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Wonder Woman (2016)
Wonder Woman, Vol. 3: The Villainy of Our Fears
The Trial of the Amazons continues! After the death of one of the Amazons' own, Diana has decided to take matters into her own hands and use her Lasso of Truth to find the murderer.
As the island's attention turns to the Contest at hand, our hero fights back against tradition to make sure justice is served. But tensions rise as the tribes compete with one another to determine the future of the Amazons.
A lot more than just glory is on the line--immortality is too! Little do they know, someone is pulling everyone's strings from behind Doom's Doorway. Who could it be?
Collects WONDER WOMAN #787-794
As the island's attention turns to the Contest at hand, our hero fights back against tradition to make sure justice is served. But tensions rise as the tribes compete with one another to determine the future of the Amazons.
A lot more than just glory is on the line--immortality is too! Little do they know, someone is pulling everyone's strings from behind Doom's Doorway. Who could it be?
Collects WONDER WOMAN #787-794
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2023
About the author
Becky Cloonan
532 books399 followersBecky Cloonan is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo. In 2012 she became the first female artist to draw the main Batman title for DC Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 23, 2023
Truth be told a strange mix...that has its moments but doesn't quite hold together..
Plus what's with that bromance between Steve and Segfried? Where's that headed?
Plus what's with that bromance between Steve and Segfried? Where's that headed?
March 10, 2023
A disappointing book. The story is too drawn out. I think it had done on too long. I have had enough of the politics and half-truths.
The Man-ifests continue to make trouble for Wonder Woman, but how is pulling their strings? The answer will probably shock no one at this point. Another question what is going on between Steve and Siegfried?
The only good bits of this book that brought it up to three stars rather than two for me is the resolution to the survivor. It was not good, but it was resolved, and the second last issue with the Trinity was back together. This was something I was looking for since Diane's return, especially as things were left before her death.
I am hoping for an all-out action-packed volume. 4. I can't take much more of this. I just keep coming back as I hope things will get better. The book finishes with a thumbnail cover gallery. Every chapter/issue starts with a full-page original and variant cover.
The Man-ifests continue to make trouble for Wonder Woman, but how is pulling their strings? The answer will probably shock no one at this point. Another question what is going on between Steve and Siegfried?
The only good bits of this book that brought it up to three stars rather than two for me is the resolution to the survivor. It was not good, but it was resolved, and the second last issue with the Trinity was back together. This was something I was looking for since Diane's return, especially as things were left before her death.
I am hoping for an all-out action-packed volume. 4. I can't take much more of this. I just keep coming back as I hope things will get better. The book finishes with a thumbnail cover gallery. Every chapter/issue starts with a full-page original and variant cover.
March 22, 2023
Gonna be honest, I just skipped the Doctor Psycho issues. I hate the character and have no interest in reading anything with him in it. So that's half the volume I didn't read. The rest... it varies. The two issues that bring Cheetah into the book are fine, if unexciting. Then there's an issue that's almost a buddy comedy with Superman and Batman, which was really good. The dialog was a little clumsy, especially for Bruce, but the emotions and connections felt right. And finally, the last issue, which brings all of this together as a plot of Hera. And I am just so, so sick of Hera as evil mastermind. There's no mythological basis for it, at all. I am extremely ready to stop villainizing a goddess whose sole mythological sins are, wait for it, being mad her husband repeatedly cheated on her. Nor do I think it particularly makes sense for her to use Doctor Psycho as her tool. He's a weaselly little misogynist, how does having him spread his gross message help set up a matriarchal pantheon? It would be such a refreshing change for modern writers to imagine how ancient Greek women might have imagined Hera and write her accordingly.
July 23, 2025
After an epic crossover we're back to some more straightforward superhero tales with returning rogues Dr. Psycho, Villainy Inc and Cheetah, plus a guest spot from Superman and Batman. All good fun, and sometimes simple hits the spot.
