Alter Ego #198 March 2026 (magazine review).
As you can probably tell from the cover of this issue of Alter Ego, the main feature is a detailed look at early Wonder Woman artist H.G. Peter. William Moulton Marston may have created the character, but it was Harry G. Peter who gave her visual form through his illustrations. Writer Art Cloos digs not only into Peter’s history but also into Marston himself and Joye Hummell, who continued writing Wonder Woman after Marston’s death. His wife, Alice “Allie” Cloos, has an extensive Wonder Woman collection, and many examples from that era are reproduced here.
A couple of things particularly struck me. Harry Peter was already 61 years old when he began illustrating Wonder Woman. His version of the character was also somewhat flatter-chested than later incarnations and, judging by the exposed back, her top resembled a corset more than armour. I thought I already knew most of this history and, if you assumed the 2017 film Professor Marston And The Wonder Women covered the subject thoroughly, then you really need to read this issue. There is still plenty of room for a fuller history of how Wonder Woman evolved over the decades and this article is an excellent place to begin. It is also enormous, running to at least 46 pages and dominating the issue.
Michael T. Gilbert’s ‘Mr. Monster’ feature takes a look at Klaus Nordling’s Lady Luck logos, pointing out that Nordling was one of the triple threats of his era, able to pencil, ink and letter his own work. If nothing else, it demonstrates that, much like Will Eisner on The Spirit, Nordling enjoyed experimenting with his story headings and logos.
The Fawcett Collector, via Jim Holden, compares the circulation figures of Captain Marvel and the rest of the Marvel Family against National Periodicals’ Superman and Batman, exploring why National viewed Fawcett as such a threat and pursued them through copyright litigation. Considering how many costumed superheroes existed at the time, you do have to wonder why Fawcett was singled out.
This review may be short, but the content of this issue is substantial and important if you want to expand your comic book knowledge.
GF Willmetts
May 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82-page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from the publisher, you can order it for $10.95 (US).)
Check out the websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and Alter Ego issue page
