Walking into your safe place...your happy place...(insert the name of your local comic shop here), what do you see? Well, you see lots of things! There are familiar smiling faces. There's the girl behind the counter with different-colored hair every week that knows your name and everyone there is always glad you came, #Cheersshoutout! Immediately, hundreds, maybe thousands of comics vie for some attention. What happens when one catches your eye that shocks you?
Have you ever caught yourself walking into your comic shop, or browsing down the aisle at your favorite comic convention and stopping short, staring at a comic book cover? Do you have a head-scratching, "what were they thinking" moment?
Superman Can Get Away With This, But We Can't!
There are two WWTT covers explored this week! One cover, in particular, that is a bit of a head-scratcher is Action Comics #445. It is not the dominant element, two Supermen and Lois Lane in an absolutely swag 70's outfit looking at her watch thinking, "yes, my man is late...again," that places this comic in the WWTT category. It is the background of this cover that places it firmly in the WWTT category. Have you noticed yet where Superman is meeting Lois for a date yet? I mean, really? Have you ever met your girlfriend to go out on a date in the worst part of town? A date at the epicenter of the trash-strewn crumbling decay of the city? Don't be surprised if a second date didn't happen! I don't get the background of this comic. It definitely stands out as one of the more interesting Action Comics covers of the '70s. It makes for a compelling case of how far this comic can go up in value. GoCollect has a CGC 9.6 selling in August for $99!
What Was DC's Strategy With The Wonder Woman Character in the 70s?
How did DC come to the decision to go in the Diana Prince direction for Wonder Woman? If you know the answer to that question, please share it! The other WWTT cover is Wonder Woman #200. Really, I can pick just about any Diana Prince Wonder Woman phase cover. They almost ALL qualify as a WWTT, but #200 might be the biggest one! What makes it a WWTT is not just that it is yet another Wonder Woman in bondage cover (there are MANY Wonder Woman bondage covers). It is a WWTT because it personifies Wonder Woman as full of fear and helplessness. There seems to be a long run of this character where DC editors didn't want her to shine. Even as a guest star in Brave and the Bold or World's Finest in the early 70's she's unconscious or needs help. This cover wraps all that purposeful reduction of Wonder Woman as a character. One final point that makes this a supreme WWTT cover is the short promotion of what is inside the issue. Right next to Wonder Woman's helpless form, just to the left of those pliers and other instruments of torture Wonder Woman will soon endure, and just below her terrified face, is the "Plus Wonder Girl" promotion! With more than 50 sales documented on GoCollect, this comic's interest and value are holding steady. Looking at the cover a second time illicit the same reaction as the first time, "Wait...What?"
Conclusion
There are thousands of WWTT covers! There are WWTT covers that are in personal collections enjoyed by owners. Perhaps you bought a WWTT cover precisely because it is a WWTT. Maybe while enjoying a second (or third) cup of coffee today you'll pull some WWTT comics out of your collection and ask yourself: "What is my favorite WWTT cover?