April 25, 2024
Dr. Psycho returns! This time, he’s posing as a Dr. Ciszko. This incarnation of him isn’t as cool and calculated as the one I’ve encountered in other Wonder Woman comics. He easily flies into a rage; he’s misogynistic; he’s the puppet of people working behind the scenes and he’s got a fractured blow-up doll replacement for Wonder Woman working at his side. (I know he’s obsessed with the Amazonian princess but this is more cartoon than comic and doesn’t sit well.)
This comic is third in a series and I didn’t read the previous two. My mistake: it means that I found certain sections baffling and not altogether coherent. Still, they bring back the black version of Etta Candy (always a favorite in the DC Universe) and reunite Diana with Bruce and Clark. The latter two share a tender moment with her that brought a lump to my throat. I expect Bruce to be cold and standoffish in his Batman persona (one reason why I never warmed to him as a superhero). But the author gives this triumvirate of the Justice League a credible moment of bonding and camaraderie. And hey! There are cookies!
Certain new characters were interesting. The boyishly eager and gung-ho Norse legend Siegfried is a comic gem. He’s heroic in the old-fashioned way: bombastically waving a sword with one hand and offering skalds (Norse poetry) with the other. He’s a stalwart guy, all right. Yet the authors just manage from making him too much of a buffoon. He pairs well with Cheetah, another familiar face, whose love/hate relationship with Diana always made me imagine a sapphic romance between the two. Maybe that’s in a comic I haven’t read…
This entry has its share of fighting, swordplay, gods, heroes, villains, aliens, etc. It’s enough to make it an enjoyable read. I just could have used a little more backstory.
This comic is third in a series and I didn’t read the previous two. My mistake: it means that I found certain sections baffling and not altogether coherent. Still, they bring back the black version of Etta Candy (always a favorite in the DC Universe) and reunite Diana with Bruce and Clark. The latter two share a tender moment with her that brought a lump to my throat. I expect Bruce to be cold and standoffish in his Batman persona (one reason why I never warmed to him as a superhero). But the author gives this triumvirate of the Justice League a credible moment of bonding and camaraderie. And hey! There are cookies!
Certain new characters were interesting. The boyishly eager and gung-ho Norse legend Siegfried is a comic gem. He’s heroic in the old-fashioned way: bombastically waving a sword with one hand and offering skalds (Norse poetry) with the other. He’s a stalwart guy, all right. Yet the authors just manage from making him too much of a buffoon. He pairs well with Cheetah, another familiar face, whose love/hate relationship with Diana always made me imagine a sapphic romance between the two. Maybe that’s in a comic I haven’t read…
This entry has its share of fighting, swordplay, gods, heroes, villains, aliens, etc. It’s enough to make it an enjoyable read. I just could have used a little more backstory.
April 26, 2023
What you think of the first half of this will largely depend on your opinion of Dr. Psycho as a villain. It's a typical battle of Wonder Woman against misogyny albeit with the added twist of, of all things, an evil dairy company. Although the story works reasonably well, it's also let down by particularly corny villain sidekicks. On the plus side, there's some good follow-up to the events of the previous arc, Etta gets some starring moment, and there's a bromance between Siegfried and Steve Trevor (although, again, the latter might put some readers off, since it's not clear where it's going).
The reason I'd nudge it up, let's say 3.5 stars, is that the story builds as it goes along, leading to a second half about the Olympians that manages to up the stakes and keep things dramatic. And there's good use of Cheetah in a way that looks promising for the future direction of the character.
Even here, though, there's a problem in that the volume is really two issues too long. One of those issues is taken up by a side story about the Justice League that doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything. (It may tie into something in another comic series, of course, but it still feels out of place here). And then there's the odd choice of the final issue which just ends part way through without either a resolution or a real cliffhanger, just a dramatic image in the 'tune in next week' mould - fine for a gap between issues in a plot arc, but rather abrupt for a collection.
