Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor Special #1 - Spoilers/Discussion

[Nyssane]

This was a pretty fantastic one-shot starring our lovable hunk Steve. After the preview (in which we saw Steve and Diana battle meninists and the Crimson Centipede), we're introduced to the three soldiers from the WW film: Sameer, Charlie, and Chief. I personally love the addition of them into Wonder Woman's supporting cast. But they've been captured by... Eviless (who is going by the name Saturna now). I honestly can't believe she's finally back, since literally the last story she appeared in was the Villainy Inc. formation in Marston's original run.

Anyway, Saturna is leader of the Crimson Men (remember them?) and wants to find basically the fountain of youth. Steve takes the young girl that Saturna had kidnapped back to her home (a mythical land where children never age). Saturna confronts them after her earlier defeat, revealing she has necromantic powers which enable her to control the dead and form black wings. Steve eventually uses a grenade to knock Saturna down a chasm, and all is well (the children even play with the decapitated head of one of her soldiers, how lovely).

Later, Steve and Diana share a romantic dinner, while the waters of the magical land drip into Saturna's mouth from below the rubble (strongly implying she isn't done with them).

So yeah, I really enjoyed it. Fantastic art, fun writing, bringing back not one but two villains from Diana's past AND bringing in three new supporting characters! Get Seeley on the main book!

[SiegePerilous02]

I can't wait to pick this up today! The land of ageless children sounds like Grow Down Land from an issue of Sensation Comics.

[Rakzo]

I was really excited once that I learned that Seeley was writing this. One of my favorite writers handling an underutilized character? Sign me in!

HOWEVER, this issue left a lot to be desired. For one, Geoff Johns and especially Sterling Gates have done great things to distance Steve from Diana and forcing him to become his own character (which was particularly well executed during Gates' Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. miniseries). Here on the other hand, Steve is firmly connected to Diana in a way that he's highly dependent of her by constantly referencing her and replicating themes that are related to her as well. The story is nothing to write about either.

Also, Steve had to face some over-the-top meninist at the beginning because apparently for some reason Seeley thought that Rucka was too subtle when he used them during his first arc. Just saying that there are better ways to create a message of equality.

Eh, the art was good at least.

[Nyssane]

I was really excited once that I learned that Seeley was writing this. One of my favorite writers handling an underutilized character? Sign me in!

HOWEVER, this issue left a lot to be desired. For one, Geoff Johns and especially Sterling Gates have done great things to distance Steve from Diana and forcing him to become his own character (which was particularly well executed during Gates' Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. miniseries). Here on the other hand, Steve is firmly connected to Diana in a way that he's highly dependent of her by constantly referencing her and replicating themes that are related to her as well. The story is nothing to write about either.

It's almost as if Wonder Woman isn't in the title of the book or on the cover.

Also, Steve had to face some over-the-top menimist at the beginning because apparently for some reason Seeley thought that Rucka was too subtle when he used them during his first arc. Just saying that there are better ways to create a message of equality.

Well, the whole backlash against feminism and the "meninist" movement is incredibly huge right now. It makes sense that the most feminist comic book character's mythos references it to this degree.

[Rakzo]

It's almost as if Wonder Woman isn't in the title of the book or on the cover.

Well, the last book where Lois Lane starred was called "Superman: Lois Lane" and that story did a good job at making it all about her, not Clark.

Well, the whole backlash against feminism and the "meninist" movement is incredibly huge right now. It makes sense that the most feminist comic book character's mythos references it to this degree.

Eh, I just wish there was better ways to implement this.

[Nyssane]

Eh, I just wish there was better ways to implement this.

I do agree with you, though. It was hammy as hell to have meninist terrorists. But it's what is current, so I understand why Seeley used it. I wanna know how the heck they got Crimson Centipede, though.

[Javier Velasco]

Hey everyone,

Please make sure that if you are discussing feminism, that you are doing so in relation to what is going on in Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor Special #1, not in general terms. So if your post doesn't mention WW, ST, or some event or character in the issue, it is probably off topic.

Thank you,

Javier

[BFF]

Not sure I like Seeley's Diana (kinda annoying) but this is such a small sample. I still would be pretty happy if he were announced as the next writer.

[Miles To Go]

Very strong comic. I could murder a Steve Trevor ongoing with the movie's supporting cast right about now

Quite liked how the narration tied back to finding paradise and taking some of it back, only the context is different.

[Super-Wonder]

I thought this was good and I was very pleased the see the "Oddfellows" (as they've been titled in the comic) from the movie in this too, I can honestly say I was giddy at having read their appearance here.
The story ends on a note of melancholy for me though as Steve harbors regret, almost feeling that he's destroyed something pure in Diana's life, and while that's heart breaking, it's one hell of an element to introduce to his character.

While I understand Rakzo's criticism of the story constantly referencing Wonder Woman, for me the whole story roots to the foundation of that sorrowful revelation.

This is something that shouldn't be left to die in this single issue, something of this nature should be explored and confronted, a challenge that Steve needs to overcome, an exercise in self forgiveness, and something for Diana to help subdue within him.

Great stuff, I would love to see Seeley take the Wonder Woman title or do a Trevor ongoing.

Did anyone see on the interior credits that the title is "Wonder Woman's Boyfriend Steve Trevor in: The River of Lost Years"? That made me chuckle in a good way, sort of a throw back to the "Superman's Grilfriend; Lois Lane" era.

[SiegePerilous02]

A fun, solid little adventure story that puts a lot out there that I would love to see picked up in the future. The parallels between Paradise Island and Grow Down Land (I'm going to keep believing it's the same spot from Sensation Comics #31) were great, and the world building with the Oddfellows and their own area of expertise within A.R.G.U.S was neat. I'm not sure if Barbara was still the curator of the Black Room within the Rebirth canon, but if she was maybe she has her own history with that group?

The revamped Eviless was the main attraction for me. It seems Seeley just combined her with Saturnette, the other female agent from Saturn who worked for Duke Mephisto. Instead of making her an alien, it was interesting that he focused on the satanic elements. In astrology, Saturn is the "malefic" star with associations with the devil, as Marston himself seemed to be aware of. I remember when the Crimson Men first appeared a lot of us assumed they were associated with Zara, but adding Eviless/Saturna as their leader was a surprise. Is Zara still a possibility?

I'd like to think Seeley might be sowing the seeds for a future Villainy Inc story. What dark satanic rituals do I have to perform to ensure he's put on the main book? I almost wouldn't mind WW becoming a monthly if it meant making his work load more bearable.

HOWEVER, this issue left a lot to be desired. For one, Geoff Johns and especially Sterling Gates have done great things to distance Steve from Diana and forcing him to become his own character (which was particularly well executed during Gates' Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. miniseries). Here on the other hand, Steve is firmly connected to Diana in a way that he's highly dependent of her by constantly referencing her and replicating themes that are related to her as well. The story is nothing to write about either.

Also, Steve had to face some over-the-top meninist at the beginning because apparently for some reason Seeley thought that Rucka was too subtle when he used them during his first arc. Just saying that there are better ways to create a message of equality.

Eh, I wouldn't say Gates was better than what we have here. He wrote Steve as pining for Diana for that whole miniseries, complete with full blown flashbacks of the good old days when they were together.

I think the message may be a little OTT, but to be fair, if there is one book where those anvils need to be dropped, it's WW. It's what she's been doing since day 1. And I think the terrorist group here (with their hilarious "XY" shirts) and their desire to steal a chemical to make women subservient is like something right out of Marston's imagination. Seeley is probably channeling the good Dr. Marston a little too well.

[Thor2014]

Five Stars for Eviless/Saturna. As you fellow board members probably remember, Eviless has been on my WW wish list for some time. I thought the story was well-done, especially for a 'one-and-done.' I'm always thrilled too see Marston-era villains return and I hope to see more.

[K. Jones]

Ooh, Seeley is goooood. His Steve, and "Diana's Supporting Players" stuff, and referential, loving takes on vintage Marston, and his own dark sense of humor and interest in the dark forces and eeeeeeevil and kink suits the subject matter very, very well. I think he's great here for the very same reason he's great writing Dick Grayson.

[LordTrump]

I mean, really, who would want to read a Lois Lane/Steve Trevor book that is too far independent of Superman/Wonder Woman? No one cares about these characters too far outside of their relationships with the main character.

I mean, would you go out every month to pick up the latest issue of Clyde Jenkins: Dentist of the Bat?

[Mel Dyer]

Five Stars for Eviless/Saturna. As you fellow board members probably remember, Eviless has been on my WW wish list for some time. ...

Actually, it's Eviless Saturna (formerly, 'Saturno'), as I recall. Not sure why they left off her first name, considering the new Satanism angle.

Do you know how long I've been beating the drum for EVILESS's return to comics, on these forums? It's been a very long time...like since my Eviless film short, on YouTube, way back in 2011! THAT LONG! Finally, we have a writer, who's SMART enough to realize this character might have been a top tier super-villain in Spider-Man, the Avengers or X-Men comics. There's no reason that Wonder Woman shouldn't have a good action-oriented villain in her rogues gallery, who fits, as easily into a Doctor Who-ish story, as a 'Tomb Raider' type story.

This isn't Shakespeare we're reading, folks. It's WONDER WOMAN, ..and Mike Seeley makes that very cool, here.

I like that Seeley's added an occult element to 'Saturna' and don't see a problem with it, because the WW comic has always mixed up literary genres, this way. Marston's WW comic was a wild, pulp-inspired playpen, where sorcery, action and sci-fi adventures in time-lost lost civilizations and alien planets ..all came crashing into each to tell the most unbelievable stories, ever! In those comics, ARES actually made his 'Areopagus' on the planet Mars, which he frequently visited in a Flash Gordon styled rocketship. So, Eviless Saturna can absolutely be an alien or half-alien superwoman, with an obsession for occult things, in her pursuit of ultimate power.

Of course, she can!

We're Wonder Woman fans, here. Immortal Amazons, invisible jets, armored-kangaroos, transistor tiaras and magic lassoes, all in the same comic...we can handle Saturna, just fine. I think my Eviless was way cooler and easier to hate [See 'Black Lightning' scene!], but, I think Seeley gave her a great comeback, here.

As for the rest...I like that Steve Trevor is being slipped back into 'Tomb Raider' mode, though I don't know how that'll go over with fans, and I want to see more of the Oddfellows. Big, fat 'BOO' on A.R.G.U.S. not standing for Advanced Research Groups and United Support, which sounds just a little more, like real-world U.S. military, ..as it does on CW's Arrow.