These Marvel-Verse trade paperbacks are great, bite-size ways to discover new superheroes and villains in the Marvel Universe. This latest edition focuses on Wonder Man, a.k.a. Simon Williams, who is quite the obscure and complex Avenger. Some may have yet to hear about this hero who has been around since 1964. Yet, his time is coming for the upcoming Wonder Man show that will air sometime soon. If you want to get the inside scoop on this forthcoming hero, this trade paperback could be an excellent place to start.
Marvel Comics
The Marvel-Verse trade paperbacks are physically smaller in size; instead of being similar dimensions to a comic book, they are more in line with manga. That is a smart move as it can be a great book to keep in stock at schools and libraries, which are perfect locations to get younger readers into comic books. Something to think about: there will be other books starring Wonder Man; one has already been released, Wonder Man: The Early Years Omnibus, a colossal collection of Simon’s adventures from his origins till the early ’90s. The other trade collection that will come soon is Wonder Man: The Saga of Simon Williams, a smaller collection, with some of those adventures from the omnibus and others that will be exclusive to itself.
Marvel Comics
In this trade collection, we get Simon’s first appearance in Avengers (vol. 1) #9, a team-up with the Thing in Marvel Two-In-One (vol. 1) #78, a solo one-shot in Wonder Man #1, and a wonderful reunion with Beast in Avengers (vol. 3) #14. To start with, the origin/first appearance of Wonder Man is a classic by Stan Lee and Don Heck; They set up a reason for Simon Williams to be in a place where he needs help and motivations for his anger towards Tony Stark. The Masters of Evil can use those two feelings to get Simon to become Wonder Man, who they’ll use to infiltrate the Avengers and lure them into a trap. It’s a great setup that makes Simon’s situation different than other heroes of the time, and he is one of the first Marvel Heroes to start evil and then switch sides, but sadly, we lose the character in his first appearance. I wish this collection had included the expansion story, “He Made Her the Bait,” from Avengers Classic (vol. 1) #9, which gives more depth to Simon’s situation; it’s worth a read!
Marvel Comics
The team-ups with Thing and Beast are great showcases of Simon’s connection with the rest of the Marvel Universe. In the Two-In-One issue, it’s funny to see how far Simon will go to get work as a novice actor, even to the point of playing a knockoff version of the Thing, Monster Man. Yet, when he sees how much frustration it brings to his friend, he is willing to walk away from the paying gig; it is an excellent way to show that Simon does have some integrity. The team-up with Beast is a deep recap of their history, and for newer readers, it will be interesting to get their reaction as they learn how Scarlet Witch and Vision connect to Simon. Plus, you get a superb script from Kurt Buisek and amazing art from the late, great George Perez!
The solo Wonder Man issue cuts into how Simon deals with his superpowers. He has trouble being an Avenger and knows he isn’t cutting it as an actor, so he tries a new gig. The issue has a recap of Simon’s adventures that is great for fans to learn what he has been through in a compressed comic setting. The idea of a new job gets him involved with Cordco as their Troubleshooter, which is a nice callback to his scientific industrialist days. As the adventure plays out, we tune into Simon’s thoughts and see that he is trying to cope with being immortal but fears death and is wondering where he belongs—a fun character piece by David Michelinie and Kerry Gammill.
This Marvel-Verse: Wonder Man collection is a great way to discover more about the hero with stories that get into his mindset and motivations while showcasing his powers. Excellent team-ups show how connected Wonder Man is with the rest of the Marvel Universe. It’s all crafted by wonderful Marvel talents that will entertain you and leave you wanting more Wonder Man.
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