Still, I enjoyed it despite the flaws. The art is great, and there's some decent characterisation and down-to-earth moments between the heroics. But you have to be okay with a slow build and some idiosyncratic choices.
The reason I'd nudge it up, let's say 3.5 stars, is that the story builds as it goes along, leading to a second half about the Olympians that manages to up the stakes and keep things dramatic. And there's good use of Cheetah in a way that looks promising for the future direction of the character.
Even here, though, there's a problem in that the volume is really two issues too long. One of those issues is taken up by a side story about the Justice League that doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything. (It may tie into something in another comic series, of course, but it still feels out of place here). And then there's the odd choice of the final issue which just ends part way through without either a resolution or a real cliffhanger, just a dramatic image in the 'tune in next week' mould - fine for a gap between issues in a plot arc, but rather abrupt for a collection.
Still, I enjoyed it despite the flaws. The art is great, and there's some decent characterisation and down-to-earth moments between the heroics. But you have to be okay with a slow build and some idiosyncratic choices.
September 30, 2024
I really enjoyed these stories. In the first couple of editions in this collection Cloonan slyly makes commentary about the manosphere, contrasting a shyster turning men against women, especially Wonder Woman, and contrasting it with the growing friendship between Siegfried and Steve Trevor. I especially appreciated how those two characters, who in most writers hands would have them battling for Diana's affections, accept the role each other has in her life and just enjoy being roomies. Diana ends up defeating the villains via the teamwork of Steve, Siegfried, and Etta and Diana's famous compassion towards a mirror woman who has been manipulated to hurt others.
We then move to the Amazon where we see Diana work with her sisters living in the Amazon to determine why people are being forced to collect a specific flower. This story links us with Cheetah and has a mention of another in her rogue's gallery, Veronica Cale. Etta is her support here. I love how much Etta we've been getting in Cloonan's run.
After shutting down the operation, we get a lovely side story where the DC Trinity get caught up on what has been going on in their lives while they investigate a disturbance in the abandoned Watchtower. (Seriously? DC really screwed the pooch with the last reboot.) We then end with a story finding out that certain Greek Gods were the masterminds behind the whole operation we've been following.
The storytelling is solid. There's different artwork from the various individual books but none of it feels jarring - although you can definitely tell when the illustrator is a woman or a man. The men really emphasize her bust. It's really glaring. Overall, I really enjoyed this.
We then move to the Amazon where we see Diana work with her sisters living in the Amazon to determine why people are being forced to collect a specific flower. This story links us with Cheetah and has a mention of another in her rogue's gallery, Veronica Cale. Etta is her support here. I love how much Etta we've been getting in Cloonan's run.
After shutting down the operation, we get a lovely side story where the DC Trinity get caught up on what has been going on in their lives while they investigate a disturbance in the abandoned Watchtower. (Seriously? DC really screwed the pooch with the last reboot.) We then end with a story finding out that certain Greek Gods were the masterminds behind the whole operation we've been following.
The storytelling is solid. There's different artwork from the various individual books but none of it feels jarring - although you can definitely tell when the illustrator is a woman or a man. The men really emphasize her bust. It's really glaring. Overall, I really enjoyed this.
February 13, 2023
With the Trial Of The Amazons behind her, Diana returns to Man's World to find that Doctor Psycho and Villainy Inc. have made their move! It's up to Diana and her allies to take them down before they twist the minds of everyone on Earth towards their evil master's will - a master that Diana is annoyingly familiar with.
Cloonan and Conrad's Wonder Woman run seems like it wants to be the next Greg Rucka run, but it's still not quite there yet. While I did enjoy Trial Of The Amazons, this feels like a weird return to form in the worst way. Lots of odd dialogue for Diana in particular, a strange flirtation between Steve and Sigurd that I feel is never going to go anywhere, and then Villainy Inc's plot suddenly being part of something larger out of nowhere.
I like the ambition, I do. I like that they're trying tried and true things, like a super-villain team-up, and that everything ties into the Gods of Olympus again. But it feels like a pale imitation of stories we've read before. I'm half-expecting Veronica Cale to turn up again just for the hell of it. There's even a Cheetah story that, while new, feels like ground we've covered before.
On art we have Ema Luppachino for the main story, a personal favourite of mine who has hovered around Wonder Woman for the past five or so years without actually being the ongoing artist, while Marguerite Sauvage's painterly style fills the final two issues, which is always a joy to see.
Everything old is new again is an adage that comics lives by, it's true. But there are ways to present things that don't ring like weird attempts to recapture what came before. Not bad, but...off, somehow.
Cloonan and Conrad's Wonder Woman run seems like it wants to be the next Greg Rucka run, but it's still not quite there yet. While I did enjoy Trial Of The Amazons, this feels like a weird return to form in the worst way. Lots of odd dialogue for Diana in particular, a strange flirtation between Steve and Sigurd that I feel is never going to go anywhere, and then Villainy Inc's plot suddenly being part of something larger out of nowhere.
I like the ambition, I do. I like that they're trying tried and true things, like a super-villain team-up, and that everything ties into the Gods of Olympus again. But it feels like a pale imitation of stories we've read before. I'm half-expecting Veronica Cale to turn up again just for the hell of it. There's even a Cheetah story that, while new, feels like ground we've covered before.
On art we have Ema Luppachino for the main story, a personal favourite of mine who has hovered around Wonder Woman for the past five or so years without actually being the ongoing artist, while Marguerite Sauvage's painterly style fills the final two issues, which is always a joy to see.
Everything old is new again is an adage that comics lives by, it's true. But there are ways to present things that don't ring like weird attempts to recapture what came before. Not bad, but...off, somehow.
March 20, 2023
Finally, Cheetah is back. I feel as if DC has been dragging way too long on closing Cheetah's arc ever since the start of Rebirth. I desperately wanted to see her redemption and the possibility of her reverting back to her human form. I know this is a pipedream because that would mean the retiring of the Cheetah character. Absent this, I'm willing to accept the compromise of Dr. Minerva ending her feud with Diana and becoming an antihero; not unlike what Marvel seems to have done with Titania in a limited capacity. Cheetah's form has been changed from her very cat-like design from Rebirth into her more recognizable form from her 1987 reboot. This means she has her long red hair back and she is wearing clothes again. I'm optimistic that I'll finally get the conclusion I have been waiting for since the Greg Rucka run from 2017.
As for the story itself, it was largely okay. Steve and Sigurd show up to be somewhat helpful. Etta is there as well. Deimos and Phobos show up to cause a bit of havoc, which is a nice touch considering their involvement at the start of Rebirth. Dr. Psycho shows up to be insufferably annoying with his offensive misogynistic outlook on everything. Luckily, the heroes defeat him and Doctor Poison. I look forward to the next instalment when the good guys go after Hera who is trying to bring the dominance of the Greek pantheon of gods back to Man's world. Hopefully, this will be the opportunity for Cheetah to complete her arc.
I did not care too much for the artwork during the first two issues Cheetah appeared in this volume. Liam Sharp's work in Wonder Woman Vol 1: The Lies really spoiled me in that regard.
As for the story itself, it was largely okay. Steve and Sigurd show up to be somewhat helpful. Etta is there as well. Deimos and Phobos show up to cause a bit of havoc, which is a nice touch considering their involvement at the start of Rebirth. Dr. Psycho shows up to be insufferably annoying with his offensive misogynistic outlook on everything. Luckily, the heroes defeat him and Doctor Poison. I look forward to the next instalment when the good guys go after Hera who is trying to bring the dominance of the Greek pantheon of gods back to Man's world. Hopefully, this will be the opportunity for Cheetah to complete her arc.
I did not care too much for the artwork during the first two issues Cheetah appeared in this volume. Liam Sharp's work in Wonder Woman Vol 1: The Lies really spoiled me in that regard.
May 5, 2023
WOW... this Volume was extremely long... Still overall a good story, but feels like they took Wonder Woman back a bit, which makes sense given how important she has been to the DCU at large lately, but I wish it didn't give off a slightly hokey feeling at times.
Highlights:
- The first main story "The Villainy of Our Fears" primarily focuses on Diana and Checkmate (company consisting of Etta Candy, Steve Trevor, and Siegfried of Asgard) going up against the machinations of Villainy Inc (Dr. Cizko "formerly Psycho", Dr. Poison, Professor Calculus, The Twin Shadows, and Sweetheart, a robot clone of Diana). They are also selling a concoction they call Milk X-Tra, selling it to manly men.... frankly, the whole scene screams MAGA idiots. Anyways... obviously they are stopped, but it leads into ...
- The other story has Diana teaming up with the Esquecida to stop production of Devil's Flowers, which is a component of the Milk X-Tra. They are able to find out that the milk is being produced by The Twin Shadows, who are revealed as Phobos and Deimos, who are using it to funnel energy from worship towards Hera. The Gods are making a comeback as a pest for Diana.
Overall, the Volume was good, but way more complicated than it needed to be. Bringing back the Gods and all the BS and drama that causes is always good for the Wonder Woman title. We'll see what unfolds in the next Volume.
Recommend, but give yourself time to read.
Highlights:
- The first main story "The Villainy of Our Fears" primarily focuses on Diana and Checkmate (company consisting of Etta Candy, Steve Trevor, and Siegfried of Asgard) going up against the machinations of Villainy Inc (Dr. Cizko "formerly Psycho", Dr. Poison, Professor Calculus, The Twin Shadows, and Sweetheart, a robot clone of Diana). They are also selling a concoction they call Milk X-Tra, selling it to manly men.... frankly, the whole scene screams MAGA idiots. Anyways... obviously they are stopped, but it leads into ...
- The other story has Diana teaming up with the Esquecida to stop production of Devil's Flowers, which is a component of the Milk X-Tra. They are able to find out that the milk is being produced by The Twin Shadows, who are revealed as Phobos and Deimos, who are using it to funnel energy from worship towards Hera. The Gods are making a comeback as a pest for Diana.
Overall, the Volume was good, but way more complicated than it needed to be. Bringing back the Gods and all the BS and drama that causes is always good for the Wonder Woman title. We'll see what unfolds in the next Volume.
Recommend, but give yourself time to read.
February 22, 2023
I may not be the target audience here...
Stories connecting Wonder Woman and the Amazons to Greek mythology are great. They're engaging and keep you captivated. All are fun to read and action packed. Half of the issues collected here (the Milk X-tra run) feel...gross. Maybe I just REALLY dislike the Doctor Psycho character and his whole male superiority stance?
Could be the cliche male villains swimming in 'alpha male' schtick? Maybe the cheesy character names (Professor Calculus, Doctor Poison, and Dolos the Duke of Deception) are pushing my buttons?
Other than those triggers, the overall subplot involving Olympus rising up is a great read with tons of potential.
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Art, as always, is on point. There's lots of REALLY good panels with full character poses.
Bonus: Still weird seeing Norse mythology cross over into Wonder Woman.
Bonus Bonus: Trinity reunion! Find that stash of hidden food, Batman!
Stories connecting Wonder Woman and the Amazons to Greek mythology are great. They're engaging and keep you captivated. All are fun to read and action packed. Half of the issues collected here (the Milk X-tra run) feel...gross. Maybe I just REALLY dislike the Doctor Psycho character and his whole male superiority stance?
Could be the cliche male villains swimming in 'alpha male' schtick? Maybe the cheesy character names (Professor Calculus, Doctor Poison, and Dolos the Duke of Deception) are pushing my buttons?
Other than those triggers, the overall subplot involving Olympus rising up is a great read with tons of potential.
-----------
Art, as always, is on point. There's lots of REALLY good panels with full character poses.
