Wonder Man #2
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Stefano Raffaele, Mark Buckingham
SIMON WILLIAMS: WANTED FOR MURDER! After last issue’s shocking reveal, SIMON WILLIAMS is left to pick up the pieces. But who is truly to blame? And would Simon take the fall for someone else’s crime?
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SUPER-HERO ACTION! Simon Williams has had his ups and down, from being manipulated into villainy by the Enchantress, to being one of the brightest stars in the Avengers! But just like Hollywood, no matter how low the lows, Simon keeps fighting the good fight! But what happens when the past finally catches up to him? Enter Randolph Chancellor: Simon’s former cellmate! A true love letter to L.A. as well as the history of Wonder Man. Wonder Man #1 delivers an interesting start that feels more like a detective whodunnit that your typical superhero comic.
At this point, I have no idea what the status is for Simon Williams/Wonder Man in the Marvel comic universe. He was a hero, he was a villain, he was a pacifist. But, thankfully with Wonder Man #1 you have to know none of that to enjoy it.
Writer Gerry Duggan seems to keep things rather simple and focused with the debut issue, keeping it to the main things that really make Simon Williams/Wonder Man stand out from all of the other heroes. Duggan dips into his past as a villain and the experiments done on him to give him power. Basically, he’s kind of a screw up, that’s never quite clicked. That’s not just being a superhero but also as an actor as well. He’s had some hits, he had his moment, but now he’s more of a fixer for the individuals that manage his career.
That gets him involved with an old friend who is having a sort of good streak for his career but also might have stolen a lot of money meant for a show. Wonder Man #1 feels like it echoes a recent real story of a producer who took a lot of money for a production and delivered nothing except goods for himself.
And that’s partially what makes Wonder Man #1 interesting. It has more to do with inside Hollywood baseball and a wink and nod but also has a feel that’s more like classic detective stories, down to the dame coming into the picture.
The art by Mark Buckingham is good. With ink by Aure Jimenez, color by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by Joe Caramagna, the comic’s visuals are interesting, with a look that feels a bit like a reality show following Wonder Man. There’s a behind the scenes sort of vibe to it that’s interesting visually. That extends beyond the panel with pages whose sides look like a film reel. It all adds to the feel the comic is going for mixing superhero aesthetics with reality television. It works really well for the comic.
Wonder Man #1 is a solid start that isn’t what I expected at all. It has far more in common with detective stories than it does with modern superhero comics and is a great introduction to Simon Williams/Wonder Man. Well worth checking it out for something a little different.
Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Mark Buckingham
Ink: Aure Jimenez Color: Rachelle Rosenberg Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Marvel Disney’s recent TV series is about a struggling actor and I have the perfect guest to discuss it with me: filmmaker, life-long Los Angelino, and Marvel comics fan Brandon Wilson. Wonder Man is delightful and we’ve got a lot say about the show’s portrayals of LA, Simon Williams’s existence as a Black Haitian-American actor, the prison industrial complex, queer readings and more. You don’t need to know about Wonder Man to enjoy the show but Brandon gives us the download on Simon William’s comics history.
Plus: the parallels with Midnight Cowboy run deeper than you think!
Spoilers marked at 20 min in.
I’m Levin on Bluesky — https://bsky.app/profile/levin.bsky.social
Wonder Man #1
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Mark Buckingham
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SUPER-HERO ACTION!
SIMON WILLIAMS has had his ups and down, from being manipulated into villainy by the Enchantress, to being one of the brightest stars in the Avengers! But just like HOLLYWOOD, no matter how low the lows, Simon keeps fighting the good fight! But what happens when the past finally catches up to him? Enter Randolph Chancellor: Simon’s former cellmate!
A true love letter to L.A. as well as the history of WONDER MAN, Legendary artist MARK BUCKINGHAM joins Marvel Mainstay GERRY DUGGAN!
Simon (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor (Ben Kingsley), actors at opposite ends of their careers, chase life-changing roles.
Watch the first episode of Marvel Television’s Wonder Man and then catch the entire series on Disney+.
He was born to play this role, but the spotlight reveals everything.
We’ve got the first trailer for Marvel Television‘s Wonder Man, which gives us a tease of a rather self-aware series that pokes fun of the superhero genre.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays the title character of Simon Williams who in the comics becomes Wonder Man. He’s no stranger to comic films, having play Black Manta in the Aquaman movies for DC and was Cal Abar in the Watchmen television series. Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor Slattery. That character debuted in Marvel Studio’s Iron Man 3 in 2013 and returned in multi Marvel projects like the All Hail the King one-shot and most recently in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Wonder Man, an 8-episode series, premieres January 27 at 6PM PT only on Disney+.
Simon Williams makes it big in March, starring in an all-new limited comic series by superstar writer Gerry Duggan and acclaimed artist Mark Buckingham.
Wonder Man returns to Hollywood for action both on and off set! Using his ionic—and iconic—powers to keep Tinsel Town in line, Simon gets caught up in a deadly mystery involving an old friend. With Hellcat chasing his tail and studios demanding his head, Simon embarks on the adventure that will make or break his career! A saga sure to make headlines, Wonder Man is a perfect entry point to the multi-faceted character, mining his rich history and setting the stage for his next breakthrough role!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SUPER HERO ACTION!
Simon Williams has had his ups and down, from being manipulated into villainy by the Enchantress, to being one of the brightest stars in the Avengers! But just like Hollywood, no matter how low the lows, Simon keeps fighting the good fight! But what happens when the past finally catches up to him? Enter Randolph Chancellor: Simon’s former cellmate! A true love letter to L.A. as well as the history of Wonder Man!
Check out Paulo Siqueria’s cover for the debut issue along with a Foil Variant Cover by Netho Diaz, a Headshot Variant Cover by Phil Noto, and a variant cover by Mark Buckingham and be sure not to miss Marvel Television’s own take on Simon Williams in Wonder Man, releasing January 27 on Disney+!
Acting isn’t a job. It’s a calling. Presenting: The Slattery Method, a master class from renowned actor Trevor Slattery.
Text “ACT” to 805-8-TREVOR (805-887-3867) to sign up.
Witness Trevor’s triumphant return to the screen in Wonder Man, streaming January 27 at 6PM PT on Disney+.
“Simon Williams. Reading for Wonder Man.”
We’ve got a first look at Marvel Television‘s Wonder Man, which gives us a tease of a rather self-aware series that pokes fun of the superhero genre.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays the title character of Simon Williams who in the comics becomes Wonder Man. He’s no stranger to comic films, having play Black Manta in the Aquaman movies for DC and was Cal Abar in the Watchmen television series. Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor Slattery. That character debuted in Marvel Studio’s Iron Man 3 in 2013 and returned in multi Marvel projects like the All Hail the King one-shot and most recently in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Wonder Man premieres January 27 at 6pm on Disney+.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is shifting the world of DC’s Aquaman and Watchmen to the lead role in the Disney+ Marvel Studios series Wonder Man.
The character debuted in The Avengers #9 in 1964 and was created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby. The character has ion based powers including super strength, later joins the Avengers, and has been in a relationship with the Scarlet Witch. The character has been both a hero and villain and generally has been absent from the Marvel comic universe in recent years.
Announced in June, the series sees teh involvement of Shang-Chi‘s Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye‘s Andrew Guest. Cretton will direct while Guest is the head writer. The series will also see the return of Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has history with comic properties having won an Emmy in 2020 for his turn as Dr. Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen. He also plays Black Manta who was in 2018’s Aquaman and will return in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
