It’s hard to believe we’re already in the home stretch of Wonder Woman ’77 Meets the Bionic Woman, as today sees the release of Issue #4 of 6 from the maxi-series from DC Comics and Dynamite Entertainment written by Andy Mangels with Judit Tandora handling the art. It seems like just yesterday the fantasy project was being announced as part of Wonder Woman’s 75th Anniversary festivities.
Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman were two wildly successful TV series in the seventies with female leads Lynda Carter and Lindsay Wagner, respectively. It would have been an unprecedented dream come true for the shows to crossover at the time. Unbelievably, some forty years later – thanks to the magic of comic books and the tenacity of writer Andy Mangels – that dream has come true.
Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman continue to join forces in the fight against the nefarious cabal, CASTRA, with Jaime Somers’ Bionic dog, Maximillian, and Diana’s sister, Drusila (a.k.a. Wonder Girl aiding and abetting.
Writer Andy Mangels continues to wow us with his historic attention to detail when it comes to sharing the adventures of this titanic team up.
We learn the leading ladies have a little more than super strength and a penchant for fighting crime in common. It seems they both have a Steve in their lives that is very important to them. After crash landing on Paradise Island, Steve Trevor was rescued by and returned to man’s world by Princess Diana of Themyscira. And after crash landing while skydiving, Steve Austin (a.k.a. the Bionic Man), saved Jaime Somers’ life by having her turned into the Bionic Woman. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
The titular duo makes a pit stop at Paradise Island, and we are treated to a few Easter eggs here, including an appearance by the ever-elusive Amazon, Nubia, widely known in comic lore as “The Black Wonder Woman.” There are plenty of other Easter Eggs, but I’ll refrain from spoiling them for you. Suffice to say, there is plenty to keep the eagle-eyed, long-time fan busy.
Things take a turn for the worse, as the evil Dr. Cyber and her troops begin to infiltrate Paradise Island! How ever will Diana and Jaime get out of this one?
It’s clear that Andy Mangles is having a blast writing this series, as it continues to gain momentum and keep us thrilled with plot twists and a treasure trove of Easter eggs to keep the most rabid of fans happy.
Judit Tandora continues to soar as series artist, as in each issue, the likenesses of the characters gets better and better. The ladies looked especially beautiful this time around. Special props for capturing the likeness of actress Carolyn Jones as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta.
I can’t wait ’till the next issue. It will be fun to see how this epic tale plays out!
That’s all for this week’s Wonder Woman Wednesday. Be sure to be here next week for another installment. Until then, check out the I Am Wonder Fan page on Facebook and follow me on Instagram @michaelfitztroy.