Bonus: Still weird seeing Norse mythology cross over into Wonder Woman.
Bonus Bonus: Trinity reunion! Find that stash of hidden food, Batman!
May 5, 2023
Just some really bland and unexciting stuff. Dr. Psycho's back (working for Fox News basically) and he's got his little Villany Inc. team together that's never at all threatening. The whole threat of Milk Xtra feels like a joke without a punchline. There's this strange homoerotic thing going on between Steve Trevor and Siggy at times that you know is going nowhere. Steve and Etta both feel inept and out of character at times. They don't act like former military at all. This run is truly terrible. I can't wait for Tom King to take over. At least he'll have a plan even if it's one I don't care for. At least the art is good.
January 4, 2026
Basic Plot: Dr. Psycho is working with a mysterious power to influence the world with a new scheme, and Diana and crew seek to stop him.
The idea of Dr. Psycho as a manosphere podcaster/influencer worked really well. I wish more had been done with that plot point. The story meandered, and took a full-on detour at one point, with a whole issue of apparent filler material where Diana joined Supes and Bats on the Watchtower for no real apparent plot purpose. The ongoing story is clearly not done, so I am curious where this is heading. The art was good. I just wish the story flowed a bit better.
The idea of Dr. Psycho as a manosphere podcaster/influencer worked really well. I wish more had been done with that plot point. The story meandered, and took a full-on detour at one point, with a whole issue of apparent filler material where Diana joined Supes and Bats on the Watchtower for no real apparent plot purpose. The ongoing story is clearly not done, so I am curious where this is heading. The art was good. I just wish the story flowed a bit better.
February 24, 2023
overall amazing. love this run
the doctor psycho storyline had some way too on the nose real world things it was referencing which came off a little too "hey did you see what we did there" overall though while i think it was a little too on the nose.... it's doctor psycho....his whole thing is he's a misogynist with a Napoleon complex.
the trinity issue!!! my heart!!!
the doctor psycho storyline had some way too on the nose real world things it was referencing which came off a little too "hey did you see what we did there" overall though while i think it was a little too on the nose.... it's doctor psycho....his whole thing is he's a misogynist with a Napoleon complex.
the trinity issue!!! my heart!!!
June 25, 2023
Feels very in line with golden age story telling.
I love Siggy and Steve. Villainy Inc was underwhelming but the god event sounds intriguing at least. Marguerite Sauvage’s art is amazing. It’s hilarious house Altuum straight up didn’t matter at all.
I love Siggy and Steve. Villainy Inc was underwhelming but the god event sounds intriguing at least. Marguerite Sauvage’s art is amazing. It’s hilarious house Altuum straight up didn’t matter at all.
December 9, 2023
What an absolute mess this is. Wonder Woman fights misogynists “milk men,” there are duplicate Wonder Women, and the Justice League shows up to fight the villain from the new Into the Spiderverse movie?
July 3, 2025
Much better in my opinion than the previous two books. The first story was pretty solid, and the two-parter after it was exciting. There is a one shot issue that was a welcome change of pace, but then the book oddly ends with Part 1 of another story- what a weird choice.
July 8, 2023
Everything about the “bad guys” in the beginning of this book hit too close to home. Terrific in the way that art should make you feel something whether good or bad.
August 21, 2023
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
January 28, 2024
Logging this to represent the entire Cloonan run on Wonder Woman. Still not sure how to best log comics on this app so trying to bunch things together when I can.
October 26, 2024
A return to the world. The three work together.
May 17, 2025
2.5, got better without Dr Psycho, but still pretty bad.
May 21, 2025
787-790, The Villainy of Our Fears, ☆☆
791-792, Feral, ☆☆☆
793, Walk Among Us, ☆☆☆
794, Before the Storm, ☆☆☆
791-792, Feral, ☆☆☆
793, Walk Among Us, ☆☆☆
794, Before the Storm, ☆☆☆
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews