best issue was the Superman team-up. Overall it was enjoyable, but nothing particularly noteworthy.
We discuss this and other favorites in a special Wonder Woman themed episode of the All the Books Show Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
We discuss this and other favorites in a special Wonder Woman themed episode of the All the Books Show Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
November 9, 2009
This volume kicks off with a dumb multi-issue alt-universe storyline, but gets its groove back once Diana returns to her boutique in the hood. Highlights include an appearance by Richard Nixon, artwork by Wally Wood (!), and a peek at our heroine in her underwear. Diana even puts the moves on Superman. In a word: Groovy!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews