The origin
Diana is the princess of Themyscira, an island of Amazon warriors hidden from the world of men. When an American pilot named Steve Trevor crashes on their shores, the Amazons hold a contest to decide who will return him to what they call the world of man. Diana is forbidden to compete, enters in disguise, wins, and leaves the only home she has ever known carrying a lasso that compels the truth from anyone bound by it.
What makes Wonder Woman different
The origin behind the origin is stranger than the comic. William Moulton Marston was a psychologist who helped invent the polygraph, which is exactly why Diana's signature weapon is a lasso that forces people to tell the truth. He set out deliberately to create a hero who would win through love rather than force, at his wife Elizabeth's suggestion that the hero be a woman. Diana is the first major superheroine, the third pillar of DC alongside Superman and Batman, and the only one of the three whose defining weapon is not a fist or a gadget but a demand for honesty.
Where to start reading
The full reading order
George Perez run beginsessential
After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Perez rebuilt her from the ground up, anchoring her firmly in Greek myth and treating her as an ambassador rather than a brawler. Perez committed to six months and stayed nearly five years. This is the foundation everything modern is built on.
Gods and Mortalsessential
The opening arc of the Perez run and the cleanest starting point in print. Ares as the antagonist, and it establishes why she left the island.
Wonder Woman: The Hiketeiaessential
Greg Rucka and J.G. Jones. Diana grants sanctuary to a young woman Batman is hunting, and ancient Greek obligation collides with modern law. Short, and one of the best things ever written about her.
Greg Rucka's first runessential
Rucka writes her as a working diplomat with an embassy and a press office, which sounds dry and is anything but. The definitive take on Diana as a political figure.
Gail Simone's runrecommended
Simone brings the warrior back to the front without losing the compassion. A fan-favourite, and a good balance if Rucka's politics-heavy approach is not for you.
Azzarello and Chiang, New 52recommended
Rewrites her as the daughter of Zeus and turns the book into a Greek gods horror-thriller. Self-contained, gorgeous, and divisive among long-time fans. Cliff Chiang's art is superb.
Rucka returns, Rebirthessential
Alternating issues tell Year One and a present-day mystery about which of her origins is even real. A clever structure and a genuinely great modern entry point.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earthdeep cut
Daniel Warren Johnson. Diana wakes in a post-apocalyptic future. Out of continuity, brutal, and beautifully drawn. Same artist as the Transformers run people rave about.
Absolute Wonder Womanrecommended
Raised in Hell rather than paradise. The strongest-reviewed book of the Absolute line and a current jumping-on point with no baggage.
Chasing any of these Wonder Woman issues?
Whether you are hunting a key, thinking about selling a collection, or just want to talk comics, I am always happy to hear from you.