‘Wonder Woman: Come Back to Me #1’ (review)

Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by by Chad Hardin
Published by DC Comics

Wonder Women: Come Back to Me is pulled from Walmart’s exclusive giant size, 100-page Justice League book that was released last year. Harley Quinn’s popular creative team produced a by the numbers story.

There is nothing wrong with that. DC’s giant-sized initiative targeted a casual audience, and the narrative very much reflects that.

It’s one of those, “turn off your brain” books to read and enjoy without trying to decipher a significant story arc.

Steve Trevor goes missing in the Bermuda Triangle after a test flight of an experimental aircraft goes wrong. The search is on as Wonder Woman and Etta Candy are hot on the trail.

A romantic afternoon between Diana and Steve exhibits how much they care for each other; augmenting Diana’s resolve in rescuing her beau. There is another story where Wonder Woman races to save firefighters and woodland animals from a blazing forest fire. I’m a big animal person and enjoyed what unfolded here.

However, someone looking for a typical superhero adventure might think it’s rather corny.

When it comes to Chad Hardin’s illustrations, you can always count on energetic interior work. The art is fun to look at, has excellent detail, and every inch of panel space is used to the fullest. Character work, background/nature settings, facial expressions, and even sound effects from a celebratory “yaayyy’ to a thundering “vsshhhhh” are just fun to examine.

The image on the final page was the last thing I expected to see, considering how the story went. It’s a giant threat that that is so ridiculous it could only work in a comic book. I loved it, but it also felt like the story ended where it should have begun.

An easy-going story with fun artwork and vibrant coloring from Alex Sinclair does its job well. Seeing Wonder Woman rescue Steve Trevor is an excellent thing for young girls to read. Especially, since Superman saving a distressed Lois Lane is commonplace in pop culture.

While diehard fans might not clamor towards this offering, purveyors of the pull list are not the target audience. It’s a good read — nothing more and nothing less.

Grade: B