11 ‘Wonder Woman’ Runs You Need To Read

It’s shaping up to be a pretty good year for DC’s top female superhero (although she’s seeing a bit of competition from Harley Quinn, of all people) – Patty Jenkins’ next Wonder Woman movie releases in June, and this week you can head to your comics retailer of choice and pick up the 750th issue of the Amazon’s own comic book. Wonder Woman #750 features stories by some of the most iconic names in the character’s history, and if this giant-sized special isn’t enough to satisfy you, we’ve got you covered. Here are eleven of the best creative periods in Diana Prince’s storied past.

Gods And Mortals

Gods And Mortals, George Perez

No list of Wonder Woman runs would be complete without the character-defining work done by superstar artist Perez in the 1980s. Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC hired top-tier talent to refocus their three biggest characters. Perez took Diana back to her roots, delivering an origin story that wove the Greek gods in tighter to her birth and presenting Ares, the blood-mad god of war, as one of her most dangerous villains. These stories are dense, surprising and expertly plotted, delivering some of the best straight-up superhero action in a decade that had no shortage of it.

The Hiketeia

The Hiketeia, Greg Rucka and J.G. Jones

Few characters in the DC universe seem to hail from opposite ends of the narrative spectrum as Batman and Wonder Woman, but a few writers have brought really interesting results out of the pairing. Rucka, who would have a number of well-received runs on the main title, teamed with ultra-detailed artist J.G. Jones on a story about revenge and responsibility. When a mortal woman Diana has taken a sacred oath to protect comes into Batman’s sights, the two heroes find themselves at odds, each wrestling with their strict moral code as supernatural forces swirl in the background. It’s a taut, compelling thriller that really delivers on what makes the character interesting.

New 52

New 52, Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

When the company decided to reboot every single book they published with new #1s in The New 52, it was a chance to breathe new life into some characters that desperately needed it. The choice of Azzarello, probably best known for gritty Vertigo crime conspiracy 100 Bullets, was a strange one, but he delivered a daring take on the character that took bold risks. No longer formed from clay given life, Diana is now a full-blown goddess, daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta, and stands as the sole defense between mankind and the often cruel whims of the gods. When Zeus knocks up yet another mortal woman, Diana must protect the child from a variety of supernatural menaces.

The Legend Of Wonder Woman

The Legend Of Wonder Woman

It’s sort of wild that, for most of the character’s career DC’s leading female hero has been written and drawn exclusively by men. Legendary underground artist Trina Robbins was the first female artist to draw her in the pages of her own book, and in 1986 she teamed with a young pre-fame Kurt Busiek for a four-issue limited series that paid tribute to her Golden Age origins while still reading as fresh and fun. It was an approach to the character that was already on its way out, but it’s a cool way to revisit the heroine’s early days without the sometimes unsettling sexuality.

Earth One

Earth One, Grant Morrison and Yannick Paquette

DC’s Earth One line is a way for them to present out-of-continuity takes on some of their most iconic characters, letting top-tier creators cut to the heart of what makes them work without having to deal with decades of conflicting storylines. In 2016’s take on Wonder Woman, Morrison takes some of the recurring elements of the origin like Steve Trevor becoming the first man to set foot on Themyscira in centuries and gives them a little modernizing, while still maintaining the odd, bondage-focused sexuality that has always haunted the character. It’s a tightrope walk, but one the team makes work ably.

The 12 Labors Of Wonder Woman

The 12 Labors Of Wonder Woman

Diana’s book during the 50s, 60s, and 70s was mostly under the pen of the workmanlike Bob Kanigher, one of DC’s most dependable house style scribes. As such, it didn’t do much to distinguish itself from the rest of the newsprint on the stands. After a bold experiment in the early 70s that saw her lose her powers and costume and fight street-level crime in a white pantsuit, Wonder Woman returned to the status quo with this epic tale of a dozen quests around the globe, each monitored by a different member of the Justice League, who have asked her to return. It’s fun, classic action that shows the heroine at her best with a dizzying array of villains.

The Circle

The Circle, Gail Simone, Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson

Gail Simone has built a well-deserved reputation for taking DC characters and giving them new levels of emotional depth while still telling cracking good adventure stories. In her debut outing on the book, she teamed with the husband and wife team of the Dodsons to clean up the mess left behind by the much-derided Amazons Attack crossover and get Diana back to a solid status quo. During this run, her civilian identity was completely powerless and she needed to transform to Wonder Woman to access her Gods-given strength, which created some interesting tension that we don’t often see with the character.

The True Amazon

The True Amazon, Jill Thompson

Writer and artist Jill Thompson has a lot of experience with Diana – she drew the character for the first time in 1990 and was the artist for many of the post-Perez issues. She returned to Wonder Woman with a gorgeous painted graphic novel in 2017 that offered a different take on the character’s early days. Eschewing the presence of Steve Trevor entirely, this Amazon is a much more multi-dimensional protagonist, a spoiled princess who needs to grow into the responsibility of being a leader. She learns humility through a friendship with a stable girl in this rich, nuanced original work.

The Lies

The Lies, Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp

It seems like every time DC reboots their universe, Wonder Woman gets a facelift and a modified origin. Rucka returned to the book with DC’s “Rebirth” event, and the new Wonder Woman series was structured in a bizarre way. Two storylines ran in the book for the first two years, alternating back and forth each issue. “Year One” was yet another origin story, but the more interesting narrative was “The Lies,” which sees Diana partnered with one of her oldest enemies, the Cheetah, as she tries to figure out her place in the Greek mythos while being separated from both the gods and the Amazons. Liam Sharp’s incredible, detailed art is just the icing on the cake.

The 18th Letter

The 18th Letter, Christopher Priest and Karl Waller

Many comic book writers work in a sort of shared language, filing off their idiosyncrasies to fit a house style. Say what you will about Christopher Priest, he’s never done that. During his tenure at DC, he’s tackled many of the company’s biggest names, including Wonder Woman. In this three-issue story, Wonder Woman is called to a central European country in the midst of ethnic cleansing and made an offer: the charismatic leader in charge will surrender completely, in exchange for a night with the Amazon. It’s a very unusual concept that delves deep into Diana’s desire for peace at all costs.

Spirit Of Truth

Spirit Of Truth, Paul Dini and Alex Ross

This oversized one-shot from two of the company’s top talents was released along with a suite of similar projects in 2001, and it’s a really solid 60 pages. More than almost any other hero in the DC universe, Diana is a reflection of the world around her. She was sent to Man’s world to bring the wisdom and peace of the Amazons, and that is often a mission that sees no sign of ending. Dini places the character in a number of situation that test her abilities both mental and physical, and although there’s not a lot of resolutions to be found it’s a compelling portrait of the heroine at her best.



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